Garden Fresh: Blueberries have health, taste benefits
The blueberries are coming on! And they're abundant in the produce section of the groceries and at the local farmers' markets. Of course you know they're good for you – their antioxidants help protect the body against chronic diseases associated with growing older. One cup of blueberries contains 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg of Vitamin E, according to the USDA.
And now, one USDA study says that feeding blueberries every day to lab rats slowed the decline of their age-related mental capacity.
So maybe we can eat blueberries and beat dementia. At any rate, the most simple way to eat them is to wash them well and pile a handful on top of Cheerios or other breakfast cereal each morning. The recipe below for Blueberry Dump Cake is nearly as simple and very tasty.
Included here are also some recipes for muffins, a cobbler and pie.
TO-DIE-FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
Crumb topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 8.
383 calories per serving; 16.1 g fat; Cholesterol: 43mg; Sodium: 322mg
EASY-BATTER FRUIT COBBLER
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups of blueberries, or sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits (or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries)
1 tablespoon sugar
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.
Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 4 servings. Calories: 384 per serving. Total fat: 12.6 g; Cholesterol: 34mg; Sodium: 371 mg
BLUEBERRY CRUMB PIE
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Press the pie crust into bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently stir in the blueberries. Pour into the pie crust.
In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oats, flour and cinnamon. Mix in butter using a fork until crumbly. Spread the crumb topping evenly over the pie filling. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned on top. Cool over a wire rack.
Servings per recipe: 8; calories: 460; total fat: 17.1 g; cholesterol: 23 mg; sodium: 218 mg
BLUBERRY DUMP CAKE
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix berries, sugar, and cinnamon in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Cover berries with dry cake mix. Pour butter over cake mix, do not stir.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until light brown. Serve warm or cold. Top with ice cream.
Servings per recipe: 18; calories: 209; total fat: 8.6g; cholesterol: 14 mg; sodium: 225 mg
CREAMY LEMON-BLUEBERRY DESSERT
40 vanilla wafers, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 (3.4 ounce) package lemon instant pudding
1 (16 ounce) package frozen blueberries, thawed, drained and divided
2 cups thawed Cool Whip
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13-by-9-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and flour in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Stir in dry pudding mix until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup berries.
Bake 1 hour or until almost set. (Center will still be jiggly.) Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Crush remaining berries. Top cheesecake with Cool Whip and crushed berries just before serving.
Servings per recipe: 24; calories: 270; total fat: 17.9 g; cholesterol: 80 mg; sodium: 217 mg
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