For my first food post of 2020, I thought I would share a dish that is surprisingly healthy, Buckwheat. It is also very versatile as a base. You’ve heard of the ancient grains like quinoa and possibly farro, but I never see a big following of Buckwheat in the U.S. There has been an increased use of buckwheat flour, but this is the real deal.
In Eastern Europe, buckwheat is one of the most popular grains next to rice, and for good reason. It has immense health benefits like: promoting heart health, lowering blood pressure, improving digestion, and helping with weight loss. It also is high in fiber, high in protein, high in antioxidants, gluten-free, and has a low glycemic index for pre-diabetic and diabetic diets.
Nutritionally, it has a lower carb and fat content than quinoa. Additionally, it has a much higher antioxidant level!
I’m not saying buckwheat is 100% better than quinoa. Quinoa does have higher fiber, protein, and vitamin levels. I think a balance between the 2 in your diet is significantly better than just quinoa. It also gives you variety for when you are all quinoa-ed out.
Now for the standard recipe. Note: Buckwheat is very similar to how you would cook rice.
Buckwheat is often eaten with a sunny side egg, a summer salad, beet salad, or with meatballs and pickled tomatoes. These sides can be mixed and matched. The summer salad and a sunny side egg are my favorite combo!
Buckwheat
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into 4 or 5 slices)
Instructions
- Rinse the grains well.
- Put the grains in a pot. Add the water and salt. Place a cover on top of the pot.
- Bring water to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
- When no water is left (18-20 mins), turn off the heat, add the butter on top, and cover the pot with a lid again.
- When the butter is melted, fluff with a fork and serve!
- You can also cover the pot with a towel and let sit. The longer it sits, the more fluffy and delicious the buckwheat!
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