Five Refreshing Strawberry Recipes

Ingredients for Shortcake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
⅛ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg, beaten

Ingredients for Compote and Topping
250g strawberries, hulled
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
⅓ cup heavy cream, softly whipped
Chervil (or basil), optional

Instructions
Make the shortcakes. Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of small peas. Add cream and stir until the mixture comes together.

Turn the dough out into a floured work surface and form into a ball. Roll the dough out until it is about 3cm thick, fold it in half, and then roll again to 3cm. Cut out 6cm rounds and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each shortcake with beaten egg. Bake until they rise, about 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and continue baking until the shortcakes are flaky and golden, about 8 minutes more.

Make the compote. Reserve half the berries (the most beautiful ones) to add, uncooked, to the shortcakes later. Coarsely chop the remaining strawberries and put in a saucepan with the sugar (a little more if the berries are tart) and 1 Tbsp. water. Cook over medium-high heat until theberries soften, about 7 minutes. Set the berry compote aside to cool.

Assemble. Quarter the reserved strawberries. Cut shortcakes in half and set tops aside. Layer with a spoonful of compote, whipped cream, fresh strawberries and then the top half of the shortcake. Serve garnished with fresh chervil or basil, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information
Calories per serving: 1853
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 41 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 12 g
Total fat: 29 g
Saturated fat: 17.5 g
Sodium: 282 mg

Ingredients
1 slice of bread
Butter
Strawberries
1 thick slice of cheddar cheese

Instructions
Butter a slice of toasted bread and top with trimmed, thinly sliced strawberries and thickly sliced cheddar cheese. Eat as is, or briefly melt cheese in oven. Makes one serving.

Nutrition Information
1359 kilojoules
Protein: 15 g
Carbs: 39 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 3 g
Total fat: 13 g
Saturated fat: 7.5 g
Sodium: 505 mg

Strawberry, Watermelon and Feta Salad

Ingredients
½ cup strawberries
½ cup cubed watermelon
Feta cheese
Chopped parsley
Black pepper
Red-wine vinegar

Instructions
Blend ½ cup trimmed, quartered strawberries and ½ cup cubed watermelon. Garnish with feta cheese, chopped parsley, black pepper and a touch of red-wine vinegar.

Nutrition Information
313 kilojoules
Protein: 2 g
Carbs: 13 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 9 g
Total fat: 2 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Sodium: 107 mg

Traditional British Summer Berry Pudding

Ingredients
8 cups summer berries (a mixture of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and coarsely chopped strawberries)
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1 loaf sliced Portuguese sweet bread, brioche, or challah, crusts trimmed

Instructions
Reserve 1 cup berries and place the remaining in a saucepan with sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.

Place the pan over medium heat and cook the berries until they soften and their juices thicken slightly, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Line a two-litre, high-sided casserole or flat-bottomed bowl with plastic wrap, with edges overhanging the sides. Spoon in a layer of cooked berries. Arrange a layer of bread on top of the berries, trimming the bread to fit. Put a third of the reserved raw berries on the bread then repeat twice more, layering cooked berries (and their syrup), bread and fresh berries. Finish with a layer of bread. Cover with plastic wrap, set the casserole or bowl on a plate, and top with a small plate and heavy weight, such as canned soups or beans. Chill the weighted pudding overnight.

Just before serving, gently pull along the plastic edges to loosen, open the plastic covering the top and invert a large plate over the casserole. Flip the casserole and plate, tap the bottom of the casserole, pull the plastic, and unmold the pudding onto the plate. Peel off the plastic wrap, slice, and serve. (Do not let this dessert sit too long unmoulded; it may begin to fall apart.) Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition Information
1439 kilojoules
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 76 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugar: 38 g
Total fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Sodium: 348 mg