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Five-Minute Soft Serve One of the greatest pleasures of summer is ice cream. However, it is loaded with saturated fat, sugar, and calories. There are other sweet, fruity frozen desserts that are much healthier. Sorbets, sherbets, and granitas all satisfy the craving for something sweet, fruity, and frozen. Sorbet is just fruit and sugar. Sherbet incorporates some type of dairy. Granita has the same ingredients but is coarser and icier than the other two. Here are three recipes to get you started. Play with the ingredients. Substitute whatever fruits and flavorings you prefer. PEACH: 1-pound frozen peach chunks, 1/4 to 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract STRAWBERRY LIME: 3 ½ cups frozen strawberries, 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free or light sweetened condensed milk, zest of one lime, 1 Tablespoon lime juice or 1/2 teaspoon lime extract CHOCOLATE BANANA: 3 cups (15 ounces) frozen sliced bananas, 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free or light sweetened condensed milk, 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Pulse until the fruit is finely chopped. Blend for approximately two minutes. If the mixture is too thick or coarse add more milk, one Tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least an hour or until desired consistency. Keep in the freezer for up to a month. Let stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to serve. Asparagus, medium spear: 4-5 min - Time varies depending on thickness of spear Bell peppers, seeded and halved: 8-10 min - Mini bells need not be cut or seeded Carrots, 3" long by ½" thick: 8-10 min - Should be soft but firm with a bit of crunch Corn on the cob, whole cob : 8-10 min - Husk and silk removed Eggplant, sliced into ½" rounds: 8-11 min - Can use globe or Japanese Mushrooms, Cremini- whole: 5-7 min Mushrooms, Portobello- whole: 10-12 min Onions, green, whole, remove roots: 4-6 min Onions, red, yellow, white, sliced into 1" thick rings: 10-15 min - Remove dry outer layers Onions, sliced in wedges, root intact: 10-12 min - Remove dry outer layers Squash, yellow, on bias into ½" ovals: 6- min Squash, zucchini, cut lengthwise into ½" slices: 6-8 min Tomatoes, celebrity, on the vine, or early girl, cut in half around circumference: 10-12 min - Use firm, ripe tomatoes, cook cut side first 28 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JUNE 2021 Grilling & Chilling By Irene Welker Summer is here and everything is starting to return to normal. We can gather with friends and relatives for summertime fun. In celebration, we will be doing a series called Grilling & Chilling wherein you will find two dishes, one hot and one cold. Grilled Vegetables Grilled vegetables are incredibly versatile. They can be used as a main course, side dish, in sandwiches, to create flatbread pizza, or added to warm or cold salads or soup/stews, the uses are only limited by your creativity. Feel free to embellish them with spices or other flavors, and/or drizzle with balsamic vinegar, romesco or other dressing. Let your taste buds be your guide. Tips for successful grilled vegetables: 1. Cut each vegetable into uniform pieces so they grill evenly. 2. Be sure to cut the pieces large enough so they don't fall through the grate or use a grill pan. 3. Lightly brush both sides of the vegetable with oil (and vinegar mixture, if desired) and sprinkle with salt and pepper (adding other herbs, if desired). 4. Preheat the grill to medium-high and make sure the grates are clean and well-oiled to prevent sticking. 5. To get great grill marks do not move the vegetables too frequently once they have been placed on the grill. 6. Grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over. Below is a quick grilling guide. Vegetables should be cooked over medium-high heat. This is a general guide; cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the vegetable.

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