What is this? Snowflakes in July? Yes, I know. But when you are getting ready for a picnic/firework excursion and at the last minute realize that plates would be really, really handy, you may find that the only paper plates you in fact own have snowflakes. We are not exactly holiday themed or even particularly well organized here at the House of Yum. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone.
I had spent half of the day in a feverish whirlwind making 3 batches of brownies, 1 batch of sorghum flax onion rolls, seared crimini mushrooms and roasted eggplant slices with a tahini sauce. So, we dined on delightfully refreshing snowflake plates, and didn’t even notice because everything tasted so good, and we had such nice company. Friends, food, and fireworks, that’s all you need to celebrate the 4th of July. Being a food blogger, I had to take a photograph of the food, snowflake plates and all.
I hope you don’t mind. The combination of rubbing lemon olive oil onto the eggplant and drizzling it with a tahini sauce spiked with lemon zest brought unexpected new life to an old favorite method of preparing eggplant. Even the alleged eggplant-haters had to admit it was addictive and tasty. And for eggplant lovers… well, lets just say, eggplant proved itself once as a fitting ingredient for ye old Book of Yum. We went home without a single eggplant slice left- and I’d baked two whole ones up just for the occasion. Alas for no leftovers, but hurrah for a very delicious picnic, with just the right amount of food.
This makes me want to make this recipe all over again. The tahini sauce is terrific on salad, as a dip for red pepper and/or carrots… and even on sauteed mushrooms, as we found out. Enjoy!
2 medium-sized American Eggplant (or one, if very large)
Lemon olive oil Bouquet Garni (sold at Penzeys) or your favorite green herb mix salt pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. Get out a baking sheet. Wash, dry and slice eggplant into generous 1/4 inch slices.
Pour about 1/8 cup lemon olive oil into a small bowl and add herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. Baste eggplant slices on both sides with oil-herb mixture and place on baking sheet. When sheet is full, place in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until one side is golden brown. Turn slices and brown the other side for at least 10 minutes until it is also browned and slices are soft and succulent. You may have to baby these a little- don’t let them burn! Remove any that cook faster than the others when they are done.
Notes
Some slices are less sturdy than others due to seed composition etc. If any fall apart- put them in a bowl and drizzle with tahini sauce for a chef’s snack or serve to family members to tempt their appetite.
Rating:9
Original Source:The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission.
Equal amounts pure tahini and water 1 tsp. agave nectar (or honey) lemon zest, to taste (I used a meyer lemon but anything will work) fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste generous sprinkle of salt
Directions
Blend tahini and water in a mini food processor. Add agave, lemon juice and salt and blend again. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add your lemon zest, stir, and serve.
Wonderful on roasted eggplant slices!
Rating:9
Original Source:The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission.
Gluten-free Flax seed, Beet puree, and Agave sweetened brownies, from left to right.
This 4th of July I had one goal. I hadn’t had a good brownie since I went dairy, soy and egg-free after Baby Yum was born, and I was determined to make a vegan brownie that would pass a glutenoid taste test and satisfy pesky chocolate cravings. It is easy enough to make a good brownie with butter and eggs and lots of melty, milky chocolate, but how about without those things? How could you compensate for their absence? As I researched, I found that the real sticking point was the absence of egg. Luckily, vegan bakers are extraordinarily creative, and have come up with all kinds of substitutes, including flax seed, applesauce, and even beet puree. Another sticking point was the chocolate of course. I wanted these brownies to be safe for me and my highly soy-sensitive friend (who avoids even soy lecithin), so I had to find safe chocolate for us. I found baking chocolate (melt in the microwave and add agave or other sweetener to taste), Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, and cocoa powder (Penzey’s) to be my salvation. I knew a vegan brownie that would pass the glutenoid taste test would be a challenge. And when it comes to that, I’m not a huge brownie girl, either, so it would be tough to find one I liked myself. I like fudgey brownies, not cake-like or bread-like brownies. To find the perfect recipe, I decided to make three recipes, adapted from those above. I called the first recipe “F” for flax seed, the second “B” for beet puree, and the third “A” for agave. Note that except for the applesauce recipe, the recipes linked above are not gluten-free, but of course my versions were. Anyway. Then I lined up my testers. You all (may) know my friend JM, who has inspired many allergen-sensitive recipes here on the Book of Yum. She is free of gluten, potato, soy, avocado, and dairy. Her partner in crime, M, is an adventurous glutenoid who has patiently tried many gluten-free experiments over the years at gluten-free potlucks and the like. Then there was me, gluten, soy, corn, potato, etc. free. And finally, there was my glutenoid DH who loves chocolate and has also been the guinea pig for many recipe experiments over the years.
