Some of the GF Pancakes & Waffles (Back: GF “Buttermilk” Pancakes, Front Left: Bisquick’s GF Pancake, Front Center: Mock Whipped Cream, Front Right: GF Blueberry Waffles)
Our April GF Group meeting was such a great success last night! Thank you to everyone who came and for all the great ideas for gluten free and grain free pancakes and waffles. With Easter right around the corner, this was a great way to try out new recipes for those breakfast items we all love. As a demonstration, I whipped up a batch of Bisquick’s Gluten Free Pancakes using the recipe on the back of their new 16 oz. box mix. These were served along with all the other options that were brought to the table. In the photo above, you would not be able to tell which one is the Bisquick GF pancake! Our GF Group proved hands down that you do not have to “go without” this spring when following a restricted diet, gluten free or grain free. By the way, I forgot to ask: “What is your opinion on the new Bisquick Gluten Free pancakes?” Do you use the box mix for recipes that usually call for regular Bisquick?”
The highlights of the evening were as follows:
- GF “Peanut” Butter & Jelly Pancakes by Kristin (made with Sunbutter for the nut allergic and served with strawberry jelly)
- GF Blueberry Waffles made with Namaste’s GF Pancake & Waffle mix by Kelly Marie (with a sugar free maple syrup too!)
- Grain Free (SCD) Pancakes by Nicole (served with Omega-3 Honey butter and homemade Strawberry Sauce)
- AllRecipes.com Pancakes by Abby & Missy (using a Gluten Free all purpose flour)
- GF Blueberry Pancakes by Laura (served with mango butter and maple syrup)
- GF, DF “Buttermilk” Pancakes by Nicole (using a brown rice flour/millet/tapioca starch blend and dairy free “buttermilk”)
You all did such a great job and the toppings served along side your dishes made it all so very exciting and special. There is more to pancakes and waffles than just butter and syrup! As you can see by the list, we had quite a nice assortment of toppings to choose from for these breakfast staples. We could have put out a bowl of Enjoy Life’s Chocolate Chips; but, seriously, we did not need them! The star of the evening was the Mock Whipped Cream! Yes, totally dairy free, gluten free, egg free and nut free (if you consider coconut to be the fruit that it really is). This was decadent atop our pancakes and waffles! I had some of Kelly Marie’s GF Blueberry waffles as a snack today with this whipped cream as the “dip”… cannot get enough of it!. So easy too. You can find the recipe for Vegan Whipped Cream by Chef Brian McCarthy by clicking the link. He has a demonstration you can watch as well. Note: I added 1 tsp of gluten free vanilla to the cream while whipping to give it a less coconut and more sweet vanilla flavor.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Whipped Cream
For those of you who missed it, here is my gluten free pancake recipe:
GF “Buttermilk” Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca starch flour
- 2/3 cup millet flour (you could also use sorghum or quinoa flour in place of the millet if you prefer)
- ¼ cup ground flax seeds
- ½ – 1 tsp cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 Tbls baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tsp egg replacer powder
- 2 ½ cups milk of choice mixed with 1 Tbls lemon juice (or you can use 1 cup buttermilk + 1 ½ cups regular milk if you can tolerate dairy) – for this recipe I almost always use gluten free rice milk
- 1 Tbls coconut oil or palm oil, melted (or even vegetable oil)
Method:
- Measure out alternative milk and mix in lemon juice. Set on the counter for approximately 10 minutes while getting the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a fork or whisk.
- Mix the melted oil into the dry ingredients and then add 3/4th of the milk, reserving the last ½ cup. Mix with a whisk until smooth. If the batter is too thick, thin with the rest of the milk. You might need more or less milk depending on the humidity the day you make these.
- Set the batter aside to rest on the counter and heat your skillet.
- When hot, spray your skillet with non-stick spray and ladle your pancake batter (about a ¼ cup per pancake) onto the hot skillet.
- Turn with a spatula when the edges are dry and bubbles form on the top.
- Remove to a serving tray and serve hot with butter and syrup or powdered sugar.
Note: You can make the dry portion of the mix ahead of time and store in a zip-top bag. Then, when it is time to make them all you need to do is add your liquid ingredients and you are ready to make pancakes!
I will also post my Grain Free (SCD) Pancakes in a few days so that those of you who are avoiding even gluten free grains can enjoy the simple pleasures of pancakes again!
