Summertime Recipes with Strawberries, Lemons and Avocados, Oh My!

Nothing says summer more like strawberries. And a few lemons and avocados make a nice complement as well. (Can you say guacamole?) 

So with June just on the horizon, we played ode to the summer today on Good Morning Texas featuring the unofficial fruits of summer (yes, these are all fruits!)


STRAWBERRY COLADA CAKE Inspired by http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2010/05/farmstand-fresh.html
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 
2 cups sugar 
3 eggs 
3 Tb. lemon juice, divided 
zest of 1 lemon 
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided 
½ tsp. baking soda 
½ tsp. salt 8 oz. Greek yogurt, plain 
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced 
1 cup powdered sugar 
2 Tb. of cream of coconut 
¼ c. shredded coconut 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.  

Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside. 

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter. 

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled, whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar with cream of coconut. Drizzle over the top of the cake and sprinkle coconut as desired.

STRAWBERRY JALAPENO SALSA

15-20 strawberries, chopped 
1/3 medium red onion 
Handful of cilantro, chopped 
1 Jalapeno, finely minced 
Juice of fresh lime 

Mix everything in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips or cinnamon chips. 

* Cinnamon chips can be made easily in the oven! Broil several flour tortillas sprayed with cooking spray and cut into 8 triangles (use a pizza cutter to cut several easily)until brown. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar to the chips.

Strawberry salad with avocado and bacon vinaigrette 6 cups spinach, kale or greens mix 
2 cups sliced strawberries 
1 ripe avocado, sliced Crumbled bleu cheese (optional)

8 slices bacon, diced

3 tablespoons stone ground mustard

2 tablespoons honey

3 cloves chopped garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Place salad, strawberries and avocado into a large bowl and set aside.

For the dressing, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, set aside and crumble. Add mustard, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper to the pan with the bacon dripping. Combine well with a whisk. Whisk apple cider vinegar into the pan. Continue to whisk until the vinaigrette has thickened slightly. 

Allow to cool slightly before adding to salad. Add bleu cheese crumbles (optional.)
Now it's time to find a recipe for a strawberry mojito!