Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups dark sweet cherries (pits removed)

• 2 Tablespoons blackberry vinegar (red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)

• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos (or tamari)

• 1 Tablespoon minced dried onion (1 teaspoon onion powder)

• 1 Tablespoon black strap molasses

• ½ teaspoon mustard

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/4 teaspoon ginger extract (or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root)

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (can be omitted)

• Sea salt & black pepper

• Optional: 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Blend ingredients together in a high speed blender.  Add more vinegar, molasses, or mustard to taste.  You can enjoy this BBQ Sauce raw, or simmer it down on the stove top.

Coat fruit or veggie kabobs with this BBQ sauce and warm then toss them on the grill for a few minutes. 

Recipe by Andrea Wyckoff of bettyrawker.com. Photo by Mercedes G Photography. 

Raspberry Sorbet

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen raspberries

• 1/3 cup fresh avocado, packed

• Juice from 1 lime

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (or a few drops of stevia to taste)

• Optional: 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon rum (for softer sorbet if you plan to freeze it for very long, like overnight or a couple days. Do not add rum if making to serve right away)

Directions

Mash avocado and lime juice in a bowl until creamy.

Blend frozen raspberries in a food processor until they break down into icy raspberry bits. Add creamy avocado mash, vanilla, and sweetener, to the raspberries in the food processor, and blend into a creamy sorbet. Be careful not to over blend for too long, as you want this to stay cold and creamy.

Serve right away or put into a Tupperware container to firm up and enjoy later. 

Garnish with fresh raspberries, edible flowers, and mint leaves, if you would like.

Recipe and photo from Pure and Simple Recipes.

Pear Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1 cup and 2 T. sugar, divided, plus more for sprinkling

• 4 cups sliced pears, divided (NOTE: pears should be thin, but not too thin--about 1/4" thick)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 t. baking powder

• 3/4 t. baking soda

• 1/2 t. salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance, cut into pieces

• 3/4 cup cold water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar evenly on the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Place just enough pear slices in the dish to cover the bottom in a single layer. Sprinkle and additional 1/4 cup sugar over top of the slices. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup and 2 T. sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut in the Earth Balance until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Mix in the remaining pear slices until evenly distributed. Gradually add the water, stirring until the mixture comes together to form a thick, lumpy batter. Spread the mixture on top of the sugared pears and sprinkle the top lightly with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes, and allow the cobbler to cool on a wire cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.