Strawberries are in season. Several booths at the Hollister
Farmers Market had fresh strawberries available on Wednesday and
the Uesugi Farms booth along Hwy. 25 has been open for a couple
weeks.
While I like strawberries straight out of the basket, they pair
well with a lot of different flavors. For mother’s day a few weeks
ago, I made a healthy dessert with the summer fruit. Though some in
my family were skeptical that the fruit would pair well with
balsamic vinegar, the vinegar actually gets really sweet when
cooked down into a syrup with a little bit of sugar. The
strawberries and sauce are served over a ricotta cream that is
sweetened with a bit of honey and vanilla extract. I added some
fresh basil from my garden, though others thought the basil flavor
was a little bit too strong. If I made it again, I would leave the
basil on the side for those who want it.
Strawberries are in season. Several booths at the Hollister Farmers Market had fresh strawberries available on Wednesday and the Uesugi Farms booth along Hwy. 25 has been open for a couple weeks.
While I like strawberries straight out of the basket, they pair well with a lot of different flavors. For mother’s day a few weeks ago, I made a healthy dessert with the summer fruit. Though some in my family were skeptical that the fruit would pair well with balsamic vinegar, the vinegar actually gets really sweet when cooked down into a syrup with a little bit of sugar. The strawberries and sauce are served over a ricotta cream that is sweetened with a bit of honey and vanilla extract. I added some fresh basil from my garden, though others thought the basil flavor was a little bit too strong. If I made it again, I would leave the basil on the side for those who want it.
The second recipe brings out the sweetness of the strawberries through roasting. I used bittersweet chocolate, which is lower in sugar and pairs well with the sweetness of the fruit. It was a quick recipe to make and the half-flat of strawberries I got from a local fruit stand had plenty of strawberries that were big enough to stuff.
The two desserts fulfilled a craving for sweets with a lower calorie and fat count than cake or ice cream.
Balsamic strawberries with ricotta cream
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger
1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1 (16-oz.) container strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
Put the ricotta cheese, honey and vanilla extract into the small bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
In a small saucepan combine the vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, toss the berries with the basil and the balsamic syrup.
Divide the cream among 4 cocktail glasses, top with the berry mixture and serve.
Per Serving:
(serving size: about 1/3 cup cream and 1/2 cup berries)
Calories 180; Total Fat 5 g; (Sat Fat 3 g, Mono Fat 1.5 g, Poly Fat 0 g) ; Protein 8 g; Carb 27 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 20 mg; Sodium 80 mg
Stuffed roasted strawberries
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
This is an inside-out version of chocolate dipped strawberries. Roasting the fruit brings out even more flavor and juiciness. You’ll never settle for plain old dipped berries again! You can use any type of chocolate (milk, white, or semi-sweet), but remember bittersweet chocolate has less sugar and is lower in carbs.
12 extra-large strawberries (the bigger the better!)
1 to 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. sugar, optional
Spray whipping cream (the real kind in the can in the dairy section)
Cocoa powder, for garnishing
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice the tops of the berries off just below the stem. Cut the tips off (about 1/4-inch), so that the berries will sit upright. Next, use a small spoon or a melon ball scoop to hollow out the strawberries, working from their tops, in order to create a cavity in each one. Stuff some chocolate into the cavity of each strawberry and place them upright in a baking dish. Lightly sprinkle the berries with sugar, if using. Roast the berries until soft and the chocolate is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes.
To serve, place 3 strawberries on a dessert plate in a triangle. If the berries have given off liquid in the baking dish, spoon it over them. Spray a small mound of cream in the center of the berries, and top each berry with a rosette of cream. Sift a little cocoa powder over the plate, and serve!
