Orange-Basil Ice

Prep: 15 min., Freeze: 6 hr., Stand: 10 min. Out of all the orange juices to choose from at the grocery store, we prefer Valencia varieties for this recipe. It has a rich, vibrant color. Regular orange juice will work, but expect a greenish tint.

Yield: Makes 6 servings (3 cups)

Ingredients

• 3  cups  Valencia orange juice
• 1/2  cup  loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1  tablespoon  honey*
• Garnish: fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Process 1/2 cup orange juice and basil leaves in a blender or food processor 10 seconds. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a 4-cup glass measuring cup; add remaining 2 1/2 cups orange juice. Stir in honey.

2. Divide mixture between 2 zip-top plastic freezer bags. Place bags on a jelly-roll pan. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Remove bags from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes. Break mixture into small chunks using hands.

3. Process chunks, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.

*1 Tbsp. (3 packets) no-calorie sweetener, such as Splenda, may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Tropicana Pure Valencia Orange Juice.

Pineapple-Basil Ice: Substitute pineapple juice for Valencia orange juice. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Per serving: Calories 77; Fat 0.2g (sat 0g, mono 0 g, poly 0.1g); Protein 0.5g; Carb 19g; Fiber 0.3g; Chol 0mg; Iron 0.5mg; Sodium 3mg; Calc 19mg.

Fresh Orange-Basil Ice: Substitute fresh orange juice for Valencia orange juice. Omit honey. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Per serving: Calories 56; Fat 0.3g (sat 0g, mono 0.1 g, poly 0.1g); Protein 0.9g; Carb 13g; Fiber 0.3g; Chol 0mg; Iron 0.3mg; Sodium 1mg; Calc 16mg.

White Grape-Mint Ice: Substitute white grape juice for orange juice and fresh mint leaves for basil leaves. Omit honey. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Per serving: Calories 50; Fat 0.1g (sat 0g, mono 0 g, poly 0g); Protein 0.7g; Carb 11.7g; Fiber 0.4g; Chol 0mg; Iron 0.7mg; Sodium 2mg; Calc 19mg.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

68

Fat:

0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein:

0.1g

Carbohydrate:

16.5g

Fiber:

0.1g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.1mg

Sodium:

13mg

Calcium:

3mg