Gluten Free, Grain Free Seed Pulp Brownies
Friday’s come so quickly around here. I guess that is a good thing! I always need more reasons to make dessert… frugal, gluten free, and grain free.
I have been waiting to share this recipe with you but wanted to do so under our “Frugal Things…” as the base for these brownies comes from the leftover fibers of making seed milk. Yes, you can do something with that fibrous pulp other than compost it or, worse, throw it away! I am always looking for a way to make good use of the leftover pulp from juicing various fruits, vegetables or seeds.
When you follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you use all seed or nut butter as the base for brownies. It is amazing how wonderful these brownies are. Well, one day when I had a desire for brownies and very little sunflower seed butter, I got to thinking… Having just made sunflower seed milk (click the link for a great article on how to do this), I thought of trying to use the leftover pulp along with the little amount of seed butter I did have. The result was a very moist, cake-like brownie that has a hint of caramel and it is completely grain free! Maybe it is the honey or the cinnamon I use when making seed milk that gives it that caramel twist. Now, whenever I make seed milk, I save the leftover fibrous pulp in a jar in my freezer just so that I can make these grain free SCD brownies.
Seed Pulp Brownies (SCD)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup nut butter (sunflower seed, almond, or peanut), unsweetened
- ½ – ¾ cup nut/seed pulp from making nut/seed milk – make sure the pulp is as dry as you can get it
- 1 egg
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla, unsweetened
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan (either 8×8 or 9×9 or even a small rectangular glass baking dish) with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
- Pour into parchment lined baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Once cool, cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.
You can do this with just about any leftovers from your juicer. You might not use juiced vegetables with these brownies, but in other recipes they would be great. I promise to provide another recipe with vegetable leftovers from the juicer! So, juice away and enjoy the supercharged vitamins and minerals… then, come back for the fiber and your gut will be very grateful for it. It is a great way to make use of every ounce of the foods we consume.
An easy and fast way to use leftover croissant dough... apple pie!
Okay, I really was not planning a “part 2”, but… I ended up with a little bit of leftover GF croissant dough in the fridge and did not use it for more croissants. So, I got to thinking that the dough might actually be a great stand in for pie crust. I have always wanted to try it, so I gave it a shot. There was only enough of the gluten free dough left for two “hand” sized pies. You know, the ones like those Hostess Fruit pies in the individual serving packages. Oh yes, my favorite as a kid was the cherry fruit pie. Well, the only fruit “filling” I had on hand this time around was some homemade apple sauce. The croissant dough really worked well and was not too hard to work with. If I would have chosen a pie plate version, it might have been a little more challenging. I would have had to make sure the dough was really, really cold. However, these individual hand pies turned out really nice. Here is what I did that made them so easy:
Gluten Free Croissant Hand Pies
Ingredients:
- Leftover GF Croissant Dough, well chilled
- Apple Sauce, mine was quite chunky as it is homemade
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Tbls Sugar
- 1 Tbls Butter, cold
- Small dish of water or rice milk
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Quickly roll out the remaining dough on a well floured board (rice flour that is!). Make them any size you wish, just keep it manageable so that you can easily move it from the board to the baking sheet without much trouble.
- Add apple sauce to one side of your rolled out dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and dot with a little of the butter all over the apple sauce. Using your finger or a pastry brush, brush some water or rice milk along the clean edge of your pie dough. Fold the other half of the dough over your apple sauce and crimp the edges together. You can use a fork to do this or your hands.
- Transfer the pies to your prepared baking sheet and poke a few holes in the tops with either a fork or a sharp knife. Brush the tops with more water or rice milk. You could even sprinkle on more cinnamon sugar if you prefer. Let rise for 10-15 minutes on your countertop. Then, bake in the center of the preheated oven for approximately 20-30 minutes. Your baking time will depend on how big you make them. Adjust your time accordingly.
- When done, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
These also froze well. We ate one right away and put the other one in the freezer once it was cool. To reheat, we put the frozen hand pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked it for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven, watching to make sure it did not burn around the edges. Then next time you make gluten free croissants, save a little of the dough to make these GF hand pies with your favorite fruit filling as well!
