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Palate & Prejudice

May 6, 2009 in Side Dishes

Does a blog entry always have to document a success?

It seems to me that the two-way nature of a blog should allow for us to occasionally share the recipes that, well, don’t go so well. As happened recently. See, I was determined to overcome a lifelong loathing of rhubarb. As a consummate food lover, it really bothers me that there are a few foods I don’t like. I recently overcame my hatred of Brussels Sprouts, for example. As it turns out, microwaving frozen ones and topping them with margarine actually is NOT the optimal preparation, and trying a few other cooking methods like roasting and braising – using fresh sprouts – is actually quite delicious.

Surely the dreaded rhubarb would be the same, right? It must have just been a preparation issue. Since it’s in season (and of course at a low price as a result), I thought it the perfect time to tackle my prejudice. I scoured my cookbooks and the net in search of a nice way to celebrate the season with some other spring produce, and came up with a nice combination: a spinach salad with fresh strawberries and sliced, lightly cooked rhubarb, topped with a shallot vinaigrette. Should have a nice sweet and sour effect, using the classic pairing of strawberries with the rhubarb. Like so:

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SPINACH SALAD

2 cups rhubarb, sliced on the diagonal (approximately 4 stalks)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 6 ounce bag baby spinach
1 dozen sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Place the rhubarb in a saucepan. Sprinkle on the sugar and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat and strain in colander. In large salad bowl, combine shallots and vinegar, then stream the olive oil in slowly, whisking constantly. Taste and add seasoning as needed. Once emulsified, add spinach and toss to coat leaves. Add in strawberries and rhubarb, tossing gently (just to incorporate). Divide into 4 servings and top each with walnuts if desired.

*****

The cooking directions for the rhubarb were taken from several sources which seemed to offer some consensus – yet two minutes later (yes, exactly), the rhubard was absolute MUSH. Sigh. I drained it well, went ahead and assembled the salad anyway, just to see if the tastes worked well together, despite the texture. Well, it was just okay. I was hoping for tartness to combine with the strawberries, but it was really just weakly sour. Still, the sourness was offset well enough that it was edible, and I threw some chopped walnuts on the top to add some contrast to the mushier portions.

So why am I sharing a much-less-than-stellar recipe with you? I thought I might get some rhubarb-loving experts to help me out. Where did I go wrong? Give me some tips!

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The recipe that will change your life: Ricotta Stuffed Crepes!

April 5, 2009 in Desserts, Entrees, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes

ricotta stuffed crepes

Julia Child was right: the best recipes are often the simplest.

Case in point: crepes.

For years I shied away from crepes, thinking they were a too-fussy, too-demanding French food. All that changed a few days ago. I went to my friend Michelle’s house. Michelle was born and raised in France and still lives her life with a wonderful European flair. When we arrived at her house, she had set up a “crepe bar.” There was a pile of about 3 dozen thin-as-paper crepes, and then sliced fruits, whipped cream and a few sauces.  We took the crepes and folded them, made a pile of them on our plates and then added toppings. I was marveling at the elegant simplicity of this, and then she shared with me the secrets of crepes.

It turns out they are frugal, easy to make and store, and incredibly flexible.  Once every week or two, Michelle makes 5 dozen crepes and stacks them and stashes them covered in her fridge. Her family feasts on them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks in between! They sit patiently awaiting for up to two weeks in the fridge for some lucky hungry person to happen by. Wow! They DO NOT stick together, as I had thought they would, but just peel off one at a time from the pile. They can be folded with a little ricotta inside and then topped with a million different things- perfect for leftover bits of meat and cheeses and a drizzle of a pan sauce, or with sliced fruits for a quick delicious dessert. I especially like the folded presentation – rolling is more time intensive and fussy.

So, crepes will become a new standby at the Kellys’ – they are equally fabulous and frugal!!!

Crepes take only about a minute per crepe to cook – this recipe makes about 24. It is well worth the time to make a huge batch and then stash them in the fridge for almost instant meals!

I made a wonderful ricotta filling — it can be either sweet (I added a little powdered sugar) or savory (you could add a bit of garlic powder or other savory seasonings). It is fluffy and delicious!

RICOTTA-STUFFED FOLDED CREPES

2 cups 2 percent milk
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar*
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 large strawberries

Blend in blender the milk, eggs, salt, flour and butter. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into center of pan and then roll pan until bottom is evenly coated with batter. Cook about 1 minute, until top of crepe looks dry. Turn over and cook another minute or so until cooked through and lightly browned. Repeat for 24 total crepes.

Process in food processor all remaining ingredients except strawberries until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Hull the strawberries and then slice strawberries lengthwise into four slices.

To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture on one half of each crepe. Fold each crepe in half and then in half again. Place on a serving platter and then top the folded crepe with strawberry slices. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate sauce as a garnish if desired.

*Omit the powdered sugar for a savory filling

–posted by Donna

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