Fresh Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries in Orange Liqueur

I was at the Royal Oak Farmers Market recently. It's an excellent market with lots to look at, think about, sample and buy. I bought some veggies, fruit, wild Alaskan salmon (for my husband) and a beautiful succulent plant arrangement for my kitchen. It's a fun way to spend a morning.

When I got home, I put the fruit together with some sugar and orange liqueur. It made a really quick, fresh dessert that we all enjoyed. In fact, I've made twice since. We tried the fruit compote with three different sorbets and thought mango was the perfect compliment. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries in Orange Liqueur with Sorbet
Serves 4

1 half pint raspberries
1 C strawberries
1 C blueberries
3 T sugar
2 T orange liqueur
zest of 1/2 lemon
Sorbet

With the back of a fork, lightly mash half of the raspberries and strawberries to get the juices flowing. Add the blueberries and mix together. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, liqueur and zest of the lemon. Pour the mixture over the berries and gently stir to combine. Cover and let sit until ready to serve.

Breakfast Berry Smoothie

No matter how hard I try, I'm usually late getting out the door in the morning. I've tried all kinds of healthy fiber-filled breakfasts and it seems I always go back to smoothies. In an earlier post, I talked about the nutritional benefits of strawberries. Now I'd like to spend a little time on flax seed.

The following information on flaxseed is taken from the Mayo Clinic website. It explains the benefits of ground flaxseed in greater detail than I ever could.

"Most nutrition experts recommend ground flaxseed because your body is better able to digest it. Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, which means you won't get all the health benefits.

Flaxseed is high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans. Flaxseed is commonly used as a laxative (to improve digestive health or relieve constipation). Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil have been used to help reduce total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels and, as a result, may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Although flaxseed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, it doesn't have the beneficial fiber that the seeds have."

This recipe can't be beat. It's quick, easy and halleluiah, it gets me to work on time!


Breakfast Berry Smoothie

Makes 1 large glass

1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

1 C fresh strawberries, cleaned and cut in half
1/2 C fresh raspberries

1/2 banana

1 T ground flax seed

1/2 C ice

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Personally, I’m not a fan of really sweet foods, but this isn’t too sweet and it’s a healthy way to start the day. The recipe is from the cook book, “Color Me Vegan,” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  The recipes in this book are categorized according to the color of the fruit or vegetable, which makes it really fun to plan a meal. The book was a gift to me and I’ve enjoyed so many of the recipes, but I’ve never posted one. So when I decided to pick one for the blog, I looked back on my postings and realized I have very few sweet offerings.  So here it is…   

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Yield: 12 to 16 bars, depending on the size

2 C blackberries or raspberries (or a combination of each type)

2 T granulated sugar

2 T water

1 T fresh lemon juice

3/4 t ground cinnamon, divided

1 C all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour

1 C quick-cooking oats

2/3 C firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 C ground flaxseed

1/8 t baking soda

1/2 C nondairy butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, water, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and remove the cover. Simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture may begin to thicken up a bit by this point. (It usually takes longer than 8 minutes for me) Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, ground flaxseed, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and the baking soda. Stir in the melted butter, and mix until thoroughly combined. 

Press half of the flour-oat mixture into an ungreased 8X8 inch pan. Set aside the other half to use as a topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread the berry mixture on top of the baked crust. Sprinkle with the reserved oat mixture and lightly press it into the berry filling. Return to the oven for 20 minutes longer or until the topping turns a golden brown.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals That Taste Great