apple and berry crumble (gluten-free and good!)

apple and berry crumble

LINK here.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the crumble: - 85g hard margarine (or butter if not dairy-free)

- 170g gluten-free plain flour

- 70g light brown sugar

- 3 tsps ground cinnamon

- 50g gluten-free oats (if you can’t tolerate oats these can be removed)

-40g pecan nuts, chopped (optional)

For the fruit:

-300g cooking apples (you can use other apples if you prefer)

- 30g hard margarine (or butter if not dairy-free)

- 30g light brown sugar

- 70g blackberries

- 70g raspberries (you can change the berries up if you want)

-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Step 1: Rub together the margarine (or butter, if not dairy-free) and gluten-free plain flour. Do this until it forms a breadcrumb texture. Step 2

Step 2: Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, oats and pecans (if using). Put to one side while you tend to your fruit. Step 3S

Step 3: Peel and chop the apples. (The smaller you chop them the more of a compote texture you’ll get. You can leave them a little chunkier, but they still totally soften once cooked.) Step

Step 4: Place 30g hard margarine (or butter) and 30g sugar into a saucepan and gently melt them together. Once melted, leave on a medium heat for a couple of minutes so it starts to caramelise a little. Step

Step 5: Add the chopped apples and .1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the saucepan. Stir for 2-3 minutes before adding the berries. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes – some of the berries will start to break up a bit. St

Step 6: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Step

Step 7: Place all your fruit and any juices in an ovenproof dish (you can use a skillet but any dish would be fine). Top with the crumble mixture evenly and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a little golden and the fruit all cooked. Step

Step 8: Serve with your choice of custard, ice cream or cream. 

Blueberry Cream Pie (refrigerator!)

1 1/4 c. whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
9-inch graham-cracker crust

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, cook milk, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in vanilla and 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Transfer custard to a shallow dish, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate 2 hours.

1. Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup blueberries with remaining 2/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch and the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 2 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter; remove from heat and let cool. Gently stir in remaining 3 cups berries.

1. Spread cold custard into the bottom of the graham-cracker crust. Top with berry mixture and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

https://inspiredbycharm.com/a-year-of-pie-blueberry-cream-pie/

spring salad with new potatoes

2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

from Smitten Kitchen: https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/spring-salad-with-new-potatoes/

pasta salad with roasted tomatoes

Serves 8

Roasted tomatoes
4 cups (about 680 grams) grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt

Oregano dressing
1 big clove or 2 small cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano (if you can find it, Sicilian is my favorite)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

Assembly
1 pound (455 grams) dried pasta, a bite-sized shape of your choosing (I used reginetti), cooked until 1 to 2 minutes before doneness and drained
6 ounces (170 grams) crumbled salty cheese, such as ricotta salata, feta, queso fresco
1/2 cup (70 grams) pine nuts, well-toasted and cooled
1/2 cup (70 grams) pitted and rough-chopped olives of your choice (I used gaeta here, but like them even more when oil-cured)
Salt and pepper
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Roast tomatoes: Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). Cover 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Cut each small tomato in half lengthwise and arrange cut side up in a single layer on prepared sheets. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for approximately 90 minutes, until somewhat shriveled and dry to the touch, but not fully dehydrated. Set aside until needed, letting them cool. [Note, if you pine nuts are not yet toasted, you can place them in the oven for the last 10 minutes, shaking them once or twice for even coloring. Let cool as well before using.]

Make dressing: Roughly chop the garlic on a cutting board, then add oregano, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mince the mixture with your knife until it’s a grainy herb paste. Transfer to a small bowl, whisk in lemon juice and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in oil, whisking the whole time. Taste and adjust as needed; you might need more salt or vinegar. You want a strongly flavored dressing that won’t get lost in that big bowl of ingredients.

Assemble salad: In a giant bowl, place drained pasta, roasted tomatoes, cheese, pine nuts and olives and toss gently to combine. Add dressing to taste, along with any extra salt and pepper needed. Finish with basil. Salad can be eaten right away, but will keep in the fridge up to 3 days. This is also perfect for picnics and potlucks, as it can handle being out in the sun without going south.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/05/pasta-salad-with-roasted-tomatoes/

Corn Salad with Chile and Lime from SmittenKitchen

If you cannot find cotija, use queso fresco, ricotta salata, feta, or another crumbly sharp cheese. Most cotija is salty and a little funky; I didn’t need any salt in my sauce below the corn, but with a milder cheese, you probably will.

• 1/2 a small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Slightly heaped 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 medium ears corn, shucked
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 ounces (heaped 1/2 cup) crumbled cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 lime, halved
• Tajín seasoning or chile powder
• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Combine red onion, red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons cold water, salt, and sugar in a bowl or jar. Set in fridge until needed. Onions will be very lightly pickled by the time you’re done assembling the salad, but if you can give it 1 to 2 hours in the fridge, they’ll be moreso.

