Strawberries

SRC: Strawberry Salsa

July 30, 2012 by Lynsey 11 Comments

It’s another reveal day for the secret recipe club! This month I was given a blog named Frans Favs. Let me just start by saying WOW. I browsed through page after page of drool-worthy recipes, being more impressed with each passing recipe. Needless to say, I have bookmarked like 99% of the recipes in her blog! Fran has had a passion for food since she entered this world; and her passion and love for food has only grown. She had two parents that loved food and that love has trickled down to Fran and her sisters. She has a cookbook collection that consists of 300 cookbooks and is ever growing. That collection to begin to touch the endless amount of recipes from newspapers, magazines and websites. She is now employeed at a place that any food lover would consider a dream; she works side-by-side with flavor scientists and she even gets to be a taste tester from time to time. How awesome is that? I could go on and on about her, but just head on over to her blog and read about her yourself and while you’re there, take a look at all the delicious recipes!
One of my favorite things ever is salsa. I honestly think I could eat it day in and day out and never get sick of it. I could sit down with a cold, fresh bowl of salsa and chips and be perfectly content. Salsa is also a perfect option for an appetizer or side on a hot, summer day. You know, those days that you just can’t bare the thought of turning on the stove or oven because it’s just-too-hot. Yes, we’ve had a lot of those recently and unfortunately I think there are plenty more of those days to come. And it’s dishes like salsa that are going to help us trudge through!
Now, if you’re like me when you think of salsa you think of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime and so on. And while those are the ingredients of the traditional salsa I love so much, I now want to share a fruit salsa with you. Yes, fruit salsa! Doesn’t that sound amazing and refreshing? I think so too.

There’s nothing much better than a fresh, sweet strawberry. I don’t know how many cartons of strawberries I’ve bought this summer, but I think I’ve definitely eaten my weight in them! I have actually bought them with the intentions of making and baking different goodies, but I just can’t stop myself from enjoying them straight from the container. I did, however, manage to restrain myself long enough to make this wonderfully, refreshing strawberry salsa. Boy, and I glad I practiced willpower for this one.

This strawberry salsa was amazing. Definitely different from your traditional tomato based salsa, but delicious. It was light, refreshing, sweet and spicy. It hit all the key notes any recipes should! We enjoyed our strawberry salsa as an appetizer, but it could definitely be served as a side or topping for chicken or pork (which sounds amazing, in my opinion). I can’t wait to try other variations of fruit salsa. A perfect way to celebrate all the fresh and delicious fruits summer has to offer.

Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients:

1 Pound fresh strawberries
1/4 Cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 Small jalapeno
1/3 Cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tsp lime zest
2 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp Agave syrup or honey
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Wash the jalapeno, remove the stem and seeds and soak in iced water for at least 30 minutes.* Remove from the water and finely dice the pepper. Place in a medium bolw.

Wash and hull the strawberries. Dice the strawberries and then place in the bowl with the jalapeno. Add the green onions, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, honey (or syrup) and gently stir to combine. Sprinkle with pinch of salt, stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe source: Slightly adapted from Frans Favs, originally from Family Circle Magazine, July 2012

Strawberry Scones

July 26, 2012 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Do you have those recipes that you have on your “to make” list that you just haven’t conquered yet for one reason or another? If you’re anything like me, then the answer is yes. My list is ever growing, but one thing that has been on my list for quite some time is scones. Yes, scones. I am not really sure why they have continually gotten pushed to the way-side but they have. I think one of the main reasons I hadn’t yet attempted them was because I didn’t have a special scone pan. I know, that’s not really an appropriate or even a good excuse but that’s the main reason.
You see, for the longest time I thought the only way one could make scones was to have a pan that had all the separate triangle molds to make the scones. I thought that pan was my only way of achieving the shape, texture and everything else that was associated with scones. Well, I was wrong. After seeing several different scone recipes pop up all over the internet, I noticed one common element. None of these recipes that I saw utilized that specialty pan that I thought was so necassary. After I realized I didn’t need a certain pan I started planning my very first attempt at scones.

