Divine Spring Strawberry Recipes

I'm obsessed with strawberries right now! Reese isn't impressed by these lovely blushing beauties, and won't eat them. I (am pregnant, and) have gone through multiple cartons. Here are some standout strawberry recipes. 

Perfect French Toast with Strawberries

I’ve never liked French toast; it tasted too eggy and like a dirty skillet in a cheap diner. But a few weeks ago, my husband had had a long night at work and slept in, and I wanted to make him breakfast in bed.  The result was this French toast, which is NOT eggy and has just the right amount of sweetness.

Ingredients:

4 slices whole grain bread

1 egg (I always use Eggland’s Best free range organic!) + 1 egg white

½ c. almond milk (you can use any milk; I love unsweetened almond or coconut)

1 tsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. agave nectar

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

1 tbsp. coconut or olive oil

1 tsp. or more (I like more) cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

For topping: pure maple syrup and sliced strawberries

Directions:  Heat cast iron skillet on medium, with coconut oil. Combine egg and egg white, milk, maple syrup, agave nectar, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon and sea salt; whisk.  Dip sliced bread into mixture one at a time, and place on hot skillet, just until golden brown (it won’t take long, so don’t leave the stove like I did with my first piece!) then flip and do the same to the other side. Once plated, top toast with maple syrup and strawberries, and serve immediately. Yum!

P.S. If making this for a special someone, the strawberries can be cut and placed to look like a heart, although I attempted this and failed. Oh well, it still tasted fantastic!

Strawberry Chambord Champagne Float

(adapted from Cooking Light’s recipe for Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet)

I got my Cooking Light mag this month, and the strawberry recipes had me itching to experiment with the only-delish-when-in-season berries. This sherbet sounded delicious, but as I was making it, I realized it would be even BETTER with champagne, or even a sparkling white wine. I’d use Asti Spumante. Here’s how I made my version:

Ingredients:

Bottle of Asti Spumante or other sparkling wine or champagne

 2 c. chopped strawberries

1/3 c. agave nectar

1 ½ c. buttermilk

3 tbsp.-ish Chambord

Directions (these are nothing like the magazine’s, and I encourage you to buy a copy if you want the original. The magazine is totally a worthy investment):

Combine strawberries, agave nectar, and buttermilk in a bowl. With an immersion blender, mix until well blended. Add Chambord. Mix again. (You could also use a blender or food processor, but my mother-in-law bought me the immersion blender for Christmas and I think it’s the coolest thing since sliced bread, since I hate using extra dishes.) Freeze in a large tub. Cooking Light says to use an ice cream freezer; I don’t have one. 

Freeze for a couple of hours, before it gets too icy. Serve in a champagne glass, filled the rest of the way with sparkling wine, garnished with strawberry slices.