Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Mixing sweet with some savory

I am a big fan of blueberries. If you took a peak at inside our freezer, you would find it has at least 3 bags of wild organic blueberries from Trader Joes at all times. I usually have at least 1/2 to 1 cup a day with yogurt or in a smoothie. It is not often that I use them in savory dishes, but tonight was a wonderful execption.

Turkey with Blueberry Pan Sauce starts off as a winner as it uses very little dishes. After searing a couple turkey tenderlions, they are baked in the oven in the same skillet just until no longer pink in the middle. They are moved to a covered plate to keep warm while you prepare the sauce. The same pan is now used again so you can get all the flavor from the bits and pieces left behind from the turkey. Blueberries are cooked down with balsamic vinegar until they release their exquisite juices and become thick. The vinegar cuts the sweetness so it does not overpower the tender turkey. This combination worked so well.

To serve along side, I made a Mixed Salad with Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette topped with Toasted Walnuts. The vinaigrette was quite a unique combination of flavors. I was a little disappointed that I could not dectect any vanilla, but even without it the taste was quite pleasant. I changed the recipe a bit by adding some extra-virgin olive oil and using a couple different vinegars. I used an immersion blender to combine and the dressing was very smooth. Slightly sweet from the pears and a bit of spice from cayenne had me going for another serving. I will have to find a use for the leftover vinaigrette as we both thought it made the salad.

Recipes

7 comments:

  1. More great cooking! Thanks for the idea about another use for blueberries. I thought I was the only one with almost a whole freezer section full! Afraid they might suddenly vanish off the face of the earth.

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  2. CL has a recipe for Blueberry Chicken you might want to check out, and also on CLBB is a post for Blueberry Ketchup. I stocked up on blueberries when they were in season ... might be time to defrost some.

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  3. I can't remember if I'd stopped by here before, but your blog is very nice. I think your photos are great and a lot of the recipes are very appealing. I like a lot of your formatting...think I'll have to work on mine a bit. I might be back to ask some questions!!

    Have a Happy New Year!!

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  4. I LOVE blueberries, I eat them most every day too. Not sure my picky brood would go for this but I sure would, it looks delish.

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  5. That turkey looks so delicious and moist, Joe!

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  6. Wow, that turkey looks great! I will have to try this sometime when the guys are not home. They will frown on fruited poultry!

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  7. Fran - That's how I feel somedays too!

    Sweetnicks - I've made that one I think. I think I made the BB Ketchup too but can't remember off hand.

    Dawn - Thanks for visiting! Feel free to ask any questions!

    Michele - I just had some more this morning! Can't get enough of 'em!

    Nic - Thanks!

    Patti - Jeff was pretty unsure if he would like it before he tasted it, but he gave the thumbs up! You never know.. hee hee!

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