Fancyschmancycitrusgranita Recipes

FRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a deep-sided metal pan, and place in freezer, uncovered, until it is nearly set, at least 4 hours, whisking mixture every hour.
• Remove mixture from freezer, and scrape surface with the tines of a fork until it is the texture of shaved ice. (Mixture can be frozen overnight without whisking; remove from freezer in the morning, and let sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to allow it to slightly soften before scraping with a fork.) Serve.

CHAMPAGNE-CASSIS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat and add the Champagne; stir in the creme de cassis.
• Pour mixture into 2-quart container (sides should be about 2 inches high) and place in the freezer.
• Begin checking it after about 1 hour; once it begins to freeze around the edges, take a fork and stir the mixture, breaking up the frozen parts near the edges into smaller chunks and raking them toward the center.
• Return dish to freezer, then check mixture every 30 minutes afterward, stirring each time and breaking up any large chunks into small pieces with a fork, until you have beautiful, fine crystals.
• Because the granita may melt rapidly, suggest spooning into chilled goblets and letting rest in the freezer until ready to serve.

JEFES GRAND GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring water, sugar, orange zest & mint to the boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer until sugar dissolves (It's important to make sure the sugar dissolves completely, otherwise it's a disaster).
• Strain to remove the mint, then put the syrup back into the pan.
• Add apples & cook until the apples are soft and pulpy. Take saucepan off heat and allow to cool (you can cheat & put this in the fridge if you like to speed the process up)
• Put orange juice, lemon juice, and orange-flavored liqueur or Grand Marnier (if you're using them) into a blender along with the apple-mint syrup. Blend until smooth.
• Food Processor Method - Pour the granita mixture into a freezer proof dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to freeze solid - for best results overnight.
• Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving - this allows it to soften slightly - then either process the granita in a food processor or use a fork scrape it into fine crystals.
• Alternative method - Place plastic wrap over pan and place pan in freezer. After 45 min or when ice-crystals have begun to form around edges of pan, use a fork to scrape up frozen chunks and mix into the rest of the frozen mixture. Return to freezer and continue to "rake" granita every 30 to 45 minutes until there isn't any liquid left in the granita.
• To serve spoon granita into dishes or glasses and garnish with mint. Serves 4 - 6.

SPARKLING GRAPEFRUIT GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch rectangular (non-metal) baking dish. Stir in the grapefruit juice, Champagne, and fleur de sel.
• Carefully place the dish on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, rake the granita with a large dinner fork, and return it to the freezer. Continue to rake the granita every 30 minutes, until it's firm and granular. This might take as long as 3 hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed glasses.

MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cover porcini with water in microwave-safe dish; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and roughly chop. Strain liquid though fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towels into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Spread portobellos in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp oil; tossing to coat mushrooms evenly; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss again. Roast mushrooms until shriveled and all liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Do not turn off oven.
• Heat 1 tablespoons oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoons of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer onions to large bowl and set aside.
• Process button mushrooms in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about six 1-second pulses, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Heat remaining 1 tablespoons oil in no-empty skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add chopped button mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and moisture has evaporated, 6-8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in porcini mushrooms, 1 tablespoons garlic, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoons pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2-3 minutes.
• Add butter and cook until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add milk, scraping pan bottom to loosen brown bits. Add reserve porcini liquid and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium high and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sauce reaches consistency of heavy cream, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and 1/4 cup basil.
• Combine fontina and Parmesan in medium bowl. Toss cooled portabello mushrooms with onions in large bowl. Place noodles in 13 X 9 inch ovensafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with butter.
• Using rubber spatula, evenly distribute 1 cup mushroom sauce in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Spread 3/4 cup mushroom sauce evenly over noodles followed by 2 cups mushroom-onion mixture and 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom-onion mixture, and cheese two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of last layer of cheese. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remainin cheese. Lightly spray laarge sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.
• While lasagna is baking, combine remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons basil and 1 tsp garlic with zest in small bowl. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, remove foil from lasagna, and continue to bake until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 6-8 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with herb mixture. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

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.

FANCY SCHMANCY CITRUS GRANITA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in basil and let syrup stand for about 15 minutes.
• Now stir together orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl. Pour basil syrup through a fine sieve into the citrus juice mixture; discard basil.
• Move the mixture to a 9"x13" shallow glass or nonreactive dish. Chill in the freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the freezer; scrape with a fork, pulling from the edges into center. Return to the freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until the mix is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 hours. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with a basil sprig and lemon wheel, if using. This makes it fancy! Now eat it up!