berries Archives | Page 19 of 20

I’ve noticed lately that my body has started to crave different things from season to season. It’s not that I didn’t realize it before, but rather it has become more defined and present when choosing what to eat. I’ve also noticed that these cravings are attuned to what plants and vegetables happen to be in season at the time. There’s no better time to crave raw foods than in summer when farmer’s markets are bulging with beautiful, ripe tomatoes, stone fruits, and berries galore. I could probably eat a bowl full of blueberries and cherries for dinner right now and be perfectly content.

Unfortunately, these cravings mean I’m a tad apathetic towards baking which is totally uncharacteristic of me. It mainly stems from the fact that turning on my oven means suffering a 20 degree increase in the temperature in my apartment. That being said, you won’t see too many baked goods here over the next month or two. But, I’ll still be sharing lovely recipes that don’t require much cooking, if any at all. So, that’s a plus, right?

I made this “pudding” to satisfy a craving I had for something sweet and cold. You pretty much mix everything up and let it chill in the fridge for a while. Easy, right? The end result is a sweet and tart pudding that gets it’s thick consistency from lovely protein-packed chia seeds. I topped mine with a bit of fresh diced strawberries, but cashew cream would be amazing as well.

Hibiscus Strawberry Chia Pudding

notes: This recipe takes a bit of planning because it has to sit for several hours or overnight before eating. Makes about 4 servings.

1/2 lb strawberries (or cherries if you can’t find strawberries), cleaned de-hulled
1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers or 2 hibiscus tea bags
juice of 1/2 a lime
scant cup of water
1 to 2 tbsp agave, depending on the sweetness of your berries
6+ tbsp whole chia seeds

Boil the water and then pour it over your hibiscus. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out the hibiscus (or tea bags) and pour the tea you have made into a blender. Add the strawberries , lime juice, and agave to the blender also, then blend until the mixture is smooth. You should have roughly 2 cups of liquid. Pour the liquid into a bowl, then measure out 3 tbsp of chia seeds for every 1 cup of liquid you have. If you got 2 cups, then add 6 tbsp chia seeds. Stir the chia seeds into the liquid to evenly distribute them, then cover the bowl and park it in the fridge for several hours or overnight to thicken. Once the pudding has thickened, enjoy it chilled topped with fresh diced strawberries or cashew cream.

It’s officially summer. The solstice came and went and now it’s 100 degrees all of the sudden. It’s as if mother nature was waiting for that precise moment to turn the heat up to unbearable. I’ve been dreading it for several weeks, but I’m a Texan born and raised so dealing with the heat is in my blood. Time to quit whining about it and just take it as it comes.

After I get past the initial shock and drenching sweat it brings, I remember all the things I love about summer. Summer produce (arguably the best all year round) explodes at the farmer’s markets. I buy way too many blueberries and peaches, but I always seem to end up eating them all or making them into jam before they go bad. Ominous storms roll through in the summer, bringing beautiful grey clouds and a welcome temporary drop in temperatures. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good summer storm to drench the earth and cool it off for a bit. Life seems to become less complicated and focused on simpler things like good ice cream and lounging in the shade.

Although I tend to rely less on my oven and more on raw foods and un-fussy preparations during the summer, I couldn’t resist making up a quick crumble with the trio of berries resting in my fridge last weekend. I had a lime lying around, so I combined the zest with the berries to give it an extra punch of flavor. And, to cool things off a bit, I served it with a spiced coconut yogurt. I baked up the crumble just in time to enjoy a fleeting summer storm, rolling through and offering a bit of relief from the sun.

Mixed Berry Crumble with Spiced Coconut Yogurt
notes: I made my crumble in my cast iron pan, but feel free to use any baking dish of a similar size. Just make sure to lightly grease it with oil. You may have some crumble topping left over, but don’t throw it out! You can freeze it and save it for the next crumble or for adding to the top of muffins, pancakes, etc. The crumble should serve 6 people.

crumble
3 1/2 to 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and cherries)
6 tbsp coconut sugar, divided
zest of 1 organic un-waxed lime
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup of oat flour (or any flour of your choice)
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
heaping 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature (solid)

spiced coconut yogurt
1 6 to 8 oz container plain coconut milk yogurt
1/2 to 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey if not making it vegan)
1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and ground cardamom

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the berries, 2 tbsp of the coconut sugar, and lime zest together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar, ground cloves, and pecans until combined. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the dry mixture with a fork or your fingers until the crumble topping forms. Pour the berries and their accumulated juices into a seasoned cast iron pan (or a lightly greased baking dish) and spread them out into an even layer. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the berries in an even layer (you may have some left over). Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.

While the crumble is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced coconut yogurt. Taste and adjust for sweetness or spices. Serve along side or on top of the crumble. Enjoy!