Fresh Berries with Red Wine Granita

Simple Solution
A granita is a kind of flavored ice reminiscent of childhood sno-cones, but this version is both very grown up and very, very French. Here, the tender sweetness of fresh seasonal berries (your choice of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or any mixture therof) melds beautifully with the refreshingly tart, cool granita--and you don’t need an ice-cream maker to make it, either.
This is how a summer meal ends in provincial France. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and you have yourself a real dream of a dessert.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh seasonal berries1 tablespoon sugarfresh mint sprigs for garnish
Granita
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 cups dry red wine
Juice of 1 orange
1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour this syrup in a bowl and refrigerate about 30 minutes until cold.
2. Combine red wine and orange juice with syrup, stirring to mix thoroughly. Pour into a nonreactive metal pan, approximately 8 by 10 inches, and 1 inch deep. (The liquid should be about 1/2 inch deep in the pan.) Put the pan in the freezer for about 2 hours, then remove and stir with a fork to break up the crystals. Return the pan to the freezer. In 30 minutes, remove pan again and break up crystals with the fork. Repeat this process until the granita begins to firm. Then remove pan every 15 minutes and break up crystals until all of the liquid has transformed into well-separated granules. The entire process should take about 4 or 5 hours.
3. Put the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
4. Chill individual bowls in the freezer. When ready to serve, spoon some granita into each bowl, then top with mixed berries. Garnish with sprigs of mint.
Serves 8.

Cool Summer Drinks - Five Favorites

Compiled by the editors of Eat Well Naturally.
Simple Solution
Here are five frosty drinks filled with fresh fruit and other healthful ingredients to keep you refreshed, hydrated, and nourished in the coolest way possible! Avoid packaged drink mixed filled with sugar and artificial ingredients and turn to Mother Nature’s storehouse for these tasty treats to beat the heat.
Find out how to make Honeydew Lime Cooler, Peachy Iced Green Tea, Watermelon Mint Smoothie, and more. It’s all here:
Honeydew Lime Cooler
This one can also help us lose unwanted weight: Peachy Iced Green Tea
Watermelon Mint Smoothie
This one is a tonic for your third-eye chakra: Mystic Mango Smoothie
Berry Banana Smoothie

Avocado Goddess Salad

Inspired by SuperFoods Healthstyle, by Steven G. Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews (William Morrow, 2006).
Simple Solution
Invite some colorful, crunchy vegetables to have a party in a bowl along with a cholesterol-lowering but decadently rich-tasting avocado dressing. The combination makes a splendid salad so healthy and delicious it can make any woman feel more like a goddess.
The authors of this great book could cite many reasons why the ingredients are good for us. All we know is that the salad tastes sublime. Read the recipe here:
INGREDIENTS
Dressing
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
2 large ripe avocados
1 cup nonfat yogurt
1 medium shallot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons good-quality vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Salad
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced and soaked in ice-water for 10 minutes
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium orange bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
2 Belgian endive, sliced into 1/4-inch diagonal slices
1 large cucumber, sliced into 1/4 by 2-inch julienne slices
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 by 2-inch julienne slices
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1. Make dressing by placing all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blending until smooth. If dressing is too thick, add a little more vinegar.
2. Drain onion and place in a pretty salad bowl. Add peppers, endive, cucumber, and zucchini with enough dressing to moisten. Toss to combine, then top with a dollop of dressing and the sunflower seeds.
Serves 6.

Rum-Marinated Fruit Kebabs

by Paulette MitchellServes 5 - 6

Marinade 1/2 c fresh orange juice
1/4 c jelly made from tropical fruits
2 T Dijon mustard
1 t minced fresh ginger
1/2 t curry powder
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T dark rum

Fruit
40 1-inch chunks of assorted tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, pineapple, kiwifruit, and star fruit
Instructions:
1. Soak 10 6-inch skewers in cold water for about 30 minutes.
2. To make the marinade, blend orange juice, jelly, mustard, ginger, and curry powder in a blender until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the lime juice and rum.
3. To assemble the kebabs, thread 4 pieces of fruit on each skewer. Arrange in a single row in a shallow, flat-bottomed refrigerator container. Pour the marinade over the fruit, cover, and refrigerate, turning the skewers occasionally, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
4. Just before serving, adjust the oven broiler rack to 4 or 5 inches from the heating element. Preheat the broiler. Arrange skewers in a single layer on a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Broil for 2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned in some places. Or you could grill them outdoors!

Salsa, Guacamole, and Other Favorites

Collected by the editors of Eat Well Naturally.
Simple Solution
If you're having a cook-out, it's fun to offer something zesty and high-flavor to slather on a burger or scoop up with a crispy tortilla. That's where these great recipes come in handy. Here you'll find two guacamole recipes (one classic, one vegan), two tapenades (the classic black olive, and a robust olive and onion version), and three different salsas--including one made with watermelon!
Serve up great taste and healthful antioxidant nourishment with any or all of these great accompaniments. Find the recipes here:
Avocado, Corn, and Poblano Salsa
Tropical Watermelon Salsa
Smoky Tomato Salsa
Vegan Guacamole--and Spicy Tortilla Chips
Classic Guacamole--and Taco Salad
Black Olive Tapenade
Robust Olive-Onion Tapenade

Classic French Cherry Gratin

By Cait Johnson, inspired by Patricia Wells At Home in Provence (Scribner, 1996).
Simple Solution
Cherries are in season--and it turns out that they are antioxidant powerhouses as well as adorably sweet and delicious. This French Provincial recipe is a classic way to show them off.
Imagine a farmhouse kitchen surrounded by cherry trees heavy with ripe fruit. The wood-fired oven is ready to bake this tempting gratin, with its gorgeous cherries nestled in a creamy confection. It is the simplicity of this recipe that is so lusciously French: pull up a chair under the branches and enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter for preparing the baking dish
1 1/2 pounds sweet cherries, pitted (i have also used frozen ones, thawed)
1/2 cup cream or fresh, very moist goat cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Confectioner’s sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Butter a 10 1/2-inch round or oval porcelain gratin or baking dish. Place the cherries evenly in the bottom.
3. Place remaining ingredients, excepting the confectioner’s sugar, in a food processor and process until blended. Pour this mixture over the cherries.
4. Place dish in the center of your oven and bake about 30 minutes, or until the gratin is golden brown and firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.
5. To serve, dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar and cut in wedges.
Serves 6 to 8.