June's Feel Good Food Round Up: Blueberries

I'd like to start this post by thanking each and every person who took the time to enter and link up to this challenge from the bottom of my heart. I am over the moon with how many amazing blueberry-filled recipes we have here, (17 in total!), all of which combine so many other great ingredients; spelt flour, natural yoghurt, and wheat bran, but to name a few. The response to the challenge across the web has been fantastic too, it seems that there are a lot of 'foodies' out there who want to eat a little healthier without dieting or calorie counting, and I cannot wait to see what happens with next month's key ingredient!

To re-cap the reasons for this month's choice of ingredient, Blueberries are the ultimate superfood, rich in antioxidants, and full of key nutrients, they are great for reducing the risks of heart diseases, cancers and chronic diseases. Each of these recipes contain a healthy quantity of blueberries, so we can tuck into these tasty treats safe in the knowledge that we are consuming something definitely 'good for us'.

And so... without further ado... bring on the Blueberries!

Superfood Pancakes

Firstly I linked up my Superfood Pancakes, which, as well as the required blueberries, are made with oats and wholemeal flour, and are drizzled with healthy (yes, healthy - read the post) maple syrup.

Orange and Blueberry Muffins

The next entry came from Angela of My Golden Pear, and it was in the shape of these stunning Orange and Blueberry Muffins. Made with no butter, delicious seeded spelt flour, and a mix of golden caster sugar and a stevia sugar blend, these tick all the right boxes for being both a tasty and nutritious snack or breakfast option. 

Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes

Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker made Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes, which are low in fats and made with low fat yoghurt. Paired with the blueberries they make a great healthy snack, which is the perfect reason to reward yourself with the stunning lemon buttercream Ros has decorated them with!

Vegan Blueberry Bran Muffins

The next entry comes from the lovely Ness over at JibberJabber UK, in the form of these great looking Vegan Blueberry Bran Muffins. Ness has developed this recipe to contain no eggs or butter, and with the added wheat bran flour these will be packed with nutritious goodness!

Hazelnut, Lemon and Blueberry Layer Cake

Susie from Fold in the Flour entered this showstopping Hazelnut, Lemon and Blueberry Layer Cake, made with spelt flour and piled up with those gorgeous fresh blueberries, you can forgive a slice (or two) of this cake for it's nutritional contents and their health benefits!

Summer Berry and Chocolate Traybake

Jen over at Blue Kitchen Bakes updated this tasty looking Summer Berry and Chocolate Traybake to link up to this challenge, and I'm so glad she did! Jam-packed with raspberries, blueberries and chocolate chips, it sounds like every mouthful was full of flavour, and with most of the butter being replaced with natural yoghurt, making it lower fat than a normal cake.

Banana Spelt Pancakes with Blueberries

These mouthwatering Banana Spelt Pancakes with Blueberries came from Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen, and I would happily eat these for breakfast every day! You have to check out the post in full, as there is an extra bonus blueberry recipe in there too!

Chicken with Blueberry and Hot Pepper Sauce

I tried something savoury next, with this Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, with Blueberry, Southern Comfort and Hot Pepper Sauce, an odd sounding combination but take it from me, this is a seriously good meal!

Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins

Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog linked up these yummy Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins, which are made from a mixture of spelt and coconut flour, and have loads of extra tasty flavours including cinnamon and cardamom.

Energy Boost Berry Muffins

Michelle at Utterly Scrummy is up next, with a batch of Energy Boost Berry Muffins. Packed full of wheat bran, oats, and fresh berries, these are a perfect 'pick-me-up' treat for after school... or breakfast, elevenses or lunch too!

Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts

Me again, this time with Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts. Now aside from the blueberries here, I'm not sure how far I can go to class these as healthy. I can however promise that they will make you feel good! 

Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes

Jennifer is new to blogging over at What Jenny Baked, and she really intrigued me with these Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes. Roasting the blueberries before adding them to the cake batter intensifies their colour and flavour, something that I will definitely be trying in the future.

Greek Yoghurt, Blueberry and Chocolate Parfait

Next up, Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook whipped up these tasty Greek Yoghurt, Blueberry and Chocolate Parfaits, a great quick, easy and nutritious breakfast dish.

