Cuisinart Archives - One Delightful Life

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Nothing quite eases the scorching temperatures of summer like homemade popsicles grabbed from the freezer on a hot day. To welcome the warm season, I’ve created Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways: Honey Pineapple Citrus and Fresh Strawberry Kiwi. These recipes are easy for you to make and far healthier than ice cream.

From the moment I bought my Koji ice pop molds at Target ($9.99), nostalgia set in on the drive home. Less fattening than ice cream desserts and fun to make, the popsicle is on trend again. Maybe it’s because you control the flavors! You can add any ingredient to your juice base from vegetables to fruit. Some people even add fresh herbs. Why not? A citrus basil ice pop might sounds delicious.

You can easily make my Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicles using frozen chunks of Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks (leftover from a smoothie experiment last week), fresh lime juice, clover honey, Stevia, and grapefruit juice. You’ll want to use more Stevia than I did to cut the tangy citrus flavor from the grapefruit. Preparing these cool pops is as simple as dumping the ingredients in a blender or Cuisinart and blending it until smooth even to pour.

Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicle Recipe: Yields 3-4 popsicles

1 c. Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks
1 c. grapefruit juice
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp clover honey
2 tsp Stevia

Fill each popsicle well 3/4 of the way full to leave room for expansion as the fruit mixture freezes. Place your popsicle molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the popsicles from the freezer and gently insert the popsicle sticks. Place them back in the freezer and allow these sweet treats to harden. When you’re ready to eat one, simply run warm water on the outside of the popsicle mold until you’re able to wiggle the popsicle free to devour it.

Use the same instructions to make Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles except you will instead blend cranberry/grape juice cocktail, sliced strawberries and kiwi, and Stevia until smooth. I used less added sugar in this recipe because the fruit and juice already were sweeteners.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicle Recipe: Yield 3-4 popsicles

1 c. cranberry/grape cocktail juice
1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 peeled and sliced fresh kiwi
1/4 tsp Stevia

What are your fondest memories of summer? I remember learning how to swim at the community pool, riding my yellow Schwinn bicycle (banana seat included) with abandon, and running back and forth to my neighborhood friends’ house to play.

Take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer while cooling off from the hot temperatures with one of these fruit popsicles, a sure-win with your kids and adult kiddos too!

Need to buy popsicle molds and can’t make it to Target today, I also recommend this comparable set via Amazon.

I have no problem pretending that some days of the week are food holidays as an excuse to make celebratory food. Life is short. I don’t need rules that say it can’t be just like Super Bowl Sunday or St. Patrick’s Day.

In fact, I declare today a Cinco de Mayo again just so you can make an excuse to prepare Tequila Lime Chicken with Homemade Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole. Grab a cold Tecate and your sombrero because you’ve got some serious kitchen cooking to do!

Topped with homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, and crushed tortilla chips for crunch, Pioneer Woman’s Tequila Lime Chicken goes well with a chilled Mexican beer or my Grilled Pineapple Peach Margarita made with silver tequila.

This grilled chicken dinner is multi-step but worth every moment. Seriously, have you ever purchased store bought guacamole or tried to find pico de gallo on a grocery store’s salad bar? The guacamole tastes artificial and tends to have a mouse-like texture and salad bar pico de gallo is incredibly watery. Fresh is best so don’t hesitate from making homemade guacamole and pico de gallo because the freshness of each one elevates the flavor of this dish.

First, prepare the pico de gallo in advance. Combine equal amounts of diced tomato, white onion, cilantro, and one seeded jalapeno. (Leave the seeds and pulp inside the jalapeno if you prefer more heat.) Once mixed, squeeze a half of a lime into the bowl and mix again to incorporate the juice well.

Now, let’s make the fresh guacamole. Learn how to pick out the perfect avocado here. Take your knife around the outside of each avocado and carefully remove the pit of each one. There’s a new trend called Avocado Hand. Don’t let it happen to you. Be careful! Use a knife to carefully a circle around the outside of the avocado and then cut each half into diced squares so you can scoop the avocado meat out with a spoon into the bowl. Once you’ve added the avocado to the a large bowl, add enough of the pico de gallo to the bowl and mix it gently so you leave it chunky.

Cover the guacamole bowl with plastic wrap and make sure to press the plastic against the guacamole to form a tight seal. This method, and the lime juice in the guacamole, will keep it from browning too dark and it will keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Extra guacamole is a good thing. Serve with tortilla scoops chips and a fresh lime wedge.

Finally, let’s tackle the main entree Tequila Lime Chicken. Full disclosure here: this is not my recipe but instead Ree Drummond’s (Pioneer Woman’s) recipe. Her recipe requires you to use a food processor to prepare a creamy tequila based marinade and pour it into a Ziplock bag and then refrigerating it for several hours. You could also use a blender in a pinch.

While you could certainly use a mesquite flavored tequila like Jose Cuervo, I prefer a lighter silver tequila. I can thank college for that preference.

Add all marinade ingredients into a food processor.

Combine marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend well. You don’t want garlic chunks.

The alcohol will cook out of the marinade once the chicken is grilled but the flavor will linger. Later, you’ll remove the chicken from the bag and and grill it over medium high heat 4-5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest a couple of minutes before serving it topped with sprinkled taco cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Crumble tortilla chips in your hand add sprinkle them on top for added crunch. Don’t forget a wedge of lime on the side to squeeze on top of the entire plate!

Optional sides could include warmed black beans and Mexican rice with folded flour tortillas. Use some of that extra tequila to make my recipe for Grilled Pineapple and Peach Tequila Cocktail.

Mexican food is one of the best culinary experiences that people can have. -Karla Souza

Let me know what you think of these recipes in the comments section below. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Again.