Cool Treats
Try some of these quick and easy treats that are sure to please!
Banana Strawberry Peach Daiquiri
Serves 2 to 4cups small ice cubes
3 to 4 large ripe strawberries
1 ripe banana, sliced
4 wedges frozen peach
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup sour mix
2 tablespoons Cointreau
Fresh fruit, for garnish
Place ice, strawberries, banana, peach, rum, sour mix, and Cointreau in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more ice or fruit as needed. Garnish with fresh fruit, and serve immediately.
Grilled Summer Fruit
Serves 44 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 ripe yellow or white peaches, cut in half
4 ripe red plums, cut in half
4 miniature ripe bananas, cut in half lengthwise
Heat a grill until medium hot, or heat the broiler. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Add all fruit, and toss.
Fold the edges of a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a shallow baking pan, and place on grill. Arrange the fruit, cut sides down, on the foil. Cook fruit until browned and caramelized around the edges, rearranging occasionally to prevent burning. Turn the fruit over, and repeat; serve warm.
Watermelon & Feta Salad
Serves 42 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 bunches arugula (about 12 ounces total), thick stems removed
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2-pound piece chilled seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into small chunks (2 to 3 cups)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine arugula and onion; toss with dressing to taste. Gently toss with watermelon and feta, and serve
Vanilla-Roasted Peaches with Raspberries
Serves 42 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 firm, ripe peaches (1 to 1 1/2 pounds total), halved and pitted
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 package (5 to 6 ounces) raspberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large, shallow baking dish, combine butter, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla bean (seeds and pod). Add peaches, and turn to coat with butter mixture; arrange, cut side down, in a single layer. Roast until peaches are tender and cooking liquid is syrupy, 15 to 25 minutes, brushing with cooking liquid halfway through. Serve peaches (warm or at room temperature) with ice cream and raspberries; drizzle with cooking liquid.
Homemade Hummus
Makes 3 cups2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Reserving 1/4 cup liquid, rinse and drain 2 cans chickpeas. Place chickpeas and reserved liquid in a food processor. Add 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, cup tahini, well stirred, 2 garlic cloves, chopped, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt. Process until smooth. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Pineapple-Banana Smoothie
Serves 21 (8 ounces) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 banana, (6 ounces)
1 container (6 ounces) plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup ice cubes
Grated nutmeg
In a blender, combine 1 can crushed pineapple in juice, banana, plain nonfat yogurt, and ice cubes. Puree until smooth. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and serve.
Raspberry Rosehip Iced Tea
Serves 41/4 cup dried rosehips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried raspberry leaves
1 1/2 cups naturally sweetened raspberry or cherry juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
4 orange slices for garnish (optional)
In a large pot bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rosehips and raisins. Partially cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, stir in raspberry leaves, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth or a damp paper towel over another pot or heatproof bowl. Strain tea, pressing on the herbs to extract all liquid. Add raspberry and orange juices and stir to blend. Let brew cool completely, about 45 minutes. Fill four tall glasses with ice. Pour tea over ice and garnish each with an orange slice, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tropical Milk Shakes
Serves 43/4 cup milk
2 medium ripe bananas
3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
2 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
In a blender, combine the milk, bananas, ice cream and pineapple; cover and process until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses. Top with coconut and pecans.
Green Tea and Mango Splash
Serves 31 cup strongly brewed green tea
2 cups mango nectar
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs for garnish
Mango slivers for garnish
Combine tea and mango nectar in a pitcher. Serve over ice, garnished with mint sprigs and mango slivers.
Berry Frozen Yogurt
Serves 63 cups fresh or frozen and partially thawed blackberries or raspberries or a mixture of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Combine berries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor; process until smooth. Add yogurt and pulse until mixed in. If using fresh berries, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Transfer the berry mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. (Alternatively, freeze the mixture in a shallow metal pan until solid, about 6 hours. Break into chunks and process in a food processor until smooth and creamy.) Serve immediately or transfer to a storage container and let harden in the freezer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve in chilled dishes.
Strawberry Coolers
Serves 42 cups chilled orange juice
1 1/2 cups hulled strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
1 1/2 cups chilled ginger ale
Combine orange juice, strawberries and sugar in a blender; blend until the berries are pureed. Place the berry puree in a large pitcher. Add ginger ale; stir to combine. Serve over ice.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Serves 4Brew coffee with water using your preferred method to make brewed coffee. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into each of 4 coffee cups. Pour 1 cup of fresh hot coffee into each cup, and stir to dissolve the milk. Serve guests cups of coffee, and give each one a tall glass with 4 ice cubes, and a long handled spoon. Guests pour hot coffee over the ice cubes and stir briskly with the long handled spoon, making an agreeable clatter with the ice cubes to chill the coffee.