My new kick of trying and making new things continues. I can officially say that panna cotta and dragon fruit can be checked off the list. I have always wanted to try them. They both sound so mysterious and foreign to me. So why not get crazy and try them at the same time!
I’ll be honest, I was not sure what to expect with the dragon fruit. She looked (yes she) so exotic and travelled. I was scared and excited. The outside surface looks scaly and feathery. I needed to open her up and check her out.
The flesh of the fruit is stunning! Nature’s pallete is simply amazing. It was the brightest pink I could ever imagine seeing, speckled with seeds reminiscent of a kiwi. Some varieties has white flesh too.
What I thought it was going to taste like and what I got were completely different. I expected a sour, yet sweet, but strong flavor. In reality it was mild, slightly sweet, with a gentle texture less firm than a kiwi.
I can’t even remember why I thought to pair the dragon fruit with a panna cotta, let alone a lemon panna cotta, but it just sounded refreshing. It was five thousand degrees outside and I wanted some relief.
What exactly is panna cotta? Translated from it’s Northern Italian roots it means ‘cooked cream’. Hmmm. Well cream doesn’t get along with my stomach very often so I knew I would have to be creative to make it “me” friendly. In it’s orginal form cream is combined together with sugar, vanilla and gelatin over heat and then sets in the fridge. It can be served with fruit or plain. I am so not a plain Jane, I knew the bright dragon fruit would be the perfect accessory for the panna cotta to shine.
Not ever having a panna cotta I had to do some serious research on what I was getting into. So to the internet I went. Apparently I am the only one that has never had panna cotta or made it. There is a plethora of recipes out there. Not one really screamed to me, so of course I made up my own hodge podge of a billion recipes.
So lets recap. I have never made a panna cotta in my life and made up my own recipe for it. Then I decided to serve it to 3 other very experienced food bloggers at our second Inland Empire Food Bloggers meeting. Not my brightest moment. THANK GOD it worked. Phew. Although I have nothing to compare it to I thought it was darn good and my fellow bloggers liked it as well.
You will be excited to know that in addition to dragon fruit’s beauty she also has many health benefits; high in vitamin C, full of antioxidants, good fats and protein from the seeds, and 1 gram of fiber per 100g of fruit.
Typically pitaya is grown in South and Central America, Asia and Mexico. When shopping for this beauty of a fruit look for skin that isn’t blemished and not molded.
Since I chose to make my panna cotta without any dairy this baby is pure vegan, gluten-free and scrumptious.
Now that you are armed with the knowledge to pick the best dragon fruit and make panna cotta, you should go for it. Speaking of, there is a panna cotta in the fridge with my name on it. Toodles!
*Disclaimer* I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. The dragon fruit was supplied by Melissa’s Produce. To purchase this product and many other incredible products click here.
- Serves: 6
- Serving size: 1
- Calories: 203
- Fat: 7.6
- Saturated fat: 5
- Unsaturated fat: .3
- Trans fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 44.2
- Fiber: .4
- Protein: 3.5
- Cholesterol: 0
- Lemon Panna Cotta
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons, unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup honey (maple syrup for vegans)
- 2 tablespoons lemon peel, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dragon Fruit Gelee
- 2 ounces of boiling water (can be done in microwave safe mug)
- 2 teaspoons, unflavored powdered gelatin
- ½ dragon fruit, pureed
- 3 tablespoons honey (maple syrup for vegans)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Lemon Panna Cotta
- Sprinkle gelatin over the lemon juice, let sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan until steam forms. Stir the gelatin into the warm mixture till dissolved over low heat.
- Pour mixture evenly into ramekins, mason jars or small glasses.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till set.
- Dragon Fruit Gelee
- Stir the gelatin and water together till dissolved.
- In a medium bowl combine the dragon fruit juice, honey, and lemon juice.
- Combine the gelatin and dragon fruit mixtures.
- Distribute the dragon fruit mixture evenly over each set panna cotta.
- Refrigerate till gelee is set, about 4 hours.
I’m going to have to try this. I myself try and stay away from dairy if at all possible (my only exception is cheese) because it just bothers my digestion to much. What is your reasoning for going dairy free? Is it just a fun “genre” of food to cook in (sorry, I’m a literature person, I don’t know the right word for cooking categories)? Or do you have health reasons?
I have an intolerance that has existed since I was young. I choose not to have dairy 90% of the time. Sometimes real ice cream just sounds amazing and I pay for it later. Dairy free is the correct term. You were right on!