Strawberry Sauce

Summer is upon us!  And while I have recently mentioned two different recipes containing strawberries(this one and this one), I am going to hit you with one more!  I mean, honestly!  Who doesn’t love strawberries?!

I made this to go over waffles, but the leftovers are sublime over vanilla ice cream!  Seriously.  One bite with the ice cream and my eyes rolled to the heavens and I indulged in an evil little laugh while possesively cradling the bowl in my hands.  Thankfully, I was alone at the time.

This only takes a few minutes to make, but it feels like something extra special.  And just in case you do pour it over waffles, I highly recommend whipped cream and a side of bacon to go with it.  Sweet and salty gets me every time…

Strawberry Sauce
While this is wonderful over waffles, pancakes, or ice cream, there is no reason to stop there.  Use it as a sauce over angel food cake or layer it with cream and biscuits and make strawberry shortcake.  Or if you really want to get crazy you could whirl some in a blender with some frozen yogurt, kiwi, blueberries and a spoonful of wheat germ and make one outstanding smoothie!

1 lb of strawberries, rinsed, tops removed, and cut into chunks
1/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
tiny splash of vanilla
2 T water
1 rounded tsp cornstarch

In a medium sauce pan, combine fruit, sugar, and salt.  In a seperate bowl or cup, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.  Add this to the fruit mixture-before putting it on the stove!-and stir together.  Cook over medium heat until strawberries start to break down and sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla.  Sauce will keep in the fridge for several days.
Note:  You may need to add more sugar depending on how ripe your fruit is.  If your fruit isn’t very…umm…strawberry-ee, then add a bit more.