Buckwheat-Quinoa-Millet Bread

This is my 'good ol bread recipe' again. But this time I revised it to be made without gluten-free oats and rice flour. The three main flours are buckwheat, quinoa, and millet. All 3 are alkaline-producing, protein-packed and have amazing doses of minerals and vitamins. All things your body needs in recovering from malnourishment from an auto-immune disorder or other digestive ailments.  My oat bread is fabulous as is, but this one offers a break from GF oats and has a much earthier taste and component. This bread also contains the psyllium husk powder and so lots of good fiber added to your gut as well. Just make sure to keep up with water drinking while consuming fiber for best results ;) I won't go into more details here...you get the point ;)

Our bodies love vegetables and fresh food, yes, but there is something very comforting and grounding about a good loaf of hearty bread. I think the vitamins and minerals in these seed-grains really have something to do with it too. The protein gained in these flours are also something wonderful and nourishing as well.  I could go on and on about my love for bread and the ways it centers, grounds and bring much love into our lives. It is something we learned to hate after our diagnosis of the GF allergy or other food allergies. It can be loved again and it starts here...

This recipe has changed my life. It all started with trying to create a GF bread without yeast and without gums. And it truly has been a gift to me and those who cannot eat yeast, and other gluten-free grains. Also such a great way to create a baked good with only a little honey to add in for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. It is the perfect pair for soups or for jam. My hope for you if that you will be brave enough to try again- start here- this is a bread recipe to pursue as you pursue healing and hope in your journey. Much love as always, and happy baking xoxo

Buckwheat-Quinoa-Millet Bread 
{gluten, yeast, dairy, egg, nut and sugar-free}

3 TB of psyllium husk powder (must be powder, not seed or husk)
1 cup of pure water
1 cup of non dairy milk (I used coconut milk beverage)
2 TB of apple cider vinegar
2 TB of raw honey
2 TB of olive oil

1 cup of finely ground fresh buckwheat flour
1 cup of finely ground quinoa flour
1 cup of finely ground millet flour (plus an extra 1/2 cup for kneading and rolling out)

*all 3 of the above flours can be ground from seed in the Vitamix or high powered blender* You can even grind them up together if that works best for you in the moment. I had my buckwheat and quinoa already ground up together and then I just added fresh ground millet to the mix.

1 ts. of sea salt
2 ts. aluminum-free baking powder (I use Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda

You may need 1/2 cup more of flour (a mix of the 3 or just millet) to knead and get less sticky

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the psyllium husk powder, water, milk, and apple cider vinegar together. It will turn into a thickened blob in a few minutes, then whisk in the oil and honey in together. *You can sub the honey for maple syrup if you are a strict vegan* 

Then, add all of the dry ingredients. Add in all the flours right on top of the wet ingredients blob and start by mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon until all of the flour is blended, but be careful to not over mix and make it too clumpy.  Then sprinkle in some more flour and use your bare hands to knead and turn over until you get a no-sticky anymore blob of dough that you can roll into a loaf on a parchment papered baking sheet. 

Don't be afraid to use extra rice or out flour to roll out if it is still sticky and not moldable.  Try and roll out a 12-15 inch loaf and roll out as many creases as you can. 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes, but can last for 60 minutes if you want a crispier/thicker crust.

Pull from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into. This will be hard for you because this bread makes your kitchen smell heavenly!

I hope you give this recipe a try if you are looking for a protein-packed and nourishing bread. Happy baking and much love and light, xoxo

Whole Grain Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes (vegan)

Spring-time always brings a basket-full of busy-ness. Besides the buds bursting, seeds being planted, and all the spring cleaning, there is the constant yearning to be outdoors. And this year because of the unseasonable warm weather there are bees, mosquitoes and a taste of July in the middle of March. I can't complain, but it does feel a little weird to have such warm weather so early in Michigan. Surreal almost 90 degree weather, tempted to be in the air conditioning and yet there are no leaves on the trees, only buds? Just plain strange if you ask me!

Basically, this past week was a story of weird occurrences for me. To name a few there was a smelly dead squirrel in the chimney, a dog-bite while running and then the record setting "heat-wave" in March. Just was one of those weeks where I had to stop and ask myself if this was real and I wasn't dreaming. Needless to say, I was looking forward to the weekend before humpday even started. 

Well because life does move on (and fast I might add) the weekend finally came and we were more than ready for it. So, it was about time for a special, slow-down morning with a special breakfast with the whole family. Today I decided on something perfect for a spring day. Something with fresh and sunny lemons along with a touch of poppyseeds. A classic combo with lots of love.

I made these pancakes without eggs, and they turned out fabulous and fluffy! I couldn't believe it. I was fully ready to add eggs half-way through making them because I thought they wouldn't turn out, but it happens that buckwheat and oats make a perfect combo for a gluten-free and vegan pancake without starches or gums or anything extra. Not to mention...with the addition to some fresh or frozen berries and a drizzle of local maple syrup... pure heavenly bliss!

Whole Grain Lemon Poppy Seed Pancake Recipe (gluten, dairy, egg, nut, sugar-free and vegan) 
1 cup of buckwheat groats
1 cup of gluten-free rolled oats

*Grind each grain, separately in magic bullet or high powered blender 
to make a heaping cup of flour- about 1 1/4 cup of each flour*

2 TB of aluminum-free baking powder
2 TB of chia seed meal
1 TB of poppy seeds
2 TB of grape seed oil or light olive oil
3 TB of maple syrup or coconut palm sugar
1 ts. of pure vanilla extract or 12 drops of liquid vanilla stevia extract
2 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk (So Delicious coconut milk beverage makes the BEST!)
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice from about 3 lemons
zest from one lemon (about 1 TB)

optional additions or toppings:
fresh or frozen blueberries
fresh or frozen strawberries
goji berries
local maple syrup
raw and local honey

Pancake Instructions:
*First, grind your buckwheat groats and oats separately so that you have your flour for the pancakes. Then, mix the flours and all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then add the wet and whisk well together. You know your batter is doing well when you start to see the batter-bubbles appear and the batter thickens. This batter is pretty thick to make a fluffy and thick pancake, but if you like thinner pancakes add a touch more milk to the batter until it is less gooey and more milky.  


*Then, warm either your skillet or griddle and use some coconut oil or ghee to grease up the frying area. Then use a 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup to pour batter over the hot skillet to make a good sized pancake. 


*Let cook for about 2 minutes and you will see bubbles on the top and then you know to turn to the other side. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Make sure you keep the heat on low to medium so avoid burning! This recipe makes 1-2 dozen cakes depending on how large you make them.

I like to make my pancakes more rustic looking and not too perfectly round. I also like to slather a touch of vegan butter and a drizzle of local maple syrup. A heaping handful of fresh or frozen berries is the best topper if you ask me, but if you ask my husband he prefers chopped apples or apple butter.

For these pancakes to get the lemony taste best you want to add the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, but you could easily swap out that flavor for another...just make sure you replace the juice with a comparable liquid. Peaches would be yummy or really any fresh fruit that you can find in season.

These pancakes hit the spot this Saturday and are a great treat for any spring weekend. I hope you find yourself slowing down this weekend and enjoying life for all it's gifts. Especially rest and pancakes!

Much love and light to you!