Tag Archives: berries

Balsamic Strawberries

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I discovered strawberries with balsamic recently – wow – yum! Strawberry goodness with a pop from the vinegar and pepper. Try it!

balsamic strawberries blog

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries, rinsed and sliced
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar (optional, omit for paleo version)
  • Pepper to taste
  • Mint for garnish

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients and let marinade for at least an hour or up to four
  • Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Vanilla Coconut Pops

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Ready for some more blackberry inspiration? Try these Blackberry Vanilla Coconut Pops. Low sugar and kid approved! Not just for the kids, these are a cool treat for anyone on a summer day.

blackberry coconut paleo popcicles blog

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blackberries
  • 2 Tbsp honey, divided (or more if needed)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, divided
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp water

Directions

  • In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine blackberries, 1 Tbsp water, 1 heaping Tbsp honey. Simmer, stirring gently, 3 to 5 minutes. Mash berries with a spatula as they cook. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp vanilla.
  • Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with spatula to extract all liquid. Discard solids, and set liquids aside to cool.
  • In another saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the coconut milk with another 1 heaping Tbsp honey. Simmer, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla, and set aside to cool.
  • Fill pop molds 2/3 full with coconut mixture and then pour in blackberry mixture until mold is full. Insert sticks and freeze.
  • Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Princess Pink Drink (or Red Currant Flavored Water)

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Red Currents are a lovely berry and I planted a bush for the kids to graze on a few years ago. It’s a berry that grew in abundance in Norway where I grew up (read more about red currants in last years blog post) and I have fond memories of snacking on picking berries that were warming in the sun. To me, they taste like summer in Norway.

Ava loves little cooking projects and making drink concoctions. She loves feeding them to test bunnies like her Grandma. Here, Ava and I turned sparkling water into a ‘festive and pink’ party drink. No sugar, no other additives.. simply mash berries and strain juice. Discard solids. Mix with sparkling water and top with some berries as garnish! Voila! Berry water for the princess party!

red currant festive water for blog (3)red currant festive water for blog (2)red currant festive water for blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of red currants and a small handful for garnish
  • Sparkling water
  • Ice

Directions

  • Mash berries in strainer
  • Discard solids and save the juice
  • In a large glass pitcher with ice and sparkling water, add berry juice
  • Stir and garnish each glass with some fresh berries
  • Pinkalicious would approve!

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Season

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It’s blackberry season in Seattle! The season can be pretty long depending on weather. A bunch can have flowers, little green berries, ripening red berries and juicy sweet blackberries all at once! 🙂

Blackberries are known for their fiber and nutrients (like vitamin C and K) and antioxidant properties.. and of course, their tastiness! They are a great berry for pies, cobblers, crisps, shakes, cordial and other drinks.

We have a lot of recipes with blackberries on this blog, simply type in the keyword on our homepage! Because blackberries tend to grow wherever the vines reach, it’s a great activity for big and small.. berries are often found at or near ground level. Pick, eat, enjoy! And I’ll be posting more recipes as the summer goes on! 🙂

Blackberries july 2016 for blog (1)Blackberries july 2016 for blog (3)Blackberries july 2016 for blog (2)

Enjoy blackberry season! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Jalapeno Margaritas

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Blackberry season is upon us and so is Margarita season! Stir up some Blackberry Jalapeno Margaritas for a spicy and delicious summer drink! 🙂

blackberry jalapeno margarita blog (3) blackberry jalapeno margarita blog (2) blackberry jalapeno margarita blog (1)

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • Âľ cup tequila
  • ½ cup triple sec or grand marnier
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 cup blackberry Jalapeno Syrup (see below)
  • Ice cubes
  • Fresh blackberries and lime wedges for garnish
  • Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup (recipe here)
  • Blackberries, lime wedges and jalapeno slices for garnish
  • Sugar for the rim

Instructions

  1. Rim 4 glasses with a lime wedge and then dip them into a dish filled with sugar. Upright the glasses and fill them with ice.
  2. Fill a cocktail shaker with the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and 1 cup of the Blackberry Jalapeno syrup, plus a handful of ice. Shake vigorously and strain the margaritas into the prepared glasses.
  3. Garnish with fresh blackberries and lime wedges and serve.

