Kitchen
Korner
Have
a Berry Healthy Summer
by Karin LaRonde
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Summer,
the season when you can have fun and be creative in the kitchen
with the large variety of fresh produce. Berry are a wonderful
treat and the summer is also berry season. There is a good feeling
about gathering and foraging so we can enjoy these summer treats
while the wind and snow blow about outside. Here are some ideas
for fresh or frozen berries.
BRUSCHETTA
WITH BERRIES
1 cup
ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 baguette, sliced
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
6 strawberries, sliced
4 Tbsp brown sugar
sprig fresh mint
Mix
the ricotta and orange juice together. Spread the cheese on the
bread, topping with fruit and sprinkled with sugar. Toast under
a broiler for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar starts to caramelize
and the fruits juices start to run. Serve garnished with mint
leaves.
BLUEBERRY
COBBLER
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (about 11 ounces)
Preheat
oven to 375°F. In an 8-inch square or other 2-quart baking
dish melt butter. Then into a bowl sift together flour, baking
powder, salt, and nutmeg and stir in sugar until combined they
are well. Add milk and whisk batter until it is just combined.
Pour batter into melted butter; do not stir. Pour berries over
the batter; do not stir. Bake cobbler in middle of oven 40 minutes,
or until cake portion is golden and berries exude juices. Serve
cobbler warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice
cream. Serves 4 to 6.
VERY
BERRY STRUESEL BARS
Crust
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Filling
1 12-ounce package frozen blueberries, thawed
1 cup fresh cranberries
2/3 cup raspberry jam
5 tsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp minced lemon peel
For
crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking
dish. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter;
rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press
half of crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust
until light brown, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
For
filling: Mix blueberries, jam, flour and lemon peel in bowl. Spread
filling over crust. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over. Bake
until topping is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into
squares and serve. Makes about 24.
SPINACH
SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN, MANGO, AND RASPBERRIES
For
dressing:
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon balsmatic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon
salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole
skinless boneless chicken breast (3/4 pound), halved
1 bunch spinach (about 3/4 pound), coarse stems discarded and
leaves washed well and spun dry
1 firm-ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
2/3 cup raspberries, picked over
4 scallions, chopped fine
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse
Make
dressing: In a bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients except
oil. Add oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk until emulsified.
In a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag coat chicken with
3 tablespoons dressing. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled,
2 hours. Heat an oiled, well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately
high heat until hot but not smoking and grill chicken, drained,
until cooked through, about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken
to a platter and cool. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch-thick slices
and in a large bowl combine with remaining ingredients. Drizzle
remaining dressing over salad and toss gently to combine well.
Serves 4
STRAWBERRY
& PEPPERCORN CHICKEN
4 boneless
skinless chicken breasts
flour
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chopped shallots
¼ cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp Balsamic or white wine vinegar
2 tsp pink peppercorns
1 cup strawberries, halved Dredge chicken with flour.
In
large skillet over med-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp butter and oil.
Cook chicken, turning once for about 7-9 minutes or until golden
brown and no longer pink inside. Remove to serving platter and
keep warm. Pour off excess fat from skillet and melt remaining
butter. Cook shallots, stirring for 1 or 2 minutes until tender.
Add stock, vinegar, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, stirring
to scrape up browned bits from the pan. Boil about 2 minutes until
thick. Add strawberries, stir just to coat. Pour over chicken
and serve.
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