Fruit Dip

Strawberry Recipe #4 

(well not really a strawberry recipe but delicious with strawberries)

This is the simplest but and most delicious fruit dip!  It goes amazing with any kind of fruit.  I especially like this dip with cut up apples.  But of course amazing with Strawberries too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cream cheese ( any kind, whipped, lite etc)

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup brown sugar

Preparation:

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and blend well with a hand mixer.  I like to use my whisk attachment on my hand beater to whip it up nice and light and fluffy.  Pour into a bowl and enjoy immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Strawberry Salsa

Strawberry recipe #3

This is the perfect summertime recipe and a great way to use up all those strawberries.  The most perfect combination of all things delicious!  Serve with cinnamon chips.  You can make your own or buy the store bought kind both will be delicious with this salsa.

Ingredients:

Salsa

2 lbs of fresh strawberries, diced

Zest from 1 lime

1 Tablespoon of mint, chopped

1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons strawberry jam

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

6 small flour tortillas cut into 1/8ths

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon

A little canola oil

Preparation:

For salsa combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.  I found it was easy to mix the jam in when it was warmed first in the microwave to make it a bit looser.

For cinnamon chips.  In a small bowl mix together sugar and cinnamon, set aside.  Next, using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife cut tortillas into 1/8ths.  Lay all the tortilla triangles on a piece of parchment paper and brush with oil.  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar and bake in a 350 F degree oven until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.

Strawberry Hand Pies

Here's Strawberry recipe #2.  My kids are obsessed with Empanadas both sweet and savory so I was excited to make this Hand Pie recipe!  This sweet version is perfect and easy to make.  Another great dough that you can fill with any filling you like.  We also made chocolate hazelnut hand pies too with the left over dough.  YUM!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup all purpose flour

Filling:

1 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Zest of half a lemon

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Finishing:

1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Preparation:

Cream butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Add in flour and mix just until dough comes together.  Place dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Place parchment paper on a pan and set aside.  On a floured or powdered sugared surface, knead the dough a couple of times until it is a nice round ball. Then, roll dough into a circle with a rolling pin, about 1/4" thick.  Cut circles using a large round cookie cutter about 2 1/2 to 3".  Place each circle on the parchment paper prepared pan.  You will need to re-roll the dough a few times until it's all used up.  You may want to refrigerate in between if it gets too soft.

In a small bowl, gently combine chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and cornstarch.

Fill each pie round with 1 tablespoon of filling, don't over stuff.  Take one side of the dough and pull it over the filling. Use a fork to crimp the edges together and poke an air hole at the top of each pie.  Brush each pie with eggwash. Sprinkle with white sugar (optional). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pie is golden brown.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

I have a lot of Strawberry recipes heading your way!  I bought a huge 5lb container of strawberries and they were not as good as they looked for just eating by themselves but perfect to bake with!  Here is the first of many Strawberry recipes!  This Strawberry Cream Cheese bread is amazing.   It a very light but moist texture and it isn't overly sweet!  You can add really any berry that you like but I love it with strawberries.   Very easy to make all in one bowl!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk ( I used 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of lowfat milk - combine and let stand for a few minutes)
1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.  Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and combine well.  Mix in one at a time baking powder, baking soda and salt. Next add flour one cup at a time until batter if fully mixed and smooth.  Last add in the buttermilk and stir until combined.  Carefully fold in strawberries.  Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.  The inside should be set (not jiggly) and the top golden brown.

Classic Crepes

Homemade Pancakes is my go to quick easy weekend breakfast for my kids.  I've been wanting to try to make crepes for awhile now so I finally gave it a shot.  What a huge hit these were.  I love how you can serve them so many different ways.  The kids can choose to spread on some Nutella or jam or eat them plain (which is my favorite way) They are sooo good they really don't need also on top.  I love it with fresh berries and a little powdered sugar!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon sugar

1 pinch of salt

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until batter is well combined and smooth.  Heat a 10" non-stick skillet or a crepe pan if you have one.  Melt a teaspoon of butter in the bottom of the pan and pour a 1/4 cup of the crepe mixture in the bottom of the pan swirling it around so it reaches the edges of the pan evenly.  Let sit for about 30-45 second before loosening the edges with a spatula and then using your finger tips or the spatula flip the crepe over to cook for another 30 seconds on the other side.  No need to add anymore butter to the pan.  Keep going with more crepes stacking them on top of each other until the batter is finished.   I serve these simply by folding them in quarters, sprinkling with powdered sugar and adding fresh berries.  You can also add jam, hazelnut spread, syrup of whatever you would like! 

