Buckwheat Pt 1 - Pancakes!

I was never really interested in buckwheat until I started working for a company that specialized in buckwheat pillows.  Even after working there for quite a while and learning all about the coolness that is buckwheat, it still took me forever to give it a try.  One day I did and now I'm hooked.  It's delicious.  I am still looking for ways to include buckwheat into my diet, but I always come back to my favorite buckwheat dish - buckwheat pancakes.

Let's do things backwards today.  Before I get into the details of buckwheat, how about a recipe?

Spiced Buckwheat Pancakes
(for 2 or 3 people)
1 cup buckwheat pancake mix (I use Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix)
1 organic egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola is a good choice)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar

filtered water
real unsalted organic butter (no margarine or butter substitutes)

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl except for the water and the butter.  The mixture will probably get very thick and gummy.  Add about 1/2 cup of water to get the batter evenly moist and mixed.  Add more water 1/4 cup at a time until the batter is of the consistency you prefer.  I like my pancake batter liquid, but not watery.  These pancakes tend to puff up a bit so you may want your batter slightly runnier than traditional pancake batter.  If in doubt, try making a pancake with your batter thicker and see if you like.

Warm a large skillet on medium heat.  Add a little bit of butter, let it melt and swirl it around the pan.  Pour a small amount of batter into the pan so that the final size of the pancake is about 3 or 4 inches across.  (Small pancakes like these cook faster and are easier to handle without ruining them.  If you feel confident you can tackle bigger pancakes, go for it.)  Let the pancake cook until the edges start to solidify.  The batter will bubble a bit and when the bubbles have gotten bigger and deeper, you should start thinking about flipping them.  They need a minute or so on the other side.

Serve the hot pancakes immediately.  They can be served with regular syrup, but as syrup is typically made of high fructose corn syrup you may want to try some other options.  In our house we prefer real maple syrup, used sparingly.  The traditional way to eat buckwheat pancakes is with applesauce.  You can also try a bit of molasses with them for a rich, vitamin-packed treat.

So while you are munching away on your easy, delicious pancakes, let's talk about buckwheat and why it is good for you.

Buckwheat, also know as Fagopyrum esculentum, is native to parts of Eurasia and was first cultivated about 6000 BC in Southeast Asia.  It was subsequently grown all over Asia, Europe and Africa.  It was also one of the first crops cultivated by Europeans in North America.  These days buckwheat is grown all over the world.

Buckwheat is not wheat (although sometimes it is mixed with wheat flour so be careful if you have a wheat allergy).  In fact buckwheat isn't even a grain.  It's the seed of a grass-like plant related to rhubarb.  Buckwheat's name comes from the fact that it resembles beech nuts and is used in a fashion similar to the way wheat is used.

This tasty little seed has been used in cooking all over the world and has played a major role in the cuisine of many countries.  Japan's famous soba noodles are made of buckwheat as is kasha from Russia.  Breton gallettes feature buckwheat flour crepes.  Northern Italians enjoy polenta made with buckwheat.

Since buckwheat is not a grain, it contains no gluten, making it a good choice for folks with wheat allergies.  You can even find beer made with buckwheat malt that contains no wheat.  (Look for gluten free beer.)

Buckwheat is high in magnesium, which contributes to healthy muscles.  Buckwheat proteins contain eight essential amino acids.  It is high in lysine.  Buckwheat is also a good source of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, which is one of the two essential fatty acids necessary for human health.  Buckwheat is a great source of fiber, which can lower 'bad' cholesterol levels.  Another great property of buckwheat is that it contains rutin, which is a compound that helps strengthen the walls of capillaries, thus reducing the likelihood and occurrence of hemorrhaging in people with high blood pressure.

As if all that wasn't good enough, buckwheat grows best in poor soil.  In fact if soil is fertilized, it may reduce crop yields.  Buckwheat is drought resistant, pest resistant and it doesn't require a long growing season.  Most buckwheat is grown without any fertilizers or pesticides.  Much of what is available for purchase is organic, although it is rarely certified as such.  Simply put, this is a crop that is ideal for a small planet.

You can find whole buckwheat groats (the whole interior seed, hull removed) or buckwheat flour at most health food stores.  If you live someplace with easy access to Whole Foods or a food coop you can also find it there.  You may also find buckwheat at Russian/Eastern European food specialty shops.  Soba noodles can be found at many grocery stores, and definitely at Japanese and Korean groceries.

Buckwheat is all-around good for you and for the planet.  There's no good reason not to be eating it.  There are lots of ways to enjoy buckwheat.  At some point I'll revisit buckwheat and get you some more recipes.  In the mean time, if you are hungering for more ways to cook buckwheat, try looking for kasha, or soba noodle recipes.

