Oaty Rhubarb Bars

Spring is coming, green leaves are shooting up in the area of our rhubarb patch, and we still had a bag of frozen rhubarb from last summer shoved in the bottom of the freezer. Fearing a watery mess if I attempted pie, I tried to gather together as many absorptive ingredients as I could to make the best of it, and these turned out pretty well! I think you could use any frozen fruit in the same quantity, though I haven't tested that theory...

Oaty Rhubarb Bars

Makes about 15 servings

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry  flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb (thawed overnight and drained)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8x2-inch baking pan with butter or spray.

In large bowl stir together oats, the 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup oats mixture. Press remaining on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl stir together granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and ground ginger & cardamom. Add rhubarb; toss to coat. Spread on hot crust. Sprinkle reserved oats mixture and pecans; press lightly.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on rack. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 5 days. Makes 15 squares.

I made Thug Kitchen's Tahini Fudge, and it is insane

The Thug Kitchen...collective? family? corporation (ooooo, fightin' words)?...now has several cookbooks out, and I just finally got my hands on 101 (fast recipes). It has several comforting, easy and fast dishes to whip up they are perfectly pleasant, but the one recipe I couldn't stop thinking about was this crazy-sounding tahini fudge.  I mean, I like tahini, and I don't totally like fudge, so maybe I should try it?

It is weird as hell--salty and bitter as well as sweet--but I love it.  It's so complex, and it almost has a burnt sugar taste to it for a split second of each bite. You can read a reprint of the original recipe here, but I made a couple of alterations based on what I had lying around the house. 

Thug Kitchen's Tahini Fudge

1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup tahini
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons fig jam
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 roasted pepitas

Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Place all but the pepitas in the blender and process until smooth. Pour into the baking dish, sprinkle with the pepitas, and freeze for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving. (The original recipe says just to refrigerate, but I couldn't get it to set that way.)

Pre-Thanksgiving bonus: holiday flavors remix

I have posted many times over the years with my favorite traditional and slightly alternative recipes for Thanksgiving (here's last year's if you're into that sort of thing). But to be honest, I don't usually make this stuff anymore.  It's a short holiday and our families live far away, so we usually choose to spend it quietly at home eating a normal amount of food and catching up on grading and practicing.  That being said, I can't shake the annual nostalgia I feel around this time for certain flavors: wild rice, ginger bread, sage, pumpkin... So here are some ways to sprinkle some Thanksgiving dinner into your regular meals this week, or add a little variety to your big feast.

Curried Squash Galette
adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 6

1 refrigerated roll-out pie dough
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut through the core into 1/2-inch wedges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sour cream or thick plain yogurt
1/2 cup shredded Manchego, plus more for serving

Allow the pie crust to warm up slightly on the kitchen counter while you do this step:
Preheat the oven to 425°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the butternut squash and the onion with the olive oil and curry powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the squash is tender but not falling apart. Let cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 450°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round. Carefully transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Spread the sour cream over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on top. Arrange the squash and onion, as well as the apple slices, over the sour cream and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Fold the pastry edge up and over the vegetables to create a 1 1/2-inch border.

Bake the squash galette for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is browned; let cool slightly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, cut into wedges and serve warm.

Wild Rice and Veggie Gratin

Serves 4-6

1 bunch black kale, stemmed and washed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 oz. button mushrooms, washed and sliced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
3 eggs
½ cup unflavored milk
1 cup cooked wild rice mixture
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
¼ cup breadcrumbs

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and add kale. Blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the water with a deep fry skimmer or a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and, taking the greens up by the handful, squeeze hard to expel excess water. Chop medium-fine or cut in thin ribbons.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add salt to taste and continue to cook, stirring often, until the fennel is very tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and kale, stir together for another minute, then stir in dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in milk and salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon). Stir in kale mixture, rice and Gruyère, and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Scrape into baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top if using, and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of oil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until set and the top and sides are beginning to color. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. This is good hot, warm, or room temperature.

Melissa Clark's Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

Serves 8-10

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick/4 ounces unsalted butter
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup molasses
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

I just realized these are all carb-heavy dishes.  Oh well. It's winter.

What's easier than pie? CRUMBLE.

Rhubarb pie is very nice, but a crumble is even easier, and this one also involves pretty simple clean-up (mix the filling right in the baking dish, dirty one other bowl for the crumble). I love the flavor of coconut oil in this topping, but you traditionalists out there could easily replace it with butter.

