recipe Archives - Page 3 of 3

Recipe: Wild Blueberry Salsa from the Freezer Aisle by Liz Weiss, MS, RD

Part three of a three-part series with Liz Weiss that celebrates the advantages of frozen food. Also see: Part 1, Part 2.

Did you know that 40% of the food grown in the United States is wasted? From farm to fork, nearly half of all our food goes uneaten. That statistic takes my breath (and my appetite) away! I can’t control what goes on in supermarkets, restaurants, or cafeterias, but I can reduce the food losses in my own home kitchen. How? By planning family meals, preparing smaller portions (i.e. only what I know we’ll eat), and turning more to my trusty freezer.

Meal Planning: I wasn’t born with the “organized” gene, so I use a weekly Meal Planner to keep track of the recipes I plan to make each week. Adding more structure to mealtime leads to fewer impulse purchases, less overbuying, and it forces me to take stock of what’s in my pantry before I head to the grocery store. Having a Supermarket Shopping List also comes in handy.

Prepare Smaller Portions: My family happens to love dinner leftovers, and it’s not uncommon for my teenage son to eat them the second he gets home from school. So for me, making extra food at dinnertime makes sense. Being mindful of the amount of food your family consumes at mealtime can minimize spoilage of leftovers that go uneaten. If you’re inclined to freeze what you don’t eat, it’s always a good idea to label it with the name of the item and the date.

Fill Your Freezer: One of the best things about frozen fruits and vegetables is that you only use what you need, so you can say goodbye to rotten fruit and wilted greens. While I’m a huge fan of fresh, local produce, after 100 inches of snow in Boston this winter, I don’t think we’ll be eating a lot of local produce any time soon. That said, I can still enjoy the bright flavors and nutritional benefits of “fresh” by purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables, like frozen fresh Wild Blueberries. They’re frozen right after harvest just a few short miles from where they’re picked, which locks in flavor and nutrition.

Wild Blueberry Salsa
Makes 4 Servings

This salsa calls for two of my favorite freezer staples: frozen Wild Blueberries and frozen corn. Paired with crunchy, colorful red bell peppers, green onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice and zest, and some common spices, this sweet and savory topping is a natural addition to my family’s make-your-own taco night. For the tacos, anything goes, but I’m especially fond of this combo: 8 soft corn tortillas as the base served with shredded rotisserie chicken, guacamole, light sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, and my Wild Blueberry Salsa. (You’ll have about 4 tablespoons salsa per taco.)

As Spring Emerges, Health It Up!

With Danielle Omar, Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Consultant, and Founder of foodconfidence.com

Danielle Omar was inspired by food at a young age. “My mother is from the Bay of Naples, in Southern Italy, and we were always surrounded with delicious, nutritious food when I was a kid,” recalls Danielle. At the age of 16, Danielle’s mother gave her the responsibility for preparing family dinners, and that’s when her creative spark turned to flame.

“I never opened a cookbook, I’d just open the refrigerator, see what was inside, and go from there,” recalls Danielle. Her mom might leave her a chicken as a starting point and Danielle would literally throw anything on that chicken – condiments, mustard, herbs, whatever. “I learned it was hard to mess it up,” she recalls. “And the more I experimented, the more my confidence grew.” That feeling of confidence is what inspired me to become a registered dietitian and start my blog, foodconfidence. I wanted to share my passion with others and help them in their journey to preparing and eating healthy, tasty meals.

Today, as author of a leading food blog, and with featured appearances on The Food Network, NBC and Fox, Danielle opens a cookbook fairly regularly (and shares a ton of great recipes on her popular blog) but her spirit of invention has not waned.

“I get really passionate about pumping up the nutritional value of standard recipes,” she says. “I’m also a vegetarian now, so I eat more vegetables than the average American.”

