Minty Lime Granitas Food

WATERMELON, LIME AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Working in 2 batches, puree watermelon in a food processor. Strain puree through a sieve and strain out solids, forcing liquid out with a wooden spoon. Discard solids. Combine the watermelon puree, lime juice, mint and sugar in a 9 by 13-inch metal pan. Place mixture in the freezer, scraping thoroughly with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the granita resembles coarse crystals. Scrape 1 last time and spoon into parfait glasses or bowls. Top with a mint sprig.

HONEYDEW AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring the sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the mint, pressing with a wooden spoon to submerge. Let cool completely, then remove the mint with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Combine the mint syrup, honeydew and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a 7-by-11-inch or 8-inch square metal baking dish.
• Freeze the honeydew-mint mixture until ice crystals begin to form around the edges, about 45 minutes. Scrape the crystals toward the center of the pan with a fork, breaking apart any large chunks. Continue freezing, scraping every 30 minutes or so, until all of the granita has been scraped into flakes, 3 to 4 hours. Spoon into chilled bowls and top with mint leaves.

MINTY LIME GRANITAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in the remaining ingredients., Transfer to an 8-in. square dish; cool to room temperature. Freeze for 1 hour or until edges begin to firm; stir. Freeze 2 hours longer or until firm., Just before serving, transfer to a food processor; cover and process until mixture resembles finely shaved ice. Spoon into dessert dishes.

MANGO-LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• Place chopped mango in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the water, lime juice, and sugar, and stir to dissolve.
• Pour mixture into a 9-by-5-inch deep-sided metal pan, and place in the freezer until nearly set, about 3 hours, whisking mixture every hour. Remove from freezer, and scrape surface with the tines of a fork until it is the texture of shaved ice. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Granita can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

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.

OYSTERS WITH CHILE, LIME AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a small pot and add the mint. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Discard the mint sprigs. Add the chile-garlic sauce and mix well.
• Transfer the mixture to a stainless-steel or glass pan and place in the freezer. Whisk the mixture every 10 to 20 minutes and continue to freeze until the mixture is consistency of shaved ice, about 2 hours. Break up crystals and whisk before serving.
• Top each oyster with a tablespoon of the granita and serve immediately.