Heat a grill to medium-high. Lightly oil grill grates and place corn cobs directly on them. Cook corn until charred in spots all over, turning as often as needed. Transfer them to a cutting board to cool slightly. Don’t have a grill? I have often charred corn directly over the gas flame on my stove (be careful; it will crackle and spatter a little). You oven’s broiler, should it be more robust than mine, might also work for the task.

While you’re grilling your corn, combine sour cream, mayo, and cotija cheese. Spread on the bottom of your serving plate. Cut corn corn from cobs with a sharp knife and heap it over the cheese spread on the platter. Squeeze the juice of half a lime all over, then scatter the corn with pickled onion rings from the fridge. Generously shake Tajín or chile powder all over; if you’re using plain chile powder, season with salt and an extra squeeze of lime, too. Top with cilantro leaves. Cut remaining lime half into wedges and serve alongside. Eat right away — while the dressing is cold and the corn is hot

Link: https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/07/corn-salad-with-chile-and-lime/

Marbled Raspberry Pound Cake

From Smitten Kitchen
link for images

The cake makes 1 standard loaf. To make a bundt or tube cake, you’ll want to double the recipe (it will take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes, as shapes range a lot). For the doughnut or bundt cake, I double the glaze. For the raspberries, fork-mashing is easier, but if you’re bothered by seeds or want the smooth appearance you see in the top photo, you’ll want to blend the berries and sieve out the seeds. 

For the glaze, you could make it with a spoonful of raspberry puree (for this, you’ll definitely want a seedless puree), you could make it with lemon juice, or a mix of both. For a little more lemon flavor, you can squeeze that half lemon you use for zest and measure the juice (it should be 1 to 2 tablespoons), then use that much less sour cream in the white portion of the cake, adding them at the same time. 

• Butter or cooking spray to coat pan
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• Finely grated zest from half a lemon
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup (125 grams) sour cream, creme fraiche, or full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 gently heaped cup (140 grams or 5 ounces) fresh raspberries
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon raspberry puree (for a pink glaze, from a few tablespoons or 1 ounce fresh raspberries), or lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a standard loaf pan (either 8″x4″ or 9″x5″, or any size between, will work here) with nonstick baking spray or butter, making sure to get into the corners.

Place sugar and salt in a large bowl. Zest lemon into sugar and rub it together with your fingertips; this helps the lemon release the most flavor from it. Add butter and use an electric mixer to beat it with the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition. Scrape down bowl. Sprinkle cake surface with baking powder and mix it until very well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl again. Add 1 cup (only) of the flour and beat just until it’s no longer visible.

Place raspberries in the bottom of a second medium-large bowl and mash with a fork until mostly broken down but still a little lumpy; you’ll have about 1/2 cup mashed. [If you really dislike raspberry seeds and/or want a smoother look, you can blend the berries until smooth and press them through a fine-mesh strainer — into this second bowl — to remove seeds.] 

Pour half of the cake batter on top of raspberries (if you have a scale, you can zero out the weight of the bowl and raspberries; half the batter weights 277 grams) but wait, don’t mix it yet.

Instead, go back to the first bowl of batter, the one without raspberries, and add sour cream. Beat to combine. Add 1/4 cup flour, and beat just until smooth. (By beating the “white” batter first, you can reuse you beaters without washing them for the pink batter without muddying the look.)

Beat the raspberries and second half of the cake batter together until smooth. Add final 1/4 cup flour, and beat just until smooth.

Dollop batters in alternating spoonfuls into bottom of prepared loaf pan. Roughly “checkerboard” the rest in, meaning that you’ll drop a pink batter dollop and then a white one and vice-versa until both batters are used up. Drop your pan onto the counter a couple times from a few inches high, to help tap out air bubbles. Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to make a few figure-8s through the batters, marbling them together — but just a little, say, 4 to 5 figure-8s. Any more and the swirls may not look distinct when you cut the cake.

Bake loaf cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan, then run a knife around cake and gently remove. Let cake cool completely on rack (I hasten this along in the freezer) before glazing, if using a glaze.

To make your glaze, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add raspberry puree (for this, it’s best if you press the berries through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, or it won’t have a smooth pink look) or lemon juice. Whisk to combine, but it will almost definitely be too thick. From here, add milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you can whisk the sugar into a thick but loose glaze. Spoon on top of cooled cake and nudge it to the edges with your spoon or an offset spatual so that it drips where you’d like it to. Cover with sprinkles, if using.

Cake keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. If there’s no milk in your glaze, you can store it at room temperature.

Cauliflower Soup

Silky Cauliflower Soup via Smitten Kitchen

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.

Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth.

Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Dill Bread

Dill Bread 
via Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Makes one 9×5-inch loaf

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm (105 to 115°F) water

3 cups bread flour (I replaced 1/2 cup of this flour with whole wheat)

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried dill or dill seeds

2 tablespoons sugar or honey

1 tablespoon wheat germ, toasted

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup large-curd cottage cheese

1 large egg

Optional, for top of bread:

1 egg, lightly beaten, or 1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt or a few dill seeds

Combine yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about five minutes.

Combine flour, onions, dill, sugar or honey, wheat germ and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Add the yeast along with the cottage cheese and egg. Mix by hand or on low speed until the dough comes together, addition additional flour or warm water if needed. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75 to 80 degrees) until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 9×5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan. Punch Gently press the dough down, form into a loaf and place seam side down in the pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. If desired, brush the top of loaf with the egg or melted butter, and then sprinkle with the additional salt or dill seeds. (I highly recommend the butter/salt combination.)

Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 to 40 minutes. (My bread read just about 200°F on a thermometer when I took it out.) Remove the loaf from the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, thinner longer ones are ideal here
• Olive oil
• Coarse or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 3/4 cups (from 1 15-ounce can) small-to-medium-sized white beans, drained (I used – Goya’s Great Northern beans)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• A 2-ounce bundle of basil (this is the small clamshell size at most groceries)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Coarsely grated parmesan, to taste

Prepare the zucchini: Trim ends and cut zucchini the long way into 1/4-inch strips. I use a mandoline for this (I have this one but will soon replace it with this) but a knife works too. Spread out strips on a large tray and brush lightly with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

On a grill (I use the full heat, but have a dinky, small grill; you might find a more moderate heat better here) or a grill pan, grill zucchini in a single layer until grill marks appear underneath, then flip over and repeat the same on the other side. Transfer zucchini back to platter and squeeze lemon juice over it.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine basil and garlic with a few good pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper until chopped. Drizzle in olive oil until it blends smoothly; you’ll want about 4, sometimes 5, tablespoons. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and blend until well-mixed; taste and add more vinegar, up to 1 more tablespoon, to taste. Season to taste.

Combine beans with about 2/3 of the dressing in a small bowl. In a larger bowl or serving platter, pour half of dressed beans in the bottom. Arrange grilled zucchini on top, twisting and turning it so that it looks extra ribbony. Spoon remaining beans in the spaces. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the platter, to taste.

Finish with a light blanket of parmesan and eat whenever you’re ready. As assembled, it keeps well at room temperature for an hour, giving you time to do everything else.

via Smitten Kitchen

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Alton Brown's perfect vanilla ice cream

2 cups half-and-half

1. 1 cup heavy cream*
2. 5 1/2 ounces sugar
3. 2 ounces peach preserves or jam (not jelly)
4. 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
5. 1 pinch kosher salt

1. Combine the half-and-half and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer and bring the mixture to 175 degrees F, stirring occasionally.** Remove from heat.
2. Add the sugar, preserves, vanilla bean and salt, and keep stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, then cover and steep 20 minutes.
3. Fish out the vanilla pod and transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
4. Assemble your ice cream churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you're using an electric machine, turn it on, then pour in the ice cream mixture. (This will prevent seizing.)
5. Churn the ice cream until it reaches soft-serve consistency and almost doubles in volume.
6. Move to an airtight container and harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

1. * Heavy cream is often labeled "heavy whipping cream" or "whipping cream" and has a fat content of 36 to 40 percent.
2. ** Why the heat? Well, for one thing, we need to dissolve the sugar, but just as important, we need to shut down certain chemical structures in the dairy that could be an impediment to the smoothness we so desire.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I use this Smitten Kitchen recipe several times a year. Kids can't get enough.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Serves (at least) 10

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces or 225 grams) Philadelphia brand cream cheese*, at room temperature
3 cups (595 grams) granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons vanilla but I liked this mix better)
3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup bundt pan, and simply butter and flour it.

Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla, almond, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours.

Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

* Philadelphia cream cheese is often recommended for baking for consistency purposes, as in, bakers know this brand works, and because it contains less water than other brands.

Variations: I think this cake would be fantastic with a cup of chopped white chocolate stirred into the batter (an idea I got from this lovely lady) and/or some orange zest. Or grapefruit zest. Or whole raspberries, if you can find good ones in season. Or have fun with it. A good pound cake is infinitely adaptable, and I would like to try them all.

Smaller cakes: A bundt-volume cake often can be used to make two 8 1/2-by-4 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf cakes, however (caveat!) I have not tested this recipe in loaf pans. I just wanted to throw that out there for those of you feeling adventurous, or interested in a reduced volume of cake.

Strawberry Coulis

Where has this been my whole life? I have spent — nay wasted — too much time making cooked fruit compotes for dessert when some fruits, like berries, will always taste better raw. I suspect you could swap any berry for the strawberry in this coulis, but you might have to bump up the sugar accordingly. And then share with me.

2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces or 340 grams)
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
3 tablespoons (35 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Coulis can be prepared one day ahead.