A Berry Good Post

Over the holidays I received and email which offered a super looking recipe for a berry cobbler.  Along with the recipe was some valuable information about berries.  I absolutely love berries. This was actually a team effort by Driscoll’s berries and The Biggest Loser Resort:  “HEALTHY, DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TIPS FROM THE BIGGEST LOSER RESORT®  HELP CELEBRATE A NEW YEAR AND A NEW YOU “

The recipe is at the end of the berry info. and is absolutely delicious and healthy.  It bursts with freshness in your mouth.  No heavy sugar, my version is virtually fat free.  The dessert fulfills the needs of your nagging sweet tooth as well as helping to fulfill the daily requirement for fruits, grains and nuts/fats.  It went together in 10 minutes and clean up was minimal when not using the food processor. 

Blueberries are my favorite.  The blueberry is one of nature’s healthiest berries. “It contains more free radical fighting antioxidants than any other berry. “  Just to remind you, antioxidants protect us from cancers, heart disease and age related effects.   

The above information and the information below is from Driscoll’s Berries.  If you love berries and have an interest in all the healthy benefits gained from eating them….read on.

Blackberries:   Not one of my favorites but I love the way they look on desserts.  There is something so proud and “royal” about a blackberry.  That could be due to it’s size and dark, brilliant color.  This berry is also loaded with benefits from consumption:   high amount of tannin to tighten cell tissue and alleviate intestinal inflammation.  Try pairing this berry with pears and almonds to sprinkle on top of a nice green salad.  6 grams of fiber in 1 cup!

Raspberries:  or Razzleberries as my dad calls them, are rich in Vitamin C.  They pack 3 times more antioxidants than kiwis and 10 times more than tomatoes.  Amazing!  The raspberry is a tasty addition to muffins, yogurt, oatmeal… or again, your nice green salad. What about that Raspberry Salad Dressing?   Yum!

Strawberries:  Even though we may not get them fresh in New York year round, we can get them from the grocery store and enjoy them just the same.  The strawberry offers 93% of our daily suggested allowance of Vitamin C and 16% of our fiber.  Heart healthy, cancer fighting benefits, and anti inflammatory, what could be better than this sweet, delicious fruit?   Driscoll’s has a recipe suggestion that I have never heard of: 

• Drizzle 1 TBS of Balsamic Vinegar over….
• 1 cup of Strawberries.
• Top with chopped walnuts (about 1 tsp) – this adds omega – 3 fatty acids to this healthy treat.

A comparison.  1 cup of the above berries…

Strawberries:  45 calories 1 g Protein and NO FAT.

Raspberries:  60 calories 1 g Protein and 1 g Fat. (hey! how’d that fat get in there? !)

Blackberries:  60 calories 2 g Protein and 1g Fat.

Blueberries:  80 calories 1 g Protein and NO FAT.

A BERRY Explosion Cobbler (serves 9)

• 1 cup each: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries – Driscoll’s are recommended! 
• 2 TBS REAL Maple Syrup
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Instant Oats (divided into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 TBS soy butter (or use real butter or a heart healthy alternative but note…it may change the nutrition values below.)  I used 2 oz of Unsweetened applesauce instead of any fat– worked great!
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 TBS agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Prepare a 9×9 pan with non stick spray.  Layer fruit on the bottom of pan. Drizzle with the syrup and sprinkle on the cinnamon. 

* I did NOT use the food processor to make a chunkier topping – no regrets on that change either.  In fact, less clean up  .  If you prefer to use the food processor, add the 1/4 cup oats, pecans, butter, cinnamon, and agave.  Blend until lumps are gone and it’s evenly chopped.  Add the rest of the oats and simply mix.  Sprinkle on top of the fruit mix and bake for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes and serve. 

If you’ve been really good and deserve it, add a scoop of frozen yogurt to the top or Lite whip cream.

Calories (without the yogurt or cream):  166 calories. 7 g fat. 4 g protein. 32 g carbs. and 4 g fiber. 

Joanne