wild blueberries Archives - Page 12 of 18

Go Raw this Summer with this Simple Summer Gazpacho Recipe

One summer a few years back I fell in love with raw food. I’ve always been a salad girl but I had no idea there were so many delicious and flavorful ways to enjoy raw food. I spent hours and hours reading the (limited) research available on the health benefits of a raw food diet. I spent even more time reading food blogs online, learning new and creative ways to eat raw food. From raw chili to raw cheese to my treasured raw desserts, I was in love! That summer I started teaching raw food cooking classes to my clients and ate a “high raw” diet.

Since that summer I have definitely honed my raw food skills. One vitally important thing I can share from my experience is that really delicious raw food relies heavily on intense fresh flavors! Since much of what we eat in a raw food diet is fresh fruits and vegetables, it is imperative they are at their peak flavor. This is one of the main reasons I love working with Wild Blueberries.

Last summer I had the wonderful experience of visiting the Wild Blueberry barrens in Northern Maine. Not only did I learn a ton about how Wild Blueberries grow, I was also able to see exactly how they are processed. I was amazed to see first-hand the minimal processing that Wild Blueberries go through once they are picked. The intense fresh flavor you get from every bag of Wild Blueberries is the result of them being frozen literally within 24 hours of harvest, when their flavor and antioxidants are at their peak. The flavor of the Wild Blueberries shines through in all of my recipes and I have come to rely on it when developing new dishes.

This classic Gazpacho with Wild Blueberries does not disappoint! It not only celebrates the wonderful abundance of summer produce but it also highlights the freshness and unique flavor of Wild Blueberries.

Another quality I love about Wild Blueberries is that they bring that little something extra to a dish. They blend so easily with almost any food but without overtaking the essence of the dish. Although such an intense flavored berry, their presence in this gazpacho is still subtle and transforms what could be just a bowl of salsa ingredients into a distinguished, refreshing and rather sophisticated dish.

My Wild Blueberry gazpacho recipe does not need to be followed to a tee. You can make it with what you have on hand in your kitchen. Substitute basil for cilantro or use yellow tomatoes instead of red. You can even go traditional, like the Italians, and add some stale bread (or bread crumbs) or use avocado instead of oil.

Gazpacho is one of those easy summer dishes that takes just about 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s also one of those dishes that once you make it you wonder why you haven’t been eating it all summer long!

Keep Cool with Summer Sips: Sparkling Wild Blueberry Lemonade

The rising heat means it’s more important than ever to load up on fluids! In addition to keeping all of our cells healthy, staying adequately hydrated can support a healthy complexion, banish colds, and improve joint health. But guzzling water isn’t the only way to maintain hydration. Most fruits and vegetables are more than 90% water, making them an excellent way to stay refreshed in the heat. Check out these simple tips to optimize hydration this summer!

1) Load up on raw fruits and veggies. Since fruits and vegetables are made primarily of water, they’re an excellent way to boost your water intake without having to actually drink water. As an added bonus, fruits and veggies are low in sodium and high in potassium, an important electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance in the body.

2) Spruce up your water routine. Jazz your H20 by adding fresh herbs like basil or mint paired with refreshing fruits and veggies like sliced lemon, strawberries, or cucumber. Try ditching the ice cubes and sweetening your water naturally with frozen watermelon cubes or Wild Blueberries!

3) Focus on electrolyte-rich foods. While we all get plenty of sodium in our diet, many of us don’t get enough potassium, which helps balance sodium and optimize hydration. Increase the flow of water into cells and tissues by stocking up on potassium-rich foods like, bananas, coconut water, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, and Swiss chard.

This Sparkling Wild Blueberry Lemonade puts a twist on the old classic, with significantly less sugar than traditional lemonade plus the age-defying antioxidant benefits of Wild Blueberries. Coconut water adds not only a tropical twist, but also a potassium boost to help regulate fluid balance. Plus, since coconut water is naturally sweet, you won’t have to dump loads of sugar into this tasty treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Go Wild and Win!

The Wild Summer Sips Sweepstakes Starts Now!

This summer has been hot hot hot – and we want to help you chill out with some super cool summer sips. We’ve got 2 full weeks of prizes, plus a Wild Summer Sips Recipe Book that we’ll send to you just for entering.

