Soaked gluten free Multigrain Bread

Gluten Free Multigrain Bread

It's also yeast and egg free as well. This is currently my favorite bread. It's easy to make and tastes fantastic. It's nice to enjoy toast with honey or make a turkey-avocado sandwich.

 

 Diagonal lines for a French loaf look

 

 

Toasted Turkey Avocado Sandwich

 

 

 

Soak Overnight:

·         1 cup teff flour

·         1 cup buckwheat flour

·         1 cup sorghum flour

·         2 cups warm water

·         1/4 cup kefir or sourdough starter

 

Mix in the morning:

·         2 Tablespoons EV Olive Oil

·         2 Tablespoons maple syrup

·         1 cup raw nuts/seeds

 

Dry ingredients:

·         1/2 cup tapioca flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 cup ground chia seeds

·         1/4 cup psyllium husk powder

 

Directions:

 

Mix the teff, buckwheat, sorghum flour with warm water and kefir. Cover and soak overnight. Soak for 12-24 hours to remove phytic acid that blocks nutrients. Soak in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Do not soak in plastic or metal bowls.

 

In the morning preheat oven to 375. Line a glass bread pan with greased parchment paper (coconut oil works great).

 

Stir in the olive oil and maple syrup to the batter that soaked overnight

 

Whisk together the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet batter.

 

Scoop batter into the oiled parchment paper/bread pan. Use a few drops of water to smooth the top of the loaf with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle raw nuts/seeds on top, I also like to mark mine with diagonal lines like a French loaf.

 

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place bread on a towel, tipped on one side and let cool for an hour before cutting.

 

Notes:

*Buckwheat can be replaced with sprouted brown rice flour.  Reduce baking time to 1 hour and 10 min.

 

*Nuts/seeds can be whole, chopped, or ground.

 

*It’s also a good idea to soak nuts/seeds over night and then rinse/drain them (they also have phytic acid). Smaller seeds like sunflower work well. Larger nuts like pecans, can be chopped into smaller pieces.

 

*Chia seeds can be replaced with 2 eggs. 

 

 

 

 

 



Soaked GF Whole Grain Bread

I've been making and messing around with gf breads for a looong time now. Finally, I've come up with a recipe that is easy, healthy, tastes great, and seems more like whole wheat bread than gluten free. There is no need to have the "right" flours because I've used a lot of different gf flours and had great results every time. I use 3/4 a cup of 4 different flours. Make sure to use 3/4 cup of tapioca flour and the other 3 can be whatever you like or have on hand. I've used a mix of brown rice, quinoa, sorghum, millet, teff, and garbanzo bean and the bread has always turned out.

Reasons why you want to soak your grains (as well as seeds, nuts, and beans).
1. Phytic acid is found in all grains, seeds, nuts, and beans. Phytic acid combines with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc in the intestines and blocks your body from absorbing them. So you're not really getting all the nutrients you think you are when you consume whole grains!
2. The lack of absorption can lead to mineral and bone loss because these nutrients will be taken from your body instead of supplied to your body.
3. Soaking the grains will break down and neutralize the phytic acid. We are then able to properly digest the grains and use the nutrients.
4. Water should be mixed with some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, whey, or yogurt to effectively break down the phytic acid.
5. Sprouting grains, dehydrating them, and grinding them into flours don't need soaked because the sprouting process already broke down the phytic acid. To save time you can buy sprouted flour. However it's cheaper to do it yourself!

I participated in Real Food Wednesday, go there to find more great recipes!

Parchment paper makes the removal of gf bread super easy

This was a blend of Teff, Sorghum, and Brown Rice

No more dry and stiff gf bread, this one has flexibility to it!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c brown rice flour
• 3/4 c teff flour
• 3/4 c sorghum flour
• Note: the above 3 flours can be switched to whatever gf flour you like! 
• 2 c filtered water
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
•  
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs sugar
•  
• 3/4 c tapioca flour
• 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbs xanthan gum
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. The night before, use  a large bowl whisk together the brown rice flour, teff flour, and sorghum flour. In a small bowl mix the 2 cups of water with 2 tsps of apple cider vinegar.  Pour the vinegar water into the  flours, mix well and let soak overnight
2. Next, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and olive oil together.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the tapioca flour, yeast,  xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
4. Pour the yeast and egg mixtures into the bowl with the soaked flour. Stir them together with a hand mixer. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat for 1 minute. Add more tapioca flour if runny.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a bread pan with parchment paper and grease the paper and pan. Scoop the dough into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Brush some olive oil onto a piece of plastic wrap and cover the top. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 40 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until it has a nice brown color. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then remove and place on a towel to cool. 

