Rhubarb Jello Salad

My rhubarb abundance isn't going away, it's not a bad thing I just feel a bit guilty that I can't use it all up. Don't feel sorry for me, I'm doing my best to focus on the positive that I can just keep enjoying my rhubarb and I still need to freeze some to hold me over through this winter. I was a bit apprehensive about trying this recipe but it was easy and the family loved it, much more so than I expected. I think it's the big chunks of strawberry that really sold them on this recipe.

Rhubarb Jello Salad

From Allrecipes

4 C rhubarb, cut in 1/4" slices

1 1/2 C water

1/2 granulated sugar

1 6oz package jello (strawberry, cherry, and raspberry are all very good)

1 C orange juice

1 C strawberries, sliced

Put the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the rhubarb is tender. Remove from the heat and add the jello stirring until dissolved. Add the orange juice then allow to sit and cool until it's a bit syrupy. Add the strawberries then pour into a bowl or mould and place in the refrigerator until set.

Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles or Sorbet

I have a rhubarb mission. To try some new recipes I've been eyeing for years but have sadly made it to the bottom of my "these look delicious" pile. Also I have a lot of rhubarb I want to use.

I wanted something that would be light, quick, and cool. Ice cream came to mind and then I found this easy sorbet recipe. The first time I whipped it together we made popsicles and the kids loved them. The seond time I doubled the batch to make popsicles and sorbet. I like that I didn't have to deal with a dairy alternative and it is a tart yet sweet treat.

Strawberry Rhubarb Popsicles

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

2 C rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2/3 C water

3/4 C sugar

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 C strawberries, sliced

Place the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. The rhubarb will be very tender and breaking apart. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Put the strawberries and rhubarb mixture in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze. If you don't have popsicle moulds you can pour it into small dixie cups and place in the freezer. After about 30 min, or when it can hold a popsicle stick upright, place a popsicle stick in the mixture and freezer until solid.

Sorbet Option

If you want to make a sorbet after blending the mixture place it in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to their instructions. You can enjoy it as soft serve immediately or freeze for a couple hours to enjoy the hardened version.

Rhubarb Cookies

It took me a couple tries to get these cookies just right. The first time I tried them they were dry but this time was perfection. These cookies aren't too sweet and the tart from the rhubarb is a nice surprise. They are a hit in my house and if you like rhubarb they are worth a try.



Rhubarb Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes


1 C shortening
1 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 C GF flour*
1 t xanthan gum
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C diced rhubarb
1/2 C shredded coconut


Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl cream together the shortening and brown sugar. Add the eggs beating well. In a seperate bowl sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.

Add the rhubarb and coconut and mix well. On a greased baking sheet scoop the dough about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown. Allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

*For the flour I used Jill's mix at Hey That Tastes Good. 1 C white rice flour, 1 C brown rice flour, 1/3 C tapioca starch, 2/3 C potato starch.



You can stop right here and enjoy these delicious cookies after they've cooled or you can take it one step further and frost these babies.



Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese if you're DF

1 T butter, use Earth Balance if you're DF

3 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 drop red food coloring

In a bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and food coloring. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Spread on top of the cookies and enjoy!

Again with the spacing issues! What is wrong wigh Blogger?

Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce & Fruit Spring Rolls

Rhubarb season is in full force at my house. My rhubarb plant is HUGE and I have a couple rhubarb dishes to share. This sauce worked great as a dip for fruit spring rolls. A nice tart and sweet touch, yum! It would also be delicious on pancakes and ice cream.

Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

2/3 C sugar

1/4 C water

1 vanilla bean (optional)

3 C sliced rhubarb

In a saucepan stir the sugar, water, and seeds from the vanilla bean. Bring it to a boil then add the rhubarb. Bring again to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. You can stir/mash the mixture at this point to get the rhubarb into smaller pieces. Serve warm or cooled, I opted for cooled with the spring rolls.

If you want to thicken it up a bit add about 2 t of rice flour at the end and incorporate well.

Makes about 2 C of sauce.

These fruit spring rolls are easy to whip together and are a nice light lunch or appetizer. My family aren't big fans of the rice wrapper texture. I know! They're crazy!

You can find spring roll wrappers at Oak Street Natural Market and at Rosauer's in the Asian aisle of the regular grocery section. I'm sure you can find them in other places but those are the ones I know of for sure.

Fruit Spring Rolls

20 rice wrappers (spring roll wrappers)

2 bananas, chopped

10 or so strawberries, chopped

1.5 C blueberries

Mix the chopped fruit and blueberries in a bowl and set aside. Wet a papertowel (wring out any water, you just want it damp) and place on your counter top, this will work as your surface to place the rice wrappers on. If you are making these a couple hours ahead of when you'll serve them then wet another papertowel and place on a cookie sheet. If you will be serving them right away just have your serving plate nearby.

Fill a cookie sheet with sides with warm water and place 1 rice wrapper in the water. Let it sit for about 30 seconds, you want it to become soft and pliable. Be careful not to let it sit too long because it will dissolve and fall apart. Trial and error is needed here.

Once your wrapper is pliable place it on your damp paper towel and then put another wrapper in the warm water. Put about 1/4 C of the fruit mixture toward one end of the wrapper. Fold the end of the wrapper over the fruit then fold in the sides. Roll and squeeze the filling to the end of the wrapper. Place on the serving plate or damp papertowel on the cookie sheet and repeat until all of the filling is used up. If you aren't using them right away place another damp papertowel on top of the rolls and place in the refrigerator.

This is a great way to enjoy the lightness of summer.

Sorry for the spacing issues, Blogger is NOT cooperating!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Rhubarb Muffins

Rhubarb season is back, I know this because my rhubarb plant is up to my shoulders. I'm short but still it's pretty big! I had one bag of frozen rhubarb left in my freezer and I figured it better get used before my first harvest this year. I looked through a lot of recipes and decided on muffins because after all my family loves muffins and I needed to give them a dairy free try. They turned out great, Hubby said they look professional so that's a plus!




Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
Adapted from Fine Cooking



2 C gluten free flour (I used Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend)
2 t xanthan gum
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C sour cream (for DF use Tofutti Sour Supreme)*
8 T butter softened (for DF use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks)
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 -2 C diced rhubarb



For the topping

3 T granulated sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl mix the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl mix the sour cream, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. It will be very dry at this point but that's OK the rhubarb is next. Add the rhubarb and mix thoroughly.

Split the mixture between 12 muffin tins. Use the back of a spoon dipped in water to smooth the tops.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping and cover the tops with 1t of the mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Yum!

*I didn't have any dairy free sour cream on hand but I did have Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. I used this instead of the sour cream by adding 2 T of Rice Milk and mixing until smooth. This brought the consistency to a sour cream level and worked great.