Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp - vegan & gluten free

Happy (almost) Summer! Tomorrow, June 21, marks the official start of summer. Around here it's still cool enough to drink hot tea in the morning, but the afternoons have been glorious. I've been busy with strawberries lately, and I think my berry obsession will go on for the next several months (you're welcome). Last year my strawberry forays were pretty tame, but this year I'm hoping to share more creative ideas. I'll be the first to admit that a crisp isn't a terribly good example of said creativity, but crisps top the list of my favorite summer desserts, so I think I'll give myself a pass.

(One of) the great things about crisps is their endless adaptability. Want to use different fruit? Go ahead, it's no problem! Want something warm for dessert? These are perfect! Want a cold breakfast? Crisps to the rescue! I really can't say enough good things about them.

Up until this point, I've always made crisps comprised of a layer of fruit and a layer of topping/crumbley crisp/crust/whathaveyou. This was my first double crisp experiment, and I was pleasantly surprised. Two crusts make them more bar-like, and thus more structured, which, besides photographing better, leads to easier serving to guests. It also makes the crisp a bit heartier, and (I think) even better for breakfast.

Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp - vegan & gluten free
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I doubled the amount of fruit Deb used in her version, so if you have less, know that will work. I tested this recipe with olive oil and melted coconut oil AND with white whole wheat flour, almond flour, and brown rice flour. I preferred the coconut oil (crispier than olive oil) and the almond flour (yum). I see no reason that whole wheat flour or your favorite gluten free flour will not work in place of the listed all-purpose. To make this corn free, be sure to omit the cornstarch (duh), but also don't sprinkle any confectioners' sugar on top. 

Yield: 16 small bars or 9 larger ones (pictured); recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch baking pan, where they will come out a little thicker

1 C (80 grams) rolled oats
3/4 C (95 grams) plus up to 2 Tbsp (15 grams) extra all-purpose or gluten free flour (see note)
1/2 C (95 grams) Sucanat or brown sugar
Heaped 1/4 tsp table salt
5 Tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil, melted (see note)
1 tsp cornstarch (optional, but helps firm up the filling)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 grams) granulated sugar
2 C (250 grams) small-diced rhubarb (from about 3 medium stalks)
2 C (310 grams) small-diced strawberries
Powdered sugar, for decoration, if desired

Preheat oven to 375F. For easy removal, line bottom and two sides of 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. No need to bother (and no greasing needed) if you plan to serve them right in the pan, as I did.

Place oats, flour, Sucanat, and salt in a large bowl and mix. Pour oil over the mix and stir until clumps form. If the clumps feel soft or look overly damp, add the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Pour in and press a generous half of the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.

Toss fruit with lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch if using; then spread evenly over the crust. Scatter reserved crumbs over fruit and bake bars for 30 to 40 minutes (firmer fruits will take longer), until fruit is bubbly and crisp portion is golden and smells toasty and amazing.

Let cool in pan and cut into squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Store leftovers covered in fridge.

Fresh Pea Hummus - vegan & gluten free

Hello and happy Monday! I hope the mommas out there had a good Mother's Day and felt loved and appreciated. Maybe you got a pasta necklace? or perhaps a fill-in-the-blank poem? My cousin got one that included a line about her smelling like jelly beans. That was my favorite part.

Now that we're fully into May, I hoping more of you out there have access to a nearby farmers' market. Perhaps you got a chance to go this weekend? (here are my top ten tips for having a great farmers' market experience) I have year-round ones available on Saturdays, but a local Thursday night one runs May-September only, and I got a chance to go for the first time last week. It felt so nice to be back! I got to check out my favorite farms and see the new booths. I learned that it's going to be a very short cherry season this year (#sadface) because winter here in the Bay Area was so weird (i.e. warm and dry). I forgot to ask if the same would be true of stone fruits like peaches, but I'd like to find that out this week (otherwise, I'm going to obsess about it, since we all know I'm somewhat in love with peaches). 

Anyway, among my purchases were my first peas of the season. Now, some people (ahem, mom.dad.) may express surprise at this since growing up I showed very little interest in peas. And I admit that they are still not my favorite vegetable in the world, but I've learned that fresh peas are dramatically better than frozen. They're sweet and tender and taste, well, pretty good. I like them raw in salads, mashed up into pesto, or, now, smooshed into hummus. Can you call it hummus if there are no garbanzo beans? 

This hummus is fast, easy, and you don't even need to turn on the stove. It's great with chips or as a sandwich topping. It's easily double-able, and if you don't have quite the right amount of an ingredient, don't sweat it. You can make it anyway, and it will still be tasty. 

Fresh Pea Hummus - vegan & gluten free
adapted from Whole Living

I think this would be good with several other variations, including using mint (or parsley or basil) instead of cilantro, or increasing only the volume of peas so that you taste them more. It's also tasty with roasted garlic in place of the raw. 

