Moroccan Blueberry Salad

Need a quick and easy salad that is sure to please your dinner guests? Look no further! This salad can be whipped up in no time and tastes amazing!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

– 1 Bottle BBH Moroccan Blueberry Vinaigrette

– 6 cups baby spinach, packed

– 1 cup fresh blueberries

– 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

– Plain Greek yogurt, to taste

Directions:

1. Toss spinach, strawberries, and blueberries together in a salad bowl.

2. Mix together BBH Moroccan Blueberry Vinaigrette with plain Greek yogurt, to taste. Pour over prepared salad.

3. Top with more fresh blueberries.

4. Serve and enjoy!

Sesame Noodle Salad

This delicious salad is easy to make and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at potlucks and BBQs! It works great as a nutritious and delicious cold supper on a hot summer day.

Serves 8.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

 

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

1/3 cup Berry Beary Honey Liquid Honey

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, or more if desired

1 green onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup zucchini, shredded

1 carrot, julienned

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the angel hair pasta and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 4-5 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water.

2. Mix together sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Sriracha hot sauce, and honey in a large bowl. Toss the pasta in the dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and carrot.

3. Serve and enjoy!

 

Tips:

  • Try adding chicken, pork, or tofu.
  • Substitute the sauce in this recipe for our Mandarin Sesame Vinaigrette.
  • Add peanuts or other nuts for an additional crunch.

 

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

A refreshing side dish for a Mediterranean meal.

4 large oranges
2 tbsp Beary Berry Pomegranate Honey
1 tbsp pure pomegranate juice
3 large Medjool dates, pitted, chopped
3 large figs, chopped
2 tbsp toasted pistachios or other nuts, toasted and chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

  1. Slice the top and bottom off of each orange. Use your knife to cut the peel of the orange away from the flesh, leaving no white pith (it’s bitter).
  2. Once peeled, slice each orange into thin slices and arrange them on a large plate or platter, overlapping them slightly. Leave a 1-inch border from the edge.
  3. Whisk together the Beary Berry Pomegranate Honey and pomegranate juice. Drizzle evenly over the orange slices. Sprinkle with the chopped dates and figs, then the pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

 

Borscht with Sauerkraut and Honey

Borscht with Sauerkraut and Honey
credit Alex Lau, Bon Appetit

Adapted from a recipe on Bon Appetit

500 gr inexpensive beef (chuck, blade, sirloin tip)
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3 large beets
2 x 400 ml tins of  sauerkraut, with juices (about 3 cups home made)
156 ml tinned tomato paste (about 6 oz)
2/3 cup Beary Berry Honey
salt and pepper to taste

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut the beef into 1/4″ pieces and add to a large pot with the bay leaf, onion, caraway seeds, and 2 litres of water. Bring to a bubble over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer at least 2 hours until the meat is tender.
  3. While the meat is simmering, wash the beets and trim the dirty tips and ends. Roast them on a foil lined baking dish about 45 minutes or until tender.
  4. Peel the beets and then cut them into 1/4″ pieces.
  5. When the meat is tender, add the chopped beets, the sauerkraut with its juice, the tomato paste, and just enough water to cover the soup by 1 inch. Simmer another 10 minutes.
  6. Add the honey, stirring to dissolve it, and simmer another 15 minutes.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of chopped chives or thinly sliced green onion.

 

Note: It may seem like a lot of honey, and certainly add less to your taste. It is needed to balance off the salt and sour from sauerkraut.

 

 

Quick and Easy Potato Salad

Makes a quick and easy side dish, great for summer picnics.

1 bottle Beary Berry Honey Creamy Dill Vinaigrette
1 kg bag hash browns, defrosted
4 to 6 boiled eggs, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced (optional)

Combine everything together in a large bowl in a bowl. Serve immediately. If making ahead, add the Creamy Dill Vinaigrette just before serving.

Tips / Suggestions:

  • Don’t like red bell pepper? Try adding diced celery or radishes.
  • Want a bit more zing? Finely chop 3 large dill pickles and add to the salad.
  • For a German-style twist, add 2 to 3 tbsp of plain yellow or Dijon mustard.
  • Use 1.5 kg of raw yellow flesh potatoes, dice small and boil, roast or steam until just tender. Let cool completely and then use instead of the hash browns.

