Toasted Buckwheat & Millet Granola

I'm finally back with another post!  If you noticed that things were a bit quiet on here for the past week and a half, the reason is that I was away at another conference, which kept me extremely busy! My sister and I were both invited to attend a conference in Seoul, South Korea and I just got back this weekend.  It was nice to return to some slightly warmer weather here in Ontario, since it was freezing in Seoul!

I was planning on doing another travel post to share some of the food that I ate on my trip, but it turns out that I really didn't have any interesting meals while I was there.  The only authentic Korean dish that I tried was a vegetarian bibambap (rice with lots of different vegetables and spicy Korean red pepper paste), which I shared on my Facebook page.  If you're interested in seeing more, you can check out my sister Natalie's post about our trip on her blog Once Upon a Cutting Board.

Since there wasn't a lot of vegetarian food readily available in Seoul, I was glad that I had brought some of my own snacks with me.  The day before I left, I made a batch of granola to bring along, and I liked it so much that I had to recreate it as soon as I got home so I could share the recipe with you!

Ever since I tried this buckwheat snack from SaSha Co., I've been wanting to make my own version of a granola using toasted buckwheat (also called kasha). Kasha is a heart-healthy whole grain made by toasting raw buckwheat groats, and is a great option to use as a base for gluten-free granola instead of oats.

I also added some uncooked millet to my granola, both for its nutrients and to add extra crunch! Along with the millet, I included slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, cherries and raisins as additional mix-ins.  Everything got coated in a mixture of almond butter and agave syrup and baked in the oven in a single layer to help it clump together.

After coming out of the oven, the kasha and millet took on an even stronger toasted, nutty flavour that I loved.  This is an extremely crunchy granola, so it's perfect for adding to milk or yogurt without getting mushy - this is actually the first cereal that I've been able to enjoy in a bowl with almond milk in a long time - it survived a photo shoot and was still perfectly crunchy by the time I was able to eat it afterwards!

I also liked that it wasn't too sweet, so it made a good snack for munching on its own too, which I did throughout my long journey to and from Korea!

Toasted Buckwheat & Millet Granola
Adapted from Mitten Machen

1 cup toasted buckwheat (kasha)

2 tbsp uncooked millet

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Dash of kosher salt

2 tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp agave syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, and/or blueberries

2 tbsp sultana raisins

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, mix together the toasted buckwheat, millet, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

If your almond butter is on the thick/harder side, microwave it on medium power for 15-30 seconds, until it is thin and pourable.  Add the agave and vanilla to the almond butter and whisk to mix together. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Spread mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Press down with a rubber spatula to form a large rectangle that holds together. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and add the pepitas and sunflower seeds. Flip the mixture with a spatula and press together again to form a rectangle.  Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the dried fruit and raisins over the mixture, then press them down with a spatula. Let cool completely on the baking sheet without stirring. Once cool, break granola up into pieces. Store in a bag or airtight container. 

This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert & Dogs. 

Mango Millet & Kale Salad

As I've mentioned before, one of my favourite things to make over the past year has been quinoa because I find it so easy to work with and there's so much you can do with it!  I can always throw together a quick and easy quinoa salad using whatever ingredients I have in the fridge and pantry and the leftovers make a great lunch to bring to the office too.

Lately, I've been hearing more about other grains like barley, buckwheat, farro, and kasha.  I haven't ventured into cooking with any of those yet, but I'm working my way there!

As a first step, I bought a small amount of millet from the bulk bin recently and I've used it in a couple of salads.  Millet is a small grain that looks like tiny yellow beads and it can be prepared in the same way as quinoa.

I haven't tried it on just its own yet, but I've discovered that cooking a combination of millet and quinoa together makes a nice fluffy, thick mixture that is a great base for a variety of fruits and veggies!

My favourite millet creation so far is this mango millet and kale salad that I adapted slightly from the blog Healthful Pursuit.  I made a few changes to the recipe, like using kale instead of spinach because I thought the kale would hold up nicely for leftovers.  I also left out the onion and added some diced cucumber, pepitas and cilantro in addition to the mango, almonds and cranberries.

I loved the combination of the sweet fruit and fresh cucumber with the soft millet and crunchy almonds.  The best part about this salad though was the lemon poppyseed dressing - it was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and went so well with the rest of the ingredients. I also liked the way the poppy seeds dotted each grain of millet!

This salad is a nice light and fresh dish that's perfect for Spring. It's also a great recipe to make a big batch of and then store the leftovers in the fridge to bring for lunches throughout the week, since it keeps well (as long as your mango isn't already overly ripe). I actually have a potluck lunch coming up next week with the theme of "Spring Fling", so this would be the perfect dish to bring!

And for more tasty and gluten-free salad ideas, check out this round-up from Healthful Pursuit, where I got this recipe!

Mango Millet & Kale Salad
Adapted from Healthful Pursuit

1/2 cup dry millet

1/4 cup dry quinoa

1.5 cups water

2 cups shredded kale

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 cup diced ripe mango

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tbsp pepitas

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Dressing

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tbsp raw honey (could substitute agave for a vegan version)

1 tbsp honey mustard (could substitute dijon mustard)

1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

1/8 tsp herbamare

Combine the millet, quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, then remove lid and fluff with a fork.  Place in a large bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the kale, cucumber and mango and set aside.  Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the almonds and pepitas. Toast for a few minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant.   Transfer to the bowl with the millet mixture and stir to mix.

Add the kale to the millet while it is still warm and stir to mix thoroughly.  Next, pour the dressing into the bowl and stir again (you can even use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale if you want it to be a bit softer).

Add the cucumber, mango, cranberries and cilantro and toss to combine.

Chill in the fridge, or serve at room temperature.

Makes 3 large servings, or more as a side dish.


This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert, and Dogs.