Buckwheat & Oats Pancakes (Vegan)

Here you see a double batch, 
I freeze them separated by parchment squares. 
Then, come breakfast time, I pop a couple in the toaster.

Recipe from East Meets Kitchen
Husband-Tested in Alice´s Kitchen
Makes about 8 (4-inch) pancakes

I’ve been on the lookout for a more healthful pancake that tastes great too and this one fits the bill. When I do food prep, I make batches of the dry ingredients and store the dry mix in the fridge.  Then, on another prep day, I add the wet ingredients and make an entire batch of pancakes.  I store the pancakes in the fridge (or the freezer) separating them with parchment paper.  Then, when hunger strikes, I reheat them in the microwave or the toaster.  Because of the dates, the pancakes are already sweet and so there’s no need to drown the pancakes in syrup.  When served up with adzuki beans and fresh fruit (bananas, berries, apples, pears are good choices) they make a very filling breakfast.

½ cup buckwheat groats, ground (You can also use buckwheat flour.)
½ cup oatmeal, ground (You can also use oat flour.)
2 Tablespoons flaxseeds, ground into a meal
2 teaspoons baking powder 
6 soft pitted dates
1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup soymilk 
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a high speed blender, blend the groats and oatmeal into a flour. Add the flax meal, the baking powder and the dates.  Blend until the dates are completely ground into the dry mixture.  Set aside.
Add 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 1 cup milk to make “buttermilk.” Set aside for 10 minutes to allow it to curdle.  Add the vanilla extract to the “buttermilk.”
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add the black sesame seeds, if using.  Stir well.  Allow the batter to sit about 10 minutes to thicken before cooking.  Heat a skillet/griddle.  Spray it with a bit of oil.  Add about 1/3 cup batter to the pan.  When the bottom of the pancake browns to your liking, flip the pancake to cook the other side.
Serve with maple syrup, adzuki beans and fresh seasonal fruit or even nut/seed butter, if desired. 

Nutritional Information: (2 pancakes) 195 calories; 4.5 g total fat; 0.7 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 38 mg sodium; 33.6 g carbohydrates; 5.2 g fiber; 11 g sugars; 6.6 g protein; 163 mg calcium; 3 mg iron; 573 mg potassium

Breakfast Birchler (Vegan)

Make your hectic mornings a lot less chaotic
by preparing this scrumptious, filling breakfast
before you go to sleep. First, make the Birchler Mix. 
Store the mix in an airtight container
on your counter or in your pantry.

Then measure out some and add the Birchler Soak ingredients. 
Here you see the Birchler Mix, yogurt, mashed banana,
and plant milk.

Stir up the ingredients.

Cover the prepared Birchler and pop it in the fridge.

Wake up refreshed knowing that breakfast
is just a spoon away!

Recipe from Good Eatings

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 8 servings

Birchler is an overnight oat breakfast.  This recipe is a winner!  It turns out very creamy and filling.  I like to keep my Birchler Mix on the counter in a pretty jar.  Then, the night before a busy day, I just measure out some of the mix and add a few ingredients to a bowl for an overnight soak in the fridge. In the morning, I've got a GREAT breakfast ready to go.

Birchler Mix:

1/2 cup buckwheat groats

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/3 - 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, etc...)

Place the Birchler Mix ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Transfer the mix to an airtight container.  

Birchler Soak (per serving):

3/4 cup of the Birchler Mix

1/2 cup plant milk (oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, etc...)

1/4 cup plant yogurt (oat yogurt, soy yogurt, etc...)

1/2 banana, mashed (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

The night before, mix the Birchler Soak ingredients in your breakfast bowl.  Cover and chill in the fridge overnight.  

Toppings: (optional)

Fresh fruit (apple, pear, banana, 

Fresh or frozen berries

Granola

More plant milk

Extra dollop of plant yogurt

1 Tablespoon nut or seed butter

In the morning, stir the birchler.  Leave your birchler plain or add any of the toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Stewed Apple Crisp Pots (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Recipe from Good Eatings (stewed apples and cashew cream)

Recipe from Cooking Light (coconut buckwheat granola)

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen 

Serves 4

Well, this may seem un-American, but I would choose this apple dessert over an apple pie anytime! This is absolutely the most scrumptious dessert ever!  (Although it would be a close call between this dessert and my delish and unusual contest winning apple pie.) 

