RHUBARB STRAWBERRY CRISP

The rhubarb in the garden started to come up in April and I have been watching to see when we would get our first pick of the season.  I can't remember picking it by the May long weekend.   But that is what I did on the Friday night.  I picked big stalks and picked more than what I could use to make a large pan of rhubarb strawberry crisp.  I used frozen strawberries that we had picked last summer at a local U-Pick farm.  These strawberries are much sweeter than what I would ever buy at the store.  I like the combination of rhubarb with strawberries and also rhubarb with apples.  The following two photos show the topping being added to the unbaked crisp and then the finished product.  Of course I had to have the crisp with some homemade ice cream.

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY CRISP

INGREDIENTS:

Filling

8 cups rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

2 tbsp cornstarch

2-3 cups frozen or fresh strawberries

¼ cup flour

2/3 cup splenda or sugar

Topping

1 ¼ cups rolled oats, not instant

½ cup brown sugar

4 tbsp flour

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp melted butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix the rhubarb with the cornstarch.  Add the strawberries, flour and sugar   Mix well.  Pour into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.  I spray the baking dish with Pam beforehand. 

Into the empty bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients.   Spread the topping over the filling that is in the baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is brown.  If the topping is browning too quickly, lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees.

LIFE AROUND THE CREEK

After seeing the beaver by his lodge one early morning and realizing that I didn't have my camera with me, I have started to take my camera on my walks along the creek.  There is all sorts of wildlife to watch and sounds to listen to.   These baby goslings were less than a week old when I snapped this picture.

This pair of mallard ducks started to waddle off when they saw the dog and I coming their way.  They were not in a big hurry.  

These geese are the same ones with the goslings.

I took the picture of these five rabbits from a distance.  I knew that I couldn't get very close to them before they would take off and run in several directions.   

A red winged black bird.







My companion who thinks it is great to go walking each morning.  He is wearing a haltie around his nose.  Same concept as a horse or cattle halter.  It gives you more control than just trying to manage with a leash clipped to a collar.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

Last Christmas I got an ice cream maker as a gift.  I love ice cream and it is my once a week treat.  I use to have difficulty having ice cream in the house and being able to resist not having daily sampling sessions with the spoon and the container.  I have overcome that difficulty for whatever reason and can now leave the ice cream alone and just have a single bowl on the weekend.

I have frozen sour cherries in the freezer, pitted and ready to eat.  We have two sour cherry trees in our garden and last year they bore a lot of fruit.  The cherries are not that sour and I have made jam from them.  I had the revelation this week that I should make ice cream from the frozen sour cherries.  The ice cream turned out great.  I followed the recipe provided below except that since the mixture was already so cold and starting to thicken, I couldn't get the ice cream paddle to work when all of the ingredients were in the freezing bowl.  I came to the conclusion that using this recipe and directions, you don't need an ice cream maker to make ice cream from frozen berries.  I added the grated chocolate to the mixture in the freezer bowl once I realized that the paddle was not going to mix the contents.  I empty the contents into a plastic container that had a lid and put it in the freezer for several hours before enjoying a bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce.   The ice cream was enjoyed while sitting outside on the deck and having the dog watching me intently while I enjoyed each spoonful.  Yes, he did get to lick the bowl!

Here is a photo of the everything being mixed before being added to the freezer bowl.  For the heavy cream,  I used whipping cream.

Ice Cream Made from Frozen Berries

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 ml) frozen strawberries, sour cherries, or blue berries

3 tablespoons lemon juice


1 cup sugar, divided


1 cup whole milk, well chilled


2 cups heavy cream, well chilled


1 teaspoons (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

1/3 dark chocolate bar, grated

Instructions:

In a blender, combine the frozen fruit with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  If it is too thick to puree, add 2 or 3 tbsp of milk.  Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the frozen berry mixture.  Mix well and churn with your whisk or wooden spoon for a few minutes.

If using an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the grated dark chocolate and let mix in completely.   Empty the ice cream from the freezer bowl into a covered container and store in the freezer.

PICKLED SALMON

I like to eat most kinds of fish.  I will eat sushi, pickled, smoked and cooked fish.  When I cook fish, I tend to gravitate towards the standard fish - salmon, steelhead trout, halibut, cod or shrimp.   I will try other kinds of fish when I am out at restaurants besides these standbys.   I do have a weakness for smoked salmon and bagels and the ultimate is a montreal bagel with cream cheese, capers, a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice and nova scotia style smoked salmon.

I also like pickled fish and that is usually herring.  I once made my own pickled herring but it is easier to buy it in the jar.

