Break the ice with your guests, or go bananas with your buddies: summer refreshments for big and small.
for the adults
WATERMELON AND MINT GRANITA
In her book, Pidapipó: Gelato Eight Days A Week, Lisa Valmorbida offers some Italian inspiration to tempt the taste buds and enliven the senses – just in time for summer. A classic granita flavour in Italy, watermelon, paired with mint and ice, offers the ultimate refreshment.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
500 g seedless watermelon, cut into small chunks
300 g filtered water
10 large mint leaves
200 g caster sugar
Method
Add the watermelon, water, mint and sugar to a bowl and blend with a hand-held blender until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into a pre-cooled stainless steel tray and put into the freezer. Every 30 minutes, remove and break up the ice crystals with a fork.
Do this until icy and easy to scoop (this should take about 2 hours).
Serve.
This is an edited extract from Pidapipó: Gelato Eight Days A Week, written by Lisa Valmorbida, illustrated by Jean Jullien, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $40
for the kids
BREKKY BANANA BEAKS
Kat Merewether shares creative, fun and healthy ideas – to get the kids preparing, and enjoying, their food. Here, she transforms the humble banana into a novel idea for breakfast, and for parties!
Ingredients
2 bananas
1/2 cup of plain yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt)
4 iceblock sticks (or you can use 4 teaspoon handles)
Topping Ideas: puffed rice, coconut, chia seeds, freeze-dried raspberries (crumbled),
just a little melted dark choc or cacao choc.
Method
Pop your chosen toppings into a shallow dessert plate. Pour yoghurt into a tall, skinny cup.
Cut a peeled banana in half. Insert an iceblock stick into each piece of banana.
Dip each banana into the yoghurt until fully coated.
Carefully roll into the topping mix, or sprinkle until covered.
Place on a plate covered in baking paper and pop in freezer for at least 40 minutes.
Kuwi’s Kitchen – Kiwi Kids’ Cookbook by Kat Merewether, Illustrated Publishing, RRP $24.95, illustrated.co.nz. Comes with free Kuwi Bikkie Cutter.
