Two Spins on Strawberries for Valentine’s Day

 

The tiny strawberry is packed with vitamin C, fibre, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. The heart-shaped silhouette of the strawberry is the first clue that this fruit is good for you! These potent little packages protect your heart by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure, and can help prevent age-related memory loss and dementia, and even guard against cancer.

Strawberry

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Strawberries are one of nature’s true pleasures; they do not contain much sugar, but they have a sweet and wonderful taste, so they can be enjoyed without any guilt!

If you’re opting for strawberries this Valentine’s Day, why not change things up a bit with these two recipes below!

 

Strawberry Salsa

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup pineapple, diced
• ½ cup mango, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp light brown sugar (demerara)

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until uniformly textured
• For a chunkier version, pulse in a food processor until desired texture is achieved.
• I love this as breakfast on an avocado, as dinner served over grilled chicken breast, or even as dessert served over plain yogurt!

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, diced
• ½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Chopped green onion, to taste

For the Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp poppyseeds
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

• Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl – keep chilled
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bottle/jar and shake well
• Pour the dressing over the salad, toss, serve, and enjoy!