Spiced Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins

We're smack dab in the middle of rhubarb season, and if you want something better than dipping your stalks into sugar try adding rhubarb to your muffins.

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

5 tbsps butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp cinnamon

Muffins:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 cup mashed banana

1 cup milk

2 tsps lemon juice

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla

1 cup rhubarb, cut in 1/4 - 1/2" slices

1 cup diced or sliced strawberries

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

1-2 tbsps milk

First, combine the streusel ingredients and set aside.

For the muffin batter, stir 2 tsps lemon juice into 1 cup milk. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice together. In another bowl, whisk the milk/lemon juice, banana, eggs, vanilla and oil together, then add it to the dry ingredients. Fold in the fruit.

Using a medium size ice cream scoop, add batter to paper lined muffin tins. Top with a heaping tablespoon full of streusel.

Add another scoop of batter and another spoonful of streusel. The tins will be quite full and you may want to brush away some of the loose streusel from the top of the tin.

Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan about 10 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely. Mix the glaze ingredients together and drizzle on top.

Makes 15 medium sized muffins, but dipping your rhubarb stalks in sugar is still a good sweet, tart treat!

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Fresh Strawberry Chia Pudding

This pudding is stupid easy to make! I mean how hard is it to throw everything in a food processor and whirl, refrigerate and done!

Ingredients:

2 cups halved strawberries (cutting the berries is the only bit of work) 

7 tbsps chia seeds

2/3 cup milk

2 tbsps maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tsps lemon juice

Just add everything to a food processor and whirl until blended, probably less than 1 minute. As the chia seeds absorb the liquid the pudding will start to gel.

Then pour into serving dishes and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Makes 3-4 servings

Strawberry Crumb Bars

The temperature reached 10°C yesterday and this mild weather has got me thinking about summertime. And summertime gets me thinking about strawberries!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1  1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsps cornstarch

Mix the sugar, baking powder, flour and salt together then cut in very cold butter with a pastry blender.
Beat the egg and vanilla together and add to the dry mix with a fork until crumbly. Don't over work.

Mix the sugar and cornstarch together then add the strawberries.

Line an 8 X 8" baking pan with parchment leaving an overhang so that you'll be able to lift the whole thing out once baked.

Pat 1/2 the dough into the bottom of the pan. Spread the strawberry mixture on top.

Spoon the remaining crumb mixture over the strawberries and pat firmly.

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes on rack then cool completely in the refrigerator. Once cool lift out of the pan and cut into 12 bars.

Makes 12 servings but if you'd like to double it then use a 13 X 9" pan.

Adapted from: flavormosaic.com

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Always a classic!

All you need is chocolate and some nice big strawberries!

Once you wash the berries make very sure that they are completely dry before dipping, otherwise things just won't go right.

Melt some semi sweet or dark chocolate in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time, until almost melted. Add a little solid shortening (Crisco). I added about 1/4 tsp to 4 oz of chocolate. Stir until completely melted then dip the berries in one at a time. Set them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Melt some white chocolate for the drizzle but melt it very slowly as white chocolate for some reason has more tendancy to seize. Once it's nice a smooth spoon it into a small plastic baggie, snip the corner and drizzle.

Sprinkle on some coloured sugar before the chocolate sets.
Keep refrigerated until 30 minutes before serving.

Make a bunch...they go fast!

Jello Strawberry Jam

No need for fruit pectin just look in the back of your pantry for that forgotten box of Jello. Some berries and sugar and you've got jam!

1 - 4 serving size box strawberry Jello
6 cups chopped strawberries
2 cups sugar

Cut the strawberries into a large bowl and add sugar. Stir and refrigerate 12-18 hours to release the juices.

Place the berries and sugar in a large saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 12-14 minutes. Continue stirring. You can mash them a little at this point.

Remove from heat and stir in the Jello powder until dissolved.

Pour into sterilized jars and place lids on finger-tip tight.

Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove to a dishtowel on the counter to cool. Sit them upside down after about 1  1/2 hours, then after an hour or so return upright.  This helps distribute the fruit in the jam.

After 24 hours check that all the lids have popped down to seal. Any poorly sealed jars will have to be refrigerated. 

