Back into Baking! Buckwheat. And another Race!

I luckily got to do plenty of baking in the past few days, the cooking that started my passion so many years ago! It really is therapeutic. and fun to mess with different combinations and creations. like chemistry but 100x better. and tastier. I also raced!

I will master the buckwheat bake. I made 3 so far, one on Sunday morning and two on Sunday night to eat today and yesterday at school.  They are truly awesome, so many customizable themes and so many convenient options to your liking.

Buckwheat Bake 3.0

I am using egg whites for these on the go buckwheat bakes instead of chia eggs because I need to up the protein content as I mostly sit at school. This one was Mixed Berry with some Stevia to sweeten and the Pumpkin option instead of Banana. Plenty of crunchy Pumpkin seeds for even more protein and healthy fat (the most protein packed seed)! 

• Buckwheat Bake Recipe
• 5 Drops Stevia
• 1/2c Blueberries/Raspberries + additional fresh Raspberries

I like the pumpkin instead of mashed banana because the flavor is subtle and contributes less sugar/carbs (good for school, not for pre-ride).  The berries and stevia made it totally sweet enough to be yummy topping free!

The Inside: Delicious Tart Cooked Berries!

Besides the normals, this is worth including to mention the grain combo. Just enough protein for a not hungry-Max from lots of greens, quinoa, and tahini.

Clean and Tasty

  I mixed a 1:1 ratio of Quinoa and Wheat Berries in my rice cooker and it made a fluffy, nutty, almost corny mix! Way better and more nutrient dense than either one on their own. Also settling into a dialed standard Tahini Sauce mix!

• Grilled B-Sprouts (Mustard Seed, Olive Oil, S & P)
• Steamed Broccoli
• 1/3c Quinoa, 1/3c Farro, 2c water
• 1/2 Baked Sweet Potato
• Hummus and My Tahini Sauce (Tahini, Ginger Juice, Lemon, Cider Vinegar)

My second try involved a cocoa/carob-banana theme!

 Buckwheat Bake On the Go 2.0 

  The banana option and included fresh raspberries, which brought an occasional touch of tart! Raspberries get so much more tasty when cooked. The bake had tons of chocolate/carob/banana flavors working together and the carob chips made delicious melted morsels scattered throughout. One healthy chocolate muffin wanna-be for sure! This was the perfect amount of food to hold me over until lunch! (8am to 12pm)

• This Buckwheat Buckwheat Bake Recipe
• 1t unsweetened Cocoa Powder (didn't have carob)
• Egg White instead of Flax Egg
• 2t Carob Chips
• 2T chopped Almonds/Pumpkin Seeds instead of Walnuts
• Some Raspberries

Sweet enough from the Carob Chips/Berries to not need any topping. 

My first was a tasty nutty blueberry muffin! Not as protein heavy and definitely more sugar but that is perfect for pre-ride.

Basic Blueberry Buckwheat Bake 1.0

For attempt #1 I used coconut milk instead of almond milk, the chia seed egg option, and blueberry as the central focus. It was a bit mushy so I think almond milk works better.  I topped with my favorite blueberry jam and some agave nectar because it wasn't sweet enough, so for the future bakes (like above) won't have toppings on the go I will bake in additional goodies/sweetness. Who doesn't love biting into some tender cooked blueberries that explode with sweetness and flavor?

• This Blueberry Buckwheat Bake
• Chia Egg Option
• 2T Almonds/Pumpkin Seeds/Sunflower Seeds (not walnuts)
• Coconut Milk

Eating bread gluten and wheat free! When I saw this recipe and recently invested in buckwheat I had to give it a go.

Tasty With Toppings

 Before Topping

 I haven't been eating any bread for a while since i've been enjoying a wheat/gluten free spell, and this REALLY hit the spot. It tastes almost liqorice-y from the delicious black pepper combo and is moist, nutty, and not crumbly. I followed the recipe except with amaranth flour instead of millet flour. I had the same meal for lunch at school except with Wasabi Dijon Mustard and Hummus and it was just as good.

• 1 Serving of Buckwheat Millet Amaranth Bread
• 1/2 Block of Tempeh in the Toaster
• Gai Lan Broccoli steamed with Sesame/Sesame Oil
• Cucumber, Tomato, Green Onion, Avocado
• Lemon/Tahini, Hummus, Nutritional Yeast, S & P

Nutritional yeast combined with Hummus or Tahini and Avo is officially awesome as an almost salty-cheezy sauce and I love it. 

 Post Race Delight

Enjoyed some Futomaki Sushi leftovers (Sushi Ran) as a treat when I got home from the race. Accompanied by some leftover vegetables, brown rice, and tahini. Totally splurging...

 Recovery Muscle Brownie Treat

Lenny and Larry treats don't let me down after a super hard effort! 20g of Protein for the win.

 Pre Race O'Oats

Same pre-race overnight oats, added vanilla, Bing Cherries, Raspberries, Cocoa Powder, and more Almonds instead of Almond Butter.

Pre Race Dinner Out?

I went to Lydia's Kitchen for pre-race dinner, and got this French-Mex Buckwheat Crepe Wrap and House Salad. A moist soft buckwheat crepe around avocado, black beans, salsa, greens all topped with a cashew sunflower seed chile sauce! The first time Mexican food will taste light.  It wasn't filling enough so I ate some more at home, and the race was low key and mainly for training so I didn't make a special dinner. I went super fast feeling great so it definitely still worked! It's comforting to know that a variety of things won't fail me.