Inspired by Heather Cristo’s Blackberry Jalapeno Margaritas.

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Jalapeno Refresher

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Last week I posted a Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup. It’s a great recipe to make in advance, store in fridge and use when ready. Try this non-alcoholic bubbly beverage for a sweet and spicy, but refreshing drink! Too spicy for kids, but you could certainly make the syrup without the jalapeno for a non spicy version! 🙂

blackberry jalapeno refresher blog (3) blackberry jalapeno refresher blog (2) blackberry jalapeno refresher blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup
  • Carbonated water (plain or lime flavored)
  • Fresh blackberries and a lime wedge or wheel for garnish
  • Ice

Directions

  • Pour syrup into tall glass filled with ice
  • Fill rest of glass with bubbly water and garnish with fresh blackberries and lime

Inspired by Heather Cristo’s Blackberry Jalapeno Margaritas.

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup

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As Blackberries start to ripen, this is a GREAT base recipe that you can make up to a week in advance and store in your fridge. I’ll post a couple of drinks next week! Jalapeno adds a lot of heat, but you could certainly leave that out if you want a non spicy syrup!

blackberry jalapeno syrup blog

Ingredients (makes 1 ½ cups)

  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced

Directions

  • Combine the sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a brief boil over medium heat.
  • Transfer the syrup to a blender and add the blackberries and the jalapenos. Blend until smooth. To extract the seeds, pour through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container or mason jar. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Inspired by Heather Cristo’s Blackberry Jalapeno Margaritas.

dit-elle-Esther

4th of July Almond Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Happy 4th of July, happy Independence Day! Hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Need a festive dessert for the holiday? Make these cupcakes and decorate with berries – a beautiful and great cooking project for kids to help with (especially the decorating part)! 🙂

And.. the secret ingredient? Zucchini! This makes them moist and delicious, and who can say no to some extra healthiness? 🙂

zucchini cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting blog (2) zucchini cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch is fine)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
  • dash sea salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or other sugar, white/brown)
  • 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup finely grated zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini), squeezed of excess liquid

Frosting

  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • Berries for garnish (I used raspberries and blueberries)
  • Shredded coconut for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tin with paper forms.
  2. Whisk together almond flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Set a large heatproof bowl over (not in) a pot with 1 inch barely simmering water. Add eggs and whisk until foamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in sugar and continue to whisk until mixture is fluffy and sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove bowl from pot and, using a mixer, whisk on high until mixture is thick and pale, 7 to 10 minutes (I did this in my food processor with the standard chopper blade).
  4. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in melted butter, flour mixture, vanilla, and zucchini. Pour into tin and bake until cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool.
  5. For frosting, with mixer (or again I used the food processor here) beat together room-temperature butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and zest until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Spread on top of cupcakes and decorate with berries and shredded coconut.

 

I originally made this recipe as a cake inspired by the queen herself (Martha Stewart’s Zucchini Almond Cake).

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

White Sangria with Summer Fruit

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This is a perfect summer drink! Pick fruits that are in season.. I used peaches, cherries, raspberries and blackberries.. but you could add some citrus fruit, other stone fruit or other berries! Serve chilled.. lovely on a hot summer day!

white sangria with summer fruit and berries blog (3)white sangria with summer fruit and berries blog (2)white sangria with summer fruit and berries blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle white wine
  • 1/2 cup triple sec (or brandy, or rum)
  • 1-2 cups chopped summer fruit or berries
  • 1/2 cup peach juice

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve
  • Serve with ice

dit-elle-Esther

Vanilla Ice Cream and Berries

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This is a great go-to dessert year round, but especially in winter when fresh berries are no longer in season. Posting it now in case berries are not yet available in your region/stores, but this is equally good with fresh berries!

You can also serve plain Greek yogurt with berries, or for a totally yummy non-dairy and paleo version, try berries with coconut milk! Totally delish any season!

berries and ice cream blog (2)berries and ice cream blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Vanilla ice cream, plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • Berries (frozen or fresh)

Directions

  • If using frozen berries, add 1/2 cup per person to a bowl and microwave on high for about a minute
  • Pour over ice cream or yogurt
  • Serve immediately and enjoy! Can you taste summer already? 🙂

dit-elle-Esther