Yoghurt pudding and poached rhubarb

Serves 4
Ingredients

• Pudding
• 2 large eggs
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 235g thick, natural yoghurt
• Zest of 1 lemon and ½ orange,
• finely grated
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 15g plain flour

Rhubarb

• 4–6 sticks rhubarb
• Coarse zest strips of ½ orange
• and 1 lemon
• 1 star anise
• 300ml water
• 1 seeded vanilla pod
• 100g granulated sugar
• 100g honey

Rhubarb
The appearance of rhubarb at markets after long, cold winters is always a cheerful sight. These beautiful bright pink stalks remind us that spring possibly isn’t too far away. Rhubarb was first grown in the UK around 1760 for scientific purposes, with indoor rhubarb a recent 19th-century occurrence. It has a long history of medical usage, dating as far back as 2700 BC in China where among other uses, it was utilised to ward off plague. In 1759 a Chinese emperor forbade the export of tea and rhubarb to the Russians after a border conflict in the northern part of China. Rhubarb is classified as a vegetable and it goes well with oily fish and fatty meats. Try pairing it with mackerel or pork belly. In the UK market, the first delicate pink-hued rhubarb is forced indoors. It’s followed later in the season by outdoor-grown strains. Although it doesn’t have the same fragile flavour, it holds a well-deserved place in our crumbles and pies and works beautifully with this yoghurt-based dessert. 

METHOD

1. 1 Preheat oven to 180˚C. Place a large baking dish or tin with a little water in the oven.
2. Separate the eggs – be especially careful that none of the yolk gets left with the white (the other way round is not so crucial). Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with threequarters of the caster sugar until thick and pale. Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the yolk mixture (reserve the pod). Mix well with the yoghurt, lemon and orange zest, flour and lemon juice to taste. 
3. Bring a full kettle to boil.
4. In another bowl add the remaining sugar with the egg whites and whisk to soft peaks. Gently fold the whites into the yoghurt and yolk mixture.
5. Pour this mixture into a smaller baking dish and place this into the larger dish. Pour boiling water into the larger dish until it comes halfway up the side of the smaller dish.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes. Check occasionally that there is still sufficient water in the large dish.
7. While the yoghurt pudding is baking, prepare the rhubarb. Put the water, zest, sugar, honey, star anise and leftover vanilla pod into a pan over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil then set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Chop the rhubarb sticks into roughly 4 cm pieces.
8. Check the yoghurt pudding is ready: it should be light brown on top of a light sponge, and like a custard underneath.
9. Just before serving, remove the vanilla pod and pieces of zest, warm the syrup again to hot but not boiling and gently poach the rhubarb for about 2 minutes until tender but still holding its shape.Remove immediately from the pan. Serve on warm plates: rhubarb pieces just to one side with a light covering of the syrup and the yoghurt pudding next to and around the rhubarb.

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How to make a lemon cheesecake is delicious diabetic friendly

Being diagnosed with diabetes usually means a change in lifestyle and diet. I have a terrible sweet tooth - If you're like I had this vision of all things sweet and good to disappear from my diet. Imagine my surprise to discover that not true. In fact, doctors and nutritionists recommend eating fresh fruit. And there are many ways to make delicious desserts for diabetics. As with all foods, we have seen our share and more diabetic candies. Do not make this cheese cake and eat it all before bedtime! However, incorporated into a healthy diet, you should be able to enjoy it. With its sugar-free ingredients and fresh fruit is healthy and tasty for everyone!

LEMON CHEESE diabetic

1 1/4 cracker crumbs *

1/4 cup Splenda granular

1/3 cup melted butter

1 package (3 oz) sugar-free lemon gelatin mixture

2/3 cup boiling water

2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese

6-oz lite / firm tofu

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

Sugar 1 cup whipped cream frozen, thawed

Fresh fruit of your choice, optional

In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs, Splenda, and melted butter until well blended. With the back of a large spoon, press mixture into bottom and sides of an 8 inch pan. Chill the crust for about ten minutes.

In a blender mix the gelatin mixture of lemon and hot water, slowly add the cream cheese and tofu. Continue mixing until smooth. Divide the dough into a large bowl and add the lemon zest, lemon juice and fill thawed. Pour mixture into prepared pan, smoothing top. Cool for 4 hours or more. Before serving, garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit / fruit of your choice, if desired.

* If you can not use cracker crumbs crumbs made their butter cookies without sugar or sugar-free vanilla wafers.

12 servings.

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Manestra de Verduras

Menestra is one of the irreplaceable dishes of Navarra cuisine

Ingredients:

* 6 preserved or fresh white asparagus spears
* 3 quarts water
* Salt
* 6 Swiss chard stems
* 1/2 pound romano (flat) beans or regular green beans, ends trimmed
* 6 small artichokes
* 1 lemon, halved
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
* 2 cups fresh or frozen shelled English peas
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 4 thin slices spanish ham, minced

Directions

1. If using preserved asparagus, drain them and reserve 1 cup of the brine; set the asparagus and brine aside separately. If using fresh asparagus, cut off about 1 inch from the base of each spear and then peel the spears with a vegetable peeler
2. Pour 1 quart of the water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over hight heat. Salt the water lightly and add the Swiss chard stems, beans, and, if you are using them, the fresh asparagus. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the asparagus are tender, then lift the asparagus out with a wire skimmer or tongs. Continue cooking the chard stems and beans for 10 minutes longer, or until very tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the chard stems and the beans into thin strips
3. Meanwhile, working with 1 artichoke at a time, peel off the tough outer leaves. Cut off the stem flush with the bottom, and cut off the top one-third of the leaves. Rub the trimmed artichoke with a lemon half. Repeat with the remaining artichokes, rubbing them each with the same lemon half. In a second saucepan, bring 1 quart of the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour and the remaining lemon half and stir to mix. (The lemon prevents the artichokes from turning dark, and the flour counterbalances the acidity of the lemon and makes the artichokes more tender.) Add the artichokes, decrease the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
5. In a third saucepan, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil over medium-high heat. Salt the water lightly, add the peas, decrease the heat to medium-low, and boil gently for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain
6. Put the vegetables in separate piles on an oven proof platter and place in the oven. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ham and sauté, stirring often, for 1 minute, or until the fat glistens. Using a slotted spoon, lift the ham from the pan with the oil to high heat and stir in the remaining teaspoon flour. Add the reserved 1 cup brine (or the cooking liquid if you used fresh asparagus), stirring to mix well, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, or until the liquid turns opaque
7. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, heat through in the oven for 2 minutes, and serve immediately

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