Friday, May 14, 2010

Strawberry, Rhubarb & Frozen Banana Dessert + Dinners in Review


I've been waiting patiently for local organic rhubarb to come onto the scene here, and this past week, I finally got my wish. (The strawberries are still from California, but it shouldn't be too much longer!) I tossed ideas around for a couple days about what to do with the rhubarb...I was tempted to do something savory, but ended up with the simple combo of  rhubarb compote, frozen bananas, and fresh strawberries.

Photo-wise, I was disappointed in that the rhubarb did not appear prominent, but there are much bigger problems in the world than that! Originally, I meant to fold the rhubarb into the frozen banana, but I forgot, so I placed it underneath instead.

I stewed the rhubarb with a small amount of water and agave to taste...roughly 2 tablespoons agave to 6 stalks of rhubarb...it came out fairly tart. Separately,  I blended 4 large frozen bananas, 3 pitted dates, and  ~ 1/2 cup oat milk in my food processor until it was smooth ( I think you can see where I dipped my finger in for a taste :) :

  

Then spooned the frozen mixture into open-ended molds and popped them  into the freezer to set up:


I let it set for only 20 minutes or so; I didn't want it to freeze through and start to turn icy. Incidentally, this probably wasn't the best way to mold up frozen things because de-molding is a little tricky...I think there exist plastic molds designed for frozen desserts that you simply pull away from the frozen stuff once it's set. In this case, I  got the molds off by wrapping a hot cloth around each mold for about 30 - 40 seconds and they slid right off without hassle.

I sat the frozen banana on a bed of rhubarb compote and then came the fun part of decorating it.  The result was fresh-tasting, not too sweet, and full of fruity and rhubarby flavor and textures.

 
 
I'm not exactly prolific when it comes to blogging--I'm a sporadic blogger at best,  but this week I did manage to snap some pics of our dinners, and here's a little review.

Monday: BBQ tofu with baked yam, baked potato, and red chard. It was a feast!


Tuesday: Vegetable soup... I used veggies that I have around most of the time: green cabbage, potato, carrot, celery, parsley, leek, garlic, and some garbanzo and kidney beans.


Wednesday: Pasta! This is one of my favorite quick meals: Saute cherry tomatoes with  slivered garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes until the tomatoes start to "pop" from the heat, then deglaze the pan with plenty of white wine, add some reserved pasta water and salt and pepper to taste, toss with spinach pasta and top with fresh parsley. Simple and flavorful.


Pho Thursday: Vegan Phở. I've never had the traditional kind, but when I saw  Naomi Rose of  The Gluttonous Vegan Loves You post this recipe, I was literally salivating, so I had to try it. I followed the recipe to the 't', except that I added the miso at the end of cooking, and I didn't have any cinnamon stick on hand so subbed some red chilis and ginger instead for the spice sachet:


And GV is right, the house does smell heavenly while this is simmering. My pic doesn't do it justice...definitely check out the original...this was aromatic, noodley, very satisfying to taste and fun to make....easily this week's favorite meal in our house. Thanks Naomi Rose!


I'll sign off with some of my happy little viola and pansy friends...they always make me feel brighter when I look at them:

10 comments:

  1. Do you have an extra chair at your table for me??? Seriously, you are such a talented cook and photographer! Okay, so I'm going to ask a totally silly question: do you eat the strawberry greens, or were they left on the berry and thus the fork just for photo sake? If you say you eat them, I'm going to run out straight to my garden and taste them! I'll have to make this dessert only in my dreams since my hubby hates rhubarb. Do you know I've never tasted it? All your dinners truly look amazing. I love the variety of your meals and the hardiness of them. I love to eat great taste, filling meals that are beautiful, and yours fit the bill. Great job!

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  2. Extremely impressive! Your hubby is truly spoiled. It looks like dinner at a four star restaurant every night!

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  3. BlessedMama,

    That's not a silly question! And you're right, I just left them on because I thought it looked pretty...you can eat them though...I eat some of them just because I'm too lazy to remove them before each bite...but they're not incredibly tasty or anything.

    Again, your hubby and mine concur on rhubarb...these are individual-sized, so I left the rhubarb off of his...he looked at me like I was crazy when I told him that I put rhubarb underneath mine.

    SV,

    You mean I don't get 5 stars? LOL, just kidding, thanks for your comments...somehow my hubby doesn't think he's spoiled...I'll tell him you said so.

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  4. Wow, is all this impressive! Love the frozen dessert idea! I tried pho a while ago and didn't like it much (I was veganizing a very, very omni recipe), but you've inspired me to have another go...

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  5. Everything looks wonderful as always. I love your use of presentation molds to freeze the dessert.

    Thanks for sharing pictures of so many of your recent meals. I noticed the potatoes for John. ;-)

    talk to you later,
    Alicia

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  6. Yes, isn't it funny how our husbands get good vegan food every night, and yet they are still picky! It's good to know there's another one out there like mine. :-)

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  7. That dessert looks spectacular, thank you for sharing the recipe! I am very happy it's rhubarb season, too. Oh and I love Naomi Rose's recipes!

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  8. Zoa,

    I think you may like the said faux pho recipe...I don't really know anything about "real" pho, but this stuff was good...just spicey broth with miso and noodles really. If you try it, let me know what you think.

    Hi Alicia,

    Yes, J cannot go for long without his beloved spuds. Talk to you later.


    Blessed Mama: Yes! And it does sound like our hubby's have remarkably similar likes/dislikes. Have a great weekend!

    Seitanismymotor,

    I adore Naomi Rose's blog too, ver inspirational. Thanks for stopping my humble one. :)

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  9. Hi, Rose! Since Blogger ate my first comment (your food pictures must have given it an appetite!) I will try to reconstruct it.

    Strawberry and rhubarb have been a favorite flavor combo of mine since kidhood, when I'd snarf every strawberry-rhubarb pie and jar of strawberry-rhubarb jam that came within reach. Something about that sweet-tart blend of flavors just sets the tastebuds to dancing! Your creation is absolutely alluring and tantalizing. As soon as I can get my mitts on some organic strawberries (organic rhubarb is probably a pipedream), I plan to make this beautiful dessert!

    All your other meals are, as ever, incredible. I was especially taken by your BBQ Tofu + Taters x 2 + Red Chard ensemble, which was indeed a feast! (And with a salad to boot!) I took special note of your baked tater toppings... yum! Like John, I can't go long without a spud!

    I've eaten in one or two vegan Vietnamese restaurants in my travels, but don't believe I've ever had pho. The spices are so pretty, I'm glad you photographed them! That sounds like an intriguing dish, and bet it provides amazing aromatherapy! :-)

    Your pansies and violas are utterly charming. I love the Victorian colors. I particularly adore pansies, they always look like they're laughing. See, they even have laugh lines and crinkles around their merry little faces! :-)

    Thank you for another lovely post that was a pleasure to savor! xoxo

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  10. Laloofah,

    Thanks as always for your comments! Strawberry/rhubarb is delicious isn't it? Have you ever had rhubarb chutney...that's delish too, in a savory way. And I agree...any meal that involves potatoes usually turns into some sort of feast.

    I have no idea whether the version of pho is anything like the traditional version, but how can you go wrong with a delightfully spiced broth, fresh herbs, chili, and noodles...you should try it if you feel so inclined...and it's fat-free too! If you try it, I'd love to know how you like it.

    Pansies and violas are so adorable aren't they...they remind me of Alice in Wonderland and the talking flowers that she finds Through the Looking Glass.

    Cheers!

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