Buckwheat

 

             Health Amplified

Buckwheat

We love using buckwheat in pancakes, flapjacks, and porridge! It is a healthy cereal grain, and is part of the ancient grain family. With its nutty, earthy flavour, it is similar to brown rice or wheat kernels. Fortunately, it is not a wheat, and it is totally gluten free.

 

Buckwheat is a highly nutritious grain and is high in protein and fiber. The high protein content keeps you feeling fuller for longer, and the fiber is excellent for your gut. If anyone has a constipation issue, then this is a grain to consider adding to your pantry. The high quantity of anti-oxidants also makes it a superfood.

 

Benefits:

·    Improves heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

·    High in anti-oxidants.

·    High digestible protein.

·    High in fibre.

·    Can help prevent diabetes.

·    Non-allergenic.

·    Supplies important vitamins and minerals.

Buckwheat seeds are also called groats or kasha in some areas, and this seed has been eaten in abundance in Asian countries, with buckwheat soba noodles being at the top of the list. Now buckwheat soba noodles are not readily available in S.A. If you do find it, you will find it at a price.

 

Be sure to incorporate the grain in soups, stews, and stir fries. Our family enjoys it when I cook half oats and half buckwheat kernels as a breakfast porridge. Serve with cinnamon, plant-based milk and dates or a little raw honey. You can purchase the flour to use in baked goods, even substituting some of the flour  when baking bread.

 

I prefer to buy the buckwheat groats, and then grinding it into a flour as I need it. One of our daughter’s favourite meals is buckwheat pancakes or flapjacks topped with home made apple sauce. We gently simmer peeled, chopped apples in a little water until soft. Add some cinnamon and mash it up. ( See recipe below for flapjacks and pancake recipe.)

 

A Sunday night winner is buckwheat pancakes served with a little raw honey, cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice. It fills you up much more than processed white cake flour pancakes due to the high protein and fiber content. You can really pull it up a notch by having it with healthy home-made Nutella…

 

A showstopper sure to impress guests, is serving buckwheat flapjacks with cherry sauce or compote. We are going into cherry season soon, be sure to look out for it, or have a look in the frozen berry section. I made a healthier version by simmering cherries in a little water until soft. Remove from heat, add in some chia seeds to thicken it up. Mash it a little and let stand for half an hour for chia seeds to swell. You can add a little honey if the cherries are too tart for your taste. Serve over flapjacks with a dollop of coconut cream or milk. You can use any berry in the same way, and this can then be substituted for jam.

 

How about making your own berry non-dairy ice cream and serving your flapjacks with a scoop of ice cream?

 

You can be as basic or as creative as you would like to be. Have the basics in place and let everyone in the family invent a topping that is healthy and delicious. In this way, you can even have dessert for breakfast or as a main course!

 

Lizelle

Recipes:

Buckwheat flapjacks and pancake batter

1 Cup buckwheat groats (soak in 2 cups water for half an hour)

Blend in soaking water.

Add 1 cup raw oats, blend again.

Add a pinch of salt.

Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Add one flax “egg”/chia “egg”/chicken egg

Add quarter cup tapioca flour.

*Optional: Add 2 chopped dates or a 2 tsp raw honey.

Blend together, add more water for flapjack consistency.

(I grind 1 cup buckwheat in a grinder to make flour. No need to soak the buckwheat  groats then, OR buy buckwheat flour)

*To make flax or chia “egg”, use 1 Tbsp flaxseeds or chia seeds, mix with 2 or 3 Tbsp water and let stand for 10 min.

*You can add 1 grated apple and a tsp cinnamon to your batter.

Fry ladles full in a little coconut oil.

Turn when bubbles form. Fry till slightly golden in colour.

FOR PANCAKES, DILUTE FLAPJACK MIXTURE WITH MORE WATER OR PLANT-BASED MILK TO GET A MORE RUNNY CONSISTENCY.

Cherry non-dairy ice cream

2 Thirds frozen bananas

1 Third fresh or frozen cherries or berries

Little coconut cream or plant-based milk (about 100ml or less depending on the amount of bananas.)

-Peel and chop bananas into 2cm chunks, freeze in sealed container.

-Place everything in a blender or food processor.

-Blend or process until smooth and creamy. (It may take a while. Stop and mix in between)

-Serve immediately for optimal flavour and consistency.

Enjoy!