#32 Strawberry Snacks Forever

Shownotes for #32 Strawberry Snacks Forever!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for these snacks is less than 15 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the end of these Shownotes and click on "comments." Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at [e-mail].

The podsafe music used in the show:

This week, I'm featuring a song by Douglas Kay called "How can I be Sure." Douglas Kay started playing acoustic gigs around Edinburgh in 1995 and has honed his skills in the coffee houses and bars of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Europe. This song has been picked up by a number of discerning podcasters. See if you like it. I'm also featuring a short comedy piece called "Strawberry Mix" by Danny Fong, a 17 year old from Saskatchewan, Canada. You are going to be hearing a lot about this guy.Together with three friends, he has pout together several a capella renditions of contemporary and standard tunes that really satisfy. One day, I'll play you his version of "Oh Canada." Unfortuntately, he does not have a webpage.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Strawberry Colada Smoothie (California Strawberry Commission)

10 oz. canned crushed pineapple in juice
6 oz. ice
4 oz. IQF whole California strawberries
4 oz. lowfat vanilla yogurt
3 oz. cream of coconut

In blender container, combine ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Strawberries with Fresh Lemon-Poppy Seed Dip (California Strawberry Commission)

2 pint baskets California strawberries
2/3 cup light sour cream
4 teaspoons honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

To make the dip: whisk ingredients until smooth. Serve in a small bowl to accompany strawberries.

Strawberry Soup

3 cp. sliced strawberries
1 cp. sugar
1/2 cp. water
1 tbsp. corn starch (or 2 tsp. arrowroot) mixed w/ 1 tbsp. water
3/4 cp. rose wine
1 cp. fresh orange juice
1-1/4 cp. sour cream

Combine strawberries, sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in corn starch and water mixture, wine and juice. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Cool 15 minutes. Pour into a blender or food processor and puree. Stir in sour cream, and chill. Serve garnished with sliced strawberries and mint leaves. Serves 6-8.

Skinny Strawberry Sandwich (California Strawberry Commission)

8 ounces Neufchatel cheese or low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 English muffins, split and toasted
2 cups (about 10 ounces) sliced stemmed California strawberries

In food processor, process cheese, honey and zest until well mixed, or mix in bowl with wooden spoon. Spread 1 tablespoon cheese mixture on cut side of 1 muffin half; top with 1/4 cup strawberries. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 8 open-faced sandwiches. Makes 4 servings. Tip: Make cheese mixture ahead and store in refrigerator.

Strawberry Breakfast Pizza (California Strawberry Commission)

1 package (7 1/2 ounces) refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)*
1 orange
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 teaspoons honey, divided
1 pint basket fresh California strawberries, stemmed and halved
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stack 2 biscuits; roll out to a circle about 6 inches in diameter, 1/8 inch thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Prick all over with fork. Repeat with remaining biscuits to make total of 5 circles. Bake until lightly browned for 6 to 8 minutes. Loosen biscuits and cool slightly. Meanwhile, finely grate peel from orange. In bowl beat cheese, peel and 2 teaspoons of the honey to blend thoroughly; set aside. Juice orange into another bowl. Add strawberries and the remaining 2 teaspoons of honey; toss. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spread biscuits with cheese mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges, dividing equally. Bake just until edges of cheese brown lightly. Top with drained strawberries. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serve immediately. Yield: 5 servings.

Here are some additional recipies I didn't include in the show:

Instant strawberry and chocolate crepes.

For each serving you need 1 small flour tortilla, 1 tbsp. (15 mL.) to 2 tbsp. (30 mL.) of chopped Belgian chocolate and 1/2 cp. (125 mL.) of sliced berries. Sprinkle the tortilla with the chocolate and place on a paper towel in the microwave. Heat at HIGH for 30 seconds. Put the strawberries in the centre of the tortilla and roll it up. If you are civilized, you can eat this with a knife and fork. For the maximum feeling of guilty pleasure, pick it up and eat it out of your hands.

Strawberries in Balsamic vinegar.

Wash and hull 4 cp. (1 L.) strawberries, cut into quarters. Sprinkle them with 3 tbsp. (45 mL.) of balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp. (45 mL.) sugar; combine well and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or as long as 4 hours. Divide berries among 4 dessert dishes. Just before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. The big surprise: when pepper is first ground, it has an overtone of sweetness.

Strawberries in red wine.

For each serving, spoon 3/4 cp. (175 mL.) quartered fresh strawberries into a large wine glass. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 tsp. (7 mL.) sugar, 1 tsp. (5 mL.) orange-flavoured liqueur and 1/2 tsp. (2 mL.) Cognac. Fill each glass with red wine to cover the berries. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week, we continue with our seasonal snacks with a look at blueberries. You'll need several quarts of blue berries. You'll also need some fresh lemons, preferably organic lemons, honey, vanilla yogurt, light brown sugar, sour cream, rolled oats, some flour, butter, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, a fresh pineapple, a jalapeno pepper, some hot sauce, and some rum, or rum extract.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week: