Apple-Rhubarb Crumble

This crumble is a perfect spring dessert.  We're still getting apples in our CSA box, but rhubarb has recently started turning up as well!  The two combine really well as the base for a crumble - the apples hold their shape and add sweetness, while the rhubarb melts down into a perfect sweet-tart mush.  I really like the simple topping here - it's full of oats and nuts for crunch, but it still forms together into nice clumps of tender pastry.  With a little lightly sweetened whipped cream on top, this crumble is heavenly!

Apple-Rhubarb Crumble (adapted from The Kitchn, original recipe here)

For the filling:
2 cups diced rhubarb (about 3-4 stalks)
4 cups peeled and diced apple (about 4 apples)
3/4 cup sugar
2 T lemon juice
3 T cornstarch
1 tsp ground vanilla beans (or substitute vanilla extract)

For the topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart baking dish.
2. Toss together the fruit, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and vanilla.  Scrape into the baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.  Cut the butter into several pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Work in with your fingers, a fork, or a pastry cutter until large crumbs form.  Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
4. Bake the crumble for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the toppings is lightly browned.  Let cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry-Banana Pancakes

These are really interesting pancakes - no eggs, no sugar, and lots of bananas!  I liked that they were moist, and the banana flavor really came through.  The berries were cooked into the pancakes, which made flipping a bit fussy but also made the berries warm and juicy.  I also liked that these are relatively healthy, as pancakes go - but they do taste pretty 'healthy', so be prepared that these aren't your classic fluffy buttermilk pancakes.  That said, the pancakes are still very tasty, and also filling - these will keep you going a lot longer than regular pancakes!  I de-healthified them a bit by spreading them with Trader Joe's Cocoa-Almond Spread (basically Nutella but with almonds); syrup and bananas are another great option - that's what Tim went with.

Strawberry-Banana Pancakes (adapted from Tasty Kitchen, original recipe here)
Serves 2

1-1/2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
2 T plus 1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup whole grain corn flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
2 T canola oil
Spray oil
1 cup chopped strawberries

1. Using a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender), puree the bananas until smooth.  Add 2 T of the milk, and again puree until smooth.  Add the remaining 1 cup milk, and puree.
2. Add the flour, corn flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the oil, and whisk to combine.  Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, spray with a little oil.  Ladle the batter into the skillet in small circles, and sprinkle some of the strawberries on each pancake.  When the batter begins to bubble, very carefully flip the pancakes.  When the pancakes are cooked through, transfer to a plate and keep in a warm oven until all the pancakes are cooked.
5. Serve the pancakes with syrup and chopped bananas, or with chocolate-almond spread (my favorite!)

Egg Noodles in Rich Chicken Curry Sauce

Whew, it has been a pretty crazy week! We had a wonderful time at the wedding - it was at the Jefferson memorial, so pretty!  Then we headed down to Charlottesville to see the sights and visit old friends.  And finally, after a loooong flight back to California, I proctored my students' final exam and did a ton of grading.  If you, like me, are in need of a simple, warm dish to curl up on the couch with, this curry chicken with egg noodles is the perfect choice.  The curry sauce sounds like it might be out-of-control spicy with both curry powder and curry paste, but it's actually perfectly balanced.  Warm spices combine with sweet coconut milk and salty fish sauce to create a fantastic sauce.  Of course, you could serve the chicken over rice, but I really liked it over egg noodles for a little something different.  I found these in the refrigerated section at the grocery, but the original recipe recommends using any egg noodles you find (whether Asian or Italian).

Egg Noodles in Rich Chicken Curry Sauce (adapted from The Kitchn, original recipe here)
Serves 4

Coconut oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup curry powder
15 ounce can coconut milk
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 T sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
3/4 pound fresh or dried egg noodles 
Vegetable oil
Garnishes:
Cilantro
Roasted chopped peanuts
Lime wedges

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan (I used a couple of spoonfuls, your mileage may vary).  When the coconut oil is melted, add the garlic and shallots.  Cook for a minute or so, until softened.  Add the curry paste and curry powder, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, and sugar.  Gently whisk the sauce to eliminate any large lumps.  Add the chicken thighs, bring to a boil, and then lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the sauce using tongs, and place on a cutting board.  Working carefully to avoid burning yourself, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, scraping off any visible bits of fat as you go.  Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for another 15 minutes.
4. While the sauce is bubbling away, cook the noodles according to package directions.  Drain, and toss with a little oil to keep the noodles from sticking.  Try to time things so the noodles and sauce are done at about the same time.
5. Serve the sauce over the noodles.  Serve with cilantro, peanuts, and lime wedges to squeeze over the bowl.

Posing with friends before the ceremony...

Lemon Cake in the Food Processor

I'm at a friend's wedding in Washington, D.C., but I hope you'll all enjoy this cake while I'm away!

This cake won't win any beauty contests, but it is incredibly delicious, so that's definitely forgivable.  I was pretty worried when I pulled this cake out of the oven...even though a tester came out clean, the center was sunken and the top of the cake was all bumpy and unevenly browned.  However, one taste and I was in love! The cake is super moist, with lovely lemon flavor.  All the lemon flavor comes from the zest, so it's floral rather than sour.  This might not be one to serve for company, but if you want a super easy cake to enjoy after a casual dinner, I'd say this recipe is a winner! 