First: the flax seed recipe. I am a recent convert to this egg substitute, so I had high hopes for this recipe. However, I’m afraid I was disappointed. It had a heavy, vegan brownie feel and the DH condemned it as “Tasting gluten-free.” Darn it. Unexpectedly, our tester M chose it as his favorite, perhaps because he likes that type of texture in his brownie and felt it was closer to a traditional brownie. JM and I gave it a resolute thumbs down.
Second: the beet puree recipe. I had a sneaking fondness for this recipe because I liked the novel idea of adding beets to chocolate, AND it had coffee, which just makes me happy. JM said it had an “earthy” aftertaste and M said it was his least favorite. The DH shrugged and said “well, it’s chocolate” and ate it. I might make this recipe again, actually, perhaps with some modifications. The lack of sweet chips (its chocolate was provided by agave sweetened baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder) may have made this less popular than it would have been otherwise. -I liked its deep dark chocolate flavor and earthiness, personally, but it isn’t for milk-chocolate lovers.
Third: the agave sweetened brownie recipe. This was the only recipe that started out gluten-free, but I had to radically change the flours to accommodate our various intolerances. JM, I and the DH all chose this recipe as our favorite, making it a clear winner. It was the only recipe that wasn’t lowfat as it actually contained oil, which might have helped its cause. The texture was also nice, having an appealing fluffy lightness not often found in gluten-free, vegan recipes. It might not have screamed brownie, but that made me like it a little more, and it was sweet (without being too sweet) and nice and chocolate-rich thanks to the generous amount of chocolate chips it called for.
And so, our gluten-free vegan brownie taste off ended with success and an empty box of brownies. Even the brownies that we supposedly didn’t like vanished from our picnic basket. After all, they were all chocolate, and were all pretty tasty, judging aside. Here’s our favorite recipe to share with you, and a few more gluten-free recipes I found online that I would love to try when my diet includes things like nuts and eggs again. Have any favorite gluten-free brownie recipes? Share the link in the comments and I’ll add them to my list!
Just for fun, here is a pictures of Baby Yum taken on her first 4th of July. We had a lovely family picnic with friends and were all set for her to see the fireworks- but literally minutes before the show began she decided to nurse and didn’t so much as peek at the show as she fell fast asleep mid-snack. Better luck next year. I can’t believe my baby is almost one!
Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening or mini cupcake liners
1/2 cup your favorite oil (I bet coconut oil would be really yummy, but I used canola)
3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sorghum flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Penzeys Dutch)
10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup brewed coffee or espresso (I use decaf)
2 cups dairy-free and soy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life)
Directions
Special equipment: 2 Mini muffin tins or mini donut molds, although they are a bit delicate for the latter.
Preheat oven to 325. Either line mini muffin tins with mini cupcake liners or baste with shortening.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, mix, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Gently fold in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill each mini muffin cup (or mini donut mold etc) with 1 tbsp. batter. Put in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Place muffin tin on a cooling rack and let cool. Don’t put warm muffins on a plate or moisture may make the bottom soggy.
Gently remove mini muffins or mini donuts (the latter is more challenging) and serve. Yummy!
Notes
A light and delicate chocolate feast, winner of our vegan brownie taste-off!
Rating:8
Original Source:Inspired by Babycakes Brownies but with entirely different flour combination. Please do not replicate without my permission.
