Frozen pineapple and berry slush
A cross between a breakfast sorbet and thick drink, this refreshing, virtually fat-free start to the day takes just seconds to whiz up. The secret of preparing it quickly is to keep a selection of chopped fruit in the freezer, then you can simply dip in to select a combination that suits your mood.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 8 ice cubes
- 250 g (9 oz) hulled strawberries, frozen
- 250 g (9 oz) fresh pineapple chunks, frozen
- 120 ml (4 fl oz) pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp dried skimmed milk powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or caster sugar, or to taste
- sprigs of fresh pineapple mint to decorate (optional)
Method
Prep:1hr45min ›
Ready in:1hr45min
- Put the ice cubes in a food processor or heavy-duty blender and process until they are finely crushed. Alternatively, crush the ice cubes in a freezerproof bag, bashing them with a rolling pin, and then put them in the processor or blender.
- Add the strawberries, pineapple chunks, pineapple juice and skimmed milk powder and process again until blended but still with small pieces of fruit and ice visible.
- Taste and sweeten with sugar if necessary. (The amount of sugar needed will depend on the sweetness of the fruit.) Process briefly using the pulse button.
- Spoon into tall glasses, decorate each with a sprig of pineapple mint, if you like, and serve with long spoons.
Some more ideas
This is even quicker to make if you buy 500 g bags of frozen mixed fruit. * Make a summer fruit slush with a 500 g bag of frozen mixed summer fruit, including blackberries, blueberries, redcurrants, cherries, raspberries and strawberries. Add 4 tbsp unsweetened orange juice and 2 tbsp skimmed milk powder and process. Sweeten with a little caster sugar to taste, if necessary. * For a tropical slush use 400 g (14 oz) frozen chopped mango flesh and 1 fresh banana, about 100 g (3½ oz). Add 4 tbsp coconut milk and 4 tbsp unsweetened orange juice.
Plus points
Fresh (and frozen) pineapple contains a substance called bromelain, a digestive enzyme that can break down proteins. There is some evidence to suggest that bromelain may help to break up blood clots and may therefore be helpful in protecting against heart disease. Bromelain also has an anti-inflammatory action and has been used in the treatment of arthritis. * A wide variety of fruit is now available frozen. These are convenient to have on hand and may well be a better source of vitamins than some ‘fresh’ fruits that have been poorly stored or badly handled or languished too long on the shelf. They are particularly useful for blended drinks, where the texture of the fruit is not important. * Dried skimmed milk powder, which gives this slush body, provides calcium, essential for healthy bones and teeth, as well as protein, zinc, and vitamins B2 and B12.
Each serving provides
Excellent source of vitamin C. Useful source of calcium, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin B2.
