Packed with protein, sweet seasonal fruits and JOY.
Jump to RecipeOne of the things I love most about the dietary philosophy of Ayurvedic medicine is that – in extreme layman’s terms – our cravings MATTER. The flavors and food experiences that we crave mean something about what will fuel our bodies and souls completely. And pure joy is a critical ingredient. This brings us to having Strawberry-Rhubarb Granola Shortcakes for breakfast.
When I was little, I recall the few-but-golden mornings when my mother would announce that we would be having strawberry shortcake for breakfast. Typically these were the mornings after we’d had this favorite dessert as a post-dinner treat, but it didn’t make them any less magical. I love love loved the way that my mother macerated strawberries (in a minimal sprinkle of sugar,) and even adored the tangy taste of the Bisquik she used to make these quick and beloved biscuits. It was such a special treat that felt like we were cheating the system, and being showered with love all at the same time.
Admittedly, I have strawberry shortcake for breakfast more often now that I’m an adult, and especially in the spring when there’s more strawberries and rhubarb than I know what to do with. Any morning that you might consider sitting around and enjoying pancakes or waffles, I’m happier to enjoy Strawberry-Rhubarb Granola Shortcakes. I’ve riffed one million times on my mother’s formula and, dare I say, I’ve managed to pack even more whimsy and joy into each element of the recipe. I’ve also adjusted the recipe for shortcakes and for the fruit topping (and a few other things,) so this breakfast is also literally packed with all the good things my body needs nutritionally to thrive. As a result, I’ve come to learn that enjoying this special “treat” for breakfast isn’t at all cheating the system and instead is just a decadent-sounding riff on all of the things my body needs to do life – is there any better way to wake up? Not possible.
I don’t think that you need any excuse to enjoy this breakfast – eating something that tastes good and feels good is reason enough. But, in case you need more convincing that these granola shortcakes for breakfast are a great idea, here’s ya go:
I love a buttery biscuit as much as anyone, and there is something about a tender, flaky biscuit when it comes to having strawberry shortcake for dessert. But when this is the meal I’m starting my day with, I want something with more texture, more heft. And I want to know that I’m making a great choice for fueling my body whole. And that’s where and why I’ve adjusted the shortcakes. I’ve packed them with nuts, seeds, and protein that add a healthy personality to a typically light-and-empty cake. So instead of being a tender, flaky biscuit they’re tender flaky biscuits WITH a little crunch and they crumble under the weight of fruit juice and creamy yogurt. They’re also delicious spread with ghee and jam, if you’re not up for a full shortcake vibe.
There’s nothing not to love about fresh, sweet strawberries, mulling about in their own bright juices, instigated by a simple sprinkling of sugar. In this recipe, however, I’ve packed a bit of additional plant power by adding rhubarb and cooking the fruit down. Ayurvedic medicine reminds us that we can’t benefit nutritionally from anything we don’t digest, and it turns out that fresh fruits, with cream and biscuits, is a little bit of a digestive nightmare; fresh fruits have such high water and fructose content that they digest very quickly in our digestive systems – far faster than proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates (such as in shortcakes and cream.) So quickly, in fact that they start to ferment before our decadent meal leaves the stomach, which changes the digestive environment in our bodies for the worse. Cooked fruits are easier for us to digest, and cooking the fruits naturally releases their sweet juices with a sprinkle of salt (instead of sugar.)
My strawberry-rhubarb compote below is lower in sugar, higher in fiber, flavor and phytonutrients.
Remember KoolWhip? Am I dating myself here? The (weirdly) non-dairy dessert that was insanely delicious as a little kid but sort of ruined on me when I realize that it’s basically hydrogenated oils, aerated and masquerading around as whipped cream that, by the way, is very simple to make with real-food ingredients in about 2 minutes.
Here, I invite you to top your shortcakes with yogurt – coconut yogurt specifically for it’s light whip and cooling energetic properties – but any yogurt will do.
And, if you should decide that you want to go whole-hog joy, you could whip a little heavy cream with a tablespoon of maple syurp and a pinch of salt and have something delicious, whole and really good too.
On the morning that I was making this recipe to photograph it, the very dear Dominique Powers was over, playing with cameras, bikes and so naturally she took a few photographs as we were making breakfast. The images you see in this post are all hers.
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