INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Buckwheat groats
8 cups Water
1 cup Orange juice
1/2 cup Almonds, raw, unsalted
2 tb Olive Oil
1/3 cup Honey
1 tb Cinnamon
1tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tb Orange zest
¼ tsp Salt
PREPARATION:
Place buckwheat groats in a large container with the water and let soak overnight (groats will double in size), or for at least 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Pour orange juice into a small saucepan, simmer, and reduce to about a ¼ cup. Let cool.
Put almonds into food processor and slowly add olive oil to nuts while chopping. Process until almonds become a nut butter consistency.
Pour soaking buckwheat in a colander to strain. Rinse under running water until water coming from out of the strainer runs clear. Let groats sit a couple of minutes to fully drain water.
In a large bowl, combine orange juice reduction, almond butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, orange zest, and salt; stir to fully combine. Add in buckwheat groats and stir to completely coat buckwheat groats.
Lightly coat sheet pan with cooking spray. Thinly spread out cereal mixture with a rubber spatula. Bake cereal in oven for about 20 minutes, gently flip cereal with spatula then bake another 20-35 minutes, or until cereal is completely dry.
Allow cereal to cool; place into an airtight container. Can keep one week room temperature when well-sealed; keep in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
Variation: substitute the orange juice and zest with blood orange instead- even better color and flavor!