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.

Last-ditch summer recipes

I don't know where you all are coming from as you read this, but here in the Rockies, it's still (sort of) summer, and I am scooping up every tomato, squash, and peach I can!  If you're in the same boat, or you're able to get your hands on some discounted, imperfect produce nearby, here's what I'm making this weekend:

Entree
Tomato Pie: a Southern favorite lightened up a bit here with the removal of all the mayo (?!?!) There's still a ton of cheese, though...

Serves 6

1 whole wheat pie crust, prebaked
4 large tomatoes
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the end of the tomato off, and scoop out the seeds (this will keep your pie from being too watery). Once the seeds and the majority of the juice have been removed, cut the tomatoes into disks. Next, combine the cheddar, mozzarella, green onions, salt, and Greek yogurt in a bowl. Line the tomatoes directly on top of the crust. Sprinkle the basil on top of the first layer of tomatoes. Layer any leftover tomatoes on top of the basil. Top with the cheese, Greek yogurt mixture. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 375 until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Happy Hour Snacks
Zucchini Rounds

Makes 8 servings

2 zucchini

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (about 24)

3 ounces goat cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. (You should have about 24 slices.) Lay out on large platter; season with salt and pepper.

Place a sun-dried tomato on each slice, then top each tomato with a pinch of goat cheese. Sprinkle tops with chopped chives, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil; serve.

Dessert 
Super Quick Peach Galette    

Serves 6-8

1 whole wheat crust (refrigerated roll-out variety)
1 lb peaches, about 4 medium, not overly ripe
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon butter

Slice peaches into 1/2″ thick slices. Place peaches in a medium bowl and sprinkle with flour, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir gently with a spatula just until combined.

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 12″ circle. The parchment paper makes transferring and cleanup a cinch! Place the parchment paper and dough into a rimmed baking sheet.

Arrange the peaches in circles over the dough working from the outside in. Leave a 1.5″ to 2″ dough border. Discard any excess juices from the peaches, or your galette may overflow. It will be plenty juicy without the extra syrup. Dot the top of the peaches with small chunks of 1/2 tbsp butter.

Fold the edges of the gallette up and over the peaches, pinching the overlapping edges together to form a nice seal. Try to patch up any cracks in the dough. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the peach juices are syrupy. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Trying the Trends: Peanut Butter Powder

This stuff made a big splash a while back, but I was too cheap to buy it until I saw a marked-down jar at Ross.  Hey, you can't say I'm not honest with you. Why did I get it? a) I fucking love peanut butter b) I am ambivalent about smoothies with spinach in them and c) I FUCKING LOVE PEANUT BUTTER!!!!! Let's get to work.


Quick PB-banana smoothie for one
Place in your blender or Vitamix, in this order:
1 banana, broken up a bit
1 tablespoon PB powder
2 tablespoons yogurt, any flave (if unsweetened, throw in a teaspoon or so of honey, too)
handful spinach leaves
1/4 cup almond milk
dash cinnamon
3-4 ice cubes
This was not only totally delicious, but it kept me full until lunch time, all by itself.  If you want something heartier, you could throw in a couple tablespoons of rolled oats, too.


I also stirred some into plain, Greek yogurt (1 tablespoon powder in 1 cup yogurt) and added granola, nuts, and berries one morning for breakfast. Also delish, though a bit pasty and not very sweet.


I added it to some breakfast muffins to pump up the protein content, thereby helping me last until lunch when I'm eating breakfast on the road:

Peanut Butter-Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
15 oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 cup brownsugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter powder

2 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl: yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, and sugar. Add all remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Pour into muffin cups and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Finally, some brownies, adapted from skinnytaste.com:

2 eggs
1 cup PB2
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a nonstick 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making sure there are no clumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, then cut into 12 bars.

I guess the bonus of using the powder for baking instead of the real thing is the lack of fat? The brownie recipe calls for enough PB2 that you might not want to use up that much of the jar on an unnecessary dessert item (then again, maybe it makes you feel less terrible about eating said dessert.  I never do, so I can't relate). But the bottom line for me is that this stuff is delish and I will buy it again when it's on sale.  Because I am very cheap.