This Fruit Crumble will make you feel Happiness

I'm constantly buying beautiful, seasonal, local fruit at our local market. I love to enjoy it that day on its own but what do you do when you have fruit that's not exactly at the height of freshness but still completely good? You put it in something else, of course. There's something about a super-ripe strawberry that isn't the most appetizing raw but it's bursting, juicy flavor is a welcome addition to a fruit crumble. Now, you can always use fresh fruit for this recipe-it will still be fabulous, but there is something about that ripe-ripe fruit that just sings when baked. And this is seriously the best fruit crisp/crumble I have ever had, let alone made. Ignore any previous crisp/crumble recipes you may have tried-(even the one I posted almost a year ago on this very blog!) because they can't hold a candle to this one. You can, of course, use any combination of fruits that pleases you. I did a strawberry-raspberry crumble but am looking forward to doing a strawberry-rhubarb next and then perhaps a peach-raspberry...My thanks go out to Nigella lawson for the recipe this is based on and to Deb from SmittenKitchen for publishing her version and thus bringing it to my attention. Seriously, ladies. Thank you.

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S FAVORITE FRUIT CRUMBLE

Crumble Topping:

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder (I think this is what makes the topping so perfect-it adds a bit of lift and fluff)

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

large pinch of salt ( you may prefer a small pinch, but I like my sweets to have a bit of salt)

1 stick of butter, melted

Fruit Filling:

1.5 cups of a favorite fruit, cut into small pieces (any berries or stone fruits or rhubarb)

1 cup of another fruit, cut into small pieces (any other berries or stone fruits or rhubarb)

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp cornstarch

pinch of salt

Heat oven to 375. Prepare topping: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until large clumps form. Refrigerate until ready.

Prepare fruit: Mix all filling ingredients together in pie plate or casserole of choice (a deep one.) Spread evenly.

Top Fruit with topping evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes until topping is golden brown and topping is bubbling underneath.

Allow to cool slightly or to room temperature and enjoy!

Salad Days: Part III Mexican Salad (AKA: The most delicious salad ever)

How I do love these long Summer days!

And how I do love the beautiful produce which is displayed in Midwestia's amazing famer's market... Not to mention the gorgeous herbs reaching towards the sun in my little backyard garden. Lovely. Each and every one.

In this, the final installation of the Salad Days posts, I present you with the recipe for my salad piece de résistance; the Desperate Housediva Mexican Salad.

In a word: Yum!

This is the ultimate salad for people who don't find salads satisfying. It's quickly become Professor Hubs' (and Professor Hubs' whole family's) favorite Summer Salad.

It's customizeable, easily made completely vegan, and is naturally gluten free.

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S MEXICAN SALAD

adapted from a recipe from my friend Claire and a recipe from SELF magazine...

(serves 4, generously)

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1 can black beans, drained (preferable organic)

1 can sweet corn kernals (preferable organic and low salt) OR the kernels cut off of 2 leftover corn-0n-the-cobs.

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 jicama, peeled and chopped (or if you can't find it; 1 firm apple, peeled and chopped)

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion or a handful of chives

handful of shredded cabbage

1 bell pepper (red or yellow) chopped

1 avocado, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Handful or crumbled feta cheese (or not, for vegan cooks...)

Grilled protein of choice, cubed (Grilled chicken breast, grilled shrimp, grilled tofu, etc.)

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

DRESSING

Juice of 4 limes + honey to taste (or 1/4 cup rose's sweetened lime juice)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup olive oil or more, to taste.

Wisk to combine and use at least half to dress salad. Add more to taste and save the rest for another purpose (another salad, a marinade, etc.)

Enjoy!!!

Salad Days: Part II Thai Basil Salad

What I've been up to (that's kept me from sharing recipes:)

-Driving

-Travelling

-Honeymooning

-Beach combing

-Relaxing

-Reveling

-New Car-getting

-Eating

-Bonding

-Cooking

-Singing

-Shooting

-Loving

-Grieving

-Resting

-Nurturing

-Reminiscing

-Returning

-Connecting

...and infinite other gerunds...

