Strawberry Spring Trifle with Nutworks Sprinkles

Strawberry Spring Trifle


Clear blue skies, cool ocean water and gardens coming alive everywhere. Spring in Qld is one of my favourite times of year.
It also happens to be when beautiful local strawberries are in abundance, one of my absolute favourite of fruits.

As an local and healthy food blogger and as an ambassador for the new Nutworks Gourmet Sprinkles range found in Woolworths I couldn't wait to create a recipe that tasted and looked like Spring.
This trifle is just bursting with strawberry flavour and creamy Maleny Dairies real cream. The Nutworks Sprinkles add such an amazing crunch and hit of flavour tie-ing it all together so well.

Ingredients

• You will need a trifle jar.
• 2 x container's of Maleny Dairies real cream. (Or equivalent if you cannot get this cream where
• you are - its just my favourite! You can also use coconut cream for a paleo/vegan version)
• 1 x 250 gm punnet strawberries, washed, stems removed, cut in halves and frozen.
• 1 x 250 gm punnet strawberries, washed stems removed and kept fresh.
• 1 x packet Nutworks Gourmet Sprinkles - Raspberry Crumble Boost.
• 2 teaspoons organic vanilla paste/drops
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (opitonal)
• Shredded coconut
• Edible flowers and extra strawberries (whole) to serve

Method

• Blitz together half and half cream and frozen strawberries. I used one container Maleny Dairies Cream and the equivalent in Strawberries. It should be lovely and thick and tangy and a nice pink colour. Set aside in the fridge.
• Whip the second container if cream with the vanilla and optional coconut sugar.
• In your trifle bowl spread a layer of the whipped cream, top with sliced strawberries, then a layer of sprinkles, then a layer of the strawberry cream, then a layer of coconut then strawberries and then back to the cream and continue until the bowl is almost full.
• On the very top spoon a layer of whipped cream and form a peak in the centre.
• Cover with sliced strawberries and coconut and then generously cover in the sprinkles and top with 2 - 3 fresh whole strawberries.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve!

Recipe & Photography by Rebecca Mugridge

This is a sponsoerd blog post as an ambassador for Nutworks and their new gourmet Sprinkles Range.
Find out all about this exciting new range of healthy flavourings HERE

Chocolate Strawberry Smoothies

How exciting is it when something really healthy for you tastes like pure indulgence?

Really good right?
With an abundance of such stunning fresh strawberries on the Sunshine Coast this time of year and always having a love of chocolate, this smoothie to me is just soooo good it is almost addictive!

Chocolate Strawberry Smoothies
Ingredients
(per smoothie - if using a large blender to make multiple adjust quantity to suit.)
1 cup of washed, fresh and really ripe strawberries.
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup kale
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 heaped tablespoon cacao
1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
1 cup almond milk (or favourite alternative)
1 frozen banana for creaminess (optional you can leave out.)

1 teaspoon super greens powder (optional)

Extra cacao to sprinkle on top.

Extra strawberries for serving.
Ice if desired.

Method.

Blitz all the ingredients in a high powered blender or nutrabullet.
Serve in a tall glass.
Sprinkle with cacao powder and sliced strawberries on the glass.
Enjoy!!

Notes
You can of course add a good quality protein powder and even some oats if you ant a really dense smoothie for say after the gym.
Strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese and are said to have many health benefits including anti inflammatory and anti cancer properties, and people that eat them, fairly often are said to have decreased cardiovascular disease risk

Kid Tips
Kids love this one, the sweetness and colour from the ripe seasonal strawberries makes it such a hit!

Bek's Sweet and Healthy Strawberry tart

I love strawberries. Always have, they are a burst of colour and healthy deliciousness. I have even worked as a strawberry planter and picker when I was young. They are also one of my absolute favourite plants to grow and fruit to cook with.
Wherever we live we always have hanging baskets and pots of strawberries growing, just as my mum did when I was a child. I am so delighted that picking fresh delicious, organic strawberries are as much a part of my two daughters childhoods as it was mine. I can still clearly remember my school friends always marveling at the growing jewels and especially at her alpine strawberries.

Recently I took part in a very exciting opportunity for me, a 6 part fresh local food column in a fantastic local magazine, WHY Fitness. WHY Bfresh with Rebecca Mugridge.

This delightful deliciousness was one of the recipes I created for them using local gourmet deli and store Bfresh's beautiful local strawberries.

