Gluten Free and VEGAN Rhubarb Blackberry Cobbler

My first experience with rhubarb was out of this world.  Well, technically, out of this country. While living as an exchange student in Germany, my family shared many dishes right out of their own back yard garden. Feeling inspired by the lovely weather we had last week, I planted my own garden in the back yard and one of the first plants I planted into my garden box was a small rhubarb plant with two tiny stalks. Sadly, I will have to wait for garden fresh rhubarb, but in the meantime, I found some lovely organic rhubarb at our local New Season's Market along with a recipe for gluten-free AND vegan crisp! I figured I'd better know how to cook it now before my rhubarb is large enough to harvest.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of rhubarb stalks
1 pint of blackberries
1/2 cup of demerara  or brown sugar (original recipe called for 1 cup, it felt pretty sweet at 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of gluten free oats
1/2 cup of gluten free all purpose baking mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 1 stick of vegan butter (I always use Natural Balance Buttery Sticks)


1. Preheat oven to 350*F
2. Lightly oil deep pie pan, deep 8 inch square pan or small cast iron casserole dish. Must be deep! There is a lot of fruit and gets bubbly! I used a  cast iron casserole dish.
3.  Chop rhubarb into 1 inch pieces and toss into dish along with blackberries.
4. In a separate bowl, add sugars, flour, oats, and salt. Stir to mix.
5. Cut butter into small cubes and add to dry mix. Use hands to mix well into dry, crumbly mix.
6. Refridgerate mixture for at least 10-15 minutes before using.
7. Crumble mixture on top of rhubarb/blackberry mixture evenly.
8. Place in oven, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove when top is lightly browned and fruit is bubbling around the side. Serve warm alone, or with your favorite vegan ice cream! My favorite just happens to be So Delicious Vanilla flavored coconut ice cream! I have to admit, I have broken down and had real ice cream a few time since going vegan. That being said, I think the coconut ice cream is STILL better than the real stuff and sweetened only with agave and made with good-for-you coconut milk. Hard to beat.

I DARE you to actually have this sitting around in your house for longer than an hour! It will be gone before you know it!

Red Lentil Soup with Curry, Sweet Potatoes and Greens

Lentils are just about the most amazing legume! Packed with protein, fiber, iron, vitamins and even been know to lower blood sugar levels . Not to mention easy to cook (no soaking needed!), and lends itself to so many flavors. With the sudden chilly change in late-spring weather, I felt the need to make a heaping pot of lentil soup and try swiss chard for the first time. As a long time kale lover, I felt compelled to try its cousin, chard. I checked out my new cookbooks until I came to the perfect recipe in my new cookbook, "Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons," by Nava Atlas. As usual, I took the original recipe and tweaked it a bit until I came out with a decent pot of soup. Not my favorite, but will most likely be a work in progress as I make it over and over again.

 Ingredients:
2 tablespoons safflower oil, coconut oil, or other high heat oil (olive oil scorches under heat and should never be used for cooking).
1 medium chopped red onion (I used my progressive vegetable chopper to put soup together in a snap)
2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on your preference. I used 2 XL cloves of elephant garlic.
8 cups of water or low sodium vegetable stock (I used water plus 2 tablespoons of Better than Vegetable Stock)
2 cups of dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
2-3 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (or alternatively 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon)
1 bunch (about 3 large leaves) of swiss chard, ribs removed, rinsed and sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
optional: 4 peeled and sliced carrots
Juice of lemon and/or lime (I used both)



1. Heat oil in large soup pot or cast iron casserole pot
2. Add onion and garlic and sautee on medium until onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes
3. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, and seasoning and turn to coat.
4. Add water with bouillon or vegetable stock, lentils, and ginger.
5. Bring to simmer, cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes until lentils are can be smashed and sweet potatoes and carrots are done.
6. Add washed, sliced chard and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add spinach and cook another 5 minutes. Add lime and/or lemon to taste. I used about one good squirt from an organic lemon and lime bottles.
8. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours on the stove, off the heat. As with most soups, it will taste better after allowing it to rest and have all the flavors meld together.