Summer Strawberry Fruit Bake

Swedish strawberries...yum!

Last night over dinner, Camille and I were marveling at the fact that Svelte’s almost a year old now! We started talking about our earliest posts–and I was reminded of this recipe. It’s one of the first things I put up here, and it feels pretty perfect for the summer heat. The recipe’s healthy and light while still being satisfying. It’s also both vegan and gluten-free–and totally delicious.

So for this Friday, I present you with some bona fide vintage SG. I put a bit of the original text in there, too, in quotes. It felt a little like looking at an old photograph you like. Nostalgic and even funny, but also weaving the two moments together. You start to see how they fit…

I’d written this after just getting back from *last* year’s Sweden trip: “From July through August, strawberries rule the roost, keeping marketplaces and stores overflowing with color. Swedes devour them, usually with nothing more than a little sugar, yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The plump berries are that flavorful all by themselves. My cousin Henrik is married to a Parisian scientist (read: she’s got both the technical and the taste parts down) and one night, Claire served her strawberries baked in a pan, flavors seeping into creamy bananas and tart kiwis. For crust, there was a crisp and sweet mixture of sugar, ginger, and dark chocolate.”

Here’s Claire’s recipe. She’s probably the biggest health nut in the family, and she and I actually went through what makes this dessert so good for you. It was fun–highlights below.

Claire’s Summer Strawberry Fruit Bake (serves 6)

Ingredients:
*3 bananas (High in vitamins C and B6, potassium, and fiber. Also full of prebiotic enzymes to help with digestion.)
*3 kiwis (Lots of C and potassium here, too. You’ll also get A and E, and plus a little heart-healthy omega-3.)
*1 container strawberries (Strawberries have just eight grams of sugar per eight-berry serving, compared with the 15 to 23 you’d find in an apple. They’re a good source of folate, as well as–again–potassium and C.)
*1/4 cup sugar or less, depending on taste
*1/3 cup coconut shavings or less, according to taste (A good source of fiber and immune-boosting lauric acid.)
*1 cup chopped dark chocolate (High in antioxidants and plant phenols, which have been shown to lower blood pressure. If you’re making this vegan, check the ingredients to make sure there’s no milk or butter fat snuck in there.)
*2 small pieces (yielding 2 Tbsp) fresh, finely chopped ginger (Studies show this can settle your stomach. Research is also underway on ginger’s purported cardiovascular benefits.)

Directions:
1. Put oven on “grill” setting (basically, very high).
2. Slice fruit and fill into a brownie pan in alternating layers—try for two rounds of each fruit. (Since bananas tend to melt, keep them between the strawberries and the kiwis. Also, to get the strawberries on top, start with the kiwis.)
3. Mix together the sugar, coconut, ginger, and chocolate.
4. Pour mixture over fruit and place in oven. Cook until top browns.
5. Serve warm, plain or with vanilla ice cream.