Gluten Free Croissant Cheddar & Turkey Pockets
I could not wait to share these with you all! It has been a while since I made gluten free croissants and so I forgot how wonderful they really are. From the amazing aroma when they are baking… to the flakey, delicate soft pastry goodness once they have cooled enough to enjoy… these treats are really worth the effort! Each time I make them, I tend to set aside enough time to bake a lot with different fillings. Once baked and cooled, the croissants freeze really well. So that helps us enjoy gluten free pastries for a while. The dough is easy enough to make, and it needs time to rest in your refrigerator so that it is really cold. Therefore, it is possible to break up the process into separate steps over two days.
GF Flakey Cinnamon Sugar Croissants
Our oldest child loves to help with these as well and has lots of very creative “filling ideas” each time as we work. We usually end up with some traditional cinnamon/sugar crescents, savory cheddar/turkey “pockets”, dessert fancy mini chocolate chip filled croissants, and (my favorite) cherry preserve and goat cheese croissants. Some other winning ideas that we have tried are: strawberry preserves, butter and herbs for a savory roll, bacon and minced green onion, and fresh/frozen wild blueberries!
Some notes on how to get the Gluten Free Croissants just right:
- Make sure you chill the dough until it is very cold! Keep it cold while working with it as well. If it gets too warm, put it back in the refrigerator and let it chill for 15 minutes again. This is important to your success!
- Use cold butter in the dough where it says to. Again, cold is very important so that you achieve the flaky texture you desire.
- When rolling out the dough, work with a small amount and make sure to liberally flour your work surface with some gluten free all purpose flour blend. This will keep them from sticking. If the dough sticks too much while trying to roll, try rolling it between two pieces of saran wrap if you are sure your dough is cold enough.
- Work quickly when assembling the filling and rolling out the dough. Have everything you want already prepared and ready.
- Make sure to let the croissants rise! They should begin to puff a bit before you put them in the oven. It helps to have your oven preheating during this time to keep your kitchen warm. If your kitchen is too cold, it will take them a lot longer to rise.
- You can make these egg and dairy free. They will not be as flakey without the eggs, but it does work with the Egg Replacer powder. In addition, if you need them to be completely dairy free, I suggest using either all coconut oil or Palm Oil Shortening in place of the butter.
GF Croissant Hot Pockets
Gluten Free Croissants
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 3 cups My GF Blend (* I have included this at the bottom of the recipe as well, or click the link)
- 4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 4 tsp yeast
- 1 cup warm milk of choice or water
- 2 eggs (you can use egg replacer)
- 4 Tbls melted butter + 4 Tbls soft or liquid coconut oil (or all of either)
- 8 Tbls butter, cold
- 4 Tbls Toffuti cream cheese (or regular cream cheese), cold
- Filling ingredients, prepare ahead and set aside
- Extra milk of choice for brushing on top
Method:
Croissant Dough Preparation
- Combine first five ingredients into medium size bowl and mix well with a fork or whisk. Set aside.
- In a large mixer bowl, stir 1 tsp sugar, yeast and warm milk/water. Proof yeast until bubbly.
- Once yeast is bubbly, add melted butter/coconut oil and stir with paddle attachment. Add eggs and stir again until well combined.
- Then add the Toffuti cream cheese and stir on medium speed until combined. It might look a little curdled.
- In the bowl with the dry ingredients, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until butter pieces are the size of large peas. You can do this with your hand or a fork.
- Add dry mixture to liquid mixture in the mixer and beat until moistened throughout. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Rolling and Shaping
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once completely chilled, remove dough from refrigerator and separate into 4 equal parts. Return three parts, well wrapped in saran wrap, to the refrigerator.
- Lightly flour work surface and roll out one segment of dough into a large circle about ⅛” thick.
- Working quickly, cut into triangle shaped pieces, dot with extra butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Roll the long side of the triangle toward the point. Shape into a crescent by curling the edges. Set on baking sheet and repeat until all the dough has been shaped. Work fast to keep the dough cold. If it gets too warm, return to the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before trying again.
- Cover with plastic wrap and a light towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees while croissants are rising. Brush each croissant with milk of choice. Place croissants in oven and immediately lower temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden for crescent shaped croissants. Larger pocket style croissants take longer to bake, about 25-30 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack completely before storing in an airtight container or freezing.
Here is My GF Flour Blend in case you need that: 2 cups Brown Rice Flour, 1/3 cup Millet Flour, 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup Tapioca Starch, 3/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour
I just cannot help but to give you another picture to entice you to make these! Gluten Free Croissants… they are SO worth it! What would be your favorite filling?!
