Kitchen Vignettes

I finally found some rhubarb! I love rhubarb not just because it’s so delicious but because it also reminds me of my Mom, who made it all the time (when she couldn’t get it fresh, she bought frozen rhubarb but I don’t think anyone packages frozen rhubarb these days). She cooked rhubarb as a side dish — sort of like applesauce, but better. It goes with everything. Meat. Veggies. Also, she didn’t add a ton of sugar. We all loved the tart goodness. Here’s how she made it — we prefer it plain, with no additions, but notice I’ve added some tasty options in case you like your rhubarb more well seasoned.

follow me on Instagram @ronnievfein

Stewed Rhubarb

1-1/2 pounds rhubarb 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar, up to you 1-2 teaspoons grated fresh orange or lemon zest, optional 1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, optional 3-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice, optional 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

One of the recipes I’ll be showing is this one for tuna and white bean salad. I’ve made it numerous times over the years, sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate. I’ve used fresh grilled tuna; added cheese; included olives or capers or peas and so on. But for this demo I decided on EASY. QUICK. Still delicious, using canned tuna.

It’s good for lunch or dinner, but last night I served it as an hors d’oeuvre with cocktails for some friends who came over for dinner. Everyone loved it. So easy. So quick. So good!

Follow me on Instagram @Ronnievfein

TUNA AND WHITE BEAN SALAD

1 7-ounce can tuna, drained

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium scallions, chopped or 1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano) or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the tuna, beans, scallions and oregano in a bowl and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and wine vinegar, sprinkle with pepper. Toss again, let rest for 15 minutes and serve. Makes 4 servings

This one, for Matbucha, almost popped up and said “where have you been?”

The recipe was right! This is a winner for hors d’oeuvre (though you could also serve it as a side dish with dinner).

Matbucha is a Moroccan dish, and was especially popular in the Moroccan Jewish community, and now, thanks to immigration, is also well loved in Israel.

You can make Matbucha 3-4 days ahead. That’s handy isn’t it?

Follow me on Instagram @Ronnievfein

MATBUCHA

2 large red bell peppers

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 serrano or other small chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 medium tomatoes peeled and finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler, about 4-6" away from the heat, and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the skin has blistered. Turn the peppers and repeat this process until the entire surface is blistered and lightly charred. Remove the peppers and place them in a paper bag. (You can also grill the peppers on an outdoor grill.) Let rest at least 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the skin and discard the stem and the seeds. Cut the peppers into pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peppers, serrano pepper and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Makes 1-1/2 to 2 cups

The one and only. The best ever. New York Cheesecake!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

1-1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately)

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3-8 ounce packages)

freshly grated zest of one small orange

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt

We are not having our usual Mother's Day Cookoff this year. But I’m remembering some of the best ones from years gone by.

Once we had a carrot theme and I remember the carrot ice cream was really special, plus the “pranks-in-blankets” which are a riff on the franks but with mini roasted carrots inside (recipe on my website).

One of the best themes was Chocolate Chip Cookies. Everybody’s entry was a winner that year! This was mine:

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter almost at room temperature 2 tablespoons solid coconut oil 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white sugar 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 12-14 ounces chocolate, chopped (or use chips) sea salt

Beat the butter, coconut oil, brown sugar and white sugar together with a mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat them in thoroughly. Mix the flour and baking soda and add to the butter mixture. Blend into a uniform dough. Fold in the chopped chocolate. Chill, if desired, for 2-48 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment on cookie sheets and scoop golf ball size balls of dough and place them on the parchment. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Cool the cookies for 2-3 minutes, then remove them to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen 

I know things are expensive these days but wow, I had lunch at a deli the other day and a small side order of cole slaw was $13!

To me, that's a wow. Cole slaw is cheap to make!

I understand that restaurants have to make a profit but other restaurants nearby charge less than half that.

Follow me on Instagram @Ronnievfein

Anyway — here’s my cheap and easy Cole slaw recipe.

COLE SLAW WITH BEET GREENS

1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 bunch beet greens, shredded (or use spinach or kale)

2 medium carrots, grated

3/4 cup mayonnaise

5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

Place the cabbages, beet greens and carrots in a large bowl and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and sugar together and pour over the vegetables. Toss the ingredients and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

My lemon tree produced one lemon this season. I watched three flowers blossom but only one survived and it took 9 months, just like a human, to mature from a tiny green bud to a ripe and ready lemon.

