Rhubarb, Brie & Arugula Quesadillas

Every year around this time, I go a little overboard trying to come up different ways of using rhubarb, whether its in savory dishes, baked goods, sauces and condiments, or desserts (check out last year's roundup of rhubarb recipes!). Rhubarb is probably one of my favourite ingredients, and since it's only available for a short time every year, I try to make the most of it!

This year so far, I've made curried lentils with rhubarb chutney, a sweet rhubarb compote, strawberry-rhubarb scones, and these quesadillas!

I was inspired by a recipe for honeyed rhubarb and brie paninis that I saw on The Miniature Moose blog. I thought the combination of rhubarb with creamy brie cheese sounded like the perfect idea for a sandwich, but then I thought of turning it into quesadillas instead.

I kept the ingredients pretty simple, so all you need is what you see above - tortillas, brie cheese, a rhubarb mixture that you make by cooking down rhubarb with some maple syrup on the stovetop, and some arugula to add a bit more substance to the filling and a bit of bite to cut down on the sweetness.

I was trying to come up with something else to make these extra special, like another ingredient for the filling, or some kind of salsa to serve them with, but it turned out that nothing else was needed - these were simple but perfect that way!

I loved the combination of the slightly melted creamy brie with the tart rhubarb sauce. These were nice and soft quesadillas - the kind you can pick up and fold over like a pizza slice without anything falling out!

I did have a bit of leftover rhubarb filling that I spooned on top of some of the quesadillas which worked well as a "salsa", but I liked them just as much plain too.

Hopefully I'll have more rhubarb recipes to share with you before it's all gone!

Rhubarb, Brie & Arugula Quesadillas

Inspired by The Miniature Moose

*Note: these are approximate amounts - use as much cheese and arugula as you like, and make however many quesadillas as you can with the amount of rhubarb sauce!

2 cups diced rhubarb

2 tbsp water

1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup

~4 whole wheat tortillas

Brie cheese, sliced

arugula

Place rhubarb, water, and maple syrup in a saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Once simmering, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb has broken down and the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out any remaining liquid if desired.

Heat two large skillets on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Lay out tortillas and place slices of brie cheese on one half of each tortilla. Top cheese with a 2-3 tablespoons of the rhubarb mixture per tortilla (I just estimated how much to put on). Place a large handful of arugula on top, then fold each tortilla in half. Place two tortillas in each skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until lightly browned. Carefully flip and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cut each tortilla in half for smaller wedges.

Serve warm. Feel free to top with additional rhubarb sauce if you have any leftover.

Serves 2-3.

Rhubarb Recipe Round Up

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been making a lot of rhubarb recipes lately in an attempt to use up the abundance of rhubarb that my parents grow in their backyard every year. 

Since I'm always on the lookout for new recipes and ideas to use it up, I thought it might be helpful to share a round-up of some of the rhubarb recipes that I've made, plus some extra links for recipes that I've bookmarked to try next!

Breakfast

For Mothers Day this year, my sister and I made this seasonal overnight baked french toast casserole with strawberries and rhubarb from Two Peas and Their Pod. This is not traditional french toast, but more like a bread pudding with cubes of bread studded with lots of fruit and topped with a light layer of crumble. We all enjoyed this as a special breakfast treat!

Even though hot porridge seems more like a winter breakfast to me, it actually works really well to add rhubarb to your morning oats for a hearty and healthy breakfast. I made this recipe from Eating Well, which was really easy - just cook some rhubarb on the stove in the same pot as your oats, and let it sit until it thickens up like porridge. A sprinkle of toasted nuts and brown sugar on top completed the bowl perfectly!

Of course, you can't go wrong with a fresh batch of rhubarb muffins for breakfast! I haven't made any this year, but last year's rhubarb loaf/muffins with a strawberry jam swirl and crumble topping were so good that I might have to recreate them again soon!

Other Breakfast Rhubarb Recipes from Around the Web:
Vegan Rhubarb Coffee Cake from Vegan Latina
Vegan Rhubarb Coconut Scones from The Food Voyager
Rhubarb and Strawberry Whipped Porridge from Scandi Foodie
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie from Virtually Vegan Mama
Yogurt Parfait with Vanilla-Rhubarb Compote from Saveur
Vegan & Gluten-Free Strawberry-Rhubarb Pancakes from Fork & Beans

Savory Recipes

This past weekend, I used rhubarb in two different savory recipes: an appetizer and a salad. First, I made this chipotle rhubarb salsa from Naturally Ella as an appetizer for a family BBQ we had on Sunday. To make the salsa, you simmer some onions and rhubarb on the stovetop until the rhubarb breaks down fully, and add a dose of chipotle powder and paprika for a spicy, smoky flavour. I served this warm with tortilla chips and it made for an interesting and tasty twist on the usual tomato based salsa.

