Rhubarb Compote

One of the things I look forward to in the Spring is Rhubarb. I hear it's quite easy to grow, but I've never tried. I just wait until it shows up a the grocery store and today I got some delivered. I got more than I needed - I ordered 4 stalks, thinking they would be small and they were very large. So, I cut them up and made them into a simple compote that has a number of ways it can be used. 

Remember never to eat Rhubarb leaves, so be sure to trim any of those off. Then just trim and cut the Rhubarb into chunks, add some Sugar and some Water and let it stew for about 10 - 15 minutes. If you like the Rhubarb in chunks, leave it as it is. Or, you can mash the Rhubarb to make it smoother. 

My German Grandmother once told me that for every pound of Rhubarb, you need 1 cup of Sugar. I have friends who like their Rhubarb very tart, but like my Grandmother, I like it sweet too. So you can play with the amount of Sugar to suit your own tastes. You can use this Compote in place of Lemon Curd to make Cookie Bars, you can layer the Rhubarb with Whipped Cream in pretty glasses, or use it to make a Trifle. I like to mash up the Rhubarb a lot and eat it just like it is, kind of like a pudding. - warm or cold. It's so good, so easy and so delicious!

Rhubarb Compote 

1 pound of Rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1" chunks

3/4 - 1 cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Water

Place the Sugar and Water in a pot and add the Rhubarb. Turn the stove on to medium heat. Cook, stirring until the Sugar melts. Then turn down the Heat and cook for 10 minutes. If you like the Compote to be smooth, mash it with a Potato Masher. Spoon into individual serving bowls and refrigerate or pour into a container and refrigerate to use later. 

Optional: Whipped Cream for serving

Five Element Analysis

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, as it is the stalks of a big bush. It has a very tart flavor, which makes it part of the Wood Element, but the bright red color brings in some Fire too.  The Sugar adds in a lot of the Earth Element too. So, it's a good dessert to serve with Whipped Cream, which adds the Metal Element. 

Easy 3 Ingredient GF Peanut Butter Cookies

You have no doubt seen this recipe if you've ever searched for Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies online. It comes from the manufacturers of JiF Peanut Butter and it's amazingly simple. It uses just three ingredients - Peanut Butter, an Egg and some Sugar. They come out soft, chewy and delicious. But, I thought the recipe called for too much Sugar - 1 cup. So, I have been making them for a long time with half as much Sugar. They still turn out great and I think they taste better. I'm posting this recipe because I was talking to a friend that also cooks them this way and she thought more people should know about this version. Now, I actually do use Jia Peanut Butter because I like it - it's a childhood thing. I also like to use the Extra Crunchy one because I like little bits of crunch in my cookie. But of course you can use the creamy one instead and I'm pretty sure you can use a different brand of Peanut Butter. But if it's unsalted, you may want to add a pinch of Salt as that savory note is important to balance the taste. Anyway, when I'm in the mood for a quick cookie, this is what I make and they are wonderful!

Easy 3 Ingredient GF Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Jif Peanut Butter (Extra Crunchy or Creamy)

1/2 cup Sugar

1 Egg

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, whip the Egg slightly and add in the Peanut Butter and Sugar. Mix thoroughly. Shape into walnut sized balls and place on a baking sheet. You will make about 10. 

Press down lightly on each cookie with moistened hands and then take a fork and draw a crisscross pattern across the top.  Place in the oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the cookies are very lightly golden brown. 

Five Element Analysis

Peanut Butter is a very Earthy food. Not only do Peanuts grow underground, they also become very pasty when made into Peanut Butter. The Sugar adds even more Earth.  The Egg contributes the Water Element and baking is a Fire way of cooking. So, this cookie is by no means a balanced treat, but it can definitely add some Earth to the end of a meal!

Gluten Free Fresh Fruit Cake

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but every once in a while I just want some Cake. My favorite Cakes almost always have some kind of fruit in them or at least a fruit jam layer. And today, I really wanted Cake!  I recently had some Strawberries delivered, so Strawberry Cake was the one I made. I've made this Cake with many fruits besides Strawberries - Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Nectarines and Peaches all work well. I thought I had already posted this recipe, but I checked and there was only a previous post for a Strawberry Orange Cake, but it's not the one I usually make - so here it is!  