The recipe book is filled with delicious summer drink recipes including a refreshing lemonade and soda, healthy smoothies and even homemade ice pops from renowned food and nutrition bloggers. All recipes feature yummy Wild Blueberries and they’re super easy to make. Contest ends on Friday, August 14^th.

Here’s what’s up for grabs and how you can win it.

A Vitamix® Blender perfect for mixing up delicious Wild Blueberry summer smoothies. Winner will be chosen on Friday July 31^st.

One of Five Yonanas® Healthy Dessert Makers perfect for creating delicious Wild Blueberry frozen desserts. One winner will be chosen each day beginning Monday August 3^rd through Friday August 7^th.

$500 Whole Foods Gift Card + Set of 6 Mason Jar Mugs – one of today’s trendiest drinking glasses – so you can throw the ultimate Wild Blueberry summer sips party. Winner will be chosen on Friday August 14^th.

Here’s how you can win: Click here to visit the contest entry page. Enter your email on the contest entry form and hit submit. That’s it – you’re entered to win all of the prizes.

You only have to enter once to be eligible for all of the prizes. Good luck!

Wild Blueberries Have No GMO’s…They’re WILD!

Wild Blueberries: One of the few plants in the world that has never been altered by man.

The topic of GMO’s has been ramping up in the news, in supermarket aisles, and over breakfast tables lately. And it seems to have reached a fevered pitch. Food giant General Mills recently put “Not made with genetically modified ingredients” on its box of Cheerios. And on May 1, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in a letter to his staff that the agency is developing a verification program for food products containing genetically modified ingredients.

As the national discussion about GMO’s rages on, I started to think seriously about the foods on my plate. Which ones are GMO’s, which are not? To be honest, I must confess I had no clue. But I did start to wonder about my favorite healthy fruit the Wild Blueberry.

Do Wild Blueberries Contain GMO’s?

When I’m pondering anything to do with Wild Blueberries, I always reach out to my friend Dr. David Yarborough at the University of Maine. David is the leading expert about Wild Blueberries. His reply to my question was short, sweet and exhilarating:

“We have no GMO’s,” he said. “We are WILD!”

Even more confirmation came in a recent interview with the state’s honeybee expert, Dr. Frank Drummond. “The reason why we call the blueberries ‘wild’ is because the plant itself has not been modified either through genetic modification or through classic breeding,” he told me. In other words, there has not been any plant improvement, he said, explaining that every plant in a Wild Blueberry field is what was found there or what was spread by birds and bears.

“There is no modification of the plants,” he emphasized. “In fact, Wild Blueberries are one of the few plants in the world about which you could say this.” This last statement really got my attention: One of the few plants in the world that have not been modified by man?

Yes, any other crop – say cultivated cranberries, corn, or apples — you walk through a field of these and pretty much all of them have high yields and uniform fields. “These plants have been selected to be superior yielders,” says Drummond.

But in a field of Wild Blueberries the natural genetic diversity really shines, especially if you visit right before the harvest. “Some patches are completely blue because they have so many berries, while others might be right next to them and are really sparse,” explains Drummond. “This illustrates that the field is actually a patchwork of genetically diverse plants, and this is how nature intended it,” he said.

No GMOS = fewer pests

Another amazing benefit of genetic diversity is that it makes it difficult for pests to explode in the crop, he explains. In crops that are grown as monocultures, there is much less diversity, and farmers might be forced to apply several treatments of pesticides to kill off pests. In a Wild Blueberry field, the genetic diversity provides a buffering and natural protection from pests.

“I hope they never develop a way to modify Wild Blueberries,” says Drummond. “Right now you can not propagate and plant it very well and that is one of the things that makes these berries so special.”

Before wrapping up this little inquiry into GMO’s. I had to make a call to Dr. Delmont Emerson. Del and his wife Marie Emerson live on a Wild Blueberry Barren in Addison, Maine, and famously built the Down East landmark Wild Blueberry Land. Del was born in 1935 in the middle of Wild Blueberry Country. He’s an avid outdoorsman who has spent his life flying fishing along the streams that cut across the Wild Blueberry lands. Anyone who works in the Wild Blueberry industry knows Del Emerson. He ran Blueberry Hill, the University of Maine’s research farm for Wild Blueberries, and, simply put, he is a legend.

