Buckwheat pilaf

Buckwheat is hardy grass like plant that used to represent a large part of diet in areas where harsh climate or low-fertility soil did not support growing wheat. It is also delicious, nutritious, has low glycemic load, and has no gluten. But most of all, it is delicious.

One can use buckwheat groats in soups of course, buckwheat crepes are amazing, there is a dish called zganci for which I need to record a recipe one day, we put cooked buckwheat groats into home-made sausages, and of course buckwheat gives bread an amazing flavor.

But here, we focus on a simple buckwheat pilaf. It's great as a starch in your meal, and it is cooked so fast that you can make it with your scrambled eggs in the morning. The look below may not be most appealing - do not be mislead, this is top-shelf kind of food in my opinion.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS cooking oil. My preference is coconut or avocado oil, by far.
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Optional: 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely.
• Buckwheat groats, non-toasted. About 1/2 cup for 2-3 people. I find toasted groats, sometimes sold as buckwheat kasha, awful as they seem to retain no bite when you cook them.
• 1 cup of chicken/vegetable stock, or water.
• 2 tsp dry marjoram
• A pinch of allspice
• Salt to taste.

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat, add onions when the pan is hot - well before it smokes.
• Cook the onions on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown, or at least until they become translucent.
• If using garlic, stir in the garlic and cook for 30 secs
• Add buckwheat and stock.
• Rub in the marjoram and add allspice.
• Cover, bring to boil, and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
• When done, the groats will have just a little bite to them. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• Note, if there is just a bit of liquid left in the pan when the buckwheat is cooked, the groats will soak it. If there is lots of liquid left, it is better to pour it away.

Variations:

• Fry chopped mushrooms along with the onions.
• Stir in scrambled eggs for a complete meal.
• Use half millet half buckwheat. If you don't have a fast-cooking millet, which in the USA you likely will not have, start cooking millet first and add buckwheat when the millet is almost cooked.