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Cakes don't get made very often in my kitchen. The reason behind this is that, well....we are brownie people. Who wants a slice of cake when you can have a moist, rich, fudgy brownie? Since all of the crazy food allergies popped up I haven't had a brownie in a long time, (we are talking months here people!)

So I began my search to find an allergy friendly gluten free brownie recipe. I ended up making my own since I would find one that was gluten free but it would have eggs, if it didn't have eggs it would have dairy, or it just wouldn't be gluten free! So here is what I came up with and lets just say the hubby was very pleased and told me I better hide them if I want some!

Next time I am going to try to sweeten them with just dates and see how it goes. I think dates would make them even more fudgy.

It's dark I know, but we are dark chocolate fanatics in this house! you can easily use regular cocoa instead of the dark cocoa. Here is an interesting article on Dutch vs Natural Cocoa. 

Wet mix 6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder 1/3 cup coconut oil melted 1/3 cup raw sugar 20 drops of liquid stevia  4 Tbs applesauce unsweetened 1 teaspoon Vanilla Dry mix 2/3 cup gf flour blend 2 Tbs flax seed meal 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts (optional)

Preheat oven 350 and grease an 8x8 or 9x5 pan.   Melt the coconut oil and whisk in the cocoa powder. Mix in the sugar, stevia, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir until sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and flax meal together. Slowly stir the wet mix into the flour mixture. Add the nuts either in the mixture or just sprinkle 2 Tbs on top. Pour into greased pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool, remove, and cut into squares. *Trick* grease the pan and lay parchment paper inside so that 2 parallel edges fit perfectly in the pan and 2 parallel edges stick slightly out of the pan. Grease the parchment paper. After the brownies have cooled in the pan lift the paper out and the brownies can be cut evenly.

Tamale Time!

I have always liked the idea of tamales, yet I have always been disappointed when I take a bite and they are dry with out any flavor. However I think they are so cute all wrapped up in corn husks so I went on a recipe search. At the mayo clinic I found this recipe that would work and of course went on to make my own changes.  I made these for some friends and they were delighted, especially about the Avocado salsa that goes on top!

It was such a nice day that we pulled the table outside to eat! I think tamales look so pretty all wrapped up!

3 Tablespoons of the masa dough placed in a damp corn husk. It's just waiting for the filling. 

This is after the filling has been put in and I rolled it in the corn husk, then unrolled so you can see how it gets packed together.

I've rolled the tamale up in the corn husk and now am folding the sides down. (please ignore the cilantro on my thumb)

Then I take a small corn husk strip to tie it all together. This tamale is ready to get steamed!

Tamale dough

• 18 dried corn husks, plus extra husks to make ties
• 3 cups organic corn kernels (I used a bag of frozen thawed out to room temp)
• 2 cups masa harina
• 1/2 cup lukewarm veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the corn husks in a bowl of water to soften for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Pat dry and set aside.

In a food processor, process 2 1/2 cups of the corn kernels until coarsely pureed.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, masa harina, lukewarm broth, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and oil. Mix/knead with hands until a ball of dough is formed

Filling

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 

2 tablespoons diced yellow onion

1 Tbs garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 oz Tempeh chopped in small cubes

1/2 cup cooked black beans rinsed and drained

1/2 cup corn kernels 

1 Tbs cumin

salt to taste

Place a dry nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, tempeh, black beans, and remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, sauté for 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes and remove from the heat.

To assemble a tamale, place 3 tablespoons of masa mixture in the center of a soaked corn husk. Flatten with your hand and form a small well in the center. Add 1 tablespoon of the filling to the well. Fold the long side of the corn husk over the filling to cover, then fold over the ends, overlapping them. Tie with a thin strip torn from an extra soaked husk. Repeat to make 18 tamales in all.

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Layer the wrapped tamales in the steamer basket. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and steam until the filling becomes firm and the tamales are heated through, 50 to 60 minutes. Add more water as needed.

Avocado salsa

1/4 cup chopped avocado

1 small can of blended tomatillos 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh coriander

1/2 teaspoon seeded, minced jalapeno

1 chopped tomato

1 Tbs onion diced

1 tsp garlic minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

While the tamales are steaming, make the salsa. In a small bowl, combine the avocado, tomatillos, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss gently. The salsa is sooo good you may want to double the recipe. We ran out and wanted more!

Curried Chickpeas and Quinoa

This was full of flavor and it was made in 15 minutes, what more can you ask for?
I found the original recipe on Susan V’s blog as I was skimming through food gawker (love that site). To see what else Susan  is cooking up click here!

