wholefood step-by-step: # 20 buckwheat pancakes

Who doesn't love a pancake for breakfast?

For me, this buckwheat pancake mix is about as close as I get to 'convenience' food.

I love the nuttiness of the buckwheat flour. And I love that they contain no wheat despite buckwheat having the word wheat in it, in fact buckwheat is a seed related to the rhubarb family. So, if you'd like to reduce the amount of wheat in your family's diet for whatever reason these are a good alternative to wheat flour pancakes.

If you are in the habit of buying pancake mixes in plastic shaker bottles do read the ingredients. Most of these style of pancake mixes contain additives like these whitewings original pancake mix:

Wheat flour, sugar, wheat starch, skim milk powder, raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, 341,541), vegetable shortening (Vegetable oil, glucose syrup solids,milk protein, emulsifiers (soybean lecithin, 471,481), mineral salt (339), vegetable gum (466), antioxidant (306)), emulsifier (471 derived from soy), egg white, flavour, salt, vegetable gum (xanthan). Contains wheat, soy, milk and egg as indicated in bold type. Made on production line that also produces products containing tree nuts.

And while the additives aren't great for your health, the plastic shaker bottle won't do the health of the environment any favours either!

The Orgran mix pictured is very easy to turn into batter, I'm not too fussy with the measurements and just put in a couple of eggs and enough rice milk until I have a consistency I like.  The packet directions suggest 2-3 eggs and you use either milk or water, sometimes I also add ground cinnamon and a few tablespoons of natural yoghurt to the batter.

I like to slice apple or banana thinly, cook one side of the pancake and then while the pancake is in the pan, press the fruit slices into the uncooked side, the flip and cook. Banana with toasted walnuts and a splash of maple syrup or apple and cinnamon are my favorite toppings.

If you'd like to try wholefood mama Michelle's sprouted buckwheat pancakes go here.

Have you tried buckwheat pancakes? What are you favorite toppings?

buckwheat porridge with banana, walnuts and maple syrup

There's more to porridge than oats. Such a variety of other wholesome grains you can simmer in water or milk to warm up your winter mornings, how about millet, amaranth, rice or buckwheat?

Apart from cooking buckwheat pancakes made with buckwheat flour I hadn't cooked with buckwheat in its whole form until I was inspired to try it as porridge. Buckwheat is in fact a seed not a grain and there's not a pinch of wheat in it. Just another weird, unexplainable moment in English language, why call something wheat when it is not actually wheat?!

So, technically buckwheat is a gluten-free food but do check the packet to make sure it says gluten free because some gluten free grains get contaminated with gluten if they are processed on the same equipment as grains that contain gluten.

Some other buckwheat trivia for you - buckwheat is related to rhubarb, and good reasons to include it in your diet is that it is high in  essential amino acids and essential minerals zinc, copper, magnesium and manganese. A good way to start the day. You should be able to find buckwheat groats at your health food shop or for Australian grown buckwheat flour and groats sold online go here.

I decided to flavour this porridge with the same ingredients we would put on buckwheat pancakes. but you can add whatever ingredients you have, raisins, goji berries, coconut, almonds, chia seeds...you get the idea. Adding maple syrup to anything feels decidedly decadent and luxurious to me, especially for breakfast on a school morning. 

Buckwheat porridge with banana, walnuts and maple syrup

Wash one cup of buckwheat groats in cold water and then put in a pot and add two cups of boiling water. (This amount will be enough for about four servings)

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with banana, walnuts, a dash of maple syrup (or honey) and milk of your choice (I used rice milk).

That simple! I hope you like it.

For another non oaty porrridge try my quinoa porridge with lemon, ginger and cinnamon. 

What's cooking for breakfast at you place?