Valentines is around the corner. Strawberries are open a symbol of this Holiday of Love. In fact, the ancient Romans put a lot of stock into the little guys – they believed that strawberries helped alleviate symptoms of melancholy, inflammation, fainting, fevers, blood disease, and many others.
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 tbsp sugar
Shortcake
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Mix Strawberries with 1 tbsp sugar, stir to mix, and refrigerate for at least 3o mins.
In a bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine dry ingredients alternatively with milk to the creamed mixture.
Place strawberry mixture in the base of the MicroPro Grill, pour cake batter over strawberries in casserole position and microwave 10 minutes.
Remove from microwave, remove cover and let stand 5 mins before serving.
Enjoy!!
Want some more strawberry facts?
- Strawberries are the only fruit that wear their seeds on the outside. The average berry is adorned with some 200 of them.
- Strawberries aren’t true berries, like blueberries or even grapes. Technically, a berry has its seeds on the inside. And, to be über technical, each seed on a strawberry is considered by botanists to be its own separate fruit.
- Strawberries are members of the rose family. Should you come upon a bush of them growing, you’ll see: they smell as sweet as they taste.
- The strawberry plant is a perennial. This means if you plant one now, it will come back next year and the following and the year after that.
- Belgium has a museum dedicated to strawberries. In the gift shop at Le Musée de la Fraise (The Strawberry Museum), you can buy everything from strawberry jam to strawberry beer.
- The ancient Romans thought strawberries had medicinal powers. They used them to treat everything from depression to fainting to fever, kidney stones, bad breath and sore throats.
- Sex & Strawberries? In France, where they’re believed to be an aphrodisiac, strawberries are served to newlyweds at traditional wedding breakfasts in the form of a creamy sweet soup.
- Strawberries are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. They are low in calories and high in vitamins C, B6, K, fiber, folic acid, potassium and amino acids.
- Strawberries contain high levels of nitrate. This has been shown to increase blood and oxygen flow to the muscles. Research suggests that people who load up on strawberries before exercising have greater endurance and burn more calories.
- Strawberries can also be pickled. Especially when picked green or unripe. If your berries are overripe, make jam!