Rolls, even gluten-free rolls, can be delightfully easy if you have one simple tool. A muffin tin. This humble tin, when paired with your favorite yeast dough instead of a quick rising batter, will yield gorgeous rolls with gorgeous crusts if you overlook its muffin-y appearance. I had eaten one too many jowar roti, or sorghum tortillas, when I decided to experiment more with flax seed as an egg substitute and make myself some tasty yeast onion rolls. I was initially not impressed with flax gel in early experiments, but my recent love affair with Isa Moskowitz’s recipe for vegan and gluten-free buckwheat pancakes convinced me that I needed to give flax seed a second chance. After all, Ener-g Egg Replacer works reasonably well in many recipes, but it can produce gummy products if you’re not careful. I was disappointed with using flax seeds as an egg substitute in Chebe tapioca bread mix, but I think that is because the low-protein tapioca starch requires a high protein ingredient to work as a bread. Flax seed is interesting, healthy stuff, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and high in fiber. Those of you on a gluten-free diet who don’t eat oatmeal will be happy to know that two tablespoons of flax seed meal contains four grams of fiber. This is the same amount of fiber as 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal, and similarly to oatmeal, it is reported to help decrease harmful LDL cholesterol drop without lowering good HDL cholesterol. Why haven’t I been eating more of this stuff already? Maybe because until this recipe, I hadn’t found a good way to use it!
These rolls rose beautifully and became quite gorgeous when they baked. You can eat them fresh out of the oven, tearing them open with a fork tin and slathering them with (non-dairy, soy-free) margarine or drizzling them with high quality olive oil, but their texture is best after they cool. They are also wonderful the next day after a quick stint in the microwave. My DH who mourns the current absence of rice in our diet (and my old white rice flour-tapioca starch french bread) gobbled these rolls up and looked for more. I didn’t tell him how healthy these whole grain, high fiber rolls were! I made my version with arrowroot starch, but you could easily make them with tapioca starch and they would undoubtedly be great. The flax seed gel really enhanced the texture of these rolls and made them very strong but with a soft, rippable center. I don’t think I would use flax seed in a delicate or sweet flavored recipe (unless it was nutty or well-spiced), but in this savory onion bread, it worked perfectly. I can’t wait to make this recipe again!
2 cup sorghum flour 1 cup tapioca flour (or, for a more delicate bread, arrowroot starch) 1 tbsp. xanthan gum 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. egg replacer (optional) 2 tbsp. sugar 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water 2 tbsp. yeast 2 tbsp. olive oil 3 tbsp ground flax seed + 3/4 cup water 1 tsp. vinegar (i use cider)
1 or 2 tbsp. melted Soy-free dairy-free earth balance margarine minced dried onion kosher salt
Directions
Grease muffin tin with your favorite shortening. I use spectrum naturals palm oil shortening. Or, if making free-form rolls, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine flours, xanthan gum, salt and egg replacer (if using) in the bowl of a standing mixer. Place sugar in a small bowl and add your lukewarm water, whisking to combine. Add your yeast and stir in gently. Let sit for a few minutes while yeast activates and forms brownish clumps. Combine flax seed and water in a food processor or blender and blend until you have a thick and creamy consistency. Add your oil and vinegar to the proofed yeast water and add to the flours, along with the flax liquid. Beat using the paddle for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, melt margarine in microwave or on stovetop and add a generous amount of minced dried onion to the melted margarine. (1/2 tsp or so). Let it sit.
For muffins, fill half-full with batter. For free-form rolls, take a large spoonful of dough and shape it into a soft round with WET hands. Run your hands under the water in-between rolls as needed. Place on the parchment paper, leaving plenty of room between them. To season, baste the top of the rolls with onion margarine, making sure you get actual bits of onion on the roll, and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Let rise for 50 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake for 30 minutes or until rolls are browned and sound hollow when you tap them.
Notes
Texture is best after they cool. The next day, a brief reheating in the microwave oven makes for a perfect, fresh tasting and hot roll!
Rating:9
Original Source:Adaption of my vegan french bread recipe, with seasoning, preparation, and flax seed modifications.
Dear Readers,
I know it has been quite a while since I posted, and that just isn’t like me. Life intruded on my blogging- and with all that was going on, I just couldn’t concentrate on the Book of Yum. I had to spend some time only focusing on my PhD work, and the time that was left over went to Baby Yum. I’ve also been trying to decide some things about the future of the Book of Yum, like advertising. I’ve been pouring my soul into this little blog for two- or is it three- years now, and in that time I decided to have some small amount of advertising, mostly to assuage my guilt over spending so much time on something that doesn’t pay the rent (or dissertation fees). Well, the market has changed and now I have to make some tough decisions that make me question if it is fair to everybody in my family for me to try to keep this blog going while also being a dedicated Mommy and PhD student. When it comes down to it, though, I love this little blog too much to quit, and I would feel sad to abandon my dedicated vegetarian or allergy-sensitive readers whose lives are complicated by being gluten-free. So… here I am, again, posting. And- never fear, although I am taking this month off of the Adopt-a-gluten-free Blogger event, I intend to host it next month, unless anyone else volunteers.
