Dark Chocolate Rhubarb Pudding

First of all - I always knew that Ben Bars were delicious, but maybe not the extent of their fabulousness until last week's post. Thank you to everyone who shared stories and thoughts about Ben Bars and my brother. My heart is singing with happiness and the memory of my brother (or maybe it is the sugar high from the bars...). And if you haven't done so yet, do check out the ice cream version of Ben Bars on The Scoop on Cones (made by 365 Scoops). Simply scrumptious!

Before I fill you with another delicious dessert, let me share what we got in our CSA box this week!

I almost skipped all the way home when I discovered the sugar snap peas in our box (pictured in the bag). These were my favorite garden vegetable growing up. Most never made it from the garden into the house! Also pictured is mini red leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, purple scallions, and baby white turnips (Molly - these have your name on them!). 

We also got white and purple kohlarabi (which I love to eat raw so much that I rarely include it in an actual recipe) and spinach and salad mix bags.

The leafy greens are broccoli raab (or rapini), not to be confused with the actual broccoli right next to it! And then, my favorite... garlic scapes! I have been waiting to make garlic scape soup since last fall. I'm so excited!

It's hard to go wrong with beautiful, fresh, organic strawberries. We devoured them within 2 days. Yum!

So, this pudding recipe is actually 3 recipes: Rhubarb Coulis, Rhubarb Whipped Cream (yes, that's right!), and the Pudding. The coulis and whipped cream are super easy and really versatile. The coulis (pronounced koo-LEE) is a thick sauce that is divine on pancakes. Just saying. You'll only use about half of the coulis with the pudding, so you'll have plenty to experiment with (or eat with a spoon...).

The whipped cream is just as versatile. I happened to dip a few fresh strawberries in some extra whipped cream and my taste buds are just now recovering.

The pudding was intimidating to me because it required three cooking techniques that I was not confident in: scalding milk, tempering eggs, baking in a water bath.

Now, before you go running from the recipe this was actually pretty easy and the prep time is only 15 minutes. Let me explain these three techniques so you can feel confident in your pudding ability. Because the pudding is worth it! 

Scalding milk: Don't bother. Seriously. The purpose of scalding milk is to break down the harmful bacteria - which has already been killed by pasteurization. Often the use of a double boiler is recommended to scald milk. I heated my milk in a small sauce pan over high heat for 2 minutes, making sure it didn't come to a rolling boil. It worked perfectly. 

Tempering eggs: This sounds much more complicated than it is. We don't want scrambled eggs in our pudding. That's gross. To prevent this, we simply need to add the hot milk to the egg mixture in very small quantities, whisking thoroughly between each addition. This will heat the eggs so they are the same temperature as the milk without cooking them. This requires more "elbow grease" than a fancy cooking technique.

Water bath: A water bath is essential for ensuring that the texture of the pudding is creamy throughout. While the rest of the oven is 375 degrees Fahrenheit, the pudding never gets above 212 degrees Fahrenheit because as soon as the water boils, it turns to steam. This recipe's water bath requires a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and 3 ramekins (1 cup each). Once the pudding is poured into each ramekin, you'll set the ramekins into the baking pan and set the whole thing in the preheated oven. Then, pour hot water into the baking pan so it comes up about half way on the ramekins (I needed about 1 liter of water). That's it. The trickiest part is maneuvering the hot water within the oven. Some people add the water the pan before putting it in the oven; I found it easier to add after the pan was in the oven. When it is finished baking, some people just remove the ramekins from the oven and leave the water to cool in the oven. I found it tricky to grab the ramekins without spilling water. So, I removed everything when it was hot. Just be careful.

Note: the recipe says to cover the pan with tin foil. I forgot to do this. The top got a little firmer than the inside as a result. But it still tasted fantastic and I didn't even realize I had forgotten until I reviewed the recipe for this post.

What will result is a rich and creamy chocolate pudding. The rhubarb flavoring within the pudding is very subtle. I stirred in some fresh strawberries when I served it - delicious, but remember to add the strawberries immediately before serving to preserve the texture of the pudding.

