Rhubarb noodles? You Betcha! This month, the Recipe Redux challenge was to get your fruits and veggies “In Shape.” Using wonderful shape cutters or spiralizers, we could present fruits and veggies with a fun twist. Rather than going with watermelon cutouts, I have been on a veggie noodle craze. Summer is a time for a myriad of incredible fresh produce here in Minnesota. Instead of going with zucchini or summer squash noodles, which easily come to mind, I chose to do rhubarb noodles.
Rhubarb grows well here. In fact many of our neighbors and me grow it in our own yards. More often than not, we have an abundance. That is why I chose to see if I could make noodles with it. Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes. It produces large poisonous leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy edible stalks and small flowers grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences. (Thanks Wikipedia!) Did you see that bit about the leaves? Poisonous! Make absolutely sure you are not eating the leaves! We only want stalks for eating!!
Rhubarb has a very tart taste. It is most often cooked with sugar and baked into pies or crumbles. It is also used in jams. I could find tons of rhubarb recipes, but I couldn’t find any that actually used rhubarb as a noodle. The stalks are too narrow for a Spiralizer, so I went with a veggie peeler to start the process. I shaved wide plank type noodles first, and then used my knife to cut into the smaller noodles. I steamed the noodles in the steaming basket of my rice cooker. I only steamed them for about 3-4 minutes. Then I shocked them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. I wanted them still al dente but more pliable as noodles.
Rhubarb Noodles With Bourbon Honey Glaze
The rhubarb noodles turned out great! They do reduce a LOT when steaming. That is actually beneficial as you want to use more of your rhubarb up. At least I do. The noodles have a delightful tang to them. I want to do more with them than just desserts. I want to use them in savory dishes as well. I would love to use them in Asian dishes as the sour component in Hot and Sour dishes.
Today though, I want to use them in a decadent dessert! I wanted a sauce to glaze the rhubarb. I went for quick, easy, and decadent! Bourbon, Honey, Cinnamon, and Cayenne is all you need. You can omit the Bourbon if you are alcohol free. The alcohol cooks out (but not completely). In a skillet on the stovetop, I bathed the rhubarb noodles in the sauce and fried them over medium heat until the sauce started to caramelize. Finally, I needed the foil to drape these noodles on. What better than a really good Vanilla ice cream?
This was the perfect dessert to eat out on the porch during the sultry summer nights we have been having! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Rhubarb Noodles With Bourbon Honey Glaze
Ingredients
- 8 leaves medium stalks of Rhubarb - cleaned and no .
- 1/2 oz Bourbon
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon - ground
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- t Vanilla Ice Cream (enough for 4 people. I do 2 scoops per but I won' judge!)
Instructions
- Clean the Rhubarb
- Use a vegetable peeler to slice the stalk lengthwise into flat noodles
- Use a knife to slice the flat noodles into more of a "string" shaped noodle
- Steam the rhubarb noodles for 3-4 minutes until they are al dente
- Remove the rhubarb from the steam and immerse them into ice water for 30 seconds to "shock" them and stop the cooking process.
- In a small bowl, mix the bourbon (omit to be alcohol free), honey, cinnamon, and cayenne.
- Coat the rhubarb noodles with the sauce and fry in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until the sauce started to caramelize.
- Serve the caramelized noodles over the vanila ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The recipes below are all from dietitians and nutritionists. While I can guarantee they are tasty and healthy, please check the info or modify them to make them low sodium as well!
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