An easy one today, requiring a blender and not much more. Piña Coladas were my jam upon moving to tropical Florida from Russia many years ago – I remember having a transcendent experience, sitting on a beach chair and drinking the sweet pineapple drink, while it was all snow and sludge in my hometown in Russia. Nowadays, I’m a wuss when it comes to alcohol, and would probably find most of those beachside bar piña coladas to be much too sweet, but I still crave the cooling, tropical flavors of the drink from time to time, hence this milkshake.
All the ingredients here are quite commonplace, but I couldn’t resist to call for an optional infusion with kaffir lime leaves, which come from a tree native to Southeast Asia, and are used widely in the cuisines of that part of the world. Kaffir lime leaves have the most unique and magical, sweet, citrusy aroma that I’ve found to be life-changing (starting out years ago, here). I buy mine frozen at the local Asian market, but I’ve also seen them sold fresh at other Asian and Indian markets, as well as online. Kaffir adds a special, sunny zing to this milkshake, but it’s very good without them as well. Read on for some weekend links and enjoy your Sunday :)
Burrow Bakery Instagram – pastry chef Ayako Kurokawa runs her bakery out of Dumbo, Brooklyn and posts all kinds of jaw-dropping, whimsical creations on her instagram account – macaron cactus, portrait cookies, geometric cake, floral cookie…
Healthy Foods – a fascinating NYT article on foods perceived as healthy/unhealthy, and where the public and nutritionists agree and disagree, with some very surprising findings
Sqirl – excited for this cookbook (the cover!)
Building a Restaurant in Paradise – loved this profile on the chef and co-owner of Hartwood in Tulum, on the challenges and triumphs of owning an outdoor restaurant in a foreign country
SPF – some questions answered, for those long days at the beach (turns out mixing sun screens is a no-no, which I did not know!)
Marie Condo’s War on Stuff – have you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? An interesting follow-up article on the author and the controversy some of her methods have caused.
How to Be a Smoothie Criminal – friends over at Green Press are sharing a beautiful, FREE e-book on the ins and outs of smoothie-making, for newbies and experienced blenders alike
To Create a Habit, Tell a Good Story – more amazing Zen Habits wisdom
Blog Love – loving the images, words and recipes over at Rooting the Sun – Green Garlic Gazpacho, Spring Veg in Carrot Broth w/ Popped Quinoa, Red Chard Wild Rice Soup
Purple Carrot – the amazing vegan meal delivery service working with Mark Bittman is featuring my recipe for Zoodles with Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Nectarines, and Crispy Chickpeas in their meal plan, delivering the week of July 17th :)
- 1½ cups canned Thai coconut milk
- handful kaffir lime leaves - bruised (optional)
- ½ small to medium ripe pineapple - chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 large frozen banana
- 6-8 scoops coconut ice cream (my favorite is Coconut Bliss)
- desiccated coconut - for garnish
- If using kaffir lime, combine coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil to infuse. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator. Strain and add to a blender together with pineapple, frozen banana and ice cream.
- If not using kaffir lime, skip the infusion step and add coconut milk, pineapple, frozen banana and ice cream to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour between glasses (with a desiccated coconut rim - optional), garnish with pineapple slices and an additional scoop of ice cream, if desired.
danielle | rooting the sun says
Anya, thank you so dearly. I cannot even formulate the words to express how big of a fan I am of yours – but I am. It means the world to to have your affection. xo
Anya says
Danielle,
I’m very happy to have found your blog. Your eye is unique, which is so hard to come by.
Thank you for your kind words :)
Simone says
It’s so delicius and beautiful. I tried with cardamom because there ism’t kaffir here. Thank you !
Anya says
Hi Simone,
So glad you enjoyed it. The addition of cardamom sounds perfect :)
Elizabeth says
This recipe sounds amazing! Thank you for including Coconut Bliss!
Anna @ Fix Your Skin says
Thanks Anya for sharing these awesome recipes. I came across your blog a few days ago. You have been posting various interesting and healthy posts on living a disease-free life. Kudos to you girl!
Anya says
Thank you Anna :)
Nicole says
This looks delicious. I’m definitely going to try it out.