Here are some of Danielle’s suggestions to Health-Up a Recipe:

Add more fruit and veggies to your cheese and hors-d’oeuvre platters
When making tacos or quesadillas, try substituting that flour tortilla with a collard leaf
Add seeds to your salads
Instead of mayo or mustard, use hummus
Instead of tropical fruit, use berries, such as Wild Blueberries or raspberries
When making muffins or pancakes, substitute ground oats, flax seeds, shredded coconut or chia seeds for some of the flour
In baked goods, use applesauce instead of oil
In baked goods, substitute fruits like pureed banana, apple, or Wild Blueberries for traditional sweeteners (or a combination of them all)
Substitute standard noodles or white rice with quinoa
For Italian dishes that use pasta or spaghetti, use veggie pastas, penne or rotini, which are made with freshly pureed in-season vegetables
Always add more vegetables to your pasta meals to increase nutrition
Add dried fruit or frozen fresh Wild Blueberries instead of sugar to hot cereals like oatmeal
Stay away from sweetened yogurts. Use whole plain yogurt instead and sweeten with raisins, nuts and dried or frozen fruits
If a recipe calls for fruit, try substituting frozen Wild Blueberries – they are lower in sugar and have extensive health benefits
Try adding frozen Wild Blueberries to salad dressing recipes (check out Danielle’s recipe for Miso Salad Dressing we’ll be sharing next week!)

Danielle regularly shares her passion for food in the Wild Blueberry Blog. See her recent recipes and be on the look out for her new recipe for Wild Blueberry Miso Vinaigrette.

Mardi Gras King Cake

Wild Appetizers (for Super Bowl, but good any time of the year.)

Wild Blueberry Quesadillas with Rosemary & Jalapeno Jelly

Rehydrate + Refuel with this Post-Workout Recovery Smoothie

By Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

Like me, most of you are probably more than ready for spring. As a runner, I’ve certainly had my fill of ice and snow recently, and can’t wait until my early morning runs are filled with sunshine and clear, non-slippery sidewalks! Who else has been suffering through cold, dark runs in the name of training these past couple months?

Regardless of the weather, I often find that runs leave me craving something cool and refreshing. Wild Blueberries are among my favorite foods to enjoy post-workout, particularly in smoothie form, because they are delicious and packed with good nutrition to help speed up the recovery from my rigorous training routine.

Wild Blueberries are high in antioxidants like anthocyanins, which can improve muscle recovery time and prevent against disease-causing oxidative stress. You’ll find them in the freezer section of your grocery store; just be sure to look for “Wild Blueberries” on the label! Here’s a link to more information about where to find them.

A frozen Wild Blueberry packed smoothie is a great way to get in some nutrition in a fast, easy, and portable way after a hard workout. Refueling within 30 or so minutes is not only important to tame hunger throughout the rest of the day, but also because your muscles need nutrients to adequately repair themselves.

wild blueberry recovery smothie ingredients

There are at least five reasons why this recovery smoothie is perfect as your post-workout recovery drink:

Because it’s filled with antioxidant-packed frozen Wild Blueberries.
Because bananas and coconut water are both high in potassium, an electrolyte that helps rehydrate you after a hard sweat
Because the Chia seeds help your body stay hydrated, as they can absorb about 10 times their weight in water.
Because this smoothie is packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids (thanks to the chia seeds and walnuts), which prevent muscle soreness and improve recovery.
And lastly, because Greek yogurt is high in protein, which is necessary for recovery so that your muscles can rebuild and strengthen after being worked out.

Try enjoying this after your next workout – let me know how you like it!

Wild Blueberry Recovery Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen Wild Blueberries
1 small banana
1 6-oz container plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon walnuts
2/3 cup coconut water

Directions:

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

So there you have it: rehydrate and refuel, all in one glass. Here’s to an early spring and warmer running temperatures!

Until next month, my friends!

Anne Mauney is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian and the writer behind the food and fitness blog fANNEtastic food, which she started as a way to motivate others to lead happier, healthier lives through nutrition and exercise. Anne has a Masters of Public Health in Nutrition and owns a private practice where she helps clients to lose or maintain weight, feel healthier, and improve their relationships with food. Her fitness tips and recipes have been featured in The Huffington Post, Glamour, SHAPE, Fitness Magazine, Health Magazine, The Washington Post, and Woman’s Day. Check out her blog for easy healthy recipes, health tips, and more. You can also find her on Twitter @fANNEtasticfood, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Recipe: Frozen Wild Blueberry Pudding by Liz Weiss, MS, RD

By Liz Weiss, MS, RD

February is that time of the year when we are all looking for a little color to return to our lives, especially up here in New England where I live. Frozen fruits and vegetables can provide an illustrious boost of color, flavor, and nutrition, and they are often more affordable and more convenient for moms on the go. While frozen foods have been sadly maligned by some critics, as a mom and a nutritionist, I have found a variety of reasons to love them.

