Ginger-Berry Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream
There are a lot of things growing this time of year to get excited about. Tomatoes, peas, squash, the list goes on. But for me the best thing about spring produce is berries. My favorite fruit on earth is raspberries, one of the few fruits incidentally that does not grow on the Gulf Coast where I grew up. Perhaps that is why I love them so, they are always a treat.
But I also love all spring berries like blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. There are two wild blueberry bushes in my yard and they are loaded with tiny little morsels of yumminess right now. My neighbor picked a bowlful to make her morning pancakes and I have already harvested a delicious pie from them. The best thing about those bushes is that it’s free food. Not exactly manna from heaven but blueberries from heaven are almost as good in this economy.
Now the thing is that pies are not exactly the healthiest things in the world. No fear, I have recently developed a new berry pie recipe that is healthy and good. Not normal healthy food good but good. Additively good. I rely on two of my old favorites, agave nectar to replace the sugar and coconut oil to replace the butter then I make a crust using fat free ginger snaps and now we have a flavor combination that is remarkable. And it’s easy to make, too.
This is for a 1.5 qt. countertop ice cream machine. I specked this out and a 1/2 cup portion has less than 80 calories. My pal Susan Irby (the Bikini Chef) will be so proud.
New Recipe: Guilt-free Berry Cobbler
Each week as part of my duties with TheKitchenHotline.com I plan a full menu of meals that feed a family of four for an entire week. Each day’s menu feeds the family three meals plus a snack for the kiddies. These recipes need to be relatively easy to allow more quality time for the family to spend together. Another part of my charge is to come up with healthy recipes. Each week I will share one of these recipes with you. Here’s this week’s:
Filling
- 4 cups fresh or frozen organic any/all of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup raw local honey or agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons organic AP flour
Topping
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic AP flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 cup coconut oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup organic low fat Greek yogurt or regular low fat yogurt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the sides of a baking dish with the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
To make the topping, stir together the sugar and the flour in a large bowl. With a fork, work the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it has a crumb-like texture. Fold in the cinnamon and the oats and set aside. Toss the berries in lemon juice and honey/agave then gently toss with flour. Pour the berry mixture into the greased baking dish and top with the crumble. Pack it down lightly. Place into the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes; until the crumble is browned and the berries are bubbling. Serve topped with yogurt. Makes 8 serving.
Make vegan/dairy-free by substituting soy ice cream. Make gluten-free by substituting gluten-free flour mix. Each serving contains 237 calories, 8 grams of fat, 48 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams protein.