This recipe has been begging to be posted since I first made it. Soy-based vegan chocolate mousse recipes are a dime a dozen (although possibly quite yummy) but finding one free of most major allergens is quite a challenge. Sorry to those of you who can’t have avocado- I’m afraid it is indispensable to this recipe. However, I hope those of you who are nut, dairy, soy, and gluten free will enjoy it. The ingredients are simple, but magical in this combination. I’d like to try it with a little bit of steamed or canned peach or mango blended in- but I thought I’d better post quickly while Baby Yum is still asleep! It is suitable for a Raw Foods Diet, if you do processed Agave. I’ve tried other oils and other sweeteners but wasn’t happy with them… so in the end, it had to be coconut oil and agave. A yummy nut oil or maple syrup might be interesting, too… And if you are chocolate sensitive and don’t worry about shared equipment, you could use Chatwick carob powder for a carob version, although I haven’t tried it myself. This chocolate mousse is a perfect chocolate “fix” and even better for busy mommies (or students, or daddies, etc) in its frozen bon-bon form. Enjoy! I’ve missed you guys!
1 avocado 1 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/4 cup agave nectar
Directions
Combine ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Serve!
If you have leftovers, put in ice cube tray for raw frozen chocolate “bon-bons” or put in a Popsicle tray and freeze. Once frozen, the bon-bons can be put into a freezer safe container and stored for weeks or possibly months, although mine never last that long!
Rating:9
Original Source:Inspired by Mothering magazine recipe, but with several fun twists to make it my own. Please do not replicate without permission.
Before I had a child, I never would have believed someone if they told me that I would give up eating all of my favorite things in order to breastfeed my child. But, lo and behold, once Baby Yum joined us, I found out that there was no choice about the matter at all. My heart told me that restricting my diet even more than a typical gluten-free diet was the right thing to do, if it meant that I could nurture my child. Strangely enough, it wasn’t the dairy or the eggs I found myself missing the most- but the most basic staple of my pre-baby life- rice. Going rice-free has been the hardest thing I ever did. And no, an elimination diet this extreme isn’t necessary for most allergy-baby moms, but it seemed to help us, and I’m happy to say that I feel every day this bond with Baby Yum was worth the sacrifice. As you can see from a very recent picture the DH took of me with Baby Yum, I’m loving being a (relatively) new Mommy. And, on the food front, I’m also happy to say that I’ve found quinoa to be a wonderful substitute for rice, whether I’ve used it for satisfying wild sushi cravings or, most recently, in a wonderfully simple and tasty Chinese-style fried rice. This is a recipe the DH and I enjoyed recently, and I hope all you gluten-free Moms (and daughters, and sons!) enjoy it as well on this holiday.
All my best,
Sea
(Sorry I’ve been so busy lately, but those pesky PhD qualifying exams have kept me offline and with my nose pressed in a book… And when I’m not studying, my baby needs snuggles! I know you’ll understand, and you can count on more regular posts again after this hurdle is (hopefully) passed.)
2-3 tbsp. neutral oil (canola or peanut if you can have it)
1/4 onion, diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1/2 cup green peas Small bundle of broccoli florets, cut into small bite sized pieces 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled. Grate 1/4 of it and slice the rest thinly, dicing 1/2 of those slices White part of one scallion, halved
Sauce: 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos or other soy-free sauce 2 tbsp. vegetable broth 1 to 2 tbsp. dry sherry 1 tbsp. agave nectar 1/4 knob of ginger, grated (from above) 2 scallions- mince the white part and discard the leftover 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce pinch szechuan salt (if you have it) pinch white pepper pinch black pepper
Directions
Whisk together sauce ingredients and prep your veggies.