I found I didn't need to because my peas were fresh & tender, but should you wish to cook your peas, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water or put into ice bath to stop cooking.

1 C fresh shelled peas
1/4 C fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove minced garlic
1/8 tsp ground cumin
pinch of salt

In food processor (or blender), pulse peas, cilantro, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin 30 to 40 seconds. Season with salt to taste.

Springtime Pasta Alfredo with Peas - vegan & gluten free

I first read about making creamy, vegan things from cashews a few years ago in a gourmet vegan cookbook my mom checked out from the library. I don't remember the title, nor the chef, but he was somewhat famous and vegan. So, not really famous, probably, but well known within a niche, perhaps? Anyway, at that time, gourmet+vegan was a much newer idea, and making whipped cream from cashews? Well, that was just crazy innovative.

Fast-forward to the present, and cashew cream sauces are a regular thing on blogs, and cashew whipped cream isn't as crazy as it once sounded. The idea has been floating around in the back of my head for quite a while at this point, but most of the recipes I've seen for cashew alfredo sauce instruct the cook to soak the nuts overnight. Now, maybe you're more on top of things than I am, but I rarely plan a weeknight dinner a day in advance. Or two, really, if you need to be sure you have the appropriate ingredients.

Blackberry or Raspberry Coconut Macaroons - dairy free & gluten free

I'm sorry, people. I've been hiding these from you for a year. These, being these yummy, pretty, dairy and wheat free macaroons. Heck, I have more to apologize for if you consider the berries (chock full of antioxidents!), the egg whites (the only fat comes from the coconut!), and the ease of making these mini morsels (they took only two short commercial breaks to make!). To be fair, it took another couple to scoop them, but, still, you have my deepest apologies.

I've made these with both raspberries and with blackberries, and they're both winners. I think strawberries, huckleberries, marrionberries, or maybe even blueberries would work. So not only can you pick your favorite, you can further color coordinate your next party.

Strawberry Banana Muffins - vegan

I have a habit, in this new home base of ours, of getting to the farmers' market about 20 minutes before it closes. Sometimes that means slim pickings, and sometimes that means the strawberry guy is shouting very loudly about $5 three packs he's doing his best to get rid of sell before closing. This Sunday, that meant I came home with normal amounts of onions, cherries, tomatoes, and peaches (yes!! peaches! they even taste good!). And strawberries. Lots of strawberries.

And so commenced a strawberry muffin search. The first one I tried wasn't bad exactly, but it sure wasn't good. I had such high hopes; the recipe came with pretty pictures and from a reputable source. I couldn't see a way to improve it enough, so I just started over and trusted myself.

This unfussy incarnation turned out sweet and light. In fact, I would be tempted to reduce the sugar even further next time, and I think almond extract could be a nice addition.


Strawberry Banana Muffins - vegan

1 1/2 C (8 oz) chopped strawberries

1/4 C plus 1/2 C sugar

1 C (16 oz) very ripe mashed banana (about 2 small)
1/3 C vegetable, olive, or coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C flour
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners.

In a two-cup glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Lightly mash and set aside.

Whisk together the banana, oil, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, 1/2 C sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Add in the strawberry mixture and vinegar and whisk until just combined.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. They should be about 3/4 full. Bake on center rack for 20-25 minutes. Muffins will be puffed and slightly golden, and a cake tester inserted into the middle will come out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and allow to finish cooling on a rack.

Pasta with Roasted Sweet Potatoes - vegan & gluten free

I'm not sure how it's Monday already, but it seems to be so. I hope the transition from the weekend wasn't too rough this morning! The weather has been gorgeous here, and Mr Official Taster and I have enjoyed dining al fresco among our plants. It's a bit of a balancing act (literally), since we don't have a table outside, but it's always pretty.

This recipe is super easy, and you don't need to spend too much time at the stove. Feel free to use any other kind of potato you'd like, but I especially like the rosemary and sage combination with sweet potatoes.


Pasta with Roasted Sweet Potatoes - vegan & gluten free
adapted from How to Cook Everything

olive oil
2-3 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper
1 lb pasta, any variety (whole wheat, gluten free, regular, etc)
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
rosemary and sage (fresh or dried)

Preheat your oven to 400F. Smear a large roasting or rimmed baking pan with a little bit of olive oil. It should be large enough to hold all the potatoes in a single layer without overcrowding. Add the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat. Roast the potatoes until they brown on the bottom sides (about 20 minutes), then stir and continue cooking until tender (approx. 20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Toss the pasta, sweet potatoes, garlic, and another 2 tablespoons olive oil together. Add herbs to taste, toss, and serve.