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons good curry powder (or adjust to taste)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other ground red pepper (or to taste)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• salt to taste

Heat a medium-sized, non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Add the chickpeas, curry powder, and red pepper, and stir briefly. Add the tomatoes and cooked quinoa, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt to taste.
Serve in wraps, pita bread, or lettuce leaves or with naan or other flatbread
I know you are thinking I see mushrooms in the photo but not in the recipe?! You are right. I threw some mushrooms in there because we like mushrooms here and put them in a lot of our dishes just because we like em!

Indian Mango Dal

I love Indian food! So I suppose it is a good thing I live in Seattle because I have soo many options! I was looking for lentil recipes a while back and found this one from Eating Well and decided to give it a try. Well I have made it several times now because it is really good!



This is a jar opener but it also does the trick to take the papery skin off of garlic


Slightly dampen a paper towel and wipe down mushrooms. You can do a quick rinse and then wipe them down but never soak mushrooms. They will absorb water and become rubbery and lose their flavor otherwise.


I still prefer to peel my mango and then dice it but the slice then scoop  method looks better on camera. So I changed things up a bit just for this post.


Now it’s ready to eat! Also you can see that there are mushroom in my picture but not in the actual recipe. I had some mushrooms that needed used up so I tossed them in and they tasted great and also gave a little more texture to the dish.

• 1 cup yellow lentils (I used brown but yellow would probably be “prettier”)
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place lentils in a colander and rinse until the water runs clear. Combine lentils, 4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and turmeric in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and starting to brown, about 30 seconds. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
3. Stir the garlic mixture and mangoes into the lentils. Return to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes more. Stir in cilantro

One last thing. I always cook up a huge pot of lentils and freeze what I don’t use. So I probably cook up 4 cups and then scoop out 2 cups once they are cooked to use with this dish.

Red Rice and Beans

After a few bites Tyler said this tasted like something his mom would make and that he really liked it! Hearing that means this dish is an instant keeper! It was really good, the different flavors worked so well together! Be sure to have all the veggies chopped up and ready to go and this meal can be made  in no time! Pretty sure it was done in 20 minutes or less! Next time I might even try Quinoa instead of rice to change things up a bit.

• SAUCEPAN
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 cups cooked basmati brown rice
• 12 INCH SKILLET
• 3 garl1ic cloves crushed
• 1 tsp chili powder (I put more in! we like spicy food)
• 3 cups red kidney beans (2 cans rinsed and drained)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped
• 28 oz diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped

I used my food processor to dice up the garlic and parsley, I also used it to chop the onion and carrot. This sped things up because all I had left to chop was the bell pepper and asparagus.

1. In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 tsp olive oil on medium heat. Add asparagus, red pepper, onion, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until just tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cooked rice until well mixed. 
2. After carrots are copped steam them until soft. Add them to the rice mixture. 
3. In 12-inch skillet, heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil on medium until hot. Add garlic and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, salsa, tomatoes, turmeric and tomato paste. Reduce heat to low and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Mix the rice and sauce together, and sprinkle some parsley on top when serving. Place leftover parsley on the table for others to add more while eating.

Swiss Chard Italiano

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I made this a while back and it was full of wonderful flavor (and vitamins/minerals).  I served it with whole wheat bread,  brown rice, and black beans for a complete meal.

I could have used a bigger pan (I think a wok would have been perfect)  because the kale was too fluffy until it cooked down. I actually had to cook the kale in a pot and then transferred it to the tomato/onion mix.

Ingredients and Directions

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 7 cups chopped Swiss Chard, Kale, or spinach
• 16 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp basil

• Heat oil in a LARGE nonstick skillet over medium heat, add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 min.
• Add remaining ingredients. May want to transfer to a big pot because my large skillet wasn't large enough. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cashew Cheese Sauce

Tonight this went on EVERYTHING!!! I will admit I miss dairy sometimes. More specifically I miss cheese. This is the perfect remedy.





My thoughts are in green! Also the cheese freezes well. If you add gelatin and chill it you can slice it like cheese to put on sandwiches :-)


Ingredients:

• 1 cup  water
• 2 tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers 
• 1/2 cup  raw cashews 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (I used a real onion )
• 1/4 cup  nutritional yeast 
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Directions

• Toss ingredients except boiling water, coconut oil in the blender for 6 min. 
• Add hot water and coconut oil, then blend for about 30 seconds.
• Pour liquid into sauce-pan and whisk on medium heat until it has thickened.

