Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

It's that time of the year when I crave salads and ice cream. Or anything of the cold variety, really. And what could be better with a salad and ice cream than homemade Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing? 

Strawberries are in season where I live and I'm loving it. Most people wouldn't think that strawberries grow near the beach, but they do and they're bountiful. My mom and I picked buckets full of strawberries a few weeks ago and I'm going back with a group for work tomorrow. I'm thrilled to learn that my favorite strawberry field will soon produce blueberries... they'll be ready for picking in July. I'll definitely be back to pick my weight in blueberries and make more of this amazing dressing in a few months, but for now, frozen blueberries are doing the trick and I can't get enough salad with this liquid perfection drizzled atop!

Try this dressing today! You're going to love it :)

Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Recipe makes around 8 ounces

This dressing was inspired by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
heaping 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed if frozen)
1/8 cup agave

Directions:

Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until well combined. Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Easy Blueberry Muffins

Hello, hello. It's Wednesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start. I'm working on some new material for my classes and I'm right on schedule with my running plan- today's run is an easy 2 miles. I never thought that I would actually be excited to run again, but it really is exciting and I feel so refreshed after each run. I have noticed that my left knee starts to ache when I try to work on my speed, so I back off a bit and listen to my body when that happens. Otherwise, it's all good; my cardiovascular endurance has certainly improved since last year, which really helps :)

Anyway....

Do you guys like blueberries? Blueberries never go to waste in my house. I love topping oatmeal or bran cereal with fresh blueberries and I also eat them by the handful. I know they're not quite in season anymore, which is a shame, because it seems that I want them the most when they're not fresh and local.

Blueberries.

I've been searching for the perfect blueberry muffin for years. You see, my boyfriend loves blueberry muffins. His favorite ones are from Whole Foods- right in the bakery area- the kind with the streusel and sugar on top. If you've ever had a blueberry muffin from Whole Foods, you know what kind of muffin I'm competing with... it's not even a competition. Needless to say, I've tried quite a few recipes over the years, hoping to make something that compares. And while this recipe didn't quite pass his test, I still thought they were great. I've even included a streusel recipe that will take this muffin to a whole new level.

These muffins are great at breakfast or alongside your afternoon coffee or tea.


Makes one dozen regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup oil (vegetable, canola, or even applesauce)
1 egg
1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F and line a muffin pan with liners or spray with cooking spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, oil, and milk. Combine the wet and dry mixtures.

Gently fold in the blueberries.

Evenly distribute the batter between the muffin tins. Optional: top muffin batter with streusel topping (see recipe below).

Bake for 18 minutes or  until done.

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix ingredients together with a fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.


Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com