Rhubarb Crumble

Serves 8-10

Filling:
3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Topping:
6 tablespoons coconut oil
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup pecans

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, almond extract, lemon zest, and cardamom and spread evenly in baking dish.

Combine all remaining ingredients (coconut oil through pecans) in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Almond Poppy Seed Cake for Chiarra!

Remember how I was in New Orleans, all too briefly, last month, and I stopped in for coffee and dessert at Rue de la Course near Tulane after totally stuffing my face at Jacques Imo's?  Well, I was there with one of my favorite travelling and eating companions, Chiarra, and we actually split that almond cream cake at Rue de la Course.  It was delicious, and it got me thinking about an almond poppy seed cake (well, muffins) I used to make in college. Now, combine that train of thought with Chiarra's recent request for a dessert recipe and the fact that I just missed her birthday, and you have this cake recipe, slightly altered from the way I used to make it in the 90s. So,

Overeating in NoLa     +       Chiarra likes dessert

             

Almond cream cake      +        Remembered Chiarra's birthday

Almond Poppy Seed Cake

For the cake:

Baking spray, for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoon poppy seeds

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 cup orange juice
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8" x 4" loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour mixture, just until flour is incorporated. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk together sugar, orange juice, and a pinch of kosher salt in a bowl. Add a little water or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake and serve. 

A strawberry pie you can make in the winter!

It's not exactly winter anymore, but it's also not strawberry season yet.  You can buy loads of flavorless "fresh" strawberries to make this pie, but frozen works perfectly, with a little cornstarch to sop up the juices.  It's one of my favorite ways to alleviate my spring fever.

Tart Strawberry Pie

Serves 8

6 cups frozen strawberries
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp powdered cardamom
6 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice

Make the strawberry filling:
Let the strawberries thaw in a colander to the point where they are no longer icy but are still firm. Place in a bowl with all the other ingredients and stir thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Put your pie together:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Pre-bake the shell according to package directions (or, prick sides with a fork, line bottom with parchment paper and dried beans as weights, and bake about 10 minutes, or until sides start to get crusty). 

Pour the filling into the crust. Place the second (unbaked) on top of the pie dish and with your fingers or with a fork crimp the edges to seal them. Cut some slits at the top of the pie. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar on the crust. 

Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Once more lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook 20 more minutes or until the juices have thickened and are bubbling.

Baked Oatmeal Squares

A wee bit healthier than chocolate chip cookies, but dessert-y enough to round out a properly indulgent coffee break, Swedish-style (If you don't already know and love the Swedish tradition known as fika, read about it.  It will make you want to move there.), these baked oatmeal squares can be justified anytime of day.  And they're pretty easy to make.

Baked Oatmeal Squares

1 1/2 cups old fashioned (not instant) rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips
1/4 cup seeds (i.e., sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment. Bake for 40 minutes. Cut into squares. Eat with strong coffee in the middle of the day. 

The variation pictured below includes pecans, chocolate chips, a combination of millet, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds, and a little coconut. 

Another fancy cake option for the holidays

Are you all OK with me not repeating my Thanksgiving posts on roasting pork because I hate turkey, making fresh cranberry sauce, and serving it all with green beans and potatoes?  Because I don't think you need it.  Make what you want.  Then, make a cake.

Spiced Apple Cake with Warm Rum Sauce

Serves 16

Apple Cake

6 cups peeled and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 3 large apples)

1 ½ cups + 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

4 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 eggs

½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

½ cup orange juice

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Grease, sugar, and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

Combine apple slices with 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Beat eggs and remaining granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Add vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla; beat well.  Gradually blend in flour, salt, and baking powder until well mixed.

Pour one third of the batter into the pan.  Top with half of the apple slices, overlapping slightly.  Pour half the remaining batter in top of apples to cover, then top with remaining apple slices.  Finally, top with remaining batter, making sure apples are covered. 

Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 My favorite rum sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon rum

A generous pinch of salt

Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and the sauce is smooth.

To Serve

Cut some cake.  Put what you want on a plate.  Pour some rum sauce over it.  Drink some more rum as you go. 

Make a fancy cake for the holidays! (post #1)

That's right, I didn't say Christmas.  I do not find the acknowledgment of other world religions oppressive, I think we all deserve to eat cake, and I think it's particularly appropriate when it's cold outside and you're packing on a little extra layer of warmth.  Get over it. 

