Superfruit loaded with goodness & versatility

The first look of it is so very pleasing & inviting appealing to the eyes and the senses! Yes, it is the very impressive seasonal fruit most of us wish to have in many forms, Strawberries! It has been one of my all-time favorites since a long time and trying out new delicacies with this delicate vibrant and burst of mouthfeel expressions has been truly wonderful.

It is one of the most economical and important fruits from the berry family consumed for its high pack nutrient content and of course its pleasant personality. A fruit which blends itself into various types of recipes from a morning breakfast cereal bowl to being tossed into salads, having them into jams, marmalades & preserves they promise to be around us all year through. They are one of the most well-liked and best-voted fruits globally by a great number of foodies, not to forget the only fruit with seeds on its outer side!

One of my latest trials with strawberries has been with watermelon and minted strawberry gazpacho shots refreshing and nutritious they are a must for a detox diet!

Health Benefits of Strawberries:

• Packed with antioxidants, excellent source of Vitamin –C, and also helps us lower cholesterol.

• Improves health of hair, skin, good for the eyes too.

• Strawberries reduce inflammation & lower blood pressure, rich in fiber, and cholesterol free.

• It helps lose fat and in weight management.

• Strawberries are considered good for the heart.

• It is also considered an anti-aging ingredient.

• Strawberries are good immunity-boosting fruit.

• They are considered to be good for the bones as well.

• Strawberries are high in omega-3s fatty acids.

• They contain a good amount of folate, preventing anemia

Uses of Strawberries in our Kitchen & Bakery-Confectionary:

• A fresh strawberry milkshake of course remains on top of the charts for most of us and we just love the taste and flavor of the tall glass!

• Strawberries taste amazing fresh, just the way they are tossed into various combinations as salads with mild dressings work well, combine them with greens, herbs, cheese & honey-ginger flavors that taste awesome.

• Health shakes, smoothies and frozen yogurts with strawberries are yum to have too, do try having them accompanied to your French Toast.

• Some of us freeze strawberries as well in order to store them for a few more days and enjoy them a little after the season too.

• A strawberry mousse, cheesecake, jelly with custard with a combination of fresh fruits.

• Strawberries coated with chocolate for a nice dessert platter work well, appeal to a lot of people and dark or white chocolate too complements them well.

• A nice strawberry coulis or a sauce to use for plating desserts adds a totally different dimension to the final product.

• A breakfast/brunch counter usually has toppings with strawberries to go with freshly made pancakes, waffles, or being flambéed with some brandy/rum etc.

• A great ingredient for a garnish for a salad, a chilled soup, a set dessert, toppings for decorating cupcakes, iced muffins etc.

• Fresh strawberry salsa too is a good way to use it in dips and accompaniments to go with cold starters to desserts.

• Strawberry sorbet, ice-cream, strawberry cream, to me fusion works wonders with seviyan payassam with bits of fresh strawberries, sago strawberry pudding, kulfis & how about trying a strawberry tiramisu? 

Here are a couple of easy-to-make recipes with Strawberries:

Recipe-1] SEASONAL SHAKE

Ingredients:

Fresh strawberries- 8-10 no- cut into pieces.

Warm milk- 2 cups- options of using regular/oats/soy/almond milk.

Oats- ½ cup simmered & cooked in 1 cup milk for 10 mins with 1 tbsp. jaggery/brown sugar could be used, allow to cool.

Honey- 1 tbsp.

Sliced cashews- 1 tbsp.

Raisins- 1 tsp.

Sunflower seeds/melon seeds- 1 tsp.

Banana- 1 ripe.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the shake.

2. In a blender jar combine together all the ingredients.

3. Churn up the contents into a nice smooth shake.

4. Check for sweetness and adjust accordingly.

5. Pour into glasses serve immediately.

6. Garnish with fresh mint, fresh sliced strawberries, kiwi fruit/ seeds of your choice.

Chefs Variations:

We can also use healthy cookies/biscuits as well to add to our shake in place of oats cooked in milk.

Try using a variety of ingredients like fresh pomegranate seeds as well to be a part of the garnish

Assorted berries can also be used to make varietals.

Recipe-2] NUTTY STRAWBERRY CHIA PUDDING

Ingredients

Fresh strawberries- 10-12 no.

For the Pudding:

Milk- 2 cups- options of regular/soy/oats/cashew/almond milk.

Sugar/honey/dates/jaggery- sweeteners to choose as per taste

Chia seeds-1/4 cup soaked in 2 cups water for 20 mins.

Chopped assorted nuts- apricots/ sultanas/ almonds/pista etc

Milk chocolate/white chocolate- 2-3 tbsp. grated

Crumbs of digestive biscuits- ½ cup

Fresh fruits like banana/ chickoo etc- ½ cut

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the dessert.
2.In a saucepan combine together the milk, soaked chia seeds and sweeteners to taste, cook on low flame for 6-8 mins.

3. Divide the mixture into two parts, to the first part add the crushed powdered digestive biscuits, fruits, nuts and mix well, pour into a glass/dessert cup.

4. To the second mixture add the white or milk chocolate and nuts and mix well, pour this mixture in the same glass or bowl and allow to set in the fridge for an hour, garnish with fresh berries and serve.

Chefs Variations:

Try the pudding with vanilla custard, chocolate sauce and some cake crumbs as well for a varied flavour.

Fresh strawberries layered in between date and walnut brownies topped with a nice saffron rabdi tastes yum!

Use fresh strawberry puree blend it into low fat cream cheese and greek yogurt layer it with oatmeal cookies/ ragi cookies and serve it like a chilled dessert.

Recipe- 3] STRAWBERRY POWER PACK SALAD

Ingredients

For the base of the salad:

Assorted lettuce leaves- 2 cups- iceberg/ romaine/ cos/ Lollorosso.

For the body of the salad:

Fresh strawberries- 1 cup cut

Sliced green cucumber- 1 cup

Feta cheese- ¼ cup crumbled

Cherry tomatoes- ½ cup cut

Sliced pink onions/ red radish- ¼ cup

For the dressing of the salad:

Olive oil- 1 tbsp.

Lime juice- 2 tbsp.

Mint leaves- 8-10 nos.

Mustard paste- 1 tsp

Rock salt/chaat masala- ½ tsp

Honey- 1 tsp.

For the garnish of the salad:

Assorted fresh herbs/ choice of seeds like melon/sunflower/pumpkin or assorted nuts like slivers of roasted almonds/pista etc

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the salad

2. Assemble the dressing elements into a mixing bowl and stir well or shake in a jar format

3. Arrange the base of the salad on a serving plate.

4. Drizzle the dressing over just before serving.

5. Garnish appropriately as per choice of options and serve.

Chefs Variations:

Try the same salad with elements like boiled cubes of eggs, chicken cubes- roasted/grilled/boiled, sliced grilled prawns/fish, use shredded white/purple cabbage as a base.

I also like to add a little date puree at times into a dressing with berries in a salad since they balance the flavors well.

Can also have this salad only with a combination of fruits like papaya, kiwi, mango, pineapple, pears, grapes etc and the feta cheese.