Quark #SummerDelights Blogger Challenge part 1 : Pina Quarkada

Quark recently got in touch and asked if I'd like to take part in their foodie blogger challenge : "With the summer sun still dominating the British countryside, everyone wants to make the most of the longer, warm evenings and enjoy nice, light and healthy food al fresco. Therefore, Lake District Dairy Co. Quark thought you might be able to come up with easy ways to make tasty dishes that will inspire the nation to try their hand at whipping up something healthy for dinner. You can be as creative as you like as long as it includes Lake District Dairy Co., we’ve even included some nifty kitchen utensils to help with your mixing, baking and cooking!"

Well, soon enough, my fridge was packed with Quark to get experimenting with.

I also received some funky lime green kitchen utensils to brighten up my kitchen.

Now to get my thinking cap on. I started to think about the foods that remind me of the summer and the first thing that sprang to mind was the not too distant memory of sipping cocktails at the hotel bar in Agadir. Having a Pina Colada (or a Strawberry Daiquiri or a Caipirinha) became our early evening routine, after the pool and before heading to dinner. I can almost hear the swallows and cicadas as I think about it, in fact !

The normal pina colada recipe is a mix of pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum and is packed with calories. I decided to see if I could make a lower fat option with Quark and was very pleased with the result.

Pina Quarkada

ingredients :

1 slice fresh pineapple

the juice of half a lime

1/2 glass pineapple juice

1 tbsp dessicated coconut (or even better, fresh coconut)

2 tbsp Quark

(optional and only for the grown-ups!) a measure of white rum

Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour into a glass over ice and add a straw and chunks of fruit to the side of the glass. Put your feet up and enjoy !

This is the taste of summer in a glass with a clear conscience ! Look out for part two of our Quark #SummerDelights challenge tomorrow - it's currently in the freezer so fingers crossed it will work !

Disclosure : This is an entry for the Quark #SummerDelights Blogger Challenge.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Have you ever heard of Quark?

Quark New York Cheesecake recipe

Madhouse recipe : Instant Cheesecake