Best Kasha With Squash And Pomegranate Recipes
KASHA
For years I have had uneven results with buckwheat groats, or kasha, as the dry-roasted grains are called. I have tried different methods, both stovetop and oven, and usually mixed the grains with an egg before cooking. Sometimes my grains cooked up to a mush, other times they held their shape but still seemed rather soft and indistinct. I sort of gave up on kasha for a while, opting for more predictable grains and pseudo-grains like quinoa and spelt. But I love the flavor of buckwheat, so this week I took another stab at buckwheat groats with a box of medium-grain kasha I bought at the supermarket - and everything changed. These grains were cracked, like bulgur, something I hadn't seen before. I followed the directions on the box, and they turned out perfect -- dry and fluffy, with the wonderful nutty/earthy buckwheat flavor I find so appealing. To see if it was the cut of the grain only or the combination of the cut of the grain and the cooking method that gave me such good results, I used the exact same cooking method using whole toasted buckwheat groats. The whole groats turned out better than any I had made before, but they took three times as long to cook than the cracked groats, yielded a little less, and because all of the egg is not absorbed by the whole grains the way it is by the cracked grains, which have more cut surfaces to absorb the egg, you get some egg flakes floating on the top of the cooked kasha, which is not very attractive (though it's easy to remove them).
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, vegetables, main course, side dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Combine water, salt, and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boil turn off heat and cover.
- Meanwhile, beat egg in a medium bowl and add kasha. Mix together until grains are thoroughly and evenly coated.
- Transfer to a medium-size, wide, heavy saucepan (I use Analon nonstick), place over high heat and stir egg-coated kasha constantly until grains are dry, smell toasty, and no egg is visible, 2 to 3 minutes. Add just-boiled water, turn heat to very low, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes for cracked kasha, 30 minutes for whole kasha, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
- Remove lid from pan, place clean dish towel over pan (not touching the grains), and cover tightly. Let sit undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 183, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 404 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
KASHA WITH SQUASH AND POMEGRANATE
This salad works equally well with kasha or freekeh, both of which have a nutty-earthy flavor that serves as a great backdrop for sweet roasted butternut squash and sweet-tart, crunchy pomegranate seeds. Lately I have gotten into the habit of roasting diced butternut squash to keep on hand in the refrigerator for a few days; I usually don't know in advance what I am going to use it for; then one night it finds its way into a salad like this one, the next night into a risotto, and so on until it is time to roast up another one. Four cups diced squash looks like a lot, but it reduces down to about 1 1/2 cups when you roast it, so you will use it up quickly (I use all of it, for example, in this salad).
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories salads and dressings, appetizer, side dish
Time 45m
Yield Serves 6 to 8
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Place diced squash on parchment, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste and toss together until squash is thoroughly coated with oil. Spread out in a single, even layer on the baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until squash is nice and tender and the edges are lightly colored (some can be charred). Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, toss together kasha or freekeh, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and chopped fresh herbs.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together vinegar, pomegranate molasses, allspice and salt to taste. Whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and walnut oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add black pepper if desired.
- Add squash to grain mixture. Add dressing, toss together and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 503, UnsaturatedFat 17 grams, Carbohydrate 77 grams, Fat 20 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 485 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
