Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

In April I was invited to join the 5 Star Makeover Challenge.  A group of bloggers that come up with culinary topics each month, for members to create dishes and share at the end of the month.  In April the topic given was Restaurant Wars.  Members were divided up into teams of 3 and each team was asked to create a theme or use a specific ingredient, plus name their restaurant. We had until June to present it.

Our team elected to do a menu of Raw Food and the name of our restaurant was "Eating In The Raw."  Unfortunately due to circumstances out of our control, we had to bow out of the event.  However, since I already put my dish together, I decided to share it with you today. You can view other team creations here.

We were to make an appetizer, entree' and dessert.  I was elected to make the dessert.

The raw food diet is based on the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (the cutoff temperature varies among those in the raw food community).

Cooking is thought to denature the enzymes naturally present in food. According to raw foodists, enzymes are the life force of a food, helping us to digest food and absorb nutrients. If we over consume cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated aging, and weight gain.

I decided to make a Mango Sorbet and after a bit of research I came up with this dish.

Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

serves 4-6

Sorbet Ingredients:

4 Mangoes

juice of a lime (about 4 teaspoons)

zest of a lime

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

2/3 cup Pure Coconut Water

Pineapple, sliced paper thin on a Mandoline

Raspberry Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounce container Raspberries, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons Agave Nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons water

Directions for Mango Sorbet:

Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh away for the pit.(Facts about and directions for cutting a mango).

Cut the flesh into chunks and put them in a blender with the next 4 ingredients.  Puree the mixture until smooth.  Taste, and add more agave nectar or lime juice if desired. 

Chill the mixture for about 2 hours then place in ice cream machine and swirl according to manufacturers instructions. 

  

Can serve immediately or remove from ice cream machine and place in a plastic container with lid and place into the freezer until ready to serve.  Let set out for about 15 minutes to soften before serving.

Raspberry Sauce Directions:

Puree the raspberries, water, and agave nectar in a food processor until smooth.  Then, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.  Press the solids against the strainer to get as much of the sauce as possible.  Pour into a squirt bottle if you have one, this makes decorating the plate with the sauce easy.  The raspberry sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Pineapple Directions:

Cut off top and bottom of a fresh pineapple, then cut off the sides just leaving the flesh.  With a mandoline, starting at the top or bottom slice 1/8-1/4 inch slices.  (You may need to shape the sides of your pineapple to fit the top of the mandoline so the pineapple can slide easily). 

Plating this Dish:

Lie one slice of pineapple at one edge of the plate then slightly overlapping add 2 more slices.  Place the 4th slice on the opposite edge of the plate lying flat. 

Place a scoop of Mango Sorbet on the flat piece of pineapple.  Drizzle with Raspberry Sauce.  Serve.

Each component of this dish is delicious on it's own and can be served numerous ways, so let your creativity flow.  If you prefer not to use agave nectar where it's used in this recipe you could substitute honey or sugar (double the amount of sugar). 

Enjoy!

Kitchen Facial

Now that winter is over and spring is here, I feel like I could use a facial.  Although there are numerous places to get one, most start at around $95.  It's wonderful spending a morning or afternoon getting pampered at a spa but I don't always have the time or feel like spending the money.

Did you know you can give yourself a facial with ingredients you have in your kitchen?  That's right!  There are 100s of homemade recipes from facials to foot scrubs you can create in the privacy of your home for a fraction of what it would cost at a spa.

I know this isn't the typical recipe I post, but it's food, it's fresh and it's great for your skin and well-being. 

My skin appeared dry today and I was tired, so I decided to pamper myself.  With a cucumber and limes in the refrigerator, plus a full jar of honey in the cabinet, I decided to whip up a nice soothing facial for myself.  One that heals, softens and moistures my skin, while promoting new cell growth.  Just in time for the spring sunshine. 

Who needs to go to the spa to have machines work on your skin, when you can let what nature has provided, gently revive it?

Here's a simple and nourishing facial recipe to enjoy, with ingredients you probably have at home already.

