It seems like this week's theme was buckwheat. I had a big bag of raw buckwheat groats that I wanted to experiment with and so in the kitchen I went to explore some possibilities of this fruit seed. (Yes, its a fruit and not a grain. Who knew!)
Health Benefits of Buckwheat
Buckwheat is high in fiber. 1 cup of cooked buckwheat groats contains over 4 grams of dietary fiber.Buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids.Buckwheat contains many minerals including: phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese.Buckwheat contains a rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin.Buckwheat lowers glucose levels and is beneficial for managing diabetes.Buckwheat has been found to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.Buckwheat is a fruit seed and is a gluten-free alternative to grains.
Soak dates in water for at least one hour to overnight.Drain buckwheat groats, rinse well, and allow to drain again. Transfer to large mixing bowl.In a food processor or blender, place dates, water, cacao, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut flavor, cayenne, and salt. Blend on low speed until a watery paste forms. Add to buckwheat groats.Divide batter between two Teflex-lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 110 for 24 hours. Flip over, remove Teflex, and continue dehydrating for another 24 hours.Remove from dehydrator and crumble mixture in bowl using your hands. Store in airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.
1. In a food processor blend the red pepper, yeast, tamari, crushed red pepper and turmeric.
2. Place pepper mixture in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Place the buckwheat groats, almond meal, flax meal, and water in processor and mix until a chunky paste forms.
3. Mix this into the red pepper mixture until well combined.
4. Spread thinly onto a Teflex sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and pumpkin seeds. Gently pat down pumpkin seeds so it sets into the batter.
5. Dehydrate at 110 for about 18-20 hours or until crispy. Make sure to flip half way through to cook both sides. Break into cracker or bread size pieces with hands. Store in air tight container for a few weeks in fridge.
Sprouting your Buckwheat Before going to bed, place a cup of groats in a nut milk bag and submerge in a bowl of water. Next morning upon waking drain and rinse. Hang from faucet until you get home from work. When you get home that night or 8 hours later, rinse and then place in a shallow bowl and cover with a towel. Go to bed. Next morning check on the little guys. The dark warm environment should be making thems sprout. Leave them be another day. 8 hours later before bedtime, rinse the sprouted buckwheats off, let drain and keep in a bowl covered until ready to use. Easy-peasy!
Don't be daunted by the next recipe. There are a lot of steps in making raw pizza. If you plan accordingly and do one thing a day in a slow timely fashion I guarantee you it will not be overwhelming. Sprout your buckwheat first to make crust. One day make the cheese. Next day make the marinara. Its all worth it, I promise!
Sprouted Buckwheat Rosemary Pizza Crusts adapted from The Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw
1 cup sprouted buckwheat groats 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked at least an hour to overnight 3 tbls flax seed meal 2 1/2 tbls fresh rosemary and oregano 1 tbls of lemon juice 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 1/4 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper 1 tbls tamari
Drain sunflower seeds, rinse thoroughly, and drain again.Place buckwheat sprouts, sunflower seeds, flax seed meal, fresh herbs, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and tamari in a food processor. Process on high until a chunky but unified batter forms. Scoop batter onto Teflex sheets. You can make a big pizza crust or 4 mini's. Flatten with your hand and form a little rim on egde to form crust. Dehydrate at 110 for 15 to 18 hours, flipping over midway through and removing Teflex.
Sun-dried Tomato Marinara
1 fresh tomato, chopped
2 tbls pine nuts salt and fresh ground pepper 1 tbls Tamari pinch of crushed red pepper 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least an hour to overnight 1 garlic clove, minced
Drain sun-dried tomatoes, but reserve liquid and set aside. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Cashew Basil Cheese 2 cups cashews, soaked 8 hours 2 tbls reserved sun dried tomato liquid juice of one lemon salt & freshly ground pepper 1 tsp thyme handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped 1 pinch of cayenne pepper 2 tbls nutritional yeast 1 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove few drizzles of olive oil
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until a creamy consistency forms. Adjust seasoning to taste.
**Please note: This made more then enough for my 4 mini pizza's so you may want to half the recipe. You can always use the cheese to make sauce for pasta, filling in raw lasagna or as a dip/spread!
Health Benefits of Buckwheat