Strawberries are not only delicious, but berry, berry good for your health.  Packed with antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C, strawberries help increase good cholesterol, lower blood pressure and protect against cancer.   

If you are looking for a great way to incorporate strawberries into your meals, try these three delicious recipes from Nancy Waldeck, a chef at Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness at Piedmont.

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 3 cups sliced and hulled strawberries
• 2 large Haas avocados peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Wash and dry the spinach well. Place them in the bottom of a salad bowl and top with the strawberries and avocado. In a jar, shake together the vinegar, lime juice, honey, mustard and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad and top with sesame seeds.

Tip: The easiest way to toast sesame seeds is in a dry sauté pan over medium high heat. Stir often and don’t leave the pan alone– sesame seeds go from raw to toasted in minutes.

Buttermilk Honey Breakfast Cake with Strawberries

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites and 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup light buttermilk
• 3/4 cup honey, divided
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 24 large strawberries, sliced
• Vanilla nonfat yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch square pan with nonstick spray. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, ½ cup of the honey, oil and molasses together.

Make a well in the dry mixture and stir in the egg mixture, just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs.

While the cake is cooking, toss the strawberries together with the remaining ¼ cup honey. When the cake is cool, cut in 12 squares and serve topped with the vanilla yogurt and macerated strawberries.

Tip: Make sure to spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray when measuring sticky ingredients like honey – it will slide right out with little mess and easy clean up!

Blue Cheese Bruschetta with Strawberry Asparagus Salsa

• 1 whole wheat baguette, sliced and toasted
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1 bunch asparagus, sautéed briefly with the orange zest and chopped
• 2 cups strawberries chopped
• Zest of 1 large orange and Juice
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Black pepper and sea salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced red onions

To make the salsa, combine the asparagus, strawberries, orange juice, parsley, onions, vinegar and olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper.

Cream the cheeses together in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture over the slices, top with salsa and serve.

For more great recipes, click here. 

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