Pina Colada - retro indulgence for a hot New Year's Eve

Pineapple: the King of fruits is delicious and refreshing, can be eaten raw, used in sweet and savoury cooking, and in luscious drinks

And now for something different and fun: retro indulgence for a hot New Year's Eve! 

This little number is part pineapple and coconut Lassi, part Pina Colada, and naughty but nice. You will need a fresh pineapple, so use your nose to choose a good one. Fragrance is the key to quality. Select a pineapple on its sweet aroma and also check to make sure that the underneath stem is a creamy colour.

Did you know that the pineapple is not a fruit, as such, but 'a collection of berries'!? In fact, the pineapple grows from rows of approximately 150 individual flowers which have fused together.  These flowers are known as the ‘eyes’ on the fruit.

Incidentally, pineapples are best kept in a cool place without too much variation in temperature. They can be stored in the fridge, either whole or with the skin and leaves removed.  However, constant changes in temperature can affect the flesh and cause that blackness you sometimes find inside when the fruit is cut. So, to add a splash of Summer to your kitchen, it is perhaps best keep your pineapple on the fruit bowl and eat it within a couple of days of purchase. 

Happy new year and thank you for your friendship and support. How will you be celebrating?

PINA COLADA A LA LIZZY
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and flesh chopped
175mls pineapple juice (well chilled)
1/2 cup crushed ice
50mls light coconut milk
50mls Malibu (well chilled)

Pop the pineapple into a blender (or use a stick blender) and process until almost smooth. Add the pineapple juice, crushed ice, coconut milk and Malibu. Combine to a nice "slush". Serve in a tall cocktail glass that has been chilled. Garnish with a pineapple leaf for a real retro look. Oh, the straws are just for fun, you will just about need a spoon to slurp this baby down!

To prepare a fresh pineapple: use a sharp, serrated stainless steel knife. Remove the top of the pineapple and cut the fruit in half crossways.  Place the pineapple halves, cut side down, on a chopping board and shave the skin off using the knife, taking care to remove the eyes from the flesh.  Cut the pineapple into wedges, slices or large cubes.

Pina Colada: the perfect retro indulgence for a hot New Year's Eve