Friday Four – Blueberry Balsamic Salad – 080219

by | Aug 2, 2019 | Friday Four, Soups, Salads and Sides, Wine

No. 1 : Quick Recipe

Blueberry Balsamic Salad

  • 2 – 3 Cups Chopped Cucumbers
  • 2 Cups Prepared Red Quinoa
  • 1/2 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese and/or a Shredded Cooked Rotisserie Chicken Breast
  • 2 Cups Blueberries
  • 1/2 Chopped Toasted Pecans
  • 4 Cups Baby Greens or Arugula
  • Blueberry Balsamic Dressing
  • Toss the Cucumbers, Quinoa, Blue Cheese and/or Chicken, Blueberries, Pecans and Arugula together on a large platter. Drizzle with the dressing.

Blueberry Balsamic Dressing

  • 2 Cups Blueberries
  • ½  Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 TB Honey, (optional if blueberries are not beautifully ripe)
  • 2 TB Lemon Juice
  • 1 TB Dijon
  • 3/4 Cup Avocado Oil (or olive oil)
  • Salt Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste 

Place the berries, balsamic vinegar, honey if using, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until creamy and smooth. 

No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop

This salad is full of seasonal ingredients like cucumbers, blueberries and arugula. But you can substitute the best of the season you’re in when tossing up the salad. Try strawberries in the early summer months, in cooler months you can use dried cranberries and baby lettuces. Frozen berries make a great salad dressing in the winter!

No. 3 : Clever Idea

SEVEN LAYER JAR Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Dressing Want to make this salad in a jar for quick and easy transport? Here’s how to layer your jar!

  1. Dressing in first, followed by
  2. Chopped Cucumbers
  3. Red Quinoa
  4. Crumbled Blue Cheese and Shredded or Chopped Cooked Rotisserie Chicken
  5. Cups Blue Berries 
  6. Chopped Toasted Pecans
  7. Arugula or Baby Greens

No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week

Louis Latour Beaujolais Villages
Beaujolais, France
About $14.00

We’re just not as familiar with the Gamay grape as others! But we should be! Especially in the hot months of summer when we are craving a cooler wine, but it just has to be red! Gamay is from Burgundy, France specifically at the very end of the region. It’s light and refreshing, so it can be served a little cooler than other red wines. Look for wines named “Beaujolais” in your grocery store. This French wine is named after the place it is made, not the name of the grape.

Friday Four – Blueberry Balsamic Salad – 080219

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