Cook Without Book

                        Ingredients Tropical Granita: 1  vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 tablespoons   granulated sugar 1/2 cup   pineapple juice, divided 1/2 cup   orange juice 2 tablespoons   passion fruit juice French Meringue: 3  egg whites 6 tablespoons   granulated sugar 5 tablespoons   sifted powdered sugar, divided Sauce: 2 tablespoons   passion fruit juice 2  cubed, peeled ripe mangoes 1 tablespoon   sugar (optional) 1  thinly sliced, peeled mango Preparation 1. Granita: Scrape vanilla bean seeds into bowl. Add sugar; mash with fork. 2. In a small saucepan, warm 1/4 cup pineapple juice and sugar mixture until sugar is melted. Cool. 3. Combine mixture with remaining juices; freeze overnight in shallow pan. Remove from freezer 5–10 minutes before serving. Rake with fork to serve. 4. Meringues: In a medium bowl, whip egg whites, ...

                                Ingredients 7  chocolate graham crackers 4 teaspoons   light butter, melted Cooking spray 3 teaspoons   orange zest 2 tablespoons   fresh orange juice (about 1 orange) 2 tablespoons   Grand Marnier 1  envelope unflavored gelatin 1  (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened 1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 3/4 cup   unsweetened cocoa 1/3 cup   semisweet chocolate, melted 3 cups   frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed, plus additional for garnish Orange zest for garnish Preparation 1. Finely grind crackers in food processor. Remove to bowl. Add butter; mix well. 2. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; press crumbs into bottom. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes. Remove and cool. 3. Combine orange zest, ju...

Cantaloupe Soup with Mint Prep Time:  15 minutes Total Time:  2 hours Yield:  Serves: 4 (serving size: 1 cup) Ingredients 1  large cantaloupe (about 3 lb.) 1/4 cup   honey 1/2 cup   orange juice 1 1/2 tablespoons   finely chopped fresh mint, plus small sprigs for garnish, optional Preparation 1. Halve melon, scoop out seeds and remove rind. Cut flesh into large chunks. (You should have about 6 cups.) 2. Working in batches if necessary, combine cantaloupe, honey and orange juice in a blender. Pulse or blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours. 3. Just before serving, briskly whisk soup and stir in mint. Serve very cold, garnished with sprigs of mint, if desired. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 147 Fat per serving: 0.0g Saturated fat per serving: 0.0g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Protein p...

                             "I made this as a birthday cake using a low-fat lemon cream-cheese frosting. It was quite a hit." --CL Reader Yield:  9 servings (serving size: 1 square) Ingredients 1/2 cup   all-purpose flour 1/2 cup   whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon   baking powder 1/2 teaspoon   ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon   baking soda 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1  large egg 1  large egg white 1/2 cup   packed brown sugar 1/2 cup   canned pumpkin 2 tablespoons   vegetable oil 2 tablespoons   butter, melted 1 tablespoon   grated orange rind 3/4 cup   raisins 1/2 cup   grated carrot 1/3 cup   dried cranberries Cooking spray 2 tablespoons   coarsely chopped walnuts Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingred...

              Prep Time:  15 minutes Total Time:  1 hour, 15 minutes Yield:  Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups fruit, 1 1/2 tbsp dressing) Ingredients 1  orange, zested and juiced 1/4 cup   thinly sliced mint leaves 3 tablespoons   canola or grapeseed oil 2 teaspoons   poppy seeds 2 teaspoons   rice-wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon   sea salt 1  small pineapple, cut up 1  mango, sliced 2  apricots, peaches, or plums 4 cups   assorted cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries 1/4 cup   pomegranate seeds Preparation 1. In large bowl, combine 1/4 cup orange juice, zest, mint, oil, poppy seeds, vinegar, and salt. Add fruit and toss to combine. 2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve very cold. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 243 Fat per serving: 8.3g Saturated fat per serving: 0.7g Monounsatura...

                          Ingredients 1  ripe peach, peeled, pitted, diced 1  medium yellow or orange tomato, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon   chopped fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon   chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup   chopped sweet onion such as Vidalia 1 tablespoon   lime juice, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon   minced, seeded jalapeño, plus more to taste 1/4 teaspoon   kosher salt, plus more to taste Preparation Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with additional lime juice, jalapeño or salt, if desired. Serve salsa with tortilla chips, or spoon onto grilled chicken or fish.

