Recipe: Moroccan sprouted buckwheat salad

By Eleanor Ozich

NZ Herald·

12 Feb, 2014 11:00 PM2 mins to read

Moroccan spiced sprouted buckwheat salad with preserved lemon and toasted almonds. Photo / Eleanor Ozich

Each Thursday Eleanor Ozich of Petite Kitchen will share her thoughts on healthy eating, with recipes and more.

You have got to try this incredible taste explosion of a salad.

It is fantastically easy to prepare and is naturally gluten-free as it has a base of sprouted buckwheat.

To prepare, I roasted eggplant and brightly coloured peppers in a spice mix of smoked paprika, fennel seeds and cumin seeds.

I then tossed with home-sprouted buckwheat, preserved lemons, dried apricots, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a large handful of fresh and fragrant herbs, and toasted almonds on top.

MOROCCAN SPICED SPROUTED BUCKWHEAT SALAD WITH PRESERVED LEMON & TOASTED ALMONDS
Serves 4-6 as a side.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked and sprouted for 2-3 days (see note below)
• 1 eggplant, roughly chopped into cubes
• 2 peppers, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp chopped preserved lemons
• ½ cup dried apricots, diced
• ½ cup toasted silvered almonds
• Large handful of fresh coriander and Italian parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Juice of two lemons
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Note: To sprout buckwheat groats, leave groats to soak for 30 minutes in water, then add to a colander and rinse well. Place colander over another bowl, and then cover with muslin or cheesecloth. Leave to sprout on counter top, rinsing 1-2 times per day under cold water. In 2-3 days time, groats will have sprouted 2-3cm long. Store in fridge in an airtight container.

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Lay peppers and eggplant in a roasting dish, and drizzle well with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Sprinkle fennel seeds, cumin seeds and smoked paprika on top, and season with sea salt and pepper.

4. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely roasted. Set aside to cool.

5. In a large bowl add rinsed sprouted buckwheat, along with roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients. Season well, and then toss until nicely combined.