The beauty of it is that you can make all the components in advance. The stewed apple recipe is pretty straight forward.  I like that it is sweetened with maple syrup instead of white sugar.  Any granola would work here, but I always have Coconut Buckwheat Granola on hand.  It's my fave. But, let me tell you, the cashew cream is the BOMB!  It would take any fruit dessert to a heavenly level.  Be sure to make this for your favorite people.  It would make a fabulous holiday treat.

Stewed Apples

5 medium-sized sweet eating apples, skin on, cored and chunked

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 Tablespoon water

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Place the stewed apple ingredients in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the apples for about 15 minutes or until the apples become soft and "fluffy" and still hold their shape.  You don't want it to turn into applesauce.  Now, when I made this, my apples were quite juicy and so, when they were cooked to this point, they gave off a lot of juice.  I took some of that juice and put it in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon maple sugar and cooked it until it became syrupy.  Then I returned the syrup to the apple pan and tossed the apples until they were coated.   So, if your apples seem to be swimming in too much liquid, you can do the same.

Coconut-Buckwheat Granola

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Use gluten-free oats to make this dessert gluten free.)

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked dried coconut

1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup uncooked buckwheat groats

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 Tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil

2 Tablespoons maple syrup 

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together the oi and maple syrup in another bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix really well.  Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment lined or silicone lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Stir the mixture and then bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool completely before using.

Cashew Cream

3/4 cup cashews, soaked overnight in water

1/2 cup plant milk

2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Drain the water from the soaked cashews.  Rinse the cashews with fresh water and drain again. Then place the cashews in a high speed blender along with the rest of the cashew cream ingredients. Process until very smooth.  Add more milk to your thickness preference.  I thought the thickness was perfect as is.  

Serving

To serve, layer the three components into glass dishes for a simple, but lovely-looking dessert.  I layered the apples first, then the cream and then the granola crisp.  Malin (the recipe author) layered hers with the cream first, then the apples, the cream again and then the granola crisp.  Either way, it's going to look and taste fabulous!

Buckwheat Millet Fruit and Nut Bread (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

 

Recipe from Whole Food Cooking Everyday by Amy Chaplin

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes One (9" X 5") Loaf

I have a buddy who I walk with once a week.  She calls me her Wednesday Girl.  She is gluten intolerant and so I've had fun testing gluten free recipes for her to try. This one I knew she'd love because it's full of nuts and seeds and other good things.  Instead of waiting after our walk to eat the sample slices, we nibbled while we walked.  I had spread a little sunflower butter on each slice and drizzled them with honey, and, oh, my, was it ever good! This recipe is very simple,(there's no kneading) but you will have to soak several of the ingredients in water overnight and you will need a food processor.  This bread will make a fabulous breakfast, toasted, spread with nut or seed butter and drizzled with honey or maple syrup and served along with a whole fruit, like a pear or an apple.

1 cup raw buckwheat groats, soaked overnight in 4 cups water
1/2 cup millet, soaked overnight with the buckwheat
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight in 2 cups water
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight with the pumpkin seeds
1 cup whole raw almonds or hazelnuts, soaked overnight in 2 cups water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free)
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal or psyllium husks
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
Raw seeds for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line an 9" X 5" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang on each long side.  Set aside.  

Pour the soaked buckwheat and millet into a large strainer and rinse until the buckwheat is no longer slimy.  Drain thoroughly.  Set aside.

Put the raisins in a heat proof bowl, cover with boiling water.  Allow them to soak for 5 minutes.  Drain. Set aside.

Drain and rinse the pumpkin and sunflower seeds.  Set aside.

Drain and rinse the almonds.  Roughly chop the almonds. Set aside.

Transfer the soaked buckwheat and millet to a food processor.  Add the oats, 1 cup water, flax meal, baking powder, oil, cinnamon and salt.

Process by pulsing until combined and the grains have broken down, but the mixture still has texture.  Scrape the sides and process again.  

Place the buckwheat/millet batter into a large bowl and add the raisins, the seeds and the chopped almonds. Stir until well blended.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it out well.  Sprinkle the top with the extra seeds.  

Bake for 1 hour and 20-25 minutes or until the loaf is golden and has pulled away from the sides of the pan.  

Use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack.  Be SURE to cool the bread completely before slicing or it will be sticky/gummy inside.  

