Culinary Literacy: Buckwheat with Mushrooms (Gluten-Free)

I recently had requests for more gluten-free recipes, so today, I am sharing one of my favorites. It is delicious, easy to make, very economical, and very healthy. (For more resources about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, see the sources section below). Buckwheat is called a “pseudo-grain” and is considered one of the superfoods for its content of inflammation-lowering phytochemicals, antioxidants, high fiber content, and protein content.

Contrary to its name, buckwheat does not contain wheat. (Other gluten-free grains include: Amaranth, Teff, Millett, Corn, Rice, Quinoa, and Sorghum). Oats are technically also gluten-free, but they can be tricky as they are often processed or stored in facilities where other grains are processed and can be exposed to gluten). Buckwheat was cultivated in China as early as 2600 BCE and became part of the European diet during the Middle Ages. Buckwheat is made into Japanese soba noodles, crackers, cookies, pancakes, or Kasha, which are toasted groats popular in Northern and Eastern Europe.

Buckwheat Kasha with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 cups buckwheat
1-2 Tbs butter or olive oil
3+ cups of chicken stock
2 cups fresh mushrooms or ½ cup of dry mushroom
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbs dry oregano or marjoram (or fresh if available)

Preheat oven to 425F

ingredients for the dish sitting on the counter

Gather all of your ingredients, so they are ready when needed.

toasting the buckwheat in a cast iron skillet

The first step is to toast the buckwheat, which is best done on an iron skillet. The groats need to be moved around and watched carefully so they do not burn.

The finished color of the toasted buckwheat in a skillet

Toasted groats should have a brown color but not burned, which would ruin the taste.

pieces of butter sitting in a shallow pan

Grease the bottom of a shallow dish with butter or olive oil.

peeled garlic cloves sitting on a cutting block with a knife beside them

minced garlic pieces sitting beside a garlic press

Peel and mince the garlic.

small piles of chopped mushrooms, herbs and garlic sitting on a chopping board

Chop mushrooms and herbs.

mushrooms, herbs and garlic cooking in a pan

Sautee mushrooms, garlic, and spices

toasted buckwheat in a shallow buttered dish with other ingredients

Add toasted buckwheat and sautéed mushrooms to the buttered dish.

cooked ingredients and chicken broth in a shallow greased pan

Add chicken broth

finished dish of buckwheat and mushrooms after cooking in the oven

Bake 30-40 minutes until the buckwheat groats are soft. Add more liquid if the groats are still not soft and continue baking until all chicken broth is absorbed.

It can be covered and refrigerated for a few days to be reheated and served later.

Enjoy!

Magda Born

mborn@kckpl.org

Adult Services Librarian

Kansas City KS Public Library

625 Minnesota Ave

Kansas City, KS 66101

Sources:

https://www.science.org/content/article/what-s-really-behind-gluten-sensitivity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4406911/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/signs-you-are-gluten-intolerant#Symptoms-of-celiac-disease