Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts

Friday, March 8, 2013

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler


I want to try this:
from Dr Weil

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
Description
This is an old-fashioned dessert that most people thoroughly enjoy eating. The baked fruit filling is crowned with a thin biscuit topping. It can be eaten warm or cold, plain or topped with vanilla ice cream.
Food as Medicine
A study at Tufts University found that blueberries have the highest antioxidant content of the 60 fruits and vegetables analyzed. The antioxidants in blueberries - anthocyanins - are responsible for this berry’s dark blue hue and its ability to reduce free radical damage to the body's cells. Just one-half cup of blueberries provides the antioxidant power of five servings of peas, carrots, apples, squash or broccoli. Peaches, with their bright orange flesh, provide different kinds of antioxidants: carotenes such as lutein and zeaxanthin. At only 40 calories each, peaches are a good source of vitamin Avitamin Cpotassium and zinc.
Ingredients
FILLING
5 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch nutmeg (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

BISCUIT TOPPING
5 tablespoons softened butter or
Spectrum Spread
2 cups flour plus 1/4 cup flour for rolling out
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
GLAZE
2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bring all the filling ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, then turn down heat and simmer until the filling becomes thick.
Spoon the thickened fruit filling into a medium (at least 10 x 8-inch) baking or casserole dish, and spread it around evenly until it meets all sides of the dish.
Using clean hands, pinch the butter and the flour together between your thumbs and forefingers until the flour and butter become crumbly. Mix in the sugar, baking powder, and salt and slowly stir in the milk to make a soft dough. Sprinkle a work surface with the 1/4 cup flour, knead the dough lightly a few turns on the floured surface, and roll out to a perimeter approximately the size of your baking dish. With a cookie cutter or a glass cut out 10 biscuits and lay them slightly overlapping on top of the fruit filling, using scraps of leftover dough to fill in any uncovered spots.
Sprinkle the top with the sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until biscuit topping turns golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. To serve, scoop out a biscuit and fruit filling and transfer to a dessert bowl or plate.

Serves 10

Per serving:

Calories 241.8
Fat 6.9 g
Saturated fat 4.1 g (25% of calories from fat)
Protein 3.9 g
Carbohydrate 42.3 g
Cholesterol 19 mg
Fiber 2 g
This recipe is from The Healthy Kitchen - Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit(Hardcover) by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley (Knopf)

Friday, October 7, 2011

Apple cake squares



I'm loving the fresh fall  apples right now.

I just might have to try this recipe tonight:

It's from Dr Weil's newsletter


Apple Cake Squares
Description
The bonus of this cake is that it's fast to make. It's a moist cake with a mellow cinnamon-apple taste. You can serve it for dessert or you can wrap slices up to take to school or to the office.Food as MedicineIn large studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Finland and the Netherlands, eating at least two apples per week was found to lower incidence of asthma and type 2 diabetes, and promote overall lung health. Apples' protective effects are likely due to their high concentration of anti-inflammatory flavonoids such as quercitin and catechin.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter or Spectrum Spread
2 eggs
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, finely shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped dates
1/4cup confectioners' sugar
GARNISH (Optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and stir thoroughly.
  3. Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in the shredded apples and dates until they are completely distributed throughout.
  4. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly into the batter.
  5. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it with 1/4 teaspoon of butter and pour in the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
  6. Put the confectioners' sugar in a sifter and dust it over the cooled cake a few times until all the sugar is gone. If you want to garnish, mix the walnuts with the maple syrup and drizzle over individual serving plates. Cut the Apple Cake into 9 squares and arrange each one on top of a decorated plate and serve.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fresh apricot sauce



I just had the best dessert ever!

I was looking for something to do with the fresh apricots we picked from our tree yesterday so I paged through my favorite cookbook and found a recipe for Sunrise-Sunset Sauce from Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet. I made it tonight and had it with berries and Costco's non fat Greek yogurt. It was like eating an incredibly healthy and delicious version of cheesecake.

I'm going to try it on Joelle's oatmeal pancakes tomorrow.

Here's the quick and easy recipe

Sunrise-Sunset Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and quartered
2 cups (1 pint) strawberries, hulled and halved
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
  1. Combine sugar and water in large saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
  2. Add apricots and cook for 15 minutes or until very soft.
  3. Puree mixture in blender or food processor. Transfer puree to the saucepan, and add strawberries and lemon juice. Simmer for 1 minutes until strawberries are tender but still intact.
  4. Cover bowl and cool for 2 hours or longer.
As I was typing this, I realized I didn't follow the recipe correctly. I pureed the cooked apricots, with the strawberries, and lemon juice and didn't cook it any more after that. My version was so good, I don't know if I will change it.

Added later: I made it correctly with the sliced strawberries and it was equally good.