Healthy No-Butter Buckwheat Cinnamon Pancakes | RECIPE

Looking for something quick, delicious and healthy to whip up for breakfast? These Buckwheat Cinnamon Pancakes that contains NO BUTTER might keep you satiated till lunchtime – while satisfying your sweet tooth! Personally, I start my day off with something sweet ALL THE TIME, and fruits or preserves have to be involved in my breakfast. Think French toasts, muesli with dried fruits, PB&J sandwiches, oatmeal, Shibuya thick toast with ice cream… I’ll stop right there.

While I was looking through for some healthy pancake recipe and coincidentally bought some buckwheat flour from the supermarket, why not make Buckwheat Pancakes? I feel that it lends a nutty texture in comparison to white baking flour that makes it tastier!

Research has shown that buckwheat can aid in improving heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels and contains disease-fighting antioxidants. It also provides highly digestible protein that helps to improve digestion.

The buckwheat pancakes I had a few months ago at Populus Coffee & Food Co. wasn’t too impressive, as the thick 1-inch pancake left my last few bites dry due to the lack of maple syrup and jam. This is exactly why homemade food is always the best because you can adjust all your seasonings or ingredients towards your taste without any additional cost!

Moreover, you know best what’s in your food. I make sure that no nasties included in my breakfast food and try to keep them butter-free – unless it’s desserts like cakes and puddings. Sadly, the latter requires butter to maintain its quality and taste! *insert crying emoji*

Now, back to the main focus, there are numerous Buckwheat Pancake recipes online and I’ve managed to sift out those that require no cornstarch, buttermilk, or butter – I switched them for low fat milk with lemon, and grape seed oil. Since I usually add cinnamon into my breakfast foods, these pancakes can’t escape from it!  I feel that that he spice complements carbohydrates and milk so well, and it is packed with so many health benefits like boosting brain function and reducing the rise in blood sugar levels.

And great new: these pancakes keep well in the freezer! Perfect for people who are always in a rush in the morning; you can make them ahead and reheat them in the oven for your breakfast every few days.

This is a solution for leftovers too, but why would anyone not finish ’em them?

BUCKWHEAT CINNAMON PANCAKES

Feeds: 2 hungry piggies
Just nice for 3
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Photo-taking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

DRY:

• ½ buckwheat & ½ flour of choice (You can use 1 cup of buckwheat if you want them to be super healthy, but fluffiness of pancakes may be compromised)
• 1 tablespoon brown or natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (my touch of magic)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

WET:

• 1¼ cups milk*
• 1¾ tablespoons of lemon juice*
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• grapeseed oil (or any vegetable oil of your choice) for the pan

TOPPINGS (optional)

• seasonal fruits (I had grapes, bananas & blueberries on hand)
• honey or maple syrup
• chia seeds

* MAKE YOUR OWN BUTTERMILK WITH DAIRY-FREE OPTION:

Combine 1¼ cups low fat milk (any variety of low fat milk should do—almond, soy, rice, low fat coconut) with 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

The nutty texture of buckwheat flour! I got mine from Origins in Singapore, but it is usually available at the organic store or dedicated health food corner at your local supermarket.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the buttermilk substitute, combine the milk (I used low fat) and add the lemon juice in a measuring cup and leave it on the counter for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the sifted flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Check back on the buttermilk: to judge if it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you’d notice small curdled bits surfacing – refer to the pictures below. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

4. All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps.

5. Preheat your non-stick pan over medium-low heat and brush with 1½ teaspoons of your choice of oil. Give the batter a light swirl with a spoon in case the buckwheat is starting to separate from the liquid.

6. Scoop the batter onto the warm pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when about 1 inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy and the bubbles have popped.

Flip and cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit or 90 degree Celsius oven to keep warm.

Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter, adding more oil when needed. Then stack them up however you like and serve immediately with your favourite fruits, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Because everyone needs some sweetness in their pancakes, right?

Bon appétit! I like how these pancakes are not taxing on your digestive system or lead anyone to a food coma.

Say goodbye to the sinful pancakes from Clinton Street Baking Company and Populus Coffee & Co. and impress your girlfriends, or the hungry hubby today!

Do let me know how it goes and post it on Instagram using hashtag #HeyICanHopNCook! I would love to see your own creations.

GET HOPPIN’ AND COOKIN’!

Honey-Roasted Pumpkin Salad | RECIPE

Anyone into pumpkins? I’m not usually fussy about the vegetables I have, but when it comes to those that I dislike, I can only eat them cooked in a certain manner.

While I was having a spontaneous calling to cook for my family a Western meal dinner one day, I was adamant on doing something with pumpkins. It is a nutritious vegetable rich in Vitamin A, C and potassium, and it would be such a pity if I missed out on these!

Eating pumpkins alone or as a soup ain’t that exciting, so I decided to bring it up a notch by roasting them with honey and adding them into a healthy salad! They look oh so sexy with that shiny glaze of honey.

I had a box of mixed spinach greens on hand, but you can feel free to use other greens like kale or rocket. Salads are incredibly fun and flexible to work with, as you can toss almost anything you like into them! I topped mine with beetroot and homemade Dukkah.

