I used to buy a lot of magazines. But now with so much content online, I have to admit that I rarely buy the printed versions unless I am traveling. Recently, I picked up a copy of Domino magazine and inside was a feature written by New York City based chef and Domino contributor, Camille Becerra who is a visiting chef at the newly opened Casa Puebla Tulum. The feature includes her impressions from her time spent in this coastal region of Mexico and recipes she developed while living there.
One recipe in particular caught my eye. It was for Pineapple, Spinach and Ginger Agua, a refreshing flavored water. I whipped up a batch this week and anyone who crossed my threshold was offered a glass to counteract the incredible humidity we have been experiencing! I have to say that it was the most refreshing glass of “water” I’ve enjoyed in a long time and most of my friends seemed to agree. In addition to a refresher at the end of a long, hot day, the agua was equally enjoyable as a morning pick me up, a healthier substitute for a sugar laden juice.
Sweet pineapple is blended with fresh spinach, some diced up fresh ginger and just a little bit of sugar (1 Tablespoon). The mixture is strained, leaving you with just the water that is flavored with all the aromatics. It’s a little time consuming to strain the agua but you really don’t want this to be a drink with any pulp so it’s worth the effort.
There is plenty of summer left and even if the humidity eventually abates, this drink will deliver lots of flavor and a refreshing alternative to plain water. The recipe below is from Domino but rewritten in my words with a few clarifications on ingredient prep to make it easier to execute. Thank you to all my tasters!
Please let me know if you give it a try!
Flowers by my friend, Marta Taylor who owns Bloom Flower Studio.
Until next time…
One Year Ago: Grilled Turkey Tenderloins with Apricot Salsa
Two Years Ago: Armenian Cucumber and Tomato Salad (my most pinned recipe!)
Three Years Ago: LA Story Part Two
Four Years Ago: Tomato, Feta and Preserved Lemon Salad
This recipe is from Camille Bacerra and was featured in Domino Magazine. I've rewritten it and clarified the descriptions of a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 whole pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 1/2 cups or so)
- 3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves and stems
- 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Add the pineapple to a blender with the spinach and the diced ginger. Add 4 cups of water and the sugar and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve (this will take some time so be patient) and chill. Serve cold. You can add some chia seeds after straining to increase the nutritional value of the drink.
- Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, you may want to add the ginger to the blender with some of the water and try to puree that first as it is the most fibrous ingredient. I used a really basic blender and was able to make the recipe in batches with good results.
Loving green smoothies lately – might have to give this a try when I feel like something lighter. Great pictures. Love Marta’s arrangement too.
Thanks for the link to your friend’s floral shop. I may need to make a trip your way to see and meet her!
xo Suze