Amazing Race - FINALE Part 2 - Rhubarb Apple Betty.

So here is the RHUBARB-APPLE BETTY, as promised in part 1 of my Amazing Race finale post.  Why a Betty?  You know, aside from the fact that Betty White hosted SNL the night before the AR finale (total coincidence - I had been planning to make the Betty - but maybe it was a subconscious gesture to honor BW?).   In selecting an AR-inspired dish this week, I decided to make a dessert from a famous San Francisco chef, as the finish line was in San Francisco.  Our main dish, a spring panzanella (see the first finale post for the recipe), was made using our farm-fresh veggies - very on theme because our farm also serves the San Francisco-Bay Area.  I decided to make a dessert from "The Greens Cookbook" by Deborah Madison.  Her restaurant, Greens, is a San Francisco institution (and also happens to be all-vegetarian).  My wonderful husband was somehow psychically connected to my plans - he got me another Deborah Madison cookbook for Mother's Day (well, technically he facilitated the gift-giving, because the book is from our amazing dogs, Cosmo and Cooper.  Yes, I am one of those kind of fur-moms).  I was torn between the Betty and an intriguing-sounding Semolina Pudding with Blood Orange Syrup, however the latter seemed to require a bit more effort and is definitely out-of-season.  That one is on the back burner until oranges come back into season.  But I've mentally filed it in the "must make" file!

(Side note: The finish line was so cool.  It was in Candlestick Park, where the San Francisco 49ers play - they are one of our clients, and I know some of the people who would have been involved in the logistics of making that happen.  I was so excited!  Ask me about my super amazing SUITE experience at the stadium!  Wow.)

From what I can tell, the Betty is British in origin, and was popular in Colonial America.  It's a type of baked fruit pudding, and the component that distinguishes the Betty from other fruit crisps, crumbles, buckles, and slumps is the bread crumbs.  Sugared fruit is layered between buttery bread crumbs and baked.  We ate ours with vanilla frozen yogurt, but you could also use cream or a creme anglaise sauce. 

The Rhubarb-Apple Betty was tart and refreshing.  I selected two tart green Granny Smith apples, along with a tart-sweet Pink Lady (my absolute favorite for snacking).  Rhubarb is a beautiful red stalk from a perennial plant native to China, which looks very similar to celery but is unrelated.  It is technically botanically a vegetable, because the part we consume is part of the actual plant, not the seed-containing fruit.  And - brace yourself - the leaves contain oxalic acid and are therefore poisonous, so don't eat them!  Nutritionally, rhubarb is very low in calories, about 26 calories per cup, and contains potassium, vitamin C, calcium, and dietary fiber.  However, the calcium is combined with the oxalic acid, making it difficult for the body to absorb.Check out this neat rhubarb compendium site for more information than you ever needed to know about rhubarb!

Make sure you use fresh breadcrumbs, because they are such an essential part of the dish.  Enjoy!

Rhubarb-Apple Betty

Adapted from Deborah Madison, "The Greens Cookbook"

1 pound rhubarb, washed, trimmed (use stalks only), and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 apples (use 2 good baking apples, like Mutsu or Granny Smith, plus a sweeter one, like Fuji or Pink Lady)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup orange juice

2 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (to make, whiz fresh bread in a food processor)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core the apples, then slice thinly and add to a large bowl with the rhubarb.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves.  Place the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.  Remove two tablespoons of the sugar mixture and add to the breadcrumbs, along with the melted butter, and toss.  Add the larger amount of the sugar mix, plus the orange juice, to the fruit, and stir everything together.  

Spray a non-metal baking dish with cooing spray (use glass or a ceramic/earthenware gratin dish) for assembling the Betty.  Place half the breadcrumbs in the bottom of a baking dish, cover with all of the fruit mixture, then top with the remaining half of the breadcrumbs.  Cover loosely with foil and bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the fruit is tender.  Serve warm with ice cream or cream.

What's in the box? Plus an asparagus gnocchi dish.

Happy Wednesday!  In our household, that means ... BOX DAY!  Hooray!

Here are the week's spoils, for 5/12 through 5/18:

* Asparagus
* Fava Beans
* French Breakfast Radishes
* Strawberries
* Collards
* Spring Onions
* Lettuce

More fava beans!  This time, I think I'm going to take the advice given by the farm, and remove the favas from their pods but leave the individual skins on the beans.  I've got a recipe in mind that I will share later this week.

Check out those strawberries up close:

They look positively succulent!  We couldn't help but taste one - it was sweet and juicy.

More French breakfast radishes.  I have an idea in mind to incorporate them into my lunch tomorrow.  Stay tuned ...

I am actually really happy to see collard greens again!  They are a sturdy green, perfect for filling and rolling (cabbage-roll style).

