I am back on track in the TEST KITCHEN. So much to do and not enough time to do it all. I spent this morning making Buckwheat Pancakes.
I have always loved BUCKWHEAT. My dad used to make Buckwheat pancakes all the time. As a kid you never pay much attention to how something is done or what ingredients are used, when mom or dad is cooking – as I didn’t. The pancakes tasted good so I ate them and liked them.
Oddly enough – I did not know that BUCKWHEAT is not a type of wheat or even a grain. It is, rather, a fruit seed related to rhubarb, knotweed, and sorrel. “The fruit is an achene, similar to sunflower seed, with a single seed inside a hard outer hull. The starchy endosperm is white and makes up most or all of the buckwheat flour. The seed coat is green or tan, which darkens buckwheat flour.” (source of quote – Wikipedia)
Who would have thought. For any of you who want to be Gluten Free, or for those with celiac disease, here is your answer – use Buckwheat flour in place of regular flour. As a “pseudocereal”, buckwheat is rich in complex carbohydrates, and it’s health benefits are many and varied.
Buckwheat’s hulls and seeds, and also the ground flour contains what are known as phenolic compounds and OXIDANT REDUCERS. The benefits derived from this include support for the brain as well as protective effects against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Because it is high in fiber content along with phytonutirent rutin (an oxidant reducer), it supports a healthy circulatory system and helps fight high blood pressure. Further research shows that buckwheat can also improve cholesterol levels – lowering the LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and highers the HDL level (“good cholesterol’). It also has a hand in improving inflammation.
Back to the pancakes, of which there are many Buckwheat Pancake recipes, if you want to research them. The one I would like to share with you is my own. It has all the ingredients I like to cook with. I experimented until I found what works good and tastes good, as well. I like simple.
FLUFFY BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
1 cup Buckwheat flour
1/4 cup Coconut flour
1 Tbs organic raw sugar
1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp sea salt
2 large eggs – well beaten
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 cup Coconut milk
1. Into a medium bowl, put the 6 dry ingredients – buckwheat flour, coconut flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
2. In a small bowl combine the eggs, melted butter, and coconut milk.
3. Add the dry and liquid ingredients together. Mix until combined.
4. Heat griddle or stainless steel skillet. Test the temperature with a drop of cold water onto the hot surface – water should roll off in drops.
5. Use 1/4 cup or more batter for each pancake depending on the size you want to make. It will not bubble like most pancakes do, but will look firm around the edges. Turn: cook until done.
NOTES:
- You can add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg or any other seasonings you want. I did one batch with vanilla added. I did not find it added to or took away from the flavor of the pancakes.
- The pancakes will not be a golden brown color because of the color of the flour. They will be light in color and you may not think they are done; but they are.
- Also, I seldom use my stove top to cook on. I cook on my NuWave Hot plate (because I can regulate the temperature). I use only stainless steel cookware ((50 years old), or the new NuWave cookware. I did not use any oil on my NuWave skillet – it looked like I had never used it when I got through making the pancakes.
- I decided to be creative; after I dropped the batter onto the pan I spread it real thin with the back of a spoon. The pancakes when cooked looked like bread rounds with the consistency of bread. I will use them to make open face sandwiches.
As pancakes, I spread with butter before I put on real maple syrup or my homemade Prickly Pear Cactus syrup. Yummy!
Do your own thing – add blueberries or strawberries to the batter; put a spoonful of whip cream on top with your favorite berries added and eat as desert. HAVE FUN WITH THIS ONE!
GOD BLESS – and be CREATIVE!
FYI-HEALTH TALK 