Bek’s Sweet and Healthy Strawberry Tart

Ingredients

Pastry

·         2 cupsNutworks macadamia meal (this is a great local producer I like to support, you could also use almond meal)

·         2 cups rice flour

·         ½ cup coconut oil

·         1 free range egg

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste

·         1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

·         ½ cup Rapadura sugar (see notes)

Filling

·         ½ cup coconut oil

·         ½ cup Rapadura sugar

·         5 free range eggs

·         Finely grated rind of 1 orange

·         Juice of 2 oranges

·         1 tablespoon tapioca flour whisked in an equal amount of water

Topping

·         1 punnet fresh strawberries

·         1 packet Tortengus ( natural fruit glaze available from supermarkets)

·         250 mls fresh orange juice

·         Extra rapidura sugar

Method

·         Pre heat oven to 180’c

·         Grease 1 large or 6 small spring form tins.

·         In a large bowl combine the macadamia meal and rice flour for the base.

·         Add the vanilla paste and rub into the flour mixture the hard coconut oil until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

·         Mix in the rapadura sugar and the egg, gently mix it all together until it resembles a smooth dough. If needed you can add a little extra water.

·         Press pastry evenly into the prepared tins.

·         Bake blind for 10 minutes by covering with a layer of baking paper and spreading with a layer of rice or baking beans.

·         Then remove baking paper and rice and cook for few extra minutes until lightly golden brown.

·         Remove from oven.

·         Filling. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Add in the finely grated orange rind, stir through and remove from heat.

·         Sift the sugar into coconut oil mixture, add in the eggs and whisk it all together.

·         Add in the tapioca flour and the orange juice, whisk.

·         Bring it to the boil and then remove from heat and pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate for around 10 minutes or until cool.

·         Pour the cooled egg mixture on top of the pastry bases; sprinkle each evenly with the extra rapadura sugar.

·         Cover all pastry edges with alfoil and put the tarts under a medium hot grill to caramelise, and they will visually firm up.

·         Remove from heat and allow to completely cool.

·         Combine 1 packet of the fruit glaze with 250 mls fresh orange juice in a medium saucepan.

·         Bring to the boil, stirring and then remove from heat.

·         Cut up the fresh strawberries and arrange them on top of the tart.

·         Cover with the fruit glaze.

·         Allow to set.

·         Serve.

Notes

·         Rapadura sugar is a much healthier, whole foods alternative to refined sugars. It isn’t processed under hot temperatures or spun so it retains its many mineral and vitamin qualities.

·         Macadamias are not just an exciting Australian native they are also full of health benefits and loaded with important nutrients including healthy proteins, minerals, vitamins, monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre and phytochemicals. They also have no trans fatty acids. Here on the Sunshine Coast we have locally processed macadamias and macadamia meal (much like almond meal) as used in this recipe here from Nutworks in Yandina.

·         Coconut oil is a great healthy alternative to butter with many health benefits.

·         The fruit glaze used here is a natural product made from seaweed.

·       Fab Slabs schopping boards  (pictured with the tarts) are a local Sunshine Coast ethical company making beautiful chopping boards from Camphor Laurel trees which are a pest species in this area.

Strawberries

Strawberries, as a garden plant, were said to be being taken from the forests to the gardens in France in the 1300’s and are even mentioned in ancient Roman literature. They have vast become a beloved fruit. 

At BFresh on the Sunshine Coast and when in season people can find a locally produced variety of strawberry that has been grown here for over 20 years, right here due to a special relationship between the grower and BFresh. These strawberries are all about taste, you know the ones, bright red and they taste and smell amazing, they are not ones that are bred to travel and store well, rather they are the kind you remember from your childhood.

Strawberries don’t just taste wonderful; they are a great source of vitamin C, flavanoids and anti oxidants. And as a snack they are guilt free with 1 cup of fresh strawberries being generally less than 50 calories!

Strawberries are also easy to grow and are beautiful looking plants; they make a gorgeous hanging basket.
They can be grown from seed or runners, I prefer to grow mine from runners, their natural way to reproduce. Give them plenty of sunshine, really good drainage ( they do not like soggy feet), if growing in pots, do not scrimp and buy only really good quality potting mix, in the ground a slightly acidic soil with composted material is best and a good thick layer of mulch makes strawberries happy. Companion plant with marigolds, borage, basil, spinach, silverbeet. Remove dead leaves, water in the morning if you can and keep a big watch out for aphids, easily removed with soapy water.

Recipe and photography © RebeccaMugridge2013

B Fresh with Bek

I am very excited to share that you can now read a food column series by me in 

WHY Fitness Matters magazine
on the page

 WHY BFresh with Rebecca Mugridge

The series is sponsored by B Fresh, Warana, Sunshine Coast.