Tonight's dinner made use of this lovely asparagus.  I used a package of ready-made gnocchi and whipped up a veggie saute as a kind of sauce, with a bit of veggie broth, some butter, and a few dabs of goat cheese.  Ohhhh this was good!

Here's what I did:

Prepare the vegetables: Thinly slice two of the green onions from my box.  Clean and slice three carrots.  Rinse one bunch of asparagus (box), and cut into 2-inch pieces.  Drain and rinse one can of garbanzo beans.  Meanwhile, place a pot of water over high heat for the gnocchi and bring to a boil.

Cook the veggies: Heat about one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook for about five minutes.  Add the carrot and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 minced garlic cloves (I used frozen TJ's garlic).  Add the asparagus, plus about 1/2 a cup of veggie stock (or a bit more - keep it on hand), the chickpeas, herbes de provence, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 3 minutes.  Add juice from 1/2 a lemon, and adjust the seasonings as needed.

While the veggies are cooking, cook the gnocchi according to package directions in salted, boiling water.  To serve, spoon the veggies and some of the broth atop the gnocchi, then top with a few dabs of goat cheese.

How'd we do?

This was a highly delicious week, packed full of greens and vitamins.  Here's the roundup of all the fabulous recipes that graced my (coffee) table this week:

* Asparagus - Spring panzanella - part of our Amazing Race celebration.

* Strawberries - Sliced and eaten fresh.  Some were a little tart, others sweet.  I loved the contrast.

* Sugar Snap Peas, Spinach, Bok Choy, Spring Onions - Greens-packed stir fry with pan-glazed tofu.

* Spring Onions - Part of our Cinco de Mayo burrito feast - they were included in the Mexican rice component.  Then the leftovers from Cinco de Mayo were used to make a Mexican version of arancini - Mexican Rice Balls!

* Salad Mix - Salad!  One of my first and greatest loves.

A satisfying week!

Bok Choy & Spinach Stir Fry with my FAVORITE Tofu

We had a lovely kitchen sink dinner on Monday night that just happened.  I was looking for ways to use up the remaining items in our box on Monday and Tuesday night.  We still had bok choy, spinach, and sugar snap peas.  I contemplated an orange vinaigrette-sugar snap pea salad, spinach quesadillas, bok choy stir fry.  Then I came upon a recipe through the Cooking Light recipe network, which also includes recipes from Sunset, Southern Living, Health, Real Simple, and occasionally Food & Wine (it's called MyRecipes).  All are great magazines, and it's fabulous to have a resource that pools the recipes in one place. 

Monday was also my first non-running workout during my self-imposed running hiatus.  I have been having an issue with my knee, and I'm pretty sure it's just inflammation (runner's knee), which happens when the inside leg muscles are less strong than the outside leg muscles.  Women are more prone to runner's knee due to their hip structure.  Luckily, it's completely treatable.  So far I've simply self-diagnosed, but if my running hiatus doesn't work, I might have to visit a sports medicine doctor to get a real diagnosis.  In addition to the hiatus, I am planning to do targeted strength moves and stretches (I've done them twice now), as well as ice when sore and use ibuprofen before and after serious workouts.  I am also going to pick up a knee sleeve to see how that works.  I am thankful that I get to manage an issue like this now and get it under control before I undertake a training plan for another race.  I think I was over-running and not doing enough other forms of exercise - I am recommitting to yoga!

So after my first non-running workout this Monday (elliptical ... sigh ... and some strength/stretching), I got home and whipped up this lovely stir-fry, packed with greens and topped with my favorite tofu recipe.  I got the inspiration from a Food & Wine recipe via MyRecipes, but I swapped in some different ingredients because I didn't have ginger and I wanted to add in some other veggies.  I went with an orange-sesame vinaigrette, and it paired perfectly with the tofu and some quick couscous.  Confession: I know that couscous is nutritionally anemic compared to other grains, especially whole grains, but it takes a total of seven minutes to make (boil 1 1/4 cup liquid - water or broth, add fat - butter or olive oil, add salt and seasonings or don't, and toss in 1 cup couscous, cover, remove from heat, let sit for five minutes, fluff with a fork and serve).

This took a little bit longer than a normal post-workout dinner, due to all the veggie prepping and making a new recipe for the first time, but it was TOTALLY worth it.  On the table in less than an hour, and it was delicious and satisfying.  Plus PACKED full of good-for-you greens.

