Saturday, May 7, 2011

Frozen Kiwi Mojito

frozen kiwi mojito


Having a BBQ or get together? Looking for something different. This Frozen Kiwi Mojito is light, refreshing for a hot day, minty and of course gluten free and vegan.  Mojitos go great with any appetizer and are usually a hit with any crowd. Without alcohol, even kids can enjoy them as a delicious fruity smoothie.

One of the key ingredients in any Mojito is fresh mint. 

Here in Pennsylvania my mint garden  has been blooming since beginning of April.  However, If you don't grow your own mint, fresh mint is usually available in most supermarkets.

Fresh Mint is Good For You.

 Nutritionally, it has vitamin A, C, B12, thiamine, folic acid and riboflavin. In addition, it has minerals including iron and is packed powerful antioxidants and chlorophyll.

You Can Grow Your Own Mint Very Easily 

Mint is ridiculously easy to grow, and once you begin growing mint, you will have an abundant supply forever. It returns every season and spreads. It likes partial sun and humid weather and literally takes no care! 

Twenty years ago, I planted a single tiny one twig mint plant, and now every April - well,  look at my mint garden, you can see how it has spread and spread.  It is worth the small investment and there are so many recipes that call for fresh mint. If you know someone who grows mint, ask them for  a shoot or two to plant. If they are like me, they will have plenty to share. 

Or grow mint in a large pot on your  deck

fresh mint plants growing in the yard
Frozen Kiwi Mojitos are easy to make and are healthy.  Just get out that blender, add the ingredients, and whirl away. In minutes you can be enjoying a refreshing all natural fruit mojito .


bouquet of mint

How to Make the Frozen Kiwi Mojito 

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 fresh limes
1/2 cup maple syrup or any sweetener of your choice
optional: 4 ounces of plain white rum (or leave out the alcohol)
1/4-1/2  cup of fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh kiwi, peeled and cut up
2 cups crushed ice or 1 cup of frozen kiwi and 1 cup crushed ice)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the blender and whiz away until well blended.
Serve with a sprig of mint and a slice on kiwi on the rim of the glass.

***For a non-alcoholic drink, leave out the rum.
***Most plain rums are gluten free ; check the ingredients of flavored rums may not be gluten free, so you will have to double check

mojito


What else do I do with mint?


  • I use mint to make  hot or as iced mint tea. 
  • We add mint leaves to homemade lemonade,
  • I place a bunch in a vase to enjoy in my kitchen, and 
  • I use it as a garnish. 
  • I make a minted carrot salad, zucchini with lemon and mint, and 
  • omelets with dried mint which are actually sensational.
  •  I also add some sprigs of fresh mint to my juicer when I am making green juice 
  • If I am feeling ambitious, I will dry big batches to use in recipes throughout the winter.
  • Mint Ice Cubes are great for a party

How to make mint ice cubes
You simply place a sprig of fresh mint in each container of an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze. You have a pretty ice cube with fresh mint in the middle.

Another variation for making mint ice cubes is to place about 12 mint stalks in a deep pot or bowl and pour boiling water over and allow to steep until the water brews into a strong mint tea. Remove leaves, allow to cool and then fill the minted tea into an ice cube tray or two. Add a sprig of mint to each compartment if desired and freeze. Mint ice cubes are a nice addition to almost any drink especially lemonade, iced herbal tea or even to a glass of plain water.


How to dry mint:

You can wash and dry mint for future use in omelets, cooking, etc.
It is a simple procedure. Just wash the mint first, place on a rack and leave for about 4-5 days until the leaves turn dark, dry and brittle.( maybe less, depends on the humidity)
Remove the leaves from the stems, place the leaves into a food processor with the metal blade and pulse on and off until the dry leaves become very small. Store in a jar with a tight lid. Will last all winter. Can also keep refrigerated.



Takes about 4 days to dry; remove leaves from stems and crush or put into small processor
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24 comments:

  1. That is a wonderful colored mojito! Would love to sip one now!

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  2. This looks good- I've always wondered exactly what goes into a Mojito. And I have an abundance of mint in the herb garden that needs to be used!

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  3. Looks absolutely refreshing... I need it now.. my air conditioning is down and I am soaking hot!

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  4. Love your mint garden! I am a mint fan and its almost a staple in my meals. The drink looks delightful.

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  5. Yum. These sound and look delicious! Now I need to come over and "borrow" some mint! Maybe I'll get some today for my herb garden. Happy Mother's Day!

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  6. That looks awesome! Btw, crazy coicidence... I made a mocktail with a whole kiwi and left over beet juice (from boiling beets) just last night. I'm still experimenting with the recipe so not ready to be published yet... but it was deja vu when I saw your recipe today morning! more so because I'm thinking of adding mint to mine :) Thanks for bring this lovely recipe to Sugar Free Sundays!

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  7. This looks SO refreshing! I LOVE that there is agave nectar in it :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

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  8. A great recipe in the nick of time! Looks like a great backdrop w/the mojitos, pita, and salsa (?) Just made a great Indian fruit salad for mother's day w/mango, grapefruit, pineapple topped w/a chili-lime vinagrate (mint, cilantro, cayenne)!

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  9. Yum! I love a good non alcoholic beverage. How festive!

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  10. Hi! I gave you an award today ... :) http://foodfloozie.blogspot.com/2011/05/versatile-blogging.html

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  11. I cant believe all that mint!! Looks amazing! This would be perfect for my Foodie Friday linky party - stop by this week and link up!

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  12. Memorial Day!? I'm thinking of making this today! Thanks for sharing such a refreshing drink at Sugar Free Sunday.

    See you next week!

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  13. Hi Judee,
    Your bed of mint looks like mine. I just told my husband that it grows bigger every year. It is so beautiful. I can't wait to try this smoothie, it looks wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!

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  14. This looks wonderful! Thanks for linking up to Garden Variety Wed.

    Love the info on mint--thanks for that too!

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  15. Oh my gosh this looks wonderfully tasty! Thanks for linking up to Savory Sundays!!

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  16. It looks beautiful. I stopped by from Savory Sunday. My participating post is a smoothie too (non-alcoholic): http://joyofdesserts.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-smoothie-recipe.html

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  17. Love this! I already grow mint in pots for the regular ole-garden-variety mojitos. I think I will need more mint!

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  18. I could so do with one of those mojitos right now (and it's not even midday here in NZ) - it looks incredibly refreshing!!!

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  19. I've got a thriving mint garden in my backyard and love your ideas for mint ice, which I think will feature prominently in my next mojito. That kiwi mojito looks fabulous!

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  20. Great ideas for mint ice cubes. And that kiwi mojito looks fabulous!

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  21. I love this mojito! Never would have thought of using kiwi. It sure makes a beautiful cocktail! I'm very jealous of your beautiful mint patch! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  22. Judee: this drink looks awesome. I like how it's put through a blender like a margarita instead of muddled - I've got to give it a try (maybe even with my beer mojito)!

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  23. What a great blog on mint. I will have to tell my sister about this one. She is putting fresh herbs in her garden and she fairly new to growing and harvesting.
    I am so glad you came to our BBQ Block Party,I saved this recipe to my Cocktail and drinks folder. I love it.
    Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, and see you next Thursday.

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  24. Mmmm what a refreshing drink! Looks so pretty, too. It will definitely make an appearance at my next girls night =)
    I love fresh mint! It's super easy to find at the Farmer's Market. Your mint garden is epic! I love all of the ways you find to use it.
    Thanks so much for sharing this at Healthy Vegan Fridays! I'm pinning this recipe and eagerly await your next share.

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