Archives For blackberries

grilled chicken salad + blackberry vinaigrette.

July 12, 2012 — 8 Comments

It’s time to get back into the {salad} swing of things!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango, Avocado + Blackberry Vinaigrette

I’m seriously creeped by how long it’s been since I’ve shared one. I’ve had so much going on (just got off the phone with ABC again, NBD) that I’ve been pretty lazy about it. This one‘s been my go-to, because I can toss in a can of tuna and white beans and literally have dinner ready in 5 minutes.

But suddenly, I had a craving for something bigger and better. I’ve been obsessing over blackberries lately, because I’ve had some seriously good batches of them – as opposed to the blueberries I’ve been buying, which have for whatever reason been sour and lame. What’s up with that? For a blueberry-fiend like me, it’s pretty much the worst!

The idea of combining blackberry and mango in a salad just took me over, and from there the avocado was a natural addition. And then, pistachios! My new favorite addition to salads. If you buy them already roasted, shelled, and salted, they’re so easy – and they add the most savory flavor. I especially love them with avocados. Plus, they’re one of the lowest-calorie nuts (they are the lowest, actually, until you get into the roasted/salted world) and they’re super-high in potassium. Love, love, love.

Things didn’t really get good, however, until I decided to turn my happy little carton of berries into a vinaigrette.

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bananas ‘n cream pudding.

June 8, 2012 — 9 Comments

It doesn’t get more Southern than banana pudding.

Bananas 'n Cream Pudding

The old-school way of going about it involves any or all of the following: pudding – usually instant, boxed Nilla wafers, maybe some sweetened condensed milk, fresh banana slices, and either a meringue or whipped cream topping. It all gets layered together in some sort of a casserole or bowl, where the cookies become soft and as they melt their way into the pudding.

If you didn’t know all of that, you’d probably think the term “banana pudding” refers to … a banana-flavored pudding, right?

I totally dig this kind of thing – for one, that the name of the recipe seems straightforward, but it’s not, and then the fact that it’s timeless and classic, the type of recipe that gets passed down from generation to generation. However, I’m not so into boxed pudding and cookies and the like – hi, have we met? :) And so I set off to create my own spin on this traditional Southern specialty.

My first requirement was fresh berries. I love the combination of banana and both blueberries and blackberries, and I liked the idea of a twist on berries ‘n cream. To me, banana pudding should be a light, refreshing dessert. If I want something rich and heavy, I’m going for chocolate or an all-butter pastry type of a deal.

Bananas 'n Cream Pudding

Also – who wants something heavy after fried chicken? A meal like that requires something on the lighter side, for sure.

The next order of business – and the most important one – was the bananas. This is banana pudding, after all! I knew I wanted their flavor to shine, so I immediately knew I’d be roasting. I thought about roasting bananas for the first time when I made this banana bread (also with blackberries … I told you I’m into this combo) but I didn’t, because I had some old ones to use. This was the perfect opportunity to try it! You already know how I feel about roasting – it brings out the best of pretty much all vegetables, and apparently now fruits – so this was an obviously easy decision.

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mini pineapple {coconut} upside-down cakes.

May 9, 2012 — 7 Comments

For a long time, I’ve been obsessing over the idea of a pineapple upside-down cake.

Mini Pineapple {Coconut} Upside-Down Cakes

The only problem was, pineapple upside-down cake conjured up images of canned pineapple and cake mix.

Yeah … clearly that was not where I wanted to take this cake.

I checked out a few recipes, but didn’t fall in love. I had to take matters into my own hands. :)

Around the same time, I was becoming equally obsessed with the idea of baking with coconut oil. Have you guys been seeing this stuff everywhere? It comes in a jar, and the texture of it is scoopable – almost like a jar of coconutty-white, soft butter. You want to make sure to get virgin coconut oil, because that means it wasn’t refined with chemicals and other not-so-fun stuff. And guess what? You can use it as a {healthier} substitute for butter in your baking!

Which is just what I did with this recipe. Instead of using three sticks of butter, I went with one plus a cup of coconut oil. Um, hello? … How major is that?!

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apple-blackberry banana bread.

January 18, 2012 — 2 Comments

Now is the time for banana bread.

Why? Well, because what else does one bake when the holidays have just passed, so you can’t bear the thought of another cake or – gasp! – cookie…but you’re still in the mood to bake?

