Apple and Fennel Salad

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Old Cheney Road Farmers Market
Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market in Lincoln, Nebraska

The freshness and flavor of local food allow some ingredients to nearly stand on their own. And simple combinations can pack a burst of complex flavors and textures.

Cook and culinary student Lisa Hanks was inspired to create this dish while walking around colorful Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market in Lincoln, Nebraska. The featured ingredients, apples and fennel, are in season late summer and add a bright sweetness and crunch to the dish. The ingredients can be found at farmers markets across the United States.


Apple & Fennel Salad

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Ingredients

*The cheese is soft, so it will coat the apples and form a binder that holds the salad together like mayo.

Directions

  1. Toss apples and fennel with red wine vinegar.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, and toss. Serve.

Blueberry Bonanza

Pardon the pun, but we’ve gone bananas for blueberries. In the March/April issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Corey Michael Dalton writes about picking these antioxidant-rich fruits in Canada as a child. His story made us crave the sweet treats, so we asked the U.S. Highbrush Blueberry Council for inventive, healthy ways to mix these berries into our diets. The result? An entire day’s worth of meals (and snacks)! Start your day with the blueberry oatmeal breakfast cake, and then give one of the salads a try. And don’t forget to try the blueberry-topped rice cake featuring ricotta or cottage cheese. It’s a perfect afternoon pick-me-up that won’t have you crashing from a sugar high.

Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan. Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a 1-cup measure stir milk, oil, and egg. Pour all at once into flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and pulls away from sides of pan 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool on a rack, 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve warm.
*Blueberries should be firmly frozen when used in baking.


Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette

Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette
Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

Directions

In microwaveable cup, combine onion, red wine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper; cover loosely with plastic wrap; microwave on high power for 1 minute. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until onions turn pink, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides of salmon fillets; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill or broil salmon, skin side down, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Divide lettuce leaves among 4 dinner plates; place salmon in the center. With slotted spoon, remove onions from vinegar; scatter onions, along with blueberries, over and around the fish. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into vinegar mixture; drizzle vinaigrette over salmon.


Berry Blue Smoothie

Berry-Blue-Smoothie
Berry Blue Smoothie

(Makes 3 servings)

Ingredients

Directions

In the container of an electric blender, place blueberries, yogurt, juice, and honey. Whirl until smooth. Serve immediately.
 
 

Blueberry-Topped Rice Cakes

Blueberry-Topped Rice Cakes
Blueberry-Topped Rice Cakes

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together ricotta and preserves.
Spoon an equal amount on each of the rice cakes almost to the edge.
Arrange fruit slices in circles, on top of the ricotta mixture.
Top each with ¼ cup of the blueberries.
Serve immediately.


Blueberry Shrimp Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Blueberry Shrimp Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Blueberry Shrimp Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

Directions

In a large salad bowl, toss shrimp, blueberries, walnut pieces, edamame (or peas), and salad greens
Evenly divide salad onto six plates. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette (below). Sprinkle cheese around edges of salads
Lemon Vinaigrette
In a small mixing bowl, whisk ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1⁄8 teaspoon salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper.

Recipes/Photos Courtesy: The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Kiwi Couscous

Did you know a serving of kiwifruit has more potassium than a banana? Ideal for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and for releasing energy during exercise, these fuzzy little fruits add more than just color and flavor to your favorite dishes.

Kiwi Couscous
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

In small saucepan, lightly salt water then bring to boil. Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Peel kiwi and cut into chunks. Dice pepper and slice large cherry tomatoes in half. Pit olives if needed and thinly slice green onions. Place all in a medium bowl.

Whisk vinegar with oil, garlic, oregano and pinches salt and pepper. When couscous has cooled, gently stir with kiwifruit mixture. Toss with dressing to coat. Stir in feta and basil. Salad will keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.

Picnic Picks

Three picnic pleasers that won’t spoil the fun (or your summer diet)!

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Pack up some lettuce wraps or pita bread and hummus and scoop on the tabbouleh. This traditionally Middle Eastern dish is becoming a popular American picnic treat.

Directions:
Place bulgur in bowl. Heat water in microwave until hot, but not boiling, about 1½ minutes. Carefully pour hot water over bulgur. Cover bowl
with plastic wrap and let stand, about 45 minutes. In separate bowl, combine all vegetables and seasonings. When bulgur is done soaking, drain in strainer, pressing with spoon to squeeze out water. Add bulgur and lemon juice to vegetables and mix. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

Macaroni Salad
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

Try swapping the mayo in your favorite salads—potato, egg, chicken, tuna, ham, pasta—with vegan mayonnaise. The dairy-free product is generally made with soy milk, vegetable oil, and lemon juice and contains no cholesterol. Try this lips-MAC ‘n salad at your next summer cookout.

Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse, drain, and set aside. In large bowl, whisk mayo, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper (to taste). Add celery, carrot, onion, and olives to mixture. Stir in the macaroni, cover, and chill for for 24 hours.

Mayo-Free Potato Salad
(Makes 4 servings)

No mayo and no mustard? You’ve got to try it to believe in this delicious new take on taters.

Place potato chunks in medium pot. Fill with cold water and bring to boil. Add salt and cook potatoes until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, drain and return to warm pot to dry.

Add the broth, olives, red bell pepper, celery, onion, relish, lemon zest and juice, red wine vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.