Lemon, Blueberry and Blackcurrent Swirl Loaf

A great looking tasty loaf cake for you next from Kat, The Baking Explorer, with this Lemon, Blueberry and Blackcurrent Swirl Loaf, packed full of fruit and flavour, who could resist a slice with a steaming mug of tea.

Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes

Another great Lemon and Blueberry flavour combination here from Cupcake Girl, with these pretty looking Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes, with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. These two flavours never fail to work perfectly together.

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

Nicole Bremner blogged this tantalising looking Vegan Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake, alongside a review of a new Vegan Cookbook - The Naughtiest Cupcake. This cake is not only vegan, but also gluten free, and with those super healthy blueberries too, this has to be one of the healthiest ways to consume awesome yummy cake!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

And last, but by no means least, is this super Blueberry Banana Smoothie from Kavitha at Techie Cookie Freaky. Quick and simple, this is a great tasty breakfast recipe, and is open to be added to at will!

And that folks is it! 17 amazing recipes containing a good healthy dose of goodness in blueberry form. Once again, thanks to all for entering, and check back tomorrow morning to find out what July's special ingredient will be! 

Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts

Apparently it's summertime... actually, we are only a week away from the summer solstice, or midsummer if you will, and although the weather is trying it's best to fool us, the scent of freshly cut grass and the wild honeysuckle in the hedgerows are giving the game away.

These fragrant, fruity little numbers are my ode to midsummer's night, with their shimmering violet surface, and enticing vanilla scent, they will make you forget that it might be slightly overcast and rainy outside. I am linking these tarts up to my Feel Good Food challenge, where the theme is blueberries, and to Classic French hosted by Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes for her French Tart challenge. I have adapted this recipe from Jen's Strawberry Tarts, as I was impressed by the simplicity of the crème patisserie recipe she used (the previous one I had attempted was a lot more fiddly), and I have used a vanilla infused sugar from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range throughout, rather than caster sugar and vanilla extract which you could use if you didn't have the infused sugar. 

Ingredients (makes 2 individual tarts)

For the Vanilla Shortcrust Pastry

50 grams plain flour
25 grams salted butter
1 teaspoon Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
2 teaspoons cold water

For the Crème Patisserie

1 egg yolk
25 grams Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
110 ml semi-skimmed milk

For the Blueberry Topping

1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Sainsbury's Vanilla Infused Sugar
50 grams frozen blueberries

Method

• To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, and the butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, a teaspoon at a time, and mix through with a fork. Bring the pastry dough together with your hands into a small ball, wrap in clingfilm, and place in the fridge for at least half an hour. 
• Once the pastry is chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and use it to fill two 4 inch tart tins. (I didn't leave mine quite long enough this time, and the edges cracked a little making an uneven finish, but hey - it all tastes good right!)
• Blind bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper/ foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Remove the pastry cases from the oven and set aside to cool. 
• To make the crème patisserie, put the egg yolk, vanilla sugar, and cornflour in a large mixing bowl, and whisk together to make a smooth paste. Heat the milk gently in a saucepan until it just starts to simmer, then slowly pour the milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling. 
• Return the mixture to the saucepan, and place over a low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then fill the two pastry cases, spread the crème patisserie evenly, and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
• Finally, to make the blueberry topping, put the water and sugar in a saucepan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved, and a syrup starts to form. Add the blueberries, and stir for 2-3 minutes, until the blueberries start to break down slightly. 
• Remove the blueberries from the heat, let the mixture cool, then pour over the top of the tarts. Place in the fridge again to allow the blueberries to set, then serve. 

Chicken with Blueberry and Hot Pepper Sauce

As many of you know, (and are probably kinda sick of hearing me harp on about already) I launched a brand new challenge from this blog this month - Feel Good Food. The basis of this challenge is to create great recipes that are healthy in terms of their nutritious content, without being 'diet' or 'low-cal' or faddy. In short, recipes for foodies who want their food to be good for them, but still taste incredible, and include the more-than-occasional treat (by 'treat' see 'cake')! At the time of typing this there are already 7 great recipes linked up on the blog hop, and you can see them all in there blueberry filled glory here. 

