Rhubarb Banana Cake

So some of us can’t seem to leave a good thing alone. Or perhaps, in our quest to use “frugal” ingredients, we look to the tried and true for inspiration.

Whichever it is, I recently took a beloved family recipe and changed it in order to incorporate a freebie from my backyard—rhubarb.

The old family recipe-- http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2011/05/bananas-bananas-bananas.html

reached a fifth generation of family cooks this week, when my granddaughter made it for her Dad for Fathers’ Day. Now, however, I had a lot of “free” rhubarb in the backyard. With some frozen bananas in the freezer, it was time for a rhubarb and banana combination. I’ve tried this unlikely combination before—check out http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2012/06/rhubarb-banana-muffins.html

for a muffin recipe that I’ve been called on to make repeatedly in the past few years.

This week, however, I needed a cake for one of my baking commitments, so why not try a new take on Grandma’s recipe? And why not cook the rhubarb into an old-fashioned sauce?

It didn’t take long to come up with this new cake that is quite a bit lower in fat, has more fiber thanks to both the rhubarb and the oatmeal, and, by making the frosting a little thinner, is overall lower in calories and sugars.

No, this cannot be considered a “health food,” but it is a nice lightened dessert for those longing for a sweet end to their meal.

Frugal too—with far less butter, “free” rhubarb and inexpensive bananas, the cost of this cake is well below that of many other desserts.

Rhubarb Sauce

First, a note about “rhubarb sauce” listed in the ingredients for the second recipe. When I was growing up, this was one of the very first things my mother made when rhubarb was starting to flourish while the rest of the landscape had scarcely started to green up. Soon enough there would be pie and crisps and all the rest of those standard Midwestern rhubarb desserts, but it seems like the rhubarb sauce was the first thing to appear at the table.

As I began looking at recipes and making a game plan for a “new cake,” I wondered if rhubarb sauce could be substituted for applesauce in recipes. It didn’t take long to discover that the substitution was an easy one. Making a big batch of the rhubarb sauce was a great make ahead for several recipes, so the second version of the cake recipe below includes “pre-made” rhubarb sauce.

Now of course, you might not be interested in making rhubarb sauce on its own; truth be told, I really dislike the stuff served like this. (Even today, I could easily go without ever eating another rhubarb-containing dish, but rest assured that everything rhubarb included in this blog has been strenuously tested by many other tasters!) In that case, why go through the separate step of making the sauce and then bringing it to a boil again with the water? So I tested the recipe without the added step of pre-making the sauce. 

Both cakes turned out wonderfully well, so I have included both recipes. The first will be fine if you are not going to use rhubarb sauce for anything else, and the second version will work well if you do decide to make up a larger batch of rhubarb sauce.

Whichever way you choose to prepare the recipe, this is a relatively quick cake to make. Get the oatmeal mixture stirred up and resting while you measure out the remaining ingredients and get the oven preheated. Then just wait for the baking cake to spread that great homemade aroma throughout the house. .

Banana Rhubarb Cake 1

2 c chopped rhubarb

1 1/4 c water

1/4 c sugar

1 ¼ c quick or old-fashioned oats (NOT instant)

1 c mashed banana (about 2 medium)

2 T butter

1 egg

½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar

1 t vanilla                                                                                    

2 c flour

1 ¼ t soda

1 t cinnamon

1. Place the rhubarb, water, and 1/4 c sugar in a large bowl (the mixture will boil up) in the microwave and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the rhubarb is very soft and the mixture is boiling.

2. Remove the rhubarb mixture from the microwave and stir in the oatmeal and banana. Set aside to cool about 20 to 25 minutes.

3.  Mix together the butter, egg, sugars, and vanilla. Stir into the slightly cooled rhubarb mixture.

4.  Sift together the flour, soda, and cinnamon and stir into the butter and rhubarb mixture. Beat with a whisk or wood spoon until completely blended and smooth.

5.  Pour into a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. (If using a thin disposable aluminum pan as shown in the pictures, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.)



The cake is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without any liquid batter clinging to it.

6. For best results, frost the cake with the Caramel Frosting while both the cake and the frosting are still warm.

Banana Rhubarb Cake 2

1 1/4 c Rhubarb Sauce (see below)

1 c water

1 ¼ c quick or old-fashioned oats (NOT instant)

1 c mashed banana (about 2 medium)

2 T butter

1 egg

½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar

1 t vanilla                                                                                    

2 c flour

1 ¼ t soda

1 t cinnamon

1.  Add the water to the prepared Rhubarb Sauce and heat to boiling in the microwave—about 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Follow the same procedure as above, beginning in step 2. 

