Blueberry Tofu Smoothie

I recently went to the Jean-Talon Market and bought myself a few pounds of fresh, wild blueberries. Because really, when a few pounds of perfect blueberries stare you in the face and say, "Eat me! Take me home!" it is impossible to resist. Though I bought them without a specific purpose, I figured I would put them to good use somehow.
It has been well over 90 degrees the past few days and, in this concrete jungle of a city, it is enough to make anyone melt. And so when I woke up to a humid apartment already in the high 80s, nothing sounded better than a refreshing cold smoothie for breakfast.
This blueberry tofu smoothie is thick and incredibly filling, unlike most smoothies I've ever had. Now do me a favor and please do not let the idea of putting tofu in your smoothie turn you off. It takes the place of yogurt and packs twice as much protein! And honestly? You can't even taste it. This smoothie is vegan, delicious, and healthy. It would be a sin not to enjoy this for breakfast.

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Whole Wheat Wild Blueberry Muffins

I have moved to the eclectic, diverse city of Montreal. French is spoken wildly and freely on the streets, in the shops, and in the charming little cafes (and though I do not speak a word of it, so far I have managed to get around). Montreal is a hodgepodge of European and American cultures as evidenced in the shops and markets, but also in the essence of the city. It feels simultaneously like both cultures, but belongs in neither location. Montreal is very much its own entity.

Learning of my baking (and eating) habits, my roommate brought me to the Jean-Talon Market. It is a huge farmer's market with an unbelievable amount of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables (I will mention this more and in greater detail as time goes on, I am sure). I picked up peaches, pears, cherry tomatoes, a wonderful variety of bell peppers, and these fantastic wild blueberries. I knew instantly I wanted to eat them in muffins.

These wild blueberry muffins are delicious and healthy. Most muffins I have eaten seem more like white cupcakes than a solid, nutritionally sound muffin. Not these! With whole wheat flour, honey, tons of blueberries, and applesauce instead of oil, these muffins are actually good for you. Which means, of course, that you can eat more than one (or maybe three).

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Blueberry Lime Panna Cotta

Let's face it, my first attempt at panna cotta was truly a failure. It was the wrong texture, the wrong taste... the elusive panna cotta was out of my grasp.

I do not deal with failure well, especially when it comes to cream and sugar. I needed to redeem myself and so I gave panna cotta another chance. Oh, I am glad I did.

This panna cotta has exactly what a classic Italian panna cotta should have: a creamy texture, light taste, and is incredibly simple to make. I call it a success. However, the blueberry lime sauce takes this panna cotta to a completely different level. The blueberry and lime flavors dance together in a very delicate and curious tango. This entire recipe takes less than twenty minutes to make, sauce and all. Now you have no excuse not to get cooking!

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