oh my kash[a]

When I was younger my mom used to make a dish she called "Kasha Vanishkas". That's how it was pronounced, and that's what I knew it to be. I remember picking out the bowtie pasta noodles from it and always liking the taste. So when my foods teacher told us that we were making kasha varnishkes it took me a few minutes to realize it was the same dish. It's a tradionally Jewish dish and I guess with the Yiddish pronunciation it sounded different.

The cool thing about this recipe is that kasha is roasted whole grain buckwheat groats. Buckwheat is not actually a grain, it's a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel that is a great substitute for grains. It's packed with fiber, whole grain, protein, and starch. Buckwheat helps with digestion, high blood pressure and is chemical free; it grows so quickly that it doesn't require pesticides for it to grow well. Seasonally, buckwheat is a "warming food", perfect for cold weather like right now!

Here's what you need:

yields 4 servings

1/2 cup kasha, medium granulation

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup whole wheat pasta bowties (I used elbows instead)

1. Boil the pasta in salted water until just tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saute pan and saute the onions until clear. 

2. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

3. Add the kasha. Stir and cover. 

4. Cook over low heat, sitrring now and then until the kasha is tender (about 5 minutes). Drain pasta well and stir into kasha. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Enjoy!!!

*Fun fact: The pan was slanted on the stove top (look at the picture of the onions, oil, and broth in the black pan), so we changed pans in midway through this recipe. Did you notice the difference in pans?