Last week I bought some beautiful, fresh strawberries to make a strawberry cake from one of my favorite blogs, TasteFood. I served the cake along with some freshly whipped cream at a party that I hosted for the female doctors in my department, and it was a huge hit!
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| Simple Strawberry Cake (recipe from TasteFood) |
The idea for my Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade came about when I was trying to figure out what to do with the leftover strawberries. Inspired by the beautiful warm, summery weather that we had in New York City this weekend, I decided to make a pitcher of fresh lemonade. Lemonade with strawberries? Yes! And why stop there- I also had some ripe pineapple that I decided to throw into the mix. Homemade lemonade is a great canvas to add lots of interesting ingredients including fresh fruits and herbs. All you have to do is combine your favorite seasonal ingredients in a pitcher, mash them together with a sweetener and then stir in fresh lemon juice and water.
The best tool to use is a muddler, a wooden bartender’s tool used to mash or muddle fruits and herbs together in the bottom of a glass to release their flavors. If you've ever ordered a mojito, you've probably seen one being used to muddle the mint leaves. If you don’t have a muddler, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon or anything with a flat surface. To sweeten the naturally tart lemonade, I use agave nectar but you can use honey, simple syrup or any type of sweetener that you like.
The best tool to use is a muddler, a wooden bartender’s tool used to mash or muddle fruits and herbs together in the bottom of a glass to release their flavors. If you've ever ordered a mojito, you've probably seen one being used to muddle the mint leaves. If you don’t have a muddler, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon or anything with a flat surface. To sweeten the naturally tart lemonade, I use agave nectar but you can use honey, simple syrup or any type of sweetener that you like.
But don’t limit yourself to strawberries and pineapple- there are an endless variety of flavor combinations you can try out to create your own perfect lemonade. Need some ideas? Here are just a few suggestions:
- Strawberry, watermelon and mint
- Blackberry habanero
- Cucumber basil
- Peach mango
So the next time you’re looking to quench your thirst with a fun and refreshing drink that both adults and kids will love, try my Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade. Enjoy!
Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade
Makes 6 servings
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups cold water
Place the strawberries, pineapple and agave nectar in a pitcher. Mash them together using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice and water and stir to combine. Serve lemonade over ice.
What's your favorite summertime drink? Leave a comment and let me know!
Your cake looks beautiful! The lemonade is a perfect elixir for the hot weather we have been having. And now you have me thinking of ways to incorporate habaneros in my beverages.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynda! It's not as nice as yours but I was really happy with how it turned out! :)
DeleteI love the way you write your blogs! Yummy, yummy! Looks delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julianna!
Deletewow, looks delicious! will give it a try tomorrow :D
ReplyDeleteThanks- let me know how it turns out!
DeleteBoth the clafouti and the lemonade look delicious, but honey would have been a much healthier choice for the sweetener in the lemonade. Agave nectar is bad for your liver from what I understand from the information I'm reading on it.
ReplyDeleteThere are pros and cons to every sweetener and this is a hotly debated topic! In terms of solid, medical literature, the jury's still out. The one thing everyone seems to agree upon is that whichever sweetener you choose, use it in moderation. Because of the varied opinions on the subject, I wrote in my post that I used agave nectar but you can use honey, simple syrup or any type of sweetener you like.
DeleteI use all sweetners in moderation, agave nectar being of one that I use as well. Keep the recipes coming, love them all.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Glenda!
Deletei just shared this on Amee's Savory Dish! http://www.ameessavorydish.com/2012/06/fit-and-fabulous-fridays-34.html
ReplyDeleteThe lemonade looks so refreshing and that cake....gorgeous!!! Thank you for sharing these great summer recipes at Fit and Fabulous Fridays Sonali! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amee!
DeleteThis sounds so refreshing, Sonali! I love to use agave to sweeten beverages, it's sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks for sharing at Thursday's Treasures! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa!
DeleteSo refreshing! I could see making this into popsicles for the kids as a healthy treat for the kids on these hot summer days! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joan- I love the popsicle idea!
DeleteSonali,
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious and refreshing. Would love to have a pitcher of those on the beach. I'd probably sneak a little vodka in there though. LOL.
P.S. I LOVE that glass pitcher!
Ha ha, that's a great idea!
DeleteHere's another version I found. Can't wait to try both! Thank you for sharing.4c. pineapple juice, 2c. fresh or frozen strawberries, 1/4, fresh lemon juice,1/2c. water, ice
ReplyDeleteBlend every thing but the ice and then pour over ice.