As I mentioned in the last post, Prof. hubs and I have been feasting on the most delicious and filling of Summer Salads... This one is inspired by a salad that I ate after an exhausting day trekking through San Francisco with a friend in 2004... I have been craving it ever since. It's the perfect combination of flavors and textures-so refreshing, so toothsome, a bit spicy... Perfection.

And now, the second installment of my soon-to-be famous Salad posts:

THAI BASIL SALAD

(makes 2 huge portions or 4 regular...)

1/2 package asian rice noodles (pad thai noodles, vermicelli, etc.) cooked per package directions (use one handful or the whole amount-it's up to you and it's all good.)

2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 large handful of shredded cabbage (I just use the bag of pre shredded cole slaw mix)

5 thinly sliced red radishes

1 small handful shredded carrot (I just use the kind that's already in the bag of shredded cole slaw mix...)

1 peeled and cubed cucumber

1 mango, diced

8 grape tomatoes, halved

small handful chopped peanuts

small handful of each of the following herbs, chopped:

scallions, basil, mint, cilantro

Protein of your choice (I like grilled steak but sauteed tofu is lovely for a vegan choice as is chicken or shrimp as a steak alternative...)

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing. Enjoy!!!

SALAD DRESSING

Juice of 4 limes

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp Shriracha sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

4 Tbsp canola oil (or other light, flavorless vegetable oil)

Wisk to combine well.

Salad Days: Part I Salade Niçoise

I've been on the road again as is evident from my lack of posts. First it was a stressful work week in NYC filled with photography work and voice lessons. Upon my return I was hostess to my sister-in-law for a week. We had a wonderful visit peppered with a few wonderfully successful cooking experiments but all of our traipsing around Midwestia and its environs left little time for blogging.

During my NY visit one of my dearest friends informed me that I was looking a teensy bit more 'happy and plump' than usual, which, combined with the poll results asking for more healthy, fast, and vegetarian recipes has me excited to share these next few posts. In short, as it is nice to look happy I don't want to look plump and I know that these salads can help :)

Salads. As I've stated before I'm not naturally inclined to love salads. In fact, until this past week I only really enjoyed three of them. But the past eight days or so have proven me wrong. It wasn't that I didn't like salad, it was just that I didn't like BORING salad. I love when a salad has so much flavor, texture, and heartiness to it that you don't feel as though you've joined a cult of asceticism but rather you've taken the first steps to living a life of European luxury. I think this first Salad is a perfect example of a satisfying meal that happens to be a made up primarily of vegetables. I first learned to make it during my time living in Paris and I can't stress enough how simple, delicious, and filling it is.

Salade Niçoise au Thon

(Nicoise salad with tuna)

(makes 2 very large portions or 4 rather small)

1 bag of Spring Mix greens

4 cooked red potatoes, cubed (from a bag of steam-in-microwave red potatoes or a few red potatoes from last night's roast.)

2 handfuls French green beans (from a bag of steam-in-microwave French green beans/haricot Verts or steamed on stove)

2 cans Tuna packed in olive oil (This is a MUST! It MUST be the rich and delicious kind packed in olive oil or it is decidedly un-French, un-decadent, and un-satisfying.)

2 Tbsp capers

10 niçoise olives (or your favorite black olives)

a few anchovies (optional)

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

a few slices of red onion for each salad

French Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp minced shallot

1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 cup good Extra virgin olive oil

s&p to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil until well blended. Then wisk in oil, slowly, until emulsified.

SALAD ASSEMBLY

Distribute ingredients evenly among plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Bon Appetit!

Red Velvet Dreams

Honestly, I feel guilty posting this recipe. First of all, it's so trashy-it goes completely against my usual whole/real/foods approach and utilizes not one but two boxed convenience foods. Secondly, I actually got up at 5:40 in the morning today to attend a 6 am spinning class and instead of posting a virtuous salad recipe I'm paying forward a sugary confection...and yet here I am, sharing with the internet world my favorite recipe for Red Velvet Cake. The one saving grace of the recipe is that instead of the usual oil added to a cake I find that using plain applesauce improves the homemade flavor and texture (no dry cake here!) I suppose the other saving grace is that it comes together in no time at all. Who knew you could put together a moist and delicious multi-tiered cake so quickly!