This cake is resplendent and actually not difficult to execute.  I'll give you a simpler one next week. 

Pistachio and Almond Cake with Orange Salad

I adapted this Italian-inspired gem from Food and Wine, swapping precious ingredients for ordinary ones and simplifying the process slightly. 

For the pistachio and almond cake:

1 1/3 cups unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

1 1/3 cups blanched whole almonds

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

3 lemons

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the orange salad:

5 oranges, of mixed variety if you wish

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Unsalted shelled pistachio nuts, optional

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 300ºF. Butter a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan. Then, using a sifter or a fine-mesh strainer, dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a food processor, combine the pistachios and almonds and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate the zest from the lemons directly into the bowl. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla just until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the nuts and mix just until incorporated. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stir in the flour and salt and mix just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a pairing knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake sides, invert the cake onto a plate, and lift off the pan. At this point, the cake can be served warm or allowed to cool completely before being sliced and reheated.

To make the orange salad, cut a slice off the top and bottom of 1 orange, stand the orange upright, and cut downward to remove the rind and pith in thick strips. Cut the orange crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices, capturing any juice. Repeat with all of the remaining oranges. Set the orange slices aside until needed.

Gently heat the marmalade in a pot over low heat for about 3 minutes, or until syrupy. Add any captured orange juice along with lemon juice to the marmalade. Remove the pot from the heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin the marmalade to the consistency of a vinaigrette. Let cool.

To serve, allow cake to cool at least thirty minutes. Cut into slices and place on individual plates.

Place 4 or 5 orange slices on each plate and drizzle generously with the marmalade syrup. Place the warm pieces of cake next to the orange slices and top with a dollop of yogurt and a few pistachios. Or just put everything on the table and let people help themselves. 

Countdown to Thanksgiving: the food

Meat...

Screw the boring, gamey turkey and make a Beer Braised Pork Shoulder or roast a chicken.  I'm curious to try this Cola Ham with Maple & Mustard Glaze, myself. Or, if you must, at least have the sense to fry your turkey.

Vegetarian entrees...

Don't be an asshole and make the vegetarians subsist on green beans and mashed potatoes. Stuffed squash, Mushroom and Potato Pie, and Spaghetti Squash Smothered in Indian-flavored Vegetables have all been chronicled here before, and they still work.

Sides...

Braised Radishes with Orange are ridiculously good, and your green beans will definitely be more delicious when spiked with wasabi. Please promise me you will make your own cranberry sauce from scratch (boil together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice, a cinnamon stick, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and one 12-ounce bag cranberries). And please, for the love of Buddha, roast your white and sweet potatoes together with some nice herbs.  No marshmallows!

Dessert...

Pumpkin Pie is better with coconut milk, and cranberries are delicious in a cornmeal shortbread. But I'm not opposed to a little Apple-Rhubarb Crumble, either...

Rye & Rhubarb Cake

Who doesn't love cake?!  Actually, I often don't love cake, because it's dry and boring, and basically a mouthful of white flour and sugar.  This recipe caught my attention because the rye sounded substantial, but the rhubarb compote promised to keep it moist. I couldn't resist adding some cardamom to the batter, because, well, cardamom.  And when my compote turned out too thin (see below), I just strained the rest off and kept it as a rhubarb simple syrup for drinks.  

This adaptation started its life in Bon Apetit magazine involving chocolate, was transformed by the rye on Food 52, and has been slightly Swedish-ized by me, below. (PS--This cake is totally appropriate for breakfast.)

Rye & Rhubarb Cake adapted from Food 52

For the rhubarb compote:
1pound rhubarb (about 4 large stalks), roughly chopped into small pieces (about 1/4-inch big)
1 cup brown sugar
1cup white wine
Zest of 1 orange
1cup golden raisins

For the cake:
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 5/8 ounces) rye flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Juice from 1/2 an orange, plus enough milk to equal 1 cup total of liquid

Make the compote: combine all of the compote ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has mostly broken down, the raisins are fat, and most of the liquid has absorbed. This can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (or more) depending on heat of your burner and your impatience. If your mixture starts to get dry, add a small amount of water. When the compote is finished, set it aside and make the cake batter.

