Gluten-Free Flour Power
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Utensils: Bowl, fry pan, spatula
Prep. Time: About 5-7 minutes
Cooking Time: About 5 minutes
Note: I used a gluten-free, dairy-free mix called Namaste, but you can create
your own flour mixture* (See recipe at end of all the recipes.) with flours of your choice to suit your dietary needs. These pancakes came out very light.
Ingredients
2/3 cup pancake mix
1/2 T.oil (I used macadamia)
One egg or egg substitute+
1/2 cup non-dairy liquid (I used almond milk)
dash of cinnamon or allspice (optional)
+A powdered egg substitute is available in health food
stores or you can combine one tablespoon ground
flaxseed with about 1/4 cup warm water and allow to
thicken a couple of minutes, using about 1/2 for this
recipe and refrigerating the rest for future use. (I
added it to my breakfast smoothie for extra fiber.)
Directions
1. Prepare egg substitute and set aside.
2. Combine pancake mix with egg (substitute), liquid
and spice if using it.
3. If using a non-stick pan, you need not add extra
oil, but with a regular fry pan, you can preheat it
and brush on a little oil.
4. Scoop up batter with a tablespoon and pour into
fry pan. Cook until little bubbles appear around the edges
of the pancakes; then flip over and cook a little longer.
5. Serve with pure maple syrup or unsweetened apple
butter, applesauce, or jam. Makes about 6-8 three inch pancakes.
Note: Depending on your choice of flours, you may need a little more
or less liquid to make a pourable consistency.
Variations: Add raisins, unsweetened coconut, ground
nuts, or sliced bananas to batter when first poured into pan.
Picture of veggies in grill pan before grilling.
Utensils: fry pan, large pot for pasta, serving dish, cutting board & knife
Prep. Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time:15 minutes
Ingredients
8 oz. gluten-free pasta (I used brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s, but you can also find soy pasta, quinoa pasta, etc.)
2 cups washed, sliced mushrooms
one half leek, sliced, white part only, about 1/8 inch thick
8-12 asparagus spears, trimmed, washed and cut into 1/3rds
garlic
olive oil
fresh basil, chopped (optional garnish)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Put water up to boil, add salt, and cook pasta according to directions. Do not overcook.
2. While water is coming to a boil, prepare and grill veggies on a stove top grill pan, or saute in a 8-10 inch fry pan fry pan, or bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender, but not overcooked. If veggies get done before pasta, set aside on a back burner without heat.
3. Before draining pasta, reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Rinse pasta with cold water if directions indicate, and place in serving bowl. Add veggies and toss with 1 - 2 Tbl. olive oil and up to 2 Tbl. pasta water if needed.
4. Add salt & pepper to taste. Optional: Add red pepper flakes, raw carrot slices, or finely sliced, fresh basil.
5. Serve hot or cold. If served cold, keep veggies and pasta in separate bowls in ‘frig and combine at time of serving. (Note: Do not add reserved, cold pasta water. Use that only if serving hot.)
Serves two as a main dish with salad and a protein source, four as a side dish.
Note: My daughter Basha, who went to culinary school, was my partner. She and I loved working together and it was she who suggested using her grill pan, which I had never used before. It worked great. She also suggested I use pasta shapes, like spirals, which cook better than spaghetti. Thanks, Basha.
Mochi is a traditional Japanese food made from steamed and pounded glutinous, short-grain, sweet brown rice with a chewy texture that is totally gluten-free and dairy-free. I call it Chinese popcorn because it puffs up like popcorn when baked. You can add cinnamon and honey for a sweet treat or add it to soups or casseroles for a cheesy texture as it melts. The recipe is taken from the the company who makes it: Grainaissance. Checkout their website: www.grainasissance.com
Ingredients: Mochi (Pronounced Mo-Chee with the accent on the first syllable.)
(This is unbaked mochi; I keep it in the freezer and use half at a time.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. With a sharp knife, cut Mochi into 1″- 2″ squares to bake properly.
3. Place pieces at least 1″ apart on a non-stick baking sheet, since they puff up and expand.
4. Bake 8- 10 minutes until the pieces “pop” and are slightly browned on top.
Enjoy it plain or with you favorite topping or filling, since as it puffs up, it creates a little pocket that can be stuffed or topped with jam, honey, or nut butters. Also can be topped or stuffed with avocado, tomatoes, beans, and used as hors d’oeuvres. The possibilities are endless and you will never miss the wheat!
Dessert Mochi, baked and sprinkled with allspice and drizzled with maple syrup. It isn’t very photogenic, but it is tasty!
*Below is one of the flour combinations from an article in Living Without magazine, reprinted with permission from the publisher. This excellent magazine was started 10 years ago by Peggy Wagener, who has celiac disease (gluten intolerance). Please go to Profiles to learn more about Peggy’s passion and the magazine.
Laura Schmitt’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Makes 2 1/2 cups
1 cup rice flour (not sweet rice)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
Mix ingredients together. For added protein, blend in
1/4 cup nut flour. Refrigerate until used.
Final Note: Just as I was working on this portion of the posting, I received a call from Great Harvest, a local bakery that makes gluten-free bread that they will ship to your home. However, their formula does contain butter and buttermilk, so it is not for anyone who is both gluten- and dairy- intolerant. The owner’s email address is: jblumenstock@greatharvest.com. I ordered one loaf of their cinnamon chip gluten-free bread for the Memorial Day week-end and will let you know how it tastes.
