Posts filed under 'side dishes'
Well, it must be officially summer. I’ve baked my first strawberry rhubarb pies of the season. This is an old photo, taken with an old camera phone a long time ago. I was just too tired to photograph some new ones last night, but you get the idea. Maybe next time I bake some them, I will take some better photos and replace this one.
Anyway, sometimes I just crave the rhubarb. It reminds me of my Aunt Fran and Grama Dee. They used to have it growing in their backyard in Detroit, and I remember having plenty of rhubarb desserts as a little girl. As I was strolling through the grocery store last night, I spotted these very fresh and perfect stalks of rhubarb, and knew what must be done. Especially when I saw some super sweet strawberries a little ways down the aisle. There’s nothing like a little late-night baking for me to conjure up memories of my childhood. I was just in the mood to spend a little time thinking of my Aunt and Grandma last night. So here’s to you girls! And here’s to summer! Hooray!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Recipe from Julie Foxworthy
INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST (makes two crusts)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, any variety. (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt)
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup (16 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter or shortening, cut into cubes. Just cut the stick once lengthwise, then four or five times across to make about ten chunks. You can also use half butter, half shortening if you like.
Approximately 8 tablespoons ice water. This water must be very cold: put some ice cubes in a bowl or measuring cup of water to keep it cold.
INGREDIENTS FOR PIE
2 - 2 1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
2 - 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 - 1 1/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries you can add a little less)
1/3 cup flour
cinnamon to taste
1 egg (for egg wash for top of pie crust)
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRUST:
I have used this recipe with much success, so I’m passing along to you. Of course I was lazy last night, and just used the refrigerated pillsbury pie crusts. 
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING:
- Combine diced rhubarb, sliced strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl until all the fruit is coated
- Pour mixture into unbaked pie shells
- Cover pies with 2nd layer of dough
- Seal edges around the pie, pinch with thumbs to make pretty pattern along the edges, or use a fork to seal
- Cut in some venting slices on the top of the pie
- Whisk egg in small bowl until slightly frothy, and brush on top of pie.
- Sprinkle top of pie with a little sugar
- Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Depending on your oven, if crusts become too dark, turn heat down to 375º halfway thru baking
Do not refrigerate fruit pies. Also, you have to let them completely cool before covering them with any kind of foil/plastic wrap, or else the top of the pies will become soggy.
Happy Summer, Enjoy!
September 16th, 2009
I hate coming home late from work, and not knowing what in the world to make for dinner. It’s always nice to have a couple simple ingredients around to scrounge up a super quick, tasty and healthy dinner.
The other night, it happened to be tilapia tenderloins quickly marinated in my favorite salad dressing. Newman’s Own Light Lime Vinaigrette. This is a GREAT marinade for fish and/or chicken. (I use it for fajita’s with some Emeril’s Southwest Spice Mix as well).
Literally, you just marinate the fish in the dressing for 10 minutes. While that is marinating, throw your sweet potato in the microwave, and start steaming your spinch. Then, heat some olive oil in a grill pan, get it nice and hot, and throw on your fish.
Cook it on each side four about 4-5 minutes, and plate on a nice platter with your spinach and sweet potato.
Dinner in 20 minutes! Enjoy!
March 8th, 2009
This is a recipe that I recently got from my dear friend, Stevie G. He is a super healthy eater, and I always try to emulate his diet, since it’s very healthy, and VERY tasty. He had a bunch of our friends over for a post-holiday dinner last month, and this dish was among the very delicious recipes that graced the plentiful table.
The simplicity lies in the fact that all the ingredients are pre-cooked, and it’s really just toss in a pan, heat and serve. The whole thing takes about 10 minutes to make, if that. However, you really need a Trader Joe’s Market for this recipe (or some other market that carries pre-cooked rices and lentils) if you don’t want to spend an hour just pre-cooking those ingredients.
Ok…so here we go!