 

Rhubarb Sauce

2 c chopped rhubarb

¼ c water

¼ c sugar

Combine the rhubarb, water, and sugar, and microwave on High for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely soft. Makes about 1 ¼ cup of sauce and is easily doubled or tripled.

This may be made ahead (even frozen if desired) in recipe sized portions. If the 2 cups of rhubarb results in slightly more or less than 1 ¼ cups of sauce, adjust the water in the cake recipe so that the total of sauce and water equals 2 ¼ cups.

This basic sauce often has some grated orange or lemon zest included, with a tablespoon or two of orange juice or lemon juice substituted for part of the water. I haven't tried the cake with these additions to the sauce but they might make for an interesting flavor there too.

Frosting

The Caramel Frosting given here is a relatively small recipe for a cake of this size, but spreading it while both the cake and frosting are warm will allow you to put a nice looking finish on the cake, while reducing just a bit more the amount of sugar (and calories) in each serving. (If you want a thicker frosting, use the proportions listed at http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2011/05/bananas-bananas-bananas.html)

Caramel Frosting

2 T butter

2 T milk

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1 t vanilla

Approximately 1 ½ c powdered sugar

1.  Combine the butter, milk, and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very bubbly and beginning to thicken slightly.

2.  Remove from heat and add vanilla. Then stir in the powdered sugar gradually, until of spreading consistency.

3.  While the frosting is still very warm, frost the cake. (If the frosting cools too much and begins to thicken, add a few more drops of milk at a time until of spreading consistency.)

A Quick Vegetarian Supper

I've posted so many dessert and cookie recipes lately, this site is starting to seem out of balance...at least to me, since my preference is still for the more savory/veggie parts of the meal.

 While the rest of my garden is still more in the planning than growing stage, my tiny patch of asparagus is flourishing. This spear grew from nothing to a length too great for my camera in two days! (I didn't have a ruler handy so put the full sized dinner fork next to it for a sense of the size.)




Time for something with asparagus for sure. That said, I have to admit that I am still learning to like asparagus while all those around me others speak of their joy at finding these bright green spears at the farmers market, in their backyards, or even--as it was when I was growing up in the rural Midwest--along back country roadsides, ready for the eagle-eyed harvester to spot the wild clumps.


I have learned that a spear cut fresh from the garden and washed gently can be a great raw snack, but I still find that mixing asparagus into other dishes is a way to lessen that very distinctive flavor. Even if you enjoy the flavor, the dish in today's post can also stretch your supply.


The vegetables

Looking in the refrigerator revealed both a good variety of vegetables that immediately suggested a stir fry. This recipe reflects what was available right now. However, check out the variations for ideas on what you might want to add, based on what you have on hand.

Notice that I used sliced broccoli stems. This is one of those frugal ideas that can really stretch your budget and add some new texture to your vegetable dishes. When prepared in this way, the stems will often be mistaken for water chestnuts, at a much lower cost. If the stems on your broccoli are a little fibrous, you can peel them and still make use of what you might have formerly discarded. (And in our markets, buying the full broccoli head is usually quite a bit less per pound than the pre-cut flowerettes.)


The pan

As you can see in these photos, I use just an ordinary cast iron skillet for stir-frying. It heats well and is increasingly more non-stick the more I use it. Though I probably will never include it in a picture, I use a very old, very battered, pizza pan as a cover for those few minutes when a little moist cooking finishes the hardest of vegetables, without their losing their overall crispness.


Now for the tofu

I am still learning to cook with tofu; I used the "firm" kind today, but I think extra firm would have resulted in better looking pieces. I have also had better success in getting out the liquid by freezing the tofu and then thawing, but I didn't have time for that today.

Even after squeezing the liquid out, this cooked up with the consistency of firm scrambled eggs--and in fact, I think you might find the egg variation below worth trying if you don't ordinarily buy tofu. As you can see, my cutting into cubes also wasn't really "professional," but don't toss the crumbles; just stir them in with the more perfect pieces.

Oh, and "quick?

A stir fry supper can really be quick, even if it seems like there is way too much preparation to bother with. Since I have cut so many hundreds (thousands?) of onions in my life, I can peel and dice an onion in less than a minute. If you still need to take more time, you can always use some frozen onions--as well as frozen peppers and even broccoli flowerettes instead of the stems. Just have baby carrots? Cut some of these in half instead of taking the time to slice a carrot or two.

