Rhubarb The Unsung Hero of Spring

I've had rhubarb before, it wasn't something we had often growing up, but I remember liking it. I recently had a rhubarb and strawberry muffin left on my porch because I was under the weather. Gluten free it was not, but I have remedied that. The traditional measurements are in the recipe below too. They are delicious both ways.

Rhubarb is the unsung hero of Spring

• Its crispy, juicy stalks can be used in the preparations of sauces, preserve, jellies, jams, syrups, sorbets and juices. 
  
• Rhubarb is best remembered for its delicious pies.
  
• It can also be used in the preparations of tarts, puddings, crumbs, pancakes, muffins, and strudel.
  

Fresh Rhubarb is available from April to August in most regions. While buying from the markets buy fresh, firm, crispy bright-red color stalks. They usually put for sale in bunches along with other common greens. Avoid those with dull, slump or bruise or blemishes on the surface. Once at home, harvested or purchased stalks should be placed in a plastic bag and stored inside the refrigerator set at 32°F and 95 percent relative humidity. This way, the stalks stay fresh for about 2-3 weeks.

Rhubarb is one of the least calorie vegetables. Just 3.5 ounces of fresh stalks provide just 21 calories. Nonetheless, it holds some vital phyto-nutrients such as dietary fiber, poly-phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Further, its petioles contain no saturated fats or cholesterol.
The stalks are rich in several B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.

Its red stalks also contain healthy levels of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. It is also full of Vitamin C and A.

As in other greens like kale and spinach etc., rhubarb stalks too provide good amounts of vitamin-K. Vitamin K has a potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of  Alzheimers disease.

Now for the recipes:

Rhubarb and Strawberry Muffins
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose gluten-free flour or regular flour ( I used pillsbury gf flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fruit puree or vegetable oil (I used a strawberry applesauce puree! Highly recommend!) If using gluten-free flour, you may want to add another 1/2 cup (or, conveniently, a 4-ounce toddler food squeezy pouch.)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup "buttermilk" (put 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup, then fill to 1 cup with dairy or non-dairy milk of your choice)
1 1/2 to 2 cups diced rhubarb + 6-8 strawberries, chopped (roughly 2 stalks, depending how long they are.)
(optional) 1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans (My son recommends it without, but we are adults aren't we!) Topping: 
1 Tbsp melted dairy-free buttery spread or coconut oil (or butter)
1/3 cup raw sugar (or white)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
(optional) 1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease one to two 12-cup muffin pans or line with paper or silicone liners (silicone pans shouldn't need greasing.) 
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat the brown sugar, fruit puree (oil replacer,ie strawberry applesauce) egg, and if using buttermilk replacer with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix by hand until just blended. Add the rhubarb and nuts if using them. 

Spoon the batter into prepared cups, filling almost to the top.

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter substitute, raw sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ground flax seed. Sprinkle roughly 1 tsp of mixture on top of each muffin. Bake 25 minutes.
This recipe was adapted from Kendra over at Bitethehandthatfeedsyou. They have so many fun ideas for kids lunches, check it out. 


This recipe is from wellness today. I tried it and it turned out really fantastic. I admit I made it for a neighbor who is gluten free and as I spooned hers into a bowl I took a bite. She doesn't care, I hope!

Rhubarb Crumble
8 stalks of rhubarb
4 tablespoons of water
4 tablespoons of honey/maple syrup
half a teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
half a teaspoon of ginger 

For the crumble:
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, almond flour, I used 
hazelnut flour
1/2 cup splenda or brown sugar
4 Tbsp Butter ( I used 2 spoonfuls of vegan hemp butter)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped blanched almonds* optional you could add oats (gluten free or otherwise)

If you are not gluten free, here is the traditional crumble breakdown. This can be used for any fruit crumble, apple, peach, fig, plum, pear, apricot, berry and cherry. It's dang good!

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat your oven to 375°F-400°F.
Wash the rhubarb well, then chop into 1-inch pieces.
Put the rhubarb and water into a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft.
While simmering the rhubarb, add the honey or maple syrup one spoonful at a time. Taste as you go to determine you're preferred level of sweetness.
Add cinnamon and ginger, if you wish.
When the rhubarb has softened, transfer to a pie plate or other oven-safe container. Set aside.
Put the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the oil and butter rub into the dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture (you can also use a food processor for this step). 