Fresh Strawberry Sherbet - vegan & gluten free

If you haven't noticed at the farmers' market or the grocery, strawberries are in season. I made this for a get together a couple of weeks ago, and it seemed to go over well - everyone cleaned their bowls! It's very close to sorbet, but the milk keeps it creamy.

Sidenote: if you like asparagus, it works really well as an add in to Baked Lemon Risotto. Trim and rinse your asparagus. Cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces. At the halfway point in the baking, distribute the pieces evenly across the top of the mixture. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.

I know this because both this sherbet and the risotto with asparagus were part of the same dinner. I thought it was a great way to celebrate Spring.


Fresh Strawberry Sherbet - vegan & gluten free
adapted from Eat. Drink. Love.

2 C hulled strawberries, fresh or frozen
2 tsp lemon juice
2 C non-dairy milk (I used coconut from a carton)
1/4-1/2 C sugar

Puree strawberries in a food processor or blender. If you don't want seeds in your dessert, strain through a fine mesh strainer. Otherwise, just pour directly into a bowl. Stir in the milk, lemon juice, and 1/4 C sugar.  Taste, and add a bit more sugar if needed. 

Refrigerate until chilled - 2 hours or overnight. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Spring Herb Quinoa Pancakes - gluten free

After two days of blabbing on and on, today I bring you a beautifully simple and healthy recipe. I was able to use green onions, mint, and parsley from my own little herb collection, which I'm positive makes it tastier and healthier somehow.

Pro tip: chocolate mint might not be the best choice for this dish. It's the only kind I have on hand, though, mainly because Mr Official Taster picked it up at the nursery. When I pointed out that plain might be more practical, he responded, "But we have an ice cream maker now," and I was sold. Pushover.

Spring Herb Quinoa Pancakes - gluten free
adapted from Two Tarts

These are quite good. I've been making the full batch and cooking a few at a time for lunches. The mixture saves well in the fridge for up to 5 days or so. I think they would pair well with some sort of yogurt concoction, like raita or even plain Greek yogurt. If you're new to quinoa, this is a good how-to.

Yield: 8-10 patties
2 C cooked quinoa (approx 3/4 C dry)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 Tbsp chopped mint (optional. I liked it better without)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 C grated strong cheese (I used Romano)
1/2 C gluten free (or regular) bread crumbs*
1/4 tsp salt

In a small/medium bowl, mix together everything but the quinoa. Fold in the quinoa until the mixture is evenly moist.

Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. While the pan is heating, form patties using a spoon and your hand. Try to make them all a similar size for even cooking, and aim for 1/2-1-inch thick. Place in frying pan and cook, turning halfway through, about 3 minutes on each side. Don't disturb them right at the beginning, or you might encourage them to fall apart. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and/or cheese.

*I imagine that if gluten free bread crumbs are commercially available, they are super expensive. The easier and better solution is to make your own. Break up some stale bread into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until you reach your desired texture. Store in an airtight jar. Maybe up to a month? Mine have never lasted that long.

Easy Strawberry Jam (for real)

'Tis the season for excess fruit! With all the bounty that's starting to appear at farmers' markets and in grocery stores, if you're anything like me, you're seduced every time you shop and end up with more than you can eat or bake. That's where jam comes in handy! Freezer jam, that is. It doesn't involve canning and you can do small batches. It stays good for up to a year (6 months according to some) in the freezer and for about a month in the fridge.

Vertical Garden

Over the past few months, the landscaping outside of my apartment has been torn out and replaced. Unfortunately, this included taking out a couple of big trees that provided wonderful shade from the morning sun. This was especially key in the hot, intensely sunny summer months. Curtains help, but I know that blocking the sun before it hits the glass is crucial to keeping the apartment cool. As I previously mentioned, I had a grand vertical garden plan that I started seeds for awhile back. Today I'm showing you what I did and how easily you can do it. Read on!

Vegan Apple, Strawberry, and Blackberry Crisp

The farmers' market was a success! Even though it was cold and cloudy (yes, really) and I couldn't find what I specifically was looking for, I did find the makings for a delicious vegan fruit crisp. Crisps are definitely one of my favorite desserts, and sometimes I even like them better than cake (shh don't tell my mom). They are easy to put together, don't get lots of stuff dirty, and taste good pretty much no matter what. Exact measurements aren't as critical as in cakes, either. And, so, without any further ado:

Spring is coming! Seeds and more

Last night and today I got my seeds started! I have a grand vertical garden plan, so hopefully these babies will sprout and grow strong and not too big. The lavender seeds I talked about in this post didn't do anything. nada. I'm not blaming the seeds (yet), but instead the fact that the day I planted them kicked off 8 days of rain. So they didn't get sun. This is my theory. I just started some more, and hopefully they will sprout. Then I can make yummy things like Lavender Extract. mmmm sounds yummy. (if it works, some of you can probably anticipate Christmas presents). On a related note, if you love gardens and gardening, check out Nadia Knows Gardens for a pretty and informative blog by my classmate.
This lovely Ranunculus was $1 this weekend and I couldn't resist! This area is somewhat known for them, mostly because of The Flower Fields, which are gorgeous in the springtime. You should visit if you get a chance!

