This delicious dish is a perfect snack and a healthy way to eat a variety of nutrients. Yum!

• Ingredients

  • ¾ cup untoasted organic buckwheat groats
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
  • 1 red onion, cut into small dice
  • 1 -2 small organic zucchini or 1 large zucchini, diced
  • 1 organic red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 organic orange pepper, diced
  • 1/3 cup of organic raisins
  • ¼ cup of pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup of hot boiling water
  • Paprika
  • Himalayan salt
  • Freshly ground black Pepper

• Procedure:

  1. Thoroughly rinse buckwheat. Pre-soak buckwheat in a bowl with 3-4 times the amount of water with tablespoon of lemon juice. Soak in warm water overnight, or at least 7 hours. Rinse well after soaking. Drain buckwheat and set aside.
  2. Warm the olive oil or ghee in wok over low-medium heat. Add onions, peppers and sauté until onions are soft -turning occasionally, add diced zucchini.
  3. Keep heat on medium-high. Stir in buckwheat, continue medium-high heat until liquid is absorbed and buckwheat has expanded. Cover and -reduce heat to simmer. Reduce heat to simmer.
  4. Stir in presoaked in hot water raisins and pine nuts (you can pre-toast the pine nuts as an option) as buckwheat is simmering. Add pinch of paprika, salt and black pepper to taste. Add more water if needed.
  5. Stir the buckwheat occasionally to maintain a smooth fluffy consistency. Total cooking time 15-20 minutes.
     *Because the buckwheat is pre-soaked you may not need extra water.
     Tip: Cooked buckwheat keeps for 3-4 days and freezes well.

 
Buckwheat is not a wheat and technically not a grain. It is a seed of an herb, a relative of rhubarb. Buckwheat contains all the essential amino acids, potassium, zinc, Iron, all of B vitamins group, especially riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3); Vitamin E, Vitamin K, calcium & Folate.
 
Why pre -soak?
All grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer. Untreated phytic acid can block nutrient absorption. Soaking in warm water neutralizes the natural enzyme inhibitors, which can interfere with digestion. Pre-soaked also allows beneficial enzymes to be released. Soaking in lemon juice makes the seed more digestible and helps the seed breakdown and easily absorbed.