Sara Davies shares 'nutrient-rich' mango sorbet that tastes 'pretty gorgeous'
The 41-year-old Dragons' Den star kept one ingredient hidden from her husband, Simon, otherwise 'he'd never have agreed to eat it'
Sara Davies has shared her method for creating a 'pretty gorgeous' mango sorbet with one surprising ingredient. The 41-year-old Dragons' Den star posted the recipe on Instagram after being inspired by something she saw online.
"So, since I've been on my healthy eating kick, Instagram has been serving me loads of content about healthy recipes," she wrote in a post to her 631,000 followers. "...and I came across one where someone had made mango sorbet/ice cream using cottage cheese!
"Now, I didn't believe for one second that it could taste as good as he was making out (he was totally faking that orgasmic drooling), but it hooked me in enough to give it a go!" Sara also noted that her husband, Simon, absolutely loves sorbet, but if she made it, he couldn't know it was cottage cheese.
In a video, she added: "You can make mango sorbet with mango, you just have to freeze it, and cottage cheese. If this works, do not tell him." To kickstart her recipe, Sara first froze some mango pieces overnight before popping them in a Nutribullet.
She then added roughly an equal amount of cottage cheese and blended it. Once finished, she quickly tasted it and decided it needed a touch of Greek yoghurt.
Popping three generous tablespoons into the mixture, she mixed it and tasted it again. She said: "Hey, that tastes alright. You would definitely have no idea it was cottage cheese.
"So, it said to put a bit of honey in. I don't think it needs it, but my nutrition lady did say it doesn't have enough dietary fibre or something. She's got us on this stuff, psyllium husk. She said if I add this in, it kind of makes up for the fact that the mangoes, you know, are really sugary.
"So, I'm just going to put one scoop in. Maybe it is one and a half. Again, we are not telling Simon." Blitzing it for the final time, Sara tasted it again and decided it did need a little honey after all.
She continued: "Not going to lie, that is pretty gorgeous, I think I will put a bit of that honey in though. Just a little bit. Just a bit of agave. Whizz it up, stick it in the freezer."
After some time had passed, Sara encouraged Simon to finally try her creation. Although he said it was merely 'ok', Sara asserted it was actually 'really good'. "So anyway, I made it—and honestly, it's REALLY good!" she said in the video's caption.
"But the real test? Getting Simon to try it (without telling him what was in it, obviously—otherwise he'd never have agreed to eat it!)." While the health perks of cottage cheese largely depend on its fat level and added ingredients, it's generally considered a 'diet-boosting' food with a famously high protein content.
Specialists at the University of California even believe it may help with blood sugar control and weight loss, potentially allowing those who eat it to feel full for longer.
"Cottage cheese is a low-calorie and healthy dairy option," they wrote in a previous online blog. "But the health benefits of this soft and mild cheese go far beyond calorie count."
Sara's social media-inspired recipe was quickly met by countless supportive comments, with many fans eager to try it for themselves. One person wrote: "Looks delicious. I'll have to give it a try," while another added: "Been making for a couple of weeks & love it, also add chia seeds & flax."
Sara's nutritionist, Josie Jones at The Mindful Cook, also shared her thoughts on the dish. "Mango is gorgeous, nutrient-rich, and flavourful but, yes, also high in sugar compared to some fruits," she said.
"The way to balance this is to keep your portions controlled and add protein and fibre. So you could blitz a bit with your cottage cheese or yoghurt and sprinkle a little psyllium husk over it. I'd maybe go for around 100–150g mango to 150g cheese/yoghurt."
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