What to make with the lemon?

Candied lemon peel of course! Everyone loves it. (The juice was squeezed over grilled fish.)

This morning I discovered three new sprouts so maybe there are some future lemons?

Notice I said 1-4 servings. Try to share ……

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

Here’s the recipe.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL

1 large or 2 small lemons

Boiling water

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sugar for coating

My daughter Meredith Fein Lichtenberg served a delicious olive salad at our first Seder this year. It was so good that I’ve made it a couple of times since then, serving it with cocktails before dinner.

Besides being absolutely delicious, this dish has a lot going for it. It keeps, so you can make it 4-5 days ahead. It’s fantastically open to variation! Add capers. Add scallion. Feta cheese. Roasted red pepper chunks. In fact, I added red onion to her version.

This has been a complete winner according to everyone who has tasted it.

Thanks Mer!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

OLIVES AND CITRUS SALAD

1-1/2 to 2 cups mixed olives, preferably pitted, preferably in olive oil

1 tangerine or clementine

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Red pepper flakes

Olive oil

Place the olives and some of the oil in a bowl. Peel the tangerine, remove as much skin as possible and cut the segments into smaller pieces. Add to the olives. Add the garlic, red onion, thyme leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix and add small amount of olive oil if the mixture seems dry.

I hate wasting food or food ingredients! So, when I realized I had about one cup of blueberries left and didn't feel like eating them with yogurt for breakfast, I made muffins and now I have breakfast for 10 days (or 5 if my husband wants one for breakfast too).

Please notice how little sugar there is in this recipe.

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek style

6 tablespoons avocado oil (or use vegetable oil or melted, cooled butter)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place muffin liners inside a muffin pan or lightly grease the hollows. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, avocado oil, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk them together until well blended. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and mix the ingredients until they are well blended. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon equal amounts of batter into each muffin pan hollow. Bake for about 22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

This soup is one of my favorites. Not only delicious, but you can change it to suit yourself in so many ways. And it keeps -- for 4-5 days in the fridge. Add some creamy liquid like dairy cream or rice milk or coconut milk for a richer soup (about one cup). Serve it hot or at room temp or cold. It's all good!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

5-6 sweet red, orange and/or yellow bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley plus more for garnish if desired

1/3 cup raw white rice or one medium potato, peeled and chopped

5 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

1-1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler, about 4-6" away from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the skin has blistered. Turn the peppers and repeat this process until the entire surface is blistered and lightly charred. Remove the peppers and place them in a paper bag. Let rest at least 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the skin and discard the stem and the seeds. Cut the peppers into pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the rice. Add the peppers and stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook at a simmer for 25 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender.

BLUEBERRY-ORANGE CRUMB CAKE

CRUMB LAYER:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

6 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or use butter)

Place the flour, oats, coconut, brown sugar and orange zest in a bowl and mix until well blended. Pour in the coconut oil and blend it in. Crumble the mixture with your fingers or a fork and set it aside.

CAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2 large eggs

1 cup orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup melted coconut oil (or butter)

2 cups blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-1/2-inch springform pan. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, combine the eggs, orange juice, vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and stir only to combine: do not overbeat. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the berries. Cover with the crumb layer. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes one cake serving 8

ALMOND CHICKEN NUGGETS

2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 large egg white

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Chinese cooking sherry (or use white wine or sherry)

1-1/2 cups ground almonds

vegetable oil for frying

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and put them in a large bowl. Add the egg white, cornstarch, salt and sherry and mix until the chicken pieces are uniformly coated with the mixture. Dredge the chicken pieces in the almonds, pressing to coat the entire piece. Set aside, preferably on a cake rack, for 20-30 minutes to air dry slightly. Heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough to make an almond crumb sizzle, fry the chicken pieces a few at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Do not crowd the pan when frying the chicken. Serve hot. These may be reheated in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 2-3 minutes per side (more if the nuggets have been frozen or refrigerated and cold). Makes about 36 pieces

FRESH TOMATO PUFF PASTRY PIZZA

3 large or 4 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (use cherry or grape tomatoes for hors d size)

salt

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons finely chopped basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. Let rest 5 minutes and wipe the surface. Roll the puff pastry slightly thinner on a floured surface. Cut lengthwise once and widthwise twice to make 8 smaller pieces (OR leave in one piece for a whole tart OR make smaller hors d’oeuvres size pieces). Place the pieces on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each with some mozzarella cheese. Top with tomato slices (I usually place two cherry or gape tomato slices on the hors d size). Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with olive oil. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 servings

I love rhubarb! My mother used to make it as a side dish all the time, mostly with chicken.

