Rhubarb Crumble Oat Bar

This is one for transporting the comfort of rhubarb crumble, without gooping up the inside of your transportation device, be it handbag, rucksack or humble pocket. I plan to make some adjustments with the change of season to make it a more storecupboard, chewy-bits muesli bar, but in the meantime, I can't say I'm too disappointed with eating a firm rhubarb crumble bar.

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees.

Stew your fruit for 5 minutes:

• 450g rhubarb, chopped into 1cm pieces
• 400g strawberries, halved (this is a great way of using up ones that are too ripe to enjoy on their own)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water

Drain the fruit from the juices (reserving the latter to use as cordial in some delicious impromptu cocktail). Set aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts were very tasty)
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour (spelt worked well)

Then mix in the wet:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like an olivey flavours, but use rapeseed if you don't)
• 1/4 cup honey
• few drops of vanilla essence

Compact half of this crumby mixture into the bottom of an oblong pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Add a good layer of stewed fruit, then sprinkle remaining mixture evenly over the top. Once distributed fairly, press down a little with the back of a spoon, then bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden on top.

Have a little patience, and allow the crumble to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Turn it out and cut into bar- shapes. I found a pizza cutter did the trick perfectly. Good eating!

Courgette, Dill and Feta Fritters

I don't like just a salad. I can only eat so many lettuce leaves, no matter what tasty dressing they may be smothered in. And to be quite honest, while the summer weather in Edinburgh is significantly better than any other time of the year, I still need some warming up. So I give you these fritters as a warming addition to your pile of salad.

Mix these up in a bowl:

• 1 big courgette, approx 200g, grated
• 1 red pepper, approx 100g, finely sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced (or several spring onions)
• 1/2 pack of feta, approx 75g, cubed
• 1/2 cup (at least) fresh dill, chopped (I'd put in any other fresh herbs that were beginning to look a little forlorn in the fridge too. On second thoughts, dill on its own is so grassy and clean tasting, I wouldn't. But I might substitute. Your call.)

Mix in:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Finally, slowly sift in:

• 60g gram (chickpea) flour

Once combined, you can keep in a air-tight container in the fridge for the rest of the day, or go ahead and shallow fry these immediately. They are fragile so try to exercise a little patience when moulding/flipping them. My restraint lasts at best half the time, allowing me to make the other person's serving a little more presentable than the slop I'm happy to serve myself. I find it doesn't detract too much, not when the fritters are this tasty.

Zingy Lime and Plum Loaf

Another squishy sweet, though this one you can slice like bread. This makes it a handbag handy that can easily be transported to work, consumed at your desk, and not fall between the keys if you're typing or surfing. It's also zingy, so a welcome awakening to a perhaps otherwise work-dulled body. Thank heavens for tastebuds to remind us that we are sensory creatures, not office androids.

This is adapted from Lucy's Kitchen by Lucy Waverman (2006). It doesn't make any great leaps of faith and adventure from the original, but these are tried and tested quantities of alternative ingredients that work nicely (margarine becomes rapeseed oil, sugar becomes honey and wheat flour becomes spelt). It still springs up and is moist without being greasy, so pretty good really.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Whisk up:

• 1/3 cup rapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• zest of 1 lime

Beat in:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup soya yoghurt

Then beat in:

• 1 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Gently stir in:

• 4 plums, stoned and chopped
• 50g walnuts, chopped (perhaps retaining some to sprinkle on top)

Pour into a loaf tin (greased and floured). Bake for a total of 35 minutes maximum. I recommend at least checking from Minute 20 onwards. If a skewer comes out clean, remove it. If not but you have a desired colour on top, cover with tin foil. And whatever you do, keep a close eye and mind your nasal intuitions. You have those senses for a reason. Speaking from experience, it does somewhat lessen the effect of flourishing newly baked goods, if you've needed to saw off any great chunks of severely burned tops and sides (A-hem, hmm, yes, hmmm).

I'd rather the highlight of some days isn't the inside of a burnt cake. But it ain't all that bad, if the very centre of said burnt cake is unquestionably tasty.

