Eat Simply, Eat Well

Healthy recipes & tips to help you live the good life. by Ann Plough

Buckwheat Kefir Pancakes with Lingonberry Maple Syrup & Pears

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Here is something we know to be true: rainy weekend mornings and a big pile of pancakes go very well together. You wake up a bit past your normal weekday hour, roll out of bed, check out the window and see endless, dripping gray skies, feeling thankful that it’s Saturday (or Sunday) and maybe, just maybe, you don’t actually need to go anywhere…

The pancakes of my childhood were made with either a pancake mix or white flour mixture, cooked up on a long hot griddle set over the stove top, and served with whatever kind of maple syrup we had on hand: occasionally genuine maple syrup and more often Aunt Jemima’s imitation maple syrup or it’s equivalent. Sometimes there would be fried eggs along side, and bacon…a classic American breakfast that will be familiar to many of you who grew up there, and those of you who have visited.

These pancakes offer up a healthier option to the great American breakfast. First, no bacon (sorry! but you won’t miss it.) No fried eggs either – those are in the pancakes rather than alongside them, so you’ll still get the protein and Omega 3s. What makes these pancakes special are the buckwheat flour and kefir used to make them. (Note: if you don’t have kefir, use a plain yogurt instead; see notes below for more details). The combination makes for a sweet, but tangy, slightly nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the Lingonberry Maple Syrup in the recipe below, but I also used the leftover pancakes a couple of days later, reheated them in the oven, and went the savory route by topping them with hummus (this or that)and serving sautéed zucchini and kale on the side, and that was delicious too. Let your imagination go crazy here!

The amazing buckwheat is a must-try. It is:

  • gluten-free! Despite the wheat in it’s name, buckwheat is actually a seed and contains no gluten at all.
  • rich in flavonoids, a phytonutrient that protects against disease
  • increases blood sugar control and lowers risk of diabetes
  • good for your cardiovascular health, particularly in preventing heart disease in post-menopausal women
  • high in fiber (4.5 g per cup of buckwheat), which helps prevent gallstones and protects against breast cancer
  • very good source of manganese
  • good source of copper, dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus
  • full of high quality protein containing all eight of the essential amino acids including lysine

Source: whfoods.com

The best part about these pancakes is that they are actually really quick to make. So much so, that even though they are perfect for  the weekend, why not make a big pile on a weekday morning as well? Get your bowl, pan and whisk out, and make these beauties first chance you get, no matter what day of the week it is. You’ll be smiling until noon.

Notes:

  • No lingonberries? No problem. Sub in cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries – any of these would make a find substitute.
  • If you don’t have kefir, use either plain yogurt or buttermilk – it’ll work like a charm
  • If you don’t have buckwheat flour and gluten isn’t a concern, you could use whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour instead. If you’d prefer to keep these gluten free, oat flour would work as a substitute also. You’ll still be getting whole grains, so many of the health benefits listed above still apply.
  • These reheat really well in the toaster (for a few) or the oven (for a lot) – so you can always make them in advance if you want to serve a crowd. Same goes for the syrup.

 

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Buckwheat Kefir Pancakes with Lingonberry Maple Syrup & Pears

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup / 2 dl kefir
  • 1 cup/ 2.5 dl /140 g buckwheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons pure Maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda + 2 teaspoons lukewarm water combined in a small bowl
  • 2- 3 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 50°C/125°F and place a tray or large plate inside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the kefir, buckwheat flour, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Add the baking soda – water mixture all at once, and whisk quickly to mix it into the batter. Allow the batter to bubble and rise for 5 minutes.

Set a large frying pan (I prefer cast iron) or griddle over medium heat. Let it sit for a few minutes to get hot, and then lightly brush the surface of the pan with butter, ghee or coconut oil. Pour the batter, 2 tablespoons at a time, onto the pan. Cook until the edges are slightly firm and small bubbles form then pop on the top of the pancake. Flip; fry briefly to brown the bottoms, and then transfer to the warm oven. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Makes roughly 25 small pancakes.

 

 

Lingonberry Maple Syrup

  • 1 cup/2.5 dl/250g fresh or frozen lingonberries (or other berries; see notes, above)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Combine the lingonberries and maple syrup in a small pot over medium-heat. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

To serve:

  • Buckwheat Pancakes
  • Lingonberry Maple Syrup
  • Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
  • 2 Pears, cored & diced

Serves 4-6.

