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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes (gluten and dairy free)

Pancakes are not just for breakfast. They are for dinner, dessert and for having more fun in life. I have mounds of apples in my kitchen and have been finding ways to add them to everything. The great thing about eating in season is that you truly get to enjoy what is available and take advantage of all it's uses. Like apples. I have made apple sauce, apple crisp, apple salad, apple chicken dishes, and the list could go on. Apples have great benefits this time of year as well. They are a great fruit to add some sweet or sour to almost any dish. They are very versatile and are one of the easiest fruits to store in a cool place for a long time. So why not buy 40 pounds like I did :)

Some of the health benefits to apples is the ability to help cleanse and reboot our large intestines and lungs. This time of year is a great season to work on some fall detoxing to get your body ready for the winter months and hibernation. I have been trying to be more conscious of what I am eating now to really let my body do it's natural thing is getting ready for winter and shredding some of the summer toxin build up. The two main organs to focus on cleansing this time of year are your lungs and large intestines. The lungs because with the seasonal temperature and atmosphere changes there is the tendency to catch colds and have allergy issues with a build up of mucus. So it is a beautiful thing that God has given us the apple in season to help us cleanse and build up our immunities. Apples have a great dose of fiber and vitamins so to also clean and strengthen the large intestines and colon. You really can't go wrong with the apple unless you have issues digesting the apple raw because of the fructose levels or the acidic levels that enable fermentation. In this case, the best way to eat and apples is when they are cooked slightly or baked to help make it easier on digestion. So don't feel like the best and only way to eat apples is raw, that is just not true for all cases. Either way, I dare you to experiment with the apple this fall season and really try and find more uses than usual and enjoy every second of it.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes Recipe:
1/2 cup of buckwheat flour
1/2 cup of ground hazelnut meal (or almond flour)
1/4 cup of white rice flour (or sorghum flour would work)
1 TB of baking powder
3 TB of sucant (dehydrated sugar cane)
1 TB of agave nectar or raw honey
1 ts of lemon juice
1 farm fresh free-range egg
3 TB of light olive oil or coconut oil (use a baking oil)
1 cup of non-dairy milk ( I used coconut milk)
1 TB of ground cinnamon
1/2 ts of sea salt
1 ts of pure vanilla
2 cups of freshly diced apples

Whip up all the ingredients above except the apples. Then when your batter is truly mixed add in the apples and let sit a minute for everything to mix. Use a large frying pan with a little oil or ghee on the bottom to fry up 2-3 cakes in a pan. Make sure to spread out the batter to create a circle that is not higher in the middle or outside. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. The best way to know that the first side is cooked is when you see bubbles on the other batter side. Then flip and let cook and flip again until you feel like it is cooked all the way through... if you press down with a spatula and there is some raw batter seeping out, then you know you need a few more minutes.

This recipe makes about 12 medium pancakes, so feel free to double or triple depending on the crowd. I made these for dinner and they were positively delish with a little fresh Michigan maple syrup.
If you are worried about the sugar or calories in the maple syrup, then try agave nectar. But, if you are looking for a traditional sweetener that has been in Michigan for years I suggest some local fresh maple syrup to do the job on your fresh pancakes. Just a touch, not too much. You will love it. Pair this with some scrambled eggs or a veggie stir-fry with eggs and you will not be missing a thing. Enjoy friends!

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