     Marinated Feta and Olive Skewers                     Ingredients 2 teaspoons   fennel seeds 2 teaspoons   orange zest 3 tablespoons   fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper 4 ounces   feta cheese, cut into 24 (1/2-inch) cubes 24  (6-inch) wooden skewers 24  fresh mint leaves 12  pitted green olives, halved 1/4  large English cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch chunks Preparation 1. Combine fennel seeds, orange zest and juice, and pepper. Gently stir in the feta and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 3 hours in the refrigerator. (Marinate overnight to save time.) 2. To assemble: Place 1 mint leaf on a skewer, about 3/4 inch up; add 1 olive half and 1 cucumber chunk. Place 1 cube of feta on the end. These can be made several hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bring to r...

                         Sangria                               Ingredients 1/2 pound   fresh strawberries, sliced 1  each peach, orange, lime, all thinly sliced 2 cups   red wine 1 ounce   cherry liqueur 1 cup   club soda Preparation Place fruit in a large, chilled glass pitcher. Add wine and liqueur; stir. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Remove from fridge, and add club soda; stir. Fill 4 glasses halfway with ice cubes; add sangria. Garnish with lime wedge, strawberry, and a mint leaf.

Avocado Coconut Oil Tartine If you're in a pinch to find squash blossoms, slivered basil is a perfectly fine substitution. 3/4 cup toasted and chopped macadamia nuts 1 small clove garlic, finely grated zest of one medium orange 4 squash blossoms, cut into chiffonade scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste 4 slices good levain bread, sliced 3/4-inch thick 4 tablespoons pure virgin coconut oil 2 ripe avocados, halved, pits removed 4 scallions, slivered extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle Combine the macadamia nuts, garlic, orange zest, squash blossoms and salt in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Toast the bread (alternately, a broiler, or grill will work) until it's golden. Just before serving, while the bread is still warm, place 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil on each tartine and spread evenly, saturating the toast. Spoon and smash half an avocado onto each piece of toast, then evenly distribute the nut mixture equally as well. Finish with a sp...

Anti Cholesterol Shake A combination of orange, papaya and banana blended together to make a filling drink that beats cholesterol! This unusual combination of fruits is rich in potassium, vitamin C and fibre. Banana is an excellent source of potassium, the deficiency of which is associated with the change in the normal pattern of the heartbeat. This shake satiates the hunger pangs while keeping the building up of cholesterol levels at all time low. Makes 2 small glasses (300 ml).  Ingredients 1  medium sized  orange, seperated into segments 1/4  medium sized  papaya, cut into pieces 1   banana, cut into pieces crushed ice  to serve Method HOPPER / JUICER Juice all the ingredients except bananas. Blend the bananas to a purée in a blender and add to the juice. Add some crushed ice in 2 glasses and pour the juice over it. Serve immediately. MIXER / BLENDER Blend all the ingredients using little water (if required) till smooth. ...

Rose and Orange Cooler Serves 4 to 6 1/2 cup Rooh Afza (from Indian Specialty Food Store) 4 cups chilled water 2 oranges, 1 juiced and other cut into small pieces 6 fresh mint leaves 1 cup ice cubes Mix all the Rooh Afza, water and orange juice and adjust the sweetness as per your requirement. Add the cut orange juices, mint leaves and ice cubes. Serve Cold.

Tangerine and Carrot Cooler Serves 4 2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into dices 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1/2 gallon fresh tangerine juice 1 cup  ice cubes 1 orange, cut into 6 slices for garnish, cut from one side In a blender, blend together all the ingredients. Pass the puree through a fi ne mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Serve chilled in a tall glass garnished with fresh orange.

                        Sicilian Orange Almonds Cake All sicilians love desserts and cakes. Citrus fruits and almonds are widely grown and of course largely consumed in sicily, which is an island in the mediterranean region. I actually ate up a large chunk of this cake the first time i made it. So if you are the one who loves hot freshly baked cakes, you will love this delicious tea-time cake flavoured with orange and almonds. The use of orange squash gives a concentrated orange flavour to the cake. It is not totally essential but very helpful if you use it. Preparation Time:  15 mins Baking Time:  15 minutes. Baking Time:  45 minutes. Baking Temperature:  180°C (360°F) Baking Temperature:  200°C (400°F) Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 1/4 cups   plain flour (maida) 1 tsp  levelled ,  baking powder 1/2 cup   powdered almonds (badam) 1 cup   powdered sugar 1/3 cu...

                            Fresh Fruit Frappé   A frappé is simply a slushy drink made by blending fruit, fruit juice and ice.                                                                                                                PREP TIME 15 Min TOTAL TIME 15 Min SERVINGS 4            INGREDIENTS 1 cup cut-up cantaloupe or honeydew melon 1 cup cut-up pineapple 1 cup cut-up mango 1 cup strawberry halves 1 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons sugar Crushed ice STEP : 1 1 Mix all ingredients except ice and sliced pineapple. Fill blender one-half full with...