FAQ About Strawberries

Q: What are the nutritional benefits of eating strawberries?

A: Strawberries are good source of potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamin C and fiber. Strawberries also contain different types of antioxidants that can help to reduce inflammation and reduce chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Q: Does the size of strawberries determine their flavor?

A: No, the flavor is determined by the growing conditions such as weather and the ripeness when harvested.

Q: What else can I do with strawberries other than eating them as fruits?

A: You can add strawberries to many types of salads, bake goods, and smoothies. Use strawberries as a topping to hot or cold cereals, yogurt or deserts such as ice cream.

I love strawberries, and my family shares the same love of strawberries as I do. In the summer time, we buy and eat many fresh strawberries since they are in season; therefore, they are flavorful and sweet. I know there are many ways of using strawberries other than just eating them as fruit. Inspired by reading so many strawberry recipes lately, I decided to challenge myself to create some refreshing and delicious recipes using fresh strawberries this month. After many tries, I am excited to share a few of recipes I created with you.

 If you want a refreshing, delicious, healthy and easy to make sweet treat, you must give this frozen strawberry yogurt cup recipe a try. This treat only needs four ingredients, and these ingredients can be found in any grocery store. This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prep, and they are good to eat after two hours of freezing time. It is also is very versatile. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, use flavored or plain Greek yogurts that complement the strawberry flavor.  You can also add different fresh fruits as well. Think of this recipe as the foundation of your frozen treat and create your own combinations and flavors. I do suggest to use Greek yogurt because of its thick consistency and to choose a full fat or low-fat type of yogurt to get the creaminess in this frozen treat.  The two hours of freezing time is perfect for eating these frozen strawberry cups. They will be firm but not so hard for your teeth to bite into them. Use less or more of sugar than the recipe calls for based on your preference.  Also, blend the ingredients based on the amount of strawberry chunks you prefer in the frozen cups. This recipe is definitely flexible for you to modify to your own liking. Using cupcake liners make this an easy grab and go sweet treat, and it is easy to serve at the parties – no additional utensils needed.

I know strawberries are good in salads and in making vinaigrette dressings. So, I was curious to see if I could combine these two concepts to created one delicious light and refreshing appetizer or side dish. This is how my strawberry tomato bruschetta recipe was created. Me and my family were surprised how well the strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers paired together. The best part is that you can make this recipe in less than 15 minutes!

The strawberries were used in both the salad mixture and the vinaigrette dressing which gives so much strawberry flavor.  In my opinion, this is not only an appetizer, it can also be a nice snack on a hot summer day. Do not limit your bread to just baguettes. Try different types of bread such as French bread, or simple sandwich breads. Crackers will work too! You can also serve this recipe as a side dish for BBQs or picnics.  Keep in mind that cucumbers will release its water content with time which will make them soft and soggy. It is best to make just enough so you don’t have leftovers. 

Do you like chicken wings? If so, you will want to try my sweet and savory strawberry chicken wings. That’s right, strawberries are not just for desserts or for eating alone.  They are great to use in savory dishes too. These chicken wings are oven baked, takes less than an hour from prepping to cooking. These wings make a good appetizer or party food.

I discovered coating the wings with baking powder helps the sauce stick to the chicken wings. Because the baking powder helps to draw out the moisture, it also makes the wings saucy but not soggy. From my research, I learned people who have sensitive taste buds sometimes can detect a metallic taste (some people describe it as bitterness) from baking powder that contains aluminum. So, it is helpful to use aluminum-free baking powder if you have sensitive taste buds.

Many times, people avoid making chicken wings because it can be time consuming. To make these chicken wings within 60 minutes, I recommend you follow the steps in this recipe. By preparing it in these sequences, you will have the sauce ready to use while your chicken wings are baking in the oven. Even though I baked my chicken wings in the oven, they are absolutely great on your BBQ grill as well. By the way, this sweet savory strawberry sauce is also wonderful on fish. Be creative, experiment using this sauce on different foods to determine what you like best.

Let me know what recipes do you have using strawberries.

Happy Eating!