Dr. Miggy's Healthy Blog for Busy Folks on Tight Budgets » honey

Food Pr0n: Rhubarb Compote with Greek Yogurt

drmiggy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 02:45:51 +0000

If you’ve ever been to any family gathering at my folks house, you will be familiar with at least one of the following stories:

The time when my little brother got scared by a possum on the porch and had my dad shoot it in the balls with a BB gun.
The time my sister threw all of her ex-husband’s belongings off the balcony and locked him out of the house.
The time when my Nana and great-uncle Lowell were forced to eat rhubarb pie at the Cabot family home when she was a little girl.

So you are probably humming to yourself ♫One of these things is not like the other♫. While the first two stories evoke a certain, ahem, Texas-ness, the story of my grandmother dining with the Boston Brahmins though different in local color still enjoys at least one revival a year. In a nutshell, my great-grandmother, who worked for the Cabots, was invited to an employee lunch at their home. My Nana and great-uncle were under strict orders to eat every bite of every dish they put on their plates, or else. So of course when they saw the lovely pink rhubarb pie they each got a huge slice and dug in, only to be assaulted by a bitter, sour goop that they had to choke down until it was gone, lest the incite my great-grandma’s ire. You should see my Nana’s face when she tells this story, it’s like she’s still trying to swallow it. This story has been told so many times and with such theatrics that it has left an indelible mark on my culinary sensibilities: rhubarb is the most vile thing you could put in a pie crust.

Pretty in Pink

And this is so unfair to rhubarb. Just look at how pretty it is.

Rhubarb has made several recent appearances at the farmers market and realizing that there must be some redeeming quality to it, I decided to give it a try. Further encouragement arrived in the June Food411 newsletter “Romancing Rhubarb“. While I’m only interested in friendship [giggles nervously], this article is a great intro for those of us who have never cooked with the vegetable before.

The easiest thing you can do with rhubarb is make a compote, which is basically simmering it in sweet liquid until it breaks down to the consistency you desire. Rhubarb is fantastic for compote because it takes about 10-15 minutes to render a chunky compote, and roughly 30 minutes to get a smooth applesauce texture. BTW, check out cookthink.com if you fancy yourself a food nerd. I ♥ it.

The basic recipe for compote is simple enough: chopped rhubarb, water, sugar. I wanted to make it a little more special so added an herb that has been finding its way into many of my dishes lately: tarragon. You have to go easy with the T, man, or it will kick your dishes’ ass. But when done with subtlety it lends a sweet anise flavor that is hard to match with any other herb. Of course you could leave it out of this recipe altogether and it would still be delicious.

You read that correctly, it said “DELICIOUS”. Mixed with some greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey, this rhubarb compote makes an elegant and refreshing dessert perfect for completing a summertime meal. I feel that I have vindicated this vegetable to my family…if only I can undo the years of conditioning and get them to try this recipe.

Rhubarb Compote with Greek Yogurt

Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 as a dessert

1 lb rhubarb, washed, ends trimmed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups greek yogurt
honey for drizzling

Prep work: Wash, trim and chop the rhubarb.

Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook over high heat until the water begins to simmer. It may not look like enough water but the rhubarb will release its juices and break down quickly, so trust.
Lower the heat to medium and continue simmering for 10 minutes if you like a few chunks, longer if you want a smooth rhubarb sauce.
When it gets to the consistency you like, remove the compote from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can store it in the refrigerator for a week.
Divide the yogurt evenly among four bowls. Top each dish with 1/4 of the compote and a drizzle of honey. Serve right away.

Food Pr0n: Toasty Granola Bars

drmiggy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:51:42 +0000

Some mornings (OK, most) I am able to muster just enough brain power to make a pot of coffee. Cooking breakfast is out of the question. I won’t skip breakfast, though, no matter how tired or rushed I am. So where do I turn? A piece of fruit, maybe some yogurt, and the multifunctional breakfast bar. What busy gal hasn’t resorted to the conveniently packaged fruit and grain or granola bar? When your tummy is rumblin’ and you’re in a hurry, breakfast bars can keep you going until you have time for real sustenance. Lately I have been relying on this convenience food more than I should. They aren’t cheap and they often leave me feeling less than satisfied. Noticing the trend, my boyfriend suggested we make our own granola bars. The idea appeals to my inner hippie, because what could be more “granola” than making your own granola?

I’m not gonna lie, standing over a pan of melting honey, sugar and butter I felt a bit like a poser. Healthy. Psh. But I did the math (see below) and the amount of sugar and fat in each of these bars is not outrageous. Plus you get the benefit of about a fourth of the RDI of fiber and 12% of the iron.

If the idea of cleaning up a sticky mess scares you off, fear not! I have a solution. Generously buttering a piece of parchment paper makes short work of cutting the bars and clean up. Just lift the paper out once the bars are done baking and admire your spotlessly clean baking dish. You can also butter the pan if you don’t have parchment, but I didn’t try that method so I can’t vouch for its ease.

Though the original recipe yields 16 bars, I cut this batch into a dozen HUGE stick-with-you-through-mid-morning bars. If you’re in a hurry in the morning, toss one of these bars into a re-useable snack bag on your way out the door.

