Grilled Asparagus

photo courtesy of cookin' canuck
LifeAsMom's Ultimate Recipe Swap this week is all about grill talk. I'm jumping on her grilled veggie bandwagon and bringing asparagus to the party. This is timely for my family since we are getting ready to leave on a six day road trip to Arkansas. Three nights will be spent in a cabin in Petit Jean State Park, but unlike the cabin we stayed in for little boo's third birthday "camping" trip, this cabin has no kitchen. That means all our meals will be cooked over fire, and it's a sure bet I'll throw some green veggies on the flames. To quote my sister-in-law "Jenna, you are the only person I know who would grill asparagus on a camping trip."

The key to grilled veggies on the outdoor grill is to cut them in large pieces (or leave them whole). They take a little longer to cook this way, but then you don't have pieces falling through the grill.

Asparagus is a low prep veggie and can be done out doors easily, no knife needed. Just wash it, and snap off the woody stalks, drizzle with a little oil, salt and pepper and grill for a minute or two, rolling them once. We did asparagus on the grill in April for little boo's trip and I have to say that batch of asparagus was the best I've had in many years. Although I love olive oil for the flavor, I don't like to grill or roast with it, because it's not a high heat oil. In addition to losing a lot of it's nutritional qualities, studies have shown olive oil becomes toxic when exposed to high heat. I've been using refined grapeseed oil which is safe at high heat.

If you feel like being ambitious with your asparagus, try out this delish recipe I snagged from Cookin' Canuck.

Kid Appeal Tip Don't be afraid to include veggies in your outdoor meal menus. So often meat is the star of the show for grill days, but veggies get a great smoky flavor on the grill and that taste enhancer is one you want to share with your kids. Grill marks make veggies look appealing too, and kids like adults eat with their eyes! Plus grill food is often eaten with hands, grilled asparagus spears make great finger food. Let kids help prep veggies too. My guys love to peel carrots, snap asparagus, etc.

Rhubarb Crisp (Whole Grain)

I know, I know, I’m so predictable, whole grain this, whole grain that. It’s a running joke in my family, me using whole grains in a dessert. Or choosing a recipe with a fruit or vegetable ingredient. And always adding ground flaxseed meal to most recipes (it even goes well in a graham cracker crust!). That’s my m.o. I like to take advantage of the flavors of fat and sugar to include some nutrition too.

So, remember last week when I said my kitchen was closed for Mother’s day? I was wrong. It was all my own doing though. Hubby took the boys shopping for me which gave me time to shop for some new clothes. Clothes shopping didn’t take long and as I was unencumbered by kids I decided to pop into the grocery store to pick up a cucumber and some ranch salad dressing for supper.

Ha! Like it’s even remotely possible for me to go into a grocery store and come out with only 2 items. ESPECIALLY when the boys aren’t with me and my mind is free to wander about recipes and cravings and what to do with all the produce that’s on special that week. Fifty dollars later, I emerged with 2 lbs of magenta rhubarb stalks (ok, fine, and 20 other items). It was apropos. Rhubarb crisp is something my mom always made, and since we were going to be apart for Mother’s day, it followed I should buy up a huge bunch of rhubarb and whip up a crisp while the boys were still out shopping.

Magenta food is amazing. Swiss chard, beets, rhubarb. And the combination of pink and green is even better. Unlike chard and beets, the rhubarb is a light green like celery.

The exterior pink is silky and underneath is crisp pale green. Chopping colorful food makes me happy. Thinking of people when I cook makes me happy. I was happy happy happy. (And to top it all off, I got just what I wanted for Mother’s day. Hubby humored me and got out the tripod for a couple good family photos.)

If you’ve had rhubarb in jam, pie or cobbler/buckle/crisp before you know how unique it is and you probably look forward to its one of a kind flavor when, for a very brief time in the spring, it’s in season and available. If you’re not familiar with it you should give it a whirl. It is unbelievably tart, even with gobs of sugar both in the filling and the topping. But that’s what makes it so special!

Hubby grew up eating rhubarb raw, dipped in sugar. I saved a few sticks for the boys to eat. Little boo was a big fan of the raw rhubarb, big boo thought it was too tart. Big boo didn’t really go for the baked version either, it was “too sour.” Maybe over the years it will grow on them.

Rhubarb Crisp

For the filling

2 lbs of rhubarb sliced-once inch thick (do not use the leaves)

1.5 cups sugar

½ cup white wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.˚ Mix ingredients together and put in a 9x13 pan.

For the topping (this works over pear, apple and peach crisp as well.)

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup white wheat flour

¼ cup ground flax seed meal

¼ cup milk

1 stick melted butter (or ½ cup coconut oil)

1.5 cups brown (firmly packed) or white sugar

Mix dry ingredients, then add milk and butter and combine. Spread crumble mixture over top of rhubarb filling. Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and mixture is bubbly. Serve plain, or if you must have more sugar, with vanilla ice-cream. This is a huge recipe so unless you're baking for a crowd, half it, or bake it in two dishes so you can freeze one for later.

What dessert makes you think of your mom?

Crusty Bread, Stinky Cheese, Tapenade, Strawberries and Wine

Photo courtesy of Emily C

LifeAsMom's theme this week is Mother's Day food. The recipe today is more of a wholesome party spread. The ingredient list needs to be purchased and set out, instead of measured and mixed. My kids are too little to cook for me, and although I don't take that much time off from cooking, I do take Mother's day off. My mom is not local and isn't visiting, and we're taking my mother-in-law out for a fancy brunch (ok, fine that's for me too!).