Bok Choy, Spinach, and Carrot Stir-Fry with Savory Tofu
Stir-Fry adapted from Food & Wine, Tofu adapted from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

For the stir-fry:
1/4 cup orange juice
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
salt and pepper
1/2 yellow onion, sliced (I used 2 green onions from my box)
2 large carrots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head bok choy (I used four smaller ones)
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 big bunch of spinach (I used a big bag) - remove prominent stems and rinse well
1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, lemon juice, dark sesame oil, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and salt and pepper to taste. To prepare the bok choy

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the bok choy stems and sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the bok choy, spinach, a big pinch of salt, and the soy sauce.  Stir constantly until the greens collapse.  Add the orange vinaigrette sauce and cook for about 1 more minute.  Serve immediately.

For the tofu:
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 16-oz block of extra firm tofu, pressed for a few minutes and blotted dry with paper towels, cut into 8 1/2 inch slices, each slice then cut in half

In a small bowl, combine the veggie broth, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Add the tofu and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent excessive browning (you want it to get golden brown).  Flip the tofu and cook on the second side for 5 minutes.  Add the sauce and simmer (it will bubble, this is good), flipping tofu once, until the sauce has reduced down into a thick syrup, about 2 minutes.  Serve atop the stir fry and a grain, with any extra glaze scraped on top.

Amazing Race - FINALE in SF.

 Sunday was a very big night in our home.  ***WARNING!  If you haven't watched the Amazing Race finale, and you plan to - STOP READING!***

As you may already know, I am a devotee.   My husband and I have probably watched at least 6 seasons of this show, from beginning to end.  It has become a very elaborate ritual in our home.  On Amazing Race nights, I cook a dish inspired by the cuisine of the country that the contestants will visit during that week's episode.  So for example, previously the teams raced through China - and I made moo shu vegetables (with homemade crepes!).  The one week that really stumped me, probably three seasons ago, was Kazakhstan.  Good luck finding a vegetarian-friendly, palatable meal in K-stan.  They primarily consume ... offal.  And other bits and pieces of animals that we are not accustomed to eating.  It's difficult to do a vegetarian riff on horse balls ...

Often times, we invite friends over to celebrate our Amazing Race obsession alongside us.  We have two friends in particular who are game.  We love sharing the experience of eating new food and rooting on our favorite teams.  Early in the season, we all pick a team that we think will win the big prize - $1 million!  The team that makes it to the final pit stop first (the finish line), after traveling through all of the countries in the race, wins.  My team never, ever wins.  This season was no exception!

But ... we were excited to like two of the final three teams in the race.  The third team included the Miss Teen South Carolina girl who talked about maps and "the Iraq" and became a You Tube sensation for her inability to cobble together a sentence.  She (20 years old) raced with her obnoxious cross-eyed model boyfriend (28 years old ... see a problem there???).  Our favorite team, Jet and Cord, were cowboy brothers from Oklahoma - actual cowboys.  They had lovable personalities and never allowed nastiness to infiltrate their race strategy.  We were really rooting for them, even though neither my husband or I officially picked them to win - they were the obvious favorites.  They came in a close second, behind the ultimate winners, Dan and Jordan (also brothers). We didn't mind seeing them win, though it was bittersweet because the cowboys were our emotional pick.  But at least it wasn't Miss Teen South Carolina, Caite (yes, really), and her obnoxious cross-eyed model boyfriend, Brent.

So what does one eat for the finale of the Amazing Race?  Anything from my box would do for the occasion, since the final pit stop was in ... San Francisco!

Our farm, Full Belly Farm, services both the Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.  I thought it would be appropriate to really make anything using my local produce, since it would be SF-inspired no matter what.  We had a wonderful spring panzanella (bread salad) recipe, from Smitten Kitchen, and a lovely Apple-Rhubarb Betty.  The Betty recipe came from Deborah Madison, a great vegetarian culinarian and the owner/chef of the prominent Greens restaurant, a true San Francisco institution with an all-vegetarian menu.  I have yet to eat there, but I will one day.   I'm going to devote a separate post to the Apple-Rhubarb Betty - it was a fun treat to celebrate the Amazing Race finale.

Panzanella is a bread salad, made with baked or pan-fried croutons.  I have had recipes using both methods (Ina Garten's is pan-fried and fantastic!).  This base of this recipe, the bread cubes, are simply fantastic - PARMESAN croutons!  These aren't your usual salad bar suspects, crunchy and flavorless.   These are savory little morsels that soak up the vinaigrette and pair beautifully with the spring veggies and white beans.

This recipe benefits from day-old bread; if your bread is younger than that, you can toast it a bit longer in the oven to compensate.  I find the salad maintains its structure better with the older bread.

If I were to do anything different, I would saute the leeks rather than simmer them.  I thought the texture of the leeks was a bit loose and wet, but they tasted good and didn't detract from an otherwise fabulous salad!