If your on the Sunshine Coast look out for a copy at cafes, gyms, sports centres, swim centres, and many more places.  If your not on the Sunshine Coast you can read the magazine and all its issues online HERE

The page celebrates local and in season food and includes a recipe by me and promotes the lovely fresh produce and gourmet foods available locally through from B Fresh and the fabulous food available right here on the Sunshine Coast.

The magazine itself is inspiration on paper. Packed full of health and fitness articles, experts, athletes and information that is beautifully crafted together by it's editor and the Sunshine Coast's own very inspiring woman and fitness expert Jen Forster.

So far my recipes in the magazine include

My healthy strawberry tart.

This gorgeous tart is made with Sunshine Coast producer Nutworks macadamia meal, coconut oil and gorgeous local strawberries that BFresh have been buying off the same grower for 20 years!
It is also pictured here on a locally produced chopping board called a Fab Slab, they are made from a pest species tree here on the Sunny Coast called a Camphor laurel - you can read more about them here and yes they are available from Bfresh and many other places as well. I love mine and they go with me to all my cooking demonstrations and events.
 

My avocado and coconut muffins.

 Using gorgeous in season avocado's and are dairy and refined sugar free. They have a lovely nutty flavour and are not over the top sweet tasting so great for morning tea.

Both these recipes can be read online in the magazines e-version by clicking HERE

Want more of my delicious recipes?
Get them straight to your inbox every week by entering your email address on the right hand side at the top of the blog! Too easy

You can also see me cooking LIVE at this year's Real Food Festival

Happy Cooking

                      Bek XX

RECIPE Sensational Strawberry Season Granita

Celebrating beautiful strawberry season I created this Simple Strawberry Granita and icy pole recipe thanks to beautiful fresh strawberries from the Maleny Supa IGA


I just love strawberries fresh into smoothies, on top of natural yogurt and just as they are! Yum xx

Such a beautiful dish that really celebrates the lovely, juicy strawberries that are in season right now.
I love how this dish is just perfect for the glorious weather at this time of year and can be also made into the fun and funky children’s icy-poles as described in the notes.

This was created with the beautiful fresh, local strawberries found in the Maleny Supa IGA

Ingredients

• 3 cups strawberries washed and with tops removed
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup water

Method

• Place a tin in the freezer, ideally this should be a tin at least 30 cm across like a lamington tin
• Blend the strawberries
• In a bowl combine lemon juice and water and icing sugar, whisk together until sugar is dissolved
• Add in the strawberries by pushing the blended strawberries through a strainer
• Stir together, the mixture will taste a little too sweet and tangy with the lemon – these flavours to become much more mild once it is frozen,
• Pour into tin and place in the freezer. You ideally want it about 1 to 2 cm’s deep.
• After about 20 – 30 minutes using a fork lightly flake away from the edges ( it will be more frozen here) and mix through and leave again the freezer, repeat again in another 20 – 30 minutes
• After about an hour and a half it should be completely frozen
• Serve immediately

Notes

• Garnish with fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves
• Serve in a parfait glass or a decorate glass or dish
• Beautifully refreshing on a nice sunny day

Toddler Tips

• This is also gorgeous made into homemade icy-poles!  There is two ways you can make them, using the exact mix above or healthier by just using pureed strawberries – though this will be a little tart and may not be palatable to all kids.
  You will need: plastic cups, clean new paddle pop sticks or similar (food grade)
• Using plastic cups fill about half way with strawberry mixture, put in the freezer. Depending on how deep they should freeze solid in a couple of hours. After about 45 minutes check to see how firm they are in if fairly firm insert the stick in the centre, it should stand up by itself. If it slides over remove it and wait another 20 minutes or so.
• Using a juicer, juice 1 whole pineapple. Pour this on top of the frozen strawberry icy-poles. Leave to set completely hard
• Within another hour or so (make sure it is set properly) you will have delicious ready to eat icy-poles the kids will love that just taste of summer! To ease the icy poles out of the cups run the cup just briefly under luke-warm water and then it should come off easily.

This recipe is from the collectable Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards
Maleny IGA makes it easy for you to support locals.
*Maleny IGA has in-store local supplier shelf labelling.
*Online shopping  & home delivery across the sunshine coast with easy local supplier tags.
*Weekly local recipe card using local ingredients by local author Rebecca Mugridge available in-store & on our website.
*Regular local product demos & tastings.
*CBC Program - 2012 raised $144,000 for local  charities.Maleny Supa IGA  •  26 Maple St, Maleny  •  Ph: 5494 2257Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge2012