Quinoa "Taco" Salad

My friend and I take turns making dinner each week. She usually makes something really tasty on Tuesday  and I always beg her for the recipe! I usually get creative (which can be interesting sometimes) on Thursday. Well I was clicking through food gawkers (you've never been? Oh its so fantastic you'll want to make it your homepage!) food gawker and I stumbled upon this recipe: "here" by Katie Goodman.

Anyone new to quinoa? here is some great info on it. Quick health notes: fiber (aids digestion), protein (building block of the entire body!), magnesium (bone, heart, and muscle health), phosphorus (bone health), and manganese (antioxidant, bone, reproductive health).

Lets just say this Thursday's dinner was a huge success!!!!

I used Katie's photo as well, my camera is not the best so if I don't have natural light (like the pics on my previous posts) the food tends to look very yellow. I'm more of a chef than a photographer so I need to keep practicing in that area.

This dish packs a lot of flavor and is very nutritious!! I did make a few changes to the origonal recipe:

1. I cooked my quinoa in canned diced tomatoes instead of water. (I was lucky and had tomotoes that my parents had grown in their garden and bottled).
2. I also mixed basil in with the Spinach-Cilantro mix.
3. I cooked my own black beans and mixed 1/2 cup of salsa with them.
4. I threw a few dashes of turmeric in my dish as well. It has some excellent health benefits.

Here is the Origonal by Katie Goodman:
•1 cup quinoa
•1 red onion, chopped
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•half a red bell pepper, chopped
•half a green bell pepper, chopped
•half a yellow bell pepper, chopped
•1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
•1/2 teaspoon oregano
•1-2 teaspoons chili powder, depending heat preferences
•dash cayenne pepper
•1 -15 ounce can black beans, drained
•3/4 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
•2 limes
•salt and pepper, to taste
•6-8 ounces baby spinach
•1 bunch cilantro
•1/3 cup feta cheese
•1 avocado, diced
Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. (I cooked mine in diced tomatoes instead of water)
Meanwhile, swirl a bit of olive oil in a saute pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne and peppers and saute an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans(I mixed some salsa with mine), tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir in quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill.

Roughly cut baby spinach into strips like you would shred iceberg lettuce for tacos. Remove about 1 cup of cilantro leaves from the bunch, rinse and pat dry, and toss with the spinach (I also included some basil). Divide spinach and cilantro mixture evenly among 4 salad plates. Top each plate with a scoop of the quinoa salad.
Top each salad with your choice of cheese (feta was divine and I'll be sticking to it!) and diced avocado. Cut the remaining lime into slices to garnish the plates.

Spicy Salsa!

I love summer for many reasons but one that stands out is that it is salsa time! We like ours hot but you can always add less jalapenos if you need the heat toned down.
The key to salsa is to have everything the same size. Whether you are going for a chunkier salsa or a smooth blend. Just make sure when you dice the ingredients stay consistant.

Spicy Garden Salsa

6 large tomatoes, dice 3 and puree 3 in blender/food processor

Dice:

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

3-6 jalapenos seeded

1 small red onion

Blend:

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup cilantro

Squeeze:

2 limes

Salt and pepper to taste!

Corn Tortillas!!

Tacos are a favorite around here. The fresh veggies, black beans, and of course we like them spicy!!! Fresh food is a must at our house so grabbing store bought tortillas just doesn't taste the same as hot from the griddle. Mine are simple and healthy, plus cooking them makes the house smell delightful!

Corn Tortillas
First mix together for about 3 minutes, or until it becomes a dough ball:

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Masa Harina (I'm looking into grinding my own because the fresher the better!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/8 cups water

I use a pancake griddle and get it heated up on medium heat. You can also use a skillet.
Then separate the dough into 16-20 equally sized pieces and roll into balls. Cover with plastic wrap so they don't dry out as your roll and cook them.
Grab a bag (not plastic wrap it sticks together, a bread bag works just cut it open) or two sheets of wax paper. Put a ball in the middle of one half of the bag and fold the other half over. I push a heavy bowl down ontop (one that has a flath bottom) to flatten out the ball. Then I proceed to roll out my tortilla. I have a granite rolling pin so it rolls out fast!
Gently pull the plastic off the top of the tortilla and flip it over and pull off the other plastic.
Quickly flop the tortilla onto the griddle or skillet. Once you begin to see some bubbles appear, take yoru spatula and flip it over and let it cook on the other side. Once the other side is a little brown just remove it from the burner. I place mine in a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish and put the lid on to keep the heat in. It's the perfect size!