Filed in: tagged as 
I was reading thru a popular cooking magazine last week and noticed a recipe for Piña Coladas and wondered if I could make one that is family friendly since my son loves the flavor of coconut! My family visited Nuevo Vallarta a few years ago and had a wonderful time being close to the ocean and all that wonderful Mexican food! A favorite was ordering Virgin Piña Coladas by the pool and this recipe makes me remember all the great memories that we had many years ago. We made a wonderful friend while we were there, Nikki who told us all the best places to go and even took me on a trip to a Mexican Costco!
This drink is best started the night before as I soak shredded coconut in coconut milk for an extra boost of that creamy flavor. If you are in a hurry you can skip that step and just use straight coconut milk. This drink typically has a heavy, sugary cream of coconut as its base but I lighten it up with unsweetened coconut milk. I use frozen pineapple to thicken it up and skip the ice that can water down the tropical flavor.
•Pineapple is in season now and a great time to find a ripe one!
•It is rich in Vitamin C, Copper, Dietary Fiber, Manganese and Thiamin (Vitamin B1) which is great for Energy Production and Antioxidant Defenses.
•Coconut is a favorite of mine and is also full of Manganese which helps control blood sugar. It contains phosphorus which is a nutrient that helps strengthen bones and each cup of coconut milk supplies the body with nearly a quarter of daily value of iron – bonus!
•It also adds potassium which helps lower blood pressure – a win win for everyone!
Enjoy and bottoms up! Chef Amy
| Pina Colada |
- 2 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 12 oz. coconut milk
- 2 c. fresh pineapple, frozen
- 1/3 c. pineapple juice
- 1/4 c. orange juice, fresh
- 2 T. agave (optional)
- If desired you can infuse the coconut milk with even more flavor by this simple step.
- Place 12 oz. of coconut milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat till small bubbles form. Add in shredded coconut and remove from heat.
- Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- Cut up fresh pineapple and place in the freezer in a ziploc bag until hard at least one hour – or buy frozen pineapple.
- Strain coconut mixture through a sieve over a bowl and with the back of a spoon remove as much liquid as possible.
- Add infused coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
- Top with a slice of fresh pineapple and enjoy!
Instead of throwing away the shredded coconut that you soaked in the coconut milk, repurpose it in a chia pudding or toss with yogurt and some fresh fruit!
0 comments… add one now