Well, again, I’m trying to use up fruit and vegetables from the CSA. Decided to see if I could create something with blueberries. Anything with skins is risky for people with swallowing disorders as the skins can get stuck almost anywhere in the mouth or throat and create a potential hazard by falling later into the airway. But by cooking the blueberries and breaking them down and then putting them through a spin in my vitamix, I created a really lovely sauce without any skins. However, I didn’t think it was thick enough, so I added just ¼ teaspoon of xanthium gum and voila, a lovely blueberry sauce to use in making a blueberry fool. Here’s my recipe
Ingredients
1/2 pint fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or in my case, two packages of sweetener
3/4 cup whipped cream (I’m using just the canned stuff for this demo, but
you could whip up the cream as per the directions.
¼ teaspoon xanthium gum
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
STEP 1
In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to break down and juices boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to the vitamix or other blender. .Blend slowly, then add the xanthium gum. Blend until thickened.
STEP 2
In a separate bowl, combine cream and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form; fold in 1/3 cup of the blueberry sauce. Divide among four dessert dishes, and spoon remaining sauce over tops.
Or (if you’re using the already whipped type), squirt a half an inch of whipped cream into a parfait glass, add a tablespoon of blueberries, repeat until you’ve filled the glass, alternating whipped cream with the blueberries. Top with more whipped cream. Give the decorated parfait to someone without a swallowing disorder.