Picnic Time.. Rhubarb Pie

Picnic season has begun.  It starts with beautiful weather and delicious pies.  Rhubarb pie is one of my all time favorite pies that my great Aunt would make.  It was simple and to the point, rhubarb topped with meringue.  No need for strawberries in this pie.  I tried to find a recipe that embodied her dessert, and the crowd agreed, this recipe was a keeper.

Rhubarb is in full harvest in May.  Stock up and prepare yourself for many pies and other delicious rhubarb flavored sauces and drinks.  This variety of rhubarb stays greener.  Other varieties get beautiful shades of red.

This pie is simple.  It starts off with a tart pastry base.  Flour, margarine, and confectioners sugar mixed into a ball and pressed into the bottom of the pie pan.  Pop in the oven to get golden before filling.  It is much easier and faster than making a pie crust base, which could also be done. (But I haven't masters the art of the pie crust.. yet.)

Fresh rhubarb chopped up.

A custard base which includes sugar, flour, egg yolks, milk and the rhubarb.

Baked down until it thickens into a rhubarb-y deliciousness.

A meringue of egg whites and sugar all whipped up.

Assemble and pop in the oven again to golden up.

And voila! A delicious rhubarb pie good enough for any picnic.  Side note: if theres moisture in the air the meringue will bead up like this.  It adds a fun pattern without any effort!

There's no strawberry in this rhubarb pie.  But don't worry, a strawberry pie was also brought, each delicious on their own!

The recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup margarine

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup milk

3 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb

3 egg whites

1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, margarine and the confectioners sugar.  Mix together until it forms a ball.  Press into the bottom and sides of a inch square pan (I used a circle pie pan).  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

3.  In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoon flour, yolks and milk.  Stir together, then add the chopped rhubarb.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Pour into hot crust.

4.  In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.  Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread meringue over rhubarb filling, covering completely.

5.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

enjoy and happy picnic season!

Be Inspired. Be Bold.

peace&love

Rebecca

Some Damn Good Fish Tacos.

I've had a lot of fish tacos in my days and this recipe stacks among one of the best.  This taco has everything, cabbage for crunch, guacamole for that creamy texture, chipotle sauce for a little kick, and of course a perfectly marinated fish.  With a blend of fresh ingredients and flavors, these tacos are guaranteed to be a success, every time!

Guacamole

1 avocado
1/4 red onion
1/2 lime
1 handful cilantro
6 cherry tomatoes
1 big pinch of rock salt

Mix it all together and keep it chunky.

Chipotle Sauce

1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1 lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 chipotle in adobe sauce minced

Mix it all together.

Cabbage

1/2 red cabbage
1 bunch of cilantro
1 lime
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix it all together.

Fish

4 small fish fillets, I used cod

The Marinade

1 handful cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 lime
1 large pinch of rock salt

Mash together with mortar and pistol.
Add 6 Tbsp of olive oil.
Pour over fish and marinade, I did it for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat skillet until it starts to smoke the reduce to medium heat.  Cook the fish for a few minutes on each side.  No need to add oil since the fish had been soaking in it.  Cook until done.

Assemble all together (I went with a corn tortilla, sauce, cabbage, fish and guacamole) and enjoy!

Be Inspired. Be Bold.

peace&love

Rebecca

HappiestHour.. Pimm's Cocktail

It was in Vegas that I discovered Pimm's.  The friend I was with got it when we were at the Gordon Ramsey restaurant.  It was so light, refreshing and delicious that we all became obsessed with it.  Ever since we have been on the lookout for Pimm's.  I finally found it at a liquor store at home and have now been trying to recreate it.  The bartender told us some of the ingredients which included Pimm's no. 1 and San Pellegrino limonata, simple.  Floating in the drink was a cucumber spear and other various fruits.  Seemed easy enough so I gave it a try.

Pimm's No.1 Cocktail

1.5 shots Pimm's No.1

2 shots San Pellegrino Limonata

Pour over glass of ice and garnish with a spear of cucumber and a slice of lemon.

For a lighter option: 1 shot San Pellegrino Limonata, 1 shot club soda.

Don't forget to put it in a classy vintage glass and garnish with a fun stirrer and straw.

Enjoy Responsibly!

peace&love

Rebecca

National Margarita Day

Saturday, February 22nd was National Margarita Day.  Who could say no to celebrating on this great day.  It was nice a warm, a brake from our very cold and bitter winter, so a margarita just seemed right. Last summer I had been ding some research and experimenting to mix the perfect margarita.  I don't like  using the mixes that tend to be overly sweet and syrups.  I found that using fresh simple ingredients made the perfect margaritas.  The recipe has boiled down to this

1 shot tequila (I like using silver)

1 shot cointreau 

1 shot of fresh squeezed juice (I have become a fan of grapefruit and some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is the perfect combination of tangy and sweet.  You can also experiment with using different juices, shown below is a blood orange italian soda.)

Adjust quantities to your liking.  Garnish with a lime slice and a gold pom pom stirrer and enjoy!

Enjoy Responsibly. 

peace&love 

Rebecca

Salsa Caliente.. DE LA TERRE

Take two of my experimentation with salsa making.  The first batch was a little sweet, now I'm going for hot.  Caliente ay ay ay. I also attempted to make a smaller batch, as I'm still in the experimental phase, if it turns out bad I won't have 6 jars if it.

