Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast

I got a bee in my bonnet this week for eating pumpkin for breakfast after reading a post by Josie at The Skinny Way of Life where she put pumpkin in her oatmeal.  I had never even thought of eating pumpkin in this way before, but the idea of adding it to whole grains for breakfast really resonated with me.  I started rifling through my grains and came across a neglected bag of raw buckwheat groats.  Why has it been neglected you ask?  I am not a fan of buckwheat, it is just a little too earthy for me.  However, I thought if I add pumpkin to it, perhaps it would mask the earthy smell!  I soaked the buckwheat groats overnight in a saucepan and in the morning, they were ready to eat after cooking for a short 10 minutes.  After adding the pumpkin, a little honey, and some pumpkin pie spice, my breakfast was good to go.  Pouring nonfat milk over the top made the whole dish creamy and yummy.  It was like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast!  My new favorite way to eat whole grains for breakfast.

Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast by Joie de vivre
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. raw buckwheat groats
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. honey
1 c. nonfat milk
1 tsp. flaxseed oil (optional)

Directions:

1.  Soak the buckwheat groats in the water overnight in a small saucepan with a lid.
2.  In the morning, remove the lid and place the saucepan over high heat.  Bring the water to a boil, then place the lid on the pan and lower the heat to low.  Gently simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.  Check to see that all of the water has been absorbed by the groats.  If not, put over low heat until the water has been absorbed.  Leave the lid on the pot so the groats can steam while you get the other ingredients put together.
4.  Into your breakfast cereal bowl, add 1/2 pumpkin.  Add the pumpkin pie spice and the honey and mix together.  If desired, add the flaxseed oil.

5.  Mix the pumpkin, honey and flaxseed oil together and then add the cooked buckwheat.

6.  Mix the buckwheat and the pumpkin mixture together and pour milk over it as desired.  Enjoy.

Saturday in Food plus a Buckwheat Pilaf recipe

Hi all!  I hope you all had glorious and restful Saturdays.  The kids were at Grandma's today so hubby and I were able to have a lazy morning catching up on missed T.V. shows.  Ah, bliss.

Breakfast:  For breakfast, I had a bowl of Julie Anne's Sweet Citrus granola.  More to come on this granola later, but it was good with just 2% milk on top.  Coffee and water rounded things out.

For lunch, I cut up one of the leftover venison steaks from a few nights ago and put it on a spinach salad dressed with Ranch dressing.  I also had quite a hunk of my whole wheat Irish soda bread and some butter.  Yummy!

Dinner was pork tenderloin, some buckwheat pilaf that I made in the pressure cooker, cut up watermelon and some sauteed mushrooms with a little bit of sauteed spinach added.

Aren't they pretty?

For dessert:  Two citrus granola chocolate chip cookies from Julie Anne's granola

I impressed myself with the buckwheat pilaf.  I have never been a buckwheat fan before, but I've always bought the toasted kind.  I read somewhere that the toasted buckwheat can be an acquired taste and if you're not into it, to try the raw.  I liked it a lot better!  And the pressure cooker made cooking it so easy. I'll share the recipe I made below.  Enjoy!

Buckwheat Pilaf by Joie de vivre

*This has a slight Asian bent to it to go with the pork tenderloin which was teriyaki flavored*

Ingredients:

1 c. raw buckwheat groats

1 Tbls. olive oil

1 Tbls. shoyu

1 Tbls. toasted sesame seeds

1 3/4 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)

Directions:

1.  In your pressure cooker, combine all ingredients except salt and water and stir to coat the buckwheat throughly with the oil.  

2.  Add the water and stir.  Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock into place.  Place over high heat.

3.  Once pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.

4.  Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally (don't do the quick release method)  It should take about 7 minutes to release pressure.

5.  Take off the lid, fluff and adjust the seasoning with salt as desired.