Savory Buckwheat Groats Breakfast Bowl
This cozy, comforting recipe is extremely versatile—add in your favorite breakfast meat, some seasonal veggies and top with a farm-fresh egg or two!
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
8 sausage patties
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 cups winter squash of your choice, peeled, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
8 eggs
Method:
1. For the groats, bring water to boil in a small pot. Add buckwheat and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet, cook the sausage patties until no longer pink on the inside, removing to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Add the onions, leeks, and squash to the skillet, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium-high heat in the meat drippings until the veggies are tender. Also remove from the skillet and reserve. Finally, in the same skillet, crack the eggs and fry until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the warm groats into four serving bowls, then top each with 2 sausage patties, a generous helping of the vegetables and 2 eggs; serve immediately.
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Buckwheat Groats with Cinnamon-Kissed Apples & Raisins
Topped with fall apples, this sweet groat bowl option is also fragrant with cinnamon.
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced â…“-inch thick
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
½ cup raisins
Method:
1. For the groats, bring water to boil in a small pot. Add buckwheat and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the apple slices and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes longer.
3. Divide the warm groats into four serving bowls and top each with a generous helping of the apples, garnishing with a smattering of raisins. Serve immediately.
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Savory Mushroom Breakfast Strata
This healthy yet decadent-tasting strata is studded with winter squash, mushrooms and tender greens.
Ingredients:
1 bunch hearty greens, such as kale or Swiss chard
½ pound mushrooms, such as baby Shiitake, washed and sliced
½ winter squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ loaf French bread (preferably stale!), cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1-2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs
2 cups milk
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Cook 2-3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet and add the squash. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Then add the mushrooms and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the greens, toss together and remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms, squash and greens, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.
5. Place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.
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European-Style Buckwheat Cake
Known as schwarzplententorte in German or torta di granosaraceno in Italian, this wonderfully moist and dense cake is usually eaten for breakfast together with a big cup of coffee—or as a morning or afternoon snack.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
2¼ cups buckwheat flour
2¼ cups almonds, skins on if possible, pulverised into almond meal
1 apple, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Your favorite berry preserves
Powdered sugar
Method:
1. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and beat until pale and creamy. Add the buckwheat, almond meal, grated apple and vanilla extract until just combined.
2. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold in, bit by bit, into the batter until well combined and pour batter into a greased and lined round baking tin.
3. Bake at 350º for about 50 minutes or until the cake is deep golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. When cool enough to handle, remove cake from tin and slice in half lengthways. Spread the bottom layer with a healthy spreading of jam and replace the top layer. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
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Buckwheat Crêpes
Once you perfect the technique here, start adding in and playing with your favorite fillings. (This week we suggest using our signature apple butter paired with some maple-spiced apples.)
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ to ½ cup water
Method:
1. To make the crêpe batter, combine all the ingredients (except water) in a blender, and blend until smooth. Cover the batter and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. When you’re ready to make crêpes, thin the batter with water, using less water for thicker crêpes and more water for thinner ones.
3. Preheat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter, oil, or pan spray, then pour in enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan; swirling the pan as you pour the batter will help ensure an even coating. Cook the crêpe for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, until it’s golden and lifts from the pan easily. Flip it over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side.
4. Transfer cooked crêpes to a plate, stacking them on top of one another, and keeping a towel over them. Fill as desired; serve warm.
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Reibekuchen
These classic German potato pancakes are delicious served with applesauce for a sweet option, or topped with sour cream, chives and fresh ground pepper for a more savory taste.
Ingredients:
1 pound of potatoes
1 small onion
3 tablespoons flour
1 medium-sized egg
Sea salt
Pinch of pepper (if you want savory pancakes)
Neutral oil for frying
Method:
1. Wash and peel the potatoes, and peel the onion. Grate the potatoes into a bowl using a cheese grater, or food processor fitted with a grating blade. (If there is excess water in the potatoes, drain some of the potato water. Also grate the onion.
2. Add a healthy pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper if you want the pancakes savory, flour, and the egg. Mix everything together until the batter is well mixed.
3. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and add two tablespoons of batter per pancake. Make sure the pancake is not too thick or too large to ensure proper cooking. You probably won’t be able to fit more than 2-4 pancakes into your pan at the same time.
4. Cook the pancakes until both sides are golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side, then remove them from the pan and allow to drain on a paper towel or similar to allow the oil to absorb. (You can then put the pancakes in the preheated oven to keep them warm.) Repeat the process with the rest of the batter, adding more oil as needed, and serve immediately with your preferred toppings.
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Breakfast Barley with Dried Fruit & Nuts
Chewy, nutty barley is topped with fruit, nuts and a hint of cinnamon to create a hearty and satisfying breakfast.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked barley*
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 pinch salt (if you didn’t salt barley during cooking process)
2 medium apples diced
¼ cup walnuts chopped
¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup pure maple syrup
Milk, to serve (optional)
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot heated over medium heat.
2. Stir frequently until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour into four bowls and serve with milk if desired.
*To prep barley, combine 1 cup barley with 3 cups water or stock in a saucepan, adding a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Drain and cool until ready to use.
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Sausage & Arugula Breakfast Frittata
Spicy, tender arugula brings a pleasant bite to this baked dish with savory sausage and potato rounds.
Ingredients:
10 eggs
8 ounces breakfast sausage
½ pound fingerling or baby potatoes, washed and thinly-sliced into rounds
4 cups packed arugula
½ cup Grana-style cheese, grated
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs, cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In an ovenproof fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss potato rounds into the pan and sauté until tender, seasoning generously with salt and pepper Add sausage meat to pan and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until nicely browned and cooked, 3-4 minutes. Add the arugula and stir just until evenly wilted, about 1 minute. Add the sausage-potato mixture to the bowl with the egg mixture.
3. Wipe the pan clean and return it to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread to coat the pan bottom. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan and smooth the top, making sure the potato slices lay flat.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the frittata is set in the center and slightly puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Carefully run a paring knife or sharp-bladed spatula around the inside edges to release the frittata. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Cauliflower Pesto
Serve this ingenious spread from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook atop slices of toasted Kalamata olive bread.
Ingredients:
4 heads baby cauliflower
1 medium shallot
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup Grana-style cheese
4 sun-dried tomatoes, dry variety
1 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, place sun dried tomatoes and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 5 minutes to soften, then drain.
2. Rinse the cauliflower, cut off the leaves and hard stalks. Cut the rest into chunks, and put in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until florets are thoroughly chopped, about the size of couscous. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Without rinsing the bowl of the processor, add the shallots, pepper flakes, almonds, cheese, drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, capers and parsley. Process until fine. Add oil and vinegar and pulse until a paste forms.
4. Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower, mixing gently. Check for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as necessary. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.
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Vanilla Bean French Toast
Prep this fragrant French toast the night before, and then bake it in the oven right before brunch—easy, peasy!
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch slices
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries and confectioner’s sugar, for topping
Method:
1. Preheat an oven to 425°. Butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside, Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until the bread is lightly golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the bread slices to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. With the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the egg mixture and whisk to combine; reserve the vanilla bean halves. In batches, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning the slices to coat them evenly and letting the bread sit in the bowl for about 2 minutes to absorb the liquid. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Pour any remaining egg mixture in the bowl evenly over the bread in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the dish, still covered with the foil, to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, increase the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the French toast is puffed up and browned, about 15 minutes more. While the French toast is cooking, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. To serve, pour the maple syrup mixture evenly over the French toast. Garnish with the reserved vanilla bean halves, if desired, and serve with berries and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
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