If your compote looks liquidy but has been cooking forever, put it through a fine mesh strainer or a colander with small holes to separate any excess liquid. Use the excess liquid as a rhubarb simple syrup, which keeps well in a jar in the refrigerator for weeks, and goes well with 2 oz. gin (+ club soda + lime wedge).

Preheat the oven to 350° F and butter an 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour through salt.

In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or creaming vigorously with a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the almond extract and mix to incorporate.
With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Once it is just incorporated, add 1/2 of the orange juice and milk mixture. Add another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the last of the flour. Mix just to combine.

Use a spatula to transfer the batter to the pan. Spoon the compote over top of the batter, then swirl it in, leaving some big compote clumps.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cake is golden brown on top and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out onto a plate and then invert it once more. 

Two from the garden

Thanks to unseasonably rainy and cool weather here in the Rockies this summer, we still have an abundance of rhubarb and some very happy peas.  (More on those peas next week...). How to celebrate? Pasta and pie, of course!

Pasta Carbonara with Fresh Peas

Serves 4

8 ounces bucatini or linguine

2 cups fresh peas, shelled

1 clove garlic, minced

4 strips thick-cut bacon

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. About 3 minutes before it is done, stir in peas.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Set aside, reserving grease. In a large bowl add eggs, garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan, chopped herbs, salt and pepper, and whisk until combined.

Stir the bacon and add to the egg mixture. When the pasta and peas are done, drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the water. Immediately stir the pasta, peas and the 3/4 cup water into the egg mixture, stirring quickly so the eggs don’t scramble. Let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken the sauce. Serve each portion topped with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese.

Rhubarb Slab Pie

Serves 8-10

1 sheet pastry puff, thawed

1 lb. rhubarb, chopped

⅔ cup sugar

¼  teaspoon ground cloves

½  teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon demerara/turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Chop the rhubarb into ¼" pieces and toss it with sugar and spices in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sit about 10 minutes, then stir in the flour to absorb the juices.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out your pastry as much as you can without allowing it to break. Carefully transfer to the baking sheet.

Lay the filling in a mound in the middle of one half of the dough; you’re going to close it over like a book, so plan ahead for that. Fold over the top pastry sheet and crimp the edges.Cut slits on the top for the pie to vent and sprinkle with a tablespoon of demerara/turbinado sugar if desired.

Put in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling through the slits.



Variations of these photos are also on instagram. Follow DrinkFoodTravel here. The filters make everything way cooler.

Apple-Rhubarb Crumble

This recipe came about over the weekend from the need (desire) for dessert and a little leftover rhubarb in the garden, not nearly enough for a pie.  I amended the skinny stalks with apples I had on the counter, but I think this simple crumble would work with just about any combination of fruit you like best.  Adjust sugar based on what fruit you use (you need a lot with rhubarb, but none with pineapple, for instance), and if you use stone fruits (cherries, peaches, apricots, mangoes would all be nice), don't bother with the flour in the filling, or cut the granola in half if you're using that instead. The granola is totally unnecessary, but I am greedy for more crunch, and it was another thing sitting on the counter.

Apple-Rhubarb Crumble

Serves 8

The filling: 
1 cup chopped rhubarb
2 cups chopped apple (2-3, depending on size)
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rye flour or ½ cup prepared granola
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch ground cloves

Topping:
1/3 cup butter, melted
¼ cup rye flour
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 cup coconut flakes
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place the fruit in a bowl with the sugar and stir well to coat.  Allow to sit at least five minutes, until it gets juicy.  Then add the rest of the filling ingredients, combining thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the topping, stirring well to make sure that everything is coated in the butter.

Coat a 9-inch cake pan (or similar size) with a thin layer of butter or cooking spray.  Pour the fruit mixture into the pan and spread evenly.  Scatter handfuls of the topping all across the fruit, then smooth and pat down into place, so that all fruit is covered.  Bake in the oven 30-40 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.

A month of brunches: week 5

For my last installment of Brunch Month, I return to Thug Kitchen's excellent recipes, because they often have a bit of a brunchy, Southern twang to them, and because they are delicious.

I've always liked the idea of biscuits and gravy, but whenever I order them, the waitress brings me some crazy warmed Elmer's glue with deer turds in it, all smothering a pale-looking hockey puck.  Have you had this experience too? Enter Thug Kitchen's Lentil Gravy and Biscuits, which go perfectly with a simple side of vinegar-laced greens.