On several occasions I have had gravalox which is a dry cured salmon and pickled salmon.   I have had the opportunity to eat pickled salmon at a friend's house over the past few years and I believe she got the recipe from a New York Times cookbook.   She graciously gave me the recipe and I have made it before but was reminded how much I liked this past Spring when I had the pleasure of eating it again at their place.

I made the recipe today but only made half the quantity.   I used atlantic salmon and I did not layer the salmon, onions and pickling spices in alternating additions but instead layered the bottom of a plastic container with the salmon pieces followed by the rest of the ingredients.  I also didn't need to weigh down the fish as it did not float in the marinade.  I did make all of the marinade but only used about 2 pounds of fish.  The following photos show the salmon pieces being covered by the onion followed by the balance of the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons kosher salt

12 bay leaves

4 tablespoons mixed pickling spices

4 white or yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 pounds salmon fillet, skin and bones removed

DIRECTIONS:

Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil. Let this mixture cool completely.

Cut the-salmon into pieces that are approximately 1 inch by 2 inches. In a ceramic crock, glass bowl or plastic container, place a layer of salmon pieces, then a sprinkling of pickling spices and-bay leaves, a layer of sliced onions, then repeat the layering of salmon, spices, and onions until you have used them all.  Pour the cooled marinade over the fish.  If the fish has a-tendency to float, weigh down the fish with a ceramic plate.

Cover the container. Refrigerate-the salmon for 3 to 5 days.  Yields 4-6 servings

EARLY MORNING WALKS

As part of my morning routine, the dog and I take our daily morning walk and check out the neighbourhood, the creek, the parks and the wildlife.  Our walks can vary depending on the weather, my energy levels, how much time we have and if the sun has started to rise.

One route we both like to take is a walking/bike path that goes along a creek.  The creek attracts all sorts of birds including song birds, ducks and geese and beavers.  Also I have spotted deer and coyotes near the creek.

Yesterday morning I saw a beaver sitting beside his lodge.  Of course I didn't have my camera with me to get a photo of him/her.  I will call the beaver a him as it looked more masculine and he was big.  I walked close to the edge of the creek to try to get his attention and he couldn't care less about me.  He paid no attention to my voice and didn't even acknowledge my existence.  I am not use to such rejection.  The dog was with me and he could have been over to him in two shakes of a paw by jumping into the creek and swimming over.  It wouldn't have mattered that I would have been at the end of the leash.  I would have been swimming too.  The dog didn't pay any attention to the beaver.  He had his nose to the ground fascinated by millions of smells and breathing all of it in.

This morning I took my camera with me on our morning walk determined to see the beaver again and maybe get a picture of him by his lodge.

In this picture you can see him swimming along the creek with a few ducks in the background.

This is another head shot and it doesn't show the size of this beaver.  These pictures were taken while holding the camera, trying to focus the picture and the dog moving around me while on his leash with his nose to the ground and drinking in all of the wonderful smells that only a dog can love.  This is a perfect way to start the morning - the solitude and sounds of life around a creek.

LEMONY LENTIL SOUP

Lentils are quick cooking and versatile to use in different recipes.  I use lentils mainly in soups and salads.  They can also be used instead as a meat substitute to make loafs and burgers.  I have three different kinds of lentils - french (they are small and green and great in salads), red and brown.  I do enjoy lentil soup and I am providing you with one of my favorite recipes.  I like lemon juice and tend to use 3 tablespoons in this recipe.  This recipe is adapted from a Bonnie Stern cookbook.  If you don't have the red lentils you can use the brown lentils.  The brown lentils are larger and therefore take longer to cook.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped into chunks
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups red lentils
6 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onions, garlic, red pepper and celery on medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Do not brown.   Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds.  Stir in the lentils and combine well.  Add the stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer until the lentils and vegetables are tender.  This will take about 30 minutes.  If desired, puree the soup with a hand held blender.  If the soup is too thick, thin with some water.  Add the lemon juice and herbs.  Serves about 6 people.

COUSCOUS SALAD

Couscous has been eaten in parts of the Middle East and Europe for centuries.  Couscous are granules made from coarsely ground duram wheat.  Certain cultures may use other grains than wheat.   There are three kinds of couscous that you can buy at the stores where I shop - regular, whole wheat and Israeli.  I usually buy the regular or whole wheat couscous and find that it is a quick side dish to make.  You can have a side dish ready in less than 15 minutes.  It has a quick cooking time as the product sold in North America has already been pre-steamed and dried.  The traditional couscous requires lots of cooking time and is usually steamed.   Israeli couscous are larger granules and it reminds me of tapioca.  I don't make it too often as I find it has a different texture than the regular and whole wheat couscous.