Spring Panzanella
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the bread cubes:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 generous cups of day-old bread, cubed (I used all but the ends of a pugliese loaf)
6 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 to 1/2 a red onion, finely diced (select the amount based on your personal taste)
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon (I used a bit more)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

For the salad:
3 leeks, green and root ends trimmed
salt
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained

Make the bread cubes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together all of the bread cube ingredients in a big bowl; spread on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (plus another minute or two for fresher bread), stirring once or twice.  You want the bread cubes to be crunchy but still a bit tender on the inside - definitely not dry all the way through, like boxed croutons. Set aside to cool while you prepare the other components.

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, mix the red onion with the vinegar and lemon juice; let sit for a few minutes to remove the rawness from the onions.  Whisk in the olive oil and mustard, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Make the salad: Place the croutons in a large bowl.  Add the leeks, asparagus, and beans to the bowl and mix.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Seis de Mayo!

Aside from being my mom's birthday (happy birthday, Mom!!), May 6 was a pretty darn good day. Why? Mexican leftovers!!!

I swear rice is almost always better the next day. Not because the texture improves - it doesn't - but because you have a really excellent staple for incorporating into other dishes. Rice-based salads are hearty and delicious. Fried rice demands pre-cooked rice, straight from the refrigerator. Who doesn't love fried rice? Risotto cakes, formed from day-old risotto, are delectable. And arancini are little rice ball croquettes that can be fried or baked. On Thursday, I decided to do a take on arancini, using the baking method from a Vegetarian Times recipe. I switched out the Italian flavors for Mexican ones, using all the leftover Mexican ingredients from our burritos from the night before, including the leftover black beans and charred bell peppers and onion. Flavorful Mexican rice formed the base, and I rolled the balls in panko to achieve a crispy exterior.

We ate the Mexican rice balls alongside a fresh salad made with our box greens. The greens this week were really good!

Here's what I did:


Baked Mexican Rice Balls
See the recipes for each of the components here.

Leftover Mexican rice, about 2 to 3 cups
Leftover black beans and onions
Leftover charred red bell peppers and onions, chopped
Cheese - about 3/4 cup shredded (I used a Mexican blend)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups panko or other breadcrumbs
Condiments and garnish, such as sour cream, salsa, and chopped lettuce

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mix together the rice, black beans, veggies, and cheese. Add the eggs and mix to incorporate. Form the rice mixture into balls about 3 inches in diameter. Place the panko in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Roll each rice ball in the panko, making sure to get plenty of panko to stick to each ball, and place on the baking sheet. My mix made about 12 balls, enough for 3 to 4 servings.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the balls are crisp and browned.

Serve with various Mexican condiments and garnishes, including salsa, sour cream, and lettuce. Yum!

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo is a GREAT excuse to eat some tasty Mexican-inspired fare. Unfortunately, margaritas weren't magically waiting for me when I got home.

But in VERY exciting news, I received a package today at work! I was walking past the front desk to my office and saw two large boxes by the reception desk. I peered at them and one said "Z GALLERIE" - I literally said out loud "Wow, who is the lucky person?" And ... it was me!! I didn't even believe it at first. My wonderful husband got me a glass stingray for our six month wedding anniversary, which was yesterday. We love aquariums, and we especially love stingrays (I half-joked during wedding planning that we were having a "Predators of the Sea" themed wedding). It is very special - what a thoughtful husband! I am a very lucky girl.

But on to the Mexican fiesta! I am planning to belatedly celebrate with a margarita or two on Friday, but tonight we had what I called "Chipotle-inspired" burritos.

I prepared a number of separate components to add to the burritos: sauteed black beans, Mexican rice, and charred bell peppers and onion, along with the usual fixings: salsa, taco sauce, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and store-bought guacamole. Fun fact: I HATE guacamole, so I can't make it. I never have! I wouldn't know what to do ...


Here's how I made each of the components:

Mexican Rice
Adapted from All Recipes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup long grain white rice (I used white basmati, rinsed)
1 onion, chopped (I used two of the spring onions from this week's box)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups veggie broth (I used homemade broth)

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the rice and saute, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cumin and salt to taste. Add the tomato sauce and veggie broth and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to low, cooking for 25 to 30 minutes. When rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, fluff with a fork. You can let this sit on the stove, covered, for a bit until the rest of the meal is ready.

Charred Bell Pepper & Onion

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together on a cooking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until roasted and charred in places.

Black Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup veggie broth
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the black beans, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Add the veggie broth and cook for a bit longer, until the broth has almost entirely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the lime and season with salt and pepper to taste. You can keep this on the burner, over warm heat, until the rest of the components are ready.

To assemble burritos: Heat large tortillas one at a time over medium heat in a pan. Fill each tortilla with rice, beans, veggies, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and taco sauce. Delicioso!