Healthy Waffles Recipe: Nathan's Own Buckwheat Waffles/Pancakes

by Nathan Zassman November 28, 2007

Waffles A healthy, high protein, gluten-free alternative to traditional pancakes or waffles.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

- Blender/Grinder - Vitamix or similar blender to grind grain and blend topping ingredients. A dedicated grinder is ideal for the grains.
- Non stick cookware for pancakes.
- Waffle maker for Belgian Waffles.

DRY INGREDIENTS

To make 7 cups of dry flour mixture (~16 waffles):

- 3/5 cups buckwheat flour (ground from groats, or unhulled buckwheat)
- 1/2 cup Omega-3 Basic (Designing Health) Super Nutrient Formula
- 1/2 Cup Rice Solubles (source of plant sterols, Vitamin E, Tocotrienols
- 1/2 Cup Panachia (black or white)
- 1/2 cup hemp seed (Hemp Hearts, which are hulled hemp seeds)
- 1 cup ground or sprouted flax -Canmar Roasted Milled with Blueberry or Apple/Cinnamon are recommended
- 4 tbsp baking powder (gluten free)
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup) natural sweetener (Health-e Sweet, Xylitol, Erythritol, etc.). Note: Agave syrup can also be used. Add to the liquid ingredients, and reduce liquid accordingly
- 1/2 cup Fiberrific, or similar prebiotic (inulin, FOS, etc.)
- 1 tbsp healthy salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt, Nature’s Cargo Salt, or Redmond Real Salt)

* Note: You can substitute other ancient grains, including teff, amaranth, or quinoa for interesting variations. If you are not gluten intolerant, you can substitute barley, wheat, oats, rye, or spelt for the buckwheat portion of this recipe.

Mix ingredients well, and store for future use.

WET INGREDIENTS

To make two circular Belgian waffles, using LeQuip Waffle Maker:

- 1 egg, beaten (vegans can replace with 1/2 cup Panachia gel) -- optional
- To replace the egg with Panachia gel, add 1/4 cup ground Panachia to ½ cup water. Mix with a whisk or fork, and let stand for 15 minutes, and then add to the rest of the liquid ingredients.
- 1 cup non-dairy/veggie milk (soy, rice, almond, hemp or any seed or grain milk, etc)
- 2 tbsp healthful oil. Choose from rice bran oil, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil, pumpkin seed oil, VEGA antioxidant oil blend, or Acropolis/Kolymvari olive oil (extra virgin/PDO).
- 1/4 teaspoon Concentrace Ionic Minerals, which adds 125 mg of ionic magnesium and other trace minerals.

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the liquid ingredients to a small bowl, blender or mixer, and blend thoroughly for one minute. You can add the liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients. If you are substituting agave syrup for a powdered natural sweetener, add with liquid ingredients, and reduce the amount of liquid to accommodate the agave.
If you’re using a blender or mixer, pour the liquid ingredients into a small to medium size mixing bowl, and blend right in the mixing bowl.
Add 1 cup of the dry ingredient mixture to liquid in the mixing bowl.
Gently stir with a wire whisk or fork to blend. You just want to moisten the mixture and ensure that it is blended, but do not over mix. Add more liquid or flour mixture if necessary if mixture is too thick or thin. The mixture will thicken as it stands, so it’s best not to make the mixture too thick at first, as it will become thicker after it stands for a few minutes.
The mixture should be thick, but should easily pour. For pancakes, add about 10% more liquid.
Pour into a lightly oiled waffle maker, preferably a unit that allows you to flip the waffle maker after pouring in the batter. For pancakes, I recommend Swiss Diamond or Scanpan cookware, including the flat griddle by Scanpan, which is ideal for pancakes. Use medium heat. I recommend the purchase of a manual pump oil sprayer, using rice bran oil to spray the surface of the waffle maker prior to pouring in the batter mixture.
For pancakes, when you see bubbles on the top of the pancake, it is time to flip the pancake over. Use Low to medium heat setting.

YOGURT/BUTTERMILK/KEFIR WAFFLES/PANCAKES

- Substitute yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir for the soy/rice/almond milk. You may need to add more yogurt/buttermilk/kefir as the consistency will be thicker.
- Use 2 teaspoons baking soda (replaces baking powder).

