Three recipes with cherry to make your Monday merry

With the fresh cherry season of the year bids adieu,here are some expert recipes that you can try out at home. You can have a cherry-based french toast for breakfast or a healthy cherry smoothie after a work-out; or you may want to try an innovative cherry salsa, here are the recipes!

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Ingredients:

● 2 cups northwest cherries - fresh or frozen

● 1 cup unsweetened almond Milk or any milk of your choice

● 2 tbsp raw cacao powder cocoa powder is okay too

● 1 tbsp chia seeds

● 1 scoop protein powder (plain, vanilla or chocolate) or greek yoghurt (plain or vanilla)

● Ice, if not using frozen cherries

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients in blender until smooth

• Serve chilled

Baked French Toast with Cherry Topping

Ingredients:

● 1 1/2 cups milk

● 6 eggs

● 1/3 cup maple syrup

● 3 tbsp sugar, divided

● 1 tbsp orange peel, grated

● 1/8 tsp salt

● 8 slices French bread

● 4 cups northwest cherries, pitted and halved

● 1/2 cup orange juice

● vanilla yoghurt

Method:

• Combine milk, eggs, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons sugar, orange peel, and salt; mix well.

• Pour half of mixture into each of two 9-inch square baking dishes.

• Dip both sides of each slice of bread in milk mixture; arrange in the same baking dish.

• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

• Marinate cherries in orange juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar overnight.

• Carefully transfer slices to a nonstick, buttered baking sheet using a large spatula; allow excess liquid to drip into pan used for soaking,

• Bake in a preheated 400°F oven 15 to 18 minutes; turn slices over halfway through baking time.

• Top each slice with 1/2 cup cherries and a dollop of vanilla yoghurt.

• Serve immediately.

Cherry Salsa

Ingredients

● 4 lbs northwest cherries, pitted and chopped

● 1 1/2 cups red onion (chopped)

● 1 1/2 cups white vinegar

● 1 cup bell pepper

● 3/4 cup sugar

● 3 jalapeno peppers (minced)

● 3 garlic cloves (minced)

● 1 tsp ground cumin

● 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Method

• Combine all ingredients in a large sized, non-ionised pot.

• Bring to just a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until salsa no longer looks watery.

• Ladle salsa into hot prepared pint jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings (finger tight) and process a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

• Remove the canning pot from heat, remove lid and let jars rest in the canning pot for an additional 5 minutes.

• Remove jars, let sit on the counter for at least 12 hrs.