Blueberry Crumble

As I have said a few times already...get out there and take advantage of the rich summer fruits and vegetables. Hit your farmer's market weekly which allows you to support local farmer's, provides better produce, and is overall, tastier than anything from the store!

Right now, the midwest is seeing a rise in blueberries, and when Jon was visiting I was able to try all kinds of new things, including this throw-together Blueberry Crumble.  Folks, it doesn't get any easier to make a simple, fresh, delicious dessert with little sugar.

Equipment:

Mixing bowl

8" x 8" Pyrex baking dish

Pastry cutter, or I just use my hands

Ingredients:

5 cups blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 cup of flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

6 Tbls unsalted butter, diced and chilled

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

3. Whisk granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together.

4. Toss blueberries in the sugar-cornstarch mixture and pour into pyrex dish.

5. Combine flour, oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon.

6. Add the butter and use your hands or pastry cutter to create a coarse crumble.

7. Scatter the crumble overtop the blueberries.

8. Bake @375F degrees until bubbly and the crumble is golden brown, approx 30 minutes.

9. Let cool x 20-30 minutes.

10. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

Poppyseed Lemon Pancake

The 2014 World Cup has been consuming my time these past two weeks, and I apologize for the silence, but what a game today!

USA vs Portugal! 

Wow! 

Germany better wake up here, right?  

Anyhow, I love Sundays because I get to really cook for breakfast without rushing out the door.  I'm talking:

• Sit down. 
• Savor the food. 
• Sip my coffee. 
• Read.
• Do Whatever

And today, I did just that! 

I made Lemon-Poppyseed Pancakes with Blueberries. 
In part, because I wanted to try something new; but also, because Jon is headed home for a brief visit this coming weekend, and lemon-flavored dishes and breakfast are some of his favorite things--how perfect is that?  Put it all in a pancake. Why not?

These pancakes can stand alone;or, add a few eggs, bacon, sausage, and/or fruit.
I'd say...30 minutes tops to make a simple, but delicious, breakfast for any college student. Leftovers great for snacking later. See what you guys think!

Recipe from Baking With Blondie--check out her site for delicious, consistent recipes!

Equipment:

Griddle or large non-stick skillet

Large spatula

Mixing bowls

Whisk

Grater or zester

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbls butter, melted

1/3 cup poppy seeds

Lemon zest from 4 lemons

Fresh blueberries

Butter

Maple Syrup

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Combine the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, lemon zest, and poppy seeds in a separate bowl.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a whisk until combined.

5. Heat your skillet with a pat of butter on MED-HIGH.

6. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Remember these will enlarge and expand. Make  sure you have enough space.

7. When the edges begin to bubble and bottom is golden brown, flip carefully onto other side.

8. Cook until golden brown. Remove from skillet. Repeat until the batter is gone.

9. Serve with fresh blueberries, warm syrup, and a little dab of butter if you like.

10. Bacon, sausage, fruit, hashbrowns optional.

Warm Berry Yoghurt

Just a simple blog today to add variety to your yoghurt.  But having said that, this recipe, once made, could be used on waffles, on oatmeal, or in smoothies.  Basically, use any combination of berries you like:  Blueberries-Blackberries, Strawberries-Raspberies, or any mixture you can think of.  If you have 10 minutes, this sauce will raise the bar.

Equipment:

3 quart saucepan

1/4 cup measuring cup

Spoon

Ingredients:

2/3 cup red raspberries, fresh or frozen

2/3 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup water 

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp of butter

Add-Ins:

Granola

Honey

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Wash the fruit.

3. Combine the fruit, water, and sugar in a sauce pan.

4. Bring to a boil and stir.

5. Reduce heat to a slow boil or simmer for 10 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.

6. Remove from heat and add butter

7. Prep your bowl or glasses with yoghurt, granola and honey.

8. Add fruit and top with granola.

9. You have a great day ahead of you.

Peach and Blueberry Tart

Stone fruit and berries are some of summer's best gifts to all of us: peaches, plums, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries.  I remember climbing trees and gorging myself on the very sweetest cherries and plums, and spending hot afternoons in my grandmother's backyard picking berries so I could add whipped cream for a quick dessert.  

Take advantage of their sweetness with this quick and tasty recipe on a budget: Peach-Blueberry or Blackberry Tart.  If you like a little variety, make half the tart apple and the other half peach--just mix it up--try your own combo.  You pretty much can't go wrong.  Add a can of Redi-Whip, and you are golden! 

Check it out!

Equipment:

Baking sheet or jelly roll pan (baking sheet with edges)

Parchment paper

Medium mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

Fork or whisk

Ingredients:

3-4 peaches or nectarines, crescent sliced 

Pint of fresh blueberries or blackberries

1/2 jar strawberry or apricot jam

1 Tbls orange juice or apple juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon 

Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon (avoids fruit from oxidizing)

Puff pastry, thawed & unfolded

1 Egg, slightly beaten with 1 tsp water

Powdered sugar

Balsamic Glaze (optional since adds to cost. use only if you already have it in your pantry)

RediWhip

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

3. Un-Roll puff pastry onto baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Use a knife to score the puff pastry along the edges, leaving a 1/2-3/4 inch border.

5. Microwave jam with juice until slightly "soupy".  Spread a thin layer within the scored area of the puff pastry.

6. Slice fruits (and peel if necessary) into crescent shaped pieces.

7. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon, and cinnamon.

8. Layer fruit slices onto jam mixture to barely overlap each other from one end to the next.

9. Drizzle fruit with remaining warm jam mixture.  

10. Dot the fruit with butter.

11. Brush (or use your fingers / hand) edges with egg wash.

12. Bake @ 425F x 10-15 minutes until edges start browning, then decrease heat to 350F.

13. Bake another 20-25 minutes until crust golden brown.

14. Add Balsamic Glaze. Or Vanilla Ice Cream. Or Redi-whip.  Or all three.
15. You decide how far you're going to take it.