When I reached Del on the phone, I felt like I had landed in another time. We talked for over an hour and the conversation had the slow pace that you get when talking to a Mainer. There was no rush to end the conversation; it just flowed naturally like a brook.

Delmont told me that the intensity of the Wild Blueberry flavor is another attribute that comes with lack of genetic modification and the natural diversity of the Wild Blueberry Barrens. “Wild Blueberries have an intensity of flavor, that can’t be found with other blueberries,” he said.

Del explained that we don’t know how many varieties of Wild Blueberries there are in the Barrens because the bees keep crossing them and creating new varieties. “That’s the beauty of it,” said Del. “In nature only the strongest survive, and this is true in the Wild Blueberry Barrens too – these are just an amazing fruit. There is no fruit like it.”

Del’s life on the barrens has taught him something about longevity. “Think of it,” he said, “the Wild Blueberries have been growing here for thousands and thousands of years. They have survived forest fires, drought, pollution, neglect, and they just keep on growing. These are true native plants that will survive long after we are gone.”

After these three insightful conversations, I admit I am still no expert on GMO’s, but I am an even bigger devotee of the humble little Wild Blueberry.

Quick & Quiet Nap Time Workout + Homemade Wild Blueberry Mini-Muffin Recipe

Are you a new or young mom? Are there days when getting a workout in seems impossible? Inevitably there will be days when you can’t so much as leave the house, much less make it to the gym. Scheduling conflicts, your spouse working late and bad weather are just a few conflicts that come up all the time. We’ve all been there.

That said, making time for exercise is important. Not only is it great for your physical health, it’s also an amazing way to help maintain your sanity, relieve stress, get the endorphins flowing and more! That’s why it’s important to have a few go-to workouts saved that you can do right at home! I have a few of these saved in what I call my “nap time file”.

With a little advanced planning, the kiddo’s nap time can be the perfect time to sneak in a workout on a busy day!

Here are a few tips to help make sure you maximize your workout time:

1) Have your workout clothes on before the kiddos go to sleep. This is a simple step that will save time in the long run.

2) Pick out your workout ahead of time. There’s nothing worse than successfully getting the kids to sleep and then having to spend 15 minutes searching for a workout that you feel like doing. Decide on your workout and have any equipment you might need in place and ready to go before naptime.

3) Choose quality over quantity. There’s no need to spend an entire hour of nap time working out. Choose short, effective workouts to get the blood pumping!

I put together this workout I call Nap Time Nines for you to try:

It requires a pair of dumbbells but can still be done quietly in a small area to avoid waking the kids! Choose a weight that allows you to complete all the exercises with correct form but still challenges you.

To make it easier, you can do the squats, lunges and wall sits without dumbbells. To make it harder you can use the dumbbells for all exercises. If you can’t hold a wall sit for 90 seconds, hold it as long as you can and make it a goal to work up to 90 seconds!

If you have extra space, try jumping rope for 3-5 minutes before and after the workout!

As you know, it’s important to refuel after a workout. Since you’ll probably be trying to eat as the kids are waking up, why not make a healthy, kid-friendly snack that they can enjoy right along with you?

These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins are packed with antioxidants thanks to the Wild Blueberries, protein from the nut butter and yogurt and are perfect for little hands!

Here are a few things you should know about Wild Blueberries compared to regular blueberries:

They have twice the amount of antioxidants and more protective phytochemicals.
They’re frozen at harvest, which locks in their nutrients and taste.
They contain less water than regular blueberries, which makes them ideal for baking! Use them straight out of the freezer- no thawing required!
They’re available year round in the freezer section of many grocery stores and they’re a super convenient way to have this antioxidant-rich superfruit on hand at all times!

Ready to Bake Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins

Here’s how you make the muffins:

Mother’s Day Brunch Recipe: Poached Salmon and Wild Blueberry Crème Fraiche

During the summers of my grade-school years, my mom would send me to stay with my Grandparents in Brooklyn. I loved being there. I got to be an only child for a few months and had my Grandmother all to myself. My fondest childhood memories are of those summers.

