June 2016 – Page 2 – Dragonfly Home Recipes

The bright, tart taste of rhubarb and the iconic, sweet taste of strawberries is a classic spring and summer combination. This strawberry rhubarb crisp gets some subtle variety with a splash of lime juice in the filling and chopped pistachios in the topping–a recipe that is high on flavor and relatively low on sugar.

You may be thinking, do we really need another recipe for strawberry rhubarb crisp? Well, if you like making fruit crisps like I do, then the answer is yes! I make crisps all summer long, and I rarely make them the same way twice. There are endless variations on the basic theme, and the variations are what make fruit crisps fun and personalized. You can tailor them to your own tastes, and they always taste best when they feature fresh, in-season fruit. As much as I love rhubarb pies (I have made two already this month, thanks to a nice big armful of rhubarb from my aunt), crisps are easier and quicker to make.

This most recent version of strawberry rhubarb crisp is similar to one I posted about a year ago, but with the twist of added lime juice and chopped pistachios. (I seem to be on a bit of a pistachio kick lately, as my last posted recipe contained them too). The lime juice just adds a bit more brightness to the fruit (which was very bright already!), and the chopped pistachios add texture a bit of saltiness, and protein. I’m always looking for ways to add protein! I also like this recipe because the topping is light on the flour, leaning more heavily on the old fashioned rolled oats, and as I mentioned above, not much sugar–just 1/4 to 1/3 cup of brown sugar.

With rhubarb season in full swing and strawberry season finally upon us, this is the perfect time to be making this type of dessert. It’s so nice to see fresh strawberries, and the daylight lasting into the evening is beautiful. Because the weather has been so dry lately, we have very few mosquitoes to contend with, so we can be outside in the evenings much more easily than we often can at this time of year. To be able to walk outside in the evening, barefoot, with a bowl of warm strawberry rhubarb crisp in one hand and a spoon in the other, looking for a quiet place to sit and enjoy it–that is one of the joys and luxuries of summer. I hope you are all having a great week! I will share this recipe at Angie’s weekly Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Margy @ La Petite Casserole and Linda @ La Petite Paniere.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp II

Servings: about 6
Time: about 15 minutes prep time, plus about 45 minutes baking time
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Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh rhubarb, finely chopped
2 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of flour (I used all-purpose flour, but you can use any kind)
1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons of roasted, salted pistachios, shelled and chopped
1/4 cup or 1/3 cup (depending on how sweet or tart you want it) of brown sugar, firmly packed
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 9-inch pie plate, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, lime juice, and flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, and pistachios. With a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture forms crumbs about the size of peas. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the fruit. Bake in your 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm. I like it just as it is, but you can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you wish. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

In this asparagus quinoa salad, fresh asparagus is roasted with pistachios and then mixed with quinoa and a homemade honey-garlic vinaigrette. The result is a salad rich in superfoods, with lots of flavor and tons of nutrients. It’s the perfect salad to take to a picnic, to enjoy with lunch, or to use as a side dish at dinner. It’s light, while at the same time satisfying and filling.

I love how fluid recipes can be. They are never exactly the same twice, and they bring with them stories, memories, and reminders of friends or family members who have shared or contributed to the recipes. The same goes for sharing meals with others too. We get ideas from one another and build on our conversations and memories.

Quinoa salad has been on my mind lately for a number of reasons. My soccer mom/walking buddies have been making versions of it and we’ve been exchanging ideas, plus my mother is on a quinoa kick as well. The other day when we were over at her house, she made some asparagus and quinoa separately, but they ended up getting mixed up on my plate, and they tasted great together. I knew I wanted asparagus in my next quinoa salad.

In addition to vegetables, one of my friends likes to put nuts in her quinoa salads. The only nuts I have in the house right now are pistachios. I thought those would be good with the asparagus too. Little did I know that when I googled asparagus and pistachios, lots of recipes came up! Apparently I was not the only one who thought this would be a good combination. The following asparagus quinoa salad recipe is very basic, and based loosely on a few different recipes I found, my own experience with asparagus and quinoa, plus input from friends and my mother. That’s what I mean about recipes being so fluid. They are influenced by those we talk with or read about, plus by what is in season, and what we have on hand. They are like living, breathing entities sometimes, changing with the weather and the circumstances.

This asparagus quinoa salad is really satisfying. The nutty flavor of the quinoa blends deliciously with the pistachios and asparagus, and the vinaigrette gives it just the right amount of sweetness and zing. Feel free to add other vegetables you have in your kitchen, and if you are in a hurry, just add your favorite salad dressing instead of making it from scratch. The versatility of quinoa is one of its strongest attributes, along with its huge health benefits. I plan to make versions of this salad all summer long, depending on which vegetables are in season.

I hope you all have a great weekend! The weather here has been gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s already June. The kids will be out of school soon. It’s been a full few days around here, with a soccer tournament and a state track meet, along with end-of-the-school-year events and other gatherings too. I have not had a chance to visit other blogs like is enjoy doing. I hope to catch up on that this weekend. At this time of the year, with the beautiful weather and flowers blooming, I always hear my grandpa’s voice quoting part of a James Russell Lowell poem: “And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days….” I hope you enjoy some beautiful June days.This recipe will be shared over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Aruna @ Aharam.

Asparagus Quinoa Salad

Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

about 1 pound (or one bunch) of asparagus
1/2 cup of roasted and salted pistachios, shelled
1 cup of quinoa, cooked
a couple sprigs of fresh mint (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pistachios from their shells and measure them to 1/2 cup. Wash the asparagus and snap off the tough ends. Chop the asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Spread the asparagus pieces and pistachios into a single layer on the baking sheet and gently toss with the olive oil. Bake in your 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes, checking to see that the asparagus is tender, and removing it when the asparagus is just-tender.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in according to the package directions. When the quinoa is done (expanded, tender and all the water is absorbed), transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool some. When the asparagus is done, let it cool some as well.

While things are cooling, mix up the vinaigrette in a glass container. Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and mined garlic, and stir well. If you have a glass bottle with a screw top, combine the dressing in there and shake.

Then mix the asparagus/pistachio mixture with the quinoa in the bowl, and pour the vinaigrette in as well. Stir gently but thoroughly to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Add some chopped fresh mint leaves if you wish. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator. Enjoy!