For one, when I choose frozen, I can use only what I need and not worry about waste. Second, because of my profession as a nutritionist, I happen to know that many fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen at the very peak of their ripeness, sealing in flavor, nutrition and health. These foods are excellent vehicles for bringing color into your winter diet, and a few of them – like frozen corn, frozen mango, and frozen fresh Wild Blueberries – are at the top of my list.

Last week, in between shoveling out from yet another snowstorm, I whipped up a recipe using frozen Wild Blueberries that was the delight of my 16-year-old son Simon. I called it a Wild Blueberry Frosty, but he said it was more like Pudding, so I went with his suggestions. Give this recipe a try for a colorful and healthy reward.

Frozen Wild Blueberry Pudding

Makes 4 Servings (a generous 1/3 cup each)

Frozen fruits—wild blueberries, mango, and banana—are the nutritional super stars in this healthy, delicious, and kid-friendly treat. It takes just minutes to prepare, and moms can feel good about serving this frozen fruit pudding as an after-school snack or family dessert. For a snowy twist, sprinkle shredded coconut on top.

Liz Weiss is an award-winning broadcast journalist, cookbook author, and radio show host who started Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, a leading blog for parents in search of better ways to feed their family a super-nutritious diet. She’s also the co-author of two great books: No Whine with Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms and The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time and she recently released a mobile recipe app called, Meal Makeovers. You can read more about Liz at http://mealmakeovermoms.com/

Recipe: Mardi Gras King Cake with Wild Blueberries

By Danielle Omar, MS, RDN

I’m fascinated by traditions and the idea that you do something just because it’s the way it has always been done. I especially love traditions that include eating certain foods. Italians eat the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. In Mexico, they celebrate dia de la Candelaria by eating tamales. And in New Orleans, there is the traditional Mardi Gras dessert – King Cake.

Mardi Gras itself is a pretty amazing tradition. Rooted in religion, the Mardi Gras season officially starts on January 6th, leading up to Mardi Gras Day, or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday and always 46 days before Easter.

Mardi Gras is also known as the Twelfth Night feast of the Epiphany, or the day that the three kings first visited the baby Jesus. As part of the celebration, it is traditional to bake a cake in honor of the three kings. “King Cake” is typically oval-shaped and decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors, purple which represents justice, green which represents faith, and gold representing power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally hidden inside the King Cake. Whoever gets the slice of cake with the baby inside is rewarded with good luck and is usually responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party!

Custom prevails that King Cakes are made from twisted strands of dough, sprinkled with cinnamon and decorated with purple, green and gold colored sugar. It was not until the 1980’s that bakeries in France started to stuff the King Cake with various types of custards, puddings and cheese-based fillings.

I can’t imagine a more innovative way to highlight the intense and delicious flavor of Wild Blueberries than to mix them with cream cheese and stuff them into a King Cake!

Now if you’re like me and the thought of creating a twisted cinnamon dough has you shaking in your boots then you are in luck because I have created a King Cake that you can literally make in less than 15 minutes, with no baking skills required! That’s right, 15 minutes to King Cake heaven, all due to the wonderful versatility of angel food cake and Wild Blueberries.

First, frozen Wild Blueberries are blended into a decadent cream cheese filling, providing intense blueberry flavor and gorgeous purple color. The filling is then stuffed into a halved angel food cake. Then comes the fun part – put the top back on the cake, drizzle on the glaze and decorate the cake with traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugar.

In my opinion the Wild Blueberry and cream cheese filling is really the star in each bite of this tasty treat! Of course it’s a wonderful added bonus that Wild Blueberries provide a healthy serving of natural phytochemicals and twice the antioxidant capacity of regular blueberries.

I love this modern version of King Cake. Although not traditional, the spirit of Mardi Gras is alive and well in this fun and easy to make King Cake!

About the Author

Danielle Omar is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author. She is a passionate food and nutrition educator and founded Danielle Omar Nutrition to support busy men and women on their journey to becoming their healthiest self. An avid cook, she also enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog. Danielle has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and has been teaching nutrition at the college level for over 10 years. She has contributed to local and national media outlets such as The Washingtonian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Shape Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine. Through her private nutrition practice, media work, and group programs, Danielle has successfully motivated hundreds of busy professionals and families to eat confidently and live a healthy life.

Heart Healthy Wild Blueberries are Perfect for Valentine’s Day

By Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

Hello and Happy February! Did you know that February is National Heart Month?