GF Goodness… Cinnamon Sugar Croissants!
Something Simple... Roasted Zucchini
Today was one of those days… By the time dinner was a thought in my head I had run out of time. Not always a good situation when you are cooking everything from scratch based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. So, I went for a simple vegetable that would be ready alongside whatever else I could think of in a half hour… Roasted Zucchini. When you roast vegetables, their savory sweetness comes out. Zucchini (or any summer squash) is no exception. You might think that you cannot roast such a vegetable as it is not as dense as other squashes. Most vegetables require a higher heat and longer roasting times. Just stick to the method I describe below and you will have a simple, delicious side dish every time.
Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients:
- 1 large Zucchini (or any summer squash)
- 4-5 Mushrooms (optional)
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Dried Parsley
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Thinly slice the zucchini into rounds, about 1/8 inch thick, and place in a medium size bowl. Use a mandolin or food processor slicing blade if you have it to make the job go much quicker. Do the same with the mushrooms, if you are using them, and add them to the bowl with the zucchini. I usually just cut the mushrooms by hand as they don’t slice very easily using the other tools.
- Pour about one tablespoon olive oil over the zucchini and toss to coat. If you feel that they are not evenly coated, add a little more olive oil until all pieces are lightly coated.
- Spread onto the parchment lined baking sheet in one even layer. The zucchini/mushrooms can touch eachother and slightly overlap; however, you want to make sure you have one layer or they will not roast properly. I tend to lay them down in rows one by one, just slightly overlapping. One large zucchini should fill the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and dried parsley. Roast on the middle rack of the 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. The zucchini is done when they begin to turn golden brown and appear a little dried out. Sometimes you will have some that are more “done” than others. That is okay. Remove from the oven and let them rest for just a few minutes before serving.
I find that cooking according to SCD requires me to make the most of the time I have on hand to be in the kitchen. This method really is quick, allowing you time to focus on a main ingredient for dinner rather than fussing over steaming the zucchini just right! Enjoy the sweet rewards of roasting!!
Make Your Own Gluten Free Snack Mix
It’s Friday and time for me to share another Frugal thing I know… Do you love snack mixes? Either the nut based kind, a dried fruit and nut bar, or maybe the salty blend you find from Chex mix. Well, being gluten free, grain free or allergy free on a budget doesn’t mean that you have to go without these satisfying pick-me-ups. We are fortunate to live near a Trader Joe’s. If you are not familiar with the grocery chain, just click their name and check out their web-site to see what the hype is all about. Anyway, my husband and kids love a good snack mix. Since we cannot have nuts in the house, I am always challenged to have a mix my husband really likes and one that will satisfy his hunger cravings AND that will not cost an arm and a leg. I used to buy him Trader Joe’s “Just a Handful” Go Raw Trek Mix or Raw Almonds. There are 10 individually wrapped 1.5 oz. bags of literally just a handful of nuts and/or nuts, seeds and dried fruit. This was great as he could take it to work and open it there and it never was an issue for him to have his nut based snack in the house. (Yes, he is very diligent about hand washing, face washing, and doling out kisses when he has eaten nuts!)
I got to thinking one day while contemplating which mix to buy that I might be able to make this mix and portion it out myself for less than the $4.99 pack of 10. Plus, it is literally just a handful! Something that I am sure just barely quenches his mid-morning or afternoon snacking needs. So, here is what I came up with:
Nut Free Snack Mix (for those who can still have seeds) – Gluten Free and Grain Free too!
- 8 oz dried Apricots ($1.75 for 8 oz / $3.49 for 16 oz bag)
- 8 oz Raisins ($1.15 for 8 oz / $2.29 for 16 oz bag)
- 8 oz Raw Sunflower Seeds, hulled ($0.75 for 8 oz / $1.49 for 16 oz bag)
- 16 oz Raw Pepitas (hulled Pumpkin Seeds) ($5.49 for 16 oz bag)
- 26 snack size zip-top bags ($0.03 per bag for a box of 50 @ $1.49)
At 1.5 ounces each, I got 26 individual portions. Each portion is just $0.39! That’s $0.11 cheaper per snack than buying the pre-packaged one from Trader Joe’s and I get 16 more portions!! If I make each portion 2.25 ounces, I get 17 snack portions for $0.50 each. That’s still 7 more portions than the pre-packaged mix at the grocery. Just think of the other things we impulse buy for a snack fix:
- Larabars – most are gluten free but each 1.7 oz bar costs between $1.29 – $1.59
- Kind Fruit & Nut Bar – 100% gluten and wheat free and costs around $1.99 for each 1.4 oz bar
- Good ‘ole box of Raisins – 1.5 oz boxes average $0.47 each ($2.79 for 6 count package) and it’s just raisins!
