Guest recipes with Lidl Food Academy

Ice Cream with Coconut, Banana & Mango

100g coconut milk (canned)
50g brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) xanthan gum
300g frozen exotic fruits (bananas, mangos, papaya)
Coconut flakes (lightly roasted)
Edible flowers (optional, for garnish)

In a hot non-stick pan (no fat), add the coconut flakes. Roast them lightly, stirring constantly until golden, and immediately pour them into a bowl to stop cooking.
Add the coconut milk, brown sugar, xanthan gum, and frozen exotic fruits to the blender (or a strong food processor).
Grind at high speed. If needed (depending on how chilled the fruit is), add a little extra coconut milk gradually, until you get a smooth and creamy ice cream.
Transfer ice cream immediately to chilled glasses or bowls. Garnish with roasted coconut flakes and decorate with edible flowers.

Fruit Salad with Mozzarella and Spring Fruits

3 balls of buffalo mozzarella or a large burrata
250g fresh strawberries, cut in half
4 ripe apricots or plums, cut into wedges
100g cherries (pitted) or blueberries
3 tablespoons pistachios (coarsely chopped)
For the dressing and serving
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest of a lime
2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
Basil leaves

In a small bowl, add the olive oil, lime juice and zest, honey, salt, and pepper. Mix very well with a whisk or fork until the mixture is homogenised.
On a large, shallow platter, place the strawberries, apricots and cherries (or blueberries) evenly, making sure that the colours mix together.
Place the 3 balls of buffalo mozzarella or burrata between the fruits.
Sprinkle the whole surface with the coarsely chopped pistachios and divide the fresh basil leaves.
Just before serving, pour the dressing evenly over the salad and enjoy immediately.

Meringue Kisses from Aquafava and Beetroot

240g juice from frozen chickpeas
1 teaspoon lemon or white vinegar
300g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn flour, sifted
1 sachet vanilla
2 tablespoons concentrated beetroot juice or powder diluted with water
Additional materials
Whipped cream
Fresh seasonal fruits of your choice, sliced (strawberries, peaches)

To create aquafava, soak the chickpeas from the night before in boiling water. Discard the soaked water and rinse thoroughly.
Put the chickpeas in the pot and add water covering them 3 fingers. Boil until the chickpeas are tender and cooked.
Strain the chickpeas and reserve 1 cup water (240g). This is the aquafava you need.
After it cools, make sure that the density of the liquid will be like that of egg white.
Alternatively, use the water (juice) from a can of roasted chickpeas.
Preheat oven to 120C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Beat in the mixer on high speed with the whisk, the aquafava with the lemon juice until it becomes a firm meringue. It will take about 0
Lower the mixer speed and slowly pour in the sugar.
Turn up the speed again and beat until the mixture is glossy (about 3 minutes).
Add the cornstarch and vanilla, and stir for another 30 seconds.
Take a clean pastry bag and pour in 1/2 tablespoon of beetroot juice, making sure it covers the inner walls of the bag and does not collect at the bottom.
Using a spatula, transfer the meringue mixture into the bag – you may need to lay it on its side to prevent all the beetroot juice from rolling into the corner.
Using a wide nozzle, form circles of meringue 10 cm diameter on the parchment paper.
Place the pan in the oven at 120C. Bake for 1.5 hours.
When the meringues have cooled, place them on the plate and fill them with spoonfuls of the whipped cream and fresh seasonal fruits of your choice.

Recipes provided by the Lidl food academy. Stasikratous 34, Nicosia 1010.

www.lidlfoodacademy.com.cy/