This holiday, switch up the menu and add wild blueberries to your festive occasion. Delight guests with wild blueberry recipes that combine #1 superfood status with big flavour. They’re fresh frozen at harvest — preserving great taste, superior quality and nutritional value for up to two years.
It’s easier than ever to incorporate ½ cup of wild blueberries a day to take advantage of their numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, lowered cholesterol, prevention of cancer, heart disease and urinary tract infection, improved vision and brain health – and many others. Just add wild blues to your favorite recipes.
These festive dishes are a few of the many recipes that complement a wide range of party themes, or a cozy intimate dinner. For more information on wild blue berries and additional recipes, visit www.wildblueberries.com. Share your wild blueberry holiday ideas on Twitter at #wildblueholiday.
Have a very berry holiday!
Wild Blueberry Cornbread Stuffing
Adding fruit to stuffing is a traditional part of the holidays. Wild blueberries offer rich colour and taste — perfect beside favorite herbs like sage and thyme. Whether you stuff the turkey or serve the stuffing alongside, it is an accompaniment that cannot be forgotten.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 each stalks celery and carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh sage
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme
1 loaf (450 g) cornbread, chopped or 10 cups/2.5 L chopped cornbread
1 1/2 cup (375 mL) vegetable or chicken stock (approx)
2 cups (500 mL) frozen wild blueberries
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
Preparation:
In large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook onion, celery, carrots, garlic, sage and thyme for about eight minutes or until softened. Add cornbread and stir to combine and cook for two minutes to toast bread slightly. Drizzle with enough of the stock to moisten. Stir in blueberries, parsley, salt and pepper.
Scrape into shallow casserole dish. Cover and bake in preheated 325 F (160 F) oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Makes about 8 cups (2 L).
Tip: This stuffing is enough to fill a 12 to 16 lb (5.5 to 7 kg) turkey neck and body cavity. If you have a smaller bird, or there is stuffing remaining, simply place it in a casserole dish and add it to the oven later while the turkey is cooking. If making stuffing ahead be sure to drizzle some extra stock over top and combine before baking. Be sure the stuffing is completely cool before stuffing your bird.
Recipe courtesy of The Wild Blueberry Association of North America. For more wild blueberries recipes, please visit www.wildblueberries.com
Wild Blueberry Cream Fizz
A healthy holiday tipple!
Ingredients:
1 ounce St-Rémy a la Crème
2.5 ounces Van Dyk’s Wild Blueberry Juice
1 ounce lavender simple syrup
2.5 ounces Soda
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients but soda in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a Collins highball glass over ice and top up with soda (approximately 2.5 ounces).
Recipe courtesy of Renata Clingen, general manager and mixologist at Café Belong at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto (www.cafebelong.ca).
Wild Blueberry Buckle
A traditional coffee cake packed with juicy blueberry flavour. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C) and use a 9-by 9-inch (23 by 23 cm) square baking pan or 9-inch (23 cm) round pan, greased and lined with parchment paper for best results.
Ingredients:
11/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp (7 ml) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
½ cup (125 ml) plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
2/3 cup (150 ml) sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla
3 cups (750 ml) wild blueberries
Perparation:
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle with streusel. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Jane Rodmell at All The Best Fine Foods (www.allthebestfinefoods.com).
