Sunday, September 28, 2008

Easy kiwi-mint sorbet

Other projects have kept me from blogging in awhile but now I've returned and am ready to get back to business. Fall is kind of a pins and needles time of year for me. In the past, it has been when my stomach starts treating me badly after taking a hiatus during the summer. I think part of the problem is my fall allergies are pretty severe which tends to weaken my immune system making me more vulnerable. Summer also lulls me into thinking I've got this thing whipped because I'm feeling pretty good and I start going off the strict dietary wagon, so to speak.



But this year has been different. I have had a few moments here and there but so far I'm holding my own. I attribute this to sticking with my rotation diet and my regimen of taking Vitamin D daily. I'm also trying a daily pumpkin seed oil tab because as an anti-inflammatory, it is supposed to ease IBS symptoms. Fall has just gotten under way: I'm being a good girl in terms of diet; and time will tell.



In the meantime, here's a refreshing desert that's very kind to a sensitive stomach because it's loaded with mint: Kiwi-Mint Sorbet (serves 1)



Ingredients:

2 medium kiwis, peeled and quartered

small palmful of chopped fresh mint (Use less if you don't like a lot of mint taste)

1/2 cup crushed ice

1/4 cup ice cold water

1-2 tsp. agave nectar or other sweetener

Directions:

1. Peel, quarter kiwis and freeze until slightly firm on a tray in freezer. Or freeze kiwis pieces ahead of time, remove from freezer and thaw slightly.

2. Wash and chop fresh mint leaves.

3. Put semi-frozen kiwi pieces, crushed ice, cold water and sweetener in a food processor and blend. Add a few mint leaves at a time and pulse. Taste. Add more mint depending on personal preference. I like mine really minty.

4. It should form a smooth sorbet-like consistency.

5. Serve in an ice-cream dish, garnished with a sprig of mint.

6. If kiwi-mint sorbet is too soft, freeze until slightly firm in the freezer.