Who Says Healthy Can’t Be Delicious? Try These Holiday Recipes!

The Power of Polyphenols

Buckwheat flour is a great “gluten-free” option for baking but not only that, it is loaded with something called Polyphenols. Polyphenols have amazing health benefits.  Here are just a few:

•    Polyphenols can help improve the function of blood vessels and the heart’s inner lining. They can also increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL cholesterol.

•    Polyphenols may help protect against the development of certain cancers. For example, polyphenols can inhibit metastasis in prostate and lung cancer cells.

•     Polyphenols can help prevent blood sugar spikes by preventing starches and simple carbs from being fully digested. They can also increase insulin sensitivity, which helps keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

•    Polyphenols can help reduce inflammation which is correlated with many of our age-related diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis.

Holiday foods that use buckwheat flour can be delicious!  These recipes come from Big Bold Health where I get my Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat flour.  You can use any buckwheat flour as a replacement.

Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Cornbread

I love a good cornbread with homemade soup or chili.  Make sure to buy “non-GMO’ cornmeal.

Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups almond milk (any milk,

your choice)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup cornmeal, medium grind

1 cup Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat

Super Nutrition Flour

3 tablespoons coconut sugar; use

more for a sweeter flavor

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (scant) sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 eggs, beaten

Preparation

Combine your choice of milk with lemon juice or vinegar and let sit for a few minutes to allow it to curdle a bit (this mimics buttermilk and provides amazing leavening).

Combine the milk with the cornmeal in a medium bowl and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 8×8 baking pan with your favorite (coconut oil, avocado, etc.) and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the Buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to the milk/cornmeal mixture. Stir in the eggs and coconut oil and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven, about 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Tastes best when warm!

Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Fruitcake

When I was growing up, Fruitcake was a common “gift” given to my Dad from clients.  I was never much of a fan because it was SO sweet, but this fruitcake is taken down a notch but still delicious!

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup rum

1/3 cup currants, dried

1/3 cup chopped dried mango; unsweetened

1/3 cup chopped dried figs

1/3 cup chopped, dried apricots

1/4 cup cherries, brandied *canned or jarred

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 cup Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Flour

2 tablespoons gluten-free flour; can use regular white flour too

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter; softened

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the rum, currants, mango, figs, cherries, and honey. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes (or simmer, covered, on the top of the stove for about 5 minutes). Let the dried fruit cool while you prepare the rest of the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the coconut sugar and butter together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well-mixed. Fold in the dry ingredients, mix well, and then add the pecans, walnuts, and dried fruit mixture.

Scrape the batter into a greased 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan; smooth the top with a knife. Bake until slightly risen and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake, 1 hour. Allow to cool completely, then remove from the pan and store (in plastic wrap) at room temperature overnight before serving.

*If unable to find brandied cherries, soak cherries from the jar in a little bit of any type of brandy.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Nutty Crumble

I love the creamy, yet crunchy texture of this dish. It can be served warm, but fully cooled it develops the flavor of the spices nicely!

Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes; peeled

1/3 cup whole rolled oats

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup walnuts

3/4 cup Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Flour; divided

1 clove garlic; peeled

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt; divided

1 tablespoon butter

2 1/2 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves; for

garnish (optional)

Preparation

Fill a steamer saucepan 1/2 full with water.

Slice sweet potatoes into 2-inch chunks, and transfer them into a steamer basket. Place the basket in the saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Steam for 15-20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are easy to pierce with a fork.

While the potatoes are steaming, make the crumble topping. In a food processor place the rolled oats, pecans, and walnuts, 1/4 cup flour, garlic, honey, olive oil, rosemary, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse until just combined, transfer to a medium size bowl, and set aside.

Transfer the sweet potatoes from the steamer to the food processor. Add butter, almond milk, 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, turmeric, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. Place in baking dish.

Sprinkle crumble topping over the potato mixture and bake for 20 minutes uncovered until the crumble topping is browned and crisp.

Want more recipes like this?Go to Big Bold Health at

https://bigboldhealth.com/stories/category/recipe