Posts Tagged by berries
Fruit and Coconut Water Smoothie
| March 31, 2013 | Filled under Breakfast, Drinks, Fruits |
It’s officially spring and I’m feeling the urge to lighten up, especially after a weekend of epic Easter eating. It’s time to bust out the blender and get my shake on.
My go-to version is mixed berry and mango, but just about anything you like would probably work too. To give my fruit smoothies an extra boost, I use Blue Monkey 100% natural coconut water which doesn’t have any added sugar or preservatives. Coconut water has natural electrolytes and other good stuff. Learn more about the benefits of coconut water here. Perfect as a snack or a breakfast on the go. Happy Spring!
Fruit and Coconut Water Smoothie (serves 2)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Blue Monkey Coconut water
Combine frozen berries, mango, and coconut water in a blender and blend. Add more coconut water if too thick. Pour and serve.
Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles
| March 4, 2013 | Filled under Breakfast, Desserts, Fruits, Kid-Friendly |
I live for my weekends. For me, nothing could be more wonderful than sleeping in, snuggling under my pile of blankets. If I could be a fairy tale character, I would be cross between Sleeping Beauty who slept for 100 years and the Princess and the Pea, where I sleep under a million blankets instead of on a million mattresses. I was not born a morning-person by any means – I get up fairly early during the week and cherish every minute of extra sleep I can afford on the weekends. And as much as I enjoy heading out for brunch, I really prefer lazily waking up to make a delicious breakfast while still in PJs. So much so, that I invested in a waffle maker.
While pre-made frozen gluten-free waffles are convenient weekday breakfast solutions, weekends are for busting out that waffle maker. Since going gluten-free, I have experimented with numerous GF pancake and waffle baking mix and most have been pretty good and some great. However, being able to create golden crispy waffles from scratch feels so much more satisfying.
My waffle maker is by VillaWare and I scooped it up on Amazon a few years ago (mine’s an older model). It has plates that are dishwasher safe and removable so you have the option to make traditional Belgian round waffles or the heart-shaped ones (PS I am a sucker for all heart-shaped foods). It also has browning controls, on/off ready to bake lights, and beeps when the waffles are done. The generous spill troughs also mean I haven’t ever had overflow. Although I invested in a fancy-ish waffle maker, you don’t need to spend a lot to have homemade waffles.
Also, you can totally transform this into a dessert by adding some ice cream, chocolate sauce, and all the fixings for a sundae. Or put a scoop of ice cream between two pieces of waffle hearts for a waffle ice cream sandwich. Playing around with the fillings also transforms this into a breakfast/dessert type of meal. A world of waffle-y goodness awaits.
This recipe was adapted from the fabulous BabyCakes Covers the Classics cookbook - Erin McKenna’s second book (highly recommended if you are looking for gluten-free vegan versions of retro 50′s desserts like snickerdoodles, whoopie pies and sticky honey buns). I’ve always been a fan of buckwheat waffles and pancakes so I adapted her waffle recipe and added some blueberries. This recipe yields a pretty big batch of 10 to 12 waffles, which in our house is enough for a substantial breakfast and more to reheat during the week. A sprinkling of powdered sugar and some pure maple syrup is my preferred way of enjoying these waffles, ideally with some Motown playing in the background.
What’s your weekend breakfast like?
Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles adapted from BabyCakes Covers the Classics
Makes 10 to 12 waffles
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted OR canola oil, plus extra for waffle maker
- 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 1/2 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 3 Tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Powdered sugar and pure maple syrup to serve
Special Equipment: Waffle maker
Directions:
- Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Add oil, milk, agave nectar, vanilla, and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Spray waffle maker with canola oil. Pour 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup batter into waffle maker and bake to desired doneness. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying with oil between batches. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.
Berry Stuffed French Toast
| November 13, 2012 | Filled under Breakfast, Fruits |
Sometimes you want to pamper your loved ones with something special to show how much you care. For me, it’s often through food and this berry stuffed French toast is a personal favourite of mine. It’s delicate, delicious, and decadent all at the same time. I’ve served this to my beloved bridal party as part of my thank you brunch, to my mom and family on her most recent birthday, and to my closest friends at my housewarming last year. Each time I’ve whipped this out, my guests devour the toasts, shower me with compliments, and immediately ask for the recipe.
