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Agua Frescas for Summer

Jul 25, 2016 | Recipes

Cool drinks are in demand in the summer and most people go right for the lemonade or iced tea. In the Amercian Southwest, however, agua frescas are growing in popularity. Literally translated they are “fresh water” infused with fruit and herbs. Some popular flavors of agua fresca are strawberry, jamaica(hibiscus flower), and tamarind. 

The recipe we’re sharing today features watermelon.  It seemed appropriate, given that this is National Watermelon Month.  Try it out and let us know how you like it.

 

Watermelon Agua Fresca
A cool "fresh water" drink popularized in the Southwest.
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 watermelon, peeled and seeds taken out (use seedless for less work)
  2. 6 cups water
  3. 1/2 cup ginger infused simple syrup or 1/2 cup sweetener (if using stevia, use less)
  4. juice of 1 lime
  5. several sprigs of mint
Instructions
  1. Peel watermelon and discard seeds, if necessary.
  2. Blend 1 cup fruit to 2 cups water at a time with sweetener and 8-10 leaves of peppermint. Strain mixture and pour into pitcher. Add sweetener and mix..
  3. Serve chilled and garnished with mint and lime slices.
Notes
  1. To make simple syrup, check out this base recipe and then add 6-8 wafer thin slices of ginger.
Things Vegans Cook http://www.thingsveganscook.com/

Watermelon Gazpacho

Jul 18, 2016 | Recipes

As the temperature rises, people seek out foods that are colder.  If you’re looking for a cold summer soup, you may be thinking gazpacho.  Now most people think of gazpacho as a tomato soup, but there are lots of variations. You can find recipes featuring avocado, grapes, cucumber, and non-vegan stocks.  This version highlights one of the ubiquitous summer fruits: watermelon.

The refreshing, raw soup combines watermelon with habenero chilis to provide a kick. You can adjust the amount of chilis to find the perfect heat level to offset the sweet coolness of the watermelon.

Watermelon Gazpacho
Yields 6
This refreshing, cold soup takes advantage of the freshness of summer watermelon.
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Prep Time
30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 cups watermelon
  2. 1 habanero chili
  3. 1 mango, diced (can be large diced)
  4. 1/2 tsp cardamom seed
  5. 1 tsp agave syrup
  6. 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  7. finely diced watermelon and mango pieces for garnish
Instructions
  1. Assemble all ingredients.
  2. Remove cardamom seeds from their shells. Remove seeds from watermelon (or buy seedless)
  3. Place all ingredients except for cilantro and agave in blender and puree.
  4. Transfer to a bowl, and add agave and cilantro.
  5. Garnish with finely diced mango and watermelon pieces.
Notes
  1. Best served chilled. Can also garnish with fresh squash blossom or other edible flower.
Things Vegans Cook http://www.thingsveganscook.com/
This recipe, as well as other soups, can be found in the ebook Delectable Vegan Soups.