pancakes again??

so i wanted to post this recipe before i forgot all the ingredients... i bought some Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour recently, but hadn't used it yet. it's really nice to have someone else mix all the different flours for you :) i like his combo of Garbanzo Bean Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour, White Sorghum Flour, and Fava Bean Flour. tasty for even the non GF eaters out there.

anyways, i have no pictures to share, but everyone knows what a pancake looks like, right? :) we just happened to eat these up too fast and didn't have time to take any... next time. these were some of the best pancakes i've eaten and they were light and fluffy and simple. i just kind of made these up this morning because i was... well... hungry. i added some dairy-free chocolate chips but of course you can leave them out. i ate them plain, the hubby used lots of maple syrup.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (i like almond breeze)
1 large egg
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/8 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips (i used Enjoy Life Foods)

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
Beat the egg in another bowl. Add the olive oil, milk, and agave to the egg and mix well.
Heat your pan or griddle with a little olive oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until moistened. Add Chocolate chips.
When pan is hot, pour batter into pan (i used a 1/3 cup that was less than full to scoop it out). My pan makes about 3 at a time and they cook fairly fast, so watch when you need to flip them.

I made 9 pancakes with this recipe, and was happy with the amount because i'm not a big fan of leftover pancakes. Of course you can double it if you want more or bigger pancakes.

Enjoy! Pin It Now!

hummus platter and pancakes (not together)

it's been a while, but i've been saving a few recipes to post. but before i post a recipe, i just wanted to say how much i enjoyed Trader Joe's Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Pancakes. I made them last weekend for breakfast with a blackberry sauce that i threw together. Very tasty :)


for the sauce i simmered the blackberries, some agave nectar, and some arrowroot starch and then poured over the pancakes.

the other recipe i wanted to share is a rather simple one but one of our very favorites. i know everyone has a hummus recipe they love, but this one has proved to be our favorite and we make it about every week :) it's based on The New Best Recipe cookbook's one, but adjusted to our tastes.

Hummus:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
pine nuts

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth (about 40 seconds). Mix in some pine nuts to taste (we use a lot). If you can wait, transfer to a dish, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let the flavors settle and chill. Enjoy!

to make a meal out of it, i add spinach on top that i cooked quickly with salt and pepper (can do it in the microwave if you please) as well as grilled chicken. for the chicken:

i coated chicken breasts in olive oil, then sprinkled cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and cayenne pepper onto both sides. i have a great grill that i use for chicken all the time (Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill). i threw them on there for a few minutes and then cut it up into pieces. layered the chicken on the hummus (you can sprinkle some paprika and olive oil on top of the hummus as well), then the spinach, and a few more pine nuts for garnish, and voila! a simple, but very tasty meal.

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Gluten Free Blueberry Pie (gf, dairy free, soy free)

i decided to experiment with a favorite of ours... blueberry pie. i love The New Best Recipe cookbook and have made their pie before, so i just decided to try it with another crust and to use agave instead of sugar...

so for a crust i used bette hagman's vinegar pie crust recipe and decided to experiment with coconut oil instead of butter. i'm still on the fence in terms of the results, but i'll post it anyways. my coconut oil goes between solid and liquid state often, so i decided to put it into the fridge to become the consistency of softened butter or shortening, so at least that went well. the finished result had a slight coconut flavor that was a little surprising, but i think i would still use it again... just less. or maybe a combo with another oil or something. i'm just not into the processed oils so i'm kind of out of luck... willing to take suggestions if anyone else has found something that worked! all in all though, it was a great crust, nice and flaky with a good consistency.

*update: You can also use my Apple Pie Crust which I love!




Blueberry Pie

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free

Pie Crust:

1 cup white rice flour
¾ cup tapioca flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1 rounded tsp. xanthan gum
¾ tsp. salt
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
¾ cup Organic Coconut Oil or Spectrum Naturals Organic All Vegetable Shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. ice water

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Blend in the coconut oil.

