Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet or Granita

I made the base for this dessert yesterday and stored it in the refrigerator overnight. Today it took about 30 minutes, including clean up time, to make this dessert since the base was finished.

I used rhubarb because I bought it and didn’t know what I was going to make with it. I thought rhubarb and ginger sounded like a good combination. I like that rhubarb and ginger are both healthy foods.

Rhubarb is another food that is thought to be beneficial in the fight against cancer. Ginger contains very powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. I believe that it is a good idea to add anti-inflammatory foods whenever you can.

This granita or sorbet would be perfect to serve between courses, if you are having a multi-course dinner party. The flavor is bright and refreshing and not overly sweet. If you like things to be sweeter, add more agave.

Rhubarb and Ginger Granita or Sorbet
makes 4 large servings (approximately 1 cup servings)

Ingredients:

4 stalks of rhubarb, sliced into ¼ inch thick half moons (approx 1 pound)
1 inch of ginger, thinly sliced
4 cups of water
5 tablespoons of agave (enough to sweeten to your desired level)
¼ cup of citrus flavored or plain vodka

Directions:

Cook rhubarb and ginger in the water and agave syrup for about 15 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely soft.

Strain the liquid of all its solids into another container with a lid and move into the refrigerator to cool completely.

Directions For Granita only:

When ready to freeze add vodka and pour into a shallow pan with a lid and freeze. Each hour remove the granita from the freezer and scrap with a fork. At the beginning it will be mostly slushy and only freezing around the edges. In about two hours the granita will be mostly frozen, but you will still need to continue to scrape and refreeze. The granita will be finished in 6 hours or less.

Directions for Sorbet only:

When ready to freeze add vodka. Pour cold liquid into an ice cream freezer and churn for 25 minutes and then remove to a container with a lid and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 78.17
Calories From Fat (3%) 2.59

Total Fat - 0.31g
Saturated Fat - 0.07g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 16.18mg
Potassium - 385.26mg
Total Carbohydrates - 10.39g
Fiber - 3.88g
Sugar - 2.02g
Protein - 1.26g

Comments:

This is a light and refreshing dessert that is only lightly sweet with the 5 tablespoons of agave. You can make it sweeter if you wish. The rhubarb flavor is not very prominent in this recipe. However, I do like the light pink color and the sourness that the rhubarb brought to the dish. I found the ginger to be a more prominent flavor in this dessert. You could garnish this with a little finely diced crystallized ginger if you wish.