Heat wok on high. Add 2 tbsp of oil and heat until you see white smoke. Add slices of ginger and halved scallion. Let them turn brown and then remove from pan since they’ve flavored the oil. Toss in diced ginger (reserving a little) and quickly add your onion, carrots, and peas and stir fry until they soften slightly. Then add your broccoli. Toss a few times until broccoli has lost its bite… then pour on most of the sauce, reserving a little. Let sauce and veggies simmer for a minute or so and then remove from heat. Put veggies in a dish and reserve.
Heat wok again and add a little oil. If you like you can do half of the quinoa at a time… you’ll have better flavor. Add your little bit of reserved diced ginger and then toss half of your quinoa into the wok. Spread it around the wok and let it brown, and then stir it up. Brown a little more and then add half of your sauteed veggies and sauce, mixing in. Add a little leftover sauce and heat thoroughly.
Remove to a pretty serving dish and repeat.
Enjoy!
Rating:9
Original Source:Contents of my brain, Please do not replicate without permission.
It is ironic that although amaranth is my least favorite of the gluten-free grains or pseudo-grains that I’m eating, I’ve managed to come up with a fair number of recipes using the flour that I actually like. Maybe it is all part of that necessity being the mother of invention thing… however that saying goes. This particular recipe for an allergen-free soda bread is based on one I found floating around the internet without a clear author, but which I’ve modified to suit my tastes. It is crunchy and has a earthy flavor that I find pairs beautifully with a hearty, vegan soup or a creamy, dairy-free dip like my latest riff on baba ghanoush. Unlike most dips, this dip is bean-free, dairy-free, soy-free and even sesame or tahini-free. The fresh cilantro gives it a light, herb note while roasted eggplant gives it body and soul… and homemade sunflower butter stands in for sesame paste. I enjoyed this bread and dip with some luscious kalamata olives and considered myself a pretty lucky gluten-free, allergen-free breastfeeding mama.
Gluten-free Allergen-free Amaranth Soda Bread Recipe
2 tablespoons boiling water 3/4 teaspoon unbuffered vitamin C crystals 4 tablespoons coconut oil or other oil 3/4 cup warm hemp milk (or other dairy-free milk)
2 1/4 cup cups amaranth flour 1/4 cup additional amaranth flour 3/4 cup arrowroot starch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon caraway seed 2 teaspoons baking soda
kosher salt flakes herbal blend like Penzey’s Provencal herb mix
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of a round cake tin.
Put your vitamin c in the boiling water. If it doesn’t dissolve, whisk it in.
Combine 2 1/4 cup amaranth flour, arrowroot starch, salt, baking soda and caraway seed in a large bowl. Add your water with vitamin C, hemp or other dairy-free milk and oil, and stir with a big wooden spoon. Sprinkle with the additional 1/4 cup of additional amaranth flour and fold it all together. You can mistreat this dough a bit. Beat it up, fold it up until it seems thoroughly mixed and your arm feels tired. Plop the dough onto your cake pan and shape it into a circle about 1 inch high. You can dampen your hands to shape it or use a cake frosting knife to smooth out the edges. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a nice herbal blend and cut an X in the top, just because it is fun and makes it seem more authentic. Pop in the oven. Lower oven temperature to 325 and bake for 55 minutes or until the center is done to your taste. (I like it pretty done and not doughy in the middle so I put it back in sometimes.)
Cut into triangles and enjoy with some soy free margarine, super yummy lemon olive oil, or baba ganoush.
Notes
Surprisingly addictive.
Rating:9
Original Source:Adapted from online sources, original source unknown. Please do not replicate without my permission. THanks!
2 scallion bulbs 2 tbsp sunbutter (I ground roasted unsalted sunflower seeds with a drizzle of lemon olive oil) 1/4 tsp of salt (or more to taste, especially if using homemade unsalted sunbutter) handful of fresh cilantro 1 fresh lime 1 tsp agave nectar (optional) fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Cut eggplant in half horizontally and place in baking dish with freshly cut side up. Roast on 425 for 20-30 minutes or until flesh is golden brown. Turn over and bake ten more minutes. Then remove from oven and cool.
If making your own sunbutter, grind your seeds and olive oil first in a small food processor or blender. (I have a small powerful food processor that I love for this.) Then scoop out the flesh of your roasted eggplant and add it to the food processor. Add the green onion bulbs to the processor with only a little of the green top if desired. Blend until you have a creamy sauce. Then add salt, cilantro, lime, agave and pepper and blend, blend, blend.