She made strawberry-rhubarb pie too with the berries straight from the garden. Those were some delicious days!

I make strawberry-rhubarb pie too, alas, no garden stuff. And supermarket and even most farmers’ market strawberries just ain't what they used to be. 

So - once I included some blackberries and that was really delicious. I like this fruit pie filling with a bit of orange zest, but lemon zest will do just as well.

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

Here’s the recipe:

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB-BLACKBERRY PIE

DOUGH: 

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup chilled vegetable shortening

4-5 tablespoons orange juice

FILLING:

3 cups sliced (1/2-inch pieces) rhubarb, about one pound

2 cups strawberries cut in half

1 cup blackberries

1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, cut into chunks

Combine the flour, salt and orange zest in a food processor. Add the butter and shortening in chunks and process on pulse about 24 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add as much of the juice as is needed to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Cut the dough in half, flatten into disks and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into circles to fit a 9” pie pan. Place one circle inside the pie pan.

To make the filling, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, blackberries, sugar, salt, flour, orange peel and cinnamon. Add the filling to the pie pan. Cut the butter into chunks and place on top of the filling. Cut strips from the second dough circle and place them in a lattice design on top of the fruit. Seal the edges where the strips meet the bottom crust. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.

Need an easy summer dessert?

This simple dish -- cut up fruit steeped in a seasoned, sweetened syrup -- is the perfect ending to a meal on a hot summer day, especially when you want a dairy-free dessert.

Of course you could always top the fruit with ice cream or whipped cream. Sorbet would be fine too.

I like it plain, as-is, with a small amount of boiled-down, thickened syrup.

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

SOAKED SUMMER FRUIT

2 pounds stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots), approximately

3 cups water

1/4 cup honey

1 vanilla bean, broken

2 orange slices, about 1/4-inch thick

4-5 slices crystallized ginger

Cut the fruit in half and remove the pits. Cut the fruit into bite-size chunks and place in a dish deep enough to hold the pieces plus liquid. In a saucepan, combine the water, honey, vanilla bean, orange slices and crystallized ginger and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer over the fruit. Let soak for at least 2 hours. Serve as-is or strain the fluids, boil the fluids for 6-8 minutes or until thickened, and pour over the fruit (or let cool first).

Here’s an easy-to-prepare salad that’s perfect for summer dinner. I make this a lot, sometimes using salmon or other leftover fish (I’ve even used canned salmon) and sometimes using cheese instead or with. Also? I’ve made this with leftover chicken. And substituted cooked carrots for the peas.

It’s all good. And takes almost no time to put together!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

SALMON AND WHITE BEAN SALAD

1 15-ounce can white beans

1 to 1-1/2 cups crumbled cooked salmon (or other fish)

1/2 cup fresh cooked or thawed frozen peas

2-3 scallions, chopped

1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts or other nuts (or use chopped water chestnuts)

3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil 

2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse the beans (save the liquid for use as aquafaba) and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the salmon, peas, scallions and hazelnuts and toss the ingredients gently to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss gently. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the white vinegar, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper, toss. Taste and add more white wine vinegar if needed. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Summer blueberries? 

Pie came to mind first. It's always pie first for me.

My mother, who was a master pie baker, never baked blueberry pie because she said the insides were either too thick and gloppy or too runny. I experimented with the fruit, sweetener and thickening agent a few times before the filling consistency was right.

Here it is! Perfect for summer. Good stuff for July 4th!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

BLUEBERRY CRUMB PIE

CRUMB CRUST:

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter in chunks and work it into the dry ingredients with fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. If you use a food processor, add the ingredients to the work bowl and mix using 18-24 quick, short pulses (enough for the mixture to resemble coarse meal). Set aside.

FILLING:

6 cups blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 unbaked pie crust bottom

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cover the top with the crumbs. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until  golden brown.

Note: you can use 3 “1-pint” boxes of blueberries. Although a liquid pint equals 2 cups, a dry pint of blueberries from most markets has a bit more.