It's a simple Cake made from the usual ingredients - Butter, Sugar, Egg, Vanilla, Milk, Baking Powder and a Gluten Free Flour Blend - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1. Then place whatever fresh fruit you want to use on top. If you like your Cakes sweet, you can sprinkle more Sugar all over the top. About 40 - 45 minutes later, you have a delicious Cake that's not too sweet, so you can feel better about topping it with some Whipped Cream or Ice Cream if you want. I have to admit though, I like it just the way comes out of the oven and I eat it while it's still warm. Yum!

Gluten Free Fresh Fruit Cake

1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend containing Xanthan Gum (or add 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

4 Tablespoons room temperature Butter

3/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Milk (I use Lactose Free)

1 Egg

12 Strawberries, trimmed and cut in half or about 1-1/2 cups fresh fruit

Optional:  1 Tablespoon of Sugar for sprinkling on top

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a Springform Pan.

In a bowl, mix together the Gluten Free Flour, the Baking Powder and the Salt.

In another mixing bowl, cream together the Butter and Sugar until fluffy. Add in the Milk and Egg and stir to combine. Then add in the Flour Mixture and stir thoroughly. Pour into the Springform pan. Then place the Strawberries on the cake, cut side down. 

Bake  for 40 - 45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown.

Five Element Analysis

A sweet dessert is always an Earth Element food. But, the Strawberries make it a Fiery food too. Other Fruits would bring in different elements. Raspberries are Fiery, whereas Nectarines and Peaches are Fire and Earth. Blueberries or Blackberries would be Water Fruits. The Rice Flour in the Gluten Free Flour Blend along with the Butter and Baking Powder contribute the Metal Element and the Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch and Sorghum Flour add more Earth. The Egg brings in the Water Element too. While you wouldn't expect a cake to be a balanced food, it contains more Elements that I thought it would!

Maple Glazed Cashews

I was talking with my friend Liz this afternoon and she told me that she had just made some Maple Glazed Cashews that were so good that I just had to try them. So I made them and they were surprisingly good!  The recipe couldn't be simpler - there are just 3 ingredients - Cashews, Maple Syrup and Salt - that's it!  And they only cook for 10 minutes - what could be easier?

I'm not usually a fan of sweetened nuts, but these Cashews are so delicious cooked like this that I will be making this over and over again. The Cashews come out only lightly sweet and the Salt is the perfect counterpoint. I was so impressed that I had to share this recipe with you. This is a wonderful snack and these Maple Glazed Cashews would also be great on Yogurt or even in a salad. I think you'll be impressed too!

Maple Glazed Cashews

1 cup Raw Cashews

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1/8 teaspoon Salt

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the Cashews in a bowl and drizzle with the Maple Syrup and Salt. Toss to mix. Put a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and pour the glazed Cashews onto it. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Then, using a spoon, turn the Cashews over, scooping up some of the glaze to recoat the Cashews. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before eating.

Five Element Analysis

Cashews, as a nut is part of the Water Element, but the texture and color also give it a bit of the Earth Element too. The Maple Syrup is a combination of Wood as it's made from tree sap and Earth, since it is boiled down to become very sweet. The Salt of course adds a bit more Water and I ate them with a cup of Tea, which added some Fire. 

Hawaiian Style Butter Mochi Cake

I made a Butter Mochi Cake for my Master Face Reading Program students last November and I promised I would post the recipe. Clearly, you can see that I forgot to do that until I made it again yesterday.  So here, finally, is the recipe!  For those of you who don't know, Butter Mochi Cake is a Gluten Free Cake made with Sticky Rice Flour or Mochiko. This cake has Butter in it as you can see from the name, but also full fat Coconut Milk. It's a bit like a chewy pudding and it's so good!  It puffs up a lot while cooking and then sinks back down when it cools. 

I got my recipe years ago from a Hawaiian friend I worked with and it's a pretty standard recipe. I weigh the Mochiko instead of measuring it, as it's much more accurate, and I use a little less Vanilla Extract, as I like that flavor to be subtler.  You can also add ingredients like Matcha if you like. It keeps for up to 4 days and freezes well too. t's the cake I often make for family birthdays these days and if you haven't had it yet, you need to make this unusually delicious Hawaiian cake!

Hawaiian Style Butter Mochi Cake

8 ounces of Mochiko (Sticky Rice Flour) - 1 packed cup

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

2 large Eggs

1 cup Sugar

1 can full fat Coconut Milk

4 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1 - 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.  

In a mixing bowl, stir together the Mochiko, Baking Powder and Salt. Set aside. 