Add the almonds and mix in with your hands.
Spread the crumble mixture over your dish of rhubarb, covering it as evenly as possible.
Transfer to the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is crunchy and golden brown.

Everyone is always looking for a new yummy simple syrup to add to lemonade, soda water or sprite. Add this simple rhubarb syrup to any type of tasty drink you'd like. We really love, diet sprite, a scoop of raspberry sherbet and 3 tablespoons rhubarb syrup. We also love frozen coconut water with a pureed banana, 2 spoonfuls of rhubarb syrup and sweet coconut flakes on top. 

I thought Rhubarb syrup would be spectacular. Try and and let me know what you think. We really think it's the bees knees around here. 

Rhubarb Simple Syrup 
4 cups (about 1 pound) rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch long pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

Simple Rhubarb Syrup:
Combine 4 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom and bring to a boil.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the stovetop temperature to its lowest heat and allow the mixture to simmer and cook gently until the rhubarb is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. You should have a bright magenta mixture at this point.
Ladle the mixture into a fine strainer placed over a medium, heatproof boil. Strain until most of the liquid is in the bowl and give a little press on the strained, stewed rhubarb with the back of a spoon to extract a little bit more syrup.
Pour the syrup into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate. It should keep for quite some time in the fridge.

Spring Has Sprung!

Let's just pretend there is no snow outside and it's not frigid. If we think happy, warm thoughts then the warm sweet sunshine will come back...deal?

What I love about spring is the vegetables and fruit that are available. Those sweet peas,  fresh asparagus, crisp spring onions, snappy radishes, sweet bok choy and leafy lettuce, tart fennel, luscious strawberries, warm oranges, honeydew and the list goes on.

I purchased free English peas from Trader Joes. They are fresh and crisp and ready to go. You can buy and shell the peas if you wish, Sprouts has fresh peas you can shell occasionally. Odds are in Salt Lake you're not harvesting your own because of the wonky weather, but maybe, who knows. I would not use frozen peas for this, but if you need to, do not blanch them, just thaw them before pureeing. 
 

Green Pea Pasta with Parm
1 pound of linguini or spaghetti (I used a gluten free capello brand linguini from whole foods)
1 1/4 cups of frozen baby peas
1/2 cup of fresh oregano
1/2 cup of fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 of cream (I used coconut creamer, you can also use Greek yogurt)
salt and black pepper

Blanch the peas for 30 seconds. Remove and drain, and place in a bowl of ice-cold water.
Add the blanched peas, oregano, spinach, garlic and cream/yogurt to a food processor, process until smooth. Season to taste and Parmesan cheese.
Prepare the pasta as directed.
Coat the warm linguini in the pea purée.
Serve with a good drizzle of olive oil.



I can't claim this next recipe, I wish I could. It is by far the best risotto I've ever had or made. First I had this at a friends house and she was so lovely to share it with me. I can now say I can make it solely from scratch so once you've tried it, you'll want to make it over and over and it will become second hand too. Recipe Here

Artichoke, Asparagus Risotto
5 cups chicken broth/you can also use veg. If you're gluten free, watch the ingredients
1 cup water
1lb thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 stick of butter/vegan/margarine
3/4lb shittake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped (You will find them in the produce section by the regular mushrooms   up on the high shelf)
4 artichokes from a can or jar, chopped in to quarters
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup wine (OR)
       1 splash of lemon or white wine vinegar about 1 tbsp and 1/4 cup grape or apple juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth and water to a boil in a 4 quart pot. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.
Heat oil with 1/2 of the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then saute mushrooms and shallots, stirring until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute to coat with onion and mushroom, butter and oil. Add wine/or alternative liquid and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and looks creamy, 18-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in asparagus, artichokes, and mushrooms, then cover pan and let stand 1 minute. If desired, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Makes 4 servings.




This next recipe is new to me. I've not tried it yet, but it's my plan this weekend.  You can serve it on roasted pork, sliced steak with braised chicken. Recipe Here

Strawberry Avocado Salsa
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt


Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Gently toss and serve immediately.  Serve with toasted pita wedges or tortilla chips.  If you'd like to try the cinnamon tortillas like in the photo, it's a good sweet flavor profile that's unique and kind of a surprise.

Take whole wheat tortillas, or a gluten free option like a corn tortilla. Spray with cooking spray, I used coconut spray because it's nutty and tropical and then slice them into triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and a sprinkle of salt and bake at 350o until slightly golden.





