Panna Cotta with Watermelon Raspberry Sauce

Panna cotta:

3 tbsp (45 mL) water
2 1/2 tsp (12 mL) unflavored gelatin
1 cup (250 mL) half & half
4 tbsp (60 mL) sugar (or sweetener)
1 cup (250 mL) low-fat buttermilk
6 oz (175 g) fat free, plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tbsp (7 mL) grated orange rind
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt
cooking spray

Watermelon-Raspberry Sauce:

3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
salt to taste
1 cup (250 mL) seedless watermelon purée
1/3 cup (75 mL) frozen or fresh raspberries
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

Panna cotta:

In a small bowl, add water and gelatin. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine half & half and sugar. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture, and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and cool, approximately 45 minutes.

Add buttermilk, yogurt, orange rind, vanilla and salt into the cream mixture, stir to combine.

Spray 6 custard cups or ramekins with cooking spray and then fill with panna cotta mixture.

Run a thin knife around the edges of each ramekin and set in warm water for 1 minute to loosen the gel. Place a plate on top of each ramekin and invert to allow the panna cotta to settle onto the plate. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until panna cotta sets.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, salt and cardamom; whisk to combine. Then add watermelon purée, raspberries and lemon juice, stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking until sauce is thick. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Liquefied berries may be passed through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Pour sauce over panna cotta and serve.

Serves 6.

PER SERVING (1 panna cotta with sauce): 170 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 118 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre, 6 g protein. % RDI: 12% calcium, 1% iron, 5% vitamin A, 11% vitamin C.

Recipe and image provided courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board. For more recipes and carving ideas, visit www.watermelon.org.

More ways to love watermelon:
Grilled spicy watermelon
Watermelon cocktails
Wicked watermelon sorbet
Watermelon mango rum punch
Angry Birds Watermelon Carving

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