Rhubarb, Apple and Strawberry Tray Bake

You definitely need a fork to ensure it gets to your mouth in one piece. It's just too packed with soft, squishy fruit to be guaranteed to reach it otherwise. Pretty decadent in feel, but not too bad for you at all. The real decadence is using the stewing juices for cocktails... more on that in another post. In the meantime, here's a recipe to comfort and joy.

This one goes out to my Mum and in honour of her family favourite, apple tray bake. I've adjusted it to suit, adding some tart rhubarb, sweet strawbs and a smattering of cheeky nuts. Dad gave this an almighty thumbs up and while I think a little modesty is in order... stuff it, here you go.

Stew the following for 5 minutes:

• 450g rhubarb, cut into inch pieces
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
• any left over strawberries, halved
• 115g sugar/or equivalent honey

Strain the fruit and set aside (Keep the juices for cocktails!)

In a medium bowl, mix:

• 85g brown rice flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

In another small bowl, whisk:

• 1 egg
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp almond extract

Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together, finally stirring in the stewed fruit. Pour into a 6.5"x10"x1.5" baking tray and top with 50g chopped walnuts. Bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes, allowing the walnuts to toast. Try twisting the pan around in the oven. Mine got a little overcooked at one end, so I'll turn mine next time. Set to cool, then chop into 6 generous squares. Serve with tea or coffee (it's not one of those which really goes best with one or tuther).

NB: One square slice holds 25g of nuts, or 1/3 of your daily requirement for protein (see blog on 'Diet for 21st Century' if you want more info). I like to think this means it's definitely a healthy thing to settle into a slice.

Strawberry Shortcake-Martini Hybrid

Despite my best efforts in a week of elevated pain and fatigue, this week I have no exciting food recipes to offer (the results of my attempts while eaten out of defeat, really should have gone straight to the bin). Gloriously I have something else to offer: a highlight like none other... The Beginning of 2008 Summer of the Cocktail.

Inception night was a roaring success and resulted in a Strawberry Martini-Shortcake Hybrid. Inspired by drinking hole in Barcelona that served soya-based Brandy Alexander, I called in the expertise of my friend, Dr Foxy T, an ex-cocktail waitress and scientist by trade. We have pledged to have regular Cocktail Discovery Evenings. Needless to say, these nudelicious cocktails will be prioritised by their soya-based nature and use of fresh, seasonal produce. All results will be reported.

In the name of science, Dr Foxy T suggested using a control group. Being a regular Dairy Drinker (DD), she tested the mainstream version, and I, the soya-based variations. Also in the name of science, I even sipped on the DD cocktail to ensure full comparative correctness: Dairy Intolerants (DI) must not be short-changed. As you can imagine, this proved a tough night for us both.

Hypothesis:

If a cocktail is made using soya (rather than cows milk), a viable alternative will make me and a lot of other folk very happy indeed.

Conclusions:

1. Dr Foxy T and her trusty Nudelicious assistant were very happy with the resulting soya-based cocktail. Dr T admitted if offered more than one, she would rather spend an evening DI-styley.
2. The DD version (made using cow's milk and half-and-half) looked more fluffy and like a milkshake (so admittedly better) than the DI drink which separated slightly, but was not too unsightly. (I didn't even observe this emerging finding, without being apprised of the situation. A result of my apprentice status, I assure you, rather than anything else).
3. In relation to taste, the variations suited the respective drinkers very well. Dr Foxy T prefered the taste of hers up-front (more creamy) and I didn't think the DD version was all it was cracked up to be. I would opt for the lighter, more refreshing version any day.

The Recipe for Strawberry Shortcake-Martini Hybrid (for one):

Muddle (smoosh) 7 or 8 strawberries

Fill cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in:

• 1 1/4 oz vodka
• 3/4 oz amaretto
• 1oz soy (that's half-n-half for dairy drinkers)
• dash of vanilla extract

Make sure the tops on tight, then shake as vigourously and as long as you can face. The logic behind this is that it brings down the temperature of the drink (the ice will be going down the sink) and gives the strawberries an extra pummelling. With the strainer in place, decant into cocktail glass. Imbibe in small enjoyable sippages.


