Mango Mousse with Berry Sauce

Mango mousse is a cool and light dessert for summer.

Ingredients:
1 packet unflavored Knox gelatin
2 cups chopped mango
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (peach juice would be a lovely substitution)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup light cream
2 cups raspberries
1-2 tablespoons Chambord (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar

To Make Mango Mousse:

Sprinkle gelatin over juice in small bowl and let soften 5 minutes.

Place bowl in small saucepan with water and heat on low until gelatin is completely dissolved.

While gelatin is heating, puree mangos and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Add gelatin mixture to mangos and mix again until smooth and uniform. Pour into a large bowl (with enough room to add about 3 cups of whipped cream).

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into mango mixture.

Place remaining 1 cup raspberries at bottom of mousse dishes so that the side of the berry with the hole faces up.

Spoon mousse mixture over raspberries, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

To Make Fruit Sauce:

Puree 1 cup raspberries and pour into a fine sieve, pressing down with the back of a large spoon to extract liquid.

Mix in sugar and Chambord (if using), stir until sugar has dissolved.

To serve, decorate small dessert plates with raspberry sauce (in a spiral, lattice pattern, etc). Flip mousse dishes upside down so that mousse releases self onto dessert plate (you may need to run a knife lightly around it to loosen).

Lemon Trifle with Fresh Raspberries

Ingredients:
18 ladyfingers
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone
7 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh raspberries

Whisk eggs and 1/2 lemon juice in small heavy sauce pan. Add zest, 1/2 cup sugar and butter. Stir occasionally until butter melts over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly as egg mixture starts to bubble. It should turn a creamy yellow at this point. Remove from heat and pour through sieve to catch any egg pieces that may have separated from curd mixture.

As curd is cooking, mix together 1/2 cup lemon juice, water and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves into liquid.

Beat mascarpone and whipping cream until stiff peaks form.

Pour 1/2 lemon curd over bottom of trifle dish.

Dip 9 ladyfingers into lemon syrup and place above curd.

Spread 1/2 mascarpone cream over ladyfingers.

Sprinkle 1 cup raspberries over cream and drizzle half of remaining curd over raspberries.

Dip remaining ladyfingers in lemon syrup and place above berries. Spread remaining cream over ladyfingers.

Drizzle remaining curd over trifle in a lattice pattern. Decorate with raspberries at points where the lemon curd intersects.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours before serving.

Guava and Passion Fruit Popsicles

3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 cup guava nectar
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

Combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in guava nectar, lime juice and passion fruit juice.

Divide mixture among eight Popsicle molds.

(If you don't have Popsicle mold, buy 3 oz paper or plastic cups. Freeze for 3 hours or until firm. When mixture is slushy but not solid, add wood handle-the kind you use for caramel apple).

Freeze for 3 to 4 hours or until firm. Makes 8 Popsicles.

Open Faced Peach & Raspberry Pie

1 pie crust (bottom only, for a 9 inch pie dish)

3 1/2 lbs ripe peaches
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut the bottom of each peach. Cook the peaches in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and place in bowl of ice water. Let cool, then peel off skins.

Slice the peaches into 3/4 inch thick slice, and toss with the lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

Add 1/2 of the peaches to raspberries, vanilla, cornstarch and sugar; toss well. (If peaches are not very sweet, add additional 2 tablespoons sugar).

Lightly brush crust with the egg white.

Fill pie crust with raspberry-peach filling. Arrange peach slices in concentric rings so that the pie resembles a flower.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Brush with apricot preserves. Cook another 15 minutes until bubbling.

Let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving.

Serve with creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.


Happy Eating,

Caitlin

Morir Soñando

This drink from the Dominican Republic is very refreshing during a hot summer day. It is sweet, filling and nourishing. A Latino version of the Orange Julius, if you will : )

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
2 cups milk (I like whole, because it tastes richer, but skim is fine as well)
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Lots of crushed ice!

Option 1:

Mix sugar, milk and vanilla until sugar has incorporated into liquid. Add orange juice and whisk. Pour over ice and serve with a a straw!

Option 2:

Follow steps from option 1, but add to blender and mix until smooth.

Early Summer Berry-Rhubarb Pie

Growing up with a rather over sized rhubarb tree (bush? plant?) and wild strawberries, blueberries and raspberries near our home in the country, my mother prepared some beautiful and delicious pies, crisps and assorted desserts for my family. I love the sweet and tart combination found in rhubarb-berry pies. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.


Pie crust (for top and bottom of 9 inch round pie)
1 1/2 pounds trimmed rhubarb
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries

Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks.

In large sauce pan, stir rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir over medium-low heat until sugar has melted. While this is cooking, stir lemon juice and corn starch together until dissolved. In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and lemon juice. Add cornstarch-lemon juice to rhubarb and cook until thickened, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add berries to rhubarb mixture and refrigerate 30 minutes, covered.

