Hot Cereal for a Gluten Free Girl

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a funny little yellow box in the gluten free section of my local grocery store. "Cream of Buckwheat" it said, and being partial to buckwheat I snatched it up and thought I'd give it a try. Naturally, since it wasn't on my shopping list, I got home, shelved it and immediately forgot it existed (owing in part to the fact that it's been miserably hot this past week!)

Yesterday, however, we had a cold snap and I woke at 4AM to a house with every window open wide on a breezy 42ºF morning. It was cold enough in my house that my hands and feet tingled after I left the comfort of my warm bed. My mind snapped immediately to the thought of warm oatmeal, but being "off" of oats as well as wheat (and soy and processed sugars... I'm sure you'll read more about that later when I get to posting it) oatmeal was out of the question. It wasn't until I was nearly ready to leave for the horse farm that my mind snapped to the odd little box I'd picked up at the grocery store.

It was super simple - a 1/4 cup of buckwheat, 3/4 cup of liquid (I used 1/4 cream, 1/2 water), a sprinkle of salt and 3 minutes in the microwave! Voila! Buckwheat is slightly on the sweet size as far as grains go, and it has a mild millet-esque nuttiness that I absolutely adore. I really like a bit of sweet for breakfast, so I chopped up a medjool date and mixed it into the buckwheat to add a delicious caramely taste. When I made it for breakfast again this morning I added a chopped dried fig, which added a sweetness and a fun texture. I'm fairly certain the possibilities are endless!

I didn't know much about the brand, but Pocono appears to be milled at The Birkett Mills in New York, which is where most of the nation's buckwheat originates. I'll definitely be checking out their other buckwheat products!

Do you have any gluten free breakfast favorites?

From the Kitchen: Sweet Masa Harina Griddle Cakes

So when I bake or cook I rarely write things down. Often times I don't even use a recipe anymore unless I'm trying something completely new. I've just started baking by texture and using the ratios I somehow manage to store in my brain (yes, I keep ratios in my head, though I cannot tell you the current location of my purse, keys, TV remote or phone... Wait, I'm posting using my phone!) 

So this becomes a problem when I decide I want to share something with you all, but I will try my best here... It's a sort of abstract recipe anyway. 

First toss a cup and a half of masa harina with about 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder and top it off with a sprinkle of course fleur de sel and a pinch each of cinnamon and smoked chipotle powder (you could use cayenne or skip this all together). 

Then add two drizzly tablespoons of honey and a fresh egg, and proceed to add whole milk and stir until you get a gummy texture that crumbles ever so slightly as you pressed it between your fingers. 

Heat a teaspoon or two of rendered bacon fat in an iron skillet and while you waited for it to heat, roll your harina mix into 1" balls and press them flat. 

So there may be other ways to test the fat, but I always just sprinkle water in the pan and when it starts to spatter I know the fat is at least 212° and ready to use. I should note that you can use any fats for this. I prefer animal fats for the crisp texture and deep flavor they impart, but you can use anything you want. (Next time I'll be using duck fat... Mmm

Once the oil is heated, carefully place your griddle cakes into the oil watching for oil spatters. This stuff gets hot!

When both sides are browned and crisped they are ready to eat! I drizzled a bit of honey on mine, and set to devouring them with a side of iberico bacon, a recent discovery. 

This paired extremely well with a sweet, organic cider (made from golden delicious and cortland apples)...

Delicious and very full of fall tastes and gluten free to boot! This would be a great way to showcase a special honey, too. Buckwheat or even black locust would be my choice. 

I've been on a real griddle cake kick lately. What is your favorite griddle cake?