Creamy Banana Buckwheat Porridge with Blueberries, Almonds & Cacao Nibs {vegan, gluten free}

A healthy breakfast to start off the week! I’m in high spirits today. James and I are flying off to Tokyo tomorrow morning. It’s winter there right now, so my suitcase is full of ridiculously bulky clothing. It’s really hard to pack for winter when it is literally 30°C around here right now. I’m glad to be leaving for a colder climate (perhaps I’ll regret saying this when we get to Japan). Anyway, I made this healthy, vegan, gluten free porridge thing for breakfast this morning. As a first timer with buckwheat porridge I’ve gotta say, I loved it.

I used Deliciously Ella’s super simple recipe for the buckwheat porridge. She cooks the buckwheat with bananas, cinnamon, honey/maple and almond milk so that the kernels have time to soak up all of that yummy stuff as the liquid reduces. What’s left is a creamy, gooey, comforting and mildly sweet  porridge that goes very well with fruity toppings like berries and crunchy additions like almonds and cacao nibs.

Buckwheat’s deceptive name can easily cause confusion – it is not a type of wheat, nor is it related to wheat in any way. Buckwheat is derived from the seeds of a flowering plant and is therefore entirely free of gluten. The soft, hulled triangular seeds (groats) have a mild favour that intensifies when roasted. Diets high in buckwheat have been linked to better blood sugar control and lowered risk of developing high cholesterol.

Banana Buckwheat Porridge with Blueberries, Almonds & Cacao Nibs
a vegan & gluten free recipe, serves 2 ; adapted from Deliciously Ella’s recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw buckwheat groats (kernels)
1 cup filtered water
2 cups almond milk
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or rice malt syrup)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

toppings:
fresh blueberries
banana slices
roasted almonds
organic cacao nibs

Preparation:

1. Heat the cup of water in a medium saucepan over high heat until it starts to boil, then stir in the buckwheat. Bring heat down to medium-low and allow the buckwheat to sit for a couple of minutes.
2. Stir in the sliced bananas, maple syrup and cinnamon. Let simmer until the water is mostly absorbed, then stir through one cup of almond milk.
3. Allow the mixture to continue cooking, stirring occasionally to prevent the buckwheat at the bottom from burning. Gradually add the second cup of almond milk as it is needed. Never let the buckwheat run out of liquid.
4. After about 20 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and the mixture should be of a porridge-like consistency. Serve with blueberries, banana slices, almonds, cacao nibs and some extra maple syrup. Enjoy!