Best Sprouted Buckwheat Pancakes

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We make these pancakes about once a week in our house. They’re easy to make, nutritious, and really hard to mess up! We usually make some kind of a fruit topping for these so we don’t use as much maple syrup (see Blueberry topping in the Sauces/Dressings section), but you could also eliminate the maple syrup and use this as a savory pancake to go with a curry, stir fry, or other inspired topping.

Soaking grains helps to degrade their naturally occurring phytates. Phytates keep grains from growing into a plant when they’re not in the proper environment, but once they’re exposed to water, phytate decreases and the seed starts to sprout.

**You need to soak the buckwheat groats for at least 10-12 hours, so be prepared for that**

Makes 9 large pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups buckwheat groats (do not confuse with kashi, which are toasted buckwheat groats)

3 -4 cups water

3 tbsps apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

3/4 cup milk

3 tbsp maple syrup *optional

3 eggs separated

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

Coconut oil for cooking

Instructions

Put buckwheat groats in a bowl with the water and apple cider vinegar. Soak for at least 10-12 hours, or you can change the water and keep soaking for another day/night. The water will be a slimy consistency which is how it’s supposed to be.

Put all ingredients except egg whites into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the batter to the egg whites and fold together gently.

In a stainless steel or cast iron frying pan melt coconut oil over medium heat. Test heat by flicking a tiny bit of water onto the pan – the water should bubble slightly when it’s hot enough. Pour in desired amount of pancake batter and flip once bubbles have formed over the entire pancake.

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

These are hearty pancakes, so if you can’t eat all the batter, store it in the fridge for 2-3 days for fresh pancakes on demand!! YUM!!

 

Blueberry Sauce

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This recipe is nice an simple, but you do need to adjust the honey to match the sweetness of your berries. I had one batch that needed no sweetener at all, but others that have needed quite a bit. Taste as you go and adjust to your liking :)

Serves 4

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/8-1/3 cup honey

1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder

zest of 1/2 a lemon (optional)

Directions:

Bring blueberries and honey to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the honey is melted and the blueberries start to get juicy and break down. In a separate bowl mix some of the blueberry juice with arrowroot powder. Pour the arrowroot/blueberry mixture into the pot with the rest of the blueberries stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for a minute, then bring the heat down to low.

Serve warm or cold with pancakes, desserts, puddings or ice cream, or just eat it straight as a mid-afternoon treat.

 

Simple Tasty Quinoa Breakfast

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It took me awhile to warm up to the idea of quinoa for breakfast, it always seemed more like a savory lunch/dinner grain to me. But add a few toppings and Bwhamo!! – quinoa is breakfast!! Tailor this to your own tastes (I recommend at least one crunchy thing like toasted almonds or coconut and one sweet thing like raisins, apples, honey, or maple syrup) and enjoy knowing that you’re starting your day with almost a full deck of protein building amino acids.

2 large servings

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

Optional toppings:

Raisins

Toasted coconut

Toasted almonds (whole or slivered)

Diced apple

Seasonal fruit

Spices: Cinnamon, apple pie spice, cardamom, ground ginger, etc

Rinse quinoa thoroughly in water. Bring to a boil in a covered pot, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy hot and toasty.

 

Spelt Flax Hotcakes

Spelt Flax Hotcakes

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Serves 2-3 (or less if my Dad is around)

My dad made breakfast in our family.  Everyday he’d be making the ‘breakfast of the day’, which followed a schedule for my entire younger life. The schedule was as follows;

Monday – eggs (usually poached)
Tuesday-cold cereal or porridge depending on the season
Wednesday-eggs (often fried)
Thursday-cold cereal or porridge depending on the season
Friday-French toast
Saturday-eggs (always scrambled)
SUNDAY-PANCAKES OR WAFFLES!!!  Needless to say, Sunday was always our favourite day, especially dad`s.  I don’t know how many times he doubled the recipes he made, but there always seemed to be enough for him to have 10 more when everyone else was done; with a huge smile on his face.  So pancakes, as long as they’re good pancakes, always remind me of Sundays at our house. 

1 egg
1 ½ cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding about ½ tsp of vinegar to the milk.  I’ve done this with regular, almond, and soy milk with good results in all cases.)
1 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup spelt flour (the recipe actually calls for ½ cups each of whole wheat and unbleached flour, so you can do that if it`s easier)
4 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

  1. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.  In another bowl, add flour(s), and the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and gently stir them together, taking care not to over mix.  Let the batter rest for a few minutes while your griddle heats up to 350 degrees. The batter is quite runny, but don’t worry, it will firm up when cooked.
  2. Lightly grease the griddle with butter or veggie oil.  Using a ladle, or 1/3 cup measuring cup, drop batter into 4” circles. When bubbles begin to appear on the uncooked surface and the edges begin to dry out, flip the cakes over and cook until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favourite toppings. 

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook `The Rebar Modern Food Cookbook`


Scrambled Tofu

Scrambled Tofu

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Tofu scrambles became a big part of my life after I left home and had to start cooking for myself.  My mom had always served tofu, so it was familiar, and I found that meat protein did not fit into my student budget quite as well. This is great for any meal of the day.  I will make it on weekends for a tasty brunch, or for lunch or dinner when I need something quick and tasty.  Serve with toast, brown rice, salad or quinoa for a complete protein packed meal. 

Serves 4-6

  • 1lb tofu
    2tbsp oil
    ½ cup chopped onion
    ½ cup chopped celery
    ½ cup grated or chopped carrots
    1/4cup slivered almonds (optional)
    1cup sliced mushrooms(optional)
    2tsp tamari (or 1 1/2tsp soy sauce)
    1tbsp parsley
    1/4tsp sage        
    1/4tsp turmeric
    pinch of marjoram
    1/4tsp black pepper
    1/2tsp sea salt
    1tbsp whole wheat, spelt, or kamut flour

1. Drain the tofu in the strainer, pressing it gently to release water, then mash it and set it aside.

2. Saute onions, celery, and almonds in oil, until veggies begin to soften and the almonds are slightly browned. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients except the whole wheat flour.  Continue cooking and stirring until the mushrooms are softened and the spices are well mixed. 

4. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until the veggies are coated and any liquid has thickened. 

5. Stir in the tofu, and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes more. 

This recipe was adopted from an old favourite of mine, “Salt Spring Island Cooking; Vegetarian Recipes from the Salt Spring Centre” by Rodney Polden and Pamela Thornley.


Apple Oatmeal with Dates and Almonds

Apple Oatmeal with Dates and Almonds

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Ryan and I pretty much live on oatmeal or porridge during the winters. What could be better on a cold and/or rainy morning than a hot bowl of oatmeal?! This recipe is lovely because it elevates the normal bowl of porridge just a little. Kind of like haute cuisine for breakfast :)  OK, maybe that’s getting carried away, but it will as they say, stick to your ribs, and keep you going until lunchtime.

Serves 2

  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped dates
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • 1 apple, grated

1. Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes).
3. Stir in remaining ingredients and let simmer for a few more minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Authored By: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health™