RECIPE: Blueberry-Red Currant Oatmeal Muffins

Have you ever had red currants? They’re tiny jewel-like berries, tart with a hint of sweetness. They’re used throughout Europe for jams and jellies, but they also pair fantastically with blueberries in baked goods, like these muffins.

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup orange juice (other juices would probably work fine as well)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup berries or diced fruit in whatever combination you like, fresh preferred, but frozen works too

Optional cinnamon-sugar topping:
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional almond streusel topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Large pinches each of cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Preheat your oven to 375. Lightly grease a 12-muffin tin (I love the silicone ones, since they cool quickly and make it easy to pop the muffins out), or line with cupcake liners.

2. In a small bowl, combine oats and orange juice, and let soak. In a different bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Then incorporate the oil and egg, then the oat-juice mixture. Fold in the fruit last.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, and top muffins with cinnamon-sugar or mixed streusel ingredients, if desired. Bake 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

RECIPE: Cherry Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup pitted cherries

1/2 cup raspberries

handful of blueberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup of almond milk (chef's choice!)

2 - 3 tbsp hemp seeds

optional additions: 

1/4 oatmeal for fiber and carbohydrates

1/2" knob of ginger, diced

Blend to combine.  Serve cold and enjoy a health breakfast or snack!

Berry Tart With Honey-Yogurt Filling

• 2 cups plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 9 rectangular graham cracker sheets (4.8 ounces total)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 4 large strawberries, quartered, or 8 small strawberries, halved
• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup raspberries

Line a fine-mesh strainer with paper towels and set the strainer over a bowl. Place the yogurt on top of the paper towel in the strainer; transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Transfer the thickened yogurt to a bowl, and discard the liquid that has drained off.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to the consistency of fine crumbs. The yield should be about 1 1/3 cups. Add the butter, salt and water; pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Grease a 9-inch round pie dish (not deep-dish) or 8-inch tart pan with cooking oil spray. Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture into a pie plate or tart pan, including a bit up the sides. Bake until browned, 9 or 10 minutes. (The baked crust might have cracks in it; that's okay.) Let it cool completely.

Add the honey and lemon zest to the yogurt, stirring to incorporate. Transfer the yogurt mixture to the crust, spreading it gently so as not to break up the crust or drag crumbs.

Arrange the berries on top of the yogurt filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day in advance.

Note: When you make this in a 9-inch pie plate, know that the tart will not fill it to the rim. An 8-inch tart pan can also be used.

RECIPE: Fresh Fruit Roll-ups

Tip: You can use all different types of fruit. Try peach roll-ups with 6 peaches (about 1 pound) or blueberry roll-ups using 4 cups fresh

3 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1.Preheat the oven to 200° F (100° C). Line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper or a Silicone baking mat.

2.In a blender or food processor, combine raspberries, honey, and lemon juice. Purée until smooth.

3.You could pour this purée straight onto your baking sheet and pop it into the oven, but the cooking time would take about 8 hours. For a quicker cook time, it helps to reduce the purée on the stovetop.

4.Pour purée through a sieve and into a medium-sized saucepan. Use a ladle to push the purée through the sieve if necessary. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes.

5.Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Use an off-set spatula to spread the mixture into a thin even layer. It is important to have an even layer as thicker spots will take longer to cook.

6.Place in the oven and bake until the Fruit Roll-Up is no longer sticky to the touch—this will take anywhere between 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The mixture will still be slightly tacky to the touch but no longer wet. Turn the oven off and leave the sheet in the oven to cool completely.

7.Remove the baking sheet from the oven and invert the roll-up onto a piece of parchment paper. Peel the fruit layer from the baking mat and cut it

RECIPE: Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie

Difficulty level: Easy 

Blended cucumbers thicken a lightly sweet smoothie for a low-cal breakfast or a refreshing afternoon snack.

 

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

1-2 Tbs honey or agave nectar

1 Tbs lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

RECIPE: Marie’s Blueberry Tart

Here's one more recipe from the potluck that was requested.

From Luscious Berry Desserts by Lori Longbotham

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Pastry

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, if needed

Filling

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cups ripe blueberries, picked over

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 11-inch fluted pan with a removable bottom.

2. To make the pastry: Pulse the flour and sugar in a food processor until well combined. With the motor running, add the butter through the feed tube. Stir together the egg yolk and vanilla in a small bowl. With the motor running, gradually add the egg mixture and pulse just until the dough comes together when a small bit is pressed between your fingers. If it seems too dry, add cold water a little at a time and pulse; the dough should be crumbly but not dry.

3. Transfer the dough to the tart pan. Press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan; the dough will look rough.

4. To make the filling: Stir together the sugar and the flour in a large bowl. Add half of the blueberries and toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Transfer the berries to the tart shell and top with any sugar mixture left in the bottom of the bowl.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, until the berries are bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, stir the berries and turn over any that have flour on them.

6. Transfer the tart to a wire rack and top with the remaining berries, pressing them gently into the hot berries. Let cool to room temperature.

7. To serve, dust the tart with confectioners’ sugar.