The Fabulous Egg

It seems like it wasn't that long ago that eggs were considered to be white orbs of death.  Being chock full of cholesterol, they supposedly caused high cholesterol and all kinds of problems in humans.   However eggs contain HDL cholesterol - the 'good' cholesterol we hear so much about - and have not been found to increase 'bad' cholesterol levels at all. Thankfully these days the egg has resumed its rightful place as a delicious and nutritious part of a good diet.  Among other things eggs contain all kinds of nutrients and a fair amount of omega-3 fatty acids (if the laying hens have been fed a certain diet).

Eggs are a great source of riboflavin, B12, and choline.  They are rich in selenium, lutein, and zeaxanthin (which helps protect the eyes from macular degeneration.)  Eggs abound with vitamins in the B family, along with vitamins A and D.
 
Essential fatty acids are a necessary part of the human diet.  Most Americans could benefit from including more omega-3s in their diet.  It is recommend to eat at least 2 grams of essential fatty acids per day.  Omega-3s reduce the risk of heart disease, increase HDL cholesterol, help control high blood pressure and can even prevent the accumulation of a certain protein in the body linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

Although fish oils and flax seed are usually considered to be the best source of Omega-3 fatty acids, not everyone likes those foods or knows how to include them in their diet.  People should probably still try to pursue sources of Omega-3 other than eggs, but eggs can help boost your intake.

To get the most nutritional value out of an egg, you need to start with the hen.  Hens that are fed the standard commercial diet and kept in crowded cages simply cannot provide eggs worth much nutritionally.  Hens that are fed improved diets augmented with flax seed, greens or insects are much more likely to pass those nutrients on to you.

If you've looked around any large grocery store lately, you've likely been dazzled by the variety of egg designations there are.  They refer mostly to diet and to the conditions under which a chicken has been raised.  It is important to note that there is little government regulation of these designations and that they have been adopted voluntarily by the egg producers.  Here's a quick guide to the most common designations:

Cage-free hens: Hens that have not been kept in cages.  There is nothing else that can be inferred from this designation.

Free-range hens: This is a tough one.  Free-range essentially means that the chicken is given access to the outdoors.  However, there is no regulation of when this happens or for how long.  Since chickens develop the habits they keep throughout life when very young, if they are not given access to the outdoors before a certain period of their life they will not do so.  There is no guarantee that a free-range chicken has ever seen the light of day.

Humanely-raised: "This is a totally unregulated definition, although organizations are springing up to try to come up with common definitions. The most prominent organization, Humane Farm Animal Care, has a certification process, which includes no cages, and hens having at least 1.5 square feet of floor space. Free-range hens must have outside access, and doors to the outside "must allow more than one hen at a time to exit". De-beaking is allowed, but some of the more barbaric practices common to traditionally-raised hens (such as "forced moulting" where hens nearly at the end of their laying are deprived to food, water, and light for days to weeks to produce one more bout of egg-laying) are not." - Laura Dolson

Natural or All Natural: This simply means “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” This refers only to the finished product, not the animal while living.  Again as this designation is not regulated, anyone can put it on their packaging. This claim has no clout.

Vegetarian fed: Refers only to an animal’s diet and does not guarantee the animal was pastured or raised humanely.  It does not equal organic, as feed can be treated with commercial fertilizers and pesticides.

Organic eggs: Unlike the other designations, this one is regulated by government.  Organic eggs may only be called organic if the hens are fed a diet of organic feed (feed produced without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers) and have not been treated with antibiotics or hormones.

Pastured or pasture-raised hens: According to the USDA Trade Descriptions, "birds are raised outdoors using movable enclosures located on grass and fed an organic diet (without hormones or non-organic additives) and/or raised without antibiotics (drugs that are intended to prevent or treat animal illnesses)".

Pasture-raised hens are able to eat a wide variety of the natural food of chickens -- greens, grubs, etc. These eggs are typically the most nutritious and not surprisingly the tastiest.  Of all the designations, this is probably the most important and the most rare.

You can read more about these designations here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/poultry

As with any cooking, the quality of the ingredients directly affects the quality of the finished product.  Use the best ingredients available as often as you can.  After all, you are what you eat.  Eat well and your body will show it.

To celebrate the awesome egg, I'll show you my cheater's technique for making the perfect omelet.  It involves none of the flipping that trips most people up.  With a little practice, you'll be making amazing omelets to rival those found in restaurants.

