So many really good raspberry recipes

We have two red berries available to us fruit lovers in this theater of seasons, that are beautiful in color, aromatic (each with a different aroma) and are just plain delicious. A couple of weeks ago I had strawberry recipes in this column and today it’s recipes using raspberries. I have so many really good recipes for the red berry that I’m going to skip the talk and get right to it.

RASPBERRY-PEAR CRISP
Cooking Spray 2 large firm pears, unpeeled, cored and thinly sliced (not quite 1/2” thickness)
1-16 oz. pkg. frozen, unsweetened raspberries, thawed or 2 c. fresh berries
Topping:
1 c. quick cooking oats, uncooked
1/4 c. honey
3 T. reduce calorie margarine, melted
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Arrange pear slices in a 9x13” baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange berries evenly over pears. Combine rest of ingredients lightly until they become coarse crumbs; sprinkle over berries. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until pears are tender. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping if you wish. Makes eight servings. Each serving, without whipped topping equals 120 calories per 1/2 c. serving.

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CHICKEN ROLLS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. crumbled feta, gorgonzola or blue cheese
4 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained, patted with paper towels and crumbled
2 T. melted butter, divided Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. fresh raspberries
1/4 c. chicken broth
3 t. brown sugar
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. dried oregano leaves
Flatten chicken to 1/4” thickness between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Remove waxed paper and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and bacon to within 1/2” of edges. Roll up each, jelly roll style, starting with a short side; secure with toothpicks. Place in greased 8” square baking dish. Brush with 1 T. butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered, at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Press through a sieve; discard seeds. Stir in remaining butter until smooth. Discard toothpicks from chicken rolls. Serve with raspberry sauce. Makes four servings.

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This is a nutritious and refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
BERRY SMOOTHIE
1/2 c. each, raspberries and blueberries
1 T. sugar
1-1/2 c. 1 or 2% milk
1-6 oz. container raspberry yogurt
3 ice cubes Stir together raspberries and blueberries in a small bowl.
Sprinkle sugar over top. Let stand for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine milk and yogurt in blender. Add raspberry mixture. Process until smooth. While blender runs, add ice cubes, one at a time, keeping blender cup covered. Serve immediately. Makes three servings.

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MILE HIGH RASPBERRY PIE
3/4 c. sugar
2 egg whites
2 c. fresh raspberries
1 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon juice Pinch of salt
1 c. whipped cream, whipped 1 9” baking pie shell In a large mixing bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Beat at high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until thick and voluminous. (If using a kitchen-aid mixer, beat only 6-8 minutes. Fold in whipped cream and pile mixture into baked pie shell. Freeze several hours or overnight. After pie is frozen, wrap in foil. To serve, remove foil, slice and serve immediately. Will keep a few days in the freeze. Garnish with 3 or 4 fresh raspberries and a couple fresh mint leaves if you wish. Makes 6-8 servings. Note: Do not use whipped topping, as it’s too sweet. Also, when I made this pie I had lots of filling. I didn’t use it all as it was so high, so I put the extra into sauce dishes and refrigerated it.

Thought for the Day: Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy.