Refreshing recipes
In our previous newsletter, we promised refreshing recipes to stave off the heat of the sultry dog days of summer. So, its bye-bye ragouts and risotto and hello ice-coolness of fresh fruit and vegetables, BBQ fish and meat, healthy smoothies and sugar free sorbets. Not only are they cooling but they will also give you a glowing skin and a fabulous figure.
Dare savoury granitas such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, melon with ginger or cucumber to totally amaze your guests.
Cucumber and basil granita
As a starter or a side-dish for salmon, tomato salad or grilled fish or meat. Peel a cute cucumber and cube it. Put in your beautiful mixer with the juice of 2 limes, a few basil leaves, 1 Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger and 1 drop of Tabasco®. Mix on highest speed, then freeze in a shallow tray for 3 hours, using a fork to scrape every half-hour until crystals form. Spoon in pretty glasses, decorate with a baby tomato and a basil leaf and serve with pride.
The same recipe can double as a chilled soup. In this case, just put the mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours. Cold soups are wonderful. The divine gazpacho cools bodies and calms minds in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. You can make the true Andalusian one or try the tomato, cucumber and mint or cucumber and sweet pepper or watermelon and tomato variations.
Cold watermelon and tomato soup
Cube a wonderful watermelon (1 kg) and put in your pretty mixer with 2 superb sliced tomatoes, 10 chive sprigs or 1 spring onion, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic or wine vinegar, 1 lime juice and zest, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or basil or parsley or mint or dill), salt and pepper. Mix furiously, transfer to serving bowl and garnish with chives, 1 tablespoon chopped black olives and some crumbled feta cheese.
And for desert, speedy fruit sorbets and ice-creams are fast and fabulous. Cube your chosen fruit: pineapple, melon, red fruits, apricots, bananas, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, etc. Spread on tray lined with baking paper and put in the freezer.
Apricot sorbet
Slice a very ripe banana and put in your delightful mixer with 1 lime (or lemon) juice, ½ glass orange (or apricot) juice and mix. Gradually add frozen apricot bits, a little vanilla or 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, cinnamon or ginger powder. When the mixture is thick and creamy, your instant sorbet is ready.
The recipe is the same for all fruits, just change the spices.
To make fruit ice-cream, replace the orange juice with 1 glass of coconut milk or a yogurt. And, replace sweets by lovely healthy icy bonbons to die for: a frozen cherry or raspberry.
You’ll find more magnificent recipes in Le Dictionnaire à tout faire anticrise
