Tammy Kelly: Blueberries the Nutritious Little Blue Bite!
Not only are blueberries a favorite springtime snack; they also pack a lot of nutritional punch into one little bite. While a cup of the little blues is only 80 calories, you’ll get 14 percent of your daily fiber and a boost of heart-helping antioxidants. Blueberries have also proven to keep you fresh, active, fit, sharp and in a great mood!!
Blueberries also;
- Have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidant vitamins that boost your immunity and prevent infections.
- Aid in reducing belly fat. Not only has research proven blueberries can reduce belly fat but they can also reduce the risk factors for heart disease.
- Have been proven to preserve your vision and slow down vision loss. They are great for brain health, and even have been proven to restore damaged brain cells.
- Are high in fiber and are also believed to aid in the prevention of liver and colon cancer.
Check out your local Farmer’s Market and get some fresh local blueberries!
Hope these recipes will find you enjoying blueberries even more!!
Blueberry and Mushroom Balsamic Pot Roast
(This one is so different, and also so easy, it is adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks)
1 whole (3 To 4 lbs.) Chuck Roast
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Onions
1 heaping cup of baby carrots or 6 whole Carrots
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, or more to taste
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, or more to taste
Drizzle olive oil over chuck roast and generously salt and pepper. Pre-heat your oven at 275 degrees.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, (I have made this process simpler by using a crock pot for the long term cooking). Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cut two onions in quarters and cut 6 carrots into 2-inch slices. When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Add the carrots into the same pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Add a little more olive oil if necessary to the pot and add mushrooms and sliced garlic. Toss in the pot until the mushrooms just begin to brown, remove the mushrooms to a plate.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until evenly browned. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, add balsamic vinegar and beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk all the brown bits up. Add tomato sauce and blueberries. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Allow the berries to cook for about 3 – 4 minutes until they plump, then using the back of your spoon mash some of the berries against the side of the pot.
Place the roast back into the pan; add in the onion, mushrooms and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.
Summer Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette
4 cups of kale leaves, massaged
1 cup strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup broccoli florets
1 granny smith apple, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
For the Citrus Basil Vinaigrette
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
In a small food processor add lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon mustard, basil leaves, pepper, and canola oil. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
To a large bowl add, kale, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, apples, green onions, and almonds.
Serve salad with dressing on the side. Serves 4.
Chicken and Blueberry Orzo
(This is a recipe I used one year at Business After Hours at the Farmers Market)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
8 ounces of whole grain orzo
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
¼ teaspoon salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes, or follow package directions. Drain. Place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place oil and onion in a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Add broth, feta and lime juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the feta begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the chicken to the bowl with the pasta. Add the dressing, blueberries, cilantro, lime zest and salt and toss until combined.
Serves 4, each 1½ cup serving contains: Calories 320, Fat 11g, Cholesterol 49mg, Sodium 243mg, Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 5, Protein 23g.
Blueberry Cornbread
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cups blueberries
1 cup + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup yellow cornmeal
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
⅔ cup milk
½ cup Vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400° and grease an 8-inch square baking pan or a cake pan with the 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Place pan in oven while it heats.
Toss blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour and set aside.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk to evenly combine ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Easy Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Swirl
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 quart fat-free frozen yogurt
Drizzle
2 ½ ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp. fat-free milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
In a small bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar and walnuts; let stand for 15 minutes.
In a large container, layer a third of the frozen yogurt and half the blueberry mixture. Repeat layers.
Top with remaining frozen yogurt. Swirl mixture; freeze until firm.
In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate, milk and vanilla. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Serve with frozen yogurt.
Serves 8, each1/2 cup serving frozen yogurt with 1-1/2 teaspoons drizzle contains: Calories 221, Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 3 mg, Sodium 75 mg, Carbohydrate 36 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 6 g.
Miniature Blueberry Cheesecakes
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint blueberries
24 vanilla wafer cookies
In a food processor pulse cream cheese, sugar, zest and vanilla to combine. Add blueberries and pulse until mixed.
Cut 24 small rounds of waxed paper and fit each into a cup of a 24-cup miniature muffin tin. Divide blueberry mixture among cups, spooning in mixture on top of waxed paper. Gently smooth with an offset spatula or back of a teaspoon. Place 1 vanilla wafer, flat side up, on top of each cup, pressing gently to adhere. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To remove cheesecakes, run a warm, thin knife around each, then slide tip of knife under and lift out.
Yields 24, each serving contains; Calories 80, Fat 5 g, Protein 1 g, Carbohydrate 9 g, Fiber 1 g,
Cholesterol 10 mg, Sodium 47 mg.
