I have a new love! Matt and I were shopping at Whole Foods yesterday (I gave up my boycott a few weeks ago), and I was picking up my usual box of quinoa flakes when I saw something incredible.
Cream of Buckwheat!!!
I am definitely a fan of this non-grain, and have been eating the whole groats frequently as a sub for oatmeal, rice, and couscous. The cream of buckwheat takes about 10 minutes to cook, which is only a little less time than whole groats, BUT the texture is so lovely. It reminds me of the steel cut oats which I adore so much. I still miss that oaty flavor, but this is such a nice breakfast addition. It’s also about half the price of a box of quinoa flakes, and 1/4 C. of COB mixed with 1 1/4 C. water makes one serving and that is a very filling breakfast. I added a banana, some raisins, pumpkin pie spice,2 tsp. date sugar, and a little vanilla. Oh and of course topped it off with some peanut butter for extra oomph and staying power on this cold day. Today’s low was 17° F.! Today’s breakfast was just SO perfect for that kind of weather.
The weekend was lovely. I had a lot planned but the weather kept me from making a party on Friday night. I thought that the roads were going to get too icy and so I skipped a friend’s birthday party. Of course the roads didn’t ice over, but better safe than sorry. It actually worked out well because I was in a bit of a funk. I cheered myself up by making Matt a batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies. I have to be honest. I had a bite of them and I wasn’t all that impressed with the texture. They remained in ball form and never spread out, and they were pretty dense. The recipe was fairly similar to normal chocolate chip cookies except for the lack of eggs (which creates a crumbly texture). I am going to continue my search for a recipe I like, but I am probably a tad more picky than I need to be. Matt was just overjoyed to have cookies and while he said he does prefer my non-vegan cookies, these were still good. I might try them with oil next time instead of the Earth Balance. Just to see if that changes anything. Like I said I was in a funk. Let’s call it what it was…PMS, and not really Pre…but yes I had some chocolate that was supposed to end up in the cookies. Sue me, it was a rough evening. I also ended up making something magical for myself to munch on during the holiday season. I still need to photograph them so look for that recipe soon. Saturday I headed over to Healeo and made these fabulous creations.
Raw Apple Pie
and…back due to popular demand
Raw Pumpkin Pie!
After working (and eating) at Healeo I dropped off a few goodies for my friend and sugarist, Jill. I have been going to Smooth for almost 4 years and I absolutely adore her. I highly recommend her! I won’t ever get waxed again. I know this is a food blog, and usually I don’t recommend sugar…but for hair removal it is really hard to beat. I have gotten burned and have had my skin ripped off when I have gotten waxed, but with the method Jill uses for sugaring this isn’t a possibility. If you are in Seattle I really recommend Smooth Sugaring Studio. I have tried other places and they just didn’t cut it. Plus, Jill has the best prices I have seen in the area. her space is clean and relaxing and completely private. I have always felt comfortable there and have developed a friendship with her because I love of the great service she offers, it wasn’t the other way around. I cannot believe I actually did it, but I watched the tail end of the Texas game on Saturday night. I know most of my family will be proud, and it is all thanks to Matt. Hook ‘Em! Sunday we went to Whole Foods and grabbed some goodies before heading over to my friend’s house on Lake Sammamish for dinner. We roasted up a bunch of veggies and they were heavenly on a cold night.
Roasted asparagus and leeks...
Roasted Delicata squash, pearl onions, and garlic...
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Garlic of course!
and of course after this I went for seconds
There was a pretty little tree out on the dock outside their window and I tried to get a good shot.
Pretty little lake tree
It was so festive!
I was too cold to hold still and so it came out fussy, oh well…you get the idea. We had a really nice meal and lovely conversation. Perfect for a somewhat lazy Winter Sunday evening. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I am gearing up for a bit of a busy week, but I am still trying to take the time to relax.
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Oh, good idea! I hated quinoa flakes so much, I really regretted that I couldn’t return them. We do oatmeal here almost every day. I’ll have to try this buckwheat.
Wow, it really did get COLD out there! Brrrr! I will try to keep my mental grumbling about the low 40 temps we are seeing to a minimum!
The buckwheat is gluten-free, yes? I think I will try getting some, technically, you are supposed to avoid oats unless they are certified gluten-free, and I don’t have the certified kind, I don’t think.
Magical Marissa food? I can’t wait to see the recipe!
Can you post or send your recipe for the raw apple pie? looks delish!
mwah! :)
Yes! It is 100% gluten free and quite tasty. It doesn’t have the stink that toasted kasha has either. Loving it!
Thanks so much for your comment on my blog, Marissa! And wow, your story is so inspiring for me right now. :)
I adore buckwheat and have it fairly often. While it’s true that it has s distinctive smell while cooking, I usually make extra groats, so that I can take a portion and blend it in the food processor the next morning for breakfast. It’s the same effect as the COB, but made at home and with the whole “grain”. And it’s delish, too! :)
Holy crap Marissa your food is just outta this world!
Thanks for the Cream of Buckwheat tutorial. My naturopath in San Diego (well til I moved) was a big buckwheat proponent. I havent jumped on the b’wagon yet but may, in time. I am not a huge cooked grains type of girl. I much prefer raw veggies, even in the winter. But i love how you made the b’wheat sound!
And your roasted vegggies look divine!!
Marissa, try adding a little Xantham gum in your cookie batter, that should help the texture.
[...] changes were to substitute cooked cream of buckwheat for the brown rice, and I substituted arrowroot for the brown rice flour, and I used a little less [...]
Alright, cream of buckwheat here I come. :)