Also, the original recipe said this served 3. I found the pudding to be quite rich and really it serves 6. So, use the ramekins to cook, and then serve from other smaller cups. And because this needs to be made ahead of time, this is perfect for a dinner party! Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Rhubarb Pudding

6 servings, 15 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking, 3 hours chilling (4 hours total)

2 ounces dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

3 egg yolks (preferably at room temperature)

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup rhubarb coulis

pinch of salt

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the three ramekins inside a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, rhubarb coulis and salt until smooth. Set aside.
3. Place the chocolate in a medium glass bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until melted (do not overcook). Alternatively, use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. 
4. Heat a small saucepan over high heat. Pour in cream and milk; it should sizzle and sputter when it hits the pan. Watch carefully to make sure it does not come to a rolling boil. You should see little bubbles on the edges. Heat for about 2 minutes until very hot.
5. Pour a couple tablespoons of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking as you add it to be sure not to cook the eggs. Add a little more milk, and whisk to combine. Repeat until all the milk has been added to the eggs and you have a silky smooth and creamy batter.
6. Pour the hot cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the melted chocolate. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
7. Ladle the mixture into the three ramekins (1 cup size). Place the baking pan with the ramekins into the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan, avoiding getting water in the pudding. The water should reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes or until the pudding is firm around the edges - the center may jiggle slightly but will firm up as it chills. Remove everything from the oven; allow to cool. Refrigerate until firm (about 2-3 hours). To serve, dish half a ramekin into a small bowl, top with whipped cream and devour. 

Rhubarb Coulis

makes about 1 cup, 15 minutes

2 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon high quality vanilla extract)

dash of nutmeg

1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is nearly dissolved. Puree with a hand blender (or a regular blender) until very smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Rhubarb Whipped Cream

makes about 1 cup, 5 minutes

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons rhubarb coulis

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form.  

Print this recipe. Adapted from Straight from the Farm.

Ben Bars

Well, it's about time I shared this recipe with you - plus it is fitting to share it on Father's Day. 

Ben Bars are so much more than just a simple dessert. I hope I can explain. And if not - family members please chime in.

If you grew up in northern Minnesota, you know the cultural importance of the "bar." They are at every church event, every family gathering, every potluck, every festival. They are the go-to dessert. And, you can't just have one kind of bar on a dessert tray. No. Half-a-dozen bar varieties is the norm. 

Therefore, it goes without saying that bars are the ultimate comfort food. They help us celebrate weddings; they mourn with us at funerals; they keep us company during the long winter months. They can be as elaborate as Seven Layer Bars or as simple as Ben Bars.

Ben Bars hold a special place in my heart because they were my brother's favorite bar recipe. I suspect not only for their taste, but also for their ease. My family has a habit of naming bars after people; to this day I still don't know the real name for Amy Bars (named after my cousin Amy's favorite ... or was it most hated?... bar recipe). 

My brother Ben died in a car accident 8 years ago, so making these bars is a way for my family and me to honor his memory. My mom tends to bring these to most family gatherings not only because they are so delicious, but also because it makes us smile to remember Ben while eating them. I sent some Ben Bars to my dad for Father's day since I couldn't be with him this year. 

Ben Bars require no baking and only have 3 ingredients. They take about 15 minutes (at the most) to put together, but they do taste better if they are chilled. Many people confuse these with Special K bars and wonder where the chocolate layer has gone. These are not Special K bars. 

The key to making fantastic Ben Bars is mixing the melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter into the rice crispies well. If you don't mix them well, you will have dry, crumbly bars in part of the pan and too-wet-to-hold bars in another part of the pan. This is not ideal. So, take the time to mix the bars well.

I was recently informed that a Ben Bar ice cream flavor may be in the works... to say I am intrigued and excited is an understatement. I am waiting impatiently for an update from scooponcones to hear the verdict! For now, enjoy the Ben Bars! ***UPDATE*** Read all about Ben Bar ice cream here!

Ben Bars

Makes about 25 bars, 15 minutes

6 cups rice crispies cereal

1 cup peanut butter

1 12 ounce package butterscotch chips

1. Put the peanut butter and butterscotch chips in a medium glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir. Repeat until the chips are melted into the peanut butter.
2. Put the rice crispies into a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted mixture over the cereal, using a rubber spatula to scrape out all the deliciousness from the glass bowl. 
3. Stir well, being gentle to not crush the cereal while making sure the melted mixture is evenly distributed throughout.
4. Scoop everything into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Use the spatula to press into the pan so the top of the bars are flat. Press gently to create firm bars.
5. Let sit for a while before serving (at least 30 minutes probably - just to let the bars get firmer). I prefer the bars chilled. Eat within 3 days for maximum freshness.

Print this recipe.

