Strawberry Sorbet

Strawberry Sorbet

Everybody knows that Strawberry is not really a tropical fruit. To be fair 15 years ago it was quite unheard of in India expect for a few hilly areas. 15 years ago I was quite young as well. Anyway the point is ever since the craze of strawberries has hit India we enjoy these lovely tart fruits all throughout the winter season.

In Kolkata we mostly get out share of strawberries from Nepal for the ones which are of a better quality and then there are the ones from Maharasthra but its not during the summers that we enjoy these delicious red fruits but its the winter season when we enjoy them .

 It usually lasts from end of November till about the beginning of March but then when someone from the Western hemisphere asked for ideas to use up her freshly picked strawberries I suddenly remembered this delicious Strawberry sorbet I had made this February. To be fair the winters are just about pleasant in Calcutta and so during the winters sorbets and ice-creams are much loved in my house as it is during any other season.

I have tried making sorbet with different fruits following different recipes but never have they turned out this good. This was following Larousse's recipe and it was lip smacking good. Its easy to make and all you need is a whisk and the freezer compartment of your refrigerator along with an air-tight container.

Recipe Source : Adapted from Larousse Gastronomique

What you need :-

500gm of fresh juicy strawberry
150gm caster sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Wash and hull the strawberries and macerate with the sugar and lemon juice and wait overnight before you blend it to make a smooth mixture. Freeze it till just about frozen. it took me 2 hours or so and scoop out and enjoy this refreshing sorbet.

Important tip :-

To avoid ice crystals eat it just after it has frozen. it if over freezes you then get your ice crystals.

Healthy Pomegranate Parfait

 Healthy Pomegranate  Parfait 

The more I learn the more I am surprised and happy to know things. For me the word parfait had always meant Frozen dessert as is used by the French. Only when I came across a few recipes where the dessert was not frozen did I look up the word and realized it can mean different things as well. In the USA sometimes yogurt is layered with granola , nuts or fresh fruits to create a parfait.

So on a day when I was craving something sweet and avoiding cakes and pastries at all cost I whipped this up. It needs a little planning ahead but is really healthy , nutritious and tasty.

What you need :-

Makes 2 servings

250gm yogurt
Half a pomegranate
3/4th tsp honey
1 tbsp dried cranberries

Simply make hung curd out of the yogurt and then whisk the hung curd with the honey and layer it with pomegranate. Top it with cranberries and chill  voila you have your healthy dessert.

I used cranberries against the usual raisins because they give a nice tangy taste to the otherwise sweet dessert.

  

Peach Plum Tangy Salad

Peach Plum Tangy Salad 

To be fair there are people who love fruits and then there are people who do not. Well its not that simple, I know people who hate some fruits and love others. Well I fall under the simple category of people who love fruits. I love fruits and I especially like jazzing them up and using a nice fruit salad with some grilled meat.

Now I generally love fruits but there are some fruits which I adore and as it happens India which is so versatile offers such a range of fruits grown in the country itself it amazes me. So you have tropical fruits such as Mangoes, lichies etc then there is the winters when the markets are coloured orange with oranges from the hills but my personal favourite is the season of plums and peaches. It starts somewhere in June and continues to paint the markets peachy and a loving red wine colour till September.

I just love plump juicy peaches and plums and so here is a salad. The dressing is the icicng of the salad

Here is what you need for 1 serving

2 plump juicy peaches
2 to 4 plums depending on the size
1 tbsp finely chopped spring onion the green part

For the dressing

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of salt

Slice the fruits and chill. Just whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together , add the chopped spring onion and serve with some grilled meat.

Never ever use the dressing and store the salad else it becomes soggy.