As a Registered Dietitian, I’m all about bringing awareness to heart disease and how people can prevent it. So let’s get the bad news out of the way first: heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, contributing to 1 in 4 deaths. Risk factors for heart disease are things like poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use, obesity, and diabetes.

The good news? Since heart disease risk factors are mostly lifestyle related, heart disease can often be prevented by making healthier choices, like eating better and exercising.

The even better news is that our delicious little blue friends, Wild Blueberries, are a great way to do this!

As I shared in last month’s post, Wild Blueberries are a rich source of a type of phytochemicals called polyphenols, which boast a wide array of protective health benefits due to their antioxidant qualities. In fact, research has shown that including Wild Blueberries consistently in diets may help improve or prevent cardiovascular disease due to a reduction in chronic inflammation and improved lipid profiles. (Cardiovascular disease includes heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.)

The flavonoid anthocyanin, a phytochemical found in blue-pigmented fruit, is particularly high in Wild Blueberries compared to regular blueberries. A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who eat three or more weekly servings of berries may reduce their risk of heart attack by up to 33%. Another study, a recent randomized controlled trial, found that daily consumption of blueberries helped to reduce blood pressure in post-menopausal women with pre- and stage 1 hypertension (high blood pressure). This is because anthocyanins are believed to help dilate arteries, helping to counter plaque buildup. There’s good news for men too. Another study found that Wild Blueberries can improve vascular function in healthy men, even from intake of just ¾ cup a day.

Bottom line: Wild Blueberries are both delicious AND functional – there’s no reason not to eat up, especially since they are available year round in the frozen food section.

To inspire you to eat for your heart this month, here’s a fun recipe to try. I know what you’re thinking – wait, scones? I thought I was supposed to be eating healthy? Well, these are healthy! Not only are they packed with antioxidants from the Wild Blueberries, but they also boast protein from the Greek yogurt and milk, and fiber from the whole wheat pastry flour. Even better is that they have very little added sugar – only 3 tablespoons – and instead get their bright flavor and sweetness from the lemon zest and Wild Blueberries. This would make the perfect breakfast in bed on Valentine’s Day, either for your significant other, or as a treat to yourself! Good for the heart, both literally and figuratively. Enjoy!

This heart healthy breakfast also makes a great pre-workout snack – enjoy it before heading out for your workout of choice! Need some workout inspiration? Here’s one of my recent favorite workouts – you can customize it to make it as short (or long) as you like.

For more tasty and easy Wild Blueberry recipes, check out my post from last month – it includes a couple full day’s worth of breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner ideas!

A Wild Twist On Feeding Guests This Holiday

The hustle and bustle of the holidays can leave you with little time (or energy) to get creative in the kitchen, especially if you have family in town and a few extra mouths to feed. Quesadillas are the perfect answer to this no-time-to-cook dilemma. For one, they are the ultimate kid-food. Kids adore them. And you can hide healthy stuff inside. Like spinach and tomatoes and even…Wild Blueberries. They’re also gooey, which gives them the illusion of decadence and unhealthiness. And let’s face it; people love that, especially around the holidays. They’re also fast and they don’t require a ton of thought. With just a few key ingredients, you have an amazing meal or snack. And finally, they’re versatile. You can put almost anything between two flour tortillas and some cheese and the result is likely delicious.

There’s one thing you probably don’t associate with quesadillas — antioxidant superpowers.

Until now.

These crunchy, gooey, flavorful and unique quesadillas are not only delicious and decadent, they’re healthy, too. You can thank Wild Blueberries for that! Jammed packed full of anti-inflammatory goodness, these quesadillas are working overtime to keep you healthy, especially during cold season! Wild Blueberries are so versatile in the kitchen. I love how they keep their intense blueberry flavor when you cook with them. Which is great when you’re making a dish like stuffing or these yummy quesadillas.

I wanted to add a little something extra to this dish to give it the wow factor! After a quick peruse of the fridge, I found my answer: jalapeno jelly. It was the perfect hint of sweetness from the jelly plus some jalapeno heat to kick it up a notch! The sweet and the heat complement the Wild Blueberries perfectly.

Of course a quesadilla is not a quesadilla without cheese. I recommend you mix it up! I used three different kinds of cheese for these quesadillas. Brie, being the Queen of melting cheese, was an obvious choice (and of course it worked great). But any cheese tastes amazing paired with Wild Blueberries. I tested these quesadillas with smoked Gouda and tangy goat. Both worked deliciously.

