TODAY Food Club

Did you know buckwheat is NOT a member of the wheat family? It actually belongs to the fruit seed family, similar to rhubarb and sorrel making it completely gluten and wheat free! As soon as I found this out at culinary school, I set about including it in my diet because it's delicious, nourishing and PACKED with healthy minerals and vitamins our bodies need to survive and thrive! The ingredients in this dish are all incredibly health-supportive - you'll find you'll feel fuller for longer without any uncomfortable side effects other wheat-based breakfast porridges cause. Bon appetit!

Sweet Buckwheat Porridge

Serving size: 2 servings (depending upon your appetite!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats (or you can try the toasted variety called ‘kasha’)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup homemade coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 Tbsp 100% organic maple syrup (if you can’t find it, or it’s super pricey, use brown rice syrup or raw honey instead)

Optional Extras:

• 1-2 Tablespoons nut butter - for healthy fats
• 1/4-1/2 cup berries - to add more sweetness. In the picture above I used dried goji berries, dried Chinese jujube dates and cacao nibs but top with whatever you prefer!

Method:

1. Boil water in your kettle and measure out 1 cup’s worth.
2. Combine with buckwheat in a saucepan and keep heat on a low flame.
3. Stir in spices and natural sweetener (I like to use maple syrup) and once it begins to thicken (when the buckwheat groats absorb the wate r) add 1/2 cup of nut milk and stir to combine.
4. Turn heat to low and gradually add the other 1/2 of milk to your favourite consistency – I like my porridge more milky than dry, but stop adding milk when you reach preferred consistency.
5. Add in optional ingredients and stir well to combine. Serve topped with any extras you prefer.