Wholesome buckwheat black bean brownies

Finding ways to eat healthy

You've probably been bombarded with foods that don't support optimal health this holiday season. The purpose of this post is to share that you don't have to forfeit your healthy goals in order to connect and feast with people. These buckwheat black bean brownies are rich and moist, gluten- and casein free, and very rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and plant chemicals that support overall health. I was careful to keep added sugars low and use to natural, minimally processed ingredients for sweetness. I also aimed to make this somewhat paleo-friendly. These brownies are low in sugar and low glycemic compared to a few other holistic and hip black bean brownie recipes out there.

Why these ingredients?

Black beans are high in fiber and antioxidants and lower in lectins than larger beans, which is appealing to the paleo-minded. Lectins have a reputation for irritating the gut and promoting digestive distress. Canned food is frowned upon by the health conscious, but in the case of beans, the high heat of the canning process my be beneficial in that it lowers lectins. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting are other ways to reduce the anti-nutritional and potentially gut irritating chemicals in beans and grains. I think sprouting deserves some attention.

Buckwheat is gluten free, promoted by some paleo doctors, and a real nutritional powerhouse. It's a good source of fiber, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, and antioxidants. The fiber in buckwheat supports healthy cholesterol levels and is prebiotic, which means that it stimulates the growth of health promoting bacteria in the colon. That means support for healthy metabolism and a multitude of benefits. Buckwheat contains the phytonutrients (plant nutrients) rutin and quercetin. Rutin protects cholesterol from damage, reduces inflammation, supports healthy blood pressure, and binds to heavy metals. Quercetin is known for its anti-inflammatory effect.

Cooked buckwheat. Good in
salads, soups, and stews too

Buckwheat is gluten free, not related to wheat, and is named a pseudograin, like quinoa. It's very easy to cook: Simmer 1 cup of buckwheat groats in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Eating carbs like buckwheat with protein and healthy fats helps lower their blood sugar and insulin spiking effect. The idea here is to keep your blood sugar and insulin levels moderate and steady for overall health. This recipe has that.

Honey contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and prebiotic fiber. There's a whole DIFM webinar on the benefits of honey.  It's very sweet so "a little dab'll do ya". You could substitute dates, figs, organic sugar, maple syrup, or bananas for honey. I like the idea of using bananas instead of sugar to reduce empty calories.

Eggs bind these ingredients together. They are a cheap and good source of protein and very nutrient-rich. The science on whether the cholesterol you eat increases your risk for heart disease has changed recently and is debated. According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines:

The Key Recommendation from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to limit consumption of dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day is not included in the 2015 edition, but this change does not suggest that dietary cholesterol is no longer important to consider when building healthy eating patterns. As recommended by the IOM,^[24] individuals should eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern.

I'm of the persuasion that organic, pasture-raised eggs are wholesome and part of a balanced diet. Many holistic health experts say that heart health is more about reducing both sugar and high glycemic food and less about any restriction on cholesterol and saturated fat. There's a lot of bickering on this. Let's just eat real, natural food and get on with our lives. But this isn't medical advice.

Ghee is butter minus casein proteins and lactose, though some brands may have traces of casein. It adds the traditional richness of butter to baking recipes and is full of healthy fats when derived from pasture-raised cattle. It has a high smoke point, so it's tolerant to heat. It's even stable in medium to high heat pan frying. There are doctors and dietitians who say that saturated fats like ghee, butter, and coconut oil are wholesome, natural food and are good when balanced within a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and pasture-raised meat. This info really goes against the vilification of saturated fat and cholesterol we've been taught for the past 50 years or so.

Puree buckwheat too

Ingredients

• black beans - 1 can rinsed and drained
• cooked buckwheat groats - 1 cup
• 3 eggs (I prefer organic, pasture-raised)
• organic ghee (clarified butter) or butter - 2 tbsp
• coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• cacao powder - 1/4 cup
• ground flax seed - 1 heaping tbsp (grind with whole flaxseeds in a coffee grinder)
• 1 banana
• honey, maple syrup or organic sugar - 2 tbsp
• sea salt - 1/2 tsp

Frosting (optional but allows you to add sweetness if necessary)

• coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• ground flaxseed - 2 tbsp
• vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp
• sweetened to taste with your choice of sweetener: stevia, sugar, honey, etc.
• water - 1 tbsp

Nice and dense. Even better when they cool.

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Puree all brownie ingredients in a food processor or blender.
3. Pour brownie batter into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper, or grease the pan with coconut oil, ghee or butter. I used a pyrex pan. Stainless is good.  
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let brownies rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. 
6. Frosting: cream all ingredients together with a fork and spread onto brownies with a rubber spatula. 

I think these are going to displace some of the 2.50-$3.00 nutrition bars I've been eating. They're great on the go.

Be wholesome!
Joe Zastawny