Lemon Cake in the Food Processor (adapted from Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts)
Makes one 8-inch round cake

Butter and flour, for the pan
1 cup flour
3/4 cup plus 2 T sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 T vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of one lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8-inch round springform pan.
2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times until the ingredients are combined.  Add the cream and oil, and quickly pulse 10-12 times, until the ingredients are moist and beginning to clump together.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, and pulse 5 times.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then pulse 5-6 more times, until the ingredients are just combined.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Cod with Bok Choy and Broken Ginger Dressing

Fine Cooking recently had a feature on cooking fish in a sous-vide-inspired style at home.  I was not in the mood to try and keep a pot of water hot-but-not-simmering on my stovetop, but the flavors in one of the recipes sounded fantastic enough that I didn't want to pass up the recipe entirely.  Plus, we got baby bok choy in our produce box, which moved this recipe into the must-make pile!  Despite skipping the sous vide (and substituting cod for $24-a-pound bass), this dish turned out really well.  The method for preparing the bok choy is super easy and results in crisp-tender stems with slightly wilted leaves - perfect.  The sauce that goes over the fish has great ginger flavor and a little kick from crushed red pepper flakes. Definitely a winner!

Cod with Bok Choy and Broken Ginger Dressing (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 2-3

3 T minced shallot (from one small shallot)
3 T vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
2 T soy sauce
1-1/2 T rice vinegar
1-1/2 T olive oil
1 T grated fresh ginger (from a piece of ginger about 1-1/2 inches long)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
4 heads of baby bok choy, root ends removed and leaves separated
2 medium scallions, light green parts coarsely chopped
1 pound cod

1. Combine the shallots, vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Add a generous pinch of salt.  Stir together with a fork, and set aside.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add a little bit of oil and the garlic.  Stir together for about a minute, until slightly softened.  Add the bok choy, arrange in an even layer, and then cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Let cook for 5 minutes, until the boy choy is crisp-tender.  Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and stir in the scallions.
3. While the boy choy is cooking, heat another non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a little bit of oil.  When the oil is hot, add the fish.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Cook about 5 minutes, flipping the fish once, until cooked through.
4. Serve the fish over the boy choy, and top with the ginger dressing.

Pantry Pasta

I love trying new recipes, and I'm usually game to try something a little more complicated or out of the ordinary for dinner, even on a weeknight.  But sometimes you do just need a dish that you can get on the table quickly (or in our case the couch...our apartment is tiny and we have no room for a table!).  This pasta dish is fantastic because it's fast and it uses ingredients I tend to have around the house so it doesn't require a trip to the grocery - at worst, maybe I'd have to run to the corner store to pick up artichokes or an onion, but mostly I tend to have these things around.  I really like how the flavors of a few simple ingredients combine here - briny artichokes, sweet peas, salty cheese - yes, please!  What really makes this dish shine, though, is the toasted panko breadcrumbs.  They're totally worth the extra step, and the sauce/topping will still be done by the time you boil water and cook pasta.

Pantry Pasta (adapted from Chocolate Shavings, original recipe here)
Serves 4

1 pound dried pasta (I used rigatoni)
Olive oil
1/2 cup panko
1 T minced fresh oregano (or sub dry - we have some growing on our porch)
Salt and pepper
1 medium red onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
7.5 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.  When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, drizzle some olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the panko and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper.  Cook until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy, 7-8 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat.  Add a bit more oil, and then add the onions and garlic.  Cook until softened and browned, lowering the heat and/or adding more oil as needed to prevent burning.  Stir in the artichokes and peas, and cook until warmed through.
4. Add the cooked pasta along with about half the pasta water to the skillet with the vegetables.  Stir until combined, adding the remaining pasta water if needed to form a loose sauce.  Stir in the lemon juice.
5. Ladle the pasta into bowls, and top with the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs.

Secret Recipe Club: Salt-Marinated Steak

My partner for this month's Secret Recipe Club was Anne of Authentic Simplicity.  The day I chose a recipe from her blog, my boyfriend and I had both had a really long week - he had a big project at work that kept him there until 1 am one night, and I was catching up from being away at a conference in Chicago.  So, I wanted to make something special for dinner to celebrate the arrival of the weekend! In our apartment, "special dinner" most often means steak, and luckily Anne has a fantastic steak recipe on her blog!  I love her method of marinating the steak with lots of salt.  I've made dry-brined turkey that involves a similar method, but since a steak is much smaller than a whole turkey, the marinating time is only 20-30 minutes.  The salt rub made the steak super moist and flavorful - and it was so easy!  I was a big fan and I'll definitely be using this technique again in the future.  Thanks, Anne!

On the side: braised carrots with cumin seeds and potato salad.

Salt-Marinated Steak (adapted from Authentic Simplicity, original recipe here)
Serves 2

1 pound tri-tip steak
2 T fresh basil, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

1. Pat the steaks dry.  Sprinkle with the basil, and then season very generously with kosher salt.  Rub the salt and basil into the steak.  Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
2. Rinse the salt and basil off the steaks, and pat them dry.  Season with freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat grill pan (or skillet) over high heat.  Pour a little oil on a paper towel, and rub onto the grill pan.  Add the steaks, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until the steak is cooked how you like it.
4. Transfer steak to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.