As many folks with food sensitivities know, brunch and breakfast can be a challenge in restaurants. I’m gluten-free and sensitive to dairy, which is basically the bulk of any brunch menu. By making brunch at home, I can customize the ingredients to suit my diet. The stars of this recipe are the gluten-free egg bread (challah) by Molly Bee (light, fluffy and totally un-brick-like) and dairy-free Better Than Cream Cheese by Tofutti. Go get them now. Seriously good stuff.
This is surprisingly easy to put together considering the elegant finished product. Totally doable while bleary-eyed and waiting for coffee to brew. You can even make the cream cheese the night before. And if you or your guests aren’t dairy/gluten-free, you can swap for regular challah and cream cheese. No fresh berries? No problem. Spread your favourite fruit preserves instead. So many delicious options that you can experiment and treat your loved ones to their favourite fillings, whatever’s in season, or whatever you have in your kitchen. Make this and get ready to make people happy.
This recipe is a hybrid of a couple of recipes. One is from an old back issue of Fine Cooking Magazine and the other from Donna Hay’s No Time to Cook. Both are huge sources of inspiration and have been invaluable cooking resources over the years. Beautiful photography, great recipes, and food you actually want to eat.
Also, I have to give credit to my dad for teaching me how to make the perfect French toast. He briefly worked at one of Toronto’s top hotels, and would recreate their French toast for our family on Sunday mornings. He worked a lot during the week and weekends were when he would take charge and make the most fabulous gourmet breakfasts – fancy croissant sandwiches, tasty omelets, pancakes, you name it. We always felt so special as we gobbled it up. Thanks Dad, for teaching me your breakfast skills and all the delicious memories.
Berry Stuffed French Toast (serves 4) Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine and Donna Hay
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened/room temperature (or dairy-free substitute Tofutti)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
French Toast:
• 8 slices gluten-free egg bread (I use Molly Bee’s)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
• Icing sugar (to garnish)
• Pure maple syrup (to serve)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combined softened cream cheese with lemon rind and one tablespoon of sugar and stir until combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine raspberries and one teaspoon sugar. Smash berries with the back of a fork and stir until combined. Set aside.
2. Spread two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto slice of egg bread. Add two tablespoons of the raspberry mixture and spread evenly. Cover with another slice of egg bread and set aside. Repeat for all the slices of egg bread to make four sandwiches.
3. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan to medium heat for two minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter in frying pan. In a deep sided dish, whisk eggs until pale yellow and stir in vanilla. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture until evenly coated on both sides and add to frying pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip over, and repeat on other side. Place on tray lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
4. Slice in half to serve. To garnish, sift icing sugar over French toast. Serve with maple syrup.
All Natural Red Velvet Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
| January 20, 2012 | Filled under Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Fruits, Kid-Friendly |
‘Red Velvet’ anything makes people go bananas. To be fair, the ’Red Velvet’ name itself is so luscious and enticing, that it just lures you in – brilliant marketing for basically a combo of cocoa powder and red food colouring. Personally, I’m kind of grossed out by food colouring in general and but still want to hop on this ‘red velvet’ bandwagon, so this is my all-natural homemade gluten-free version. They’re super easy to whip up thanks to Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix.
To any ‘Red Velvet’ purists out there who might argue that this isn’t really ‘Red Velvet’, well just call these cocoa-berry pancakes instead and enjoy. I promise, you’ll love them.
Recipe All Natural ‘Red Velvet’ Pancakes (makes 6, 4″ pancakes) Adapted from Pamela’s Products
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blackberries or raspberries
- 1 cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
- 1 egg or egg replacer equivalent
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- ¾ cup water
- 2 Tbsp chocolate chips
- Extra cocoa powder/icing sugar for dusting (optional)
- Maple syrup for serving
Directions:
Mash the berries and and mix together with baking mix, egg, cocoa powder, water and chocolate chips and mix until there are no lumps. Batter should not be too thin or too thick; add additional water if needed. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto a preheated, lightly oiled griddle or frying pan (medium-low heat). Cook until golden brown, flipping once; pancakes will puff up a little in the middle when done. Serve immediately dusted with cocoa powder and icing sugar and maple syrup.
Extra pancakes can be cooked, cooled, then wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen or refrigerated. To reheat, remove wrapping and microwave wrapped in a paper towel until hot, approximately one minute per pancake.
