Behold the Dreamy Dragon Fruit
Fresh or frozen, dragon fruit is the tasty treat you didn’t know you were missing
By Laura Carson Miller
While the name may sound a bit foreboding, the lovely looking and delicious tasting dragon fruit is anything but. Native to Mexico and South and Central America, dragon fruit is a climbing cactus that grows on trees or other support type structures. Hey, we can all use some support at times, right?
Healthy Powerhouse Ingredient
Not only is dragon fruit chock full of all manner of fiber – magical for digestion, lycopene – good for bone health and a potent antioxidant, and magnesium – important for making bone, protein and DNA, it tastes great and is highly adaptable for quick and easy enjoyment!
Let’s be real, the color alone is enough to draw you in. The red dragon fruit is an electric fuchsia shade of pinky red that is so intoxicating you are compelled to incorporate the exact hue into your home decor and wardrobe immediately. That was my reaction anyway. Anyone else? Okay, then.
I like to add frozen dragon fruit to my smoothies, both berry with almond milk and my favorite Glowing Green Smoothie from Kimberly Snyder. I buy the Organic Red Dragon Fruit from Pitaya Foods. It’s already cut in bite sized pieces and is also delicious thawed and mixed with organic blueberries for a healthy afternoon or evening snack. I sometimes sprinkle a little cinnamon on top for even more anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
“I buy the Organic Red Dragon Fruit from Pitaya Foods. It’s already cut in bite sized pieces and is also delicious thawed and mixed with organic blueberries for a healthy afternoon or evening snack.”
Adaptable for Recipes
The recipe below is from the Sprouts website and I can say from personal experience it’s beyond delicious. I also make my own version of this using organic strawberry (or whatever flavor I have on hand) yogurt with flaxseed meal mixed in and layer the thawed dragon fruit pieces with granola from Publix or Whole Foods. Add in a layer of blueberries if the mood strikes you. To make this for breakfast just spoon out some frozen dragon fruit pieces into a ramekin before bed and they will be all ready for your impending breakfast masterpiece when you get up. IMHO, the only way to improve upon this delicious and nutritious gem is by crafting and eating it out of one of my grandmother’s parfait glasses/dessert cups or whatever you prefer to call it, as shown above and in the feature story photo. Just adds an extra layer of love to the mix.
And now…
Sprouts Dragon Fruit Chia Pudding Parfait
- Ready In: 15 mins
- Prep: 15 mins
- Servings: 1 quart of pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sprouts organic original oat milk
- 1/2 cup Organic chia seeds
- 1/2 cup Red dragon fruit, fresh, peeled and pureed
- 1 tbsp Sprouts organic grade A maple syrup amber
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 2 cups Organic cashew coconut granola
- 2 cups Mango, fresh, diced
- In a small bowl, combine milk, chia seeds, dragon fruit, maple syrup and lime juice and whisk well to combine. Allow mixture to set for at least 5 minutes, or until it reaches desired consistency.
- In two mason jars or parfait glasses, layer chia pudding, granola and mango. Serve and enjoy.
- Tip: Substitute fresh red dragon fruit with white or frozen dragon fruit!
Multitasking Superfruit
I’m not one to make cocktails often – I am a wine person – but I’m sure there are numerous cocktail (and mocktail!) recipes celebrating the gorgeous hue and delightful taste of dragon fruit. So put your detective hat on and suss out a new refreshing dragon fruit beverage to enjoy this weekend.
You can even put dragon fruit on ice cream, my friends. It is delicious with vanilla or chocolate and I think it would be picture perfect with pistachio gelato. Ah, the glorious colors, textures and least we forget, flavors, that pairing would create. Snack on that, won’t you?
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