I also tried eating it chilled the next day as a topping for some crackers with brie cheese, and I really enjoyed it that way too!

If you missed my last post, this was the salad that I came up with as a way to incorporate rhubarb into dinner. I used canned lentils to speed things up, and tossed them with softened rhubarb, raisins, arugula and goat cheese, with a simple vinaigrette. I loved the tangy-ness of this salad and thought it was the perfect side dish to eat with my veggie burger!

Other Savory Rhubarb Recipes from Around the Web:
Beet and Rhubarb Salad from Yotam Ottolenghi
Indian Spiced Lentils with Spinach and Rhubarb from Vegetarian Times
Tofu with a Zesty Rhubarb Sauce from the taste space
Rhubarb and Chipotle Goat Cheese Pizza by Joanne Bruno, as seen on Marcus Samuelsson
Brie, Rhubarb and Green Peppercorn Crostini from Sunset Magazine

Dessert

Last but definitely not least are a couple of rhubarb desserts that I made this past weekend. First, I made these vegan strawberry-rhubarb crumble squares from Vegetarian Times. They tasted like rhubarb crisp but in portable bar form, and I thought they had the perfect ratio of filling to crust and crumble. I also liked the hint of orange flavour from the addition of orange juice and zest!

Finally, we finished off our BBQ meal with these strawberry-rhubarb fools that I made using another recipe from Vegetarian Times. I just changed the blackberries in the recipe to strawberries and add a handful of crushed graham crackers as a topping.  This was the perfect cool treat to end our meal on a hot day, and I loved the addition of vanilla yogurt to lighten them up instead of using all cream. Even though we were all pretty full from dinner, we still polished off our desserts since they were so good!

Other Rhubarb Dessert Recipes from Around the Web:
Vegan Rhubarb Lemon Bars from Vegan Nom Noms
Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie from Post Punk Kitchen
Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies from Southern Living
Apple Rhubarb Crisp from Closet Cooking
Vegan Double Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes from Fragrant Vanilla Cake
Rhubarb & Strawberry Ripple FroYo from Green Kitchen Stories
Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet from Elly Says Opa

Lentil Rhubarb Salad with Arugula & Goat Cheese

Now that the rhubarb patch in my parents' backyard has fully blossomed, I've been taking full advantage of it by trying out lots of rhubarb recipes when I visit! 

Even though rhubarb is technically a vegetable, I've most often had it in sweet treats like muffins, pies, and crisps. Strawberry-rhubarb pie is one of my all-time favourite desserts, but I've been wanting to try using rhubarb in more savory recipes. 

Last year, I tried this savory rhubarb and kale pasta (seen in this recipe round-up from last year), and I've also had my eye on a recipe for Indian spiced lentils with spinach and rhubarb from Vegetarian Times. 

I liked the idea of combining lentils with rhubarb to add a sour component, but with the hot weather we've had here the last couple of days, I couldn't imagine eating a bowl of curry with rice for dinner so I improvised by creating this more seasonal salad combining rhubarb with lentils, arugula and goat cheese. 

I served this to my family for dinner with the warning that it was an "experimental salad", but we all ended up really enjoying it! The rhubarb was just soft enough to blend into the lentils without being too mushy, and I thought they added just enough tart flavour without overpowering the dish. 

The salad as a whole was definitely still on the tangy side from the rhubarb and the vinegar in the dressing, but the sourness was balanced out by the addition of sweet raisins and creamy goat cheese. 

So if you have some rhubarb to use up and you're looking for something different to do with it other than making a dessert, I recommend trying it in a savory salad like this one!  

And for more rhubarb ideas, check back later this week for a round-up of some of the other rhubarb recipes I've made recently!

Lentil Rhubarb Salad with Arugula & Goat Cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium-large shallot, thinly sliced

1 tsp grated ginger

1 heaping cup chopped fresh rhubarb (1” pieces)

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp sultana raisins

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups packed arugula

~ 2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing

1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp agave or maple syrup (to taste)

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of chili flakes

Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring. Add shallot and ginger and cook, stirring often, until shallots start to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Add rhubarb and cook until rhubarb softens, about 2-3 minutes (you don't want it to break down fully). Stir in lentils and let cook until lentils are heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

Add raisins, parsley, arugula and goat cheese to the bowl and toss to combine. (Note: you can make everything up to this point and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve. I took my photos at this point before adding the dressing).