Today's recipe: Super Easy Nice 'n' Cheesey Omelet
Ingredients
2 organic eggs (preferably from pastured hens)
shredded organic Parmesan cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 tablespoon butter
salt
pepper
 Equipment
non-stick oven-safe omelet pan or small skillet (with a metal handle - no plastic parts!)
oven with broiler function
stove top

Turn oven broiler to high.  Heat butter in the pan over medium heat on the stove top until it melts.  Meanwhile lightly beat two eggs and add the milk.  When the butter has melted, swirl it about in the pan so that the bottom and sides are coated.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan.  As it cooks, the egg will start to bubble up and set. Let it cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottom just begins to brown.  Do not burn the bottom of the egg!  Add a small handful of Parmesan cheese to taste, sprinkling evenly over the omelet. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until cheese is completely melted and the egg is no longer liquid (about 2-3 minutes).  Remove from the oven using a pot holder or oven mitt.  Use a spatula or fork to loosen the omelet from the pan and slide it onto a plate.  If you've done things correctly, the omelet should easily slide out of the pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste, fold in half and serve immediately.

Variation
1 - For bigger appetites or to serve without accompaniments, you can make this omelet with three eggs.  Just add another egg, no need to change anything else.
2 - Before starting your omelet, chop up some of your favorite veggies like onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach or tomato.  You don't need a whole lot.  Saute them in a separate pan and set aside.  Add veggies when you add the cheese to the omelet, distributing them evenly.  Broil the omelet as usual and you have a perfect veggie-cheese omelet. 

 Images courtesy of public-domain.zorger.com

The Continuous Kitchen and How to Make Brown Chicken Stock

The continuous kitchen is a concept that seems lost to the sands of time.  Once upon a time, when most of the cooking was done in the home from scratch, kitchens ran with a certain amount of reliance on whatever had been prepared earlier in the day, week or month to save time and effort.  Home cooks didn't have to spend as much time in the kitchen prepping for certain meals, nor were they forced to rely on commercially prepared ingredients like canned stock.   They weren't really making things from scratch every single day, rather they were riding on a few days worth of work already done.  Often they did this prep work when it was easy to do - while they were already preparing another meal.

Modern cooks who want to replicate old recipes or old ways of cooking often need to spend a lot of time preparing elements and ingredients to cook with instead of focusing on just the meal at hand.  Old style continuous kitchens would likely plan days or weeks at a time and have the necessary ingredients already prepared, making the preparation of a wholesome meal much less time-consuming.

I try to run my kitchen in a continuous fashion, but usually I'm not that successful.  It's definitely something I'm trying to work on.  I think I need to do some more research on the subject and see what else I can learn.  I've been able to get my kitchen to run continuously for a day or two, but not much more than that.  I'll have to find more tasks that can be done over several days.  I'll describe the one attempt that has been successful so far.

The Weekend Chicken-to-Stock-to-Soup Continuity

Friday - I'll buy a whole roasted organic chicken from the market.  I love rotisserie style chicken and since I don't have a rotisserie setup at home, we buy ours.  It's great to get a break from cooking a whole meal - a treat to myself.  When we're feeling extravagant, we get a few side dishes also from the market and dinner is served.  A whole chicken is more than the two of us can eat so there are leftovers that head to the fridge.  We save the bones and extra skin from the meal and put them in the fridge for later use.  (This works just as well with a chicken you've roasted at home.)

Saturday - When I wake up, I'll put on the kettle for tea and start boiling filtered water in a stock pot.  While I wait for them to boil, I pick the remaining meat off the carcass and reserve it in a bowl.  The carcass itself goes in the pot, making sure there is enough water to cover it completely.

I peel and quarter an onion, chop about 2 or 3 stalks of celery into 2-inch chunks and toss in 2-3 carrots also cut into 2 inch chunks, along with their green leafy tops.  (Carrot tops are similar in taste to parsley and can be substituted for parsley as long as they are well-cooked.  Some people are sensitive to raw carrot tops.)  If I've been to the store, I'll add 1 pack of fresh organic poultry herbs.  If not, I head out to my modest herb garden and snip a few sprigs of thyme, some sage leaves and a few sprigs of rosemary.  All this is simmered together in the pot for at least 3 hours.  I add water periodically to keep the carcass covered.  If I have the time, I'll let the pot simmer for up to 5 hours.

Often I'll chop vegetables for soup right after I get everything going and place them in the fridge.  I do this at the same time I am preparing breakfast.  This way I can clean up everything right away and have no dirty dishes hanging about.  The only thing tied up is the stock pot and one burner, leaving everything else free for whatever else I might be doing like cooking breakfast or lunch.

Usually I am at home doing chores on Saturday so it isn't hard to keep an eye on the pot.  I stir it once in a while and make sure everything is going well.  If I need to run to the store or go on a short errand, I make sure the heat is turned down, but I can leave the pot cooking on the stove for a bit without supervision without trouble.