Preheat oven to 400.

Press dough into 9 inch pie dish. Spoon filling over crust. Drape remaining pastry round over filling and trim so that dough overlaps the edges slightly (about 1/2 inch, as crust will shrink when cooking). Pinch crust together with bottom and crimp to decorate if desired. Score pie on top with small knife.

Bake pie in middle of oven 40 minutes, with baking sheet on lower rack to catch any filling spills, until pie crust is just lightly golden brown.

Transfer pie to a cookie rack to cool. Let rest a minimum of 30 minutes to let filling set.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Happy Eating,

Caitlin

Mojito Mania - Raspberry, Guava and Mango Mojitos

Ingredients for traditional Mojito:

1/2 shot simple syrup 1 1/2 oz white rum 1 oz fresh lime juice
8 mint leaves 1 splash seltzer
Ice

Muddle mint leaves with rum. In cocktail shaker, add rum, mint, ice, simple syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour into glass. Pour splash seltzer into cocktail shaker and mix around, then pour over mojito. Garnish with lime wedge.


Variations:


Mango Mojito:

Use 2 oz mango flavored rum in place of white rum. Add a few pieces of diced mango when muddling.


Raspberry Mojito:

Add 10 raspberries to mint and rum. Muddle well, then finish like normal mojito.


Guava mojito:

Add 1 oz guava nectar and increase rum to 2 oz.

Strawberry Basil Summer Cocktail

One of the best drinks I have had was a strawberry basil martini served at 28 Degrees , in the South End of Boston. At first strawberries and basil seemed an unlikely combination, but after trying my friend's drink, I was hooked. Bursts of fresh basil and sweet strawberry flavor ensure this will be a staple on my balcony this summer.

To make:
3 fresh basil leaves
3 large fresh strawberries
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces seltzer
1 lemon wedge
1 teaspoon sugar + extra for glass rim
Ice

Muddle the basil and strawberries in the bottom of a shaker. Add the vodka, sugar and ice. Shake well. Rub rim of glass lemon wedge and dip in sugar. Pour cocktail into glass, top with seltzer and garnish with the lemon twist.

Easy Strawberry, Goat Cheese & Spinach Salad

This is a classic early summer salad. Pair with a frittata and some crusty bread, and you have an easy, flavorful Mother's Day brunch!

Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
8oz baby spinach
Balsamic vinaigrette

Wash strawberries well and remove stems. Slice in half vertically.

Wash spinach and let dry.

Divide spinach among 4 plates. Top each with 1 oz goat cheese and 1/2 cup sliced berries. Drizzle vinaigrette over salads.

Cuban Black Bean, Mango and Avocado Salsa

I started to cook while studying abroad in Havana, Cuba. Agromercados sold herbs, beans, fruits and vegetables on the road sides. The salsa is best served with homemade baked tortilla chips and a mojito. : )

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Vidalia onion
2 limes, juiced
3 medium tomatoes
2 mangos, chopped
1 avocado
Cumin
Paprika
Splash of orange juice
1 pack of 20 corn tortillas


Rinse cilantro well and let dry.


Mince well and add to chopped mangos.


Mix in black beans and diced onion.


Juice limes and add to bean mixture. (A helpful tip about juicing citrus fruit. If cold, warm up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, and then roll the fruit on the cutting board, this will loosen the juice and provide more for the salsa).

Sprinkle cumin, paprika and orange juice over beans.



Add diced tomatoes to bean mixture, preferably a few hours before eating, as it will turn starchy if left for a long time in the refrigerator. Add avocado just before serving, as the avocado will brown if it sits too long.

Preheat oven to 425.



Slice tortillas into 6 wedges and bake on cookie sheet until lightly golden.

Fruit Skewers with Vanilla-Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce

I like to jazz up my fruit salads by using wooden kebab skewers to make an individual portion party guests can pick up and eat without needing a plate or fork. Arranged around a dip of vanilla yogurt with mint, the finished product is appealing to the eye AND to your taste buds.

Ingredients: Wooden kebab skewers, cut in half
Small container vanilla yogurt
Fresh mint leaves
Pineapple, cut into small cubes
Strawberries
Bananas, thickly sliced
Watermelon, cut into cubes
Honeydew or Cantaloupe, cut into cubes

Rinse mint leaves and mince them finely. Scoop yogurt into small dipping bowl and mix in mint leaves. Cover and refrigerate until eating. Skewer fruit, alternating by color and type of fruit. Typically I use 3-4 pieces of fruit per skewer. Arrange skewers around dipping bowl placed on the center of large round serving plate. Stack them evenly so that the finished product resembles a flower.

*Fruit can be cut ahead of time (minus the bananas, as they tend to brown) and skewered before presenting. Feel free to substitute other fruits like kiwi, mango, papaya, apples, grapes, whatever you like and is in season!