In a Food Processor or Stand Mixer, mix together the Butter and Sugar until it is creamy. Then add in the Coconut Milk, Eggs and Vanilla until fully combined.

Add the Mochiko mixture, scraping down the bowl several times. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 - 65 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and springs back very lightly when you press it. Let cool and cut into 12 squares

Five Element Analysis

Because it's a sweet Cake, you know that it's an Earthy food, but surprisingly, there is a lot of Metal in this dessert!.  It comes from the Coconut Milk, the Butter, the Sticky Rice Flour and the Vanilla Extract so it's a great dessert to add to a meal that is missing the Metal Element.

Best Banana Muffins

I have a grandson who loves Bananas in almost every form and his favorite way to eat them is as Banana Muffins. So, I've been making these often are his favorite Muffins. They are light and fluffy and full of delicious Banana flavor and they are Gluten Free too! I adapted a recipe from Dorie Greenspan for Banana Cake and substituted Gluten Free flour and Yogurt for the Sour Cream although you can certainly revert back to the original recipe if you like. I mix it all up in the Cuisinart so that the Banana is thoroughly incorporated but if you like Banana Chunks, mix it by hand. I also cut down the quantity so it makes an even dozen delicious Banana Muffins!

Best Banana Muffins 

adapted from Dorie Greenspan

1 ½ cups Cup4Cup flour (or other Gluten Free Flour Blend with Xanthan Gum)

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 stick unsalted Butter (4 ounces), softened

1 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

2 ripe Bananas mashed

1/2 cup plain Yogurt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and fill a Muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream together the Butter and Sugar and then add in the Yogurt, Vanilla Extract, Egg and Bananas. Mix to combine thoroughly. Then add in the Gluten Free Flour, Baking Soda and Salt.  Mix thoroughly. 

Fill the Muffin tins evenly with the batter and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the top of the Muffins spring back lightly and the Muffins are golden brown. 

Five Element Analysis

Bananas like all tropical fruit, belongs to the Earth Element and as this is a sweet treat made with Sugar, it is definitely mostly an Earth food. However, the Yogurt, which is sour contributes the Wood Element and the Butter adds the Metal Element. The Cup4Cup flour adds more Metal since it is mostly Rice Flours and the Vanilla Extract adds even more. Serve this with a cup of Tea or Coffee to bring in the Fire Element and make sure to add something from the Water Element too, we ate these for breakfast with Pork Sausages to create some balance

Gluten Free Banana Coconut Bread

As you probably know by now, if you've been following my blog, that I rarely use recipes from somewhere else as is. The exception is always for baking, because it's a science and exact measurements are pretty important. I had some leftover Coconut Milk from making a Thai Curry and I was looking for something to do with it and iI wanted something sweet. I came across a recipe for Banana Coconut Bread on the Cup4Cup website. It turned out so good that I have to share it. This Banana Bread comes out moist and delicious and the Coconut flavor is subtle and the Coconut Flakes actually gives it more texture. This is now one of my new favorite Banana Bread recipes!

Gluten Free Banana Coconut Bread – from Cup4Cup

1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 large mashed ripe Bananas

3/4 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Butter, melted

1/3 cup Coconut Milk

1 large Egg

1/2 cup Coconut Chips (unsweetened)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a loaf pan. Mix Cup4Cup Flour, Baking Soda and Salt into large bowl. Combine Bananas, Sugar, melted Butter, Coconut Milk and Egg in medium bowl. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the Coconut Flakes. Pour into the buttered loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean - about 55 minutes. 

Five Element Analysis

Banana and Coconut are both Earth Element foods and as a sweet bread, this is clearly primarily an Earth food!  The Egg brings in a bit of the Water Element and the Butter contributes the Metal Element. If you serve it with a cup of Tea or Coffee, you will be adding the Fire Element. Then only the Wood Element is missing so be sure to eat some green vegetables some other time of the day!

Gluten Free Almond Cakes with Strawberries and Blueberries

I don't do very much baking these days, but sometimes I just crave something sweet and today was one of those days. So, I decided to make something with Almond Flour since I have a lot of it in the freezer. I decided to make little cakes stuffed with fresh Strawberries and Blueberries. I made these cakes a little less sweet than the original recipe from Sunset Magazine - I used 1/2 cup Sugar instead of the 2/3 cup they recommended. And I didn't use Grapes as they suggested. I also used Almond Extract instead of Vanilla.  This recipe is a simple one but oh so delicious!  It's just a bonus that's it's also Gluten Free.

