Category Archives: Strawberries

Strawberry Mousse (SCD & GFCF)

Way back – well, last month, when I was going to make my brother’s birthday cake but didn’t end up doing so (we had strawberries and custard instead), I was still determined to make the make the mousse with the strawberries that we’d got for the cake. It was a two-pound container and I think one pound had already been eaten with the custard, so I used the rest to make the mousse.

Filming how to make the mousse (click here to watch the video or watch below, following the recipe) was both trying and amusing. My sister wrote about it on her blog, and I’ll be posting my side of the story (sort of) here in a few weeks to come. I made a comic strip about it.

I was very excited to see that Mrs. Ed of Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes is hosting this month’s theme of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free. This strawberry mousse is my submission for this month’s theme, gelatin. If you’re interested in participating, visit her blog for this month’s theme’s details. The deadline is May 27th, 2010.

The mousse is very easy and quick to prepare. The longest you have to wait is while it’s setting. It’s dairy-free and doesn’t use raw egg – the only egg ingredient is the yolks used to make the custard, which works as a substitute for yogurt. The custard is the same that I used with the strawberries; I promise that the recipe for the custard is linked correctly this time! (I’m still in the process of updating my interlinks.) If fresh strawberries aren’t available, I’ve also used frozen and they work just as well.

Adapted from Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced, fresh strawberries, quartered lengthwise (about 1 lb. strawberries)
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp. gelatin
1/4 cup orange juice (not from concentrate)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups cold, dairy-free custard (click for recipe)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

Puree the sliced strawberries. Pour the cold water in a small pot and sprinkle the gelatin over water, softening it.
Mix in the citrus (orange and lemon) juices, before adding the strawberry puree and honey. Cook over low heat until honey is dissolved.
Transfer into a bowl in an ice bath or use an ice pack. (Make sure the water does not flow into the bowl if using ice bath.) Stir for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it’s the consistency of raw egg whites.
Mix in the custard and vanilla. Pour into molds (if you have ring molds, you may use those) and cover, chilling in the fridge until set, about 8 hours or overnight.
The mousse can be eaten right out of the mold or removed by briefly placing the mousses in a lukewarm water bath (make sure the water does not flow over into the mousse) and running a knife along the edges to loosen. Quickly turn the mousse upside down on a plate. Garnish with extra strawberries or other fruit, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Video

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Homemade Strawberry Jam (SCD & GFCF)

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Today has been a super busy day for me, blog and food related. First, I’ve been continuing to revamp this blog – in big and little ways. There should be a post coming up soon about all the developments that have been going on here. It’s all by myself, I don’t have a hired blog developer or someone else who’s a computer and programming whizz to do it, so it’s been going slow and steady.

Next, there’s the food. I was hoping to make two videos today, but I may have to wait until tomorrow to do it. I made almond flour crepes, saving them for a project that I’m doing – it’s a surprise for next week for a very special something I’m doing and am excited about! They’re in the freezer now, each crepe separated by wax paper so that they don’t stick together and they’re easier to thaw when I’m ready to use them. Um, they were eaten by family members. I’ll have to make more later. That project is still on, though! In the meantime, I have this strawberry jam to share that I made today.

Strawberries are just one of the most perfect fruits, and classy – it’s one of the three of what I consider classic ice cream flavours: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, respectively – or throw them all together and have Neopolitan ice cream. But today is not about ice cream. It’s about jam.

Only naturally occurring fruit pectin – the pectin that’s already in the fruit – is allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). Extracted pectin, the kind that’s in powdered form and bought at the store, is not. I have never made jam or similar preserves with pectin as an added ingredient, so I cannot answer any questions about how to use it. To make SCD friendly jam, only the pectin that naturally occurs in the fruit is relied on. No thickeners or other additives are used. Depending on the fruit used, plus amount of cooking time, it isn’t always as thick as commercial jams but it still thickens to a general jam consistency. A general rule of thumb: fruit that’s richer in pectin will result thicker jams than fruit that contains less pectin.

The recipe for this jam is very simple: fruit, water, and honey to taste. Use as much fruit as you like and only use enough water to cover the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Depending on how sweet the fruit already is, honey may not even be required. The following measurements are what I used, that I had on hand.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Ingredients:

About 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
Water
Honey to taste

Method:

Place the strawberries in a small pot and add water, enough to cover the bottom to prevent scorching. Cook over medium heat. As it thickens, it will start bubbling but not enough to cook over. Stir occasionally, adding more water if necessary, and add honey to taste. Cook until it’s thickened to preferred or desired consistency. For mine, I cooked it for about 30 minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker it becomes. When it’s thick enough for you, remove from heat and transfer to a container or jar. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep for a week in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer. Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

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Strawberries and Custard (SCD & GFCF)

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For my brother’s birthday, we had strawberries and custard.

I had planned to make a cake from this recipe of mine that’s loosely inspired by the Daring Bakers strawberry mirror cake. I’ve written and copied out that recipe for that cake who knows how many times – electronically and on paper.

The photo of my cake recipe is from my new Moleskin Passions Recipe Journal that I got only last Saturday – it was funny, too, considering that I’d only found out about it earlier that same day on Running with Tweezers and had sent the Amazon link to myself. It’s a great little book, for all foodies or anyone who just wants to keep track of their recipes in one place.

The cake is planned for later this week though, so look out for it around Thursday or Friday. (The cake is now planned for next year.)Wednesday, it’s carrot muffins or cupcakes inspired by one of the recipes from Elizabeth Falkner’s Demolition Desserts.

For this treat, fresh or frozen strawberries can be used, but either way use organic strawberries if you can. Also preferably if they’re in season. Organic strawberries just seem to be sweeter than the conventional variety. If you’re using frozen strawberries, a favourite here is to thaw them just enough so that they can be cut. Put the cut strawberries in a tall container, add a few spoonfuls of custard, and use an electric hand blender to create an instant “ice cream“. The flavour is really smooth and creamy. My brother calls it Yogen Fruz, but better.

The custard can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, covered, until ready to serve.

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Ingredients:

Dairy-free custard (click for recipe), chilled
Fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced lengthwise

Method:

Pour a small amount of the custard in individual serving bowls. (You could also use glasses.) Top with the cut strawberries, or put the strawberries in first and cover with custard. Serve and enjoy!

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