Berry-Good Recipes

Spring showers bring green gardens – and plenty of berries -  if you live in the Yakima Valley.  Here are two of our favorite recipes for sweet treats that are good for you too!

 

 

tropi-low-cal granita

2 cups bleberries

1 cup strawberries, cleaned and trimmed

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Fine zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Fine zest of 1/2 lime

Juice of 1/2 lime

3 cups Sierra Mist Free

1.  Process the blueberries and strawberries with the sugar in a food processor until smooth.  Add the lemon zest and juice and lime zest and juice.  Process until smoother.  Pour the mixture into an 11″ x 7″ dish.  Stir in the Sierra Mist.  Cover and freeze for about 8 hours.  Remove from the freezer and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.  Chop the mixture into large chunks and place in a food processor in batches, pulsing 5 to 6 times.  Serve immediately in martini or wine glasses.  Garnish with additional lemon or lime zest if desired.

Serving size 1 cup

20 calories per serving

Recipe courtesy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Susan Irby

wild about berries cheesecake

8 crushed ginger snaps

2 (8oz) packages of nonfat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

fine zest of 1/2 lemon

2 eggs

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream

1 cup fresh wild berries such as rasberries, blackberries and blueberries, lightly crushed.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make the crust by sprinkling crushed ginger snaps into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.  Set aside.

2.  For the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and lemon zest.  Mix together well using a wooden spoon or electric mixer on medium speed.  Once combined, mix in the eggs.  Combine well.  Add the milk and mix well.  Pour into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center is nearly set when shaken.

4.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Use a thin knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.  Remove the pan sides and let cool for  1 hour.

5.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and berries.  Spread over the cheesecake.  Loosely cover and chill for about 4 hours or overnight.

Serves 10

Calories per serving 105

Recipe courtesy of Substitute Yourself Skinny by Susan Irby