Spicy rhub

I am a lover of rhubarb and I am a lover of kale. I had never thought of putting rhubarb in a savory context, but then I saw this recipe. I thought the recipe sounded SO different and delicious, I had to try it. Long story short, my world has been changed. This isn't just regular old savory, it is a spicy rhubarb sauce. That is used to wilt kale. And then tossed with noodles (which allowed me to get rid of some buckwheat noodles I had in my pantry... bonus points!).

Ready for some more bonus points? This dish takes MAYBE 15 minutes to throw together.

Assuming you don't also pause for 30 minutes to take 100 pictures of rhubarb.

As an aside, I love that this blog makes me pause and take pictures of what I eat. I mean, you eat with your eyes first, right? Being forced to really appreciate the beauty of your food adds a whole nother dimension to the nourishing process. Since I am on a big "slow down, stop being so busy, and start appreciating what is around you" kick, it is great. Being able to get added pleasure out of a basic human need brings life to a new level. Give it a try :-)

And why not start with this dish! I mean, I think a bright red/pink stalk of rhubarb, with spice, and then some curly kale is a great "learning to like" portion, for it is hard not to appreciate the beauty of this dish! The sauce is tart, sweet, and spicy all at the same time. And the buckwheat noodles add some nice chewiness to the dish. And the kale... we don't have enough time and space for me to sing all my praises of kale. It reeks of health, it is delicious. And this recipe calls for wilting it just enough that it starts to melt in your mouth, but still has plenty of bite.

Spicy Rhubarb Sauce with Kale over Buckwheat Noodles

Adapted from Naturally Ella

Materials:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup green onion
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 handfulls kale, re-ribbed and roughly chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 bundle buckwheat noodles
• 1 package of tofu, drained and broken down into small bites
• cilantro and lime for garnish

Methods:

1. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the green onions and ginger and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the rhubarb, chili, water, and agave and simmer until it takes on a sauce-like consistency, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust to your preferred spice level.
5. I added a dash of chocolate habanero sauce. 
6. In the meantime, prepare the noodles according to package directions (mine cooked for 4 minutes).
7. In another pan, lightly pan fry the tofu.
8. Add the tofu, kale, noodles to the rhubarb sauce and toss to wilt the kale. 
9. Sprinkle with cilantro and give it a good squirt of fresh lime juice.
10. Enjoy!