Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Makes 1 1/2 cups (1/4 cup per serving)

 

Combine the blueberries, confectioners' sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and the mixture forms a sauce, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve at once, or let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 1 week. Just before using, shake the sauce well and serve chilled or gently reheat.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. Forget buying the fruit sauce or syrup at the grocery store. Make this at home and it will taste just as good. This homemade sauce is tart and flavorful and it goes great on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, and even panna cotta. If you add a touch of rhubarb alongside the blueberries and cook the rhubarb, the sauce will be just as flavorful, thick and tart. I highly recommend adding vanilla extract and nutmeg to the sauce to enhance the flavor.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Rhubarb-Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 rhubarb stalk, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diced English (seedless) cucumber
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced

Makes 4 Servings (1 chicken & 1/2 cup salsa per serving)

1. To make marinade, combine lemon juice and zest, 2 tablespoons of basil, garlic, 2 teaspoons of oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper in a large zip-close plastic bag; add chicken. Squeeze out air and seal bag. Turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
2. To make salsa, stir together mango, rhubarb, cucumber, remaining 2 tablespoons basil, jalapeno, honey, vinegar, shallot, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until mixed well. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
3. Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray and preheat over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken in grill pan and grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place chicken on platter and top evenly with salsa.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is what I call sophisticated entertaining. Grilled chicken is so succulent, juicy and flavorful when it's marinated in the right ingredients. The rhubarb-mango salsa is flavorful and tastes great alongside the chicken. Don't be intimidated by the ingredients. Rhubarb stalks are safe to eat; it's the leaves that are not because they're poisonous. The rhubarb and cucumber add crunch to the sweetness of the mango and honey.

Rhubarb Cherry Crumble

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked rhubarb, washed, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups fresh pitted cherries (halved if large)
• 1/2 cup cherry preserves
• 10 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste  
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled   

 Makes 9 Servings

1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, cherries and preserves. When fruit is well coated, add 2 tablespoons flour; blend thoroughly. Spoon fruit into a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and work it into flour mixture with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Spoon crumb topping over fruit and bake until fruit begins to bubble, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This dessert is what I call Spring into Summer because it's where rhubarb and cherries meet to make a delicious dessert. I really love cherries and rhubarb; cherries and rhubarb go deliciously well together seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Rhubarb always makes fruit taste better as does adding cinnamon and nutmeg. Cooked fruit is delicious and fruit cobbler in the summer is the best. I totally recommend serving this at your next gathering because it's a tasty way to end your meal. This cobbler is so delicious people will forget that it's good for them and they'll be asking for more and talking about it for days.

 



Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 Basic Pie crust, unbaked

Filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 3 cups)
• 1 (16-ounce) container strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup instant tapioca (optional)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Crumb Topping:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp water

Makes 12 Servings

1.  On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust dough to a 12-13-inch circle. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing to fit and crimping the edges to form a rim. Freeze for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, nutmeg, and salt. Toss gently to blend and let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer to  the pie shell.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter, orange juice, and water; stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture together to form clumps and break them into smaller piece over the rhubarb mixture.
4. Bake 40 minutes; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep topping from over browning. Bake 40-45 minutes longer until the filling is thick and bubbly.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts (1/12 of the pie)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Spring time is here and the weather is perfect for baking. I love strawberries and I have really come to love rhubarb. In savory cooking, onions and garlic always make everything taste better. In sweet cooking, rhubarb makes everything taste better. My dad used to make strawberry rhubarb pie when I was very little. He used to get rhubarb from the next door neighbors and he used it to make his version of strawberry rhubarb pie before we moved. He never made strawberry rhubarb pie again. Rhubarb is a tart red stalk that's a member of the buckwheat family and goes elegantly well with strawberries and every other fruit. This fruity pie was absolutely delicious. don't be intimidated when mixing the rhubarb with the strawberries; the rhubarb will cook with the fruit and make it taste so delicious. You can cut the amount of sugar in this recipe as well as add a little more lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg and your pie will still taste good. 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets

Ingredients:

• 6 low-fat honey graham crakers (2 1/2-inch squares)
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tsp water
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
• 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Makes 4 Servings

1. To prepare the crust, in a food processor or blender, whirl the graham crackers until finely crushed. Add the butter and pulse until well blended. Divide the mixture among 4 ( 4-inch) tarlet pans, pressing it over the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.
2. To prepare the filling, in a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the rhubarb, all but 1 teaspoon of the sugar, the salt and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberries. Divide among the tartlet pans; refrigerate, covered, until chilled, 1-2 hours.
3. To prepare the filling, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, the remaining teaspoon of sugar and the vanilla; stir until smooth. Serve with the tartlets.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts per tarlet

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I had never tried rhubarb before and I saw the photos for these treat in the cookbook and I new I had to try these tartlets. Plus, I also saw Chef Anne Burrell make a dish similar to this recipe and she made it look so easy. This is an easy an delicious dessert to make during the summer and it's even better to enjoy especially during a heat wave where you want something to make you happy. These fruity rhubarb tartlets do just that with the filling on top. It's like having your own little mini-fruit pie. The tartness of the rhubarb and sweetness of the strawberries make a yummy combination for these tartlets. Whatever you do, DO NOT puree the strawberries and rhubarb. You want these tartlets to have the texture of a fruity pie filling which is nice and chunky. I also highly recommend adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the graham cracker crust to kick it up a notch (as Emeril Lagasse would say) and to give it a little more flavor.