You want to know what's on my food wish list for Mother's Day? It's all there in the post title. I am a bread snob. I like it fresh. I like it Artisan. I like it crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. I like to dip it in a little olive oil, or tapenade (fancy word for olive spread), or just topped with butter or a small morsel of stinky cheese. Set me loose with a baguette and a ball of butter and see me transform into giddy girl. I like Manchego cheese, brie, and a variety of semi-soft cheeses. I'm pretty open on cheese but spicy, blue and smoked are right out. Olives are indulgently salty, the black ones (not the canned ones, the imported kind, kalamata and their kin work well) whole or any form of tapenade or "olive salad."

Olives are brain food! Omega 3s promote brain function and development. Cheese is a concentrated form of calcium (moderation is necessary with cheese because it's also high in fat and sodium). See this post for more on what strawberries and chocolate do for you body.

The joy level goes up when fresh strawberries (or other in season fresh fruit) are involved. If some of them were coated in chocolate I wouldn't complain. A glass of Malbec or Petit Sirah could enhance the party going on in my mouth.

The spread should be set out on a coffee table, friends and family gathered around on upholstered chairs (preferably a dark shade so when the kids climb in your lap when you're holding a glass of red wine and it spills, the stain isn't catastophic-what? that's never happened to you??) and floor with tiny plates to be refilled many times.

Hint hint. Any chance my kids are reading this??

Kid Appeal Tip Party food is a great way to introduce new foods to kids. It's more relaxed than offering food at the table, the spirit of revelry is lightening the mood, there is generally a wide variety, and if it's not just typical kid munchies, your kid can be exposed to some new flavors with nutrition. If you're trying something new at a restaurant of party, make a point of saying so when you're kids are listening "Ooh that looks interesting, what is it? I've never tried it, cool something new to try." Trying new things isn't innate in everyone, so it helps to coach that quality in kids. Don't assume your kids won't like sophisticated food because it's not "kid food." Kids eat what they're exposed to and what they think they should eat. If you send the message to your kids are supposed kids only eat kid food, they'll be hesitant to try a wider variety of food.

So what's on your food wish list for Mother's day?

French Rice Salad with Avocados, Tomatoes and Corn

Tomatoes, avocados and corn were on sale this week at the Kroger. For me those three items are an excuse to make “French Salad.” I don’t expect any of you have heard of French Salad. It’s a rice salad I learned to make when I was staying with a host family as a nanny in a suburb of Paris. The madame of the house always put together some kind of “petite salade” for dinner, and it usually wasn’t a traditional green salad. One of these salads was sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, another a green salad served with a soft boiled egg and mustard vinaigrette, a third was what I have since referred to as French salad. She tossed this together with left over rice, and added sliced avocado, tomato and a can of drained corn and served room temperature or cold. She mixed olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper for a dressing. I still make all three of these salads and my journey to Paris was well over a decade ago.

Since fresh corn was on sale this week 5 for $1, I used fresh instead of canned corn. Usually I make this from left-over rice, but if not, the rice should be cooked and rinsed with water to cool the rice. If using fresh corn, toss the ears in boiling water for two minutes and remove. When the corn is cool enough, take a knife and cut the kernels off the cob. I used three small ears, and it was about the same as a 10oz can of corn.

Are you skeptical of rice salad? Don’t be! If you’re new to brown rice this is a great way to try it out. Brown rice is nutty and chewy and is amazing served cold in a salad with crisp crunchy corn, creamy, smooth avocado and fresh tomato. To get the biggest bang out of your brown rice cooking, cook enough for the whole week one night and refrigerate or freeze a second portion to use later in the week. Left over rice is good tossed in soups, added to sautéed vegetables to make a fried rice, and mixed with a dressing and fresh veggies or greens in a salad.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

3 TBS Red Wine Vinaigrette (anything will do, white wine, balsamic, cider etc.)

3 TBS Olive Oil

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together, until the mixture turns from transparent to cloudy.

French Rice Salad

1 ½ cups of cooked brown rice (room temperature or cold)

1 can (10 or 15oz) can of niblet corn.

1 or 2 diced tomatoes (add juice from cutting board to vinaigrette

1 or 2 diced avocados

Combine whisked vinaigrette with the salad ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate for an hour before serving or eat immediately (I usually don’t chill it before serving). Tip: if you don’t think you’ll finish the salad at one meal, don’t cut all the avocados. They brown and get mushy in leftovers. Reserve half or one of the whole avocados and dice it up to add before you serve leftovers.

The amounts don’t have to be exact. I’ve made this salad with as little as ½ cup cooked rice, and have substituted diced cucumbers for tomatoes.

Rice, tomatoes, avocado and corn all make Dave Grotto's 101 Life Saving Foods list. Kids may not care about life saving foods, but in and around the super hero ages, they may like to know when they're eating four of the 100 best body fuels all in one salad!

Kid Appeal Tip Is it difficult for you to get enough whole grains in your kiddo's diet? Brown rice is a great way to accomplish that, but what do you do if they don't go for brown rice on the side? Mix it up by serving the rice with other ingredients. Serve it cold in a salad, or mix it into some sauteed vegetables for fried rice. Another option is to make spanish rice by adding a can of tomatoes, some diced onion and a tsp of tumeric to the rice when cooking. Maybe they won't notice the rice isn't white through all the yellow! Once they taste brown rice they may readily accept it. If that doesn't work, tell them this is brain building salad. Avocado promotes brain function and is heart healthy.

Did you bring any food influences back from abroad that still appear on your table? Do tell, share a dish or recipe in the comments!