Breakfast of champions. Spring Veggie Exploration: Rhubarb

No matter how swamped with school we are, weekend breakfasts are something we do without fail.  Even if its a quick meal of bacon and eggs, we savor the times when we can sleep in and eat.  Portland residents love brunch and it shows by the amount of "good", and packed, brunch restaurants here.  Its a real treat to have someone visit from out of town so we can go and show off our favorite weekend digs.  On a normal weekend, however, we as students neither have the time to wait and hour for a table, nor the money to shell out for a delicious feast out every weekend.  ... but this doesn't mean that we can't eat like champions every weekend.

In the flurry of moving on Saturday, Nick and I only had an hour to shop, cook, and eat.  My fall-back breakfast items include the quick Bisquick pancakes that we've been making since I was a little kid.  These fluffy round discs have gone through a multitude of toppings, and as I've grown up, so have my choices.  (I am no longer smearing melted chocolate chips on everything.)  I have been wanting to try a rhubarb dish, and this seemed like my perfect opportunity.  Quick and easy has been my motto lately, and this compote definitely stood up to the fancy breakfast we were craving.

Considered a vegetable, Rhubarb tastes the best cooked down like a fruit.  Its tartness pairs well with the likes of apples, pears, and many berries.  BonAppetit.com has a great article about it here.

This was my first rhubarb dish and first time attempting a fruit compote.  I was amazed at how easy it was. I also didn't realize how much the rhubarb would cook down, and thus my thin (1/8") slices fell apart and turned to mush.  Like choosing a material palette for a building, I'm learning a little about ingredient intuition and how certain flavors come together.  Here's this meal's bleuprint.


Pancakes with a Maple Apple Rhubarb Compote
Pancake recipe from Betty Crocker, Makes 6 large Pancakes

2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs


Heat a skillet to medium.  Grease with butter, whisk ingredients together and pour onto skillet.  Eat, enjoy!

photo: amy perenchio

Compote Recipe by Amy Perenchio, Serves: 2

1 Large Stalk Rhubarb
1/2 Apple (I used a Pink Lady)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup


Roughly chop the Rhubarb (1/2" pieces or larger), and dice the apple.  Melt butter into a warmed skillet on medium heat.  Throw in fruit.  Cook down for 2-3 minutes and add the sugar, cinnamon, and syrup.  Turn up the heat and boil until fruit becomes soft.  About 7 minutes total.  Eat, enjoy!

photo: amy perenchio

This meal could be made to be gluten-free by using a gluten-free pancake mix.