Tag Archives: berries

Fruit Platter

Need a beautiful addition to breakfast, brunch or a garden party? Try this super simple, colorful and lovely, fruit platter. Select fruits and berries that are in season, and arrange to your liking! That’s it! Want fancier? See my Basil Lime Fruit Salad here.

Happy Spring! 🙂

fruit platter blog (2) fruit platter blog (1)

Ingredients and directions

As mentioned, select fruits and berries that are in season for you
I made this for my Easter Brunch Party and used: pineapple, mango, papaya, raspberries, and kiwi
Clean fruit and then slice or dice to your liking
Arrange on platter
Serve immediately or store covered in refrigerator overnight
Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

The Berry Ricky

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With end of summer lingering (I’m optimistic) and the transition to fall upon us, this is a great time to enjoy late summer seasonal berries. This drink uses raspberries, blackberries, lime and mint, add some Cointreau, soda water and voila! No fancy cocktail tools, no shaking, just a little stirring of ingredients and served with ice!

Ingredients

2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 Blackberries
2 Raspberries
5 Mint Leaves
3-4 oz Club Soda (I used a sparkling water like Perrier)

Directions

Muddle the berries and mint in the bottom of a glass.
Add Cointreau and fresh lime juice with ice, and top with sparkling water.
Stir briefly. Garnish with a berry and mint sprig.

Source: I found this at Cointreau.us

Red, White and Blueberry Popsicles

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These popsicles were inspired by our favorite summer ingredients – strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk! This is a great project for kids to help with. Getting molds ready, selecting ingredients, sampling the flavors! Have fun! 🙂

Ingredients

Red

1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
add some water if too thick

White

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Blue

1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup coconut milk
add some water if too thick

Directions

Blend individual popsicle batches and pour into molds in layers. And yes, layers may bleed a little (but this is the quickest way to do this!) and hey, give a pretty marbled effect! 🙂

There is another version using berries/water/honey on Elana’s Pantry that is worth checking out also! http://elanaspantry.com/red-white-and-blueberry-popsicles/

Strawberry Balsamic Granita

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It’s been so hot in Seattle that all I can think of making is frozen treats! Granita is an Italian dessert made of sugar, water and flavor or juice and is very easy to make.

Also check out Lemon Granita and Cranberry Jalapeno Granita!

Ingredients

10 ounces fresh strawberries (about 2½ cups), hulled
1/4 cup coconut sugar, or to taste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
More balsamic vinegar for topping (optional)

Preparation

Combine berries and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Stir in water and vinegar. Transfer to a glass baking dish and freeze for 30 minutes.
Thoroughly scrape the entire pan with a fork, breaking up ice crystals. Repeat freezing and scraping process every 30 minutes, until granita is firm but not frozen solid, 2 to 4 hours.
Spoon into small glasses and serve.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a few drops of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Thanks PCC Natural Markets for the inspiration!

Cranberry Jalapeno Granita

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A deliciously refreshing icy dessert for hot summer days (or Christmas holiday season). The Jalapeno adds a bit of heat (you can remove the seeds for a milder taste), so this is not really a kid dessert. Someone mentioned topping oysters on the half shell with this spicy-sweet ice, but I have not been that brave yet. 🙂

Ingredients

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/3 cup sugar
4 mint sprigs
1 jalapeno pepper, slices
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil
Cover and remove from het, let stand for 15 minutes
Strain cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a baking dish, discard solids
Cool to room temperature, stir in lime juice
Cover and freeze.
Once frozen, remove mixture from freezer and scrape with a fork until fluffy
Serve and enjoy with a mint sprig for garnish

Mother of Dragons Summer Cocktail

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So.. yes, I read the first two books and am working my way through Game of Thrones season two. Am I part of the craze? Maybe. Let’s put it this way, when Vanity Fair motherofdragons_cocktail_blog (3) published a drink “fit for a Khaleesi” this weekend to celebrate the Thrones Finale, and Seattle was bathed in 80+ degree weather, I felt inspired.

So there I was in the liquor store asking the associate for help finding some very specific ingredients (including Bittermans Hellfire Habanero Shrub, a certain type of Sherry and Tequila Dragones) and he finally asked WHAT I was making. “Um… Mother of Dragons Cocktail” I said. Several store associates had gathered now, giving me some blank stares. “I’ll take anything close to these ingredients. Doesn’t need to be the Tequila Dragones!” Sound spicy? Yes, but not really. I added some slices of jalapeno pepper. But then I do like fire!