If you make the recipe as given below, you will probably find that the total preparation (even the squeezing of the tofu) will take just about as much time as cooking the rice--"regular," white rice, not instant that is. Total time elapsed even without any pre-prepped veggies was less than 25 minutes. Yes, there is a little more "kitchen time" than would be required with a frozen entree that needs 25 minutes to cook, but the cost is less, and the amount of "unwanted" ingredients that entree includes? Not at all included here.

Stir-fried Spring Vegetables with Tofu (Vegan)

olive oil; oil flavored with garlic or herbs is especially good here
4 oz firm or extra firm tofu, well-drained
1 to 2 T teriyaki sauce, or to taste
1 small to medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 c bell peppers, diced (if using mini-peppers, cut in rings for a nice appearance)
2 c broccoli stems, thinly sliced
1 c carrots, sliced
2 or 3 spears asparagus, diagonally cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried marjoram
seasoning salt to taste

1.  Remove the tofu from the liquid in which it came and place on a flat dinner plate. Put a doubled paper towel on top and then place a heavy pan on it, pressing down to remove as much liquid as possible. I pour off the liquid as I press it and then leave the pan on top while chopping the vegetables, occasionally giving the pan another push. Cut the tofu into about 1 inch cubes.

2.  Heat the olive oil over medium high to high heat until a bit of the tofu dropped into it sizzles. Add the drained tofu to the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom is quite golden brown. The less you turn it, the more it will hold its shape. Turn the pieces and brown the second side; you will probably need only a couple of minutes for the second side.Remove the tofu from the pan, sprinkle generously with the teriyaki sauce, and set aside.

3. Add the onions, broccoli, and carrots to the pan (along with a bit more oil only if needed), cover lightly, and cook at medium high heat until the broccoli and carrots are just beginning to soften. Stir occasionally, perhaps adding a teaspoon or so of water at times to keep the vegetables from getting too brown before they are done.Depending on how thinly you have sliced the broccoli and carrots, this step should take only about 5 to 8 minutes.



4.  When the first vegetables are almost cooked, add the pepper rings and asparagus, along with the basil and marjoram. Add a few more drops of water, stir, and cover the pan, cooking just long enough for the asparagus to tenderize slightly. Stir in the tofu, including the sauce that will now have formed with the teriyaki sauce, and taste, adding salt or seasoning salt as needed. Heat just long enough to re-warm the tofu.

Serve with rice or any of the far eastern noodles now available in many stores. Makes about two servings.

Variations:

The amounts and varieties of vegetables here are just what I had on hand today. You might want to add in sliced mushrooms, peas, celery, shredded cabbage, edamame, cauliflower, etc. If your family doesn't care much for peppers, cut back this amount (or eliminate entirely).

In the same way, you may choose to use a different blend of herbs and seasonings--maybe some cilantro and cumin, with corn stirred into the mix. If you choose to go this route, substitute a drizzle of taco sauce for the teriyaki sauce on the tofu.

If using frozen vegetables for any of the fresh ones here, no need to thaw. Just toss them in as called for in the basic recipe.

Scrambled Eggs and Vegetables (Vegetarian but Not Vegan)

The eggs in this version will end up much like the egg that is sometimes found in "fried rice" served at many Chinese restaurants. Prepare the eggs as noted below and then add them to the vegetables just a minute or two before serving.

2 to 3 eggs, beaten
oil enough to cover the base of the pan

1.  Using a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until a drop of water or small piece of bread sizzles. Stir in the beaten eggs. (The pan should be large enough that the egg mixture will cover the bottom quite thinly. For this many eggs, I'd use at least a 10 inch skillet.)

2.  Allow the eggs to cook without stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes. When  the edges begin to look set, carefully turn the eggs with a spatula, keeping them as intact as possible. This is NOT the time to be stirring them!

3.  Turn off the burner and allow the eggs to finish cooking on the second side, until they are very firm. When slightly cooled, cut into about 1 inch pieces. Add the eggs to your stir-fried vegetables just before serving. Avoid stirring too much, to avoid the pieces from breaking into tiny crumbles.

Mayonnaise in Unexpected Places

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the good fortune to buy mayonnaise at a super-bargain price; since I don't usually use this for sandwiches, salads, or really anything else, I started exploring how else I might be able to use my purchase. The natural place for me to start was a chocolate mayonnaise cake, as I had memories of hearing about this in my childhood. My adaptation is here: http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/an-old-fashioned-recipe-with-great.html

When the cake turned out to be a great success, I decided to try for more, related uses. First were these Double Chocolate Cookies (http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/double-chocolate-cookies-made-with.html), a cake-like cookie that has received high praise from most of my "testing panel." However, for those prefer either chewy or crisp cookies, these still didn't fit the "must have" category. With lots of mayonnaise still in the jar (this was the two quart size after all), it was time for more experimentation.

