Recipe: Sweet Blueberry Almond Bars

These tasty streusel-like bars are a great dessert or a yummy snack. Fresh-ground almond flour gives a lovely nutty flavor to these bars, which include the healthy benefits of both nuts and fresh blueberries, as well as cinnamon. These make a tasty on-the-run snack, and the kids will like them too!

Sweet Blueberry Almond Bars

Ingredients:

Almonds (Photo credit: Shelby PDX)

1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted and ground fine
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp confectioners sugar, divided
1 1/4 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (organic if possible)
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 lb fresh blueberries
1 orange, zested

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper; or butter the pan, dust with flour, and shake out excess.
• Toast almonds on baking sheet in 350 oven for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking often, until golden brown; then put in blender or food processor and grind until fine.
• Put flour, ground almonds, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
• In mixing bowl put 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar and butter, and mix with beater until light and fluffy.
• Add almond extract and continue beating until just blended.
• Slowly add flour mixture, mixing with beater on medium until crumbly texture develops. 
• Remove 1 cup of crumbly dough from bowl and set aside.
• Press remaining dough into a crust just on the bottom of the baking pan.
• In a bowl, toss together the blueberries, orange zest, and remaining 1 Tbsp sugar; arrange evenly over the dough in pan.
• Take 1 cup of crumbly dough that was set aside and sprinkle over blueberries evenly.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• Cut into squares when cool.

Recipe - Cantaloupe Blueberry Salad With Creamy Yogurt Dressing

If you're looking for a tasty and light sweet summer fruit salad, this one is easy and delicious. Mild, sweet and juicy cantaloupe gets a pop of citrus flavor, and sets off the darker tangyness of ripe blueberries, combined in a light creamy yogurt dressing - a match made in heaven if there ever was one! (A big bowl of this without the lettuce also makes a great breakfast!)

Creamy Dressed Cantaloupe Blueberry Salad
(Makes 8 small salads.)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) container vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp orange zest
1 medium size cantaloupe, cleaned and sliced into crescent shapes
24 Boston lettuce leaves
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, poppy seeds, and orange zest in a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy; cover and put in refrigerator to chill.
2. Divide the lettuce leaves between 8 chilled salad plates, then top with the sliced cantaloupe, arranging evenly between plates.
3. Spoon 1/4 cup of the blueberries over each salad, then drizzle the yogurt dressing over each salad and serve immediately.

Recipe - Blueberry Oat Scones

Here is a great one for breakfast.  With lots of healthy fiber and other goodies, this one will be a favorite of both you and your body!

Image via WikipediaBlueberry Oat Scones

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (you could also use frozen - just bake about 5 minutes longer)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease or spray baking sheet with non-stick oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the bran, flour, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar, then cut in the butter with pastry cutter or two forks.
3. In separate bowl, put the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then carefully fold in the fresh (or frozen) blueberries.
5. On a clean surface dusted with flour, place your dough and gently push and knead into a circle, about 9 to 10 inches, then set on prepared baking sheet.
6. With sharp knife, cut dough into wedges (it's okay if you don't cut all the way through).
7. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove and cool on rack, then divide at previously cut marks into wedges.