What is Buckwheat?
Buckwheat is not related to wheat and contains no gluten. It’s actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel and a healthy substitute for people on gluten-free diets. Have you ever heard of buckwheat honey? That’s when bees use buckwheat flowers to make dark flavorful buckwheat honey.
Health Benefits of Buckwheat:
Buckwheat contains rutin and quercitin, flavonoids (phytochemicals) that help regenerate vitamin C and act as anti-oxidant. These flavonoids help maintain a normal blood flow in your arteries and prevent clots from forming and LDL (bad cholesterol) from getting oxidized (or damaged, even worse than just LDL). Some studies show that buckwheat lowers total and bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol.
Buckwheat also contains magnesium, a mineral necessary for heart, bone, and muscle health. It’s a good source of fiber, and the benefits of fiber in heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers are already known. The protein in buckwheat is complete–meaning it has all essential amino acids your body needs to make other amino acids.
Read more on the health benefit of buckwheat here.
Learn how to identify the REAL causes of your gut problems.
Buckwheat Sweet Potato Pancakes
I chose the ingredients in the this recipe based on my MRT-LEAP food sensitivity results. I love sweet potatoes–who doesn’t! I also added cashew flour for more protein and healthy fats. You can choose almond or hazelnut flour if you like. I used refined sesame oil because I reacted low to sesame seeds (refined not toasted sesame oil because toasted has a very strong smell and flavor). I didn’t use any sugar because I’m reactive to cane sugar. Instead, I topped the pancake with some honey and fresh strawberries. Adjust the recipe any way you want to make those yummy pancakes yours!
To make cashew flour: read this post on cashew butter recipe.
| Buckwheat Sweet Potato Pancakes |
- 1/2 cup cashew flour (or 1/2 c cashews)
- 1 c buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 c pureed sweet potato, canned (or 1 medium-large potato)
- 1/4 c refined sesame oil (grass-fed butter, coconut oil, or other favorite oil)
- 1/4 c water
- 1 tsp distilled vinegar
- If you’re starting with a fresh sweet potato, cover in foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Cool, peel, and puree using your food processor.
- Make the cashew flour if you’re starting from cashews with your food processor.
- Mix the pureed sweet potatoes, oil, water, and vinegar in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the cashew flour, buckwheat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Lightly coat a griddle or non-stick saute pan with oil and heat on medium. Ladle 1/4 of the batter. Shape to make a large circle if the batter is thick.
- Cook until the bottom is golden. Flip and cook until the other side is golden.
- Follow the same instructions to cook the rest of the batter.
- Serve with fruits and a small amount of your favorite sweetener.
Learn how to identify the REAL causes of your gut problems.
If the pancake are too thick, the center might not completely cook.
Have you ever had buckwheat or cooked/baked with buckwheat flour? Do you like sweet potato pancakes?