My Grandmother and I had a daily routine and we stuck by it, for the most part. I would wake up and crawl into her bed where we both patiently waited for Grandpa to bring us breakfast. We ate breakfast in bed every morning and it was always the same: ½ of a perfectly sectioned grapefruit (served with a demitasse spoon) and a very watered down (but perfectly sweetened) espresso. Yes, my relationship with coffee started at a very young age.

Grandma never learned to drive so we walked everywhere. After breakfast we would head out to the food market or go on errands. Afterwards I would play outside, she would watch her “stories” on TV, and at 5 pm dinner preparation would begin. I remember the glorious smells that would come from that small apartment kitchen!

Dinner usually involved some sort of fish. At that time whiting and flounder were fresh and readily available so they were always on the menu a few times each week. My Grandmother made the most amazing whiting salad. It was a simple dish using cold poached whiting tossed with garlic, salt, fresh lemon and a sprinkle of parsley.

That whiting salad sparked my love for cold fish. It may be in my head or just my taste buds, but all cold fish takes me back to that whiting salad. I often make an extra fillet of fish for dinner just to eat it cold the next day for lunch.

Nowadays my mother has taken the reins from my Grandmother. Because fresh whiting is hard to come by, she has quite masterfully perfected poached salmon. It’s become a new family favorite and our go-to Sunday brunch or special occasion dish. This year I will be making it for her on Mother’s Day.

If you’ve never tried poaching fish, you must! It’s so simple to make and doesn’t leave the house smelling fishy or a mess to clean up. It’s also a dish that pairs well with a creamy dipping sauce.

For my sauce I combined antioxidant-rich Wild Blueberries with creamy crème fraiche, shallots, and fresh herbs. The tangy flavor really brightens up the salmon, providing both gorgeous color and creamy texture, with just a hint of sweet. The perfect combination in my book!

I think the Wild Blueberry Crème Fraiche sauce really makes this dish! It’s a delicious and unique way to balance the intense flavor of Wild Blueberries and the delicate nature of any poached fish. This cold poached salmon is perfect for Mother’s Day brunch and would be lovely paired with steamed asparagus and roasted potato wedges. I suggest dipping the potatoes into the Wild Blueberry sauce as well!

Refined Sugar-Free Wild Blueberry Yogurt Recipe + Sqooshi Giveaway

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters. My daughter, Mia, is no exception. I actually called her doctor a few weeks ago in a panic because she hadn’t eaten anything containing protein in 6 days. Luckily, Mia has the most patient, compassionate and understanding doctor in the world. And instead of telling me to get a grip, she gently suggested we try giving her peanut butter in a smoothie.

Genius!

As we experimented with various smoothie combinations I realized that Mia wasn’t actually a picky eater at all. In fact she’ll eat pretty much anything as long as it comes in a smoothie cup or one of those plastic food pouches. This morning she sucked down a carrot, blueberry and kale yogurt pouch in under a minute.

I was so thrilled that she was eating vegetables that I forgot to actually look at the nutrition facts on the pouch. Sure, they were full of fruits and veggies – but the yogurt pouches I was giving her were also overflowing with sugar. No wonder she loved them.

They were also a giant waste of packaging (more than 2 billion of them end up in landfills every year) and they cost more than a dollar piece. Not very sustainable. So that got me to thinking – or rather – “Googling.” There must be another way.

And indeed there is. It’s called the Squooshi and it’s amazing. It’s a reusable food pouch for kids. You can fill it with anything, then wash it and reuse it – and since it comes out of a squeeze tube, even the pickiest eaters will suck it down without a second thought.

You can fill it up with anything you want, but this (Refined Sugar-Free) Wild Blueberry Greek Yogurt recipe is Mia’s favorite. It has all the flavor and nutrients of a commercial yogurt pouch – but is a fraction of the cost and has NO refined sugar. In fact, the only sugar it contains is naturally occurring sugar from fruit and the lactose in Greek yogurt. And even when it comes to naturally occurring fruit sugars, Wild Blueberries are on the low end – and they have twice the antioxidants of regular cultivated blueberries. I also like to use them because of their intense flavor, which covers up the (optional) kale I like to add for some extra iron.

