Beat the heat - Strawberry Smoothie

With certain parts of the United States reeling under a severe heat wave, I thought will share with you couple of Beat the Heat Recipes which are simple to make and good for you.



Strawberries have very high levels of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits like bananas, apples and even oranges. These berries are good for your heart and acts as a shield for cancer protection. But strawberries are one of the most contaminated produce with pesticide. So grab a box of organic one even though it costs a few more bucks because studies show that the antioxidants are more in organic food than conventional ones. Even though strawberries are so good for you be wary of the fructose content and accordingly adjust your intake of fruits.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - None

Serves - 1





Ingredients



Plain yogurt - 3/4 Cup

Organic Strawberries - 6 to 8

Xylitol - 1 Tbsp or a pinch of Stevia

Ice cubes - 4 (optional)



Method



1) Place the yogurt, strawberries and xylitol in a blender and blend till smooth.



2) Add the ice cubes and blend one more time and serve immediately.

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Blueberry & Strawberry Crisp

Know what you Eat - Blueberries are a source of Vitamins A and C, potassium and folate. Blueberries are very low in fat and sodium, and high in dietary fiber and potassium.Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. They are also a very good source of dietary fiber ,iodine, potassium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, copper, and vitamin K. These berries are rich in phytonutrients phenol, which makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory fruit, all rolled into one.These berries are packed with antioxidants which neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.



I always love to try out new recipes, i get recipes from lot of sources. My Dad passes on recipes which comes in television shows over phone, my Mom sends across recipes from magazine cutting. This is one such recipe and my Uncle scanned and forwarded me this recipe, this crisp is very easy to make and a must try during the berry season.



Cooking Time - 20 mins

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Strawberries - 2 cups(Chopped)

Blueberries - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 1 tbsp

Whole wheat flour - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp



Whole wheat flour - 1/3 cup

Brown sugar - 1/4 cup

Oats - 1/4 cup

Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp

Chilled Butter - 2 1/2 Tbsp (Cut into pieces)



Frozen Vanilla Yogurt - 1 cup



Method



1) Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Combine first four ingredients in a bowl and spoon into a baking dish.

3) Place the brown sugar, whole wheat flour, oats and cinnamon powder in a food processor pulse two times until combined.

4) Now add the cut butter pieces and pulse 4 more times till the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

5) Sprinkle over the berry mixture and bake at 375 until bubbly and the top mixture slightly browns and becomes crisp.

6) Top each serving with 1/4 cup of frozen yogurt and enjoy these guilt free snack/dessert.

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Vegan 4 Grain Strawberry Muffin/Cake

Know what you Eat : Strawberries have higher levels of vitamin c, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits like bananas, apples and even oranges. A recent study has shown that eating one serving (about 8-10 strawberries) a day can significantly decrease blood pressure, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.

I love to bake and baked goodies but after baking and eating them i really feel guilty of the amount of sugar and the carb in them. Now a days, i am trying to substitute all purpose flour with whole grain flours. For sugar with apple sauce and fruit juice, in this recipe i added 1 table spoon of beet pulp but really got scared at the color but after baking the color was all gone.


Cooking Time: 30mins
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Serves – 12 muffins

Ingredients

Chopped strawberries - 1 and 1/2 cups
Oats - 1/2 Cup
Whole barley - 1/2 Cup
Whole wheat pastry flour – 1/2 Cup
Brown Rice flour – 1/2 cup.
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Chia powder - 2 table spoons (chia is very good egg substitute, instead of chia add 1/2 tsp more of baking soda and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Apple Sauce - 1/2 Cup
Beet Pulp - 1 tbsp
Raw Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 table spoon
Water - 1 Cup

Method

1) Grind whole barley and oats into powder
2) In a bowl combine Oats, whole barley, brown rice flour, Whole wheat pastry flour, Baking soda, salt, Cinnamon powder, Chia powder and sugar.
3) Mix the dry ingredients well and add Oil ,apple sauce and beet pulp.
4) Now add the chopped strawberries and add water and mix the batter well.
5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6) Pour this batter to 3/4 of muffin mould and bake for 20 to 30 mins till a knife inserted comes out clean.
7) The muffin was slightly sweet if you have a sweet tooth add more sugar or serve with fruit preserves sweetened with fruit juice and fresh strawberries.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Whole Grain Baking Event - Barley hosted by Madhuram.

This dish is our contribution to Srivalli's Mithai Mela hosted by Cooking 4 all Seasons.
This goes to Strawberry Feast @ My kitchen treasures.
This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly Round up event hosted by Lorie.

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