Something Different

Cherry Peach Crostini
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup peaches, chopped small
1/2 cup dried or fresh cherries, chopped small
2 tbsp. honey
2 fresh sage leaves minced
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 bacon slices cooked and chopped
salt and pepper


Toasted baguette slices 
Mix goat cheese and cream cheese together and keep cool. Cut peaches and cherries small and add to a bowl. Add cut up bacon pieces. Mix together honey, sage, balsamic and olive oil and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper and taste to adjust. Mix together with fruit. If you want a little brighter flavor, add a little lemon or use a white balsamic instead of traditional.

Yum!

Just Peachy

What is life without a fresh peach pie? My very favorite fresh peach pie is from a restaurant in Heber called the Hub. I discovered how they make it and it's easy as...well pie.

Raw Peach Pie
1 prepared pie crust or use the pie crust recipe below*
3-4 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 heaping Tablespoons Sugar* or (even less depending on how sweet your peaches are)
12oz cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tiny splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt

Peel your peaches by dropping them in a hot water bath until the peels come off clean. Pit, slice and sprinkled with the sugar and set aside in a bowl in the fridge to chill.
If you are making a homemade pie crust make sure the pie crust is completely cooled before adding the cream cheese filling. 

Cream Cheese-Use a mixture or beaters to cream together the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the pie crust evenly. Top with your arranged peaches. 

 *You can substitute the white sugar with splenda, agave or honey if you wish. 

Pie Crust

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

 

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Here is a great gluten free/raw version that is healthy and extremely tasty. 
 
Gluten Free/Raw Peach Pie
Crust
 2 cups raw almonds and/or cashews, finely ground in a food processor
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

 Filling
 2-3 fresh peaches, pitted and segmented
1/2 tbsp agave syrup or you can use 2 tsp sugar
small pinch of salt

 
Combine ground nuts, agave and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined. Press into an 8 inch pie plate.

Gently coat peach slices in agave and arrange in pie crust

Blueberry Love

Blueberry Coffee Cake
3 Cups Flour
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 + 1/8 tsp Salt
7 T Butter, Melted
10 T Butter, Softened
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 3/4 Cups Fresh Blueberries
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp salt. Add the melted butter and stir until crumbly. Chill.
Heat oven to 350F and line a 9" square pan with parchment; grease.
Whisk the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Toss the berries with 2T of the mixture. Combine the sour cream and vanilla. Beat the butter and remaining sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the blueberries on top, sprinkle with the crumb topping, and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, spread the batter into the prepared pan, bake for 10 minutes, top with the blueberries and crumb topping, and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through.

 

Blueberry Quinoa Salad
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup Quinoa
     Boil water in microwave safe container, add quinoa and then cook in microwave for another 3 minutes. Remove and cover with plastic or a clothe. Fluff with a fork and then refrigerate. I recommend you making the quinoa a day ahead or earlier in the morning. 


Dressing components:
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed canola oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated ginger, optional

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced green onion
4 large stuffed green olives, diced
1/4 cup fresh blueberries, optional

Using a microplane zest the orange. For dressing: whisk together in a large bowl: orange zest, orange juice, oil, vinegar, cinnamon, and ginger, if you are using it. Set aside.
Rinse blueberries well under cold running water. Let drain. Place on a paper towel to dry. Sort through and remove any stems.
Wash and spin dry parsley. Blot on a paper towel or clean tea-towel. You don’t want to have wet herbs or the salad will be soggy. Chop parsley into small pieces – between a dice and a mince.
Add blueberry, parsley, onion, and green olives. Add dressing and toss well.

source:Marilyn Smith everything blueberry

 
 

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Pops

 

1 15-ounce can of blueberry pie filling

2 6-ounce cups of Greek lemon yogurt (Fage is the best choice)

1/2 cup 2% milk 

Open blueberries. Set aside 1/3 cup of the blueberries. Puree the remaining berries in a food processor or blender. Fold in the reserved berries. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the milk. In 3-ounce paper cups, alternate 2 rounded tablespoons of the yogurt mixture with 1 tablespoon of the blueberry mixture. Swirl with a knife. Cover and freeze.

Blackberries YUM!

Blackberry Crumble
2 1/2 C blueberries
2 1/2 C raspberries
5 Tbsp sugar, you can use splenda
2 Tbsp cornstarch (for thickening if using frozen berries)
1 C flour or use 1 C + 1 tbsp all purpose gluten free flour like Pillsbury or bobs redmill
1 C oats (make sure they are gluten free if your doing that version)
3/4 C packed brown sugar/splenda
1 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp nutmeg
1/2 C butter

Preheat oven to 350o
In a bowl combine berries and sugar. Mix and set aside
If using frozen berries add in 2 Tbsp of cornstarch for thickening.
In another bowl mix together flour or gluten free flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add in butter using a pastry mixer until crumbly.
Put berries into mason jars or use a 9 x 13 pan and add crumble on top.
Bake for 15 minutes in mason jars or 30-40 minutes for 9 X 13 or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping will be golden brown.

 
This recipe is from ourfamilyofseven.com. This honey butter is delicious and my little boy says it's amazing on bagels. 

Blackberry Honey Butter
1/2 lb softened Butter
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Blackberries

Whip butter and honey until fluffy.
Add blackberries and mix just until berries break up and are distributed.
Either scoop into jar and seal or form into a log and refrigerate.


Blackberry Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette 
Baby greens
Pecans
Feta
Avocado
Blackberries
Pumpkin Seeds

10 Oz. seedless Sugar Free Blackberry preserves
1/2 C. frozen raspberries or blackberries
1/4 C. lite olive oil
1/4 C. water
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dijon
1 1/2 tsp. Honey
1 1/2 tsp. Sugar
2 Tsp. Chia Seeds optional
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredient into a food processor or blender, then strain out the seeds. Refrigerate.



Blackberry Chicken Salad
1 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and sliced jullienne 
6oz greek yogurt like vanilla, pear or plain
1/4 tsp cumin
1 bunch of spinach
salt and pepper to taste
Croissants or your favorite gluten free bun

Cook chicken (or use a rotisserie pre-cooked one). I boiled my chicken breast for about 10 minutes until cooked through.
Shred chicken.
Dice cucumber & blackberries.
Mix chicken with cucumber, blackberries, yogurt, and cumin.
Serve on croissants with spinach, or just on a bed of spinach as a salad. 

recipe comes from onaroll.com