I do like to dress up couscous as it is quite plain and just like plain spaghetti, it can taste boring on its own.  I made the following recipe and enjoyed the combination of flavours, particularly the cinnamon.

COUSCOUS SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

½ tbsp olive oil

1 cup couscous

1 stalk of celery

1/3 cup raisins

½ small shallot, diced

¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 tbsp lemon juice

dash of cinnamon

1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the chicken stock and ½ tbsp olive oil.  Add the couscous to the boiling water.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand covered for about 4 minutes.

Fluff the couscous and transfer to a serving bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and combine well.  Serves about 3.

Adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

LAUGHTER AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH

I recently read a number of articles in Science Daily on the benefits of laughter in maintaining your health and preventing diseases.   Laughing makes you feel better and even a yoga class using laughter has been developed (hasya yoga). 

What are the health benefits of laughter?   Laughter helps to reduce stress; enhance the immune system; strengthen cardiovascular functions; oxygenate the body by boosting the respiratory system; improve circulation; tone muscles and help with digestion and constipation (Science Daily May 6, 2008).   

How did this connection between laughter and health occur?   In the 1970s, Norman Cousins, a writer and magazine editor was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.  He realized that if stress could worsen his condition, then having positive emotions would have the effect of improving his health.   Working with his physician, he watched video comedies and television shows like Candid Camera.   His disease went into remission   Cousins wrote a scientific paper for the New England Journal of Medicine and also a bestseller on his experience. 

As a result of Cousins’ finding, a number of medical researchers started to examine the physical changes in the body due to positive emotions and laughter.   Beginning in the 1980s, Dr. Lee Berk and his colleagues (Science Daily April 17, 2009) started to measure hormones.  They found that people who watched video comedies had elevated levels of hormones associated with moods and immunity.  They also found in their studies that positive laughter reduced the levels of stress hormones that can be detrimental to the immune system at high levels.   Another interesting finding was in the area of diabetes.   Dr. Berk and other researchers found that good laughter and a positive mood in diabetic patients caused increased levels of good cholesterol, lower inflammation. and lower stress levels.   The researchers have also suggested that these positive emotions may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

On Friday night the DH and I went with friends to see Martin Short perform in person at a local venue.   I haven’t laughed with such vigor in a long time.    My stomach hurt from laughing so much.   I do like to laugh and enjoy comedies, now I have scientific reason to keep on watching some of the crazy comedy shows on television.

MEATLOAF

For some people meatloaf is a comfort food.  My comfort food is cottage cheese and noodles.  It is a dish  that my mom made when I was young and to this day I still like eating it.

Making meat loaf is not a difficult recipe to follow.  Actually meat loaf can be made using a variety of ingredients and its components can be broken down into several parts: ground beef; vegetables such as onion, celery, corn, peppers, carrots and peas; spices; and binders such as eggs and bread.  Other additions can include shredded cheese.   I made the following recipe using bison.  

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef or ground bison

2 slices of bread

½ cup milk

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 ½ cups frozen corn niblets

2 eggs, beaten

several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

several squirts of ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, tear the bread into pieces and add the milk.  Let it sit for several minutes.  In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients together including the bread and mix well.  Place into a large casserole dish at 350 degrees F and bake for one hour.  Serves 6 to 8 people.   The following pictures shows the meat loaf being mixed in the bowl and in the large casserole dish before going into the oven.

LEEK AND VEGETABLE SOUP

I don't buy leeks on a routine basis.  It is not that I don't like leeks, it is just that I don't use leeks for many recipes.   Leeks are related to garlic and onions but have a much mild, sweeter and sophisticated flavour. They can be used to enrich soups or stews and they go well with potato and with cheese.  I recently purchased some leeks at a local organic market for a great price and this prompted me to make a soup.  The soup turned out wonderful and is a keeper. 


INGREDIENTS:

2 large leeks, sliced thinly
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp flour
7 cups of water or chicken broth
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into small slices
1 celery, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried dill or 2 tbsp fresh dill

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, saute the leeks in oil on medium to low heat for 5 minutes.  Don't brown the leeks.  If they are sticking to the pot, add a bit of water.  Add garlic and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add water/broth, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes.  Puree half of the soup or use a potato masher to mash the vegetables.  Add the dill and adjust seasonings to taste.

Adapted from Meal Lean i Yumm