Rhubarb & Strawberry Delight

Rhubarb is generally cooked and prepared like fruits -- but it is actually a vegetable.  I call it pucker food due to its tartness.  

Only the stalk which looks like celery, is edible.  Loaded with vitamin A and C, potassium and calcium.  Some even say it's a superfood for its ratio of health benefits to calories.  7 calories per 100 grams. High levels of calcium means it is a fat-free alternative to dairy products which lowers cholesterol and it actually speeds up metabolism.  

The leaves are toxic as they are loaded with oxalic acid.  So you don't cook rhubarb in aluminium, copper or iron pan as the rhubarb will turn brownish and the pan discolors. The toxicity is not wasted as it may be used as pesticide. Just boil a bunch of leaves with water, let cool, sieve and use as spray on plants.  

This 'vegetable' is often used in cakes, tarts, jams, sauces as well as compote.  

Here is one of my favourite -- rhubarb strawberry compote with fresh cheese flavoured with limocello, a lemon liquor.

Ingredients for the rhubarb compote

• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 500 g rhubarb, trimmed, washed and cut into 2cm chunks
• 100 ml orange juice or water
• 100 g caster sugar (more or less to own taste)
• 100 g fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and halved.

Make the compote

1. Place 4 tbsp caster sugar in a pan.
2. Heat sugar over low heat.
3. As soon as sugar is caramelized, add vanilla pod and orange juice.
4. Simmer till caramel dissolves.
5. Add rhubarb and low simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to chill.

Ingredients for the fresh cheese

• 200 g fresh cheese (Quark)
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 200 ml whipped cream
• 1-2 tbsp Limoncello (optional)

Make the cheese

1. Mix thoroughly cheese, lemon zest and powdered sugar.
2. Carefully fold in whipped cream.
3. Serve rhubarb compote in a bowl, with a good healthy scoup of cheese, dribbled over with limoncello.

Caramelized sugar with vanilla pod.

Add rhubarb and low simmer.

Add strawberries to chilled compote.

Swabian Apple 'Cake'

I have to re-post my favourite apple recipe once again.  Don't let the creamy pudding scare you away.  You may use whatever apples you have or, with pears, berries or rhubarb. 
Believe me, once you've tried it, you're hooked !

Pumpkins

Autumn is a season of rich colour of gold......gold like these 'melons'.  Believe me, they're real.

Have look at these beauties.......

http://s2.beta.photobucket.com/user/Donlung/library/Autumn%20Wunder

Boiled Orange (Valencia) & Almond Cake

Oranges brighten up a cold winter.  Not only do they brighten up a home, you can have them after each meal, squeeze them for juice, grated zest for cakes and cookies. The tangy flavour is unmistakeable.
  
It is so special when food brings back memories and when I read through this recipe with 'boiled oranges', I started reminiscing of childhood times when I was coughing out my lungs. Medications didn't seem to work. Finally, oranges were used.  I can't remember who gave or recommended this cure but it worked.  Simply boil 1 or 2 oranges in some water till soft, squeeze out the juice, mix the warm juice with honey and drink.       

This a dense and moist cake which can keep for a week.  Not very sweet, buttery, orangey......awesome !! 
The colour would have been better if blood orange is used.  I highly recommend organic orange for this recipe because you are eating the entire orange.  If you have no other choice, wash the orange with hot water before you boil it.

Fish risotto with stewed chicory

When one mention rice in Italy, Giovanni is not thinking of fried rice or sushi.  He is thinking of RISOTTO.  Risotto rice cooked not in rice cooker but in a pan.  The rice is cooked briefly in onion and olive oil and then white wine is added followed by stock. End result will be a kind of soupy cream rice with sprinkled or stirred-in grated Parmigiano cheese.   

This was exactly what I had to for lunch - Risotto rice (without cheese) with codfish filet and stewed chicory.