Honey-Cucumber Facial

For the Scrub:

8 oz. (1 cup) honey
10 drops fresh lime juice
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced (I use a mandoline - perfect slices every time)

Steps:

1. Cleanse your face with warm water and a clean wash cloth
2. Mix the honey and lime juice together and massage into your face for 15 minutes.  It will have a sticky, slippery sensation, but feels incredible!  The lime peels away surface cells and the honey softens the skin.
3. Wipe away the residue of honey with a wet, warm cloth.  Pat dry.
4. Neatly place the cucumber slices over your face and neck (you can cover your eyes and mouth if desired, but not necessary).  Now relax, listen to some music - feel the coolness of the cucumber while it tightens your skin and replenishes moisture. You'll probably fall asleep!
5. After a nice rest, remove the cucumbers and finish with a delicate moisturizer, if desired.

Now don't you feel better already just reading this?  I know I do.  Treat yourself, your significant other and even your children to this soothing treatment.  At these prices you can have a facial monthly!

ENJOY!

Watermelon Lime Salsa!

Summer is the time to bring out all the fresh fruits and vegetables and create dishes that are refreshing and healthy.  Although we should do this all year, it appears that during the summer we think about it more.  Maybe because we're getting into our bathing suits or because the weather is warmer and heavy foods just don't sound appetizing.

At any rate, I wanted to grill some fish last night with a fresh salsa but unfortunately when I arrived at the grocery store where we are vacationing, in the mountains of Colorado, their selection was marginal.  So I opted for chicken breasts instead.

Since my husband is a maniac about watermelon, which is packed with lots of nutrition, I decided that I would make a Watermelon Salsa.  It sounded good to me so I figured I would use watermelon in place of the usual tomatoes and add other similar ingredients like the salsas I've made in the past.  I do that a lot, do you?

I wanted to make sure that the salsa was colorful so this is what I came up with.  It was so delicious that I almost ate the entire bowl.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to since my family ate the rest.  So much for leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers - a fresh salsa will last covered and refrigerated for only 5 days.  If you prepare a cooked salsa it will last up to 6 months in the refrigerater, covered.

Watermelon Lime Salsa
serves 4 (because you'll gobble it all up)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 cups watermelon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to touch your eyes or skin after removing the seeds.  It will burn severely)
2 green scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, juice of both and zest of one lime
1 Tbsp. minced cilantro

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and let the flavors meld together.

Serve with chicken, fish or alone as a side dish.  It's that good.

I love salsa recipes.  So if you have one that you love, I'd welcome you to share it with everyone in my comments section below.  Then I'll try it and post about it.

If you like watermelon like we do you might enjoy this link that shares a lot of watermelon recipes.

Also, here's my post for the Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction in case you missed it.

Enjoy!

Tips for Juicing Lemons, Limes and Oranges

If you're like me when you purchase most fruit you bring it home and put it in the refrigerator. But then when you need to use the fruit juice in a recipe it's next to impossible to get any juice out of it.

What to do?

To get the greatest yield of juice from your lemon, lime or orange, squeeze it when it's at room temperature. If left in the refrigerator, place it in the microwave for about 15 seconds before squeezing. This way yields a greater amount of juice versus trying to juice it when it's cold. Don't over microwave and boil the juice, then of course it won't be good at all.

It's also a good idea to roll the fruit on the countertop pressing firmly between the palm of your hand and the countertop before squeezing. This will help to release the juice.

What do you do if you only need a small amount of juice and don't want to waste the fruit?

Use a toothpick to puncture the skin and squeeze out the amount that's needed. Then plug the hole back up with that same toothpick, place in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Fresh squeezed juice can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week. If you need to store it longer try placing the juice in ice cube trays and freezing it for later. Then only pop out the amount you need for next time.

Wondering how many lemons, limes or oranges that you'll need for a recipe?

1 medium Lemon =

approximately 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest or peel

1 medium lime =

approximately 2 tablespoons of lime juice
approximately 1 teaspoon of lime zest or peel

1 medium orange =

approximately 1/3 - 1/2 cup orange juice
approximately 2 tablespoons of orange zest or peel














This is one of my favorite tools for juicing.