Strawberry Crumb Bars

This recipe is just as delicious as it is easy!  I made this for Father's Day and everyone LOVED it!  It's the perfect summertime dessert!  It uses only fresh strawberries for the filling but when it bakes the strawberries bake into a jam consistency making this dessert sweet and gooey and perfect!  You can definitely substitute other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries if you prefer.  I'm exited to make this again maybe next time trying mixed berries, YUM!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1 cup cold butter

1 egg, beaten

4 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons corn starch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F.   Line a 9x14 baking dish with parchment paper (this make for easy removal and quick clean up) . In a large bowl whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt and flour.  Cut cold butter into the flour mixture using 2 knives until pieces are pea sized.  Stir in the egg to form a chunky dough.  Pat down half of the dough mixture into the baking dish and reserve the other half as a topping for your crumb bars.  In another bowl combine the chopped strawberries, sugar and cornstarch and then spread the strawberry mixture on top of the dough in the pan.  Crumble the remaining mixture of the top of the strawberry layer evenly.  Bake 45-55 minutes util slightly browned.  Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Thanksgiving101 - Cranberry Strawberry Compote

You can't have Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce.  This is my version.  I use strawberries to help sweeten it up a little more and add extra texture.  This year I decided to add a little lemon juice and cinnamon and it really came out delicious.

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 quart strawberries, diced
1 cup sugar
1 cup  water
Lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Place cranberries, water and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook on med/hi until cranberries start to burst.  Stir cranberry mixture and add in diced strawberries.  Let cook on med - med/hi heat stirring occasionally until fruit is cooked down but still a little chunky about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and cinnamon and cook for an additional minute or two.   Remove from stove and transfer hot mixture into a heat proof bowl and chill in refrigerator until cold, about 1-2 hrs or overnight.

Light Whipped Fruit Mousse Parfait

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie.  We used to always make this as a pie with a low fat graham cracker crust.  Now with so many of us not eating carbs we have adapted this family favorite to a yummy, refreshing mousse parfait.  This is great for a BBQ dessert or to serve at a Brunch in the summertime.  I've also served the mousse in a large bowl with graham crackers for dipping for those who want to have some carbs ;)

Ingredients:

1 box sugar free strawberry Jello (or any other flavor you like)

2 containers of light strawberry yogurt (or any flavor to match your Jello choice)

1 tub of light cool whip, defrosted in the refrigerator

1/4 cup water, boiling

Preparation:

Dissolve Jello with 1/4 cup of boiling water.  In a large bowl add the yogurt and the dissolved Jello and mix to combine.  Once combined, add the entire tub of cool whip and fold in until thoroughly incorporated.   Assemble into a parfait by alternating whipped cream with each layer of fruit mouse. Top with fresh fruit and then refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours but I prefer overnight.  Serve cold. 

Make other flavors if you want to have a colorful, multi layered parfait.  For this parfait we used strawberry and orange/peach - Great combination!

Orange/Peach: Orange Jello and Peach yogurt

Lime: Lime Jello and Key Lime yogurt

Lemon: Lemon Jello and Lemon yogurt

Raspberry: Raspberry Jello and Raspberry yogurt

Really the flavor combinations are endless!

Stawberry Mango Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
8 C. mesclun or gourmet mixed salad greens
1 C. sweetened dried cranberries
1 C. strawberries, quartered
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and cubed
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 C. candied walnuts

Preparation:
Combine sugar, oil, vinegar, and salt in a cruet or jar.  Cover tightly and shake vigorously.  Combine greens, cranberries, strawberries, mango, and onion in a large bowl, tossing well.  To serve, toss with enough dressing to coat.  Sprinkle with candied walnuts.

Linked to Salad Roundup at Seaside Simplicity

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Cups

Happy Valentines Day!

I saw this delicious idea on a great blog that I follow....Purple Chocolat Home  What a great, simple idea.  As Jacqueline suggested I used Ghiradelli chocolate which really worked beautifully with the fruit.  Also I learned something new.  If you put a little vegetable oil in the chocolate while melting that it helps to avoid white spots and/or streaks in the chocolate if it isn't tempered correctly.  I think it also gives the chocolate a nice sheen.  Try it next time you are melting chocolate for dipping or drizzling.

Raspberries with Milk Chocolate

Strawberries with Dark Chocolate

Bananas with Milk Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 container of fresh raspberries

or

6 large strawberries (sliced into eigths)

or

1 large banana sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices

Preparation:

Place the chips and the oil in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt in the microwave for one minute - stir even though it doesn't look like it needs it - or it will scorch!!!  Melt another 20-30 seconds.  Stir again and keep stirring until all of the chips are melted.  Place chocolate in a disposable frosting bag (or a ziploc bag) and cut the tip (or corner) off with a scissors.  Squeeze a little chocolate into the bottom of the cup.  Place 3 fresh raspberries in each cup (2 if they are huge, but 3 is prettier), pressing down slightly into chocolate. If using strawberries stand up 4-1/8 slices pressing into chocolate to make a teepee shape and for bananas press one slice into chocolate. Drizzle chocolate onto the tops of the fruit.  Place in fridge to set the chocolate.