By Eileen Goltz, Special to JTNews
When given a choice, I am by nature a raspberry kind of gal. I love the delicate, fragrant raspberry that comes in black, purple, gold and the ever-popular deep ruby red.
Raspberries are a very healthy food and good for you. I know, I know, when someone says that something is good for you and healthy to boot, your thoughts immediately go to “Yuck! This has got to contain fiber, and no taste whatsoever.” Well surprise, surprise. Raspberries are actually very high in fiber and vitamin C and are a good source of iron and foliate. And they taste good. Not too shabby for a fruit most kids like to stick on the ends of their fingers as they eat them.
When on your raspberry hunt, you should look for plump, firm, fully red berries (or yellow or purple) that are free of mold and look moist. Raspberries are a very fragile fruit, so if you have the chance to pick them yourself, do so. Don’t wash your raspberries until you are ready to use them, and keep them refrigerated.
For those you looking for raspberry equivalents, 1 pint = 2 cups = about 3/4 lb., and is good for about two to four servings. You probably should use about four cups if you’re making a pie.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (Dairy)
Oreo Cookie Crust:
13 Oreo cookies or similar chocolate sandwich cookie, crushed fine
1/4 cup melted butter
Cheesecake filling:
1-1/2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature (3 8-oz. packages)
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup white gourmet chocolate, melted with 2 Tbs. half-and-half
3/4 cup raspberry preserves, seedless
Fresh raspberries for topping
Preheat oven to 325º. Place pan of hot water in bottom of oven. Prepare 9-inch spring form pan with foil around the bottom (on the outside) and spray the inside with non-stick spray. In a bowl combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and butter. Pat the mixture on the bottom of prepared pan. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl a few times and mixing after. Add the flour, almond extract, vanilla and salt, beat again and scrape down sides. With mixer on medium speed, add melted white chocolate. Beat on medium just until mixed and creamy. Pour half the batter into pan on top of crust. Carefully and evenly spoon half the raspberry preserves on top of the batter. Do not let any preserves touch the sides of the pan. Gently pour the remaining batter on top, being careful not to disturb preserves. Place small amounts of remaining preserves around the top of the cheesecake. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut through the preserves and into the cheesecake to produce a swirled design.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To serve, decorate the top with fresh raspberries. Serves 12 to 14
Tequila Grilled Salmon With Raspberry Sauce (Parve)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
4 (6 oz.) salmon filets
1 lb. fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
Juice of one-half lemon (3 Tbs.)
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur (optional)
Blend together all ingredients, except salmon, in gallon size zip-lock plastic bag or flat dish. Add salmon to marinade; turn several times to coat. Cover, if needed, and refrigerate for one hour (or longer), turning salmon over after 30 minutes.
Grill salmon on oiled hot grill or in an oiled grill pan, turning once during cooking, about 6 to 12 minutes per inch of thickness. Do not overcook. Serve with sauce.
While the fish is cooking, place the fresh raspberries in a bowl and mash slightly, microwave for 3 to 5 minutes until hot. Cool slightly then place the raspberries, lemon juice and liqueur in a food processor and process. Strain to remove the seeds if you wish and then cool the mixture in the refrigerator and serve with salmon.
Serves four.
Lemon And Raspberry Tart (Dairy)
1 partially baked 9 to 10-inch pie crust
The filling:
2 medium lemons
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. whipping cream
2 cups raspberries
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300º. Finely grate the zest of both lemons; set aside. With a small knife, cut off the top and bottom of each lemon and then carefully cut away the pith and a tiny bit of flesh from each lemon — the juicy sections of lemon should now be completely exposed. Lay the lemons on their sides and cut each lemon crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; remove the seeds. Place the lemon slices, eggs, yolks and sugar in the container of a blender and purée until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the reserved zest and the cream. Give the bowl a good rap against the kitchen counter to de-bubble it — if there are bubbles in the cream now, there will be bubbles in your tart later. (It’s not tragic, but neither is it attractive.)
Scatter the berries over the bottom of the crust and pour over the filling. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set in the center. Transfer the tart to a rack and cool to room temperature. To serve: Cut the tart into eight wedges and serve as is with some lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Serves 8.