Berry, berry good

Because I usually post about savory dishes that look like lunch or dinner, people have asked me if I ever cook breakfasts or dessert. Yes and yes. To prove it, I thought I'd offer my recipe for blueberry sauce, which will serve you well on both accounts. It's extremely simple, delicious, and oh so good for us. It originally appeared in The Complete Vegan Cookbook, which was published in 2001 and is still going strong.

Here's the scoop on blueberries. They provide lots of vitamin C, as well as potassium, iron, vitamin A, and fiber. Just like cranberries, they have an antibiotic effect so are great for keeping the kidneys healthy. They're also good for the eyes because they contain an anti-oxidant called anthocyanoside. Fresh blueberries will stay fresh for several days under wraps in the fridge. I keep some in the freezer year-round so I always have them on hand.

As you can see, I love this sauce on pancakes, but it's also good stirred into plain yogurt for breakfast or tapioca pudding for dessert (you can buy or make vegan versions of both if you don't eat dairy products). Here's another idea: Drizzle it over pound cake and top with whipped cream for a beautiful variation on strawberry shortcake. Yum. (Tomorrow I'll post my recipe for a vegan whipped cream alternative; no more time for blogging today.)

Blessings and bon appetit!


SUPER SIMPLE BLUEBERRY SAUCE

1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the blueberries, maple syrup, orange juice concentrate, and allspice. Cover the pan and cook until reduced to a thin sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. If you want the sauce to be thicker, just cook it longer!
vegetarian food cooking blueberries pancakes