Ingredients

raspberries, blackberries, lime wedges
.5 oz agave syrup
1.5 oz tequila or white or spiced rum
.75 oz sherry
10 drops Bittermans Hellfire Habanero Shrub
2-3 slices of jalapeno pepper (optional for added heat)

Directions

Muddle one raspberry, one blackberry and one lime wedge with agave (+jalapeno if you are using that)
Add tequila, sherry and Bitterman’s shrub
Shake with ice and strain into glass of ice cubes
Garnish with tiny “dragon eggs”: one raspberry, one blackberry, and peel of lime to make 3rd dragon egg 😉
Enjoy!

Thanks Vanity Fair for this crazy fun concoction!

Red Currants

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Red currants are an awesome berry! This plant needs a cold winter to thrive and does very well in cold harsh climates. I remember it well from Norway, and you can find it in other parts of Western Europe. I found a great selection of currant plans in a local Seattle nursery and so far they have been very happy – yielding huge amount of berries in late spring. Ours are starting to ripen right now!

The berries come in many variations.. red, white and black. They are part of the gooseberry family and are widely used in jellies, jams, juice and can certainly be eaten raw as well! They’re a little tart, but are a great source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, iron, and fiber. So yes, pretty much a super berry!

Try them as a topping to ice cream or Greek yogurt. They are also a fabulous berry for little tots to pick and snack on directly from the plant – as the berries are very easy to spot and reach.

As the berries ripen I will experiment with recipes in the next few months (that is if the kids don’t eat them all!) – so stay tuned and let us know if you have a favorite recipe to share! 🙂

Strawberry Coconut Bonbons (nut free)

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I recently posted the Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bonbons and the Raspberry Coconut Bonbons. Both were big hits, but I wanted to make a nut-free variation of those super yummy bonbons. Because these don’t have the cashew nut as a base, and more water, they freeze harder. Simply remove from freezer a while before serving and let them soften a bit.

You can use strawberries, raspberries or another berry or fruit as desired. Adding a small chunk of cooked beet adds a great deeper pink color but does not taint the taste! I promise.. tried and tested and kid approved!

Ingredients

1 cup coconut cream (full fat, unsweetened, comes in cans)
1 cup raspberries or other berry
1-2 Tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Blend everything on high for about a minute, or until really smooth.
Pour into silicone muffin trays (oiled with a little coconut oil), or regular metal trays lined with paper cases. Freeze to set for at least 30 minutes.
Remove patties from the molds and place into container and return to freezer.
They will keep in a covered container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.

Paleo Peach Crisp

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Have an abundance of sweet juicy peaches? This is a wonderful paleo peach crisp – the combination of peaches and a toasted almondy crust is… as my daughter Ava says… “de – de – de – de – delicious”! We added some wild blueberries – any berry would be a fabulous addition! Vanilla ice cream on the side or a drizzle of chilled coconut milk for paleo fans – is amazing too!

Sweet juicy peaches with a toasty almond crust – mmm perfection!

Ingredients

2 pounds peaches, sliced
1¼ cups blanched almond flour
⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons butter or palm shortening
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place peaches in an 8×8 or round pie baking dish
In a food processor, combine almond flour and salt
Pulse in butter, maple syrup, and vanilla
Sprinkle topping over fruit
Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes
Remove from oven, then cool and serve

Serves 4

Place fruit in pan and sprinkle the topping on

Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries would make a fabulous addition

Thanks Elana’s Pantry!

Blueberry Paleo Muffins

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Yum yum yum. I love that these are dairy free, gluten free, and nut free! Oh, and delicious!

Ingredients

½ cup coconut flour, sifted
small dash of sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs
⅓ cup agave nectar
⅓ cup grapeseed oil (I used coconut oil, butter is great as well)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions

In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
In a large bowl, combine eggs, agave, grapeseed oil and vanilla and blend well with a hand blender
Mix dry ingredients into wet, blending with a hand mixer
Gently fold in blueberries
Place batter into a paper lined muffin pan
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
Cool and serve

Thanks Elana’s Pantry!

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