Recipe: Watermelon Basil Granita

You can make granita with juice, fruit puree, coffee or even liquor, but fresh fruit — and the nutrients that come with it — gets our vote. Here, watermelon provides vitamin C and a phytonutrient with powerful antioxidant properties called lycopene.

Ingredients

4 cups watermelon chunks, seeds removed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. 1. Put the watermelon into a blender and puree to get about 3 cups of juice.
2. Add the sugar, lime juice, and basil. Blend again, until the basil is finely chopped. Skim off the foam from the top.
3. Pour the fruit mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer.
4. After 45 minutes, the mixture will start to form ice crystals. Stir with a fork to break up the crystals. It will resemble a slushy at this point.
5. Freeze again, without stirring, for 2 hours more, until completely frozen. Use a fork to scrape the watermelon ice into fine shavings.
6. Serve in ice cold glasses with small spoons.

Nutrition information

Calories 61
Total fat 0g
Saturated fat 1g
Protein 15g
Carbohydrate 1g
Dietary fiber 13g
Sugar 3g (added sugar)
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 0mg

Recipe developed by cookbook author Sara Quessenberry for Cleveland Clinic Wellness