The former is always a must in my salads, as it contains a bit of citrus contrast with with the sweet ingredients. I believe adding crumbled feta cheese would make this salad more delicious for those who are fine with dairy!

The homemade Honey Dijon Mustard sauce tied the whole salad together and it was a crowd-pleaser! Got lucky when I found a jar of traditional Dijon Mustard from England lying in the fridge, which had been used just once.

HONEY-ROASTED PUMPKIN SALAD

Feeds: 5-6 as a side dish,
or 1-2 hungry piggies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Photo-taking time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD

• 600g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, or other vegetable oil of high smoke point
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 x 150g pkt baby spinach leaves (or other greens of your choice)
• 75g toasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds etc.)

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pumpkin in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss until the pumpkin is well-coated.

2. Place the pumpkins in a single layer on the lined tray and bake it for 25 minutes and to, turning once during cooking, for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the sesame seeds. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the seeds are lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

3. Combine the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, mustard and extra honey in a screw-top jar and shake until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the pumpkin, spinach and nuts in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
5. Drizzle with the dressing when ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Taste Australia.

Everyone loved it and polished the ginormous bowl of salad up. Try this as a side dish or a main, and let me know how it turns out!

 

KEEP ROCKIN’ AND COOKIN’!

 

 

Dukkah | RECIPE

The first ever recipe post on bunnymunchestheworld.com has gotta be Dukkah because it’s probably one of the best foodie discoveries I’ve had in my entire life.

Not kidding.

Most Singaporeans – including me, are not very exposed to Middle Eastern food because it is not very commonly found in Singapore. Thankfully, I’ve encountered it while I was cafehopping back in Brisbane and Gold Coast! Now that I’m back in Singapore, I would not expect Dukkah to appear anywhere in my dishes.

To satisfy my cravings for it, I would make one batch every 1.5 months to pair with my food at home! It is not only delicious, but also healthy!

Moreover, something serendipitous happened during my Valentines day lunch at Salt Grill and Sky Bar, which made me squeal when the waiters arrived with our starters.

You would know if you’ve read my post here.

When I saw the plate filled with nuts and spices, I was hyperventilating: Who, What, When, Why..?

“Why is there Dukkah here?!!”

After a few moments, I laughed to myself because silly me… I forgot that Salt Grill is a modern Australian restaurant! I have passed by the Surfers Paradise outlet before, which slipped my mind.

Well, it is obvious I am still not over with Dukkah. Before I started making my own, I had no idea what it is or made of – apart from the sesame seeds that I usually spot. Nevertheless, the fusion of ingredients definitely made WHATEVER I ATE super tasty.

If you like nuts and spices – you HAVE  to try Dukkah one day. Read on to see how to make this deliciousness that originated from Egypt!

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah is an Egyptian dry mix of roasted nuts, seeds and spices finely blended together. Traditionally, dukkah is eaten by dipping fresh Egyptian bread first into olive oil and then into the nut mixture, but it also serves as a versatile seasoning in Egyptian cooking. Somehow, dukkah was introduced to Australia and it seems to be one of the staples in their cuisine!

Here are some of the dishes I’ve had in the land Down Under, which added Dukkah in them! I’m salivating while writing this. *cries*

The last two dishes were from the same cafe and it’s apparent that they’ve added Paprika into their dukkah to give it a reddish hue. So dukkah is really a versatile staple to have on stand-by for any occasion as an appetiser or main dish.

It can be sprinkled on a salad, avocado, eggs, wraps, bread, or even coated on meat or fish, etcetera.

Dukkah can be made with any kind of nuts, including hazelnuts, macadamias, pepitas, walnuts. However, I like mine with pistachios because they have that mild hint of bitterness from their skin, and the nuts smell so fragrant when removed from the oven!

DUKKAH

Feeds: 6-9 piggies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 110g (2/3 cup) nuts of your choice (hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamias etc.)
• 80g (1/2 cup) white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt (like Maldon brand)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Spread the nuts over a baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes or until toasted. Rub the nuts between a clean tea towel to remove as much skin as possible – this is needed for hazelnuts with skin on.
3. Place the toasted nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Add to the bowl with the nuts.
5. Place coriander seeds and cumin seeds in frying pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic and seeds begin to pop. Transfer seeds to a mortar and pestle. Pound until finely crushed (alternatively, use a coffee or spice grinder).
6. Add the crushed spices, pepper and salt to the nut mixture and mix well.

Recipe adapted from Taste Australia.

DUKKAH IS BEST PAIRED WITH

• Extra virgin olive oil and crusty bread
• Poached eggs
• Avocado
• Roasted potatoes
• Salads
• Wraps

EXTRA NOTES

• Store remaining dukkah in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Coriander and cumin seeds are available from most Asian grocery stores and supermarkets.
• Microwave tip: Place the nuts in an oven bag and twist the opening to seal. Cook, gently shaking the bag every minute, on High/800watts/100% for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted and aromatic.

Let me know if you’ve tried this recipe!

The aroma and aesthetics of dukkah would impress anyone coming over to your place for a meal. I like mine with a little more salt and pepper for that extra kick and warmth. All seasonings should be to your own taste.

KEEP ROCKIN’ AND COOKIN’!