At the end of 3-5 hours, I have a nice stock ready for whatever purpose I have in mind, usually soup.  A stock of this kind made from a roasted chicken carcass is often referred to as a brown stock.  When I'm ready to make the soup I saute the veggies I chopped earlier and then add them to the stock.  I can also drop in the chicken meat I removed earlier.  I let the soup cook about 40 minutes more.  The result is a rustic style chicken soup with homemade stock that doesn't really take a lot of time or effort.

Sunday - The soup is eaten again, either as lunch or dinner.  Sometimes the soup will last til Monday, but that doesn't happen often.  :)

Variations
Sometimes I'll use half the leftover meat for another dish (like chicken lettuce wraps or chicken sandwiches) on Saturday and save the soup for Sunday night.

The types of continuous kitchen tasks you can implement are varied.  Since we are not used to one kitchen task leading into another, it can be hard to figure out what to do.  Try to think of what kinds of meals can lead to other meals.  Once you get good at doing certain tasks in sequence, you'll know what ingredients you need to have on hand to complete the steps.  Master it and you can have a series of delicious home-cooked meals for significantly less time and effort.

And now... a recipe:

Brown Chicken Stock
1 roast chicken carcass, meat picked off and reserved
enough filtered or purified water to cover the carcass
1 pack fresh organic poultry herbs
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2-3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch chunks
2-3 whole organic carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks (stems and all)

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours.  Strain with a metal colander.  If making soup, saute veggies first then add to the pot along with the reserved chicken meat and cook for another 40 minutes.  If simply making stock, remove from heat and let cool.  Freeze or refrigerate stock for future use.

Ways to Enjoy Veggies Pt 1 - Roasting

Let's get to the fun part, shall we?  I'm talking about the recipe part.  I'll be sharing my favorite recipes from the web, from cookbooks and from my family.   After all, what fun is a blog about food if you can't eat what you are learning about?

There is no question that vegetables in general are pretty darn good for you.  Almost everyone could benefit from eating more of them.  I am lucky enough to have been raised eating lots of fresh veggies straight from the garden.  I've almost always liked all the ones that people typically dislike: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts and lima beans.  In fact there are few veggies which make me as happy as the ones I just listed.

However, I know there are quite a few people out there who loathe everything I just mentioned and shudder at the thought of eating anything that didn't run around on four legs.  While I can't guarantee I can convince you to try them if you really really hate vegetables... I can give you ways to cook them that might be a bit more palatable.

One sure-fire way to make almost any veggie tastier is oven roasting.  Roasting is basically cooking a vegetable without any liquid, save for a light coating of oil to keep the tender flesh from charring.  It's super-easy and the results are undeniably delicious.  You'll need a baking sheet, roasting pan or pizza pan for most recipes,  and the veggies of your choice along with some type of vegetable oil.

Roasted  Carrots
2-4 large carrots, peeled and trimmed but left whole or cut into 1-inch chunks*
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss carrots with olive oil until lightly coated.  Sprinkle with a little salt.  Arrange oiled carrots on a baking sheet or roasting pan (or whatever shallow flat oven safe metal pan you have).  Cook the carrots in the oven for about 20 minutes and then check on them.  The carrots are done when easily pierced with a fork.   Don't be afraid to let the carrots brown on the edges - they can get quite sweet.  Serve immediately.

*If you have very thick carrots it could take longer for them to cook.  If you want to speed up the cook time, slice in half lengthwise.


Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 pound brussel sprouts
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Toss brussels sprout halves in half the oil.  Heat the remaining oil in cast-iron pan over medium heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan.  Sprinkle with salt.

Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom (10-15 minutes, sometimes less) and then transfer the whole pan to the oven.  Roast until sprouts start to brown and are tender when pierced with a fork (about 1/2 hour.)  If you like, you can roast them a bit longer - until they are quite brown.

Remove pan from the oven, taste a sprout, and add more salt and a bit of pepper if necessary.  Transfer to a glass dish and serve.  They are best served warm, although they are eaten quite happily at room temperature or even chilled.

I often bring this dish to potlucks and dinners and get people who don't like brussels sprouts to try them.  They are shocked to discover a salty-sweet little cabbage with a hint of bitterness.  Most folks like them and wind up eating a bunch.  I'm always surprised at how many people really love them when prepared this way and in many cases we run out of sprouts well before any other veggie.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can include whole peeled cloves of garlic when roasting brussels sprouts.  You can also try sprinkling the roasted sprouts with balsamic vinegar.

There are tons and tons of roasted vegetable recipes out there.  The most frequently roasted vegetables include potatoes, onions, carrots, brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, eggplant, and sweet potatoes.  Pick your favorites and look for recipes.

Roasting is fun, easy and delicious.  You'll find veggies are way more flavorful and sweet than you ever thought.  Enjoy!