Notes
Sunflower seed is no tahini, but did you know sesame is a rising allergen, especially in countries where it is part of the national cuisine? This is also garlic-free.
Rating:8
Original Source:The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission.
As many of you may know, in order to breastfeed my darling Baby Yum I had to go on a rather extreme allergen-free diet, cutting out the obvious (dairy, soy, nuts, eggs) and even the less obvious, like rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.* In the course of trying to figure out how to help my allergic baby, I reached out for advice from communities like la leche league, attending meetings and reading their allergy boards avidly. The latter was especially helpful as I met other Moms who had battled allergies with their own infants and found solutions that worked for them. Thanks to suggestions on this board, I tried digestive enzymes (didn’t work for us), diet modifications, and finally probiotics for her which markedly improved her symptoms and my sanity. While there are many probiotics on the market, we found success with a Klaire infant probiotic free of just about everything from dairy to rice. (Annoyingly, you can only get it through a holistic medical professional, so we went to Whole Child Wellness for this “prescription” as well as some thinking-outside-of-the-box advice.) These resources were all very helpful, but one thing I’ve struggled with is getting the fuel to keep me going that conformed with an everything-free diet. Allergen-free blogs have been helpful, and I’ve enjoyed researching international options like one-flour-ingredient Indian flatbreads (see my sorghum flatbread or millet flatbread recipe), but the same allergy-expert ladies on the La Leche League forums also had some recipes that I have found very useful. Happily, I found one of the best gluten-free, dairy and egg free muffins I’ve ever had thanks to “Shannon75″ on the boards. I had to modify them a little to suit our restrictions, but this recipe is nothing short of a chemical miracle that results in amazing, fluffy, sturdy muffins that taste pretty awesome with a swipe of dairy-free soy-free margarine from Earth Balance and a little local honey. You can even use them as a sandwich base or eat them plain. I’ve made them in regular muffin tins and in mini-muffin tins- they are great either way. These babies don’t need eggs at all- and they beat most egg-free gluten-free muffin recipes hands down. Got any favorite winning gluten-free, egg-free muffin recipes or links? Share them in the comments! Me, baby yum, and my fellow allergen-free readers will thank you!
*Note: I am not a doctor, so this is not medical advice- just the path we chose that worked for us personally.
Dry: 1 Cup quinoa flour 1/2 + 1/3 cup arrowroot starch (may replace one portion with an alternate starch such as tapioca, corn, or potato) 2 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Wet: 1 1/2 Cup liquid- (I use 3/4 cup apple juice concentrate with 3/4 cup apple juice to mellow out the strong flavor of the quinoa flour, but you can substitute other juice or water) 1/4 c oil 2 tsp egg replacer
Directions
Grease muffin tin with palm oil shortening or other oil. Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together dry ingredients, and then make a well in the center for the liquid ingredients. Mix all together with a large spoon.
Pour batter into muffin tin and bake for 12 minutes. Cool and enjoy!
Notes
Thanks to Shannon of the La Leche League forums for providing the template for this recipe, which I modified for our allergies.
Rating:9
Original Source:Based on recipe adapted by Shannon and posted on the La Leche Leage forums WITH permission. Please do not replicate anywhere without both of our permission.
The first time I heard of Jowar Roti was when I was on a trip to India and staying in Bangalore. I read in a blog that the “Jolad rotti oota” in Kamat Minerva (at Minerva circle) in Bagalore was absolutely amazing. The Jowar Roti there might even be gluten-free- but I didn’t have time to go and investigate. Once I returned to the States i didn’t think much about it, but I’d filed away the thought of single flour, gluten-free roti. Once I had to go on a rotation diet for baby Yum, I remembered those breads and set to work perfecting them at home. First, I came up with a yummy millet flatbread recipe. The sorghum one was considerably harder. When it has worked, the results have been spectacular, but it has been hit or miss, with quite a few impromptu “pizzas” made with the failed dough. However, recently I finally stumbled upon a winning technique that seems to work every time. It requires a roux whisk- but you should have one of those anyway! It is by far my favorite whisk, perfect for making gluten-free vegan gravy. If you don’t have one, I have a backup technique, but it doesn’t work half as well and you may end up eating pizza. Surprise.