For those of you who can eat nuts, you could replace say the Pepitas with a 16 oz. bag of Raw Almonds OR Raw Cashews for a nice variety. If apricots are not your thing, think of prunes, dried banana, dates or dried apple pieces as long as you can get them at a fair price. Sometimes, you might need to make a special trip to a bulk food shop to get a good price on these items. If you keep it to once a month, make up your mix and portion it out, you will have a month’s supply at the ready whenever you need or crave it, saving time and dollars!
For the person who cannot have nuts or seeds, then it is time to mix up your own Gluten Free Chex Mix instead of buying the store bought 15 oz pre-mixed bag for $3.79, or $0.25 per ounce (which also is NOT Gluten Free). You can find lots of recipes for making your own Gluten Free Chex Mix online like the one I created below. Just make sure to portion the finished and cooled mix into individual zip-top bags or small containers for quick “grab and go” when you need it!
Gluten Free Chex Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbls olive oil
- 4 Cups Freshly Popped Popcorn
- 4 Cups Gluten Free Rice Chex
- 1 cup Gluten Free Pretzel Rings (Glutino or Ener-G brand)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch of baking soda
- 1 cup dried raisins, cranberries, or apple pieces
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Oil a large bowl with 1 Tbls olive oil using your hands or a paper towel. Mix the popcorn, rice chex, and pretzel rings in the large bowl.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the syrup, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil. Let the syrup boil for about 4 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. Stir until creamy. Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir well.
- Spread the popcorn mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake until it is dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle dried fruit over the hot trail mix. Let it cool completely.
- Transfer to an airtight container or portion into individual zip-top bags and store in a cool place.
By my calculations, this Gluten Free snack mix is just $0.10 per ounce! That’s a savings of $0.15 per ounce!! (Here is my math based on ounces: 32 oz. Popcorn = $1.00, 32 oz. Rice Chex = $1.50, 8 oz. GF Pretzel Rings (Ener-G Brand) = $1.90, 8 oz. Raisins = $0.75, 3 oz Maple Syrup = $2.50, Misc. spices, salt approx. = $0.20) The mix yields about 80 ounces total. You could even afford to throw in some allergy free, dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life for added fun! As always, please read labels to ensure you are purchasing products that are safe for you and your household. Do you have a favorite snack mix you make from scratch?
Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
What is not to love about warm biscuits right out of the oven? Just the smell of them makes my mouth water! So, every once in a while, I bake these to make a meal extra special. Whether you are making biscuits and gravy or you need a warm side to go with soup, these biscuits are sure to please. To make things really easy, I like to mix up the dry ingredients and store it in zip lock bags with the liquid ingredients written on the outside of the bag. I usually make up three or four at a time to have on hand. That way, when I want to have Buttermilk Biscuits, all I have to do is pull out the mix, pour the dry ingredients into a bowl and add the butter and milk. Baking them becomes a cinch and even my husband can do it!
Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbls Tapioca Starch Flour (or you can use Arrowroot Starch or Corn Starch)
- 2 Tbls coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 Tbls unsalted Butter (you can use Palm Oil Shortening or Coconut Oil for dairy free)
- 1 Cup Buttermilk, sour milk or sour milk substitute
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and stir together with a fork.
- Using the same fork or your hands, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add the buttermilk and stir until combined.
- Place the dough on a piece of waxed paper and pat into a flat circle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, press down to cut out biscuits. Do not twist as you press down. You should get about 8 biscuits, depending on the size of your cutter.
- Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
Note: To make a sour milk substitute, add 1 Tbls lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of non-dairy milk (such as rice milk) and allow it to sit on the counter while you are assembling the other ingredients, approximately 10 minutes.
