My Culinary Adventures: Lemon Blueberry Bread

It is nearly impossible to find blueberries in Honduras because they are very difficult to grow in a tropical climate; however, I found them and bought 5 pounds frozen for about $10 (L200).  They've been in my freezer for quite a while because I couldn't think of anything to make, but I found this recipe for lemon blueberry bread that looked delicious!  One of the fruit/veg street vendors gifted me a bag of lemons too, so it was perfect timing.  Also, I was growing sick of banana bread.  :)

Recipe
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
Bread:

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I chose not to put them in)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

Glaze (I didn't make the glaze):

2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/8 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest, and blueberries*. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

*Tip: Roll blueberries in flour before adding to mixture so that they don't all sink too much to the bottom.

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

Honduras is home to the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a region of 5,250 sq. km. (about 1,300,000 acres),  and host to the highest level of tropical biodiversity in Central America, as well as the indigenous Pech and Miskito Indians and largely unexplored archaeological sites.  It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, but unfortunately this "protected" land is being threatened by illegal activities such as logging and land clearing for cattle grazing, hunting and poaching endangered wildlife and fish, the use of dynamite in rivers for fishing, narcotrafficking, and the forcing of indigenous peoples off their lands.  Not only are these activities gradually and significantly harming the land and its species, but they are also contributing to the illnesses and displacement of its people whose main source of water is from the rivers contaminated with dynamite debris.  

This insightful, eye-opening and poignant 30 minute documentary takes an in-depth look at the RPBR, how the land and its peoples are being affected, and takes you on a journey to explore a beautiful region of the world where much has gone undocumented.  I urge you to take the time to watch and share the information with others to raise awareness in support of this conservation movement which I feel is extremely important.

Paradise in Peril from Skyship Films

Taken from the UNESCO website:

39 species of mammal, 377 species of bird and 126 reptiles and amphibians have been recorded. Threatened species include giant anteater, Baird's (Central American) tapir, jaguar, ocelot, puma, margay, jaguarondi, Central American otter, Caribbean manatee, American crocodile, brown caiman, red brocket deer, harpy eagle, scarlet macaw, green macaw, military macaw, king vulture, great curassow and crested guan. Reptiles include green turtle, loggerhead turtle and leatherback turtle.

The site of Ciudad Blanca (White City) within the protected area constitutes one of the most important archaeological sites of Mayan civilization. Archaeological remains include the Piedras Pintadas petroglyphs on the bed of the Plátano River, believed to belong to an unknown pre-Columbian culture. The reserve also contains the site where Christopher Colombus first landed in the Americas in 1492. There are some 200 sites of archaeological importance.

For more information:
Official Video Website - Paradise In Peril - Skyship Films

UNESCO

Wikipedia

Friends of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

La Moskitia Eco-Adventures

La Gringa's Blogicito