I started with 3 tomatoes De La Terre (from my garden) and one bell pepper.

One onion.

Two hot perrers, one super hot pepper (on the left, brown in color, smoky in flavor) and one red jalapeño pepper. I took out most of he seeds but left a few.

One can (6 oz) tomato paste, a sprinkle of cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt.

Less than 1/4 cup of brown sugar and white sugar combined.

Put it all in a pot with 6 oz of white vinegar.  Brought it to a boil and simmered it for one to two hours, until everything looked cooked and it got to the right thickness.

FYI peppers were so hot that when cooking you could feel the hotness in the air.  Definitely open windows and get some good ventilation.  

The final result, hot, smoky, and sweet.  I was worried that it would be too hot since my eyes were basically burning while it was cooking.  It has a nice kick while still being edible.  My next attempt will have no sugar, just mas caliente. 

Be Bold.

peace&love

Rebecca

Salsa DE LA TERRE

My tomato plant has exploded with tomatoes so I was scrambling for some recipes.  My Aunt makes this great salsa that is sweet and delicious.  I thought I'de give it a try.

 The main ingredients.

3 cups Tomatoes 

3 cups Peppers

 3 cups Onions

3 cloves Garlic

 1 cup Sugar 

15 oz Tomato Paste

3 cups White Vinegar 

1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder

Bring to a boil and cook for an hour

It's salsa time! 

This recipe turned out very sweet.  For my next attempt I will cut down on the sugar and add some heat!

There's nothing better than eating something that you made with your own hands 

with ingredients that you grew in your own garden.  

A salsa that truly is de la terre (from the earth).

peace&love

Rebecca

Taste of the Bayou

For this past Saturday's dinner, I wanted a taste of the bayou.  There's something about summer, seafood and cajun spices.  On my search for the perfect recipes I went to my trusted Pinterest board.  I usually find two variations of the same recipe and then I end up doing a blend of the two, only taking the best ingredients from each.  

We had recently taken a trip down to the Low Country (Charleston and Savannah) and I really fell in love with all the southern flavors.  I had gotten a few cookbooks while down there, and let me tell you, I have not made one recipe that I did not like.  The Lee Brothers use great fresh flavors, while not being to greasy or fatty.

So for this Taste of the Bayou dinner, the menu included Louisiana Cajun Shrimp with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Grilled Scallops, Green Goddess Potato Salad, Steamed Broccoli with lemon and butter, and Golden Cornbread.  We also topped it off/started it off with an Orange Margarita.  Get ready for a lot of recipes!

Any good meal starts off with a good spice mix.  I always prefer to mix my own versus a premixed one from the store, they can sometimes be too salty.

Cajun Spice Mix

Makes 1 cup 

5 tbsp kosher salt

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

For the Cajun spice mix, stir all ingredients together well in a small bowl to blend. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for maximum freshness.

Spicy Louisiana Cajun Shrimp with Chipotle
Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail shell intact
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning - homemade or store bought
1/2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 lemon or lime, sliced in wedges for garnish
Salt and pepper, for seasoning

In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp with the olive oil, Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, and mix well to fully coat the shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out the marinated shrimp onto a foil-lined baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the shrimp curl up and turn pink, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a garnish of lemon or lime wedges.

Grilling: Preheat an outdoor grill to medium and barbecue shrimp until they curl up and turn pink.

Sautéeing: Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of oil, and once hot add the shrimp, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side.

Chipotle Mayonnaise
Makes about 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise
3 canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1/2 lime, juice

Add all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

The first three recipes were originally found here

Green Goddess Potato Salad
from the Lee Bros, Simple Fresh Southern
serves 4 .. time: 25 min prep, 15 min resting

2 tbsp  plus 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 1/2 lb small red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1/2 cup high quality store bought mayonnaise (Hellmann's or Duke's)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely cut scallions (white and green parts)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 anchovy fillets, minced, or 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional) 
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1.  Fill a 4-quart stockpot half full with water, add 2 tbsp of the salt and the potatoes, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook until just for tender but cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes.
2.  While the potatoes cook, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, parsley, tarragon, anchovies (if desired), vinegar, lime juice, remaining 1 tsp salt and the black pepper in a large bowl.
3.  Drain the potatoes well and add them to the bowl; toss with the dressing.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.  Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature (as the salad loses its heat, it will absorb the dressing).  Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.

This is a great cornmeal.  I've used it to make some delicious grits and it also makes for a nice gritty cornbread.  I used the recipe for cornbread on the back of the bag.

Golden Cornbread

serves 9

1 cup Bob's Red Mill 100% Stone Ground Cornmeal

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Four (I didn't have any so I used regular white flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar (optional)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

Sift together dry ingredients into bowl.  Add egg, milk, and butter.  Beat until smooth, about one minute.  DO NOT OVERBEAT.

Bake in a greased 8-inch square pan for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees F.  Serve warm with butter.

Orange Margarita

one serving

1 shot tequila (I like Jose Silver)

2 shots orange juice

a squirt of agave nectar

put in jar with three ice cubes.  Give it a good shake.  Pour over ice and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I hope it inspires you to try more tastes of the bayou.  I can't wait to try more recipes and experiment with all the wonderful flavors and ingredients.

Be Bold in you ingredient selection and try something new.

peace & love

Rebecca