Raw Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge

Saturday night, Eric and I were on our nightly walk and we passed by our neighbours sitting outside enjoying a pitcher of Sangria. They invited us over for a drink and we couldn’t think of a reason not to join in on the fun! Drinks led to more drinks, hours flew by, conversation flowed, and we found ourselves home long past midnight with a wonderful evening behind us.

Anxiety tends to make me over-analyze everything…what if this happens, what if I say this, what if…but I realized when I do things spontaneously, I don’t have time for all that crap to go through my mind. I barely had any anxiety which is unusual for me when getting to know new people. There was something magical about doing something on the spur of the moment. It happened so quickly my anxiety didn’t have a chance to say boo!

It was a powerful learning experience and I was quite proud of myself for living in the moment. Overtime, these small decisions can lead to a big change.

Weekend Revelation #1: Stop over-analyzing so much and JUST DO IT!

Weekend Revelation #2: Raw Buckwheat Porridge.

You knew food had to be involved, right? :)

On Saturday morning, I was cruising You Tube vegan recipe tutorials, like any cool gal would do when procrastinating a workout. My Degree from the You Tube School of Culinary Arts should be arriving anytime now.

I came across a video for Raw Buckwheat Porridge and I instantly knew it was an idea I could have fun with!

According to Renegade Health, Raw Buckwheat Porridge is simply soaked buckwheat groats processed with agave, cinnamon, and vanilla to make a raw porridge. There isn’t any cooking involved and it’s incredibly easy and nutritious!

I thought it would be fun to amp up this mixture and turn it into something that was similar to my beloved Vegan Overnight Oats. I added chia seeds to boost the nutrition + volume as well as almond milk for even more volume. In the original recipe, the serving sizes were very calorie dense and tiny so I knew I would have to increase the volume to satisfy myself physically and visually. I’d rather eat 1 cup than a 1/3 cup, any day.

After that, I loaded on the fruit with a sprinkle of chopped nuts to finish it off.

The result was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. It’s also gluten-free, vegan, and packed with nutrients like calcium, protein, fibre, magnesium, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

[print_this]

Raw Buckwheat Porridge

Inspired by Renegade Health.

Yield: Four 1-cup servings.

Porridge:

• 2 cups raw Buckwheat Groats, (note: this is not the same as Kasha) soaked in water for minimum of 1 hour or overnight
• 1.25 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup liquid sweetener (use Agave if you want it raw. I used maple syrup), or to taste
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

 

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fruit or dried fruit (banana, Berries, kiwi, apple, peaches, nectarines, raisins, mango, etc)
• Chopped nuts and or seeds (I used almonds)
• Nut Butter or ABU
• Toasted coconut, chocolate chips, etc

 

Directions:

1. In a bowl, pour 2 cups of raw buckwheat groats and 4 cups of water. Soak for at least 1 hour or overnight. After soaking, rinse well in a strainer several times.

2. Place buckwheat groats in food processor or blender, along with the almond milk, chia seeds, and vanilla. Process until combined and slightly smooth. Now add in the sweetener and cinnamon to taste (I found 1/4 cup of sweetener was enough, but others might like a bit more or less than that).

3. Scoop into bowls or parfait glasses and add your desired toppings & mix-ins. Serve immediately cold. Place leftovers into fridge and enjoy for the next few days. Makes 4 cups at about 385 calories per cup (using 1/4 c maple syrup, but without toppings).

[/print_this]

Here’s how I made it:

Soak raw buckwheat groats in water for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Strain and rinse the groats well with water. The groats will have a slimy texture, but that is perfectly normal!

Set aside 1 cup of groats (to stir in later). This will give your creamy porridge a nice chewy texture.

In a food processor or blender, add your soaked buckwheat groats (except for the reserved cup), almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, chia seeds, sweetener, and a pinch of salt. Process until almost smooth or leave it chunky, whatever you like.

Stir in the reserved 1 cup of groats for a nice texture..

Stir in optional chopped banana or simply adjust sweetness to taste.

You can stop here (it tastes amazing already!) or keep going like I did.

Add your desired toppings: Fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, nut butter, coconut, dried fruit, etc. The sky is the limit.

Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy for quick and portable breakfasts for the next few days!

I was really surprised by how much I loved this porridge. I’ve had some bad experiences with buckwheat, but its normally strong flavour wasn’t very pronounced in this and I found it just delicious.

It’s also really filling and no cooking is involved making it a perfect breakfast for hot summer mornings. I’m excited to play around with this first attempt using different amounts of buckwheat, chia seed, and almond milk ratios.

I’ve already made a second batch in all the excitement…

Peanut Butter and Cocoa powder were involved and things got a bit crazy.

To be continued. :)

Given Weekend Revelation #1, I’m going to stop thinking about my workout and just do it!