Yoghurt panna cotta with watermelon and rosewater

Your guests will think you've spent hours - not minutes - creating this sweet sensation. Great on its own, this delicate fruit tastes divine teamed with rosewater and strawberries to adorn a creamy Mediterranean-inspired treat. 

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cooking Time

5 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Vegetable oil, to grease
• 250ml honey-flavoured yoghurt
• 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 1 tbs hot water
• 2 tsp gelatine powder
• 500g seedless watermelon, peeled, cut into 5mm pieces
• 10 strawberries, washed, hulled, cut into 5mm pieces
• 3 tsp rosewater
• Honey, to serve

 

Method

1. Brush four 125ml (1/2-cup) capacity dariole moulds with vegetable oil to lightly grease. Place the yoghurt in a large heatproof bowl.
2. Place the cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is heated through.
3. Place the hot water in a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle with the gelatine. Place the bowl in a small saucepan and add enough boiling water to come three-quarters of the way up the side of the bowl. Use a fork to whisk until the gelatine dissolves.
4. Add the cream mixture and gelatine mixture to the yoghurt, whisking until well combined. Strain through a fine sieve into a large jug. Pour evenly among the prepared moulds. Cover each mould with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight until set.
5. Combine the watermelon, strawberry and rosewater in a medium bowl.
6. Turn panna cottas into serving bowls. Spoon the watermelon mixture over each panna cotta. Drizzle over honey to serve.

 

Notes

With a twist: Yoghurt panna cotta with watermelon & passionfruit: Omit strawberries, rosewater and honey. Combine the watermelon with 1/3 cup fresh passionfruit pulp.

Fruity French toast with strawberries

Now this looks like a very good way to get your weekend started! 

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 eggs
• 80ml (1/3 cup) milk
• Melted butter, to grease
• 4 slices raisin bread
• 125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
• 1 tbs icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 x 250g punnet strawberries, washed
• Espresso coffee, to serve

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Use a fork to whisk together the eggs and milk in a medium bowl.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with melted butter to lightly grease. Dip 1 slice of bread into the egg mixture to evenly coat. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a baking tray. Place in oven to keep warm. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining bread and egg mixture, greasing and reheating pan between batches.
3. Meanwhile: use a balloon whisk to whisk the cream, icing sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
4. Cut toast in half crossways and divide among plates. Top with cinnamon cream and strawberries, and serve with espresso.

Berry bircher muesli

Make delicious low-fat breakfasts by combining crunchy oats with fresh fruit and nuts. 

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3 cups rolled oats (see note)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 1 granny smith apple, coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 small limes, juiced
• 1 cup thick, plain yoghurt
• 1 cup mixed fresh berries (we used blackberries, strawberries, raspberries)
• 2 tablespoons honey

 

Method

1. Place oats in a large bowl. Pour over apple juice to cover. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Just before serving, stir in apple, almonds, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3/4 cup yoghurt and 3/4 cup mixed berries.
3. Spoon muesli into bowls. Top with remaining yoghurt and mixed berries. Drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

 

Notes

This recipe is best made 1 day in advance. Use regular (not quick-cooking) rolled oats for this recipe. Tip: You could replace the yoghurt in step 3 with milk.

Chocolate mousse log

Make this relaxing, flavour-filled dessert a part of your Christmas banquet. 

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 180g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup thickened cream
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee powder
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 250g packet chocolate chip cookies
• 250g strawberries, halved
• Icing sugar mixture, to serve

 

Method

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure bowl doesn't touch water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Add egg yolks. Stir until smooth.
2. Using an electric mixture, beat cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold half the cream into chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in remaining cream.
3. Wash and dry beaters and bowl. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until just firm.
4. Place coffee and boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Stir to dissolve coffee. Cool.
5. Dip top half of biscuits into coffee mixture. Sandwich biscuits with chocolate mixture on a plate to form a log shape. Spread log with remaining chocolate mixture, swirling chocolate to give a rough texture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (see note).
6. Top with strawberries. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

 

Notes

Refrigerating log overnight lets the biscuits soften and become cake-like.

Berry sparkling slushies

Put away the ice - sorbet turns to slush in seconds with a drop of sparkling wine. 

Preparation Time

5 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1L ctn berry sorbet
• 500ml (2 cups) strawberry-flavoured sparkling wine
• 2 tbs Bacardi rum

 

Method

1. Place the sorbet, sparkling wine and rum in the bowl of a food processor or jug of a blender. Process until smooth.
2. Divide among serving glasses and serve immediately.

 

Notes

For the kids: To make non-alcoholic berry slushies, omit the Bacardi and replace the sparkling wine with lemonade.

Berry punch

Makes

4 litres

Ingredients

• 125g blueberries
• 125g raspberries
• 250g strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 1.5 litres raspberry and cranberry juice, chilled
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 lime
• 1.25 litres lemonade, chilled
• ice cubes, to serve

 

Method

1. Place blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in a large bowl. Add juice and vodka. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavours to develop.
2. Thinly slice lime. Cut slices into small wedges. Stir through punch. Add lemonade and ice. Serve.

Balsamic strawberry skewers

Strawberry skewers are the ideal end to a barbecue dinner. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2/3 cup mascarpone, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 32 strawberries, hulled, washed
• olive oil cooking spray

 

Method

1. Combine mascarpone, icing sugar and orange rind in a bowl.
2. Place brown sugar, vinegar and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Thread strawberries onto 8 skewers. Brush with vinegar mixture.
4. Preheat a barbecue plate or chargrill over medium heat. Spray skewers with oil. Cook, turning, for 1 to 2 minutes or until strawberries are just tender and brown. Drizzle with remaining vinegar mixture. Serve with mascarpone mixture.

 

Notes

You will need 8 pre-soaked skewers.

Fruit tea

 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 cups lemonade
• 2 peach and mango tea bags
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
• 1 cup orange juice, chilled
• 125g strawberries, hulled, finely diced

 

Method

1. Pour lemonade into a jug. Cover and freeze for 2 to 3 hours or until semi-frozen.
2. Place tea bags in a heatproof jug. Pour over boiling water. Brew for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool.
3. Pour tea into a large jug. Add pineapple juice, orange juice, semi-frozen lemonade and strawberries. Serve.

 

Notes

• For mango fruit tea, replace the pineapple juice with mango nectar and the strawberries with dried mango.

Strawberry Breakfast Crescents

INGREDIENTS

 

1        (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

4        rolls Betty Crocker® Fruit Roll­Ups® Strawberry Fruit Snack

2/3     cup powdered sugar

1/4     teaspoon vanilla

2        to 3 teaspoons milk

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. 2 Unroll fruit snack rolls; cut each diagonally into 2 triangles. Place each fruit roll triangle on 1 dough triangle (fold or tuck each fruit roll so all is on dough). Roll up each dough triangle, starting with shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point; place point side down on sprayed cookie sheet. Curve into crescent shape. 3 Bake at 350°F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk until smooth and desired drizzling consistency. 4 Drizzle glaze evenly over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Strawberry and Feta Salad

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 378 | Total Fat: 34.3g | Cholesterol: 22mg