Bircher Muesli

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If you haven’t tasted Bircher Muesli before, welcome to your new favorite breakfast.

Bircher Muesli is one more gift the Swiss have given to the world: specifically, physician Max Bircher-Benner, the physician who created the muesli around 1900 for his patients. The original recipe consisted of a whole apple, grated; one tablespoon of nuts, one tablespoon rolled oats soaked in 3 tablespoons of water for 12 hours; juice from one lemon half; and one tablespoon of either cream, honey, or sweetened condensed milk.  The dish was to be served first thing in the morning before any other food was consumed. In general, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables was considered an important part of therapy at Bircher-Berner’s hospital.  Source: Wikipedia/Muesli.

I first encountered Bircher Muesli when I was on a long work trip in Bielefeld, Germany, where I stayed at the Sofitel for more than 2 months. As anyone who has spent extended nights in hotels knows, the shine of the more indulgent offerings on the breakfast buffet: pastries, bacon, eggs – quickly wears off after a couple of days. I found myself looking for simplicity in simple oatmeal and fruit, and mostly ignored this giant bowl of what just looked liked soggy, cold oatmeal, with the label: “Bircher Muesli”.

But after 2 weeks, running out of ideas for new options, I decided to try it and loved it! It became my staple breakfast for the rest of my stay. Back at home, I explored ways to make it, and recently, it’s been back on in my morning breakfast bowl. Life has been extremely busy over the last few weeks and full of new and exciting things, making time in the morning more precious than ever. I am not one to skip breakfast, or any meal for that matter, and I like to start with something substantial and really healthy. The great part about Bircher Muesli is that you can prepare the whole thing the night before, place it in the refrigerator, and wake up to a ready-made, delicious, healthy breakfast.

The main components:

  • rolled grain: I use rolled oats, but you could use barley, rye, spelt or any dry cereal
  • nuts or seeds: favorites are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or cashews – but get creative! Your favorite nut will work. Just chop them up if they are not small already
  • fresh fruit, grated: I nearly always use a banana, and then one other fruit in season. This morning I used pear; yesterday it was peach; in the winter it will be apple and/or orange
  • juice of 1/2 lemon – just as the doctor ordered
  • sweetener: 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • pinch of salt
  • plain yogurt, kefir, quark or buttermilk
  • your choice of milk: cow’s, nut, seed, oat, rice…

Breakfast – the most important meal of the day

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself making it over and over again – which means you’ll never have to skip the most important meal of the day, ever again. You can even make it in a glass jar, secure the lid, and turn it into a a “breakfast-to-go”. I like to add fresh fruit to mine: basically whatever fruit is in season at the moment, but you can certainly eat it straight out of the jar as-is for a super-simple and healthy option.

The overnight rest makes this breakfast even healthier!

Soaking of the oats, seeds and nuts is a great way to make them even healthier as the soaking in the acidic ingredient created by the addition of lemon juice (or yogurt, kefir, etc) deactivates anti-nutrients, while soaking in general neutralizes the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. This makes it easier for your body to digest these ingredients and allows it to make more efficient use of the beneficial micronutrients they contain. For a more complete explanation, read The Nourishing Gourmet‘s post on “Why Sprout“.

A few notes:

  • If you have issues with gluten, use certified gluten-free oats.
  • If you can’t or would rather not use dairy, feel free to use all non-dairy milk in this recipe.
  • Get fancy with your add-ins and make it your own! I like to use coconut flakes; the leftover pulp from making nut milk; dried cranberries, lingonberries, or other dried fruit; and orange juice for part of the liquid when oranges are in season.
  • For additional flavor fun and variation, try adding spices to your Bircher Muesli. I like to use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, or some combination thereof. Start lightly – I try to use no more than 1/2 teaspoon total spice so as to not overwhelm the other flavors.

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Here’s this morning’s version to get you started.

Bircher Muesli

  • 1 cup/2.5 dl old fashioned rolled oatmeal flakes
  • 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 banana, grated
  • 1 peach, (peeled if not organic) and grated (can sub in apple, pear, pineapple…)
  • 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons dried coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 cup/2.5 dl plain yogurt (kefir is actually my favorite, but less available)
  • 1 cup/2.5 dl milk of choice (cow, goat, nut, seed, oat, rice… My favorite is cashew or almond milk)

Place all of the ingredients in a 1 quart/1 liter bowl, pouring the liquids in last. Stir until well combined; secure a lid on top, and place into the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, divide the mixture into two bowls and top with fresh fruit of your choice.

