Yacon Buckwheat Cereal

In my opinion, there are two types of people in the world: munchers and mealers. Munchers are the types who graze throughout the day … grabbing a handful of this, snagging a small bite of that, never getting too hungry, or too full. Mealers, on the other hand, are people who eat meals … big portions of food, just once or twice a day, getting their fill in one condensed swoop. For those of us in the former category, it’s understood that finding high-energy small snacky foods is a neverending hunt. Fruit, nuts, and good quality cereals all fall under this category, and are a core part of any good “munch” program – they’re crunchy, they’re munchy, and if done correctly, they’re healthy.

Of course, I love making my own cereals, usually in the form of granolas which tend to be a little more hearty than their puffed grain counterparts, as they’re a great opportunity to play with unusual flavors and extra-beneficial ingredients. Now that it’s fall, warm spices like cinnamon seem to feel as timely as a good pair of boots, and apples are the best friend fruit of the season. For my cereals, I like to combine these instinctive ingredients with sprouted buckwheat, which I’ll explain how to make below. It may seem like an extra effort, and well, it is, but it’s so profoundly nutritious (protein! minerals! enzymes!) and such a delightful snack that it’s truly in the “worth it” catagory. I’m also like to add in some other complimentary superfoods like chia seeds (so you’ll likely find this recipe surprisingly filling, unlike other cereals) as well as yacon powder, which adds an extra sweet apple-like flavor that enhances the rest of the recipe package. This is the type of recipe that’s great to make large batches of and store in an airtight container, perfect for breakfast or scooped out as a small snack. Munchers, meet your heaven recipe, and mealers, you may just find yourself impressively satisfied too. Munchies aren’t always a bad thing…

Yacon Buckwheat Cereal

Buckwheat is one of the easiest (gluten-free) grains to sprout – taking this extra step in preparation not only increases the nutrition, it also provides an improved texture once dehydrated.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups buckwheat groats

6 cups water

1/4 cup chia seeds”

1/2 cup yacon powder

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh apple, minced fine

1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/4 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

Sprout the Buckwheat: Soak the buckwheat groats in the water for 30 minutes. Drain into a colander, and rinse very thoroughly, to remove the excess starch. Place the colander on a counter away from direct sunlight to allow the groats to begin germinating. After 4-8 hours, rinse the groats very thoroughly with water again. Repeat this process 2-3 more times over the course of 2 days, until the groats just begin to show a small white tail. Rinse again before using, and drain well.

Mix the ingredients: Transfer the buckwheat to a large bowl, and add the chia, yacon powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt and vanilla. Mix well. Add the apples, walnuts and raisins, and toss to combine.

Dry the cereal: Divide the buckwheat mixture onto 4 perforated/mesh dehydrator sheets, spreading into flat layers to ensure even drying. Dehytrate at 115 degrees (or desired temperature) for 10-12 hours, or until dried through and crispy. Store in an air-tight container. Makes about 8 cups.