Sunday, December 8, 2013

Kasha (Polish-style toasted buckwheat groats) with sauteed leeks and mushrooms

Kasha!!


http://www.naturesrice.com/KASHA%20bmp.jpg

If you avoid wheat and you haven't tried it before, you should. It's a delicious alternative to rice or other cooked grains, with a nutty flavor all its own. Polish folks have a gazillion recipes for it, and some involve putting the kasha to bed. Yes, literally, putting it under the covers for a period of an hour or more.

 I followed these directions here and merged with some other suggestions & recipes I found on the web. The result was delicious.

I used the above directions for toasting, precooking, and baking the kasha as suggested, but mixed the precooked kasha with a sauteed mushroom mixture before I put it in the oven. The mixture:

3 leeks, thoroughly cleaned then chopped (just the white parts)
1 pound brown mushrooms, chopped
dash of dry dill and thyme
salt
fresh-ground black pepper

Saute in olive oil with some butter. Mix with pre-cooked buckwheat groats (3/4 cup kasha, toasted and tossed with melted butter) and a bit over a cup of water, cooked on low flame until the water evaporates) and 1 slightly beaten egg. Bake in 350 degree oven for about half an hour.

Would be delicious paired with a meat or dairy main dish.

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