Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Ancient Grain Oatmeal + Coconut Sugar

I have been slightly losing my mind over the strawberries that have just gotten to the market, and so I've been playing around with variations on crumbles. I particularly love this one with rhubarb because strawberry and rhubarb are just so classic together, but, also, using peak season fruit means I can bake with a lot less sugar - the berries taste like candy!

The filling gets an ingredient that you usually don't see in a crumble: sherry vinegar. The vinegar really brightens and intensifies that berry flavor in a unique way. I let the fruit marinate for a bit before topping and throwing into the oven. And in lieu of an all purpose flour crumble topping, I use a bit of brown rice flour and an ancient grain oatmeal that has gluten-free oats, amaranth, and hemp amongst other ingredients. When I set out to make this recipe, I actually wanted to create a breakfast crumble I could give my little girl, and this does double duty - for breakfast or a simple dessert. I also used coconut sugar here - an unrefined sugar with a lot of antioxidants and lower glycemic effect; it's a bit sweeter than white sugar, so I used a lot less than other recipes you'll see out there.

Breakfast or not, this crumble is decadent - sweet ripe fruit with bits of sliced almonds topped with a buttery, crumb topping. Full-bodied and deeply flavored - breakfast never tasted so good!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8 / Yields (1) 9 1/2-inch pie dish

For the filling:

1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved (about 4 cups chopped)

5-6 stalks rhubarb (about a ½ lb), diced into ½ inch pieces

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons (good quality) sherry vinegar

2 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup sliced almonds

For the crumb topping:

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup ancient grain oatmeal (rolled oats work great here too)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup coconut sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (plus a bit more for greasing)

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a medium bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients. Let marinate 10-15 minutes while preparing the topping.

In a food processor, add the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse until uniformly mixed. Scatter the cold cubes of butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Don't let it run for too long because the butter will warm up and start to clump.

Grease a 9 ½-inch pie dish with a bit of butter and place on a baking sheet (to catch any juicy overflow). Add the strawberry-rhubarb mixture. Top with the crumb topping and bake for 35 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble topping has browned up.

Serve warm as is for breakfast or with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream for dessert.

7 Healthy Substitutions

7 HEALTHY SUBSTITUTIONS

At this point in the year, my mind always starts to turn away from winter stews and comfort food (umm, pizza) and towards the lighter and brighter. Food and healthy choices are truly a game of inches, so I wanted to share a few of my go-to, healthy substitutions, stuff I do on an everyday basis at home to help offset my splurg-y meals out. One of my requirements as a cook, though, is that I can't miss what I'm substituting - it still has to taste amazing and fulfill whatever sense (taste, texture) gets activated. So hopefully you guys will like these subs as much as I do...

AVOCADO INSTEAD OF MAYO

I like to pulse an avocado or two in the processor with a bit of salt and lime to get a smooth, creamy and slightly whipped avocado crema. Mayo is not missed.

SWAP OUT OATS FOR AMARANTH OR QUINOA AT BREAKFAST

Breakfast for me is where I stuff in as much nutrition as I can! I love using cooked amaranth or quinoa for an easy breakfast pudding. Add a bit of milk of your choice to the cooked grain, some chia or even ground flax seeds, sliced almonds or other nuts, berries/fruit, and you have a super satisfying meal in no time. Much better than store bought cereal!

WHOLE GRAINS INSTEAD OF BREAD OR BREADCRUMBS

When I'm making meatloaf or meatballs, I like to use cooked bulghur, oats, or a short grain brown rice (slighly overcooked) as my binding agent in lieu of soaking bread in milk or using breadcrumbs. The texture is amazing, and it just makes the meal more nutrient-dense. Love it.

VEGAN BANANA ICE CREAM FOR DESSERT

I'm an ice cream snob, and there are obviously times when a pint of Mint Chip is called for. But when I know I need to keep it light, I whir up some frozen, sliced banana pieces in the processor with a bit of cinnamon to make vegan "ice cream." After it gets kind of icy / shredded, the processor warms it up and it turns into a super, whipped custard (and a bit of water or almond milk can get the blade moving if it's taking too long). It really is delicious - creamy, sweet and light; it hits the ice cream-craving texture spot on. AND you can make endless variations. Add frozen berries for more of a sorbet feel, vanilla bean to go traditional or peanut butter and raw cacao for a peanut butter cup treat.