Toasty Granola Bars

Adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe
Makes 12 huge bars

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces dried currants or raisins

Butter the buh-jesus out of a piece of parchment big enough to fit inside and up the edges of your baking dish. It doesn’t need to fit perfectly because you will squish the granola into it to keep it in place. You can use a 9×9 or 11×8 dish (like me). If you only have a 13×9 you can probably use it but your bars will be thinner. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on this, because it can burn quickly.
While the grains toast, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a big saucepan. You are going to dump the grains into this later so you’ll need the extra room. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the grains from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Add the grains to the honey mixture, add the currants, and stir until combined.
Place the buttered parchment into the baking dish and press in the granola mixture. Spread it evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, then lift the parchment out of the pan. Allow the granola to cool completely before cutting into bars. This is important because the bars will be easier to cut when they are completely cooled. Cut into 12 bars and store in an airtight container.

Quinoa Qurispies: An Easy Way To Get More Iron

drmiggy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:24:40 +0000

In my quest for nutritional balance there is one nutrient that eludes me almost daily: Iron. Good Gods, no matter how I try it’s always a struggle to get my RDA, and I’m taking a supplement that provides 50%! But I’m not giving up. My list of iron-rich foods is growing daily, as is my roster of simple recipes. Which leads me to Quinoa Quripsies. BTW, Do you like what I did with “Qu” there? I thought I was being cute, but maybe it’s a little forced Quinoa is not only a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids, but it has MAD IRON. It’s like meat for vegetarians, minus the cholesterol, fat and the vitamin B12. And with that statement, I am now officially a nutrition nerd.

This recipe really couldn’t be easier. I even hesitate to call it a recipe.

Quinoa Qurispies

Adapted (barely) from this recipe
Makes 4 servings
Cost: pennies per serving
Total time: 10 minutes tops

1 cup uncooked quinoa (find it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods or boxed in the health food or pasta aisle)
1 Tablespoon agave nectar, syrup or honey
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the quinoa starts to turn golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Add the qurispies to your morning cereal or yogurt. I especially love the extra crunch and sweetness they give to yogurt.

I may experiment with the sweetener and use molasses for an even bigger dose of iron. I told y’all, I’m not messin’ around.

Photo Credit SweetBeetAndGreenBean

Quick and Cheap Dinner: Salmon and Summer Bean Salad

drmiggy — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:35:23 +0000

I’m going to make this a regular feature, so check back often. I’m tagging each one of these posts with the main ingredients so when I post enough you’ll be able to search through many quick and cheap dinners.

I don’t go out to eat much at all, which saves me money and keeps me fit. Although I love to cook, most weeknights I can’t spare more than about 15 minutes in the kitchen. Over the years I have developed a rotation of my favorite throw-together meals, and now you get the benefit of all that work There’s only one rule to making quick and cheap dinners for yourself, and that’s to keep a stocked pantry. I always have canned beans, whole wheat pastas, vinegars, spices and frozen veggies on hand. You’d be amazed what I can come up with when it looks like there’s nothing in the house. I give you exhibit A:

Sesame Salmon and Summer Bean Salad (I just made up that name)

Total time: 5-10 minutes
Total cost per serving (for 2): about $6

For the salmon (2 servings):

3/4 lb prepared sesame crusted salmon from Whole Foods (it’s a convenience, and only $8)
no stick spray

For the salad (2-4 servings, depending on your appetite):

1 ~15 oz can of navy beans, white beans, cannelini beans, or great northerns
one med tomato
one very small clove garlic (trust me, go small)
about a cup of frozen spinach
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt to taste

Heat a pan over medium heat. Fish is delicate so be sure to use medium. Once the pan is hot, spray with no stick spray. Lay the salmon in the pan and cook on one side for 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Flip and cook another 4 minutes until cooked through.
While the salmon is cooking, drain the beans in a strainer and rinse well. Coarsely chop the tomato and mix with the beans in a bowl. Mince the garlic clove and add along with the oil, vinegar and seasoning. Nuke the spinach about 90 seconds and add to the bowl. Stir and inhale deeply. It’s heavenly when the hot spinach hits the garlic olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle a little salt to taste and serve.

I pretty much planned this on the fly, throwing in things that I thought would taste good together. Don’t worry if you are a total noob in the kitchen. Eventually you will learn what pleases your palate and you’ll be making stuff like this, too. The best part about this side dish? It’s mega healthy and it tastes wonderful. Salmon is full of vitamins and good fats, you get fiber from the beans, good fats from the olive oil, vitamins from the tomato and spinach, and all the medicinal properties of raw garlic. That’s why you use a tiny clove, cuz too much raw garlic is no ones friend, and no one will want to be your friend after you eat it.

And for dessert? I have a late night sweet tooth, which is not good for my girly figure. Instead of dessert I drink an aromatic caffeine free tea, like TeaGschwendner’s Rooibush Creme Caramel, with just a touch of local honey and nonfat milk. Don’t believe it will soothe your craving? Give it a try and tell me I’m a liar.