While I love the mild flavor of the millet roti, the sorghum roti is amazingly flexible and can be easily wrapped around fillings without cracking. They taste the best hot off the griddle. For a dry, crackly bread, just leave them on the griddle until dark spots appear. For a soft, pliable tortilla, make them a little thicker and/or only keep them on the griddle until a few light brown spots appear. I love this roti with vegetable fajita filling or an Indian curry. It has more whole grain personality than millet, which I personally like, and is definitely more versatile. Best of all, it naturally does not need eggs, dairy, baking powder, xanthan gum or any other ingredient that may be problematic for the gluten-free, allergic baker. Let’s hear it for naturally simple gluten-free baked products! Let me know what you think when you try it. It has become a favorite menu staple at our house. *Also, if you have any great gluten-free vegetarian curry recipes that would go well with this roti, share in the comments and I’ll add links to the post!
2 cups sorghum flour (for pretty, cream colored roti use Authentic Foods Sorghum flour, for a more rustic greyish roti use Bob’s Red Mill) 2 cups water
salt to taste
Directions
Put your flour container near the stove and measure out one cup of sorghum flour to have ready next to the burner. You will either need a heavy roux whisk OR a food processor and lots of patience. You will also need a sturdy wooden spoon and strong arm muscles for this recipe (or the ability to fake it, like me).
Bring your water barely to a boil in a saucepan. Add your 1 cup of flour gradually but steadily, whisking the stream of flour into the water with the roux whisk continuously. Reduce heat to low. Moving quickly, measure out the second cup of flour and grab your wooden spoon. Stir in your second cup of flour into the dough in the pan. This is the part that requires arm muscles. Ouch. Let’s just say this was a workout for me. A skin of dough should have formed on the bottom of the pan, leaving you with a ball of dough that becomes increasingly rubbery the longer you have it on the stove. I keep it on the stove, mixing and moving the ball of dough around, for around two minutes, or until the dough attains a really nice rubbery texture. (Trust me, it is a good thing.) Remove dough to a heat resistant bowl and leave for five-ten minutes or until cool enough to handle. Form into small balls and place in a bowl.
Take a quart size freezer safe ziploc bag and cut out the sides.
For wimpy, no rolling method, put the bag into a tortilla press. Place a ball of dough in the press between layers of plastic. Press.
For rolling method, simply roll out dough inside your ziploc bag, with rolling pin on the top outside of the bag.
Either way, peel your tortilla from plastic and place on a plate. These tortillas handle well, so no worries.
Heat cast iron skillet to medium and toast your flatbread until its texture changes, and if you like, until it gets light brown spots. Turn it and toast the other side. Sometimes they will puff up with internal air pockets, which I think signifies a lovely, tasty flatbread. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Try to refrain from immediately slathering your flatbread with soy-free, dairy-free margarine immediately off the skillet. Or not. It
Husband says, “These have an interesting texture.” … WOT! WOT’S WRONG? He says, “They’re really good.” … H’okay, then! I’m not into cooked sweet things much these days (RAW FOODIE ALERT!), but my husband tells me these are blog-worthy.
Orgran gluten-free plain flour mix results in a texture that is somewhere between most gluten-free things & wheat flour things… thus interesting! The peanut oil gives these biscuits a pleasant roasted taste, too… Obviously these biscuits are not part of a weight-loss programme, but they can be used as part of a tasty vegan snacking programme.
& I used agave to sweeten instead of processed sugar, hooray. You could also use maple syrup if you are from a certain part of the world where that stuff is abundant & cheap…!
Makes: HEAPS.
Gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free.
Dry ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free plain flour mix (eg. Orgran)
½ cup muesli (I used our homemade mix of buckwheat, nuts, puffed grains, seeds, etc)
½ cup chunky almond meal (or very finely chopped almonds) (leftovers from making raw treats!)
1 cup dark choc chips or other semisweet vegan choc chips… or cacao nibs!
¼ cup shredded coconut
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
Wet ingredients:
½ cup peanut oil
½ cup (dark) agave nectar
¼ cup water
3 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof/parchment paper.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring together with a wire whisk.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, add all wet ingredients, and stir together.
