Just a quick note:  When a recipe here calls for pitted dates, it refers to dates which are already pitted when purchased.  They are generally about half the size of a whole, un-pitted medjool date. 

Creamy Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding

For July we have had several cold rainy days that have not only watered the veggie garden, and all the other plant life, but is a good opportunity to make a hot breakfast! 

The photos above consist of  dry green buckwheat, after soaking 24 hours, and the finished pudding.  There were several attempts a while back to create a hot kasha cereal, (aka roasted buckwheat).  Personally, The taste of the green buckwheat used here is far better.  It's a nice change from oatmeal, very filling, and any left over may be stored in a covered container in the fridge to be warmed up within a few days, as it retains the same consistency very nicely.

Creamy Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding

1 cup whole green buckwheat

2 cups warm water

1/2" wide wedge of a washed, fresh lemon, sliced lengthwise

4 cups almond milk  (possibly more)

2T maple syrup  (possibly more)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium size pot, mix buckwheat and warm water.  Squeeze lemon juice into the pot, drop the remaining rind in, and stir well.  Cover and let sit for 20-24 hours.  Drain mixture and remove lemon rind.  (The liquid will be somewhat gooey, and draining every drop is not necessary.)  Stir in the almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla.  Bring to a simmer, stirring almost constantly.  Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook uncovered 15-20 minutes until mixture is creamy and the buckwheat is soft.  (Stir every 5 minutes:  if it begins to stick on the bottom, the heat is too high, or a little more almond milk needs to be stirred in.)

Add fresh fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup if you desire, and enjoy!

Yield: Approximately four cups

Option  -Forgo cooking for 15-20 minutes, and once mixture has come to a simmer: cover, turn off the heat, ( if electric stove, remove from heat) and let sit 2-2 1/2 hours for liquid to absorb. 

-If you use almond milk from the store, the sweetness may vary.  If you prefer to make your own, the recipe used here is below:

Fresh Almond Milk (for pudding)

4 cups water

1 cup raw soaked almonds (Soak nuts in water 8-24 hours in fridge)

14 pitted dates

Blend all in a Vitamix (high powered) blender until liquefied.  This will make enough for the above recipe, with a little to spare to add along with the fruit and drizzle of maple syrup if you wish. 

Option:  For almond milk to drink, start with 6 or 7 pitted dates, adding more until you find the ratio that tastes best to you.  To retain the freshest taste, drink immediately after making, or at most within 24 hours.

Have a joyous and blessed day!

Roasted Veggie Medley

 

My daughter made these the other night.  They were so good, I asked to share the recipe... sort of.  My style of cooking is to change the ingredients and proportions an untold number of times before settling on a recipe, while writing each change down.  Her style is to never measuring anything!  So the amounts below are a best guess.  Please note, along with the maple syrup and the margarine, the onions really brought out the flavor of the veggies.

Roasted Veggie Medley

1# brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 large red onion, sliced lengthwise
1  - 2 cups broccoli tops, cut into pieces
2 medium purple haze carrots, cut in 1-2" pieces
1 small-medium butternut squash, peeled, seed section scooped out, and cut into 1" cubes

1 1/2-2 T maple syrup
1-2 T non-hydrogenated margarine (such as Earth Balance)
a sprinkle of whole salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Place prepared veggies in a large bowl and set aside.
Melt margarine, whisk in maple syrup, and pour over veggies.
Toss the mixture together, and spread evenly on 2 lightly oiled cookie sheets with sides, in a single layer.
Bake:  400 degrees for, 5-15 minutes?  Basically, check every five minutes until the veggies are crisp tender, and the colors are still vibrant.
Remove from oven, lightly sprinkle with whole salt to taste, and toss veggies together. 
Serve immediately.

Have a joyous and blessed day!

Maple Date Cookies

As you can see by the photos above, these Maple Date Cookies are very easy to make.  The hardest part is remembering to line your cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy removal of the baked cookies.  Without it, it takes a bit to remove them from even the most non-stick, well oiled cookie sheet.
These will satisfy your sweet tooth, as well as being very nutrient dense.  The first five photos above are actually of half a batch with just 1 T of maple syrup syrup in them to see if all the maple syrup was really necessary. They are good this way also, but the sweeter version below is the favorite.  The bottom photo consists of 1 1/2 batches, with a few missing... they are warm cookies after all!

Maple Date Cookies

24 Pitted dates (which is a little more than 1 cup, packed)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour
1/2 cup ground sesame seeds  (NOT tahini)
2 T soft xv coconut oil (barely warm liquid form is fine too)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
-Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside
-Place pitted dates into food processor and chop until fine and clumpy.  (A 14 cup Cuisinart food processor was used here.  The 10 cup size would need to make a half batch at a time.)
-Add remaining ingredients and process until dough is clumpy, sticky, and nuts are visible as tiny, 1/8" pieces
-Form the dough into 20-24, 1 inch balls by rolling in your palms in a circular motion, and place on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart
-Place a 5"x5" piece of waxpaper on the first ball, and with a large mug with a concave bottom, flatten the dough into a scant 1/4 " x 2 1/4" disc on the parchment paper.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Bake:  350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes until cookie springs back just a bit, and edges are slightly browned.  (A minute less for chewier cookies)
-Let cookies set on cookie sheet 2-3 minutes before removing
-Cool completely before storing in an air tight container. 
-They are fine on the counter for a few days, but if the weather is very hot, store in the fridge.

Have a joyous and blessed day!