Although it has two names, it is essentially the same. In the stores, usually kasha is the grain in its whole form, while buckwheat is in a flour form. Although not a true cereal grain, it is used like a grain and has similar properties of grains. And even though it is in the name, it is not a wheat at all, in fact it is gluten free. Many people with food allergies get confused and stay away from buckwheat, however they will find it is an excellent grain to start including in their diets.

Because it is a good blood building food, it can neutralize toxic acidic wastes. In Chinese Medicine it is known for feeding and nurturing the kidneys and reproductive organs. Also known as the signature grain of the winter time, it is medicinal to capillaries and blood vessels and can increase circulation to the hands and feet. Buckwheat has the longest transit time in the gut which makes it excellent to stabilize blood sugar levels. Also rich in vitamin E, very high in vitamin C, and contains almost the whole range of B-complex vitamins.

When cooking kasha, it is best to pot boil it using a two to one ratio (one part grain, two parts water). Some people like to pan roast it before pot boiling it. You do this by simply putting the grain in a skillet and cooking it until in starts to brown. Then pot boil it for about 25 minutes or until the water has all been absorbed. I hope you try this wonderful grain and here is a recipe for you to make.

This grain was a topic of The Dr. Oz Show!

 

February 2010 - Cookies

Cookies, one of my favorite desserts, maybe not a food category but lets devout the whole month to cookies. Is there anything better than a warm cookie just out of the oven? They are still kind of doughy and gooey and just melt in your mouth. I have been making cookies since I was a little kid, with my mom’s help, and I never grow tired of them or creating a new kind. Growing up I was taught to make them using the traditional ingredients; butter, sugar and white flour. When I started eating healthy I had to convert my favorite cookie recipes to use better ingredients. I am proud to say I have successfully converted almost all my favorite childhood cookie recipes to a healthier version and along the way created many more new and interesting cookies.

My preferred and favorite sweetener to use in dessert recipes is brown rice syrup. It is made from whole grain brown rice that is cooked down to create a thick syrup. Being that it is predominately maltose, the least reactive sugar there is, it does not spike your blood sugar level. Regular sugar is sucrose, the most disruptive sugar, that wrecks havoc with your whole system. White sugar has no nutritional value and it spikes your blood sugar level, eaten over time this is detrimental to your health. It has been linked to such diseases as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, tooth decay,
hypertension, digestive diseases and many more.

Most people ask "Is there a one to one conversion to substitute brown rice syrup for sugar in a regular recipe?" The answer is no. Brown rice syrup is a liquid, white sugar is a dry ingredient, so in order to substitute you have to make many changes to the recipe. Most of my childhood favorite cookie recipes I took and changed a lot. And it took a few tries to get the taste and texture similar to the original.