I used the Lentil Gravy directly from their book/blog, here. However, I didn't want to have to wash my blender because I am lazy, so I just mashed them up a little bit with a hand masher in the pan for a chunkier version:

I also added a teaspoon of liquid smoke, because it is nice.





The whole wheat biscuits we made are similar to those in the Thug Kitchen Cookbook, but with some adaptations.  Here's what my husband did:

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Makes about 8

1 cup dairy or non-dairy milk + more if needed
1/2 tsp  apple cider vinegar
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup solid, refined coconut oil

In small glass, stir together 1 cup  milk and vinegar.

In medium bowl, sift together two flours, baking powder, sugar and salt. Crumble oil into flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, using your fingers to break up pieces so they’re just bigger than a pea. Make a well in center; pour in milk mixture. Stir just until shaggy dough is formed. (Don’t overmix or you’ll have tough biscuits.) If mixture is too dry to stick together, add a tablespoon or two of milk.

Turn out dough onto floured surface. Pat into rough rectangle that’s about 8 inches by 5 inches (20 cm by 12.5 cm) and about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) thick.

Using open end of a glass or a round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits (you should have about 8).

Bake biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheet in preheated 425 F oven until bottoms are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 1 minute.

And finally, the greens.  Keep it simple.

Vinegary Greens

Serves 8 as a side

coconut, grapeseed, or olive oil

8 cups finely chopped kale, collards, or mustard greens

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup other thinly sliced vegetables (carrots, zucchini, radishes, mushrooms...)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and chopped vegetables (not greens) and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the greens (in batches, if necessary) and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and bright green.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.  Season with salt and cayenne and serve.

Last-minute cookout ideas to celebrate the beginning of the summer season!

Happy Memorial Day to you all here in the States, and happy start to cookout season everywhere in the Northern hemisphere (I hope)! Perhaps you already have your party well-set with a menu you devised three weeks ago and a fridge full of all the ingredients you need to get through the day.  Jerks.  Or perhaps you are still getting ready to make a last-minute run to the store and hope to be back before your firsts guests arrive. As I head out the door to do this very thing, here are the summery staples I'm looking for, and the very easy things I plan to do with them:




Mangoes are so totally not from here, but somehow that doesn't seem to matter anymore.  I see them in the stores all the time.  If you can buy them early enough to let them ripen, there's nothing better than fresh mango slices sprinkles with chili powder and dressed with a little lime juice.  If you're buying them for use today and they're still on the tart side, try this refreshing Vietnamese Green Mango Salad (underripe yellow mangoes work well, too).








Meat for grilling is ubiquitous at Memorial Day Cookouts.  Please don't limit yourself to burgers and hot dogs.  It doesn't matter what you do to them, they are SO BORING.  Visit the DFT archives for tips on grilling amazing shrimp, pork, or some very special vegetarian patties. 

Fresh green beans are coming into season now, and they make a great addition to a vinegary, mustardy potato salad that can be served at any temperature.








Rhubarb and strawberries go so well together.  Try them in a slab pie, even easier than a regular pie with some puff pastry on hand.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Slab Pie

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pound rhubarb, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss together rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, cardamom, and vanilla. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry out to a 12” x 16” rectangle and place in greased jelly roll pan that's 10" x 14" x 1". Fill with prepared fruit and brush edge of dough with a bit of water. Roll second pastry sheet out to an 11” x 15” rectangle and place on top of fruit. Seal the dough together, tuck excess into pan, and crimp the edge. Cut vents in the top and bake until the crust is golden and the center is bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Springy links for the weekend!

It's not quite spring yet, but in most parts of the country, it really feels like it! I don't care if it snows three feet tomorrow, today I am going to make the most of this.

DRINK

When is there a better time to dust off your tiki bar cocktail mixing skills than right now? Rated R Cocktails is campy, fun, and has great recipes. (Ahem...the R is rum.  Get your minds out of the gutters!)

It may not be a recipe blog, but I love a good story, and Tell the Bartender is my favorite house-cleaning companion on Saturday mornings.  Give it a listen.

FOOD

Heidi Swanson's blog, 101 Cookbooks, is always delicious, beautiful, and inspiring.  But her Cali-style cooking just seems especially compelling this time of year.

Isn't this Easter bunny cake from The Cake Blog gorgeous? I am too lazy to make it, but I enjoy looking at the nice photos.

