Posts Tagged: cherries
cherry chocolate buckwheat porridge
I would really love to be able to hit the pause button right now. A vacation, in the laziest sense. Sleeping in, nothing to do before noon except read and sip a cappuccino. A nap. If I’m feeling particularly rejuvenated, a long walk in the afternoon (preferably with a beach or mountains as background). Well, those things aren’t going to happen before the end of the year, but even pausing to think about them gave me a little serenity.
I’m going to assume your days are as industrious as mine (or that you’re gearing up for a bustling weekend) and get right to the recipe. I love a good buckwheat breakfast, so much so that I have an Amazon subscription for the raw groats. I’ve already told you about the granola and the pancakes, but another application on rotation is buckwheat porridge. This particular combination of cherry and chocolate (once again, pairing heavy hitters with buckwheat’s assertive flavor) borders on dessert, but what keeps this recipe in breakfast territory is a light hand with the maple syrup (I always stop at 2 tablespoons for the 4-serving batch). I also added almond butter, both because it’s a good match with cherry and chocolate and because it makes the pudding, err…porridge, even more satiating.
One more make-ahead breakfast in my repertoire to unclutter the day a bit. Sometimes, I even pause to savor it.
Cherry Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge
2 c raw buckwheat groats
1 1/2 c frozen cherries
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/3 c almond butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2-4 tbsp maple syrup
Cover the buckwheat with water and soak 8 hours or over night. Strain and rinse thoroughly.
Add the buckwheat, cherries, cocoa, almond butter, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and add up to 2 more tablespoons maple syrup to reach desired level of sweetness.
Serves 4
balsamic roasted cherry + mascarpone popsicles
You can thank Billy of Wit & Vinegar for my second blog recipe in as many weeks, following two and a half months of linking to my contributions elsewhere. It’s Popsicle Week, so a wonderful group of bloggers is bombarding the internet with mouth watering frozen treats to keep you cool and prepare you for the upcoming holiday week.
Since they are my current snack obsession, I wanted to do something with cherries. Inspired by some balsamic strawberry recipes I’ve pinned (like this smoothie and this sauce and…wait actually I found Billy’s blog while drooling over this crazy amazing PB&J), I decided to roast the cherries with balsamic vinegar. (After 15 minutes at 350 degrees, though, I found my oven is on the fritz so resorted to cooking them on the stove.)
My daily cherry snack is often accompanied by a large scoop of ricotta, so to complement the jammy sweetness of the vinegar roasted cherries I layered in creamy dreamy mascarpone. I have to admit I’m pretty pleased with myself – These are the best pops I’ve ever made. I hope you make and enjoy them as blissfully as I am.
Oh, and be sure to check out everyone’s popsicle creations on the Wit & Vinegar Popsicle Week page and follow along on your social media outlet of choice with #popsicleweek.
Balsamic Roasted Cherry + Mascarpone Popsicles
2 c pitted sweet cherries
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 c honey, divided use
8 oz mascarpone
1. Toss the cherries with the vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have softened and the balsamic begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour the cherries into a blender, using a spatula to get any vinegar clinging to the pan. Add 2 tbsp of honey and process until smooth.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone and remaining 2 tbsp honey until smooth.
3. Layer some of the cherry mixture, followed by the mascarpone; repeat until your popsicle molds are full. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Makes 5 half cup popsicles
homemade larabars for hellobee
Last week for Hellobee I shared 3 homemade Larabar recipes: cherry pie, blueberry muffin, and cashew cookie. They take about five minutes to make and are a convenient, whole foods, on-the-go snacking solution to throw into your diaper bag (or if you’re lucky enough to just have a regular purse, there instead). Take a look and let me know what you think!