Strawberry Recipe Roundup!

Post by Olivia Blodgett, Registered Dietitian

Strawberry season is upon us and the best way to consume these sweet, juicy miracles is definitely fresh! However, if you are like me and you like to hoard berries you may find yourself in a position where you simply cannot consume them all before they start to go bad. Hulling and freezing them is a great option for later use. But if you feel like enjoying the flavor now, here are some recipe ideas to use up your abundance:

Strawberry Chia Jam

Strawberry Avocado Caprese Salad

Strawberry Basil Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Strawberries

Chilled Strawberry Almond Soup

Strawberry Oat Bars

Ingredients

•  1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 
•  3/4 cup whole wheat flour
•  1 cup chopped dates
•  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
•  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•  8 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 3 cups small-diced strawberries 
•  1 teaspoon cornstarch
•  1 tablespoon  freshly squeezed lemon juice — from about 1/2 small lemon

1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, dates, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice. Scatter on the remaining berries. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.
4. Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Strawberry Oat Muffins

adapted from cookieandkate.com

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 dates, soaked in 1/3 cup water for at least 1 hour
• 2 eggs (dissolve 1 Tbsp. ground flax with 6 Tbsp water and let sit for 10 minutes)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups hulled and diced ripe strawberries, plus 3 more sliced for topping the muffins

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter or cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ⅓ cup oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir with a whisk to blend.
3. In a food processor, blend the water and dates until a smooth paste forsm. Add the eggs, yogurt and vanilla and blend until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Gently fold the strawberries into the batter. The mixture will be thick, but don’t worry.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. They will be quite full!
6. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oats, followed by slices of strawberries. Bake the muffins for 19 to 22 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
7. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.