Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, 2012 Olympic medallist and World Champion in the 100-metre hurdles, reveals her ‘berry’ creative ways of incorporating healthy summer fruit into every meal.
They’re sweet, sour, colourful and packed full of fibre, vitamin C and essential antioxidant polyphenols that help improve your overall health.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is the new ambassador for high-quality fruit supplier, Berry Gardens, and has paired with nutritionist Emma Hanton to create a selection of healthy ways to spice up your favourite dishes — just in time for summer soirees.
Hero ingredients include pickled Driscoll’s Zara strawberries, smashed Driscoll’s Victoria sweet blackberry guacamole and whipped Driscoll’s Maravilla raspberry hummus.
Blackberries are loaded with fibre, brilliant for gut health and keeping you feeling fuller for longer.
Driscoll’s Maravilla raspberry hummus
This creamy, fruity side dish is best enjoyed with pita or veggies to dip.
Ingredients
2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ tsp baking soda
1 clove garlic
120ml tahini
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp cold water
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
120g Driscoll’s Maravilla raspberries
To serve
Olive oil, to drizzle
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tsp sesame seeds
4 pitas, toasted and sliced
- Add the chickpeas to a saucepan and fill with water.
- Add the baking soda and bring to a boil.
- Cook for 30 minutes, until puffy and the skins are falling off.
- Drain and rinse with cold water, trying to get as much of the skin off as possible.
- Add the chickpeas and garlic to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the tahini, cold water and salt and blend until creamy.
- Add the lemon juice, cumin, olive oil and Driscoll’s Maravilla raspberries and blend again until smooth.
- Serve drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkle of mint, sesame seeds and some sliced pita on the side.
Nutrition per serving with pita
| Nutrient | Value per 100g | Value per portion | |
| Energy | 213 kcal | 267 kcal | |
| Protein | 8 g | 10 g | |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g | 31 g | |
| Sugars | 3 g | 4 g | |
| Fat | 10 g | 13 g | |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1 g | 2 g | |
| Fibre | 5 g | 7 g | |
| Sodium | 210 mg | 264 mg |
Pickled Driscoll’s Zara strawberry Buddha bowl
In need of a nutrient packed lunch to avoid the mid-week slump? This berry bowl with pickled strawberries is an easy way to switch up a traditional salad.
Ingredients
2 handfuls spinach
2 handfuls rocket
⅓ cucumber
½ red onion
1 avocado
40g pecans
1 tbsp toasted seeds
100g strawberries
80ml white balsamic vinegar
2 smaller or 1 large chicken breast, grilled and sliced — optional
Dressing
100g strawberries
40ml olive oil
40ml white balsamic (from pickled strawberries)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
- Slice the strawberries for the salad and place in a jar with the white balsamic vinegar.
- Add a lid and shake well to mix.
- Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the cucumber and finely slice the red onion.
- Halve and slice the avocado and roughly chop the pecans.
- Divide the rocket and spinach between two bowls and top with the cucumber slices, red onion and avocado.
- Drain the pickled strawberries and arrange on the Buddha bowls, retaining the vinegar mixture for the dressing.
- Add the vinegar mix to a blender with the olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper and additional 160g strawberries and blend until smooth.
- Add the chicken breast (if using) to the salads and top with seeds.
- Finish by drizzling around two tablespoons of dressing on to each Buddha bowl.
Nutrition per serving without chicken
| Nutrient | Value per 100g | Value per portion | |
| Energy | 130 kcal | 521 kcal | |
| Protein | 2 g | 7 g | |
| Carbohydrate | 6 g | 25 g | |
| Sugars | 4 g | 17 g | |
| Fat | 11 g | 45 g | |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 2 g | 6 g | |
| Fibre | 2 g | 9 g | |
| Sodium | 41 mg |
|
Driscoll’s Victoria sweet blackberry guacamole
Take advantage of the polyphenols in blackberries which help reduce muscle pain and reduce inflammation, making them an amazing post-workout snack.
Ingredients
2 large avocados
½ red onion
1 clove garlic
1 lime, juice of
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Blackberry salsa
100g sweet blackberries
1/2 lime, juiced
Pinch of salt
180g lentil chips or tortilla chips, to serve
- Halve the avocados and scrape out the flesh into a bowl.
- Finely dice the red onion and garlic and add to the bowl.
- Add the lime juice and salt to the bowl and mix well.
- Finely dice the blackberries and add to another bowl.
- Add the lime juice and salt to the blackberries and gently mash with a fork.
- Spoon the guacamole into a serving bowl and spread out.
- Spoon the blackberry salsa mix on top of the guacamole and swirl through with a spoon.
- Garnish with leftover coriander and serve with lentil chips.
Nutrition per serving with lentil chips:
| Nutrient | Value per 100g | Value per portion (120 g) | |
| Energy | 199 kcal | 240 kcal | |
| Protein | 4 g | 5 g | |
| Carbohydrate | 20 g | 24 g | |
| Sugars | 2 g | 2 g | |
| Fat | 11 g | 14 g | |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 2 g | 3 g | |
| Fibre | 2 g | 3 g | |
| Sodium | 4 mg | 5 mg |
Find more delicious recipes for all the family in our Food & Drink archives.
