Roasted Red Peppers and Asparagus with Buckwheat

In the spirit of trying new things, I recently bought a package of buckwheat. This was more adventurous than it sounds – the entire package was written in Russian! Well, at least the directions were translated for me on the back. Luckily, I knew that buckwheat is a different type of grain, and apparently classified by some as a “superfood,” which I’m all about incorporating into my diet. It’s really high in protein and contains no gluten! Imagine that. It cooks up like most other grains, in texture and size, and has a delicious chewy texture and nutty flavor.

Be adventurous, go out and buy a bag of buckwheat (Russian or otherwise), and throw together this tasty meal! I added a fried egg, because yolkporn, but you could add any protein you like, or none at all. The asparagus is a nice reminder that spring really is coming (though it’s only 40 degrees and rainy outside as I type this).

Roasted Red Peppers and Asparagus with Buckwheat, adapted from Inside BruCrew Life

Serves 4

• 1 C uncooked buckwheat
• 2.5 C water (for the buckwheat)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bushel thin asparagus, bottoms trimmed, and cut into 2″ pieces (did you know the skinny asparagus is more flavorful than it’s thicker stalks?)
• 1/2 C roasted red peppers, chopped
• sea salt and black pepper
• eggs to fry on top, or mix in a can of chickpeas!

Cook buckwheat according to package directions. Mine said to bring water to boil in a small pot, stir in buckwheat, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let steam another 15 minutes.

When you set the buckwheat aside to steam, bring the oil to heat in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the garlic and asparagus pieces and cook for 7-10 minutes. Stir in the chopped peppers and warm through.

Add the finished buckwheat, salt and pepper and stir to combine. If using chickpeas, stir them in now too. Or, fry up your eggs in a separate pan.

Serve in bowls and enjoy!