5 Star Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

5 Star Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

PREP TIME: 25 minutes     COOK TIME:  50 minutes to 1 hour

NUTRITIONAL BITES

Buckwheat, commonly thought of as a grain, is in fact a fruit seed, closely related to rhubarb. It contains nutritious components that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and by acting as an antioxidant. 

It took me a long time to tweak this recipe – I wanted a truly tasty banana bread with healthy fats, no refined sugar, dairy and gluten free. I usually double up this recipe and freeze one for later as it’s very popular! A good tip is to use up all your overripe bananas; I put my overripe bananas in the freezer and pull them out a few hours before starting to bake so they come up to room temperature. 

Wet ingredients

½ cup coconut sugar  
¾ cup coconut oil
5 large bananas
3 organic egg

Dry ingredients

3/4 cup each of buckwheat flour and brown rice flour (1.5 cups in total)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup good dairy-free quality chocolate chips (I like ‘Camino’ brand)

 LET'S COOK!

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil, or use unbleached parchment paper to line the tin, I find this makes it easier to lift out!

2. In the food processor, mix together all the wet ingredients well, then add the dry ingredients in (I never bother to sieve the baking soda and flour together before I add it and it comes out perfectly fine).

3. Pulse to combine – don’t over mix at this point

4. Cook for 50-1 hour in the middle of the oven or until a skewer comes out clean. (Note: it can take up to one hour and 15 minutes to cook, especially if you were using frozen bananas that have not fully defrosted!)

5. Leave it to cool down on a wire rack before taking it out of the loaf time. Be ready for the hordes!

Buckwheat Breakfast Parfait

PRE TIME: 5-10 MINS   SERVES: 2

SOAK TIME: Overnight     BLEND TIME: 10 Minutes    SERVES: 2 

I love this ‘no cook’ gluten-free buckwheat parfait as it has the protein (nut milk, nut butter, hemp and chia seeds)  fibre (chia and hemp seeds) and healthy fats (hemp and chia seeds, nut butter and nut milk) to start you us off on a solid foundation for the day. It's such a time-saver - simply throw the ingredients into your blender and whizz it up! This delicious, quick and easy recipe requires just two minutes of prep time from you the night before: Just place 1/2 cup of buckwheat groats in a glass container filled with warm water and  the juice of 1/4 lemon squeezed into it. Cover and leave on the countertop till morning. 

Why Soak?

• Grains contain phytic acid which binds to minerals in the gastrointestional tract preventing absorption, which can lead to mineral dificiencies. Soaking with lemon juice helps break down the phytic acid so proper absorption can occur

• Grains also have high amounts of enzymes inhibitors and soaking the grains neutralizes the enzymes allowing for proper digestion

Nutritional Bites

Buckwheat is not a cereal grain as many people think, but a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. Did you know that diets containing buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids?  In addition, Buckwheat is a good source of magnesium, which helps to relax our blood vessels and improve blood flow. So it’s a win-win for our cardiovascular system!

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats (not 'Kasha' which is the brown colored, toasted buckwheat)
2 tablespoon of ground chia or flax seeds
2 tablespoon of hemp seeds
1 cup of nut milk or filtered water
2 Medjool date OR 1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon of nut butter (I love hazelnut butter as it gives that ‘nutella’ flavour)
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or the seeds scraped out from 1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (helps to stabilize our blood sugar and keep energy levels stable)
Sprinkle of cinnamon for the top

Let's Blend!

1. In the morning, grab your sieve and rinse the buckwheat groats thoroughly - before rinsing them you will see they have a slimy appearance which is normal. Don't panic - it's just from the enzymes that protect the seed

2. Place the groats in your blender with all the ingredients except the cinnamon

3. Blend on high speed until it’s smooth and creamy – adding more milk or water if it is too thick)

4. Pour into a pretty bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and your are good to go!