Gluten Free Almond Cakes with Strawberries and Blueberries

1/2 cup unsalted Butter (use Ghee if trying to eliminate all Lactose) at room temperature

1/2 cup Sugar

2 large Eggs

1 cup Almond Flour

1/4 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (I used GF Bisquick)

1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup of cut up fresh Strawberries

1/2 cup of Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter 8 cups of a muffin tin.  In a large bowl, beat together the Butter and Sugar with a hand mixer. Add eggs and Almond Extract and beat until mixed.  Add Almond Flour and GF All Purpose Flour and salt and beat on low speed until thoroughly mixed.  Divide batter amongst the 8 muffin cups - fill about 2/3 full. Then add blueberries and strawberries, pushing the fruit down lightly into the batter. Bake until golden brown - about 20 minutes.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Five Element Analysis

This is a sweet dessert so of course it belongs to the Earth Element, but the Strawberries bring in the Fire Element and the Blueberries add the Water Element along with the Eggs. The Almond Flour contributes the Earth Element and the Butter makes sure that the Metal Element is also represented. Only the Wood Element is missing, so be sure to serve a Wood food or beverage with them or later, such as Orange Juice or Yogurt if you plan to have these for breakfast. 

Chinese Candied Kumquats

Happy Chinese New Year - this is the 6th Anniversary of 5 Element Food! I have added a Chinese New Year list of lucky foods in Pages that we can all eat for the next two weeks. I didn't cook on New Year's Day for the first time in a long time. I did however make Dumplings and Shanghai Year Cake for New Year's Eve. But on New Year's Day, I had a Grand Opening of the new Lotus Institute Seattle Office/Classroom. I served lots of lucky foods, mostly sweet with a few savory things too but I bought most of them. 

One of the lucky foods I meant to make was Candied Kumquats, which I made today instead.  Kumquats are considered lucky because they golden orange color symbolizes Prosperity and a Sweet Life when Candied.  Kumquats are also very good for you! They are full of Vitamin C and the Peel is considered very good for the Heart. Candied Kumquat Syrup is also a classic remedy for colds, coughs and sore throats.

I love Candied Kumquats and this is a very simple recipe that uses only Sugar and Water and if you like, you can also add a Cinnamon Stick or Ginger or Star Anise or all of them to spice it up. I personally like the plainest version as the distinct flavor of Kumquats is enough for me. The delicious syrup can be made into Tea or a Sparkling Drink, used as a glaze for Roast Meat or as a syrup for Pancakes. Candied Kumquats are a beguiling mixture of Bitter, Tart and Sweet Flavors made into a chewy confection. You can serve them moist or lightly dried and rolled in sugar - either way is wonderful! Although you can buy Candied Kumquats at Asian Markets, they are so much better when you make them yourself. Keep some in your refrigerator for this cold and flu season. You don't have to wait until Chinese New Year to make these - they are delicious anytime!  

Chinese Candied Kumquats

60 Kumquats, stem end removed

2 cups Sugar plus more for rolling in, if desired

2 cups Water

Optional:  2 Quarter size slices of Ginger, 1 - 2 Star Anise and/or 1 Cinnamon Stick

Using a small bamboo skewer or the sharp tip of a small knife, poke holes all over each of the Kumquats. Place in a pot and add sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to the lowest heat and simmer for one hour. Kumquats will become translucent and some seeds will have popped out. Let cool. 

Then, drain the Kumquats, reserving and straining the syrup. Take each Kumquat and squeeze lightly where you see a large seed inside. If necessary, take the small knife and cut a slightly larger opening to remove the seed. 

Return the Kumquats to the Syrup and let marinate overnight before serving so they plump up more or put Kumquats on a wire rack over a baking pan and let dry overnight. Then roll in sugar before serving.

Keep the remaining Syrup in the refrigerator and use for Tea or add to Tea to sweeten it, add to Sparkling Water, use as a Pancake Syrup and as a Glaze for Ham or a Pork Roast.

Five Element Analysis

Kumquats belong to the Wood and Fire Elements because you eat mostly the Peel, which is Fiery as it is bitter, but the inside flesh is quite sour. Candying them brings in the Earth Element and adding any of the spices contributes the Metal Element. While this is clearly not a dish to eat by itself, it does add some strong elements to a Tray of Togetherness that is served at Chinese New Year.