Dragon fruit! Cross this one off my list of fruits I’ve never tried. I decided recently I wanted to buy one after seeing Dani and Sophie posting pictures of them on Instagram all the time.
I’m unfortunately going through “empty out the fridge!!!” mode again; it seems like I was doing that just a couple weeks ago. (Because I was.) Before, it was because of my move to Brooklyn. Now it’s because of my trip(s) to Minnesota, Seattle, and Vancouver. To those of you who follow me on Instagram, be prepared for excessive photos. Traveling makes me camera happy.
Anyway, I wasn’t sure what to pair the dragon fruit with. I didn’t even know what it tasted like! Not wanting to purchase more produce, I considered the options that were already available in my (UNREASONABLY SMALL) Brooklyn fridge: apples, grapefruit, banana, and peaches.
If you don’t know which one I chose, you should probably go back and read the title of the post.
Dragon fruit is really interesting. The first time I tried to buy it, I was in a specialty market in NYC that has just about every produce imaginable, so I love going there when I’m searching for something specific. They certainly did have dragon fruit–for $9 each!! NOPE. Swipe left.
Then–before I moved to Brooklyn–I was walking down East Broadway, a busy street in Chinatown that is inundated with a plethora of CHEAP produce stands (and for you language purists out there, I really do mean “plethora” in its literal definition: an excessive amount). Sure enough, I noticed most of them had dragon fruit for $3 or less. Step up your game, Specialty Market in NYC.
I honestly had no idea what to do with this fruit. I started by cutting into it and slipping a small chunk to taste. Um, it’s actually flavorless. Think of it like a semi-sweeter version of avocado. Soft, luscious, versatile, and more-or-less flavorless.
Cool. That means I could do whatever I wanted with it. So basically, I made a fancy spiced peach oatmeal (which you could make on its own without the dragon fruit, honestly) and added the dragon fruit on top.
I have this fantasy of it being the perfect pre-Vegas breakfast. Like, you’re about to catch a plane to Vegas where you’ll be going to casinos and such. Do those dragon fruit chunks not look precisely like dice? Please, somebody, if you ever go to Vegas, eat this for breakfast. It will bring you luck.*
*probably not
Random Recommendations:
- [eats] Trader Joe’s tahini sauce – you can make a thousand variations of salad dressings using it. My go-to is tahini + maple syrup + lemon juice. You can find it by the hummus.
- [tunes] Jason Mraz’s album YES! is basically all I’ve been listening to for weeks. It’s especially satisfying if you’re *ahem* falling in love. <3
What you'll need:
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (coconut recommended), or water
- 1/4 cup quick cook steel cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
- 1 small/medium yellow peach
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp lemon extract (or lemon zest) [optional, but recommended!]
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 (or more) a dragon fruit
How to make it:
- Bring milk (I use 1/2 c soy milk and 1/4 c water) to a low boil.
- While you're waiting for the liquid to heat up, dice your peach. I did not peel. It's up to you whether you chop, slice, dice, or practically mince the peach, but I prefer the smallest pieces possible. This allows for maximum flavor spreadage. 😉
- Once liquid has come to a low boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium low (a simmer). (If you’d like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now. I added chia seeds.)
- Add peach and stir into the oatmeal.
- While your oatmeal is cooking, carefully cut away the skin of the dragon fruit, taking off as little of the "meat" as possible (don't you hate referring to the inside of fruit as "meat?" Blegh.) Dice. I went with 1-inch cubes. During this time, keep an eye on your oatmeal and stir occasionally.
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add cinnamon, ginger, lemon extract (or zest), and salt. [See below for other flavor possibilities.]
- When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice, diced dragon fruit, and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.). I would have loved to add pomegranate arils, but alas, I was out.
Just an FYI:
Here are other possibilities for "spicing" your oatmeal: - cinnamon and vanilla extract - pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract - cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla extract - cinnamon, molasses, nutmeg, and vanilla extract - ginger and vanilla extract - cardamom (just a pinch!) and vanilla extract [Note that the above suggestions are untested and merely brainstormed by The Oatmeal Artist and her love of spices.]
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