How to say Groats?

Mr. J likes to think he is smarter than me.  Whenever he is right about something, he says how he is always right and I should just listen to him.  However, I know this is not true.  I am truly the smarter one in this relationship.  To prove this point, this weekend I was on a mission to get some Buckwheat groats.  I had seen the recipe posted below for quite some time and wanted to try it.  This recipe called for buckwheat groats and every time I saw it posted the author stated that it was a very difficult ingredient to find.  I had been on the lookout for a while for buckwheat groats and knew the local natural food store carried not just one but three different varieties.  So off I set to get me some buckwheat groats.   I happened to bribe Mr. J to come with me (trips to the natural food store is just not at the top of his list for fun activities) with a promise of lunch out. 

Anyway, off we set to the store. Mr. J found it quite amusing to be going out special for this one ingredient that he had never heard of.  We got to the store grabbed the groats and  paid.   He kept saying grOATs over and over.  To me it sounded like GROSS.  I was 100% convinced that it was called grOUTs.  Like sprouts with a g.  I corrected him a few times, but he kept going back to groats.  I was amused by his mistake. 

Then we got home and he pulled out the package clearly showing that it truly was groats and not grouts.  He was RIGHT!  ARG! One point for Mr. J.  I was a good sport though and let him celebrate his victory. 

A few hours later we were bumming away Saturday watching Chopped on the Food Network and low and behold one of the ingredients in the second round was buckwheat groats.  For the next 15 minutes the TV kept rubbing in my face that I was wrong. ARG! times two for the day.

Despite all of the humiliation of my error, I am glad I went to the trouble of getting the buckwheat groats.  This breakfast was good!  Plus I now know a few other ways to use buckwheat groats after Chopped.  

Buckwheat Bakes

Adapted from Ashley

Directions below are for one portion.  I doubled to share with Mr. J.

Ingredients:

1/4 C raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw buckwheat groats in a blender]

1 Tbsp raw buckwheat groats
1/2 mashed banana
1/3 C frozen or fresh blueberries
1/4 C coconut flakes
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 Chia egg [1Tbsp chia seeds + 2.5Tbsp warm water, whisked, sit for 3-5min]
1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix flax egg and set aside.

3. Mash banana with a fork and mix in milk, vanilla and maple syrup.

4. Mix in flour, groats, berries, chia seeds, cinnamon, and baking powder.

5. Stir in flax egg.

6. Grease a ramekin [or something oven safe 4-5” diam] and pour in batter.   Bake for 30 minutes, center should be set.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and flip out onto a plate or eat straight from the bowl.

One came out perfectly.  I was going to give this one to Mr. J.  He had one look, scoffed, and toasted a bagel.  Oh well, more for me!  They refrigerate well, so tomorrows breakfast is already made!

The second one didn't turn out quite as well.  I was able to add enough topping (sunflower butter and coconut butter) to hid the mess up.  Not that I really cared to begin with, I thought it tasted great and that is all I care about.