By Anne Palumbo
Some vegetables need to be tamed, and feisty rhubarb is one of them. It’s barely edible raw, it looks like celery, its leaves are poisonous, it’s beyond tart, and it thinks it’s a fruit!
With such a rebellious personality, is it any wonder rhubarb gets short shrift at the market?
My advice? Give this imposter fruit a chance!
All it takes is a good recipe and a little sugar to open your eyes to rhubarb’s delicious, nutritious side.
Rhubarb, like most fruits and vegetables, benefits heart health in several ways. Its fiber helps lower cholesterol; its diverse antioxidants keep inflammation at bay; and its potassium helps lower blood pressure. Indeed, a trifecta of nutrients to help keep our tickers in tiptop shape.
In addition, rhubarb teems with vitamin K, an essential vitamin for blood clotting, bone building and heart health. Recent studies from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging Women revealed that women who ate more vitamin K-rich foods significantly reduced their risk of bone fractures later in life. What’s more, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that vitamin K may play an important role in slowing, and even preventing, the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Rhubarb’s fiber benefits our bodies in ways above and beyond our bowels. Yes, it promotes regularity and reduces the risk of colon cancer, but it also improves digestion, helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and facilitates weight loss or maintenance because it’s so filling.
On the downside, rhubarb does contain oxalates, which are naturally occurring compounds in plants. Because oxalates can bind to calcium—and to a lesser extent—other minerals in the stomach and intestines, they can reduce the absorption of these beneficial nutrients, as well as increase the risk of kidney stones in some people. What to do? Cook rhubarb to reduce oxalate content; eat in moderation; drink plenty of water to dilute oxalates in urine; and consult your doctor if you have kidney issues.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins
Adapted from dishnthekitchen.com
12 standard muffins
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING
3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces pinch salt
¼ cup walnuts
FOR THE MUFFINS
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs
½ cup 2% milk
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup rhubarb, chopped
1. For the streusel topping: Place flour, sugars, butter, and salt into the small bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add walnuts and pulse until the walnuts are desired size. Set aside.
2. For the muffins: Preheat oven to 425°F and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
3. Mix the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the milk.
4. Gently add the dry mixture to the bowl until it comes together. Do not overmix.
Fold in the walnuts, strawberries, and rhubarb.
5. Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin cups. Top each muffin with some streusel topping.
6. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes; then check for doneness with a toothpick. If it doesn’t come out clean, bake a few minutes more until toothpick looks clean.
Cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool muffins on wire rack.
Helpful Tips
Choose firm, crisp stalks with shiny skin. Remove toxic leaves (if present), then wrap rhubarb in plastic wrap and store in fridge for up to a week. Don’t cut the stalks until you are ready to use or the rhubarb will dry out.
Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.