Store the loaf in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.  You can also freeze the sliced bread in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 10 slices) 280 calories; 15 g fat (4.8 g sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 240 mg sodium; 32.2 g carbohydrates; 5.5 g fiber; 5.2 g sugars; 8.4 g protein; 116 mg calcium; 3 mg iron; 478 mg potassium

Gingerbread Oatmeal & Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge (Vegan)

Recipe from Snixy Kitchen (Sarah Menanix)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 6 (½ cup servings)

Treat yourself this winter with this delicious porridge. Make it on the weekend and then enjoy it through the week. (It can also be prepared in an Instant Pot.  Directions at the bottom.)

Porridge:

¾ cup steel cut oats

½ cup raw buckwheat groats, toasted on the stove until golden and fragrant

3½ cups water or non-dairy milk

1-3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar or Sucanat (I used 3 Tablespoons because that was in the original recipe, but I thought it made the porridge more in the dessert category J , so next time I make it, I will use 1 Tablespoon of sugar or maybe even maple syrup.)

1 Tablespoons dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

Serving Options:

Non-dairy milk

Pear or apple, sliced or chopped

Pecans, toasted and chopped

Before you go to bed, toast the buckwheat groats in a dry skillet. Then measure out all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl or jar along with the toasted buckwheat and cover. Set aside on the counter. In the morning, bring the water or non-dairy milk to a boil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add all of the porridge ingredients to the pot and stir well. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed to the desired consistency and grains are cooked through.  (This took about 20 minutes.  The original recipe stated 30 minutes, but I found that the porridge was beginning to scorch.  So, begin checking at 20 minutes and go from there.) If the grains haven’t cooked to your liking after the liquid has been absorbed, add another 2 Tablespoons water or non-dairy milk at a time, until cooked through.

Serve warm with a splash of non-dairy milk, pear chunks, and toasted pecans. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up while reheating.

Instant Pot Directions: (Not Husband-Tested)

Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and stir to combine.  Place the lid on the pot and make sure the pressure release valve is in the sealing position.  Press the pressure cooker button, making sure it’s on high and set the time for 6 minutes.  When the timer is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release for 10 minutes.  When the time is up, release any additional pressure by carefully moving the pressure release valve into the venting position.

Crunchy Seed & Oat Flatbread

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Crunchy Seed & Oat Flatbread toasted and topped with mashed avocado,
drizzled with lime, layered with Napa cabbage and local tomatoes.  Served with local grapes.

Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

You can tell that a recipe is good when, as soon as you’ve tasted the result, you’re  ready to make another batch.  That’s what happened when I made this flatbread.  Besides being gluten-free and yeast-free, it’s loaded with good-for-you seeds, oats, and buckwheat providing 6 grams fiber, 8 grams protein and healthy fats per serving.  This dense flatbread is sturdy enough for the toaster. Try topping the toasted flatbread with spreads like chia jam, hummus, baba ghanouj, mashed avocado.  You may wish to make batches of the seed topping and the dry ingredients and store in the fridge so that you can make this delicious flatbread quickly for your regular rotation.

For the seed topping:

4 teaspoons raw pepita seeds (These are hulled pumpkin seeds. They are green and can be found in bulk.)

1 Tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

½ teaspoon chia seeds

½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Herbamare or fine-grain seat salt, for sprinkling, to taste

For the flatbread:

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats

½ cup raw buckwheat groats

1 cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk.)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted OR olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.  (This is to prevent sticking and to make the flatbread easy to lift out of the pan.)  Make the seed topping by mixing the seed topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sugar, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, baking powder, and sea salt.  In a high speed blender, combine the oats and buckwheat groats and blend on high until a flour forms, 5 to 10 seconds.  Add the oat/buckwheat flour to the large bowl, whisking to combine.  Add the milk and oil to the bowl and stir very well until no clumps remain.  Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula.  Sprinkle the batter evenly with the prepared seed topping and the Herbamare or salt.  Lightly press down on the topping with your hands to adhere it to the batter.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered, until the flatbread is firm to the touch.

Let the flatbread cool in the pan placed on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.  Lift it out of the pan and place it on a clean work surface.  Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut it into 4 squares (or any number/shape you wish.)

After the flatbread cools completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  It can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 pieces) 218 calories; 6 grams fiber; 0 g cholesterol; 5 g sugars; 33 g carbohydrates; 8 g total fats (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 8 grams protein; 30% of daily values of calcium; 30% of daily values of vitamin A; 16% of daily values of Iron