Buckwheat Pancakes recipe, My grandmother’s staple food

My maternal grandmother always like buckwheat , in the form of pancakes.  My mother recalls that my grandfather made the pancakes on the weekends, adding sliced apples to it.  I am like a sponge wanting to know more details.  My mother added that there was a lady who had a store that sold the kids pieces of fudge for 2 cents a piece.  We have come a long way from those days.  Maybe 70 years ago, buckwheat was the predominant staple.  My mom said that there wasn’t much money for meat when she was growing up. Buckwheat  is high in protein, B vitamins, Folacin, Niacin, calcium.  I’m learning that it is much more nutritious than the boxes of “pancake mix ” that is commonly sold in grocery stores today.  Although , you can find Buckwheat pancake mix  in specialty stores like Stonewall kitchen ( in Vermont), a blueberry pancake mix with both whole wheat and corn flours in it or at Whole Foods in Princeton, NJ. 

Buckwheat pancakes Recipe:

Buckwheat flour,  Grind your own from buckwheat bran.

Use 1 cup white flour for every 2 cups buckwheat flour.

Into large bowl, Sift the flours together, than add 1 cup of water .

In small bowl, beat 2 eggs, then add to the flours.  Whisk by hand the flours, water and beaten eggs. You can add 4-5 TBSP of olive oil.

Ratio: 3 cups flour ( combo of buckwheat and white), 3 cups water , 2 -3 eggs.

Cover and let the mix rest in the frig for several hours or at least one hour.

Cook the crepes or pancakes on a cast iron pan that was very lightly oiled; it should not be visibly full of oil or butter.

Using a ladle, pour the buckwheat batter all at once onto the hot cast iron pan.

Wait for the pancake to cook on top until it looks dry and the edges start to curl.  Do not lift up the edges of the pancake to check, it will tear/rip the pancake.!!

The fillings can be sweet or savory.   Roll up the crepes with :

Savory: Cooked chicken, ham, Gruyère cheese.

sweet: jam or Serve with chives and a spoonful of sour cream.

Buckwheat Pancakes:

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 oz vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 cups milk

Mix well.   Pour onto hot griddle.  Yield 6 to 8  ( 6 inch cakes ). 

Another recipe using BUCKWHEAT GROATS:

Good to prepare during the Lenten season.

Source:  Whole Foods website

Kasha Varnishkes

Serves 4 to 6

Kasha Varnishkes, a delightful mixture of sautéed onions, buckwheat groats and bowtie pasta, graces many Jewish holiday tables. This version features caramelized onions and hearty mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 cup whole buckwheat groats
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms
2 cups dried bowtie pasta
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method

Bring 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Stir in buckwheat groats, 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Warm 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, raise the heat to high, and cook for 4 to 6 more minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions and mushrooms begin to caramelize.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain pasta and toss with mushroom mixture.
Lightly fluff the groats with a fork and then stir them into the pasta and mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, and pumpkin seeds, if using.

Nutrition

Per serving: 310 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 9g protein, 52g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 110mg sodium

Tags: Family Friendly, American, Vegetarian, Vegan, Low Sodium, High Fiber, Dairy Free

Today is Friday and meatless day

Who wants to swing on the tire swing?

For those of you who are Christian, this is a time of Lent! One of these things means the process of fasting,abstaining from meat on Fridays of Lent.

Fast and fabulous cannelloni bean salad

Into a medium sized bowl:

1 can cannelloni  beans. (high in fiber,good for you) rinsed and drained

Fresh cut-up vegetables of choice: or what you have on hand in yor vegetable drawer of fridge.

Handful ofcherry tomatoes, cut in half

Cucumbers,sliced, then cut each slice into fours

Celery, 1 stalk, cleaned with vegetable peeler, and cut into small pieces

Bottled salad or marinade, ( I used balsamic olive oil marinade).

Mix all together.

Next, I opened up a can of tuna with vegetables, mixed with, mayo,

And added some chopped black olives.

Cold brown rice salad:

Saute one or two strips of a red bell pepper and 1 stalk of celery chopped in a small

Skillet with 1 tablespoon of canola oil (lower in cholesterol).

Boil in medium size sauce pot, a bag of brown rice, 1 cup. To directions on box.,boil for 10 minutes,in this case, (success boil in bag brown rice),serves 4.

Mix into the drained brown rice,the previously sautéed chopped red bell pepper and green celery, add the spices that you prefer.

Spices: lemon pepper seasoning,1/4 teaspoon, celery seeds,salad dressing, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar,

Bread for the Journey

Yesterday was a Holy day of Obligation in the Catholic church, Ash Wednesday!

 Lent is a time for Homecoming!

While listening to the sermon ( Homily), our priest reminded us of the beginnings of the church. 

The traditional Feast of Saint Peter , it grew from Rome.

December 25 was a Pagan Feast day to a Sun God, and the catholics used the day , date of the 25th for the Feast of the Son of God.

In Rome, the Pope stands over the Tomb of St Peter. The throne of St. Peter, “Cattedra Pitri ”  .   Our priest described it to our congregation as a  big Bronze chair that is held up by 4  important saints called the Doctors of the church.

Once at home, I wanted to share the words of our priest and  gain some more insight to the Big Bronze chair.

The 4 statues of the important saints who were great writers and teachers are made of Bronze.   They are Saints Ambrose and Augustine for the church of Rome, and  Saints Athanasius and John Chrysostum for the Orthodox Church.

Above the chair is a window which is made not from glass but thin translucent stone called alabaster. The Dove of the Holy Spirit is in the middle of the window with rays of light spreading out into the basilica through a sculpture of golden clouds and angels. Bernini designed this to look like a window into Heaven. There was a great celebration when the chair was put in place on January 16, 1666.

Bibiliography:  http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica

Inside the big bronze chair is a “single chair”. There is a celebration of the empty chair and a connection with PETER.

To grow in the gift of the Catholic faith , there are three marks of Lent: 1). Prayer, 2). Almsgiving, 3). Fasting.   What a Joy it is to be renewed!!

God says, “Are you listening?”  This is an opportunity to pray…… and to Listen…….

On Monday evening , there is Eucharistic Holy hours.  On Tuesday, one of the Sister will hold “Readings”.  On Wednesdays, you can pray “The Stations of the Cross”.   Our priest shared with us that  as a child, He knew that every Lenten season on Fridays  as a family , they had fish sticks for dinner and that they went to the church to Pray the Stations of the Cross.   He said,  It takes  45 minutes.   He said our church also participates in Operation Rice Bowl each year. There is a visiting priest from another church and he is going compare our church to his as to how much is donated for Operation Rice Bowl.  Father says that our church has a much larger congregation.

He ended with this note.  After Mid day Ash Wednesday mass, Father ran into a lady who said this is the day that she came back to the church.  People leave the church for many reasons.  She needed to come here and start again.  And what a good day to renew, on ” Ash Wednesday”.

Lent is a time for Homecoming! To come back to the church.

One of my favorite songs to sing is “Hosea”  You can find it here on You-tube.  It is a beautiful song.

 

Quote :  Something to ponder and think about.

What if . . . God blessed you today with only the things you thanked him for yesterday?

From a Southern Plate.com reader,  Kathy Brooks

February 13, 2012 – 11:50 am

Skywatch Friday-Lent, Friday fasting

Blue Skies, spring awaits along the still partially frozen lake