A word to the weary:
I find alcohol is wonderous in small quantities, but is not worth over-doing. I write this to remind myself, rather than to be a kill-joy to anyone else. Much as I hate admitting it, my symptoms can become much worse as a result, completely undermining any therapeutic effect of getting a bit squiffy. On the bright side (and you always need to look at the silver lining, even when it's really well hidden), this is a perfect reason to have a truly delicious drink when I have one. Hurray for the 2008 Summer of Cocktails and 'Quality, not Quantity'.

Fennel, Shallot and Goats Cheese Quiche

I've just had a request for a quiche recipe for a midsummer's picnic. June and July are a great time for fennel, shallots and green beans. Fingers crossed these nudelicious vegetables are ripe-pickings in the shops in Montreal where my friend's now living.

This quiche is really jam-packed with flavour. It's best complimented by more fresh crunchy vegetables. I recommend chopping a quick green one at least, with lots of sweet tomatoes and a minimum of one spring onion. Better yet, step it up with a Green Bean and Walnut salad (see post).

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees

Pastry Case
See post on 'Oat Pastry' and consider using poppy seeds, in place of sesame seeds (they are a lighter, more fragrant seed). Half the pastry recipe is sufficient for this quantity of filling, but if you want it to be stress-free, make the full batch and use the remaining dough for another recipe.



Fennel and Shallots

Reduce these for 15 minutes:

• 2 heads of fennel (cut into rings)
• 300g shallots (peeled, and quartered)

Then add the following and cook for a further 5 minutes, then set aside:

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Egg mixture

Whisk the following, then set aside:

• 4 eggs
• 250g goats/soya yoghurt (equivalent 1 cup)
• any feathery tops of fennel left over (finely chopped)
• lots of fresh dill (finely chopped, the whole lot)
• lots of fresh thyme (finely chopped, leaves only)

Cut some soft or crumbly goats cheese into small rounds, and set aside. 50g should be plenty for flavour without decreasing the overall healthiness of this quiche.

Assembling and baking your quiche

Alternate the vegetable and egg mixtures, allowing the egg to seep down to the bottom. Top it off with the pieces of goats cheese.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes. It's ready when you can shoogle the pan and it doesn't ripple on top, and when you insert a knife and it doesn't come out eggy. Bon appetit.

Spanakopita (Spinach and Feta Pie)

Admittedly, this is a Northern European version of the amazing Greek dish. It follows the hard and fast rules of including spinach and feta, but otherwise is just my version. I love the original dish and this comes close enough for me.

Spanakopita to me is always best served in filo triangles. Although I tried admirably hard to make them into pasties for my packed lunch tomorrow, the pastry just won't stretch to that function. So if you're using 'oat pastry', consider this an open pie. If you can eat wheat and fancy a real treat (sorry fellow non-wheaters, but I can't not tell them) don't bother with my pastry. Ready-made filo is so easy to roll out and is a wonderful flaky texture. Just be sure to remember it is a treat and not nutritious: filo means not a wholegrain in sight so therefore low GI. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Pastry Case
See 'Oat Pastry' post. You need half the quantity.

Filling
Put all these in a bowl and mix them up:

• 250g spinach (wilted, drained and roughly chopped)
• 250g mushrooms (sliced and lightly sauteed in olive oil until soft)
• 1 shallot or a couple spring onions (chopped finely)
• 100g feta (cubed small)
• fresh parsley (chopped, although coriander is just as tasty)
• fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 egg (whisked)

Assembly and Baking
Pretty much as you'd imagine, you fill the cases. You could add a wee bit of extra feta on top so it looks better presentation-wise, but this may be a detail too far. Tonight I just felt like it.

Bake for 20 minutes and let cool. Serve with salad, salad and more salad.

Warm Green Bean and Walnut Salad

This is very simple and tastes quite decadent. Another vegetable triumph. Hooray!


Steam 250g of green beans (topped and tailed) for 4 minutes. No need for a special steamer, you can use a sieve over a pan of boiling water- just make sure you have a lid that fits so you lose as little steam as possible.


Whisk together:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Once beans are done, pop them in a bowl and cover with the dressing.

In the meantime, dry roast 50g walnuts in a frying pan until they start giving off a stronger walnutty smell. Give the beans and vinegarette a turn, then put these on top. Cover with clingfilm if you'd like to keep them warm, although they are equally pleasing cold.