Mujadara
Recipe from: Stephen Gemignani
Ingredients:
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Black Lentils (found in produce section)
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Wild Rice (16 oz)
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Brown Rice (10.5 oz)
1 bag Trader Joe’s Frozen Peas
1 package Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Slivered Almonds
Curry
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Golden Raisins (optional)
Crispy Fried Onions or Scallions (optional)
Directions:
- In very large saute pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add minced garlic and saute until oil is infused
- Add black lentils, brown rice, wild rice and stir until clumps have broken down
- Add half a bag of the peas, and half a bag of the slivered almonds, and stir. If you’d like, you can add a quarter cup or so of golden raisins at this point as well.
- Add curry and italian seasoning to taste, and stir to combine well.
- Add a little olive oil (or a bit of water - if you are being super healthy) as you are sauteing to keep things moist and keep from drying out
- Saute until all ingredients are heated through
- Once plated, you can sprinkle with some crispy fried onions or scallions
Enjoy!
February 16th, 2009
My brother gave me some fresh yellow squash from his garden the other day. They were calling out to me, so I decided to make a healthier alternative to my Grama Dee’s infamous buttered squash. This is what I decided on. Simple and tasty. Yum!
Roasted Yellow Squash
Recipe from Julie Foxworthy
INGREDIENTS:
Yellow Squash
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash and slice your squash into 1/4″ slices
Lay them flat on a jelly roll pan
Drizzle olive oil over the squash, add salt and pepper to taste, then flip them over and repeat.
Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Serve and enjoy!
August 24th, 2008
Six months after my Grama Dee passed away, my family was a sad mess. It was the first time in all our lives, that we’d not had our beloved grandma around to prepare us our New Year’s Day feast. And to add to that gloom, it was also the first anniversary for me and my siblings of my father telling us that he was divorcing our mother. Needless to say, January 1st, 1999 was not the happiest of days for me.
So in order to give myself a little bit of comfort, I decided that I would make my own little New Year’s Day feast. One of the essential menu items being my grama’s “squash” as she called it. But unfortunately, I’d never learned how to make my grama’s squash. So I furiously went through all my recipe cards she’d sent me over the years, and then realized that I did not have it. I really did not know how to make her squash. And when that fact hit me, well…I guess you could say that I had a bit of a meltdown. My back slowly slid down the front of my refrigerator, until my body was collapsed into a heap on the floor of my tiny apartment kitchen. My body racked with sobs, missing my grama, and our family traditions, wanting so much for my mom and dad to be together again, and feeling just plain miserable that our family had deteriorated so much in one short year.
Then somehow, the tears stopped, and it occurred to me that I was being stupid, because of course my Aunt Fran would know how to make Grama’s squash! She was her only daughter, and my Grama Dee had lived with my Aunt Fran and her family for over 20 years! Excitedly, I called up my aunt and said “Aunt Fran, I’m really sad. I want to make grama’s squash, but I don’t know how.” She cracked up laughing and said “Well, Julie Anne, all it is, is a can of pet milk, a half stick of butter, and some boiled yellow squash sliced up in a pot.”
I was dumbfounded. Something so tasty? THAT SIMPLE? No way. But yes, it’s true. I found out, that some of the tastiest things are no more than a can of pet milk and a stick of butter, plus a vegetable or two.”Sweetie…that’s it. And Grama Dee used to like a lot of pepper, so don’t forget to add lots of pepper.” I sniffled…”I remember. I won’t forget.”
And so, here it is. A recipe so simple, even my dad could make it (and he barely knows how to open a can of Campbell’s).
BUTTERED SQUASH recipe from Doris Foxworthy
5-6 small yellow squash
1 can pet milk
1/2 stick butter
dash salt
dash black pepper
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice up your squash, in about 1/4″ slices.
- Add squash to a pot of boiling water (a medium-sized saucepan will do the trick).
- Boil until squash are tender, then drain.
- Return squash to pot, and add pet milk, butter, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce thickens slightly, and squash begins to break down
- Ladle a huge spoonful into your favorite bowl, and enjoy!
January 18th, 2006