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!