Saturday, April 16, 2011

Banana Bread (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)

After attempting a yeast bread and being so disappointed in the result (much more like a quick bread) I decided to bake a quick bread this weekend. I went for banana because I had two bananas that were just over-ripe waiting to be consumed. Almond flour is extremely expensive so I've been purchasing whole almonds by the pound and grinding them myself in my magic bullet knock off. I didn't have walnuts, my preference in banana bread, but I did have an abundance of the almonds.

Ingredients
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (you can purchase flax meal but the seeds are cheaper per pound)
1/3 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (Hains)
1 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (extra full - not a full teaspoon, maybe closer to 3/4 teaspoon)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 medium ripe bananas
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

Method
My butter was cold from the fridge so I cut it into chunks and threw it in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and the sugar. I whipped it for a few minutes until the butter was well incorporated with the sugar. Then I added the egg, mixed well. Add the bananas (I just broke off chunks and dropped it in while the paddle was turning). Put the baking powder, guar gum
and baking soda in and mix well. Then I dumped the first two flours in. Mixed well. Put about a third of the sour cream in and mixed well. Then the potato starch and flax seeds, mixing well. Another third of the sour cream. Mix. Then the almond flour and remaining sour cream. I mixed it for just a moment the dropped in the nuts.

I buttered a loaf pan and dusted some of the almond flour on the bottom and a little up the sides of the pan.

350 degrees. 45-50 mins until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it sit in the pan about an hour if you can wait. It should turn right out of the pan.


Serve
We like butter

We couldn't tell that this was made with alternative flours. YEA! =)


*Sorry for the blurry pics, I was too busy eating to re-take!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Breakfast Food (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)

Something David and I have enjoyed from the beginning of our marriage (6 years ago!) is having leisurely breakfasts together on the weekends. I would usually cook something and he'd make coffee or help with prep work and we'd linger over a great meal. When David was diagnosed with his allergies we had a hiccup in that routine but nothing major as it's easy to purchase corn free flours, if one is willing to pay the price. It's been almost 2 months since my diagnoses of a wheat and beef allergy and I have to say I've been tired of bacon and eggs for a while now...

At some point I made Walrus Bread from the back of a Bob's Red Mill garbanzo bean flour. I followed the recipe exactly with 3 substitutions. I used GUAR GUM rather than Xanthan Gum which can be (and usually is) derived from corn. For the Vinegar I used RICE VINEGAR and for the vegetable oil I used Canola. I wanted this to be alllll of our allergens free. I made the recipe to get a better feel for the flours. Unfortunately this bread is very much like a quick bread. Kind of crumbly and moist. It was okay. The Garbanzo Bean Flour made the bread taste "beany". It wasn't strong but it was NOT wheat bread. Also it didn't rise much as the flours are so different and (obviously) don't contain gluten. Since the bread wasn't flexible enough to make a traditional french toast I did it in the oven. I even threw the crumbs and bits in because they "bake" together.


Here are some recipes I've done in the last few weeks to break the monotony *and fat* of bacon & eggs.


BAKED FRENCH TOAST for 2
Ingredients
6 slices of Walrus Bread
2 TBSP butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1-4 TBSP brown sugar (this bread is NOT sweet by itself)
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 tsp cinnamon

Method
-Preheat oven to 350
-Grease 9*11 pan well
-Mix all ingredients well (except for the bread)
-Pour a few TBSP of the mixture on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover the bottom with a little extra
-Place the bread into the pan on the liquid
-Pour the rest of the liquid mix over the bread, slowly so it's absorbed
-Bake about 40 to 50 minutes or until a little brown and "dry" to the touch

To Serve
Cut into squares and place on plate. Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup. Yummy.





PANCAKES for 2
Ingredients
(dry)
1/4 cup gluten free oats, ground fine
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
2 TBSP flax seeds, ground fine
1 TBSP white sugar
3 tsp baking powder (Hain is GF & corn free)
1/4 tsp sea salt ground fine
(wet)
1 egg
1.25 cups milk (reserve .25 cup)
3 TBSP canola oil

Method
-Mix dry ingredients well
-In a separate container mix wet ingredients well, using just 1 cup of the milk reserving a .25 cup of the milk
-Combine the wet and dry ingredients
-This pancake mix will be thicker than one made with wheat flour but if it's too thick to pour slowly add the .25 cup of reserved milk until the batter is "pourable"
-Heat a skillet or griddle on medium heat until very warm, water should sizzle on it
-Pour the batter onto the dry pan
-NOTE: Extra oil or butter should NOT be needed and the pancakes won't cook as well if one uses butter in the skillet (I use all stainless steel traditional pans that do NOT have non-stick surfaces and my pancakes browned more evenly and looked/textured more like wheat when I used a dry skillet)

Serve
Serve pancakes with whatever you like! These pancakes are a little less sweet than traditional as buck wheat is slightly bitter.





WAFFLES for 2
Ingredients
(dry)
1/4 cup gluten free oats, ground fine
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
2 TBSP flax seeds, ground fine
2 tsp baking powder (Hain is GF & corn free)
1/8 tsp sea salt ground fine
(wet)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil, plus extra for the waffle iron

Method
-Mix dry ingredients well
-In a separate container mix wet ingredients well, using just 1 cup of the milk reserving a .25 cup of the milk
-Combine the wet and dry ingredients
-Heat the waffle iron until it's very warm
-"Paint" the extra oil onto the waffle iron with a basting brush or spray non sick spray on the iron (if you can find a GF, corn free one)
-Pour the batter onto the hot, greased iron and spread it out a little with a spoon
-NOTE: This batter won't "spread" out onto the iron like traditional gluten waffles. Also for some reason they love to cling to the iron. I found that oiling the iron and then letting the waffles cook until crispy brown makes them easier to remove.


Happy eating!