And, finally, on a side note, I am very interested in trying out this recipe from Martha Stewart. It looks and sounds scrumptious!

Friday Morning Flowers (and chocolate!)

Good morning! Happy March! I realize that I have not posted in a WHOLE WEEK, and so, dear friends, I present lots and lots of flowers for you. There's actually another vase of the Gerberas upstairs, but I thought you could visualize for yourself. Since it's up the stairs.
very far away.





Daffodils were on sale at the grocery store 2 bunches/$3 and I love them. So I bought them.
The Amaryllis (much more red in person) were a post-Christmas Christmas present from Mom (thank you) and I've got a second starting on the windowsill.
The roses are, I think, a little less orange in real life and a bit more peachy, but pretty either way.

Did you know that you can make a Bird of Paradise have more "feathers"? If you hold the flower under water you can open the slit on the top of the green part (facing the right in the arrangement) and get out some more of the orange and purple. Cool, huh? I thought so!

I brought home some left over flowers that were pretty and needed a home and plopped them in a beer glass. Classy, I know.


ALSO! Chocolate flowers! yay! I love these little fudge blooms and I hope you do too :) I thought they were perfect for spring and I'm hoping to get them posted on Etsy this weekend. Maybe Mom will comment with a review since I just mailed her some?


Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!

Etsy Treasury!

NaiyaArtBoutique made a green treasury and featured my green oreos! Thanks to her and everyone should check it out. There are some really great items highlighted.
Treasuries are pretty cool- etsy members build a small (12) collection of items they like around some theme they choose. Once it's posted, anyone looking to browse or buy things on etsy can search treasuries and see what other people like for ideas. It's a neat way of interconnecting etsians

Friday Morning Flowers

Good morning! Today's arrangement is a vegatative design, and the idea is that it should look like someone took a shovel to your garden and dug up a patch and plopped it onto a table. So it should look natural (ish. it still has to be pretty).








I love the flowers in this one because they are so springy! Yellow forsythia, pinky purpley tulips, purple iris, and the white ones are called stock.

Planning Ahead

it does happen sometimes.

I just planted my lavender seeds that I got. I figured out last week that I wanted to bake some things with flowers in them for flavoring and color and overall coolness. To bake with flowers, they really need to be organic since I don't think most people (myself included) would want to eat miracle-gro or pesticides. In a handy coincidence, I got a rose plant for Christmas that's waking up on the patio in a planter full of organic soil. Regular garden stores (or super stores) don't sell lavender seeds, I discovered, just plants that are definitely not organic. So I went online and found "French Perfume" seeds at Shepherd Seeds as suggested by a helpful garden center guy. They are sitting in their organic soil on my kitchen windowsill. Hopefully waking up from hibernation soon!

More Results

This pic above is the result of the vegan and gluten free chocolate popcorn cranberry recipe. It tastes pretty good! Sweet cranberries contrasting with the semisweet chocolate. This time I poured it all into a 9 in pan and smooshed it around until it was evenly distributed. After it hardened, I cut it into wedges, as you can see. I think next time I will make it into small portions instead of one big chunk because it was pretty messy to cut and wanted to break apart into less than pretty shapes. I'm thinking muffin tins maybe.
These pretty vegan cookies were fun to make! I cut out the big hearts first and then cut little ones out of the middle and switched them into the other dough flavor. I added some orange zest to the light dough so the combination is chocolate orange. The chocolate cookies are REALLY chocolate since I used melted semisweet chocolate to flavor the dough, not cocoa powder. For the icing, I just piped melted chocolate onto the cookies. I also made these in star and flower shapes. I will get them onto shortandsweets.etsy.com shortly so you can see the other photos. Perfect for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day or as wedding favors :)

Hello!

Hello and Happy New Year!
This past fall I started my store on Etsy and I'm expanding to the blogosphere as part of my New Year New Plan. So, first, check it out: shortandsweets.etsy.com
I've got all sorts of delicious gluten free and vegan desserts, treats, and delights for sale. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my masterpiece up there this year. For a Christmas party I attended I brought this dessert:

Everything (except the tree) is edible on it, which seemed pretty cool. Popcorn, cranberries, cookies, and candy canes dress the tree, while the presents at the bottom are cut up fudge wrapped with ribbon. My other holiday project that didn't make it to my site was delicious smelling Christmas ornaments in various cookie cutter shapes and decorated with glitter:

They made our living room smell yummy!
In the upcoming week, I hope to post new items for sale for Valentine's Day and spring time. If you have any ideas for vegan or gluten free items you'd like to see for sale, please let me know!