If you want to add rich colour and a fruity flavour to a wide range of dishes, buy some fresh B.C. blueberries. It鈥檚 a surprisingly versatile ingredient, as today鈥檚 recipes show.
The first one is a breakfast dish where quinoa replaces the oats often used to make porridge. High in fibre, quinoa contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete source of protein.
It鈥檚 also a complex (good) carbohydrate and contains linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid, along with vitamin E, calcium, iron and other minerals.
For the porridge, the grains of quinoa are simmered in milk until they鈥檙e very tender. During that process, the milk reduces and the quinoa expands, creating a creamy, thickened porridge-like mixture.
Just before it鈥檚 served, the quinoa porridge is generously topped with fresh blueberries and a touch of honey and cinnamon.
My second recipe would make a nice, quick-to-prepare, West Coast-style summer lunch.
Salad greens are dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, mounded on plates and topped with smoked-salmon nuggets, creamy Salt Spring Island goat cheese and fresh blueberries.
Serve the salad with baguette and sparkling wine and life will be good.
My last recipe is a pork-chop dinner for two where the meat is grilled and then topped with a blueberry apricot sauce that has a pleasing blend of citrusy, sweet, sour and salty flavours.
You could serve the pork with buttered green beans and steamed nugget potatoes, rice pilaf or orzo.
The great thing about using fresh blueberries in recipes is that they don鈥檛 just provide fine flavour 鈥� they鈥檙e packed with nutrition.
According to the B.C. Blueberry Council (bcblueberry.com), the berries are a good source of vitamin C, contain just 44 calories per half cup, are high in dietary fibre and are an excellent source of antioxidants and flavonoids.
Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries, Honey and Almonds
In this version of porridge, quinoa replaces the oats often used to make it. Blueberries, honey and almonds top the porridge when it鈥檚 cooked and in bowls.
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Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 25 minutes
Makes: two servings
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1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups milk (see Note)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
鈥� pinch salt
2/3 cup fresh blueberries
鈥� few pinches cinnamon
2 tsp honey, or to taste
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted (see Note)
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Place quinoa, milk, vanilla and salt in a small, heavy-bottomed pot. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cover pot, lower heat to low to medium-low and cook quinoa 15 minutes.
Uncover the quinoa. Now cook and gently simmer quinoa, uncovered, stirring occasionally, five to 10 minutes more. When the porridge is ready, the milk around the quinoa will have thickened, but will still be a little creamy, and the quinoa will be very tender and have a porridge-like texture.
Divide and spoon the porridge between two bowls. Top each bowl of porridge with 1/3 cup blueberries. Drizzle and sprinkle the berries with honey, cinnamon and almonds, and serve.
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Note: If you can鈥檛 have dairy, you could use almond or soy beverage instead of milk. To toast almonds, place them in a thin layer in a non-stick skillet and set over medium heat. Cook almonds, swirling pan from time to time, until lightly toasted, four to five minutes.
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Salad Greens with Smoked-Salmon Nuggets, Goat Cheese and Blueberries
This is a slightly revised version of a recipe from my book Everyone Can Cook Everything. It鈥檚 one of my favourite summer salads because it鈥檚 easy to make, but is still quite elegant and full of wonderful West Coast flavours.
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2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
鈥� salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 lb candied salmon nuggets, coarsely flaked or sliced (see Note)
125 grams Salt Spring Island goat cheese, pulled into small nuggets
1 cup fresh blueberries
Place the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the salad greens and gently toss to coat. Divide the greens among four plates. Arrange the salmon, goat cheese and blueberries on top of the greens and serve.
Note: Candied salmon nuggets are available at some supermarkets and specialty seafood stores. Salt Spring Island goat cheese is sold in the deli department of most supermarkets.
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Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Apricot Sauce
The quick-cooking, boneless pork chops in this recipe are grilled and then topped with a blueberry-rich sauce with citrusy, sweet, sour and salty flavours.
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Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 15 minutes
Makes: two servings
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1/3 cup apricot jam
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
鈥� salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 (each about 3 oz./100 grams) boneless, pork loin chops
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
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Preheat your indoor grill or barbecue to medium-high. Place the first five ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook and whisk until jam is melted and incorporated with the other ingredients. Stir in blueberries and tarragon; season with salt and pepper. Cover and reserve sauce on low heat.
Brush the pork with the oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill chops three to four minutes per side, or until cooked through. Set two chops on each of two plates, or set them all on a small platter, top with sauce and serve.
Note: If you don鈥檛 have a grill, the pork chops could also be pan-fried three to four minutes per side.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
