GF Quinoa Amaranth “Wonder” Bread

"The light texture of Wonder Bread combines with the sophistication of an artisan loaf." This is my first attempt at GF bread and I have to say I am impressed! I tried my hand years ago at bread and gave up all attempts with yeast because my breads and buns never rose. I couldn't get the right elasticity without a bread machine. This recipe is making me fall in love with yeast baking again.

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF

1-2 tablespoons amaranth seeds
1 cup + 2 Tbsp quinoa flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup + 1 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3½ teaspoons xanthan or guar gum
1½ teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup + 2 Tbsp warm water (105° to 110°F)
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2¼ teaspoons instant active or active dry yeast

1. Lightly oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the amaranth seeds, quinoa flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch/flour, brown sugar, xanthan gum and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs (or egg substitute), water and oil. Add the liquids and the yeast to the dry ingredients and beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. The dough will be thick like muffin batter.

4. Scrape dough into prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula to smooth the top. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise to the top of the pan, about 40 to 60 minutes. I like to turn on my oven to about 200F for a few minutes which warms up the surface of my stove and helps aid in the rising.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. Do not cool in the pan- your bread will get soggy! Slice and freeze any remaining bread after two days.

Each slice contains 140 calories, 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 40mg cholesterol, 236mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 1g protein.

To make Quinoa Amaranth “Wonder” Bread in a bread machine (1½- to 2-pound capacity), combine  seeds with the dry ingredients (except for the yeast) in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in separate bowl. In the baking pan, add the dry ingredients, wet ingredients and yeast in the order recommended for your machine. Set the machine for quick cycle, white bread or programmable cycle.
If the machine can be programmed, omit one knead and one rise cycle. If necessary, use a rubber spatula to assist the mixing during the kneading cycle. Use a lightly oiled spatula to smooth top after the knead cycle has finished. Remove the loaf when the bake cycle ends. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Mac & Cheese (gluten and lactose free)

GF/LF Mac & Cheese

Okay, I will admit that this pic is from my pre-gluten-free days. Mac & Cheese is one dish that makes me wonder if going gluten-free is really what I want. I don't/didn't eat a lot of pasta, but this is one dish that is ultimate comfort food for me.

For me, making the switch to a gluten-free diet was easy. I don’t eat a lot of bakery items, and given the amount I do it’s not as much of a shock to the grocery bill to buy the GF options out there. I like to cook from scratch so really bullion and broths were my biggest transition, or so I thought.

I now make my Mac & Cheese both gluten and lactose free. It still tastes great but its not the same as before the GF transition. It’s all in my head, I know. I will never be able to make it taste exactly like the kind I am not allowed to eat anymore.

For those that are still searching for a recipe, here is mine:

¾ cup brown rice pasta

1/3 cup lactose-free sour cream

1/3 cup lactose-free milk

1 cup lactose-free cheese blend

salt and pepper

dash of nutmeg

1/8 tsp mustard powder

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly. Aim for dry noodles.

While the noodles are cooking mix the remaining ingredients in a 6” casserole dish, reserve a small amount of the cheese for the top. (I find that it works best if you slowly add the milk to the sour cream and stir as you go- otherwise you end up with lumps that wont mix.) Adjust the salt and pepper. Lactose free products are often sweeter so I find that I have had to increase the seasonings a bit to compensate. Also, choose a sharper ‘melting’ cheese like cheddar or Parmesan over a ‘stringing’ cheese like mozzarella for better flavor.

I found my lactose-free sour cream at Real Canadian Superstore for those who haven't stumbled across a source yet. They also have the best selection of LF cheese that I have found.

Add the drained noodles to the cheese and  milk mix. Gently fold together until the cheese is fairly evenly mixed with the noodles. Top with cheese if you saved some. Bake at 350F or 375F for 20 to 30 minutes.

The noodles are cooked already, so you can pull it out once the sauce is bubbling all around the edges or you can leave it until the top is starting to brown. Sadly, the top doesn’t brown as well with the lactose free milk and sour cream. If you are wanting presentation, you can sprinkle the top with some cayene pepper just before sticking it in the oven.

For those not restricted by lactose intolerance, ENJOY!!!! If you are like me, then maybe just enjoy! This is the best home-made Mac & Cheese recipe I have ever tried. If you have a better one, I'd love to try it.