If perhaps you are wondering why I am sharing a red velvet cake recipe of all things it's because last Thursday I had a dream about a red velvet cake (welcome to my life) and couldn't stop thinking about eating one. Having little time (I was in the midst of rehearsals/performances of FLUTE) I decided to try to make a box cake taste delicious... And I did. It's really good.

RED VELVET CAKE

1 box duncan hines red velvet cake mix (I can't believe I wrote those phrases!)

1 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened plain applesauce

3 eggs

1 box instant chocolate pudding

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Stir for about 2 minutes. Some small lumps are ok. Pour into prepared (greased) pan(s) and bake for:

2-8'' pans (35 minutes)

2-9'' pans (30 minutes)

13''X9'' pan (35 minutes)

24 cupcakes (19 minutes)

Making sure to check that a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

When cake has cooled completely, frost! I like to use a homemade cream cheese icing (sometimes with coconut,) but many prefer a boiled white frosting or a vanilla buttercream.

And most importantly, if you are going to eat cake-really savour it! do it with joy and without guilt! Bon Appetit!

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Indian Food Week: Part 3, Finale

Last night's performance of THE MAGIC FLUTE was a success (though a rather long evening for the audience-Prof. Hubs is a truly dedicated fan to stay through the whole thing-the show finished around 11:20!) I am looking forward to the freedom I experience in a few days time when the score of the opera finally winds its way out of my brain-I literally have it running through my mind at ALL HOURS. It could be worse. Thankfully it's Mozart as opposed to Gilbert & Sullivan, but it would still be nice to have some peace in that mind of mine.

Today I round out this week of Indian Food posts with a wonderful recipe for Chai Spiced Rice Pudding (Kheer) very loosely based on a recipe by Alton Brown. It's a great way to rid yourself of extra cooked rice (especially fragrant basmati) and a delicious finish to an Indian (or any) feast. It's also easily customizable to suit your diet-dairy free? OK! Just use soy or all coconut milk and it's vegan and it is also naturally gluten free as written.

MASALA CHAI RICE PUDDING

1 cup cooked rice (I like basmati)

1 cup milk of your choice (I used 2%)

1/2 cup half-half (you could instead use cream, milk, soy...whatever!)

3/4 cup light coconut milk (or regular...as you like)

up to 1/4 cup of sugar (I used about half that...I don't like it too sweet)

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (this is expensive, I know...but it is SO. SO. GOOD.)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of ground clove

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of black pepper

In a large saucepan, combine milk and rice. Heat until just boiling, then lower heat and add simmer until the mixture begins to thicken slightly (about 7 minutes on my stove.)

Add the cream, coconut milk, sugar and spices and cook until the mixture starts to thicken again, about 10 minutes stirring occasionally with a wisk. When mixture begins to thicken remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve at room temp. or cooled.

Feel free to add garnishes like raisins, pistachios, cinnamon, etc.

Enjoy!

(Note: Indian rice pudding is a bit soupier than the American variety.)

Indian Food Week: Part 2

This week I have been deep in rehearsals for THE MAGIC FLUTE here in Midwestia. I have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised at the level of talent they have gathered to be in this production; there are some accomplished and wonderful singers here.

In this second installment of INDIAN FOOD WEEK I present to you an authentic recipe for the delicious vegetarian dish, Saag Paneer (cheese with spinach.) You can purchase paneer in the cheese section of some groceries but if you live in Midwestia or are just feeling crafty you can make your own paneer very quickly and easily by clicking here. It's crazy how easy it is.

This recipe for Saag Paneer was part of a wedding shower gift from a dear friend of mine (who's family happens to be Indian)-and it's sooooo good.

SAAG PANEER FROM PRITI'S MOM

1 onion

6 cloves garlic

1 oz. fresh ginger

1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup plain yogurt

4 oz. buttermilk

2 tsp red chili powder (start with less if you don't like hot & spicy)

2 tsp garam masala (start with less if you don't like hot & spicy)

1 cup half and half

6 oz. paneer

salt to taste

Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and grind them into a paste. In a medium saucepan, combine the paste, spinach, yogurt, buttermilk, chili powder, and garam masala. Simmer at medium heat for 20 minutes. Mash the ingredients with a potato masher (or blend in a blender if you like it finer and smoother.) Add the half-half. Simmer until the mixture has a creamy consistency, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the cheese, simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.