SUMMER!! I realize it's not officially summer yet, but come on, I live in L.A., where we have two seasons; warm and warmer. From a young age I always loved eating my fruits and veggies, but I love them now more than ever. I pretty much love every fruit nature has to offer us, but I especially love summer fruits. All the fruits I love most- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, pineapples, pluots, watermelon and cherries.....OH CHERRIES!!!!.....they all make for a magical summer of eating.
I always seem to lose weight the months of May-August, without really trying, and I really think that it's because of all the fruit I eat. In the winter months, I opt for heavier snacks such as hummus and pita, a veggie sammy, or leftovers from the last nights dinner. Once it starts to heat up and all this amazing fruit is out, that is what I pick up instead. The best thing about it is that you can't really gain weight by eating too much fruit (or veg), so go ahead and have a half of a watermelon for dessert if you feel like stuffing your face! There's no guilt (I mean who ever laid in bed and thought "Oh, why did I eat that much watermelon. There goes my diet!"), and your ass will thank you later! Before I proceed with my Strawberry Bread recipe I wanted to tell you some of the amazing benefits of strawberries.
TOP TEN REASONS TO EAT MORE STRAWBERRIES!!
* Excellent source of Vitamin C (1 Cup = 100% of your daily dose!)
* Strawberries are loaded with Antioxidants, which may help prevent cataracts.
* Strawberries are a cancer fighting fruit
* Help keep wrinkles at bay (put down the Botox needle and eat your berries)
* Fight bad cholesterol
* Due to the Antioxidants and Phytochemicals, strawberries help reduce the inflammation in joints
* With 134mg of potassium per serving (1/2 C), they can help regulate your blood pressure
* Contains 2g of fiber per serving (1/2 C); and we all know what happens if you lack fiber....
* Aid in weight management/loss, you can eat 1 1/2 C for only 100 calories!!
Eat up, people, it's clear that strawberries are more than just a beautiful and tasty treat! I love them so much, and have a constant supply of them at our place until they are out of season and the price starts to rise. They are pretty cheap now (even Organic, which is what I recommend buying), so no excuses!
Now, on to the bread recipe........this recipe is adapted from a recipe I found in Taste of Home like 10 years ago. I've veganized and healthified it, so no need to feel guilty eating a slice for breakfast or dessert.....just don't eat half the loaf!
STRAWBERRY COCONUT BREAD
(makes 2 loaves)
* 3 C whole wheat flour
* 2 C organic vegan sugar (for those not in the know, regular, refined, sugar is NOT vegan-friendly in that it contains animal bone char. VOMIT)
* 3 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/4 C vegetable oil
* Egg Replacer for 4 eggs (I use Bob's Red Mill Brand; 1 TBS replacer + 3 TBS water = 1 egg)
*1 1/4 pound fresh Organic strawberries, diced large
* 3/4 C unsweetened Organic shredded coconut
* Sprinkling of coconut and vegan brown sugar, to top
- Preheat oven to 350
- Grease (I used cooking spray) and flour 2 loaf pans
- Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl (Kitchen Aid if you have it)
- Add oil, egg replacer and mix on low-med to incorporate ingredients
- Fold in strawberries and coconut BY HAND, otherwise your precious berries will get crushed!
- Divide batter evenly between the 2 loaf pans and top with a sprinkling of coconut and brown sugar
- Bake for 1 hour, or until tops are browned and toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
- Keep in loaf pan, but move to cooling rack to cool.
- Wait until completely cooled to remove from pan.
- ENJOY!!
As always, I love to hear any feedback on my recipes/blog. What's YOUR favorite way to eat strawberries?
I hope everyone has a beautiful day. Get out there and stock up on some strawberries!
XO
~H
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