Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday – Berries Do A Body Good!

Let’s celebrate the blueberry.

These tiny blue fruits pack a powerful nutrition punch. Blueberries can boost your brain power, help prevent cancer and are packed with vitamin C. Plus, they’re sweet low-fat treats – at just 80 calories per cup.

And, if that’s not enough reasons to love these little blue dynamos, here are a few more. According to a recent Harris polling survey, 78 percent of women who eat blueberries agree they add boost to their day and 73 percent of moms agree their kids think it’s fun when they serve them blueberries.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council states this blue super food is available year-round. But, the peak season for fresh blueberries in the United States is mid-June through mid-August.

Blueberries can also be a culinary superstar. While, they’re excellent as a grab and go snack, they can also add flavor and texture to a number of different recipes – dishes you would never have thought of.

“Though they’re great in muffins and pies, they work beautifully in many other dishes outside the traditional ones,” exclaim the folks from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council!

The blueberry gurus shared a few recipes with Healthy Hollywood.

Blueberry & Butternut Squash Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
  • 5 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup raw couscous
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 cups baby arugula

Preheat oven to 450-degrees. In a large bowl, toss squash with 1 tbsp. of oil. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, bake until tender, about 22 minutes, let cool. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat and cover; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool. In a small bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside. In a large bowl combine squash, scallions, blueberries, cheese and couscous. Spread arugula on serving platter. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. dressing. Add remaining dressing to couscous mixture; toss to combine. Serve over arugula.

Blueberry Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. pizza dough
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
  • 4 oz. diced pancetta, cooked and drained
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • Black pepper

Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Lightly flour a work surface. Pat and stretch dough into a 10 x 14-inch oval; place on a large baking sheet. With a fork, pierce dough in several places. Leaving a 1-inch border, sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella, the gorgonzola, pancetta and red onion. Bake until crust is golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Sprinkle blueberries and remaining mozzarella over pizza; bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from oven and top with basil and pepper.

For blueberry recipes, check out www.littlebluedynamos.com.

— Terri MacLeod

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