Peach and Blueberry Crumbles
| September 19, 2011 | Filled under Desserts, Fruits |
This past weekend was perfect for strolling through Ever Green Brickworks Farmer’s Market. An early start meant lots of parking and first pick of the goods. It was my first successful visit; my original failed attempt was due to the psychotic parking situation which had me vowing to get there before 11 to avoid the near fist fights in the parking lot. The covered market was full of amazing local/organic produce, awesome eats, a greenhouse and a few artisan crafts.
It’s the first farmer’s market I’ve been to where there was a variety of gluten free options from multiple vendors. My standout GF snacks were: a vegan chocolate cupcake and sweet potato beignets from LPK Culinary Groove , JKKitchen‘s organic fries with cilantro aioli, and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and artisan corn tortilla chips by The Mad Mexican. Definitely a recommended Saturday morning excursion – thanks to StylinMommy for posting about Brickworks.
Besides the snacks, the trip also yielded a massive haul of produce including a boatload of Ontario peaches, baby eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, GF focaccia with poppyseed & onion, sweet potatoes, kale, and fancy mushrooms. The peaches were by far the best score – about 2 dozen peaches for $8 – but what do you do with that many peaches? I peeled and sliced up a few and froze them for future use and will give some away.
These crumbles were a great way to chip away at three or four of them. I feel like fruit desserts are as healthy as a dessert can be while still satisfying your sweet tooth, especially if they are homemade, vegan, and gluten-free. This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. I have a signed copy of the book – I met Ina after standing in line for about 2 hours to get her autograph at Chapters. She is as lovely and likeable in person as she is on her cooking show.
The easiest way to peel a bunch of peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately dunk them in cold water. After this, the peach skin peel off very quickly and easily. I remember when my mom would can peaches and skinned bushels of peaches so we would enjoy her canned peaches throughout the winter.
The gluten free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten eating friends and they won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan and gluten free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It’s both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.
Recipe (4 servings)
Fruit
- 1 lb peaches (about 3 or 4)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest (preferably pesticide free)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries frozen)
Topping
- 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, diced into cubes
Special Equipment: Four 6 ounce ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel - for $2.50 a pop they’re a steal)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of boiling water, dunk the peaches in for about 30 seconds. Remove and immediately dunk in a bowl of cold water and remove after 30 seconds. Peel the skin off (it should slide off in large pieces very easily). Cut into 1″ wedges.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the topping and using the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until mixture resembles small peas. Using a fork, break up any large pieces. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a pastry cutter instead.
- Place the ramekins on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into the ramekins in an even layer. Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit, one table at a time, until the fruit is evenly covered. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature, scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.
Blue Corn Pancakes with Mixed Berry Syrup
| April 29, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Fruits, Sauces & Dips |
Fact: I am a seriously low-functioning individual when I wake up. To put it mildly, I am not a morning person (more like a morning monster). Everyone who has ever lived with me (parents, sister, hubby, and roomies) knows that not only am I a hot mess leaving trails of clothes, makeup and other random items strewn around, I’m waaaay grumpy for having to be awake and at times, hostile (sorry to you all… you are saints). I love my sleep, even more than royal weddings cuz I didn’t even consider being awake for it (sorry Kate & Will… ps Kate I love your dress choice! Well done!).
So for these blue corn beauties to happen, I used mind over matter, strong coffee, and peppy tunes to snap me out of my usual AM sluggishness. And the results were worth it. After I ate these pancakes, my grouchiness was gone and I spent the rest of the morning swoooning over how good they were.
I first had blue corn waffles in the spa cafe at The Enchantment resort in Sedona AZ – they were sooo good. As soon as I ate these light and flavourful waffles, I wanted to recreate a gluten-free pancake version when I got home. The resort has a recipe for blue corn pancakes on their website from their cookbook which I modified (major GF change: I replaced the flour with Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour).
I used my usual egg replacer too, and dairy-free yogurt and milk so this recipe is vegan too. When you mix all the ingredients together, the batter will be quite thick. Don’t worry. As long as all the ingredients are well incorporated, you will have fluffy and tasty pancakes.
With normal gluten pancakes, you know when to flip the pancakes when you see those little bubbles appearing on the panckes surface. This batter is thick and those little bubbles are a no-show here. So after 2 to 3 minutes, see if the edges of the pancakes are starting to firm up (not so liquidy anymore) and then flip. They should be slightly golden brown.
Making your own berry syrup is amazingly easy and delicious – my fave combination. I first made this syrup using a recipe from an old issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. This was one of the first cooking magazines I’ve ever purchased and I’m still a loyal reader now. They have really clear directions and mouth-watering recipes that almost always turn out great. Low-functioning morning monster like me? Make this syrup the night before and reheat before serving. Also great using frozen cherries, or any other berry really.
