Buckwheat granola (written April 5, 2019)
'Is it gluten free?'
There are some bulk grains you can identify very easily - rice, quinoa, couscous - and then there are the weird ones, like 'raw buckwheat groats' - what are they?!
Buckwheat groats are the hulled seeds of the buckwheat plant. But it's not even related to wheat at all... It's gluten free! Packed with various vitamins, antioxidants & protein. Good for you hey?
Imagine toasting the buckwheat like you would nuts, in a pan or on a baking sheet in the oven. And that's it. Simple! The groats are ready when they have darkened in colour and that's when they become more fragrant.
Good for:
- salads
- soups
- cereals
- pasta [adds a good crunch]
- granola [what we are doing today!]
So let's get going...
Buckwheat granola
Ingredients:
- 200g raw buckwheat groats
- 160g mixed nuts
- 280g mixed seeds
- 65g mixed dried fruit
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 125ml maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
We have added a lot of ingredients into this, but this is so easy to change up. You can add more nuts and less seeds or vice versa. I was initially sceptical about the ginger as I would have thought cinnamon would have been better, but it worked out so well. I guess the maple syrup adds a much sweeter taste to it.
Approximate cost: £5.00
Method:
1. [We ignored this step, but you don't have to!] Put the buckwheat, nuts, lemon juice and pumpkin seeds in a bowl and cover overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly once done.
2. Preheat oven to 150C.
3. Heat the coconut oil until it melts. Add the buckwheat mixture with all the other ingredients in a large bowl (or mix it straight into a baking tray to save on washing up!)
4. Toss it altogether and lay onto one or two baking trays.
5. Bake the mixture whilst stirring occasionally, for around 45 minutes (or until golden brown)
6. Leave to cool and then break into clusters. Store in an airtight container. If you leave it sitting for at least a few hours it is more likely to stick together.
Et voila, you are now a professional chef having cooked with the weird and wonderful buckwheat groats AND you have some tasty granola to show off.
Say goodbye to always cooking with quinoa and cous cous and try something new!