DATES OR CINNAMON FOR SWEETNESS

I use these in totally different ways, so it may have been misleading to put them together. Dates (particularly the Medjool type) are my go-to for smoothies, muffins and cake batter - they have a caramelized sweetness that is hard to rival. Cinnamon is just what I put in coffee or my homemade almond milk to add some (blood sugar-balancing) sweetness; it's kind of a brain trick and takes some weaning off the real thing, especially when it comes to coffee, but it's worth it. Sugar gives you wrinkles (which is enough to send me screaming), so sub where you can.

MAPLE SUGAR RATHER THAN REFINED

If you must (and there are times that you MUST), using maple sugar rather than the refined, white sort is amazing. Full of antioxidants and lower on the glycemic index, this is my option for baking for my little one. Check it out in this Butternut Squash & Apple Bread recipe.

OAT + BROWN RICE + ALMOND FLOUR INSTEAD OF AP

Also, in that recipe, I use a great, gluten-free mix of flours instead of all-purpose. Really, since no one in my family has a gluten allergy / intolerance, I'm motivated again by nutrition - more fiber, higher vitamin / mineral content, full of good fats. And, again, I don't miss the AP here - this bread is just as good, if not better, with this healthy flour mix.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash & Apple Bread with Maple and Cardamom

I posted a photo of this on Instagram a few days back, and a number of people came back and asked for this recipe to bake for the holidays. And here it is! It’s a bit lighter than other fruit or vegetable breads (think: cake), and relies much more on butternut squash than apple for flavor. That said, the great thing about this bread is that the squash doesn’t have to be precooked or pureed or anything before being added in. Grating it up in a processor does all the work you need, and the squash cooks in the baking time.

I made this cake for my daughter, who hated squash (until now…hah!). And for that reason, I changed out the flour using an “all purpose” mix of oat, brown rice, and almond flours. Really, it isn’t so much about the gluten, though being gluten free is a benefit for some here. It’s more about the fact that oats and brown rice and almonds have a lot more nutritional value than AP flour. Same goes for the maple sugar, a sugar from the maple tree that has a flavor very close to the syrup. Again, maple sugar has antioxidants and minerals not found in refined sugar. It has a lower glycemic index, and I always use a lot less of it in recipes.

These are just my choices, but feel free to use all purpose flour here and substitute another sugar if you can’t find maple. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 1 8½” x 4¼” x 2¾” loaf pan

2 cups raw, peeled, and grated butternut squash

1 cup peeled, cored and grated apple

scant 1 cup maple sugar

1 cup oat flour

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup almond flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

¼ cup organic, unrefined coconut oil or ½ stick butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375˚ F.

Place grated squash and apple in a bowl along with 3 tablespoons of the maple sugar. Stir to combine and let stand to macerate for 15 minutes.

In another bowl, sift together flours with salt, spices, baking soda and baking powder.

In a stand mixer, cream together remaining sugar and coconut oil or butter. With mixer on medium-low, add vanilla and then the eggs one at a time. Turn mixer down to low, and add in the flour in three increments, stopping to scrape down the sides. Mix until almost combined. Fold in the macerated squash and apple with any liquid that’s accumulated and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before unmolding.

My Breakfast Clafoutis

Lately, I’ve been craving desserts on a daily basis, and so in an effort not to get too crazy, I’ve been searching out healthier alternatives to satisfy my sweet tooth. I made these as a fast and healthy weeknight dessert, but the leftovers quickly became my morning snack over the following days. And why not? Eggs, milk, fruit and almonds? Perfect breakfast food!

These are decently healthier than the last version of clafoutis I posted with Amarena cherries and dark chocolate…which are delicious! But, here, I used lowfat milk instead of heavy cream and made them gluten free with the addition of almond flour in lieu of all-purpose. Everything (except the berries) gets whirred in a blender before a short rest period, so these are super quick to make and can’t be easier for clean up.

I don’t put a ton of sugar in these since I have them for breakfast, so you may need to sweeten them up a bit more if you like it on the sweet side or finish with a bit of powdered sugar or an extra drizzle of honey. If you are using peak season berries, they should be plenty sweet – I use frozen berries in the off-season months myself. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 6 6-ounce ramekins

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk, lowfat or otherwise

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsps almond extract

¼ cup honey or light brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup almond flour

1 ½ cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or some combination)

cooking spray, for greasing

powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a blender, blend together eggs, milk, extracts, honey and salt. Add flour and blend for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds until flour is incorporated and there are no lumps. Rest batter in the refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to overnight.

Grease the ramekins, and place on a large baking sheet. Place ¼ cup of mixed berries in each ramekin and top with an even amount of batter in each.

Transfer baking sheet into the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes until lightly browned, raised and the custard is set. Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

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7 HEALTHY SUBSTITUTIONS

Butternut Squash & Apple Bread with Maple and Cardamom

My Breakfast Clafoutis