Recipe (Serves 3 to 4)
Low Fat Blue Corn Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- 1 cup blue corn meal
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
- 1/3 cup dairy-free plain yogurt (I used plain coconut yogurt)
- 1 egg replacer
- Non-stick cooking spray
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix. Add milk, yogurt, and egg replacer and mix until well combined. Batter will be thick. Set aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the mixed berry syrup (see below).
Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until edges start to firm up and are no longer liquidy. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until pancakes are firm when pressed down with back of spatula/pancake flipper. Both sides should be lightly golden brown. Re-spray pan between batches. Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes eight 6″ pancakes.
Mixed Berry Syrup
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar (I like using organic cane sugar)
Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat on low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to high until mixture just starts to boil, then remove from heat immediately. Serve warm. You can make this ahead and gently reheat.
I had to be fast to get this pic of D's plate of panckes, he was starving while patiently waiting for me to make these.
How do I know if what I made is actually good? The plate looks like this after D is done eating. Success!
Strawberry Tea Cake
| April 13, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Fruits |
I love lots of things, but my short list includes: my hubby, family/friends/dog Pucci, shoes, animal prints, and cake. Seriously, there are few cakes I have encountered in my life that I have not devoured and loved. Frozen Sarah Lee cakes as a kid, mom’s homemade apple cake, fancy restaurant chocolate cake… you get it. So now that I’m gluten free, my cake eating is limited to basically cake I make myself. And too much cake = too much muffin top. Since summer is around the corner (actually it’s here already in Scottsdale), I better make a figure friendly cake without fatty oils and butters like this strawberry cake. With this cake, I get to indulge in its berry cakey goodness without the guilt of say a cake from anywhere else.
This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make. Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks. Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.
I layered the strawberries between the batter but if you don’t feel like it, you can just mix the berries in the with batter and bake in the pan - it’s equally delicious and cuts down the prep time. And you can make this cake with any berries you like or even throw in some nuts for a little protein and crunch.
Strawberry Tea Cake (egg-free)
Recipe (makes 2 mini cakes)
- 1 1/4 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G brand)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sliced organic strawberries
Special Equipment: two 2″x5″ mini loaf pans (store bought disposables are great too)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except strawberries. Gently mix together until just combined. Line loaf pans with parchment paper. Scoop one quarter of the batter into each of the tins and smooth to cover bottom. Place a single layer of sliced berries over batter. Divide remaining batter between cakes and smooth. Place a layer of berries down the middle. Bake for 30 – 32 minutes. Place on racks to cool.
*Note about Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix: this product contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal. so not dairy or nut-free. This stuff is also kind of amazing for whipping up just about anything and it’s my go to pantry item.
I love lots of things, but my short list includes: my hubby, family/friends/dog Pucci, shoes, animal prints, and cake. Seriously, there are few cakes I have encountered in my life that I have not devoured and loved. Frozen Sarah Lee cakes as a kid, mom’s homemade apple cake, fancy restaurant chocolate cake… you get it. So now that I’m gluten free, my cake eating is limited to basically cake I make myself. And too much cake = too much muffin top. Since summer is around the corner (actually it’s here already in Scottsdale), I better make a figure friendly cake without fatty oils and butters like this strawberry cake. With this cake, I get to indulge in its berry cakey goodness without the guilt of say a cake from anywhere else.
This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make. Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks. Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.
I layered the strawberries between the batter but if you don’t feel like it, you can just mix the berries in the with batter and bake in the pan - it’s equally delicious and cuts down the prep time. And you can make this cake with any berries you like or even throw in some nuts for a little protein and crunch.
Strawberry Tea Cake (egg-free)
Recipe (makes 2 mini cakes)
- 1 1/4 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G brand)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sliced organic strawberries
Special Equipment: two 2″x5″ mini loaf pans (store bought disposables are great too)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except strawberries. Gently mix together until just combined. Line loaf pans with parchment paper. Scoop one quarter of the batter into each of the tins and smooth to cover bottom. Place a single layer of sliced berries over batter. Divide remaining batter between cakes and smooth. Place a layer of berries down the middle. Bake for 30 – 32 minutes. Place on racks to cool.
*Note about Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix: this product contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal. so not dairy or nut-free. This stuff is also kind of amazing for whipping up just about anything and it’s my go to pantry item.
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