Take roughly 1 tablespoon blobs of mix, roll into a ball & flatten into cookie shape on the paper. Smooth edges on the cookies to prevent crumbling (but only if crumbs bother you! I think crumbs are a great part of the cookie experience, ha).
Bake on the centre shelf of your oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge (or they freeze ok, too).
Notes:
If peanut oil is too scary-fat for you – but it smells so good baking, oh boy, & makes a nice, brown coloured cookie rarer to gluten-free baking – use coconut oil instead (which would go well with the shredded coconut!), or an unscented oil like sunflower.
It makes me mad when I hear relatively recently diagnosed Celiacs talk about how they haven’t had pizza or bread since diagnosis… or that when they have had it, they didn’t enjoy it. It is not that I am mad at them- far from it! No, I’m mad at a society that equates bread products with gluten, and mad at companies that create allergen-free bread completely lacking in taste or appeal that scar these poor souls so dreadfully that they vow off bread entirely.
Oh, I know there is a school of thought that says breads are over-rated, and what we all need to do is go back to the basics. Protein, Vegetable, Fruit, crunchy grain that looks like bird seed (preferably boiled). I suppose that might be healthy and good for the body, sometimes. And this diet certainly simplifies life when you are first overwhelmed by a bewildering new diagnosis. But all the time? Forever and ever? No! Just say no, I say. Because toothsome, luscious, crunchy bread and supple, seductive pizza is something I would never want to live without… and all of us gluten-sensitive people don’t have to. And… furthermore, let me tell you a secret. Even if you can’t have dairy, or eggs, or soy- you can still have amazing bread that kicks all those lead weight gluten-free breads to the curb.
I’ve finally gotten to the point with my darling baby Yum where I can have enough ingredients to make some really tasty baked goods. Karina the gluten-free goddess showed me the ropes there, to the joy that is rice-free, dairy-free, egg-free baking. But glorious and abundant as her site is- there are still things I want to eat that haven’t been created yet. And so, this week I turned my sights to french bread. Ah, french bread. I’ve long had an affair with Bette Hagman’s classic white rice-tapioca rapid rise french bread. But, its reliance on eggs, flirtation with dairy, and rice-heavy base just doesn’t work for me these days. My spiced olive oil with fresh basil leaves balsamic vinegar drizzled recipe was getting dusty… and so, I wiped off my beloved Kitchenaid and started experimenting. This loaf was the incredibly satisfying result.
We took this loaf on a car-picnic to the drive-in movie with Baby Yum. Basil dipping oil? Check. Caraway and fresh Beet vinaigrette salad? Check. And the bread? With its crunchy exterior and soft center, it was wonderfully rippable, and made up for my long lost rice french bread big time.
Special equipment *french bread pan- worth every penny! spectrum shortening (or other palm oil shortening, or coconut oil) Millet grits (or cornmeal if corn is not an issue for you)
1 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1/2 cup millet flour 1 cup tapioca flour (or, for a more delicate bread, arrowroot starch) 1 tbsp. xanthan gum 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. egg replacer 2 tbsp. sugar 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water 2 tbsp. rapid-rise yeast 2 tbsp. olive oil 3 Ener-g foods Egg replacer “eggs” (4 1/2 tsp. egg replacer whisked with 6 tbsp. warm water) 1 tsp. vinegar (i use cider)
melted Soy-free dairy-free earth balance margarine crushed rosemary kosher salt (flaked is perfect)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Grease french bread pan with shortening or coconut oil and sprinkle with millet grits or other gritty gluten-free substance like cornmeal. Do NOT line french bread with aluminum foil or anything like that- the holes are there for a reason and the dough is thick enough that it will not leak out the bottom.
Combine dry ingredients (through 1st egg replacer) in a medium mixing bowl of a standing mixer and fold together. Put sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl and add yeast. As it starts to puff up, add the yeast water to the medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil, egg replacer “Eggs” and vinegar and mix on medium for 3 minutes.
Carefully scoop out your dough and make bread shaped ovals in your french bread pan. Baste with melted margarine and make a few slightly slanted decorative slices in the top. Sprinkle with crushed rosemary and flaked kosher salt.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bread sounds slightly hollow when you tap it and is a nice brown color.
Rating:9
Original Source:Inspired by Bette Hagman’s french bread, but now my own very different recipe. Please do not replicate without permission. Thanks!