Recipe by Amanda Thiessen.

Autumn Squash Soup with Sage and Honey

A quick and easy one-pot dish. Serves 4 as a light meal or 6 as a starter.

Soup
2 tbsp butter or bacon fat or oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
375 gr butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
375 gr acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 tsp rosemary, dried (chop it small)
1/4 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 tsp savory leaves, dried
1 tsp sage leaves, rubbed
3 tbsp cream (optional)
2 tsp Beary Berry Honey

Croutons
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tbsp parsley, minced
12 baguette slices
1/2 cup grated pecorino, parmesan, Swiss or goat cheese
fresh cracked black

OR

Toasted Nuts and Seeds
1/2 cup your choice of toasted nuts and seeds
Try pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, or toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.


Soup

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, but not browned, about 10 minutes. (If it starts to brown a bit, turn down the heat. It’s not the end of the world – you’ll just have brown bits in your soup.)
  2. Add the broth, squash, and herbs. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
  3. Simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
  4. Using an immersion blender, purée soup right in the pot. (If using a regular blender, purée in batches, being very careful to firmly hold down the lid covered with a cloth to avoid exploding hot soup. When puréed, return the soup to the pot.)
  5. Stir in cream (if using) and honey, and bring to simmer. Season with salt (if using) and cracked pepper.

Croutons – prepare them while the soup is simmering

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. In a bowl, combine butter and parsley. You may not use it all, but it’s delicious for toast or on potatoes and vegetables, as a finish for meat.
  3. Shmear 1 side of each bread slice with the herb butter.
  4. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute.
  5. Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated cheese and cracked pink or black pepper. Do this when the soup is almost ready.
  6. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Remove pan from oven.

Serve
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with 2 or 3 croutons, or a sprinkle of the toasted nuts/seeds.


Tips / Suggestions

  • You can use just butternut or just acorn squash if you don’t want to buy both.
  • Weigh the squash AFTER you peel and seed it – which means you need to buy about 20% extra to account for that.
  • Don’t like peeling squash? Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and place cut side down in a baking dish. Add water to a depth of about 1/2″. Roast in a 425 degree oven until softened. Length of time depends type and size of squash – check by piercing with a paring knife and when it easily slides through the flesh, the squash is ready. Remove from oven and carefully scoop out the hot flesh. You won’t need as much cooked as raw, so go for about 300 gr-ish of each.
  • Bacon fat gives a rich flavour – save the drippings next time you fry some up. We like Irvings Farm bacon.
  • We mae the croutons using The Cheesiry Pecorino, and a baguette from SaveOn Foods

Recipe adapted from one by ElaineWilson.com. Image copyright ElaineWilson.com, used with permission. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This is a great make-ahead vegetarian meal for quick lunches or a side dish. Delicious for potlucks and picnics, too. Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side dish.

Vinaigrette
3 to 4 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
2 or 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Beary Berry Honey (see recommendations below)

Salad
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1/2 English cucumber, seeds removed and diced
2 hands full of chopped or baby spinach, kale, beet or other greens
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano (leaves, not ground)
3 cups cooked quinoa
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: a handful of chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 100 gr of Feta cheese, crumbled
Optional: toss in a handful of black Kalamata olives


  1. Dice the vegetables and place them into a large bowl.
  2. Add all the remaining salad ingredients and toss well.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
  4. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and adjust to your taste – add more oil, salt, honey, herbs, or vinegar.

Tips, Suggestions & Information

  • Use Beary Berry Honey unpasteurized clear or creamed honey for a simple vinaigrette.
  • For this recipe, try our Pomegranate Honey, Licorice Honey, or B&T Chai Honey. Use fresh lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar, and try our Lemon Honey or for a real Middle Eastern flavour, Peppermint Honey.
  • Quinoa is the only grain which is also a complete protein. It can be found at almost any natural foods, organic, or regular grocery store and is usually more economical in the bulk aisle. It increases about 3 x its volume when cooked. The easiest method is to cook it like pasta, in lots of water and exactly 11 minutes. Drain and serve immediately as a hot side dish or for a warm salad. For a cold salad or to make ahead, rinse the hot, cooked quinoa with cold water and keep it in the fridge up to 3 days, or portion in small containers and freeze for quick meals.
  • Use any combination of vegetables you like – broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc. Try adding cooked beans, chickpeas or lentils for different textures, or even cold shredded chicken or pork for meat eaters.