 

Make Your Valentine's Day Delicious

What's Valentine's Day without strawberries. They are a classic romantic food. They are packed with vitamin c and bring a smile to everyone's face. I can guarantee your special someone will love these fun festive favorites. Anything shaped like a heart is good for you, I promise! 

Homemade Poptart Minis
1 package of Pillsbury Pie Crust (includes two crusts)
    You can sub gluten free pie crust
1 jar of store-bought lemon curd (top shelf)
1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry jam
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Rainbow sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Prepare egg wash by whisking egg and water together.
Trim pie dough into a square, then divide into four rectangles. Repeat with second pie dough.
Brush edges of bottom crusts with egg wash, then fill with one tsp of lemon curd on the bottom and a stripe of strawberry jam on the top of each pie crust rectangle.
Seal edges by pressing down with fork and use toothpick to poke holes in top crust.
Brush with egg wash and bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes.
While pastries are baking, prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon juice.  Remove 1 tablespoon of glaze and mix in strawberry jam and whisk until smooth.
Once pastries have cooled slightly, top with glaze or you could add more festive sprinkles. 




Strawberry Spinach Salad

1lb baby spinach, rinsed and dry
2 C strawberries sliced
1/3 C toasted almonds
1 medium shallot sliced thinly

Dressing:
1/2 lemon juiced
2 T white wine vinegar (seasoned rice is great too)
1/3 cup splenda, agave or sugar
1 T lite olive oil
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
salt and pepper

Recipe and Photo Here

The Best Donut You've Ever Had  Makes about 12 donuts (2" round)
You'll need:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
8 oz (1/2 lb) ricotta, whole or skim
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
Canola oil, for frying (or another oil with a high smoke point)
Deep-fry thermometer
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add sugar, eggs, ricotta, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot. Leave at least two inches of space at the top for safety. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil over medium until it reaches 325-375 degrees F.
Fry a test doughnut: Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop a scoop of batter in and turn it occasionally. It should take 3-4 minutes to turn golden brown. Carefully remove and cut in half to check if it's cooked all the way through. Test another if needed.
Fry the remaining doughnuts. Don't overcrowd the pot; fry in batches. Place doughnuts on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Donut Glaze
1/4 cup whole milk or Almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 tsp strawberry or almond flavored extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Pink food coloring
Sprinkles


Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners’ sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water. Dip doughnuts into the glaze, one at a time, and then place them on wax paper to set.



This next recipe is a winner. I've been using it for years. I adapted it slightly from the original, but that's how we all make our mark. The recipe comes from here.  Look for my different variations. If you're having a hard time getting your children to eat salmon or white fish, this strawberry BBQ sauce will have your kids begging for you to make it for them. We put this sauce on salmon, steak like flank and london broil, I put it on chicken and pork chops. It's very versatile and a major go to in your fridge.




Strawberry BBQ Sauce

1 C ketchup
1/2 C honey
2 T. Strawberry Jam
1 1/2 T Chipolte sauce from the can
1/2 C diced strawberries
2 Garlic cloves minced
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/4 tsp. mustard (dried or prepared)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 small shallot minced
1 tsp. parsley flakes 
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a medium saucepan, combine all wet ingredients including strawberries and stir until combined. Cook on medium until it starts to bubble. Add all dry seasoning and turn on low. Cook until your desired consistency. You could certainly add more spice if you feel like it. Package up into a jar with a tight fitting lid. You can store this bbq sauce in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks. You can also process it in jars. Clean your jars, add bbq sauce, process in steam bath for 20 minutes.


BBQ Glazed Salmon

2 fillets of Salmon or any medium White fish like Halibut or Bass
2 heaping Tablespoons of your prepared strawberry bbq sauce. 
Cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray)
1 large piece of tinfoil
lemon wedge

Season your fish with salt and pepper and slather your bbq sauce on both sides. Heat your bbq grill on high and then place your tinfoil on top. Before you place your salmon fillets on the tinfoil, spray with your oil. Place your fillet on the foil and cook until the edges of your salmon become brown and the salmon starts to bring moisture up on top, flip your salmon only once. Depending on the size of your fillet, have a total grilling time of about 10 minutes. White fish takes slightly longer. We finish with a little wedge of lemon and usually serve the bbq salmon with fresh green beans and risotto.