Pesto Breakfast Quiche (GF)

This one is easy to make and was created to use up the last of my basil before it went bad. I love fresh pesto. My mortar and pestle was one of the best kitchen investments I have made. Sadly, dishes like pesto are not always the friendliest on the waist. The flavors in this dish are fairly mild, but hit the spot while also providing a protein-filled, slow carb breakfast. Bonus: its gluten-free! No crust.

Ingredients:
2 eggs or 1/2 cup liquid egg
1/4 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup black beans
1 to 2 strips turkey bacon
1 Tbsp pine nuts
3 to 5 sprigs fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan or asiago cheese

Grease a small 6" casserole dish liberally. Preheat oven to 375F.

Fry turkey bacon if desired. Chop into small bite sized pieces and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the eggs, and beat well. Mix in the milk, salt, pepper, black beans, and half the cheese.

Chop the pine nuts with a nut chopper, or crush in a mortar and pestle. Add to the egg mix. Either chop the basil leaves finely or bruise in the same mortar and pestle. (Bruising will give you a stronger basil flavor.) Add to the egg mix also. Stir well and pour into the casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese and press into the liquid gently.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Quiche is done when a knife or fork comes out clean.

This amount is a large portion for one person, but not really large enough for two people. It would be easy to increase the quantity for a family. I have also made similar casseroles with browned hashbrowns instead of black beans.  Make sure you buy a good quality turkey bacon- butterball cardboard strips will not enhance this dish!

Heavenly Brownies (and Gluten Free)

First the unadulterated recipe.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup cocoa plus 2 Tbsp

1 cup sugar

2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla (optional)


Mix well and spread in an 8X8 inch greased pan. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes.

For this recipe, I used Earth Balance Margarine- so no soy or milk either. I always melt the butter and cream in the cocoa before adding the sugar. I think it helps make it smooth and fudgy. I dont really keep eggs in the house, but I do have a carton of egg whites. Since an egg is about a 1/4 cup- I used just under 1/2 a cup to replace the 2 eggs.

I made my own All Purpose Flour mix. I am not fond of chick pea flour in my desserts and rice flour in great quantities leaves a metalic taste in my mouth for some reason. (If you have a coffee grinder you can make your own coconut flour.)

My AP Gluten Free Mix:

3 Tbsp coconut flour

1 Tbsp brown rice flour

2 Tbsp sorghum flour

1 Tbsp quinoa flour

1 Tbsp arrowroot starch

8 Tbsp = 1/2 cup

I really liked the coconut flour. I cant really taste it but the end result is a brownie that tastes EXACTLY like it used to before I went Gluten Free/Lactose Free. A brownie should be very chocolatey, gooey and a little bit fudgy. Never dry and never cake like. I like to use almond extract instead of vanilla. These, to me, are the perfect brownie.

Last but not least, I added 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum. This is especially important for binding the end result. Nothing worse than a brownie that tastes and feels like sand in your mouth! The Xanthan gum made the batter really sticky and I had trouble spreading it in the pan and getting it off the spatula but this is normal.

I had to bake it for the full 30 minutes, my old gluten version was usually done at 25 minutes. I dont know if this is the oven in my new place, or normal for GF baking.

Let me know what you think!

 



GF Blueberry Cake Cups

Preheat oven to 375F.

Grease one small 6" baking dish or 2 personal sized ramekins.
Measure 1 cup blueberries and pour half into the bottom of the dish(es). Frozen or thawed work.
Set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl:
1/4 cup GF flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt

Add:
1 Tbsp melted butter or Margarine
1/4 cup milk
(I use lactose free products)

Mix until just moistened. Pour over the blueberries and top with remaining berries.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

This is my first attempt at making this recipe gluten-free. Results were good. I think next time I will try to create my own AP Flour mix. The prepackaged one is a bit heavy on the chickpea flour for a breakfast or dessert recipe. Maybe I'll add some coconut flour for a twist.

I didnt add any Xanthan gum to this recipe as there was some in the AP mix that I have. Even without it, I think that the cake cup would come out okay as it is generally eaten hot and with a spoon. Plus the amount would be so small you are more at risk of using too much!