Gluten Free Goodness

By the time I got to stop by Kate’s Virtual BBQ Party, most of the letters, (aside from q and z, I think) were taken. So I figured I that N would work, although in the past, I’ve called this my lazy day skillet bread.

I thoroughly love this recipe. It’s not a traditional banana bread, and it’s not a cake, per se, I suppose it’s best compared to a cornbread. I tend to make things that pop up in my head, and then try to figure out how to explain it. Generally, if someone asks what something is, I tell them to taste it and figure it out that way! I’ve had it for brunch, as a snack, as a dessert with chocolate chips, and it could be used (sans nuts) with chili instead or as a side for, say, a BBQ!

Once upon a time, I wanted a snack cake…but I didn’t have time and I was really tired. So I figured that perhaps I could dump everything in the Vitamix and all would be well. Fortunately, that’s what happened, and this has become one of my quick/easy recipes. It’s easy, delicious, and just comfort food for me. Most times when I make something, I try to figure out what to change next time and how to spice it up. But I actually like this one exactly as is.

I wanted something with a banana flavor, but lower sugar and no eggs or soy, and something I could just pick up and eat, too. That’s a tall order! Through trial and error I came up with a cake I liked, but wanted a brown crisp crust, and so this became a skillet cake. You can make it in a regular 9 inch cake pan, though. This recipe is also totally versatile, and I’ve halved it and put it in a 7 inch dish, which works, too.

You can do all teff, all sorghum, or a combo. If you can get your hands on mesquite, do! Not only is it super high in fiber, but it has caramel-ly taste.

Ingredients
1 cup teff
1 cup sorghum flour
1 T mesquite flour
1Tablespoons +1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans or walnuts (optional)
pinch of salt

Wet:
2 über ripe bananas
1 level tablespoon +1 teaspoon ground flax seeds
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup sparkling (bubbly) water, ‘milk’, or juice

Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 350.
Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together. Dump wet ingredients (not water) in a blender. Let it roll until well blended. In my vitamix, that takes less than a minute. I would assume an ordinary blender would take a few minutes. Add wet, including water,  to dry, mix until well everything is well combined, but don’t overmix (i.e. no more dry stuff, but no need for a workout)

Bake for 30 minutes or until top turns a beautiful golden brown. Cool on a drying rack 5 minute, then turn out.

Yum.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

I’ll be honest–I don’t really do breakfasts. Well, I do breakfasts, but just not breakfast FOOD. My body functions better low carb, and so I have no issue with having last nights’ dinner as breakfast. But as the “Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free” for this month is for breakfast foods, I wanted to share a recipe I recently developed. It’s largely whole grain, allergen friendly, vegan friendly, healthy breakfast bread that I developed. May’s edition is hosted by the luscious Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried.

I’m sure I’ll tinker a little more when I do this again, I am tempted to add in a little orange rind or sub OJ for some of the water. I’m sure you could also try a bunch of different whole grains. The possibilities are endless…if you experiment, please do let me know how it works for you.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons of honey (or agave for vegan version)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ cup rice bran
1/3 cup almond meal
½ cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup amaranth
1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup arrowroot starch or corn starch
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca starch
2 TBSP sesame seeds, white or black (I like how the black ones look!)

3 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup carbonated water (can use regular water)

Chia gel:
¼ cup water with 1 T chia seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven at 250 for 5 minutes then turn off. Line a 8X4 inch bread pan with parchment paper.

Combine water with chia seeds. Let sit at least 30 minutes, but longer or overnight is fine. Combine all dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix thoroughly. Combine water, honey and yeast for 5-10 minutes or until fizzy.

Thoroughly mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Combine and mix vigorously for 1-2 minutes (or use your mixer on medium for about a minute).

Put dough in to pan lined with parchment in the slightly-preheated oven, or put covered dough in a warm place, like on top of the drying machine. Allow to rise for 45 min to an hour, or until the dough reaches the top of the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 (wait at least 20 min until oven is hot). Bake for 15 min, then cover with foil and bake for a total of 50-55 min.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on a drying rack, then remove bread from loaf pan and allow to cool.

Delightfully gluten free, egg free, soy free, dairy free, corn free and sugar free. Yahoo!

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008