Chicken with Blueberry and Hot Pepper Sauce

In search of inspiration for my own entry, I came across this rather unusual sounding recipe on the BBC Food website for Herby Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Blueberry and Hot Pepper Sauce. Sounds interesting/random/awful right!? Wrong! I made a few tweaks and changes to the recipe to create my own version but my goodness this dish is GOOD! I highly recommend everyone out there try this recipe, it's sticky and sweet, yet with a kick through from the hot pepper sauce, and will take chicken and vegetables to a whole new level whilst filling you with all those lovely nutrients and antioxidants that are packed into our little blue friends. I'm rambling now I know, I just really loved this recipe!

I served this dish with a side of Two-Tone Cajun-style Potato Wedges, for which I will share the recipe another day. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 large chicken breasts
1 ball of mozzarella
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

4 tbsp water
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
6 tbsp Southern Comfort
100 grams fresh blueberries
1 tsp Tabasco sauce

Method

• Take the chicken breasts, and using a sharp knife make several deep incisions across the top of each, cutting almost through to the underside. Place in an oven-proof dish.
• Finely grate the mozzarella cheese. Stuff as much of the cheese as possible into the cuts in the top of the chicken, and then sprinkle the rest over the top. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and paprika over the chicken, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees, or until the meat is cooked through, and the cheese is golden on top.
• In a saucepan, heat the water and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the Southern Comfort and the blueberries, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the blueberries have cooked down, and the mixture has started to thicken. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
• Add the Tabasco sauce, and stir well, then serve drizzled over the chicken breasts. Easy!

This post is being linked up with the Feel Good Food Challenge hosted on this blog. I am also linking up with Made With Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior, where the requirement is for recipes to be made from scratch. 

June's Feel Good Food Challenge

I'm so pleased to launch the first ever Feel Good Food challenge this month. I've started this recipe challenge in order to create a place for great recipes that are good for us in terms of their nutrition content and health benefits, but not at the expense of taste. They are going to be recipes for the foodies out there that can't face the thought of strict diets, or calorie counting, but want to make sure that the food they are eating has the best possible benefits to their health. In short, foodies like me!

The premise for this challenge comes from a project I have been working on with a great friend of mine who runs a successful dance and fitness company, and who has been giving me amazing hints and tips on eating healthy, as it is glaringly obvious that I am not wired up to spend my spare time in a gym. You can read all about what she does here.

Every month, there will be a theme set, which will revolve around a key ingredient that has a particularly high nutritious content or health benefit. What you chose to do with that ingredient then is wide open, we are looking for as varied and wonderful recipe ideas as possible, all that I ask is that where possible you choose wholegrain carbs (flour/rice/pasta etc) and avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. I'm not looking for calorie controlled recipes, just delicious and nutritious food.

This month, the key ingredient is...

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries are one of the original members of the Superfoods group, and their credentials stack up to prove why they have earned this status. Packed with antioxidants (which slow down the oxidants that age your cells) and phytoflavinoids (compounds that protect our bodies from stress), they also contain high levels of potassium and vitamin C. Some of the many health benefits associated with Blueberries are a reduced risk of heart diseases and cancers, and they are also reported to be anti-inflammatory, so can prevent chronic diseases. When selecting blueberries, the darker they are in colour, the more antioxidants they contain. 

Harvesting of blueberries takes place May through to August in the US, and June to August in the UK, so these healthy little super-berries should be coming into season this month and be readily available in the supermarkets. 

So... the rules...

• Recipes should be submitted by midnight on the 28th. 
• You can enter as many recipes into the challenge as you like, the more the merrier. Existing posts are welcome, as long as they contain the chosen ingredient and have been updated to include a link back to this challenge.
• Recipes can be your own or someone else's, but if you do use an existing recipe please credit the source.
• Posts must contain the Feel Good Food logo above, be tagged with Feel Good Food, and contain a link back to this site. 
• Once your post is live, you can add the URL to the linky tool at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, email me a copy of the URL link to kickatthepantrydoor@gmail.com so that I know it is there, and I can include it in the round up at the end of the month. 
• If you are on Twitter, tweet me the link at @ThePantryDoor1, using the hashtag #FeelGoodFood and I will retweet as well. 

