Strawberry-Basil Sorbet

Strawberry jam makes this four-ingredient sorbet about as easy as they come.

In a saucepan, combine 2 and 3/4 cups water with 1 cup strawberry preserves - I used the strawberry fruit spread from Whole Foods' 365 brand, which I particularly like because it is sweetened with white grape juice instead of sugar.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook for 2 minutes. Let cool completely - I strongly recommend letting it chill at least 8 hours, since this means your ice cream freezer will work best.

Once cool, stir in 1/4 cup chopped basil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. That's it! Now transfer to your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Don't forget you'll probably need to freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker about 24 hours in advance.

Transfer the sorbet to a freezer-safe container and freeze one additional hour until firm. 2/3 a cup is 180 calories.

Cost:
strawberry preserves $1.99
basil $2.99