I have been reading a lot about the health effects of blueberries. We have a program at work called "The Healthy Heart Campaign", and it goes on and on and on about blueberries and how great they are. My biggest issue with the blueberry is the cost - $3.99 for a half a pint. That's a lot of money and not a lot of berry. But this same Healthy Heart Campaign reminded me that I would gladly spend $4 on a cup of coffee, why not fresh fruit? Touche, Mr. Mackey. Touche.So I have begun investigating ways to bring this uber-berry into our diets. The first coup I found was the frozen berry option. Sure, it's not "fresh fruit", but you can get almost four times the berry for the same cost, and with very little nutritional sacrifice. Sweet! And the frozen berries I've found are much bigger and healthier looking than their fresh produce counterparts.
Now that I have a supplier, I have begun looking for blueberry recipes. The first is a no-brainer: the blueberry muffin. A breakfast classic. The Barefoot Contessa has a great recipe that I have been using - go to foodnetwork.com and search for "Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins", or, if you are fortunate enough to own her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, see page 174. The only change I make is using white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. I can tell a difference in texture, but I actually like it better. I included a photo - I tore the muffin in half so you could see the huge purple-ness of the berries. (The muffins actually bake bigger and taller than the one pictured - it was the runt of the litter and the only one left.)
In addition to the muffins, I have been making a mean blueberry banana smoothie. Ben loves them, and he and I have split one for breakfast every day for a week. You will need:
1/2 to 3/4 cup blueberries
One whole banana, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
One tablespoon honey
3/4 to one cup milk (depending on how smooth you like your smoothie)
Mix thusly:
Look at that awesome color!
This makes enough for two, unless you're just really hungry.
5 comments:
My grandfather has a blueberry bush. For several weekends, early every Summer, we go pick GALLONS of the things. They freeze up nicely too. Since, we don't ever have to buy them, I had no idea they were so expensive. Kinda' like President Bush not knowing about the cost of gas. ; ) You should plant a blueberry bush...and while you're at it, install an oil derrik.
That video is strangely hilarious.
i kept hoping there would be an eruption when you turned on the blender.
nice placement of the kitchen aid in the background. she's a beaut!
my mom just planted 2 blueberry bushes. south georgia is a different zone, but maybe worth a try in tn?
Does my morning glass of Pomegranate Blueberry juice count? How about a hostess Blueberry Fried Pie? Or a blueberry donut from Dunkin Donuts. The health benefits of the blueberries surely outweigh the evil of the donuts, don't they?
Wow! Is that a 200 horse immersion blender you've got there?
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