Mixed Berry-Ricotta Granita

As promised, here is the creation I made using my home-made cheese, which I'm calling 'ricotta,' for lack of a better term.

This baby is packed with good-for-you ingredients: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries sweetened with pomegranate juice, blended up with homemade cheese and frozen solid.

Berries are antioxidant-rich; studies shows that just one cup of berries provide all the disease-fighting antioxidants you need in a single day. But don't stop there: getting antioxidant benefits from a variety of foods is best. And that's why I used pomegranate juice instead of simple syrup--pomegranates, and their juice, are also packed with heart-healthy antioxidants. Cheese contains high quality protein, calcium, as well as other nutrients such as phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.

I probably should have infused some green tea in there for even more healthy benefits, but I didn't think of it at the time.

Any way you figure it, this isn't just a yummy treat--it's good for you. Shh, don't tell the kids!

Mixed Berry-Ricotta Granita

adapted from this Giada De Laurentis recipe

In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine:

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon dried basil (or 3 tablespoons fresh)

Bring to a simmer and immediately remove from heat; strain to remove herbs. (I had to pour mine through a coffee filter to get all the little herby bits out.)

In a large bowl, combine:

2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed berries (I used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Pour basil-infused pomegranate juice over; puree with a stick blender (alternatively, you could do this in a food processor), cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until completely frozen.

To serve, scrape granita with a fork and scoop crystals into serving glasses; garnish as desired.

This is my entry for Cooking to Combat Cancer 2, a blog event about healthy, cancer-fighting, antioxidant-rich recipes, hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte.

For lots of great recipes full of good, healthy ingredients, visit the roundup.