Blueberry Lime Lassi Popsicles Recipe

makes 4 popsicles

Ingredients
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/16 teaspoon (tiny pinch) ground cardamom, optional
A pinch of salt
1 cup full fat yogurt
Juice of 1 lime

A popsicle mold that can hold 4 popsicles
4 wood popsicle sticks

Method
1. Place the blueberries, sugar, salt and cardamom if using in a heavy bottom pan. Cook on medium heat until the berries are soft and mash easily, about 4 minutes.
2. Let the berry mixture cool to room temperature. Then pour it into a blender, along with the lime juice and yogurt. Blend until very smooth.
3. Pour the lassi into popsicle molds and freeze until semi-solid, about 1 hour. Now insert the popsicle sticks half way into the mold. Return to the freezer and let the popsicles freeze solid, about 4 hours.

No-Cook Version
1.Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Pour the lassi into popsicle molds and freeze in the freezer.
2.When the popsicles are semi-frozen, about 1 hour, insert the popsicle sticks half way. Freeze until the pops are solid, about 4 hours.

My sister regularly gets this blueberry mango quinoa salad with lemon basil dressing at the Marks and Spencer grocery store in UK. She also regularly raves about it to me. She says it’s the perfect healthy salad for summer – fruity, tangy, fresh and filling.

Marks and Spencer’s version of this salad has quinoa, barley, red rice, sprouts, mango, blueberry, and cucumbers. I simplified it a bit, and used only quinoa plus the fruits and cucumber.

Cut the cucumber and mango about the same size as the blueberries, so everything looks uniform. Add the fruits to the salad just before serving to ensure they are fresh and juicy. This salad recipe has as much fruits and vegetable as there is quinoa. If you want it less fruity just use less fruits or more quinoa.

The dressing recipe here will make a little more than you need. Toss  half the dressing with the quinoa. Serve the other half on the side – this always pleases the people who like their salads extra tangy!

You can customize this blueberry mango quinoa salad recipe any way you like. Here are some suggestions to add to this recipe if you want some variations:

-          Cooked chickpeas
-          Any kind of sprouts
-          Walnuts
-          Cubed jicama
-          Cubed carrot
-          Fresh mint

Here is another recipe for blueberry mango quinoa salad with lemon basil dressing ala Marks and Spencer from foodwired

Blueberry Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing Recipe

Serves about 2

For the quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

For the fruits and veggies
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup cubed ripe mangoes
½ cup cubed cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries

For the lemon basil dressing
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Place the quinoa and water in a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or till the quinoa is cooked. Remove the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, combine the fruits in a bowl and refrigerate till you are ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, except the chopped basil. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve. Chop and add the basil to the dressing just before serving. If you add it earlier, it will go black.

Add half the dressing to the quinoa and mix gently.

Assemble the salad just before serving – toss the quinoa, fruits and cucumbers together. Serve other half of the dressing on the side. Serve  immediately.

Lets kick off the summer with a sweet, refreshing, berry sangria, shall we? This is a red lobster copy cat recipe — there isnt much vegetarian food at Red Lobster restaurants (not that im expecting any!), but I can eat their buttery biscuits and drink their triple berry sangria all day long.

The berries soak up the vodka and wine, and get all boozy and yummy. But dont let the berries sit in the wine too long, they can discolor. You must serve the sangria as soon as youve made it.

La Grange Winery, VA

Virginia’s wine country is nearby; so our summers are filled with wine tasting, winery hopping, and picnics at the vineyards. We bring home lots of wine when we go on there day trips. But I dont use the good wine for sangria. Whatever wine is on sale at the grocery will do.

We collect wines from around the world, but our local favorite is Narmada Winery, VA  which has an Indian touch

 If you prefer, you can use white wine in this sangria recipe. Also, change up the ingredients as you like – orange juice instead of blueberry juice, triple sec or brandy instead of vodka, club soda instead of ginger ale..the possibilities are endless.

Summer Triple Berry Sangria with a hint of Ginger Recipe

makes 1 large pitcher

1 cup strawberries hulled
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon sized knob of fresh ginger, peeled and lightly crushed
1 1/2 cups berry flavored vodka (I used Absolut raspberry)
1 1/2 cups berry flavored juice (I used Ocean spray blueberry juice)
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
one 750 ml bottle of red wine (I used Barefoot Merlot)
1-2 cups gingerale
ice cubes
mint sprigs for garnish

In a large pitcher, place the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, ginger, vodka, fruit juice, and sugar. Mix well. Cover the pitcher and let the berries macerate in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Fish out and discard the ginger piece. Just before serving, stir in the wine, gingerale and ice cubes.

I almost feel bad giving you a recipe for lemonade. I mean, its a no brainer right? Just mix up sugar, lemon juice, and water, thats it. So, to spruce up the humble lemonade, I added some blueberries (and vodka!). The extra tang and brilliant color were fantastic! We loved eating the lemonade soaked blueberies in the end of each glass!

The lemonade will become a stronger color if you let the blueberries sit in the lemonade for a few hours. Use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Other berries would work well too — strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries..yum!  If you are using something with lots of seeds (like raspberries), you may want to puree the fruit and strain the puree before adding it to the lemonade.  

Alcoholic version - Spiked Blueberry Lemonade:  add vodka to this lemonade. You will not be sorry you did!

Blueberry Lemonade Recipe

makes about 8 cups

1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice (I used bottled)
6 cups water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir till sugar dissolves. Muddle the blueberries a little using the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices and color. Taste and adjust sugar if needed. Serve chilled.

For spiked lemonade – add 1 to 2 cups of vodka (preferably citron flavor) to above recipe.