Polenta Gnocchi with Herbed Peas

I have so many things I want to share with you today! The one thing they have in common is that they are all green - the color, not necessarily the eco-friendly movement. 

First - our CSA box this week was brimming with green vegetables!

Starting at the upper left hand corner in the purple bag is saute mix, asparagus, salad mix, the three cheeses (a spring cheddar, a tomato basil cheddar, and a feta - which you can't see), green garlic, potato onions, white turnips, mini romaine lettuce, bok choy, rhubarb, and pea vines.

I'm not a fan of turnips. I'm hoping that this year I can discover one recipe that uses turnips that makes me like them. So, this next week, I'll be looking for recipes to try with these turnips and we'll see how it goes. More than likely, however, as the season progresses I will have too many turnips in my refrigerator. If you like turnips, let me know and you may get some sent your way!

I was excited about the pea vines! They smell just like fresh from the garden peas - one of the best smells ever! You can eat them raw, but I prefer to use them similar to how I use cooked spinach. Because these don't keep for very long, I knew I had to use these up first. So, I sautéed up some and topped a version of eggs benedict. Instead of ham, I used Morningstar Farms bacon. I even made hollandaise sauce for the first time. I was totally intimidated by it but it actually was pretty easy and quick to make! 

I used the rest of the pea vines in a creamy pea vine sauce that I used to top some homemade fettucini!

This was a HUGE success! I was practically skipping around the kitchen because of this recipe. And, not because of the pea vine sauce, but because of the homemade fettucini. I wanted my homemade pasta recipe to use flours that had a few more nutrients in them than semolina flour does and I wanted to avoid using eggs (mainly because making pasta with eggs is a hassle). 

At first I tried mixing semolina with teff flour 1-1. This was not a good idea since teff flour doesn't contain gluten... What resulted was delicious pasta bits! eek!

So, this time I used:

• 1 1/4 cup semolina flour
• 2 tablespoons teff flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

Success! The texture was perfect and it was easy to get the right amount of moisture in the dough - which is crucial for rolling and cutting the pasta. 

My favorite recipe this week was Polenta Gnocchi with Herbed Peas. Polenta is a great comfort food that is economical and extremely versatile. All you need to make polenta is coarse cornmeal, water, and salt. 

When I first learned how to make polenta, I would stand at the stove for 20 minutes and stir the mixture constantly. Most boring 20 minutes of my life! I rarely made it. Now, I follow Lynne Rossetto Kasper's recipe from The Splendid Table. The difference is amazing.

Using Lynne's double boiler method takes longer (about 90 minutes) but I'm only stirring every few minutes instead of constantly, so I can make the rest of the meal while this is cooking. Plus, achieving the right texture with polenta is easy... achieving the right flavor takes time. Polenta really does need to cook for about 90 minutes to remove any bitterness. 

Polenta, once it is cooked, can be formed into whatever shape you want. Typically, it is spread flat and cut into squares or triangles and fried. Here it is scooped into gnocchi-style mounds. 

The herbed peas give the polenta an amazing flavor. If you don't want to use peas, asparagus or even edamame would be good. 

I originally got this recipe from a long lost recipe book of mine called Easy Vegetarian by Cornelia Schinharl. I modified the method slightly to make it simpler to put together at the end.

Polenta Gnocchi with Herbed Peas

4 servings, 90 minutes

3 cups water

1 cup coarse cornmeal

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch green onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch mixed fresh herbs, minced (I used thyme, parsley, and cilantro - about 1 cup minced)

1 lemon - zested

1 tablespoon butter

10 ounces frozen peas (or fresh if you have them!)

1/2 cup vegetable stock (I was lazy and just used water - which turned out fine)

2/3 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream or plain cream)

Parmesan cheese

1. Using a double boiler (or a sauce pan with a metal bowl hovering over the water), bring some water to boil. Heat the 3 cups water. Add the cornmeal to the top of the double boiler (or the bowl) and stir in the heated water. Stir well to eliminate lumps. Cover and turn heat to low (water in the bottom of the boiler should be simmering). Stir occasionally (more often at first, less often toward the end of cooking) until the polenta is thick, creamy, and has no trace of bitterness - about 75-90 minutes. Add salt to taste toward the end of cooking.
2. When polenta is done cooking, use two tablespoons to scoop it out in small chunks into a serving dish (I used a 8x8 baking pan). Layer the scoops as needed. This is similar to scooping cookie dough onto a cookie sheet; however instead of leaving space between the scoops, you are placing the scoops side-by-side and sometimes on top of each other. Set aside until sauce is ready.
3. While the polenta is cooking, make the sauce: heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add green onions and garlic; saute for about 2 minutes. Add the peas, lemon zest, and about half the herbs. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock (or water), cover, and let cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the creme fraiche and remaining herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Pour the sauce over the polenta scoops. Dust entire dish with parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Print this recipe. Adapted from Easy Vegetarian by Cornelia Schinharl

