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This dessert is easy, light, delicious, and takes advantage of one of the first things to harvest from a spring garden - rhubarb. Stewed, then stirred gently into whipped cream, the result is cloudlike sweetness with an edge of tang. The rhubarb is also wonderful over ice cream, stirred into yogurt, or eaten plain.
Rhubarb Sauce
1 1/2 - 2 pounds of rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into 1 inch slices
1 cup of white sugar
2 tablespoons of candied ginger, finely chopped
Place all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Place over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb releases its juices and begins to soften. Raise the heat slightly and continue cooking until the rhubarb is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Rhubarb Fool
1-2 cups of rhubarb sauce
1-2 cups of whipped cream, unsweetened
Stir the rhubarb gently into the whipped cream. Pile into a bowl or serving dishes. Will keep for a short time in the fridge. You can adjust the proportion of rhubarb to cream to your own taste.
This will serve 4 - 6 people, with some rhubarb sauce leftover.
My mother makes the most wonderful lemon bars. This is her recipe. I love them. Sweet and tart with fresh lemon flavour, paired with buttery richness from the crust. They are classic.
Lemon Bars
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I usually substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white)
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
Combine flour and icing sugar in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture just starts to form crumbs that can be pressed together. Press into ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
While crust is baking, prepare the filling.
Filling:
4 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
additional icing sugar for sifting over top
Place eggs. lemon juice and sugar in food processor bowl. Whirl until thick and smooth. Sift together flour and baking powder, add to mixture and pulse just until combined. Pour over hot, browned crust. Bake at 350 degrees for an additional 25 minutes.
Sift additional icing sugar over top when baking is complete. Cool and cut into bars. Can be frozen.
This recipe is taken from The Best of Fine Cooking's Soups and Stews 2013. Meatless and full of good flavour, it was easy to make and came together in about 40 minutes. It would be great served over couscous or quinoa.
Moroccan Vegetable Ragout
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 3-4 inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 14-16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 1/2 can and froze the remainder)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup pitted green Greek or Italian olives (I used Kalamata olives)
6 Tablespoons orange juice, preferably fresh
1 1/2 teaspoons honey (I used 1 Tablespoon)
2 cups lightly packed, very coarsely chopped kale leaves (I used frozen chopped spinach, about 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cumin and cinnamon stick, stirring all the while until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice, olives, orange juice, and honey. Add 1 cup water (or chicken broth). Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are barely tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale. Cover and continue cooking until wilted and softened, about another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Applesauce is great on its own or with some yogurt, perhaps on pancakes. I was looking for a way to use up some of my home-canned applesauce and found this recipe on Epicurious. I adapted it and was very pleased with the result. Tender, buttery, a hint of cinnamon warmth, and a bit of sweetness on top. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, with tea or coffee.
Applesauce Muffins (makes 12 medium muffins)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup melted butter
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, or 1/2 cup plumped raisins
Cinnamon sugar for topping (2 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Grease a muffin tin, or line with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir well, breaking up any lumps in the sugar.
In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs until whites and yolks are combined. Add applesauce and melted butter. Stir well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add optional ingredients, if desired. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. Spoon into the muffin tins. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until set and browned on top, 18 - 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. But do eat them warm - delicious!
When I eat in a restaurant, I like to try new dishes - things I've never tasted before, or new ways of preparing an old favourite. During our California vacation last week, we ate at The Chart House restaurant in Carlsbad. Our table overlooked the water, which was lit by spotlights that drew fish close to shore, and gulls, since the fishing was so good. White crested waves with white gulls above made for a beautiful sight, although Tim pointed out that the lights were not very fair to the fish.
I enjoyed a piece of macadamia-nut encrusted mahi, served with a peanut sauce and a mango salsa. It was good, although I thought the combination of nuts wasn't the best. The macadamia flavour was overwhelmed by the peanut sauce. What I really enjoyed were the Asian Green Beans. Blistered skins, still a bit crunchy, with a sweet and salty sauce that made the prosaic green bean into something irresistible.
Tonight I tried my own version of the recipe and I'm fairly pleased with the result.
Copycat Green Beans
1 pound of fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed, washed
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Siracha sauce (or another chili sauce), optional
1 teaspoon honey (or more to taste)
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
In a small skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil to medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant, but not browned. Turn off the heat and add the soy sauce, honey and Siracha chili sauce. Stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining Tablespoon of oil to medium high. Add the green beans. Cook, tossing every 30 seconds or so, for about 7 minutes, or until crisp tender. Watch carefully so the beans do not burn, but they may char a little. Pour over the soy sauce mixture and toss to heat. Place on serving dish and sprinkle sesame seeds over.
On a cold day in January (or any other month), there's nothing like a bowl of soup, along with some crusty bread and a salad, for dinner. I created this soup from what was on hand - ginger, garlic, onion, butternut squash, and a ripe pear. Additional flavour comes from roasting the squash in the oven until tender and just beginning to carmelize. The layers of flavours blend into a creamy, satisfying soup that I plan on making again and again. The pear addition is optional, but added a touch of sweetness that I enjoyed.
Ginger-warmed Butternut Squash Pear Soup
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 - 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe pear, peeled and cored, cut into chunks
4 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
Toss the squash cubes with the first amount of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 400 degrees until tender and just beginning to brown, about 45 minutes.
While the squash is roasting, heat the second Tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pot. Add the diced onion and saute until softened. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir for 1 - 2 minutes and then add the pear chunks. When the butternut squash is cooked, add it to the mixture, and pour the chicken stock over all. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer about 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat, puree with a stick blender, season to taste and serve.
In the past couple of years, several of our friends have developed severe allergies to wheat and dairy products. Desserts are the most difficult items to find recipes for. I made these last week and they were a hit. No flour, no dairy, and no added fat, other than from the nuts. Easy and I think they are pretty tasty, too. I found them scouting about the web, on a number of sites.
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used the Fry's brand we have in Canada)
3 cups icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
pinch of salt
2 3/4 cups of coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 4 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder to remove lumps. Add salt and pecans and stir to mix. Dump in the egg whites and vanilla and slowly stir to combine. Do not over mix, but ensure that all the sugar and cocoa powder is evenly moistened.
Spoon batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of room (2-3 inches) for expansion. Bake for 15 minutes, or until small thin cracks appear on the surface of the cookies. Let cool completely before removing from the paper.
These keep well for several days, but get chewier as the days pass. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.
The recipe said this will make 12 4-inch cookies, but I made about 25 2-3 inch cookies. Walnuts or almonds could be used in place of the pecans.
