A new-to-me grain! Buckwheat in its hulled grain form: buckwheat groats! I’ve been using buckwheat flour for about a year now in all of my gluten-free baking, but I’ve only used the grain once before in a veggie burger. It was time to try it out on its own! And it is so earthy and grassy and delicious. I am hooked on buckwheat!
A traditional Eastern European dish using the hulled, chopped & toasted buckwheat grains (kasha) is Kasha Varnishkes, buckwheat with bow tie noodles. Now that is something I’m going to have to try.
I was inspired here by the earthy tastes in the buckwheat, and so paired it with plenty of garlic and some collard greens. Oh yeah. I think mushrooms would be great with kasha too. I cooked some extra, so I’ve got enough to experiment with this week. I’m thinking Veganomicon
“And what are those weird things on the side”, you may be asking yourself… well, they are a veggie & you’ll have to check back tomorrow to find out more about them!
Kasha with Collard Greens
Inspired by Kasha with Kale and Garlic at Gluten Free by Nature
Serves 2
- 1 c. buckwheat groats (kasha)
- 2 c. vegetable stock
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 large red onion, diced
- 1/2 bunch collards, chopped
- 2 tsp. harissa or dried red chili flakes (I adore Belazu Rose Harissa)
In a pot over high heat, combine buckwheat, stock, and 2 garlic cloves, and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes, until buckwheat has softened and absorbed the water.
Pour olive oil into in a large pan over medium-low heat, and add onions & garlic. Sweat until the onions are translucent. Add the collards, and cook until warmed through but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked buckwheat and harissa, and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients — a heat-resistant spatula works really well here.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Want to try some recipes with Buckwheat Flour? They’re gluten-free and delicious:
Kitchen Operas 
Thank god for this recipe! I just bought a monstrous bag full of buckwheat last week, but soon realised my complete inability to cook with it! Love how simple this looks – delish.