Blend together the beaten egg, vinegar, and cold water. Stir into the flour mixture until the pastry holds together and forms a ball. I found it needed a good amount of kneading in order to make it a good consistency for rolling.

Form two balls and place in a bowl; cover and refrigerate for ten minutes or so until cool if it has gotten too sticky. If you refrigerate it too long it becomes really hard.

Remove and roll one ball at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap that have been dusted with sweet rice flour.

To place in pie tin: Remove top sheet, and using the other for ease of handling, invert the dough and gently place it in the pan. Shape into curves before removing the second piece of plastic wrap.


Blueberry Pie Filling:
6 cups fresh blueberries (i used mostly fresh, but added some frozen as well)
3/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar, honey, or maple syrup
2 tsp juice and 1 tsp grated zest from lemon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch
1 egg white, lightly beaten (for top of crust)

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
2. Toss the berries, agave, lemon juice, zest, spices, and potato starch and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Spoon berries into pie shell (first dough is already in there)
4. Place second dough over filling and trip edges. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself so that the edge is flush with the pan. Press with tines of a fork or flute the edge
5. Cut four slits in the dough tops
6. Brush top of crust with egg white
7. Lower temperature of the oven to 425 degrees
8. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes
9. Rotate the pie and reduce temperature to 375 degrees
10. Continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, around 30-35 minutes longer.
11. Transfer to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.




This is being entered into the Friday Foodie Fix at The Whole Gang
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Apple Pancakes

i began making apple pancakes when i switched from white flour to whole wheat and decided that it was time to stop eating dairy, as i've been lactose intolerant since i was six. anyways, i bought the Vegan Handbook which is a fairly good cookbook at a booksale, and have made a good number of their recipes (and changed them around to my liking ;))

i've played with the recipe a lot since i first started making them, so here is my final (for now) gluten free version, but even that can be changed around a lot and i give alternatives. today was my first time using a GF blend to make them and i was really happy with the way they turned out, but feel free to leave any suggestions for other flour combos or additions!




APPLE PANCAKES

(makes 10 pancakes)


1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour **
1/2 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/2 tsp Xantham Gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
Dash Nutmeg
2 TBSP Organic Apple Sauce ***
3/4 Cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk or milk of your choice)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 green apples, cored and grated****


Mix the first eight ingredients together (dry ones).

Mix the Apple Sauce or juice of your choice (see note below) with the milk and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry, then add the grated apples and stir gently until well blended.

Heat skillet/pan with oil of your choice (i've used earth balance, olive oil, or butter here)

For each pancake use about 3 TBSP of batter and flatten out some in pan.

Cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

To keep pancakes warm until serving, place on a platter covered with foil in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.

I usually eat these as is, but my husband likes them covered with maple syrup. They're also good with apple butter or apple sauce.

Enjoy!

** If you are non-GF, just take out the first 4 ingredients and use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

*** I used unsweetened organic apple sauce today because i didn't have any juice, but the original recipe calls for 2 TBSP apple juice concentrate, thawed. I have never actually used that, but instead, have used about 1/3 cup mango juice, guava juice, or papaya juice (brazilian gourmet).

****prepare the apples to your liking-- i have grated them or chopped them finely or a combo of both

***** If you like them sweeter, you can add a TBSP or 2 of agave nectar or maple syrup in the batter

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new adventures

i've been doing some new experiments over the past few days and have had success with 2 out of 3 recipes, so not too bad! :)

my first was with Whole Food's 365 Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix.
I thought it would be nice for someone else to put all the various flours together for once, but i soon discovered that i still had to do a lot of work for it. Either way, I was impressed with the end results and would definitely recommend it. fairly easy to make in my lovely kitchen-aid and it makes two large pizzas (i froze the second half).

i used Ener-G's egg replacer since i was out of eggs, and it turned out quite well. i also used my favorite soy cheese, soya kaas mozzarella, some mushrooms and peppers, and made a tomato pesto sauce as well. i've since learned that soya kaas has casein in it, but they have another called vegi kaas which is supposed to be good as well. so for the mix i give it a 4/5 stars.