Wild Blueberries and gooey melted cheese folded into a crispy tortilla…the perfect holiday lunch!

About the Author

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving (Part 2)

My husband and I have an unspoken rule. I just put the food in front of him and ask him to taste it. I don’t set it up. I don’t tell him what’s in it or how it’s supposed to taste. I don’t ask him any questions except…do you like it?

I think his opinion is important because he considers himself “mainstream.” I feel if he likes something, then everyone will like it. And he’s usually spot on. Sometimes I disagree with his taste buds but I definitely can’t go by my own preference. I’ve been told one too many times that I like food to taste a bit “too healthy.”

After having a taste of this Wild Blueberry stuffing my husband looked at me and said “wow, this is so good you could serve it at Thanksgiving!”

That’s when I knew I was onto something pretty darn good.

I think it’s safe to say that stuffing is a must on any Thanksgiving table. And there are so many variations! You can stuff it in the turkey or bake it in the oven. It can be meatless. It can be made with boxed bread, fresh bread, rice or other grains. Growing up, my mother always made two versions, one stuffed inside the turkey and the other one baked. As a kid I loved the soggy mound that came straight from the bird, oftentimes sticking to my spoon. As an adult I wonder…what was I thinking?

A really great stuffing can have that “dream about it all year” quality. Indeed, once you’ve had an amazing stuffing, it’s hard to forget it. To create an unforgettable stuffing, you have to add a little something special that people will remember; something unexpected that will take your stuffing to that elusive craving level.

This stuffing definitely has that something special. For one, look at the gorgeous wild blue color! Anthocyanin takes most of the credit for that; it’s the flavonoid that is found in the deep blue pigment of Wild Blueberries, giving them their amazing color and their antioxidant power.

The base of this stuffing is a lovely loaf of five grain bread that I left out overnight to get a little crispy. To the bread I added cooked tri-color quinoa and sautéed leeks, baby bella mushrooms, and diced parsnips. After seasoning with sage and thyme I tossed the stuffing with my something special: frozen Wild Blueberries. The Wild Blueberries are that unexpected ingredient that takes this stuffing to the next level. They not only add gorgeous color and unique flavor, they also add moisture to the stuffing, so very little extra liquid is needed. I love this perk because sometimes broth can overpower the other flavors.

This stuffing is gorgeous straight from the oven. But to really impress your guests, give it a quick stir before serving and watch how those warm Wild Blueberries transform this dish into something…well, unforgettable.

About the Author

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving Dinner: Part 1

Being a vegetarian for the last few decades, Thanksgiving is not a food holiday I get overly excited about. Unless I’m hosting (which is rare) the Thanksgiving meal for me is usually a plate full of sides. Which is perfectly okay, I don’t mind, it’s a great opportunity to exercise the idea that the day is not about the food and more about the time spent with family and friends.

That being said, I still need to eat and I do love food! It’s not surprising that over the years I’ve become a connoisseur of delicious Thanksgiving sides. In fact, I enjoy encouraging my family when meal planning to elevate the side dishes to new and delicious heights. I definitely know a good side dish when I see one and that’s why I’m excited to share my Wild Blueberry and Ginger Relish with you.

After visiting the Wild Blueberry barrens back in August, I’ve been using them a lot in my recipes. I love the intense blueberry flavor, the fact that they are loaded with antioxidants, and their deep blue color is just gorgeous, which can really make a dish stand out! I also love that you can use them straight from the freezer; you don’t have to thaw them out first. And, being that you purchase them frozen they won’t go bad in your fridge and they are available for use year-round.

Think of this Wild Blueberry relish as a delicious and healthier twist on its cranberry cousin. Wild Blueberries are naturally sweet so very little added sugar is needed — this recipe only uses two tablespoons! In fact, depending on how you will use this relish, you could get away with using one tablespoon. If you’re eating it as a side dish, then one tablespoon is likely sweet enough, but if you plan to use it on turkey sandwiches, you might want to use two to bring out more of the intense blueberry flavor.

Something to remember when cooking with fresh frozen Wild Blueberries is that once they are cooked they will release a bit of water. While very little added liquid was used in this recipe, it still needed a little thickening up. Chia seed was the perfect thickening agent and with it came a healthy dose of omega 3 fat.

Little added sugar, tons of antioxidant power, and omega 3, too? I call that a real relish upgrade!

Wild Blueberry & Ginger Relish

About the Author