A healthy & halal smoothie with all of the wonderful Mojito flavors!
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
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Only in Algeria would it be October and still be 30°C. Only in Algeria would you still be able to enjoy melons of all varities and colors in October. And one of the melons that I've fallen in love with here in Algeria is the Juan Canary melon. The bold yellow color of this melon is just too appealing to walk away from. This melon is almost a hybrid between a cantaloupe and a honeydew melon. A canary melon is bright on the outside, but surprisingly pale on the inside. Cutting into one has the opposite impact of cutting into that scrubby brown melon the cantaloupe to reveal its stunning orange flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly more tangy than a honeydew. The flesh looks like that of a pear but is softer and tastes like a cantaloupe. When ripe, the rind has a slightly waxy feel. The name comes from its bright yellow color, which resembles that of the canary (bird). This melon is often marketed as the Juan Canary melon, Canare Melon, Spanish melon, Juan Canary, Jaune des Canaries and Amarillo. It is a member of the Cucumis melo var inodoras family, referred to as winter melons, knonw as those that mature in late summer. The single greatest advantage canary melons and the rest of the winter melon family have over summer melon varieties, is that they have a long post-vine shelf-life, allowing them to be stored longer.
Canary melon pairs well with citrus, ginger, mint and other more flavorful melons. Use canary melon in fresh preparations such as as a snack, cold soups, salads, in beverages and also candied. To store, keep uncut melons at room temperature until fully ripe then refrigerate up to fivedays. Refrigerate cut melon in a covered container for up to three days.
Having a cut melon in my fridge over 2 days, I thought I'd better use it before it turned. Without giving it much thought my hands quickly startting cutting, peeling and throwing into my blender. Looking into what else I had in my fridge my mind wandered to mojito cocktails that I saw all over Pinterest this past summer. Well I've never been a drinker, even during my Pre-Islam days but the minty cocktail sounded so freshingly appealing. It turns out that a Mojito is famous Cuban cocktail that's made with rum, citrus, mint and lots of cane sugar. And it's name means " little wet". It was the favorite drink of the author Ernest Hemingway. And I've realized via Pinterest has recently become very popular. Well my version doesn't involve any rum or cane sugar but does engulf the essence of the mojito in it's minty refreshness. Maybe I should have called it a “nojito”.
After blending everything together my Juan Canary Mojito Smoothie tuned out is unbelievably refreshing! The lime and mint combination tastes clean and energizing. This smoothie is as fresh as a mojito cocktail, but without the pesky excess of sugar and alcohol. As a health-seeking, Sunnah following crunchy Muslim I love that! Making something otherwise forbidden into halal. You should definitely try this smoothie, it’s one of the best smoothies I've made so far!
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Waalaikom salaam. Sister, this smoothie looks delicious and nutritious. Superb photography too!. Two thumbs up!
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