Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

The final product

One of the joys of summer is Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie, and it is probably the only thing that will get my 20 year old daughter out of bed on a Saturday morning and drive across town just to have a piece.
Fun part about this recipe is even though it is healthier than a normal store bought pie, you would never know it!  Actually my kids like the gluten free crust better than regular flour crust.

WARNING!!!
This crust is not low calorie, it is only gluten free and low fat, or lower fat I think I should clarify.

Ingredients for crust:

Gluten Free Crust

1 8-ounce package of Philadelphia Fat Free Cream Cheese
1 cup butter
1 cup rice flour
1 cup gluten free flour mixture (this is made by taking 1/2 cup flax meal, 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/4 almond meal and blend in the blentec until flour consistency)
Blend the cream cheese and butter, then add the flour and mix all in a mixer, roll into two balls cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least three hours.
Roll crust out, using rice flour to keep from sticking.

Strawberries, Rhubarb and Blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Ingredients for filling:

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries stemmed and sliced,
2 1/2 cups rhubarb cut into cubes
1 cup blueberries (optional)
1 cup xagave syrup
4 tablespoons minute tapioca
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Placing the crust over the fruit

Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, blueberries, xagave, tapioca, lemon zest, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl and pour into a glass pan or if you are doing a two crust pie, onto the bottom crust. Roll out the other piece of dough and place over filling. Crimp to seal edges.






Place foil around the edge of the pie crust and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, decrease temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the filling starts bubbling.

Baked to golden brown crust and bubbly filling

Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 I love using goat's milk Cheddar Cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Take two slices of bread (I use gluten free, but you can use whatever you want)
Add butter on the outside of one slice of bread and put in a fry pan on medium heat.  Add slices of cheese onto the slice of bread, as you can see on the picture to the left this is a 6.7 ounce bar of cheese. I cut about 4 slices.  After letting the bread get toasted and the cheese begins to melt I put kale on top of the cheese and the other slice of bread, buttered.

Mushrooms grilled next to the sandwich

At the same time I am grilling the bread I take two slices of a large portobello mushroom and grill next to the sandwich in the pan.  By the time I am ready to turn the sandwich I put the cooked mushroom on top of the kale and then turn the sandwich.  Toast the other side and then serve.

Kale, mushroom grilled cheese sandwich

Grilling Season!

I love working on a grill, one of my favorite dishes is shish-kebobs and as summer vegetables become plentiful, I will show you some ideas for kebobs.  However, this time I made a quick evening meal, 20 minutes maximum prep and cooking time. You want a low flame but make sure your grill is hot before starting.  The vegetables will stick if you put them on and then heat the grill.  Water drops should dance on the bars when it is hot enough.

Grilling Time!

I have sliced red bell peppers, asparagus, fresh corn, portobello  mushrooms and small zucchini.  I brushed everything with cold pressed canola oil so nothing would stick to the grill, now this is not a basting this is a light brushing of oil.  Add too much oil and you are dealing with trying not to burn the vegetables and your eyebrows at the same time!  

I put the mushrooms and corn on first, they take the longest time to cook, I sprinkle sea salt on them and close the grill lid.  Roll the corn so you grill and salt the whole ear, and turn the mushrooms after 10 minutes.

At the 10 minute mark (when you turn the mushrooms) put the rest of the vegetables on the grill.

Sprinkle lime juice on all of the vegetables and add sea salt to the remaining vegetables.  Close the lid.  

After 5 minutes turn the vegetables, sprinkle with lime juice and sea salt. At the same time make sure the mushrooms are stem side up, and cover with a slice of provolone cheese.  Close the lid.  

At the point when the cheese is melted, pull all of the vegetables off the grill and serve.

The final product!

Fresh Summer Drink

The other day it was hot so I went to fill up my water bottle and I thought of a drink my mom used to make.  She would take and juice an orange, a lemon, and a lime into a glass, fill it with water and drink it.  Well this is close, just the lazy person way.  I take a sprig of mint, slices of orange, lemon and a lime, add water and ice.   Now I just need a big straw hat, a cool evening breeze, a pan of pole beans to snap, and a front porch swing.  Oh and neighbors stopping by to share a cool drink and to just enjoy the goodness of life.