Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Another favorite that Sam makes.  Fortunately, Whole Foods carries frozen rhubarb, so we can enjoy this year-round.  But it is the best when the rhubarb is fresh (DC area: April-July).

I absolutely love pie, but it is often too sweet for my tastes.  I concocted this recipe several years ago as an alternative to the traditional, oogy-sweet Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.  It incorporates the tartness of rhubarb, with the sweetness of brown sugar and blueberries.  The Rose Water
subtly enhances the flavor of the berries and the lemon juice adds a refreshing crispness.

It’s a lot of fun watching people try to figure out what exactly is in this pie- so deceiving!

Sam’s Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble

2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks of salted butter, cold
10 oz frozen rhubarb (or 4-5 chopped stalks of fresh)
10 oz frozen blueberries
1 tsp Rose Water
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 cup ice-cold water
1 pie tin or pie dish

Filling

Combine rhubarb, blueberries, Rose Water, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well and set aside at room temperature to macerate for about 30 minutes.

Dough

Add 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to your food processor and pulse until well mixed.  Next, add in 2 sticks of very cold, diced butter.  Pulse, and add in 1 1/4 cup of ice water a little at a time, until the mixture is crumbly.  You do not want a ball of dough.

Once you have the right consistency, take out the contents out onto a floured cutting board.  Take half of the mixture, roll it into a ball, wrap with Saran Wrap and put into the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Take the other half of the crumble mix and gently add to a bowl, cover with Saran Wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once the dough is cold, take out the half you rolled into a ball and covered with Saran Wrap.  Roll out on a well-floured cutting board until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Drape over the greased pie tin or pie dish.  Gently form into a the mold, and cut away any excess from the edge.

Add the blueberry-rhubarb filling into the pie, and spread evenly.  Make sure not to add too much of the excess liquid (no one likes a soupy pie!).  Top the pie with the remaining crumbly dough (the one in the bowl), I aim for about 90% coverage.

Put the pie on a cookie sheet (in case of spillage), and slide into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the topping is golden and bubbly.

Book Club Pt 5- Beef in Tomato Sauce

This is the last of the Book Club posts, and I think equally delicious to all the other one’s.  This can actually be just a meal on it’s own, especially if you add some vegetables on the side.  As mentioned with the other dishes, it can be made ahead.  I had put everything together a day before, and just re-heated it in the oven (350 degrees) for about 45 minutes the day off.  By giving it the extra time, the flavors blend much better. 

Beef in Tomato Sauce
Adapted from: Halal Mama Blog

*note: this recipe was for a larger group, feel free to half it, and therefore it won’t make a giant pot of this*

2 large onions, diced
8 cloves of garlic, diced
2 lbs stewing beef, cut into cubes
1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp curry
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups of water

Heat olive oil in a large pot (or Dutch oven), then add the onions.  Let them saute until almost translucent, and then add the garlic.  Add the cubed meat to the pot, and sear it.  Allow each piece to be cooked on each side.  Finally, add all of the spices, crushed tomatoes, water and bouillon cubes.  (Instead of using water and bouillon cubes,  you can switch out for beef broth)  Let it boil, and then turn down the heat.  Allow to stew for about 1 hour.  The meat should be tender, and the sauce has a great blend of flavors. 

*I served this dish with some basmati rice.