creamy coconut buckwheat + wild blueberries + easy homemade granola | breakfast in a jar

Recently, I have noticed that certain foods I never really cared for (I'm talking packaged, store-bought foods) I now have a new found love for since I started making my own at home. Almond milk, salad dressing, pickles, granola, are all things that I used to find strange and/or bland tasting, I am now obsessed with when they are made from scratch in my kitchen. 

I know, this is not earth shattering news for you or me, but my appreciation for homemade goods has grown so much, mostly because I am realizing that these homemade goodies tastes infinitely better. SO much better. There isn't even a comparison. The more stuff I make at home the more I get really really excited about this fact.

Take my new found love for granola for example. What I used to think was boring, tasteless food, I now love and make batches of every week. It takes me less time to make a batch of granola than it does to blow dry my hair, so there is zero reason to every buy store-bought granola ever again. 

I know what (some) of you are thinking right now …. and that's: yeah yeah yeah, homemade is always better, but I really don't have the time for that. But, here's the thing …. WE ALL DO. The extra 5-10 minutes it takes me to make a salad dressing, or 2 minutes (that's right, I timed it, two active minutes) to make some granola is definitely worth me shaving back 2-10 minutes I would spend on Facebook or taking a Buzzfeed quiz to find out "what dog breed I am". 

Let's take it one step further to making breakfast. I hear all the time from my friends in demanding office jobs that they don't have time to make breakfast, or sometimes even eat breakfast. But if you can spend 15-20 minutes, just one day out of your week, to make your breakfast and put it in a jar, would you do that?

I like to think that you would, at least once in a while …… so let's give it a whirl. 

This recipe is equal parts, a nudge to make homemade breakfast easier busy people + breakfast inspiration for those in a breakfast rut (which you know is oatmeal and green smoothies for me). 

Recently, I have been making buckwheat on days that I want a warm breakfast. I really like the taste and texture of buckwheat, and I have also found that it takes really well to adding flavors. When you add a little coconut milk, some berries, and a crunchy element, the buckwheat really comes alive. 

All parts of this recipe can be switched out for what you like or have on hand. You can sub any kind of warm breakfast cereal for buckwheat, you can use any kind of berry (fresh or frozen) that you like or that is in season, and the granola is totally optional (but of course, it's highly recommended).  

I made a double batch of this last week and packaged it up into a few small (6oz) individual mason jars. I had breakfast all week, and it made my mornings easier (and happier) to have a tasty homemade breakfast waiting for me in the fridge. 

 

creamy coconut buckwheat + wild blueberries + easy homemade granola 

MAKES
about 2-3 servings

INGREDIENTS

for the easy homemade granola:
1 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of almonds (or nut of your choice)
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (or seed of your choice)
2 tablespoons of chia seeds (optional)
1/4 cup of dried fruit of your choice (optional)
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons of maple syrup (grade B is best)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, or vanilla powder
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

for the coconut buckwheat:
2 cups of coconut milk (the kind that comes in a carton, not a can)
1 cup of water
1 cup of buckwheat
a pinch or two of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup

about 1 cup of organic wild (or regular) blueberries (I used frozen, and allowed them to thaw as I prepared everything)
1/2 cup of light coconut milk (from a can)

METHOD

Start by making the granola:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350º. 
• Place all of the ingredients for the granola in a bowl and toss to combine. Spread the granola out evenly on a baking sheet. 
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the oats and nuts are lightly browned. Set aside and allow to cool. 

While the granola is baking, prepare the buckwheat:

• Place the coconut milk, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the buckwheat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. 
• Remove the cover, turn the heat off, and add in the cinnamon and maple syrup and stir to combine. 

Assemble the jar or breakfast bowl:

• If you are enjoying this breakfast right away, and not placing in a jar to enjoy later, just simply scoop a spoonful or two of the buckwheat into a bowl, and top with a handful of the blueberries, granola, and a splash of the light coconut milk.
• If you are placing in a jar to enjoy later, then layer the ingredients like this: a spoonful of the buckwheat, a layer of granola, a layer of blueberries, and a splash of coconut milk. Continue to layer like this until the jar is filled as much as you like. 
• You can keep this in the fridge for up to a week, and I find that this tastes very good cold, but you can always warm it up by placing the jar (ONLY if it is a mason jar!) in the oven or microwave.