To make dressing, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.  When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad and toss to combine (you may not need all of the dressing).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 4 servings as a side dish. 

Rhubarb Loaf with Strawberry Jam Swirl

With Mother's Day approaching this weekend, I wanted to bake something special in honour of my Mom, and since she reads my blog, I figured I could share it with her both in person and online!

When I think back to my childhood and the treats that my Mom would bake for us, one thing that stands out in my mind is rhubarb.  My parents grow a small rhubarb patch in their backyard, which has been there for as long as I can remember.  I used to love being assigned the "job" of going out to pick the rhubarb for something my Mom planned to make, and my sisters and I would even eat pieces of it raw, our faces puckering from the sourness.

My Mom's specialty was (and still is) her delicious strawberry-rhubarb sour cream pie - every year I look forward to that limited time during the summer when rhubarb and strawberries are both in season because I know I'll get to taste that pie soon!  She would also bake the rhubarb into hot fruit crisps and delicious muffins. I used to love the days when there would be a fresh batch of rhubarb muffins sitting on the countertop for us to eat as snacks!

So it didn't take long for me to decide that my Mother's Day treat this year would be something with rhubarb! I was able to find some at the market last weekend, and I spent the afternoon baking.  I decided to make mini loaves with the rhubarb because they make such an adorable and perfect sized gift.  Plus I could get two loaves from the batter - one for me to eat right away, and one to save in the freezer to bring to Mom this weekend!

I found a recipe for vegan strawberry-rhubarb muffins on the Kitchn, so I used that as a guide but turned it into mini loaves.  Some of the other changes I made were using coconut oil instead of canola oil, adding some oat flour to the dry ingredients and I changed the spices by replacing the cardamom with cinnamon and adding some ground ginger because I love the combination of rhubarb and ginger.

I also left out the strawberries but I still liked the idea of combining the rhubarb with strawberries, so I added a swirl of strawberry-rhubarb jam to the batter instead.  Finally, I created my own topping for the loaf by mixing oats, cinnamon, cane sugar and sliced almonds with a bit of Earth Balance Coconut Spread to make a delicious crumble.

I divided the batter up and started by filling one mini loaf tin. When that was done, I made one more mini loaf and had enough batter leftover for four large muffins too. As the loaves and muffins were baking, my whole apartment started to fill up with that amazing smell that I remember from my kitchen growing up, so I knew I was off to a good start!

After tasting them, I have to say these muffins and loaf may be one of my favourite baked goods I've ever made!  They were perfectly soft and fluffy and had such a nice sweet flavour with notes of the warm spices.  The rhubarb baked down into gooey pockets mixed with the swirl of jam, and I loved the light and crunchy almond crumble on top (although some of the almonds did fall off as I was eating, so make sure you have a plate!)

So if you're looking for an idea for something special to treat your mom this weekend, I think she would love this rhubarb loaf!  Or even if you just want a treat for yourself or you need ideas for using up your rhubarb, give this recipe a try - you could use it to make muffins, mini loaves or even a regular sized loaf - just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Happy Mothers Day!

Vegan Rhubarb Loaf with Strawberry Jam Swirl
Adapted from Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, as seen on the Kitchn

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup oat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

~ 1/4 cup strawberry or strawberry-rhubarb jam

Topping:

1/4 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp cane sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp Earth Balance (I used the Earth Balance Coconut Spread)

2 tbsp sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400°.  Spray a muffin tin and/or mini loaf pans with cooking spray.

Mix the almond milk with the vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours through to salt). Add the diced rhubarb and stir until the rhubarb is fully coated.

Add the sugar, coconut oil and vanilla to the bowl with the almond milk and vinegar. Stir to combine. (Note: If your almond milk is still cold, it may cause the coconut oil to harden.  If this happens, place the mixture in the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals until the coconut oil is melted again).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Add the Earth Balance and mix in using a fork, until it is broken down and the oats are moist and crumbly.  Stir in the almonds.

Pour the batter into your prepared pans – I filled two mini loaf pans and 4 muffin cups.  Fill each pan/muffin cup only halfway at first, then add a spoonful of jam – about 1 tbsp per mini loaf pan or about 1 tsp per muffin cup. Add the remaining batter on top, then swirl with a toothpick to distribute the jam.  Sprinkle the topping mixture on top of the batter and press in gently with your hands to help it stick.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes for muffins, or 25-30 minutes for mini loaves (I didn't test a large sized loaf but it would probably need around 45-55 minutes).

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 2 mini loaves and 4 large muffins, OR 12 muffins, OR 3-4 mini loaves