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Risotto of buckwheat groats with beets and garlic porcini mushrooms

Quinoa is normally on my grain speed-dial, but lately I’ve been experimenting with Buckwheat Groats (also called Kasha). On the healthfulness front Buckwheat is great, surpassing rice, wheat and corn on many levels. Because those three are especially high on the glycemic scale, they provoke a quick spike in blood sugar levels and promote systemic inflammation.
Course Mains
Cuisine Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nutrient Rich, Refined Sugar Free
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Author Laura Livesey

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil
  • 1 red onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (save 1 until the very end)
  • 2 beets diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms diced
  • 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms or 1 Tbsp porcini mushroom powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 4 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups buckwheat groats
  • 4 cups stock
  • Zest of 1 lemon + a good squirt of lemon juice
  • Optional: Fresh thyme
    or dill and a few large handfuls of rocket (arugula), and/or pine nuts.

Instructions

  1. In a large pot heat up your oil and add the onion and garlic. Stir for a few minutes until soft
  2. Add the beets and mushrooms and cook a few minutes more
  3. Add the dry porcini, chili powder, tomato paste and dry buckwheat groats. Stir for a minute or so before adding all the stock
  4. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until the water has absorbed into the buckwheat and it’s almost dry but still sticky
  5. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon zest, a good squirt of lemon juice, and the optional fresh herbs and greens which gives it a fresh taste and adds extra raw nutrients.
  6. You are ready to eat! You can serve it directly in bowls, or as you can see in the photo, if you have a few more minutes you could grease a round cookie cutter with coconut oil, and then spoon the risotto into this quite compactly so that when you remove the risotto from the metal ring you get a nice round presentation on the plate! For fun, if you like, you can top it with a sprinkle of herbs, a bit of olive oil, some pine nuts and more lemon zest before serving. Enjoy!