Since it’s summer time and I have all of these wonderful, fresh fruits at my disposal I thought it was only appropriate to make some type of fruit scone. Then I saw these completely drool-worthy strawberry scones on Confections of a Food Bride and my mind was instantly made, I would be making strawberry scones for my first attempt. I must say, they did not disappoint. Not only were they incredibly beautiful with big, bright red pieces of strawberries dispersed throughout, but they were perfectly delicious and full of flavor, without being dry. The dough itself was sublty sweet, but the strawberries were the true star of the show. Not only did they add the perfect splash of color, but they added a natural sweetness that was evident throughout the entire scone. These were a hit for our entire house, and can I just tell you how wonderfully delicious these are fresh from the oven! You must make these to experience the deliciousness yourself!

If you have been pushing scones to the bottom of your list, stop! They are incredibly easy to assemble, and perfectly accomodating for any fruit or other add-in you want to try. If you have an oven, baking sheet and knife you have all of the tools you need to make your own, homemeade scones. So don’t be intimidated and get in the kitchen and bake up some breakfast for your family tomorrow morning!

Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups chopped strawberries
3 Cups all-purpouse flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/3 Cup sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted chilled butter, cut into cubes
1 Large orange, zested and juiced ( produce 1/4 cup juice)
3/4 Cup Greek yogurt, fat-free preferably
2 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw, or any other type of coarse sugar (optional)

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Spread the chopped strawberries evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer and turn on low. Slowly add the cubed butter and the orange zest to the flour mixture, and mix until crumbly.

Add the frozen strawberries, orange juice, and yogurt and mix until incorporated. The dough should be very stiff.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough out to form a rectangle that is about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough in half, longways. Then cut the dough in thirds, down the short side, you should now have 6 squares. Cut each square into 2 triangles, resulting in 12 scones. Sprinkle the scones with the coarse sugar then place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden-brown and the middle isn’t sticky. Remove from oven and store in an air-tight container.

Will store for up to 3 days.

Recipe source: Confections of a Foodie Bride , adapted from The Pastry Queen

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

June 12, 2012 by Lynsey 2 Comments

I absolutely adore strawberries. There’s nothing much better than the sweet, juicy, deliciousness that a strawberry at it’s peak has to offer. This tasty little fruit is one of natures best gifts to us.
I have to admit, I’ve make countless trips to the grocery store and farmer’s market and each time I’ve left with an abundance of strawberries. For every container of strawberries I’ve bought, I’ve had several recipes in mind. Well, the thought of the recipe is about as far as I’ve gotten most of the time because I typically end up cleaing the strawberries and enjoying every. single. one of them in all their natural glory. Between myself and my little man, Tucker, we have enjoyed our share of strawberries this season and we honestly can’t get enough!

Although we’ve enjoyed a multitude of strawberries in their natural form, I have managed to actually do some baking with them, as well. When I saw this cake on Love and Olive Oil it immediately caught my attention. It’s not one of those multi-tiered cakes with the smooth frosting and detailed piping; it’s a simple, single-layer cake topped with fresh whipped cream and an additional berry or two. I love the simplicity of this cake; neither the preparation or the presentation are too involved or over the top but the taste is out of this world. The cake is light and fluffy, not overly sweet and truly highlights the fruit that is scattered over the top. The lime lends a slight tang to the cake that compliments the sweetness from the strawberries. This is definitely a new favorite in our house. I can’t wait to try this cake with various other fruits; the possibilities are endless!
Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients:

1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 Cup sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
2 Tsp grated lime zest
1 Large egg
1/2 Cup buttermilk
2 – 2 1/2 Cups fresh strawberries
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon sugar or granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray or butter an 8 or 9 inch pan then dust with flour, set aside.

In a medium bowl sifter together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix to combine. Add the egg and beat well.

Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Once the mixture is combined, transfer to the prepared pan. Place the strawberries evenly in the cake batter then sprinkle with the lemon sugar.

Place the cake in the oven and allow to bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Top with fresh whipped cream, additional lime zest and strawberries and serve.

Recipe source: adapted from Gourmet, June 2009 via Love and Olive Oil

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