Superfood Pancakes, and a Review of Clarks Maple Syrup

Superfood Pancakes

I was recently sent some samples of Maple Syrup and Honey from Clarks to try, and within the same week, in fact literally a few days later, there was an article published by the Daily Mail detailing how maple syrup had been elevated to the lofty status of 'superfood'. I was curious to explore the science behind the idea of 'superfoods' a little, as it is a term that is used seemingly quite feely, and I wasn't entirely sure of the substance behind it. As it turns out, there are two opposing camps out there on the subject of superfoods, on the one side those who believe that superfoods contain high levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals that have substantial health benefits, and the other side, those who believe the terms is one invented and exploited by marketing companies. (It is worth noting that there is no legal definition to the term 'superfood'.)

A selection of Maple Syrup and Honey from Clarks

If we choose to look on side of those that do believe in the power of superfoods, then in simple science superfoods are those that are especially high in key nutrients, such as Omega 3, antioxidants and potassium, which are considered to have affects such as reducing the risks of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, increasing your immune system, and reducing depression. 'Famous' superfoods include blueberries, broccoli, oily fish and green tea to name but a few, and now, maple syrup can be added to that list. 

Predominantly maple syrup contains phenol compounds that house enzymes that convert carbohydrates into sugars, and the recent studies suggest that this could be the basis of an anti-diabetic compound. In addition, maple syrup also contains a high density of antioxidants, which are key in slowing down the oxidization, or ageing of the bodies cells, something that is not found in other natural sweeteners, even including honey. You can find more information on the health benefits of maple syrup on the Clarks website here.

All this talk of superfoods got me thinking, and as someone who constantly strives and yet falls short of eating a healthy diet, I wanted to have a go at creating something with my maple syrup that would make the most of it's new 'superfood' status. I had a look at some of the other ingredients that are also considered superfoods, and came up with this recipe for 'Superfood Pancakes', which is loosely based on scotch pancakes, or drop scones as they are also known in some parts of the UK. Containing blueberries, oats, and wholemeal flour, there are four, yes four, superfoods in this recipe! Which makes them really very good for you in my book (if you overlook the milk, sugar and butter content). 

Superfood Pancakes

Ingredients

150 grams wholemeal self raising flour

50 grams rolled oats

100 grams golden caster sugar

200 ml semi-skimmed milk

1 large egg

150 grams frozen blueberries

a little butter to cook

maple syrup to serve

Method

These are the easiest breakfast/ brunch/ snack to make, just beat the batter together and cook it! The quantities given should make 12 - 15 pancakes.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the oats and golden caster sugar, and mix well...

Whisk together the milk and egg, make a well in the centre of the dry mix, add the liquids, and whisk together to form a batter...

Add the frozen blueberries and mix well into the batter...

Melt a little butter in a frying pan or on a griddle, and drop three dessert-spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. It will spread a little but not greatly...

When the pancakes start to have little bubbles in the surface, and are colouring around the edges, flip them over carefully to cook on the other side...

And then serve hot, with a good healthy drizzle of maple syrup!

Gary and I had three pancakes each, which we topped with each of the three maple syrups in order to 'judge' each one. The vanilla maple syrup was noticeably sweeter than the others, although honestly I didn't get much of a vanilla flavour coming through. The Grade 1 and Grade 2 syrups were great, the Grade 2 definitely being my favourite, with a real earthy flavour coming through which worked perfectly with the pancakes.

I'm entering this recipe into Credit Crunch Munch, run by Camilla and Helen, and hosted this month by Janice at Farmersgirl Kitchen, as it is made from store cupboard ingredients, and cheap to make.

I'm also entering into Made with Love Mondays run by Mark over at Javelin Warrior, as it was made totally from scratch, on a Monday, with a lot of love... simple! ;-)

Disclaimer: I was sent a selection of maple syrups and honey to try by Clarks, however all opinions expressed in the post are 100% honest and my own.

1st June 2013 - I am updating this post to be entered into the Feel Good Food challenge, hosted by myself, as the theme is blueberries, and these pancakes are super-nutritious!