Follow Your Heart Stir Fry

Happy June! Finally it feels like Spring (or even Summer) has arrived to the midwest! Hooray! This weekend marked the first time in many, many months that we had sunny, non-stormy weather on the weekend. It was so beautiful that I had a hard time not smiling all weekend long. My legs, however, are a different story. I tried out a new workout on Friday afternoon that killed them. Then I proceeded to go on a 25 mile bike ride on Saturday and a 14 mile bike ride on Sunday. Needless to say, I'm happy to be sitting right now. 

This week, I've really been trying to follow my intuition - mostly with the simple everyday things. I've found that when I'm not motivated to do something and I will myself to do it, I tend to transfer that lack of motivation to other areas of my life. Similarly, when I am motivated to do something, that motivation infuses other things. This is still in theory mode, so we'll see if I end up changing my mind on it. Yet, I do think that this has a lot to do with this blog. My cooking is best when I follow my gut - literally. 

I actually had this stir fry recipe idea earlier in the week and just couldn't get it put together. When I finally did, it sang. It was delicious. Spicy, salty, filling, healthy, satisfying all into one fantastic dinner dish. It was well worth the wait.

Another recipe that made my heart sing this week was the garbanzo burger recipe in my favorite cookbook, Super Natural Cooking. 

I'm not a big fan of garbanzo burgers, and I've definitely had my fair share of burger failures in the past. This is one burger recipe I will be making again. It was moist and had the most fantastic flavor. The recipe suggested using the burger as the bun - splitting the burger in 1/2 and then placing all the fixings inside the burger. That was good, but messy. We have been enjoying the leftover burgers crumbled inside quesadillas topped with broccoli sprouts and salsa. So good.

The stir fry recipe I've shared in this post has a lot of room for flexibility. Plus - I didn't really measure and I didn't write down what I did until a few days later... That being said it is called Follow Your Heart Stir Fry because that is exactly what you should do: follow your instincts when making this.

There really isn't anything complicated about this recipe and it comes together in the amount of time it takes for brown rice to cook. So, give it a try and let me know how it turned out for you!

Follow Your Heart Stir Fry

2-3 servings, 35 minutes

1 package extra firm tofu

1/2 cup almonds, unsalted

3 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)

1 pinch cayenne pepper (or more if you like heat)

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 pinches red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup brown basmati rice

2 handfuls of each spinach and hon tsai tai (or spinach and another spicy green like arugula, sorrel, etc.)

Lime (optional)

1. Drain the tofu and cut into a 1/4 inch dice. Place into a small bowl, pour 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce over the tofu, and stir well. Set aside, stirring occasionally to evenly disperse the soy sauce. 
2. Rinse the brown rice well. Place in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. When tender, drain (if necessary), and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and lightly toast. When they are fragrant, sprinkle the cayenne pepper over them and add about a teaspoon of soy sauce and about a teaspoon of the olive oil. Stir well to cover all the almonds evenly. This will probably stick to your pan a little, but don't worry. Let cook for about a minute, then scoop the almonds out of the hot pan and into a bowl to cool. Pour some water (about a 1/2 cup) into the pan to de-glaze it and discard the liquid. 
4. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and turn down the heat to medium. Add the ginger and the curry paste. Let cook for about 3 minutes to release the flavors. Add the tofu (and any liquid in the bowl) and stir well to coat with the seasoning. Let the tofu brown gently (it is already cooked), stirring it rarely, for about 10 minutes or so. 
5. While the tofu is cooking, prepare the greens. Wash the hon tsai tai and chop finely (including the stems). Wash the spinach and chop finely. 
6. Add the cooked rice to the skillet and stir. Add the greens and the remaining soy sauce and stir occasionally while they cook for about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and taste for seasoning. Add more soy sauce if you need the flavors to pop a little more. 
7. Remove from heat and stir in the seasoned almonds. Serve immediately; if desired, garnish with a lime wedge.

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