Goodbite Green Monster Pineapple Kiwi Punch by Chef Dana Slatkin

Green Monster Pineapple Kiwi Punch

Pineapple-Kiwi Punch Just as I was about to post a recipe for a warm, comforting Fall soup, summer finally hit Los Angeles. It didn’t just creep up slowly. All of a sudden, the city turned into a sauna. Yesterday was so hot that it broke the all-time record (since 1877) — as well as the weatherman’s thermometer. And overnight, we Angelenos finally stopped complaining about the traffic.

So I’ll save the soup recipe for a cooler spell. Instead, I thought you might appreciate this refreshing punch, a variation on my Pineapple Lime Mint Agua Fresca that I developed for goodbite.com. I was chosen recently as a new contributor and, in a few weeks, you’ll be able to watch me demonstrate how to make it on my website and theirs.

But there really are no tricks to this fizzy, sugar-free concoction. With a couple optional drops of green food coloring, it is the perfect beverage to pour into a cauldron for a Halloween party. I’ll be floating glow-in-the-dark snakes in mine. And the best part is, there’s no heat involved.

Makes 9 cups, or 12 servings

3 kiwi, halved
1-2 pounds pineapple (about 1 large), diced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
4 cups brewed decaffeinated green tea
2 (12-ounce) cans natural or sugar-free lemon lime soda or 2 cups vodka
Optional: 2 drops of green food coloring
Garnish: kiwi slices and mint sprigs

1. Using a soup spoon, scoop the kiwi flesh into a blender. Add the pineapple, lime juice and mint. Pour in the green tea and drops of food coloring if using and blend well.

2. Pour the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing down on the solids with a ladle, into a punch bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours.

3. If you like your punch bubbly (and alcohol-free), add 2 cans of soda just before serving. Or spike it with vodka. Serve in punch cups or glasses over ice, garnished with a slice of kiwi and sprig of mint.

Here’s what else I’ll be serving up for my pre-trick-or-treat feast: Mini-mugs of Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, Smoky Fish and Chips, and Radicchio Caesar Salad. Dessert is on our neighbors!

Only a few days left to enter my September cooking contest. Give it a shot!

Photo credit: tastespotting.com