Recipe: Lychee cooler

Beat the heat with this delicious treat!

Method 

•  Prepare the base by grinding the lychees to a pulp. Strain the crushed bits to extract the juice.

•  In a small saucepan, boil the water and melt the sugar in it. Allow the mixture to cook for about five to 10 minutes before taking it off the stove and setting it aside.

•  Strain the sugar and water mix and add the lychee juice to it.

•  Add lemon juice to the mixture and stir thoroughly.

•  Place the drink in the refrigerator for about an hour or so, until it becomes chilled.

•  Garnish the glasses with mint leaves or lemon wedges and serve cold.

Lychee — the miracle fruit



Summer is the ideal opportunity for us to indulge in our favourite fruit juices without feeling guilty. Of course for most of us, watermelons, grapes and mangoes are staples for the season but there are many other fruits on offer as well. Lychee, for example, is one of the many gifts of the warm summer months.

Fortunately for those who enjoy its taste, lychee — which literally means ‘gift for life’ — truly lives up to its name. It is considered to be highly advantageous for skin, hair and overall health and offers many other benefits, apart from its cooling properties. For instance, lychees are rich in flavonoids which combat fatal diseases like cancer by reducing the proliferation of affected cells. Lychees also regulate blood pressure and prevent strokes and coronary heart diseases, owing to the polyphenols found within. In addition to this, they are rich in phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc and magnesium which strengthen brittle bones and provide support to the skeletal system.

And there is still much more to reap from this delicious fruit! Did you know that lychees are goldmines of anti-oxidants, providing a variety of substances like Vitamin C, Oligonol and Vitamin B which fight infections and inflammation? Oligonol also cuts deep fat and spurs blood circulation, thereby improving stamina and weight-loss, facial lines and brown pigmentation. A regular intake of lychees will also help metabolise carbohydrates, proteins and fats, thanks to the high level of beta carotene which boosts the immune system and improves liver function. Keeping all of this in mind, who can possibly say no to this wondrous fruit!

SOURCE: STYLECRAZE.COM 

Refreshing Lychee Sorbet



Ingredients 

•  Lychees 3 cans

•  Castor sugar 50g

•  Egg white 1 

•  Lime zest from 2 limes

•  Lime juice from 1 lime

Method:

1. Drain the syrup from two cans of lychees into a small pan. Add sugar and dissolve over gentle heat, boiling for a minute.

2. Blitz the drained lychees in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in the lime juice and syrup with the blade still whirring. Don’t worry if the mix isn’t perfectly smooth. Just tip into a litre container and freeze for at least six hours until it becomes solid.

3. Break the frozen mix and place it in the processor. Add egg white and blend until thick, pale and smooth.

4. Add zest from one lime and pour it into the container. Freeze again, ideally overnight. Serve in scoops with remaining lychees scattered with a remaining zest.

SOURCE: BBCGOODFOOD.COM

 

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, July 26^th, 2015.