Buckwheat and Buttermilk Pancakes

Breakfast on weekends is a time to experiment, I could eat muesli with yoghurt or avocado on toast until the cows come home but this morning I woke up feeling like something different for my Sunday morning … what I was craving was PANCAKES!! I struggle to find a café that offers pancakes that are Gluten Free, it’s very rare they appear as a GF option on the menu so today I experimented with buckwheat and buttermilk to create a healthy and very tasty breakfast for myself. Buckwheat is a fairly unused grain however its health benefits far outweigh many of the sister grains and flours we use daily. Buckwheat is linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well as containing rich levels of magnesium which relaxes blood vessels, improves blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure. It’s considered a superior source of protein and after further research on the grain I discovered some interesting facts on a comparison of mineral content in buckwheat flour compared to rice flour, read here for more details

Buckwheat flour is said to have the following benefits over rice flour:

• 4 times more iron
• 3 times more calcium
• Over 9 times more magnesium
• Almost 6 times more potassium

Enough of the facts, now to make some damn fine pancakes! The consistency of these pancakes is light and fluffy, unlike other GF recipes I’ve trialled over time if you get the right consistency of buttermilk and Buckwheat flour the runny mixture will settle well in the pan and create light cakes that take on flavours such as vanilla and maple syrup.

Berries:
Wash half a punnet of strawberries and half a punnet of blueberries
Slice the strawberries and drizzle with fresh lemon juice then set aside.

Pancakes:
Combine 1 cup of buckwheat flour with 1 teaspoon of GF baking powder
Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt then stir all dry ingredients
In a seperate bowl whisk one large organic egg into 1 ¼ cup of buttermilk
Flavour with ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence
Combine the dry and wet ingredients and whisk.

Prepare the skillet with butter and pour a single spoonful of the mixture onto the hot pan at a time. Cook on a moderate heat and be sure to keep an eye on the pan, flipping the pancake to ensure both sides are cooked through. Once you have a collection of hot cakes sprinkle with berries, add a dollop of peanut butter and pour pure maple syrup over the top. Vola… hot delicious, protein filled Gluten Free pancakes.