This recipe comes from Erica Berman. Erica is a counsellor, certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and owner of the company, Konjac for Life (www.konjacforlife.com).
A few words from Erica: You may not know this, but blueberries are a very Canadian food. They grow in abundance in many parts of this country. Just last summer we took the kids blueberry picking to a farm just outside Toronto. We all had a great time and we came home with tons and tons of fresh, beautiful berries.
Of course, in this northern climate, they do not grow all year round, but that’s what your freezer is for! Fruits and veggies retain their nutritional value when frozen soon after they are picked. When you freeze them, you can enjoy them anytime you want.
In terms of nutrition, it is hard to beat blueberries. 1 cup of blueberries contains just 86 calories, 14% of your daily recommended dietary fibre and is a good source of vitamin C. Blueberries are full of antioxidants and have anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic properties. Compared with other fruits, they are also low in sugar. Oh, and don’t forget they are absolutely delicious, and versatile too!
I love this recipe because these tarts look gorgeous and taste decadent, yet are actually very healthy. If my kids want something sweet, I feel good serving these to them. Unlike most tarts that use a traditional pie dough for the crust, these have a gluten-free, vegan oatmeal cookie crust. Better tasting and definitely better for you!
Healthy Blueberry Tarts
What you need:
Filling:
600g frozen local blueberries, thawed (or 1.5 lbs fresh, lightly mashed)
½ cup stevia (that measures equivalent to sugar)
2 tsp konjac powder
Crust:
2 flax eggs (2 tbls flax meal + 6 tbsp hot water)
1 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
½ cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oat flour (gluten-free, if necessary)
3 cups oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
2 tbsp konjac powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
What to do:
For the filling: Toss blueberries with stevia and konjac powder and set aside until juices thicken.
For the crust: Whisk together flax eggs, apple sauce, coconut sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir together dry ingredients in medium bowl and then add to wet. Mix well until completely combined.
Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a scoop of dough into each muffin cup and press firmly and evenly into bottom and sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. If dough has puffed up, use the back of a spoon or your fingers to gently press down again. Scoop blueberry filling into tart shells and return to oven. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until blueberries are hot and bubbling. Let cool completely and then remove from muffin cups. Makes 16 tarts. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze.
About Erica Berman:
Erica is a counsellor, certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and owner of the company, Konjac for Life (www.konjacforlife.com). She has a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology and a PhD in Exercise Sciences. Erica is on a mission to educate people about konjac, a superfood with many incredible health benefits and culinary uses. She is passionate about fitness and nutrition has been inspiring people make positive changes to their health and lifestyle for over 20 years. Erica also writes a blog called, Healthy Life Lessons, where she shares health information and tries to debunk the many myths and misinformation about nutrition, health and weight-loss disseminated by companies, public figures, companies and the media.