TRAVEL

Interested in eating and drinking in the Denver area?  5280 magazine just came out with their annual "best new restaurants" issue with some great-sounding suggestions.  And if you're headed there, see what museums are free to complete the trip.

(PS--If you really want to get serious about plunging into a springy environment, check out my post on weekend getaways from earlier this month.)

Brunchy biscuits and clever links

'Tis the season for long, slow brunches with friends and family.  I love making things that can be prepped ahead (see links below), and I especially love these cream cheese biscuits fresh from the oven (though they also freeze and reheat perfectly well). Plan ahead to make the most of your holiday laziness this weekend!

Cream Cheese + Chive Biscuits

Makes about 25 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into piece
1/2 cup cream cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt and chives, stirring well to coat. Using your hands, add the butter and mix until coarse crumbles form. Add in the cream cheese and combine with a wooden spoon it until there are a few larger chunks of cream cheese and it's worked into the flour.

Add the buttermilk and stir until it is just combined. Over mixing will yield a less fluffy biscuit. Add some flour to your work space and place the dough on top. I sprinkle some additional flour on top of the dough, then use my hands and pat it into a circle that is about one inch thick. Take a biscuit cutter or the (clean) lid to Mason jar and cut the biscuits into rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden. These are best served warm when the cream cheese is still soft.

Goes well with some brilliant ideas from around the web:

This Roasted Vegetable Queso Frittata on Buzzfeed, of all places!

Kalyn's Kitchen's Spinach and Mozzarella Egg Bake

These whimsical Eggs in a bacon cup from The Midnight Baker

A perfect soft-boiled egg

I also recommend a good, thorough browse through this lovely collection of brunch cocktails from Delish.


HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!!!

A sugary, butter sauce to dress up any holiday dessert (and weekend links)

The next calorie-laden family feast is just around the corner, and I'm collecting dessert recipes.  The best thing I ever do in the kitchen?  This ooey, gooey butter-rum sauce, which you can pour over any kind of cake, pie, or ice cream.  Or just dip everything you eat into it while it's hot.  Here it is over gingerbread cake:

My favorite rum sauce (cake no included):

1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon rum
A generous pinch of salt

Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and the sauce is smooth.

*             *             *           *          *             *

I may or may not have the ambition to try some of the particularly beautiful desserts gracing the web this holiday season, but here are my favorite ideas, if you're still working on your menu:

These Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes from Delish look delicious and reasonably easy. Gaaaah cheesecake...

Macadamia-White Chocolate Brownies sound like a great idea, and I love the food styling for this photo at The Nest.

OMG look at these beautiful Mini Cheesecakes with Wine Gelées from Food and Wine!  If anyone makes these, can you please post a photo?!

Aaaw, these cake pops from The Girl Who Ate Everything are too cute. I hate making cake pops because you have to wait between steps, but I would joyfully eat those if anyone tried out the recipe and brought them to my house...ahem...

Salty-Sweet Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

You have to be a monster to not love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate (or allergic. But if you're allergic to peanuts, maybe the universe is trying to tell you something, like that you are going to have a miserable life). Even better? Salty-sweet peanut buttery chocolaty goodness. This dessert can be thrown together in a few minutes, but they have to cool before you cut them, so plan ahead. 

Salty-Sweet Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Yields between 1 & 12 servings

¾ cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
⅓ cup oil (coconut is great, but canola will also work)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk (any kind)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup unbleached white flour
½ teaspoon salt (halve this if you want the sweet without the salty)
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a baking dish.

Mix the oil, sugar and peanut butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla essence and mix well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix. It will be a very thick batter, almost like cookie dough. Fold in the chocolate chips and tip the mixture into the baking dish.

Press down evenly with the back of a spoon to spread it into every corner of the dish. Bake for 22 minutes till the edges are brown. The center will remain a bit soft. 8. Allow to cool completely, preferably overnight, before cutting into squares.

It's time for muthuh-uckin' pumpkin spice

It's October, and that means that everything is pumpkin-spice flavored now.  I'm not going to engage in apologies or self-hatred; I kind of like it.  I'm not too into those Starbucks thingys because I like coffee-flavored coffee, but I do enjoy a good...

Oatmeal-Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Muffins (which always takes me back to my days in Bloomnigton, Indiana)

Pumpkin Harvest Muffins

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Pumpkin-Spice Foie-Gras Mashed Potatoes? Nah, maybe next year...

Hmmm....

It will also soon be decorative gourd season, by the way.