If you prefer a whole grain type biscuit, replace the first 4 ingredients with the following: 3/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup sweet rice flour, 1/3 cup + 1 Tbls Tapioca Starch Flour, 1/4 cup coconut flour and add 2 Tbls Buckwheat flour. Then, proceed with the rest of the recipe. Contrary to it’s name, Buckwheat flour is not a form of wheat, and it does not contain gluten proteins. It is actually a seed and is naturally gluten free!
SCD & Gluten Free Quiche
Some nights are just hard to get dinner on the table! Tonight was one of those nights. Since most of our family can eat eggs, I decided to give a crustless quiche a try. My mom used to make really great quiche. So, I thought through the recipe that she always used and came up with a really great grain-free, Specific Carbohydrate Diet approved, and naturally gluten free version! Give it a try the next time you are pressed for something fast but satisfying. We paired it with some steamed broccoli and used whatever vegetables I had on hand for the filling (that happened to be onions and mushrooms).
Crustless Quiche (SCD & Gluten Free)
Ingredients:
- 6 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, finely ground (you can use the left over pulp from making coconut milk)
- 2 Tbls coconut flour
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (use homemade if you are SCD)
- 2 Tbls melted coconut oil (or butter)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Braggs Seasoning (or other seasonings you prefer such as dill, oregano, parsley, etc.)
- sauteed vegetables, such as: diced onion, mushrooms, wilted spinach, broccoli, red peppers, green peppers
- 1 – 1 1/2 cup shredded hard cheese (such as cheddar, parmesan, colby jack) or dry curd cottage cheese (add a little more salt if using the dry curd cottage cheese)
- 1 green onion minced
Method:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a pie plate with coconut oil and line it with a circle of parchment cut to fit just the bottom of the plate.
- In a skillet, saute diced vegetables in a little coconut oil or butter until slightly cooked or wilted, drain off any excess water that comes out while cooking.
- In a blender, add the first 8 ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour immediately into the prepared pie plate.
- Add the sauteed vegetables and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the mixture. Then sprinkle the green onions on top last.
- Bake in the center of the preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. The quiche should puff up and be golden brown on the top when finished baking. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. It will deflate while cooling.
Enjoy for a great, satisfying breakfast, lunch, or dinner that is grain free (SCD) and gluten free! Some very crispy beef bacon sprinkled in with the cheese would be another fabulous addition!!
Tips for Dairy Free: Make sure to use coconut oil instead of butter and use any of the dairy free cheeses that you enjoy or can tolerate. I know that most of them are soy or rice based. Daiya is a dairy free cheese that is also gluten free, soy free, egg and nut free. If those are not an option, you could try the quiche without the cheese and just add more vegetables. You might find it needs another tablespoon of coconut flour; however, that is something I have not tried, so you would have to experiment.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins
I walked into our local Woodman’s Grocery store the other day and found a cart full of what I call “scratch and dent” bananas. You know, the kind that are very ripe, just waiting to be made into banana bread! And, at $0.79 for about 12-15 bananas, I am all for it as long as I have the time to get to baking right away. When I am able to get so many ripe bananas at one time, I usually make small loaves and muffins that are easy to freeze. As the first batch usually flies off the counter moments after they are out of the oven, I can let the next batches cool and store for the days when we need a quick gluten free, healthy goodie.
These do come together really fast if you are in the habit of keeping your Gluten Free Flour Blend mixed up and at the ready. I always keep mine on hand, pre-mixed for a baking day such as this! If you need storage tips for your flours, check out the Gluten Free Guide for what to do.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins (or Bread)
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Gluten Free Flour Blend (click here for my GF Flour blend)
- 3 tsp Egg Replacer powder
- 1 Tbls baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (you can also substitute Palm Oil Shortening or Coconut Oil in the same amount for dairy free)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
- 1/4 cup milk of choice (works very well with rice milk, coconut milk or fresh goat milk)
- 1 Tbls lemon juice
Method:
- Combine milk of choice and lemon juice in a small bowl and allow to sit on your counter while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 small loaf pans with parchment paper or muffin tins with paper cups. I recommend using the parchment as it is just easier to get the loaf or muffins out of the pan without a hassle.
- Mix the first seven dry ingredients in a separate, medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter for about two minutes until it is well incorporated and lighter in color.
- Stir in mashed bananas. Then alternate adding dry ingredients with the reserved milk/lemon juice, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir just until the batter comes together and the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over beat.
