Spring Crumble

I’m not sure what it is about warm berries with a sweet, soft crust that makes me so happy. I first found this recipe in Gourmet’s online database when looking for a use for frozen cranberries I had left over from another experiment. It was a fall fruit crumble (pears, apples, cranberries) that was delicious and warming during the cold months. Last night after hearing about low-priced strawberries I decided to adapt it for spring, to celebrate the wonderful weather we’ve been having. After 15 minutes in the oven the smell of sweet berries filled my house and I was very satisfied with how it came out – I hope you will be too!

Spring Crumble
Adapted from Gourmet




Ingredients:
2-3 cartons of strawberries, depending on size.
1 carton of blackberries
1 carton of raspberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup old-fashioned oats (I found these at Whole Foods, labeled “old fashioned”)
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Cut up the strawberries into halves (or quarters, if very large) and place into bowl with raspberries and blackberries.
3. Add the cornstarch, vanilla extract and half the sugar to the fruit and mix together. Add to the backing dish.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together oats, flour, the remaining sugar and salt. Blend the softened butter into this mixture with your hands, forming small clumps.
5. Scatter the oats mixture over the top of the fruit and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crumble top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Spring Pasta

It's spring in Los Angeles which means bouts of hot weather intermixed with cold, rainy days. One thing that is vastly more reliable is the arrival of spring produce. Asparagus, artichokes, avocados! While alliterative, these items are also incredibly delicious when fresh and in season. I'm no gourmet chef (more on this later), but I love food and I love it the most when it tastes the best. When I saw a recipe for a pasta on YumSugar that utilized spring vegetables I was instantly intrigued.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe to make it weight-loss friendly. A serving is around 350 calories, give or take a few sprinkles of parmesan.

Pasta with Spring Vegetables
Adapted from YumSugar



Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Green Onions, chopped thinly (white & light green parts)
2 Tbsp Shallots (one clove is fine)
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 Fat-Free, Low Sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 Pound Asparagus
1 cup Green Peas (shell sugar snaps for extra points, I used frozen).
3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 box of Whole Foods Tomato and Spinach Pasta Shells (any brand will do, but will alter calories).
1 head of butter lettuce, pulled apart. I used mostly the inside part of the head, the lighter leaves.

Directions:
1. Saute the green onions and shallots in the olive oil until soft. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, until wine has cooked down and the onions and shallots are very soft and slightly browned.
2. Boil a pot of water and cook the asparagus until tender (pierce with a fork), about 2-4 minutes. Repeat with peas. Set aside both vegetables.
3. Boil water again for the pasta, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or according to package instructions.
4. Once pasta is done and drained, set aside with foil on top to keep warm.
5. Heat the onion mixture again and add the butter lettuce until slightly wilted.
6. Add the asparagus and peas to this mixture and heat.
7. Add the pasta and parmesan and stir until well mixed, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve!
Makes 4 servings.