Lemon Poppyseed Buckwheat Pancakes

If your’e a fan of lemon poppy seed muffins, this recipe is sure to please. Courtesy Lisa Viger, author of Easy, Affordable, Raw: How to Go Raw on $10 a Day, and raw food expert, these buckwheat pancakes make for the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch dish. Serve with agave or date syrup.

Makes 4-6 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 g) ground buckwheat groats, soaked and dried

½ cup (50 g) ground flaxseeds

Pinch salt

½ cup (115 g) apple puree

3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ cup (60 ml) agave

3 tablespoons (30 g) date paste

¼ cup (60 ml) water

2 tablespoons (15 g) poppy seeds

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the buckwheat, flaxseeds, and salt. Add the apple puree and then the lemon juice, lemon zest, agave, date paste, and water. Stir until well combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.

2. Using about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of batter for each pancake, scoop out pancakes onto a lined dehydrator tray, making 2- to 3-inch (5- to-7.5 cm) rounds that are about ½-inch (1-cm) thick. Dehydrate at 118°F (48°C) for 6 hours. Peel from the tray liner and flip over onto an unlined dehydrator tray. Continue drying until the outside is beginning to get a little crisp and the inside is still a bit mushy.

3. Pancakes are best straight out of the dehydrator, but they can be kept in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

Nutrition FYI: Buckwheat

Buckwheat isn’t a grain. It’s a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. It’s high in manganese, tryptophan, magnesium, copper, and fiber, and it has been linked to a lower total serum cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Buckwheat works in synergy with vitamin C and contains flavonoids and antioxidants.

Do you cook or bake with buckwheat? Tell us your experiences in the Comments below!

EASY, AFFORDABLE RAW [Quarry Books, August 2014, $24.99 US / $27.99 Can] kick starts the raw food lifestyle with everything readers need to know. It provides tips for organizing the kitchen, the right foods to buy, and how to prepare each ingredient. Author Lisa Viger, blogger and raw food expert, easily breaks down the raw food lifestyle including health and environmental benefits of a raw food diet. She also answers common questions about nutrition, protein, and energy. Buy the book on Amazon.com.