Make Something Purple in Honor of Prince
On April 21, the world began mourning the untimely death of legendary musician, Prince. Known for his eccentricities, Prince brought some funk to the music and film worlds that will never be emulated by anyone else. It may seem strange to grieve by cooking – however, Prince has done stranger things – so tonight, honor the Purple One by using your culinary academy skills to prepare something purple.
According to Eating Well, many naturally purple foods contain anthocyanins, which play a role in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. However, purple foods only tend to make up about 3 percent of the average American’s intake of fruits and veggies. Here are a few recipes that’ll allow you to add these nutrient-dense, delicious foods to your diet:
Salmon with blueberry pan sauce: Flaky salmon pairs surprisingly well with this sweet sauce from Bon Appetit. Consisting of strong flavors like garlic and shallots and spices like thyme and allspice, this blueberry pan sauce is to be warmed and poured over the grilled fish and garnished with a few sprigs of mint.
Beet and red cabbage borscht: This borscht from Food and Wine is a rare savory purple dish. Made with beets, beef, red cabbage and fennel, it’s the perfect appetizer for a dinner party. Top each bowl with a mix of sour cream, horseradish and chives.
Grape sorbet: If you have an ice cream maker on hand, you’ll definitely want to try this grape sorbet from Bon Appetit. Made of grapes, sparkling wine, grape juice, cinnamon and sugar, this simple recipe is an elegant dessert, perfect to serve while entertaining guests.
Blackberry Napoleons: These Napoleons with blackberry mousse and honey tuile from Food and Wine are for bakers looking for something a little more challenging to prepare. If you’re feeling even more ambitious, opt to serve them with a syrup made of sugar, lemon verbena leaves and zest, and fresh blackberries.
Plum pie: Plums are an underutilized fruit when it comes to desserts, so this recipe from Bon Appetit is working to change that. You can make a homemade crust or use a frozen one for this pie. Fill the crust with a mix of plum, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean, mascarpone, creme fraiche, honey and whipped cream for a decadent dessert.
Of course, a tribute to Prince wouldn’t be complete without a raspberry recipe, in reference to the 1985 song, “Raspberry Beret” from “Around the World in a Day.” So here’s a delectable raspberry recipe from Midwest Living – Prince is from Minneapolis, Minnesota – to pay homage:
Raspberry pavlova: This airy dessert only takes eight ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare. The raspberries are perfectly tart amid the fluffy whipped cream. Just be sure to wait until your raspberry mixture has cooled before you pour it onto the pastry.
Experiment with your favorite purple foods, like blueberries, blackberries and plums in some of your other favorite dishes. You’ll come to find out that these healthy fruits are surprisingly versatile.
