Thursday, May 21, 2009

Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp Recipe

I love blueberry crisp, but I have to eat Gluten Free. Because of my restricted diet, I really appreciate the added nutrients that come from Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries. This works just as well with Frozen Berries as fresh, so it can be made any time of the year. Try this one out, and tell me what you think.

Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp
2 Pints (3-4 cups) Fresh or Frozen Blueberries - washed
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Pamela's wheat free bread mix)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Shortening (Butter or Margarine depending on your sensitivity to dairy)
1/3 cup gluten free oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Mix the blueberries with 2 Tbs of the flour mixture and place in the dish.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and shortening. Use a fork to mix the shortening through the mixture. Hint: the shortening works best if cold / solid.

Pour mixture over the top of the blueberries and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until it bubbles and the crust is browned.

I need to thank my friends at the GF/CF forum for this one. -- Its awesome!

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Blueberries: The #1 Antioxidant Fruit

Blueberries: The #1 Antioxidant Fruit

The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston has developed an assay called ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), which qualifies the antioxidant capacity of foods. Fresh blueberries have a high level of ORAC, 2400 per 100 grams. (As a comparison, five servings of some fruits and vegetables in a typical American diet score around 1600)

In a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratory at Tuft's University in Boston, Massachusetts, researchers have found that blueberries rank #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 common fresh fruits and vegetables. Concord grape juice is next on the list with about two thirds of the antioxidant activity of blueberries followed by strawberries, kale, and spinach.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants help neutralize harmful by-products called "free radicals" that can lead to cancer and other age-related diseases. These molecules battle cell and DNA damage involved in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps brain degeneration. Anthocyanin (the pigment that makes blueberries blue) is thought to be responsible for this major health benefit.

Labels: , , , ,