 

 

 

 

 

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese

This salad is excellent with any strong-tasting leafy green like spinach, arugula, kale, tatsoi, chicory, beet greens, mustard greens, radicchio, etc.

125 gr spinach leaves (or other greens)
100 to 150 gr crumbled or diced goat/sheep cheese
1/2 cup toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.)
a handful of cooked, crumbled bacon, preferably from a local farm
6 to 8 tbsp Beary Berry Honey Strawberry Lemon Vinaigrette

  1. If the leaves are quite large, roughly tear them into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
  2. Toss the greens with 4 to 4 tbsp of the  Strawberry Vinaigrette (less or more to your taste) then divide the greens among 8 salad plates.
  3. Sprinkle with some of the goat cheese, then nuts, then berries – add a bit more of everything until your salad looks scrumptious.
  4. Drizzle with more vinaigrette if you choose.

Tips/Suggestions/Variations

  • Don’t dress the salad until shortly before serving as vinaigrette will cause the greens to wilt.
  • Lots of local sources for greens, berries and cheese. Check out your local farmers markets. The Cheesiry sheep and goat cheeses are great for this salad.
  • Change up the berries/fruit/nuts and try one of our other vinaigrettes for this salad: Raspberry Balsamic, Cranberry Cherry, or Moroccan Blueberry (with blueberries, pistachios and feta cheese).
  • Toasted nuts are great – candied nuts are even better!

Recipe and image copyright ElaineWilson.com, used with permission.

Beet Green and Bacon Salad with Berry Vinaigrette

Don’t throw away those gorgeous beet greens! Use them in stirfry, soups, and side dishes. With tons of nutrition and flavour, and paired with berries, bacon and sheep cheese, they make an amazing salad.

3 to 4 cups beet greens, stem removed (or spinach, arugula, romaine or other lettuce)
a handful of crumbled or diced goat/sheep cheese, preferably from a local farm
a handful of toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.)
a handful of cooked, crumbled bacon, preferably from a local farm
a handful of berries of your choice

  1. Toss the greens with half of the vinaigrette (recipe below) and divide between two salad plates.
  2. Sprinkle with some of the cheese, then nuts, then bacon, then berries – add a bit more of everything until you think your salad looks scrumptious.
  3. Drizzle with more salad dressing if you choose.

Quick  Berry Vinaigrette

1 tbsp Beary Berry HoneyBlack Raspberry, Red Raspberry or Pomegranate
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp mashed berries (fresh or frozen)
water to thin just to your taste

Whisk everything together in a small bowl and adjust for sweetness or acid. Season with salt and/or pepper if you like.  Drizzled over greens with some toasted nuts, goat cheese, and sliced fresh fruit or dried fruit.

(OR)  Use Beary Beary Honey Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe copyright ElaineWilson.com, used with permission.


Resources

Beary Berry Honey products available at farmers markets, their farm store near Tofield, in SaveOn Stores, and in many local shops. Visit BearyBerryHoney.com or call 780-662-3577.

The Cheesiry cheese products available at farmers markets, their farm store near Kitscoty, and in many local shops. Visit TheCheesiry.com for more information.

Irvings Farms pork and bacon products available at farmers market, their farm store near Round Hill, and in many local shops. Visit IrvingsFarmFresh.com for more information.


Check out EatEastOfEdmonton.com for a listing of the many farms east of Edmonton that you can visit and where they grow our vegetables, grains and the meat we enjoy. You can also get recommended routes for self-guided tours of the region, including the many farms open to visitors.

Visit GoEastRTO.com for suggested day trips of activities, festivals, and sightseeing in the region east of Edmonton.