As usual, I started with an internet search and, as usual, didn't find anything that exactly fit my thoughts. However a little tweaking and research on the chemistry of cookies and I ended up with a wonderful recipe for "Snickerdoodles" that could become a go-to activity for the grandkids this summer. I also adapted an old family recipe  to include mayo instead of oil, along with a few other adjustments for a new take on chocolate chip cookies. I'll be posting that recipe separately.

For now, here are a few of the reasons why I would encourage you to consider mayonnaise-based cookies:

• Cost--the following recipe includes neither eggs nor butter. If you buy mayonnaise when it is on special (which is often the case during these summer-picnic-foods-weeks), it could come in at as little as half the cost of the original version.
• Convenience--even if you are like me and don't keep prepared mayonnaise available for salads or sandwiches, having a jar on the shelf or in the refrigerator makes a good "emergency" ingredient when you are out of eggs or butter.
• Food safety--okay, I will admit that I don't worry as much as I probably should about letting the kids taste the cookie or cake batter before it is cooked. However, with mayonnaise-based baked goods that don't have eggs, the cookie dough is fine for sampling without those raw egg worries.
• Kid friendly--each of the recipes I have tried have been easily prepared, and these Snickerdoodles are especially recommended for kids. The dough is almost play-dough consistency, so the frustrations of sticky hands or crumbly plops of dough are non-existent.
• Nutrition? Okay, let's remember: cookies are not on the menu as a basic high-nutrition food. That said, there is a little lower fat proportion in mayo when subbed for butter or oil, and the fats you should find in your "real mayo" ingredients list will be oils without any trans fats. 

There are, of course, some caveats:

• Mayonnaise-based recipes are NOT egg-free! If you avoid eggs for allergies or vegan reasons, these recipes are not for you. "Eggless" in the recipe means just that you don't have to provide your own eggs.
• If you are not crazy about soybean oil, you will either have to find a brand that doesn't include this (which my admittedly limited research has not found) or avoid these recipes.
• Though I haven't been able to detect any "mayonnaise flavor" in finished cookies (nor have any of my tasters), I still like to include enough added flavor ingredients (cinnamon here, and spices and chocolate or chocolate chips in others) to be sure any off-flavor.

I have been using Costco's Kirkland brand in these recipes. Their ingredients list is pretty short, with few additives I would be uncomfortable with. While some of the other sites that have mayo-containing recipes do use low-fat or even fat-free mayo or Miracle Whip-type salad dressing, these usually have the kinds of ingredient lists I prefer to avoid. 

But enough of the kitchen-y talk. Let's get to the recipe. These little cookies are so easy to make and so uniformly desired by sweet-eaters, why not stir up a batch today!

Easy, Easy Snickerdoodles

1 c sugar
1 c mayonnaise
1 t vanilla
 2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
Topping 
1/3 c sugar
1 t cinnamon (or more if desired)

1.  Beat the sugar, mayonnaise, and vanilla together until completely mixed and smooth.
2.  Sift the flour, soda, and cinnamon together and add to the mayonnaise mixture. Stir just until well blended.
3.  Form the dough into balls about the size of large walnuts. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4.  Mix the Topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Dip a flat-bottomed glass into the topping and then use the glass to flatten a cookie to about 1/3 inch or so. (The first time you dip the glass, you may need to moisten the glass VERY slightly, just to get the sugar and cinnamon to cling to the glass.) Repeat for each cookie, dipping the glass each time.











 5.  Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees, until they are golden and pop back when touched lightly with a finger.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Quick update: One of my "testers" used a different brand of mayo and found the dough to be crumbly and dry. It may be that the moisture content may differ among mayonnaise brands. If you have the same problem, you can sprinkle a teaspoon or so of water over the dough and mix it in with your hands, adding just enough to get back to that "play dough" consistency. Would love to get other feedback on YOUR results--just add a comment below. Thanks


Variations:

• Instead of using the glass to apply the Topping, you can roll each ball of dough in the Topping mixture before flattening. This will result in each cookie having a little more of the sugary coating.
• For holidays--or just "for special"--use colored sugars instead of the sugar cinnamon mix for topping the cookies.