Everyone seems to be blueberry crazy these days. Lots of communities have festivals, and the Internet abounds with sites that offer everything from recipes to online ordering of anything blueberry (preserves, dried and wild). Just in case you can’t make it to one of the festivals or websites, here are a few recipes you can try that will let you take advantage of the affordable bounty that’s in the grocery stores right now.
This is a classic recipe that no self-respecting chef should be without
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 stick margarine or butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
1 tsp. (rounded) baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar until fluffy; add the eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla, milk and flour and mix well. Add baking powder and stir until blended. Gently fold in blueberries. Bake in a tube pan (angel food or bunt cake pan) for 1 hour. Cool in pan on a cake rack; invert onto rack while warm (but not hot). When cool, drizzle with a glaze made of softened butter, powdered sugar and milk (play with quantities until you achieve “drizzle” consistency). Serves 8 to 10.
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk or non dairy substitute
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, (drained if frozen)
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients except the blueberries and stir until mixed very well, about 1 minute. Gently fold in the blueberries and pour the batter into the pan. Bake 44-55 minutes (toothpick test it to see if it’s done). Cool on a rack for 10 minutes then run a knife around the sides to loosen. Remove from loaf pan and cool completely before slicing. Serves 6.
2 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups skim milk or non dairy substitute
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup blueberries
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of 9×5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, lemon peel, baking soda and salt. In small bowl, combine milk, oil, vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into greased pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, and then remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. Serves 8.
1 lb. chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1 tbsp. salad oil, or use spray oil
1/2 cup apricot jam
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Heat oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. In small bowl, combine the jam and mustard, mix well. Spread the jam mixture over browned chicken in the pan and sprinkle the chicken with blueberries. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook till the chicken is no longer pink in thickest part, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, take out the chicken and blueberries and keep warm. Add the vinegar to the pan, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and is reduced by a third (about 5 minutes). Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Serves 4.
Making your own barbecue sauce, especially one with a unique flavour such as this one, immediately establishes you as a serious grilling aficionado.
6 chicken breasts, bone in
2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, vinegar, honey, ketchup, garlic powder and ginger. Bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. Pour the barbecue sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. Put the chicken breasts and 1/3 cup of sauce into a zip-top bag and coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Reserve the rest of the sauce for serving. Grill the chicken over medium high until cooked, 7-8 minutes per side. Top the chicken with the sauce and serve. Serves 6.
