Published: 08/17/2013 - Updated: 12/08/2016
Author: Nayeli Reyes2 Comments
The pitaya (dragon fruit) is characteristic of Mexico and is the fruit of several species of cactus. They are brightly coloured and are prized for their taste, plus several recently discovered beneficial properties.
Mainly it has been observed that dragon fruit helps against gastric problems and helps to prevent us from getting diseases like diabetes as it regulates blood glucose, as well as being a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, which slow the ageing process and foster a defense against respiratory diseases. If you want to include in your diet, here are four simple ways to do it:
Contents
Dragon Fruit and shrimp salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 Lettuce
- 2-3 Dragon Fruits
- 1/2 an Avocado
- 250 gr. Shrimp
- 1 Tomato
For the vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tsp. Brown Sugar
Procedure
For the vinaigrette:
- Process or blend the garlic, sugar and balsamic vinegar.
- Add the oil and continue blending or whisking to form an emulsion.
For the salad:
1. Peel and clean the shrimp, sauté in a little oil and add a little vinaigrette and set aside.
2. Chop the dragon fruit, avocado and diced tomato.
3. Chop the lettuce.
4. Mix everything in a bowl, add the shrimp and dress with the vinaigrette.
Fish Ceviche and Dragon Fruit
Ingredients
- 3 Dragon Fruits
- 1 kg. Fish (saw or snapper)
- 1/2 a red onion
- 3 Tomatoes
- 2 Cucumbers
- 1 cup of Lemon juice
- 1 bunch of parsley (cilantro)
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 serrano chile
Preparation
1. Chop the tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion and cilantro finely.
2. Chop the dragon fruit into medium slices.
3. Cut the fish and mix with the other ingredients.
4. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
5. Serve with toast or crackers.
Refreshing dragon fruit drink
Ingredients
- 1 litre of water
- 5-6 Dragon fruits
- 3 Oranges
- 250 ml. Mineral water
- Sugar (enough)
Preparation
1. Mix the sugar with the water.
2. Add the orange juice.
3. Blend the dragon fruit and add it to the preparation.
4. Add mineral water and serve chilled.
Creamy Dragon Fruit Mousse
Ingredients
- 8 gr. Gelatin
- 40 ml. Water
- 250 gr. Whipping cream or cream
- 4 Dragon Fruits
- 200 gr. Sugar
- 1 egg white
Preparation
1. Blend Dragon Fruits and set aside.
2. Soak the gelatin in the water.
3. Heat the dragon fruit puree with sugar.
4. Add the gelatin to the warm puree and dissolve completely.
5. Whip the cream until stiff peaks appear and set aside.
6. Whip the egg white until stiff peaks appear and cover with the puree.
7. Add cream, place in a mold and refrigerate.
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You guys always chose the most interesting fruits and recipes that I’ve ever seen! I’ve literally never seen this fruit in teh supermarkets, and I doubt that I’ll even see it even after reading this, because we live in Alaska and it’s really hard to get exotic fruits shipped up here before they rot. It was interesting to read about though!
I have never been fortunate enough to try a dragon fruit – Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think they are perhaps only available in Mexico and other Latin American countries where the growing conditions are ideal. In Europe, it will be exceedingly difficult to get a hold of a Dragon Fruit so perhaps suggesting an alternative would be a good idea? Thanks for the article.