One thing I love as much as blueberries is salad. Fresh salad greens with baby lettuce and spinach leaves, light and healthy, are the base for a perfect meal. Add in fresh blueberries in season, with sliced strawberries, grapes or diced, sweet apple, then add chopped pecans and a sprinkling of feta or gorgonzola cheese - so easy! But the right dressing adds that pop of flavor key to making a salad truly great.
Years ago, I discovered the art of homemade salad dressings and I can't believe the difference in flavor. One of my favorite dressings for a greens-and-fruit salad is Blueberry Poppyseed Dressing. This is a great way to add blueberry flavor and "healthiness" any time of the year. You can use fresh blueberries or frozen ones, and it only takes a few minutes to make. Bonus: there are only 16 calories per tablespoon, as long as you use a sugar-free sweetener.
BLUEBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING
1/2 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 Cup white vinegar
1/2 Cup light mayo (you really don't need the full fat kind)
1/3 Cup sweetener of choice (I use Splenda)
4 T. Water
2T Poppyseeds
Microwave blueberries for about 30 seconds, or just long enough for them to get soft and juicy. Add them and the rest of the ingredients to a small blender. (If you don't have a little 2-cup personal size blender, you really need to get one! You can pay a lot, if you're so inclined, but an inexpensive one works fine. Mine cost $14.) Mix until blended. This makes about 2 cups.