{Is now a bad time to mention that double mocha-fudge brownies are on next week’s menu?}

Banana bread is the answer to our post-holiday, January baking cravings. This banana bread in particular is super, super-healthy. Whole wheat? Check. Low in sugar? Check. Three different fruits and the addition of applesauce to replace half the butter? Healthy fats in the form of crunchy walnuts? Check, check, and check.

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blackberry {sour cream} coffee cake.

September 22, 2011 — 4 Comments

It’s time for blueberry sour cream coffee cake to take a back-seat.

Because there’s a new coffee cake in town.

It’s not that I have anything against the blueberry version. I actually quite like it. Anyone who knows me also knows that I adore blueberries. I eat them like candy, I eat them in smoothies… I love my blueberries.

And probably because of that, I like the idea of switching up a coffee cake to include blackberries instead. The next time you get your hands on a package of those lusciously fat, sweet blackberries, I highly encourage you to give this cake a try.

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blackberry pie bars.

May 8, 2011 — 3 Comments

What’s better than a warm, fresh-baked pie straight out of the oven?

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A pie bar, which is exponentially easier to make and just as delicious.

For some reason, I fell in love with the idea of these bars when I first saw them in the Pastry Queen cookbook. When I saw that Josie had selected them for this week’s edition of PPQ, I knew I’d have to pull it together and get them done – even though this may have been the most epic weekend in my life.

{Did I just say “epic” – I don’t usually use that word, but I honestly can’t come up with a better one to fit this weekend. More on that later}

So, that’s just what I did. I pulled it together, and I made these bars happen. Luckily, they’re incredibly simple to make: You start with an easy pastry base, press most of it into the bottom of the pan, bake for a few and then top with the blackberry filling, adding more of the crumbled pastry on top and baking again for about an hour. I love that the recipe uses frozen blackberries, so you can make them anytime of year. I halved the recipe, so I used an 8-inch square pan rather than the 9 x 13 dish the recipe calls for, and I think because of that I had to bake everything about 20% longer than the recipe stated. I also threw in an extra handful of berries, and subbed buttermilk for the sour cream because that’s what I had on hand.

I love a good pie – blueberry, blackberry, and cherry are probably my top three fillings. I think these bars would be equally fabulous with either of those fruits, or whatever fruit you prefer. You can serve them up with some vanilla ice cream for dessert, or on their own for breakfast.

Or, you can just eat them. Whenever.

{Click here for the full recipe}

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blackberry thyme margaritas.

September 18, 2010 — 4 Comments

Fresh herbs in cocktails: It’s kinda my new thing.DSC03452.JPG

Okay, fine – I guess mojitos have had this down for a while. And though I *very much* love a good mojito, lately I’ve been discovering countless new favorite cocktails made with fresh herbs.

You’ve seen me use basil before here, but today we’re talking thyme. Thyme, and margaritas. These things make me happy.

Thyme is from the mint family, and to me, it has a very lightly earthy, almost lemony flavor and scent. It’s delicious with so many types of things – roast chicken being one of my personal favorites – and it seems to go perfectly in this margarita.

But wait – we haven’t even gotten to the blackberry part! Ah yes, the blackberries. Sure, you could puree them, strain the seeds out, get all fancy with it…but there’s really no need. I just threw a bunch of berries into my pitcher – along with the thyme – and muddled it all up against the glass with my wooden spoon. I think the flavor combination works brilliantly together, and the blackberries create a gorgeous purple hue. It’s rustic, thanks to the thyme – yet the bubby and high-quality tequila up the glam factor.

All in all, it’s a pretty sexy drink, if you ask me.

Blackberry-Thyme Margaritas

Adapted from Bon Appétit
  • 1-2 cups fresh blackberries
  • Handful fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/2 cups good white tequila
  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup Cointreau or other orange liquor
  • 1 cup simple syrup
  • 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine

    • Place blackberries and thyme sprigs {be sure to leave extra of both for garnish} in medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with muddler or back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, Cointreau, and sparkling wine. Stir to blend well. Fill glasses with ice, and pour margarita mixture over. Garnish with a couple blackberries and thyme sprigs.

    Makes about 8 drinks.

    In Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy , , , ,
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