Kasha Caliente Food

HOW TO COOK BUCKWHEAT KASHA

Steps:

• Rinse and drain buckwheat well.
• In a medium sauce pan, combine buckwheat with 1 3/4 cups water, 1 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for 18-20 min. Just like with rice, you should hear hissing while cooking and it will get quiet when done. Stir in additional 1 Tbsp butter if desired.
• Transfer all ingredients to the rice cooker and set on the white rice setting. When done, add an extra Tbsp of butter if desired and stir in 1-2 tsp water to moisten up the kernels if they seem dry. Serve hot.

CHICKEN CALIENTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chips and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the buttered dish, top with the chips, and bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

KASHA CALIENTE

Steps:

• In a medium pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Immediately cover and turn off the heat. In a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat, add kasha and one-third of the beaten eggs. Stir, coating the kasha in the egg, and toasting the grains. Stir constantly, cooking until the egg is no longer visible. Add the just boiled broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Once the butter has melted add onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion has softened, then add garlic. Cook garlic for a minute, until fragrant. Add the vegetable crumbles and cook just until hot. Add the scallions, Mexicorn, fire roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, lime, chili powder, cumin seeds and dry cumin, dry cilantro, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, tomatillo salsa and remaining eggs. Fold in the cooked kasha and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Scrape mixture into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Top the mixture with shredded cheese and bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before serving with additional tomatillo salsa.

KASHA AND VARNISHKES

Steps:

• Heat oil, then saute onions until soft. Add carrots and saute until the onions take on some color. Add mushrooms, then garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes. Meanwhile, mix kasha with eggs and seasonings. Add the kasha egg mixture to the saute pan with the vegetables and cook over medium heat until dry looking and kernels separate. Add stock and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and kasha is tender, about 12 minutes,. Mix in bowties. Serve with ketchup and/or gravy.

KASHA

Steps:

• Combine water, salt, and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boil turn off heat and cover.
• Meanwhile, beat egg in a medium bowl and add kasha. Mix together until grains are thoroughly and evenly coated.
• Transfer to a medium-size, wide, heavy saucepan (I use Analon nonstick), place over high heat and stir egg-coated kasha constantly until grains are dry, smell toasty, and no egg is visible, 2 to 3 minutes. Add just-boiled water, turn heat to very low, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes for cracked kasha, 30 minutes for whole kasha, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
• Remove lid from pan, place clean dish towel over pan (not touching the grains), and cover tightly. Let sit undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff and serve.

RACHEL'S PEARL ONION AND KASHA KUGEL

Steps:

• Bring the broth or water to a boil and add a little salt and paprika. Sweet works great, I like smoked for that extra zing.
• Add the kasha, stir, and leave on high heat uncovered.
• Once the kasha expands and soaks up the liquid at the top (about 5 minutes) cover with lid and leave on low heat for another 12-15 minutes. Make sure all liquid has been absorbed at the bottom!
• Fluff with a fork and place into a mixing bowl. Or if making ahead of time, put into a container and refrigerate, then later put it in the mixing bowl.
• Empty the bag of frozen pearl onions into a small bowl, and rinse any freezer burn off them with warm water. Pat dry.
• Put the pearl onions into the mixing bowl of kasha.
• Using the same small, cold bowl from rinsing the frozen onions, beat the eggs with the oil and spices then mix into the large bowl. If you make and cool the kasha ahead of time, you don't need to mix them separately but I do this anyway to evenly coat the mixture-- as my grandpa used to say, "This knish filling is good but it needs more snot to hold it together!".
• Pour into a well-oiled 9.5" or 10" pie pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350F, or until the top is nice and browned.