- Fill loaf pans or muffin tins about 2/3 full. If you want a really full muffin or loaf, you can fill them all the way to the top as without the eggs they do not rise a whole lot. (Just make sure you adjust your baking to to be a little longer so that they are completely done.)
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven 40-45 minutes for loaves or 25-30 minutes for muffins. They will be golden brown and very fragrant when finished. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove from the pan and continue cooling on a rack.
These are great served warm with some homemade honey butter (1 part honey, 1 part butter, 1 part coconut oil – mix until well blended and chill), or you can cool them completely and store in the refrigerator or freezer. They do store on the counter in a bread box, properly vented, for up to two days. Best if stored in the refrigerator or freezer though, and they refresh easily in a warm oven or even the toaster oven! Enjoy!!
Note: You can use two large eggs in place of the Egg Replacer powder if you can tolerate them. After creaming the butter and sugar in step 4, add the eggs and cream again until well incorporated and fluffy. You might find you also don’t need as much milk either.
In my last article, I mentioned the great March meeting that the WildFlours GF Group had at Prasino. The speaker that we had for the evening was just as great. With Food Allergy testing aiming to tell us exactly what food is causing a problem in the way of hives, difficulty breathing, or anaphylaxis, what is one to do if all the testing comes back with negative information? Most allergists that we have been to agree that the gold standard is then to take an oral challenge. This can be long and tedious. In our family, having two kids with defined food allergies and all of us with obvious food sensitivities, it can get a little difficult to figure out just where the “needle in the haystack” really is! I am always trying to learn more about the differences between Food Allergy or Food Sensitivity/Intolerance. Rob Slotten from ALCAT Worldwide helped to bring me (and hopefully the members of our group) a step closer to understanding.
During Mr. Slotten’s time with us, he helped us gain some understanding with facts:
- Our gut controls 70% of our immune system.
- Our immune system is designed to fight inflammation.
- The T-cells in our blood are designed to learn and then remember. They learn what is a threat and remember what they should be working at removing. Their main goal is to react and protect against infection when confronted with harmful invaders such as viruses or bacteria. Sometimes, their attention is turned to other things that they are not meant to fight, such as foods.
- Leaky Gut syndrome has become much more easily identified and diagnosed; a lot due in part to more education and research. What happens with Leaky Gut syndrome is the intestinal wall becomes porus, letting food molecules through to the blood stream where it should not be. The immune system sees these food molecules as a foreign substance that is a threat. The response of the immune system causes a reaction in us.
- When we eat food that we are sensitive (or intolerant) to, inflammation and chronic activation of the immune system becomes a problem. We all are too aware today of the toll that digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, aching joints, skin disorders, etc. take on ourselves or individuals around us.
Cell Science Systems, Corp. created the ALCAT test “to measure personalized nutrition at the cellular level”, according to the brochure that Mr. Slotten handed out. Where Food Allergy testing aims to measure IgG or IgE antibodies carried in the blood, the ALCAT test looks at the body’s cellular response to challenges from foods, additives, colorings, molds and environmental chemicals. This test looks for inflammation… not antibodies. Therefore, there is no need to make modifications to your diet before taking the test. With antibody testing, one must be sure a certain food is present in order for any antibodies to be present. Not so when we are looking for an inflammatory response from the immune system. The test itself subjects your blood sample to a wide array of potential challenges and then watches to see if there is a response in the form of inflammation. If so, then it records which challenge caused the response, at what severity, and your final results give you an idea as to what to avoid, for how long and when to reintroduce dietary items to see if the body has experienced healing. In addition, the nutrition behind it all suggests that we all would do better by rotating our safe foods and limiting exposure to chemicals and molds. The goal is to lower inflammation and help heal the Leaky Gut so that chronic activation of the immune system becomes a thing of the past.
I can say that I am getting this a little better now. In our family, we will always carry our Epi-Pen for the anaphylaxis response that our allergies to nuts (IgG or IgE type responses) have shown us. I will always have Crohn’s Disease, as it is an auto-immune disease just as Celiac Disease is, and there will always be the challenge of eating foods that benefit my digestive system as I live with this disease. However, there is hope that we could recover from the ever growing list of foods that we seem to be sensitive to as a result of a leaky gut. This test is something to consider. Thank you, Rob, for taking the time to help us understand Food Sensitivity and discover what ALCAT testing has to offer. If you are interested in Food Sensitivity testing, you can find more information at www.alcat.com.
