Basil And Lime Granita Food

LEMON-BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Add the basil to the sugar syrup and muddle the leaves with the base of a wooden spoon. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish (discard the basil). Stir in the lemon juice and vodka, if using. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 2 hours. Scrape with a fork to form small crystals in the ice every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is fully frozen, about 1 hour more.
• Serve the granita in chilled glasses, garnished with the small basil leaves.

MELON WITH BASIL-LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring water and 2/3 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Purée syrup with basil and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon lime juice until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart shallow nonreactive container, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Freeze basil-lime syrup, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, about 2 hours.
• One hour before serving, cut melons into small wedges and peel. Combine in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon sugar and pour over fruit. Let macerate, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Scrape granita with a fork, crushing any lumps. Serve melon in shallow bowls, drizzled with melon liquid and topped with granita and mint.

BASIL AND LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• In a pan, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat, and add the basil leaves. Mix and leave to cool.
• When it is cold, remove the basil leaves and discard them. Add the lime juice, including any fleshy bits, and mix.
• Pour into a large freezer proof container, and put into the freezer.
• Every 15 minutes, for 2 hours, take out of the freezer and mix it up. Then every half an hour until the granita appears grainy and the crystals have been broken down. It should resemble snow or coarse sand.
• Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• Make a simple syrup the night before, or up to a week ahead of time.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium high heat; add the sugar and stir to dissolve, about 30 seconds.
• Reduce heat to low and cook another 5 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
• About 3 to 4 hours before you will serve the granita, chill a 13x9 inch metal baking pan in the freezer.
• Combine the strawberries and lime juice in a blender; puree on high speed.
• Reduce speed to low setting and add the simple syrup.
• Blend for a few seconds just to incorporate.
• Take the chilled pan from the freezer and pour in the fruit mixture; return to freezer, uncovered.
• After an hour, the mixture should have just begun to set in the middle.
• Using a fork, break up the crystals and swirl around until you have a wide pile of mush in the center of the pan.
• Freeze for two more hours, breaking up the crystals once or twice.
• To serve: remove pan from freezer and let stand several minutes, if frozen solid.
• Use a fork to break up mixture, then scoop, with a spoon, large mounds into serving dishes or martini glasses.
• Drizzle a heaping teaspoon of condensed milk over each portion and a squeeze of lime, if desired.
• Garnish with mint sprig and wedge of lime.

POMEGRANATE GRANITA

Steps:

• Slice off the top and bottom of the pomegranates, then break them apart and remove the seeds. With your hands, squeeze all of the juice out of the seeds, then push the mixture through a sieve, pressing down gently to extract as much juice as possible without pushing the bitter skins through.
• Discard the seeds. In a large shallow glass baking dish that will fit in your freezer, combine the juice with the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved (place the pan over a very low flame if desired to speed the dissolving of the sugar). Freeze for 4 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
• Scrape the surface of the ice with a spoon into large flaky crystals.
• Refreeze if desired. The granita should be served as a chunky ice, not a smooth sorbet.

BLUEBERRY BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Blend blueberries, water, basil, lime juice, honey and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place in an airtight container and freeze until slushy, at least 2 1/2 hours. Divide among 4 glasses and serve with a sprig of fresh basil.

LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar with 3 cups water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• Stir in lime juice and zest.
• Pour mixture into a shallow metal cake pan and freeze, crushing and stirring the lumps with a fork every 30 minutes for 2 to 3 hours, or until it has a slushy, granular texture.
• Serve immediately.

SUMMER MELON WITH BASIL-MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Mix sugar, chopped mint, basil, and lime peel in medium bowl. Mash with wooden spoon until herbs turn dark green, about 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice and 1 1/4 cups water. Let stand 1 hour. Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids. Transfer 1/2 cup lime syrup to small pitcher; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining lime syrup into 13x9x2-inch metal baking dish. Place dish in freezer. Stir syrup with fork every hour until frozen, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
• Divide melon wedges among 8 shallow soup bowls. Drizzle melon with reserved lime syrup. Scrape granita into flakes with fork. Spoon generous 1/2 cup granita atop melon in each bowl. Sprinkle with sliced mint leaves, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve.

GRANNY SMITH, GINGER, AND BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Slice apples and process enough slices in juicer, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 3 1/2 cups juice, then transfer juice to a large bowl and stir in vitamin C and lemon juice. Process ginger in juicer, then stir 1 tablespoon ginger juice into apple juice.
• Pulse together sugar and basil in a blender until sugar is bright green and basil is finely ground, then stir into apple juice until sugar is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8- to 9-inch metal baking pan.
• Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every hour, until evenly frozen, 3 to 4 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.

TOMATO & BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients except the basil leaves. If you have time, leave them to macerate at room temperature overnight. Blitz in a blender - in batches, then strain through a fine sieve. Shred the basil leaves and stir through.
• Clear a shelf in the freezer and place a sided metal tray in to chill. Make up your mix and leave to cool, then pour into the tray and cover with cling film. Freeze the liquid until frozen around the edges and slushy in the middle. Use a fork to break up the ice into smaller crystals. Return the tray to the freezer. Repeat the breaking up process every half hour (at least three times) until it's completely frozen and the texture of snow. For a quicker method: freeze the mixture in an ice tray, then blitz the cubes in a food processor just before serving. The texture will be slightly slushier, but just as delicious.