Serves 2.

 

Red Currant Cornbread Muffins

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This time of year, mid-August, there are currants ripening all over Finland: red currants, white currants and black currants, each with its own unique flavor profile and vibrant color. Of these, red currants have been the most abundant. As I wander along the forest trails and through the swathes of old clear cut areas, hunting for mushrooms and picking wild berries, I see the ripe berries hanging, like clusters of brilliant rubies, all over the place.

Red currants can be challenging: even when ripe, they maintain a sharp, almost citrusy bite that is best enjoyed together with something creamy and/or sweet. While I love them enjoyed simply in a bowl with Greek yogurt and granola or honey, they also work beautifully when baked into a tart or cake, cooked into jelly, or added to a savory compote.

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How to pick them

Red currants hang in long clusters, like mini grapes, attached by a slender stem to the long branches. While it’s tempting to using your fingers to strip the berries from the branches, you’re likely to squish a lot of them along the way. The best option is to bring along a pair of scissors and then snip the ripe, red clusters off into a waiting bucket or container. This also best if you want to use the berries decoratively: those glorious clusters of red are really beautiful. Once at home, you can either cook them up as is for jelly or juice, or, if you are using them as whole berries, carefully run your fingers down each cluster to release the berries from their stems. If I am picking them in large quantities, I often use a berry picker typically reserved for gathering wild bilberries, blueberries and lingonberries: it’s a one liter container with long, stiff, metal tines that separate the berries from the stem and allow them to fall directly into the waiting container. Since there is no pressure on the actual berry during the picking process, the berries stay intact and still look good later.

Superfood! Nutrition-packed

A member of the Ribus family, red currants are a good source of nutrients. One 100g/1 cup serving contains:

  • 56 calories, 14 grams of carbs, 1.5 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat
  • 68% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C – which boosts immune function and helps with colllagen production. Collagen is responsible for the strength and composition of connective tissue and skin, so it’s important to get plenty of this nutrient in your diet.
  • 5 g of soluble fiber – an important component that helps you feel full, aids in digestion, and helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar
  • 14% of your recommended daily value of Vitamin K – a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with blood clotting
  • 6 %of your recommended daily value of Iron – important for oxygen transfer to the muscles and other areas of the body
  • powerful antioxidant carotenoid Lycopene, which has links to reduction in risk for heart disease and cancer risk, particulary prostate cancer

Pack these into the freezer and enjoy them all Winter long to chase away Winter ailments and add color and flavor to your diet.

Most commonly red currants are made into jelly and juice, but this summer I am also using them in these incredibly satisfying and texture-rich whole grain muffins. Flavored with just a bit of vanilla and lemon, and using a combination of cornmeal and whole wheat flour, you’ll love these muffins if you are a fan of cornbread and bran muffins. They have a similar texture, and keep their flavor and moisture for several days. As an extra bonus, since most of the oil is replaced with unsweetened applesauce, you get an extra boost of fiber and nutrients along with a lower-fat snack. Win-win!

Note: if you don’t have red currants, white currants, black currants, lingonberries, blueberries or blackberries would all work well with these muffins – any berry with a bit of firmness and a bit of tartness will really shine here.

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Red Currant Cornbread Muffins

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup/1 dl yogurt
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup/1.5 dl unsweetened applesauce
  • 4 tablespoons real Maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup/ 1/2 dl mild extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup/ 1.5 dl cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 cups/ 3 dl whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup/ 1 dl coconut sugar, Indian sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup/100g/ 2 dl fresh or frozen red currants, stems removed

Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk or spatula to break them up. Add the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, applesauce, Maple syrup and olive oil. Stir to combine. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir to thoroughly combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Allow the mixture to rest or 3-5 minutes to allow the baking soda to activate and bubble.

Line a 12-cup muffin tray with muffin cup liners and divide the mixture evenly between them. Place the tray into the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes to firm up; then brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy.

Makes 12 muffins.

Looking for other ideas for your Red Currants? Try these:

Did you like this post? What have you been doing with your Red Currants? Let us know in the comments below!