Rhubarb Breakfast Crisp with Granola
The best fruit crisps combine a juicy filling with a textural crisp topping. I particularly like when the filling is a bit tart to contrast with a sweet topping. It is easy to temper the amount of sugar or sweetener in the topping and in this case, brought to us by Veronica Bosgraaf, the topping is created from homemade or purchased granola, which puts this dish into the realm of a healthier yet special breakfast. Perfect for spring and summer when rhubarb is fresh but don’t overlook freezing chopped rhubarb for a mid-winter treat (rinse, dry and store in heavy zipper-top bags). This recipe, and her Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies, are from her book Pure Food. Her plant-based cuisine doesn’t overlook desserts and sweets, as these two recipes showcase.
Excerpted with permission. Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal, Plant-Based Recipes
One fruit that seems to be synonymous with being Dutch and living in a northern climate is rhubarb. Everyone I know has a grandma that makes the best rhubarb pie. Everyone I know has a recipe for a killer rhubarb sauce, soup, or stew. Rhubarb is cheap, delicious, nutritious, and almost impossible not to grow around here. Try getting rid of an established rhubarb plant. I guarantee you will come close to breaking your shovel.
As with asparagus, the first shoots of rhubarb are a telltale sign of spring and a welcome addition to your spring palate. Combining rhubarb with oats, nuts, and brown sugar makes this breakfast decadent yet healthy and functional.
- Grapeseed oil, for pan
- 1⁄2 cup plus 1⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2⁄3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 11⁄2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 rhubarb stalks, sliced 1⁄4 inch thick
- 2 Fuji or Rome apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 cup organic granola, homemade or store-bought
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with grapeseed oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1⁄2 cup of the applesauce, the maple syrup, lemon juice, tapioca starch, and cinnamon. Add the rhubarb and apples, and toss well. Transfer to the prepared pie dish, cover loosely with foil, and put the pie dish on a baking sheet.
- Bake until bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the granola and remaining 1⁄3 cup applesauce in a small bowl. Remove the foil from the pie dish and sprinkle the granola mixture over the top of the rhubarb. Return to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the topping is lightly golden, about 12 minutes.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
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