experiment #2-- the failure. i tried a recipe for apple quinoa muffins that i had found online since we still have so many apples from west virginia. they were okay, but left a weird aftertaste, so i said goodbye to them. lesson learned as well: quinoa flakes does not equal quinoa flour!

experiment #3- my favorite. i made karina's breakfast brownies, and i'll let the picture speak for itself... they were a hit :)
i actually stuck to the recipe and was really happy with the results. i used the quinoa, rice, and oat flour combo + tapioca starch as well as the egg replacer. next time agave ;) Highly recommend these!



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a cold and rainy night calls for...

a warm bowl of soup of course!

i threw together a soup out of what i had in the fridge and around the kitchen and was fairly happy in the end :) here we go:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 chicken breast in small pieces (if you don't want/have chicken, use broth instead of water)
1 small sweet potato (chopped in small pieces)
5 cups water (or broth)
1 cup chickpeas
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup red lentils
1/3 cup coconut milk
chopped cilantro

1. heat the coconut oil in pot and add the onions. saute for a few minutes, then add garlic.
2. add chicken, some salt and pepper, and cook until almost done
3. add sweet potatoes and saute a few minutes
4. add chickpeas and seasonings
5. add water and let simmer for a few minutes
6. add lentils and coconut milk and turn down heat to low
7. let simmer for approximately 15 minutes and add more seasoning to taste.
8. turn off heat, add cilantro and serve! Pin It Now!

late-night muffins.

tonight i tried out a new recipe from karina's recipes for banana spice muffins (instead of going to the gym of course). i'm copying the recipe below, but with the changes that I made to it... i kept most things the same, but i would like to try it again with only agave nectar and cut out the sucanet, but that will be next time :) i bought gluten free dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips today (enjoy life foods) from MOM (my organic market) and added those in some of them as well. i've never been crazy about frosting, but i'm trying to come up with one that doesn't use powdered sugar like at babycakes, but that is going to take a while. anyways, here's the modified recipe, and hopefully i'll post this again at some point with more changes:

Banana Spice Cupcakes

1 cup almonds
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large organic free-range eggs
1/3 cup extra light olive oil
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 1/3 cups organic sucanat
4 medium very ripe bananas, cut up and mashed into puree
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: mini chocolate chips to your taste (about 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup should work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake/muffin pan however you desire :)

Process the almonds in a food processor by pulsing on and off until a fine almond meal is formed. Watch out that it does not become almond butter! Pour the almond meal into a dry mixing bowl. Add in the rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and spices and whisk to combine.

In a clean mixing bowl beat the eggs; add the oil, syrup, brown sugar, banana puree and vanilla. Beat well. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, and beat for two minutes.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until done. Check the center for doneness with a wooden pick. The cupcake should appear slightly golden brown at the edge, yet still be moist inside.

Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.

I was able to make 18 muffins with this recipe


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slice of heaven

unfortunately i don't have my camera right now, (took it with my camera phone) but i had to capture the wonderfulness that is this slice of double chocolate cake (Gluten free, dairy free, and with agave nectar) from Babycakes in NY that i got yesterday. it was a nice treat to have a dessert that i can eat that i didn't have to bake myself and i got some great ideas on things that i can make myself as well :) the picture of course does it no justice but it definitely made me VERY happy! :) on a side note-- i enjoyed their banana chocolate chip loaf the best. Pin It Now!

new beginnings

as a fairly new gluten-free eater, i am attempting to blog in order to pass on recipes, experiences, and pictures of food experimentations that i have done or seen and also to keep my own catalog. i really feel that gf cooking is great for everyone, so this blog is really for anyone who likes to cook or bake (or eat)!

cooking has always been a passion of mine, but now i get to take on a new level of experimentation and share them with friends new and old. feel free to leave comments, suggestions, questions, etc.!! Pin It Now!