You can make this yogurt for your toddlers, but it’s also a great breakfast for adults, too. I generally skip the pouch and eat it straight out of the blender, though 😉

Want to try the Squooshi? I’m giving away a full set of Squooshi reusable food pouches on the Wild Blueberries Facebook and Instagram pages! Entering is as easy as the recipe below – and you can do it twice – once on Facebook, and once on Instagram. Just click the links above for details. Enjoy!

Refined Sugar-Free Wild Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Make-Ahead Wild Blueberry Stuffed French Toast: A Brunch Favorite

This make-ahead Wild Blueberry Stuffed French Toast casserole is perfect for Easter brunch! It’s neither overly sweet nor too eggy and has the perfect amount of crunch on the outside and smooth texture inside. It is delicious with a drizzle of Wild Blueberry syrup!

In our family, holidays are celebrated with food. It’s just how it has always been. Holidays never go by without multiple phone calls going back and forth between family members about the menu; discussing who is hosting and making which dish. Does that happen in your family, too?

With Easter just a week or so away, the menu conversations are currently in full swing! Since we get together with my mother and sister each week for Sunday dinner, we are all pretty happy anytime we can throw brunch into the mix. Brunch food to me is the best of both worlds. You get the savory stuff mixed with the sweet – all at the same time! From my husband’s overstuffed omelets to my mom’s famous sautéed potatoes, brunch is definitely my favorite meal. And if there’s something sweet that involves bread, well that is the perfect combination.

While I was baking this ricotta-stuffed French toast that is bursting with Wild Blueberries my husband was pretty much salivating. He hardly ever gets to eat French toast! The house smelled amazing and even though it was just a regular Tuesday afternoon, it felt like a holiday.

I brought my Italian roots, my love for all things bread, and the intense flavor and versatility of delicious Wild Blueberries to this dish. As usual, the Wild Blueberries take center stage when it comes to flavor. During baking, they melt beautifully with the ricotta cheese (yes, there is cheese inside this French toast!) and create the perfect balance of sweetness, richness, and creaminess. With the natural sweetness of the ricotta and the Wild Blueberries you really don’t need to add much more sugar. I only used ¼ cup maple syrup for the whole recipe, plus a little turbinado sugar sprinkled on top before baking.

This is definitely a special occasion dish and would be the star of any Easter brunch feast! It’s kid-friendly and gorgeously topped with Wild Blueberry-infused maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Wild Blueberry & Ricotta Stuffed French Toast Bake

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.)

Wild Blueberry & Miso Salad Dressing Recipe

By Danielle Omar, RD and Nutrition Consultant

There’s still some lingering snow left on the ground but I can hear the birds chirping outside my office window — a surefire sign that spring is on the horizon!

Spring shows up in the produce aisle on a wave of green and is probably the best time for falling in love with fresh vegetables. From asparagus to English peas to artichokes and avocados – green is king! And what better way to celebrate the harvest than to pair green vegetables with the intense flavor of Wild Blueberries? Unlike many other fruits, and especially berries, you don’t have to wait until Wild Blueberries come “in season,” they are available year round, making them a delicious complement for showcasing seasonal produce any time of year.

I especially love this Wild Blueberry vinaigrette. It’s so creamy and flavorful that just about any salad would benefit from a toss in this delicious dressing. What’s different about this dressing is that it’s made in the food processor. Most Wild Blueberry vinaigrettes use the whole blueberry but in this recipe the berries are processed, producing a creamy texture and that gorgeous purple color. The creaminess also comes from miso paste, which has a salty, umami flavor. The combination of salty and sweet makes this dressing really stand out. Another favorite ingredient in the dressing is fresh ginger. Fresh ginger pairs really well with Wild Blueberries and adds to the Asian appeal of this vinaigrette.

You can toss this dressing with your favorite spring produce or massage it into your curly kale. It would be awesome as a dipping sauce for homemade spring rolls, too.

I love that Wild Blueberries are available year-round (you can find them in the frozen section of the grocery store) and always keep their intense flavor. This is because they’re harvested at the height of the Wild Blueberry season and then frozen fresh and packed within 24 hours of being picked! It’s pretty amazing that these “wild” berries have been around for thousands of years and grow up from the ground all on their own.

Creamy Wild Blueberry & Miso Vinaigrette

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.