Individual Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake

If you want to stretch the summer strawberry season, make some of these shortcakes to eat now and freeze a few more so you can enjoy them a little later on.

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 - 8" vanilla cake, cut in cubes
3 cups Cool Whip topping

Using either a store bought cake or homemade, cut in 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Slice the strawberries into a saucepan and add sugar and balsamic. Warm on medium heat 2-3 minutes to let the juices release. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water and stir into the berries. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium and cook another couple of minutes until it begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and cool. I stuck the saucepan in the freezer a few minutes.

I used clear plastic 9 oz cups. Start with a layer of cake then a layer of Cool Whip. Add berries, cake, berries and top it off with Cool Whip.

Now if you are planning on using these right away by all means use whipping cream, but I planned on freezing some so Cool Whip was the better alternative.

Don't garnish the ones you are going to freeze.

Simply wrap the cup in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer. To use, thaw in fridge and then garnish with a fresh strawberry when ready.

We've got to stretch summer out any way we can!

Easy Small Batch Chia Strawberry Jam

This recipe is really for a small batch of jam. 
It only makes 1/2 cup. But when you want more it takes almost no time at all to whip up another.

1  1/4 cups strawberries, chopped
2 tbsps sugar or honey
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat strawberries and sugar in a small pot on medium heat until they get juicy.  Mash it a bit.

Once it cooks down add the chia seeds, then continue simmering 10-15 minutes, stirring all the while.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Pour into a jar and keep in the fridge.
Or sit back and have some toast and jam right now!

Strawberry Vodka Mojito

Made these a couple of weeks ago and just got around to posting.

Ingredients for 1:
5 mint leaves
5 strawberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1 - 2 tsps honey
1.5 oz vodka
sparkling lemon lime carbonated water or,
    even better, sparkling lemonade
and ice

Muddle the mint leaves with strawberries.  I didn't have a proper muddler, like this 

so I used a mortar and pestle.

It was ok, but maybe next time I'll try pulsing it in the blender instead.

Anyways, once you have the mint and strawberries prepared, add lemon juice and honey. Swirl in the vodka.  

Put it in a tall glass and top off with sparkling water or lemonade and ice.

Enjoy!

NOTE:  The blender DID work better!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Corn Muffins

Seeing both rhubarb and strawberries in your garden or grown locally and sold in your grocery store, signals the arrival of spring.  Which is even more welcome than usual this year after the unseasonably cold winter we just had.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup white flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup Greek yogurt 0% fat (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 - 1 cup chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl mix the yogurt, milk and vanilla together. I used 1/2 cup plain and 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt. If using only plain yogurt you might want to increase your sweetener a bit. 
Beat the eggs and add to the yogurt mix and whisk in the honey and olive oil until well incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry just until it comes together. Fold in the fruit.

Bake at 400 F for 18 minutes. Reduce to 375 F for 4-5 minutes more.

Makes 18 muffins
A little crunchy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside.

Enjoy them with a pat of butter and a cup of tea out on the deck.  Go on....get out and soak up the sun! 

Fresh Strawberry Breakfast Chimmies

Yes, chimichangas for breakfast. Or dessert.

1 cup chopped strawberries
8 oz (250g) cream cheese
2 tbsps sour cream
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

6 - 6 inch flour tortillas
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
vegetable oil

Mix the first 6 ingredients together and divide evenly on 6 tortillas placing a dollop on lower end of tortilla, roll over, fold in sides and roll up.

Once they are all rolled up heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in  frying pan. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Place a couple of  chimmies at a time in the pan and brown lightly on each side.

I was worried that the filling might ooze out into the oil but it didn't happen. Once browned remove from pan to a paper towel lined pan, then roll in the cinnamon and sugar.

Serve warm.

Fresh Mango Strawberry Salsa

Best on fish, but would also be great with grilled chicken!

1 mango, cubed
3 strawberries, sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tbsps fresh cilantro, chopped (has to be fresh)
2 tbsps lime juice
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toss all your ingredients together and serve.
Can't get easier than that!

Here's the recipe for Baked Walleye Fish Cakes pictured above
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/01/baked-walleye-fish-cakes.html