Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp

Several years ago I came across an article in Cottage Living on a lady in Chicago that owns a little cafe.  I am a sucker for any local, independent businesses so I ripped out the recipes and headed to the cafe to find out what all the fuss was about for her granola. And thus began my obession for Milk & Honey granola- it really is the best granola I have had. But I also aquired from that article one of my new favorite early summer dessert recipes, Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp.

The recipe is, in my opinion, really freakin good.  The Milk & Honey brand granola isn't required but it really does have a great taste that adds to the crisp; you can get it at some Whole Foods and online here.  And you can use either Grand Marnier or orange juice but the Grand Marnier really does add something extra.  I have cut down the sugar from the original recipe, which was too sweet even for me. 

You can get a printable version of my take here or find the original recipe here.

Recipe for Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp

Serves 8-10

16 oz fresh strawberries, about 4 cups coarsely sliced 5 stalks of rhubarb, cut to about 1” pieces about 4 cups 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons corn starch 2 teaspoons orange zest 1/3 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

2 cups flour 1 cup granola, Milk & Honey brand recommended 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon Pinch of salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a 13– x 9-inch pan, you can lightly grease if desired (not necessarily required).

Combine flour and next 5 ingredients with hands until crumbly. Add egg, and combine. You make ahead and keep the topping and fruit mixture separate for several hours before baking.

Place granola mixture on top of fruit mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Apple Tarts

We are still enjoying one of my favorite parts of the fall harvest season... apples! We have had apple crisp (twice!), apple cake, apple slices... and now apple tarts! I found a recipe that was beyond simple and it turned out great... the only thing I would add is a little cinnamon.

I know that a recipe is a keeper when a few hours later Dan says if I plan on having any more I better stake my claim!

Granny Smith Walnut Tossed Salad

Our new favorite salad is centered around green apple and walnuts. It is a nice combination of flavors and helps add in a little variety... and yes, another one where Dan was very skeptical but then loved it.

Granny Smith & Walnut Tossed Salad

Romaine lettuce with spring greens
1 granny smith apple, very coarsely chopped
Coarsely chopped walnuts
Dried cranberries
Chopped red onion
Vinaigrette dressing

Toss together and serve. The spring greens are optional (as in if they look ok at the market that week). For the dressing we like either a raspberry or a balsamic vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Celebrating 30

For my 30th birthday I was lucky enough to get 2 wonderful dinners to celebrate. Since my actual birthday was in the middle of the week we decided to make dinner at home. We made Lime Grilled Scallops with Red Pepper with Toasted Pine Nut Cous Cous and asparagus... It was so incredible good! Dan had fun being artful with the presentation. And yes, we saved 2 of the scallops for the dogs... they wanted to celebrate too! But really this was hands down the best dinner we have made for a while...

For dessert I decided not to have my usual {German chocolate cake} and instead we made Strawberry Shortcake. The recipe I found on Williams Sonoma was pretty much the same as our regular shortcake recipe only it added a little lemon zest... it was so yummy!

For my "birthday night out" we headed to Le Colonial for dinner which was also incredible good. And then to the Park Hyatt for some overpriced drinks and people watching to enjoy the gorgeous summer evening on their rooftop lounge. That was quite amusing as the people there provided some awesome entertainment.

So now I get to be the older woman until March...

Strawberry Salad

Our salad kick is still going strong. During July we came really close to perfecting the Strawberry Salad... as the berry season is pretty much over we will have to keep this one on file until next summer since it is really tasty. I find it funny when Dan gives me his "I don't think I am going to like this" look or says "You are putting that in the salad?" and then during dinner says, "Oh wow, this is actually really good!"

Strawberry Chicken Salad

• Spring mix and romaine
• 1- cup sliced strawberries
• 1- cup mandarin oranges, drained (I personally would leave these out but some like them in there)
• 1- cup either candied pecans or roasted, sliced almonds
• 1- cup feta crumbled (or bleu cheese if you like it)
• 6- oz grilled chicken breast
• Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Toss to coat with dressing & serve!

Quick Dinner: Modified Quesadillas

For the past several months we have been on a quest for healthy variations of meals for dinner... and they have to be quick as lately we are lucky to eat dinner before 8:00pm. So one of our recent favorites is our modified variation of Quesadillas. I came across a recipe in Women's Fitness for healthy Quesadillas where instead of frying them in a pan they baked them... sounded interesting so we tried it. Not only is it healthier {depending on how much cheese you add} but it is super quick! They take about 10-15 minutes to cook and all of them are done at the same time instead of some getting cold while you are cooking them in a pan one at time! And the addition of black beans added a nice flavor... and helped them fill you!

Tara & Dan's Quesadillas
Shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can black beans, drained
grilled chicken breast diced
sauteed red peppers {option}
cumin
tortilla

We sprinkle a little cheese, put a spoon full or two of beans (we don't use the full can but depending on how many you make...), a little chicken, sprinkle cumin, and sprinkle a little more cheese on one side of the tortilla then fold in half. Spray baking sheet with Pam and heat oven to 425 degrees. At least 4 folded over quesadillas fit on the pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want them {we like ours crispy}. You can flip them but we have found that this doesn't really make a difference in the outcome... so we skip that step. Serve with Frontera salsa!

For a little background on the fantastic Quesadillas.
For the original recipe from Women's Health that also has the nutrition info.

Our New Friend: Salad

As part of a dual effort to eat less processed foods and 'project hot bride & groom' we have become friends with salad. I have always been fond of salads but Dan's disinterest kept us from having them the focus of dinner. Until I put Greek Salad on the menu without asking him. It turned out very yummy and now he actually asks for salad to be included in the week's menu plan. And we have begun to branch out a little with different combinations of veggies and dressings. The trick for Dan to like it is when we stir up the salad with the dressing in a larger bowl so that everything is nice and coated... but the second part of that trick is carefully watch if Dan is adding the dressing. He can be a little heavy handed with those dressing bottles. We also are preferring the fresh lettuce to the bagged salad mixes.

The salad that changed Dan's outlook on salads as an entree:

Greek Salad
- diced tomatoes {Dan likes the little cherry tomotoes instead}
- diced cucumber
- diced red onion
- reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
- chopped romaine
- kalamata olives {we don't add these}
- green pepper {we don't add this}
- our addition: fat-free croutons
- Greek vinaigrette

Stir & serve with a warm pita bread with a side of hummus.

The perfect dinner for when you get home late after the gym.