Rhubarb ~ Strawberry Compote over Grilled Peaches

Rhubarb compote, made with our without strawberries, is a childhood favorite of mine. The smell of this dish is so lovely, it will make your mouth water! Growing up we used sugar to make it. In this recipe here I used honey instead and added ginger zest to my original recipe. If you find that the compote is too tart for your taste, you can always add sugar or maple syrup later.

You can serve this compote over grilled peaches as a delightful summer dessert, have it with plain yogurt, over pancakes or over your oatmeal for breakfast! Yum!

Ingredients for Compote:

• 1 pound of rhubarb, cut into half inch chunks
• 1/2 pound of strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup of honey
• Juice from one lemon

  

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of freshly zested ginger (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan (rhubarb is acidic!) such as a Le Creuset.
2. Simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until rhubarb is just starting to fall apart and strawberries are tender but not mushy.
3. Chill in the fridge.

Ingredients for Grilled Peaches:

• Firm peaches
• An oil with a light flavor, olive oil will work, but only if it does not taste too strong

Preparation:

1. Cut peaches in half, remove pit
2. Brush lightly on both sides with oil to avoid sticking to grill
3. Grill over medium to light heat on a grill or grilling pan - cover while grilling - about 3 minutes on each side

Note: I move the peaches a bit about 30 seconds after placing them on the grill to avoid having them get stuck.

Other uses for grilled peaches: in salads and with chicken.

Flowerless ~ Dairy Free Oat Cookies with Tahini and Nuts

I was craving a cookie which is about a once a year event since usually all sweets, expect dark chocolate, leave me completely cold! Well, anyway, since I do not like things that are very sweet, I had to make my own. And since I don't like butter much either, I came up with this recipe that uses Tahini (sesame butter) instead. I am sure you could use almond butter or any other kind of nut butter in it's place. I used very little sugar; if you want the cookies to be sweeter, increase the amount.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of quick oat
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1.25 teaspoons of almond extract
• 1/2 tahini
• 1/4 cup soymilk  or rice dream
• 1/4 cup nuts of your choice
• 1/8 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In small bowl, mix together the oats and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix tahini, brown sugar, egg and vanilla with by hand or with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Lastly mix in nuts and raisins.

Drop the one table spoon of cookie dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet.  The cookies will not be perfectly round in shape and perhaps a bit thick.

Bake cookies for about 15 minutes and, check with toothpick to see if they are done and/or remove when edges begin to turn a golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 large cookies.

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

This flour-less chocolate cake makes for the perfect dessert for Passover. The recipe is from La Bete Noir. You will need a large roasting pan and a 10-inch diameter spring form.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
• 18 oz of bittersweet (not unsweetened) or 54% dark chocolate
• 6 large eggs
• Almond meal (optional)

Canache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz of bittersweet (not unsweetened) or 71% chocolate

Makes 16 servings

Preparation:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter 10 inch diameter spring form pan and add almond meal (will make it easier to get cake out of form, I added that option)

   

3. Line bottom of pan with parchment round, butter parchment
4. Wrap 3 layers of heavy duty foil OUTSIDE of pan, brining foil to top of rim.
5. Combine 1 cup of water an sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, simmer 5 minutes, remove from heat.
6. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat.
7. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth.
8. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate, cool slightly.

   

9. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended.
10. Pour batter into prepared pan.
11. Place cake pan into large roasting pan. Add enough hot water roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of cake pan.

    

12. Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes.
13. Remove from water bath, transfer to rack, cool completely in pan. (We put ours into the fridge)

Ganache:

1. Over medium heat bring whipping cream to simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat.

   

2. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour over top of cake still in pan.
4. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over to of cake.
5. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.
6. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. ENJOY!

Pictures of the cut masterpiece will follow tomorrow!