OPTIONAL HEATHFUL ADDITIONS

You can add chopped dried fruit (figs, dates, apricots, blueberries, cherries, etc.), chopped fresh cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and/or goji berries (soak, and blend slightly before adding to the liquid mixture) to add additional nutrition, flavor and texture. I recommend 1/4 cup of fruit added to the basic recipe (1 cup flour mixture, 1 cup liquid).

"Nathan’s Own" waffles and pancakes provide a gluten free complete nutritional profile, including:

Complete protein
Complex carbohydrates
Blood sugar stabilizing nutrients from buckwheat (d-chiro inositol), rice bran and Fiberrific
Soluble and insoluble fibre
Plant sterols and vitamins from rice bran and germ, strengthen the immune system.
Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fats
High in minerals including magnesium and 84 trace minerals
Prebiotic (Fiberrific) fibre results in higher levels of beneficial bacteria, which have been shown to strengthen the immune system and stabilize or improve many gastrointestinal health problems.

TOPPINGS

Now that you have prepared the world’s healthiest waffles, a topping that brings additional health benefits is highly recommended. If you like butter on your waffles, choose either cultured butter, or Earth’s Balance, a healthy spread with no trans fats that tastes as good as, if not better, than butter.

Aviva recommends blending a natural, preservative-free fruit preserve with a natural fruit juice and aloe vera juice, to create a healthy topping that brings additional health benefits. Aloe vera provides healing properties while it enhances nutrient absorption and helps to stabilize blood sugar. You can choose from a variety of exotic fruit juices, based on your particular health concern, or simply to improve the nutritional profile of the meal. It is best to use a high powered blender.

NATHAN’S OWN SPECTACULAR HEALTHY SYRUP

- 950ml Last Mountain's Saskatoon Cranberry Spread (100% Fruit) or similar product.
- One whole lemon or lime. Remove outer rind, and blend at high speed in blender.
- 6 ounces aloe vera (whole leaf, gel and/or juice) — Lily of the Desert Whole Leaf, Orange, Peach, or Natural Abundance Marketing Natural or Cranberry
- 4 tablespoons Fiberrific prebiotic fibre
- 12 ounces antioxidant juice, choose from the following (or you can mix different juice products):

* NOW Mangoni - Mangosteen, Acai, Noni, Goji - (great for energy, immune system, etc).
* St. Francis Organic Goji Juice (vision, energy, immune system)
* Knudsen’s Pomegranate (cardiovascular support, prostate, cancer protection). Note: this product is also available in a small concentrate.
* Just Juice Pomegranate (cardiovascular support, cancer, prostate protection).
* Lifesource Cranberry UTI Formula (urinary tract, bladder health, etc.)
* Genesis Power 4 - goji, noni, acai, mangosteen -(energy, immune system, etc.)
* NOW Goji Juice
* NOW Acai Juice
* NuLife Mangosteen Splash
* Mango-Xan - Mangosteen
* Crofter Wild Cranberry
* Black Cherry Juice
* Wild Blueberry Juice
* Earth’s Bounty 100% ACAI
* Organic Morning Glory Prune Juice (regularity)
* Pure Fruit Seabuck-7 Seabuckthorne Berry Juice (healthy skin)

Add 6 ounces aloe vera, 12 ounces antioxidant fruit juice, 4 tablespoons Fiberrific, and one lemon or lime (remove outer green or yellow rind with paring knife or Rotato) to your high performance blender. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add 950ml Last Mountain Saskatoon Cranberry Spread (or similar product) to blender.
Blend on high speed for one minute with a Vitamix, longer with other blenders.
Pour in mason jars and store refrigerated.

Favourite #1 - 4 ounces Mangoni, 4 ounces Wild Blueberry Juice, 4 Ounces Pomegranate.

Favourite #2 - 4 ounces Genesis Power 4, 4 Ounces Mango-Xan, 4 Ounces Black Cherry Juice

Favourite #3 - 4 ounces St. Francis Goji Juice, 4 Ounces Now ACAI, 4 Ounces Pomegranate