10 Spring Fruit Recipes You Need To Try ASAP
Fruit is great for you in so many ways, but most importantly everyone loves a fruity flavour. Spring is fast approaching, so its time we put down those winter berries and start to pick up those spring fruit gems.
Here are 10 spring fruit recipes you need to get involved with ASAP.
1. Fruit and Nut Taboule
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lay the almonds out onto a small rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. After they’re done toasting, allow to cool.
Place bulgur in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring the water to a boil and then pour over the bulgur. Let stand until the bulgur has absorbed most of the water and has become tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. If there’s any remaining water, simply drain and fluff the grains with a fork. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, in a large bowl combine the strawberries, mint, basil, and currants. Fold in the bulgur wheat, toasted almonds, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Stir to combine. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate to serve cold.
2. Rubarb Muffins
Heat your oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Bake the rhubarb for about 10 minutes until just tender. Drain really well and cool on kitchen towel.
In a large bowl, mix the the dry ingredients together (plain flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon). In a separate bowl, combine flax seed and water blended, almond milk and cooled melted butter.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones along with the rhubarb (don’t overmix, it should be a bit lumpy). Divide between the muffin cases, sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar and bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden.
3. Gooseberry & Elderflower Sorbet
Put the wine and sugar in a large pan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gooseberries and elderflower cordial, cover and bring to a simmer for 5 mins or until the berries are squishy. Cool a little.
In two batches, blitz to a puree in a food processor. Transfer to a freezerproof container and cool at room temperature, stirring now and again, then cover and freeze overnight until solid.
The next day, leave at room temp for 15 mins or until just softened. Chop into rough chunks, then process with the egg white until thick, pale and smooth. Spoon the sorbet back into the container and refreeze. Will keep for up to 1 month. Let it soften for a few mins out of the freezer before you scoop.
4. Spring Fruit Salad
Combine 3 kiwi, peeled and sliced, 2 oranges, peeled and cut into 1 slices,2 cups of strawberries, cut in halves, 2 green apples, cut into small cubes, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, mix it up and enjoy!
5. Vegan Apricot Mouse
Put tofu, ground star anise, vanilla seeds, treacle and agave syrup into a large bowl and blend with a hand blender until silky smooth.
Melt chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water, be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Fold into the tofu. Spoon the mixture between 4 glasses and refrigerate until set.
For the honeycomb, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put sugar, glucose and golden syrup into a deep saucepan and heat until it reaches 145C. (This should take around 5 minutes). Quickly whisk in bicarbonate of soda. Be careful as the mixture will bubble up very suddenly. Quickly pour onto the lined baking tray. Set aside to cool and harden.
To make the apricots, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the apricots and star anise and cook until the apricots start to caramelise. Sprinkle over a pinch of sugar and leave to cool.
6. Black Cherry Granita
Put the cherries into a large pan with 300ml water and the sugar. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes until the cherries have softened completely.
Mix it up in a food blender, then push through a sieve (add a little more sugar if you like it sweet). Stir in some cherry brandy, if using. Pour into a large baking dish and freeze for an hour.
Use a fork to scrape the frozen edges into the middle then freeze again and repeat 2 or 3 times at hourly intervals until the granita has set.
7. Grapefruit Mint Mojitos
Put a few cubes of ice in a glass. Add in rum, the cooled simple syrup, grapefruit juice, and sparkling water. Add some grapefruit slices and that’s it!
8. Sweet Peach Smash
Fill glass with crushed ice. Combine whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Top with a splash of seltzer water and garnish with peach slices (and flowers if you’re feeling a little fancy)
9. Raspberry Jam
Mash the berries to a pulp over the heat with a potato masher, then leave to cook for 5 mins. Tip the cooked berries into a sieve over a bowl, then once all of the juice has drained off, firmly work the pulp through the sieve with a wooden spoon until you are left with just the seeds.
Tip the juice and pulp back into the preserving pan and stir in the sugar. Heat gently, then add the remaining whole raspberries. Bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and drop a little jam onto the chilled plate. Now push your finger through it – it should wrinkle and look like jam. If it doesn’t, boil for 2 mins, then test again.
10. Papaya Coconut Smoothie
Add 1 1/2 cups frozen ripe papaya cubes, 1 small ripe banana (previously peeled, sliced and frozen), 1-2 tsp minced ginger (to taste), 2 medium limes – juiced, 1/2 cup carrot juice, 1/2 cup light coconut milk, 1-2 Tbsp agave nectar (or other sweetener of choice). Then blend it all up.
