GF BANANA (CHOCOLATE CHIP) COOKIES

Another gluten free recipe

by Bea Garth

copyright 2011

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 Blend the following ingredients in a blender:

2 ripe bananas

1 large peeled, sliced white potato or equivalent peeled, sliced  yam (½ of a small sized yam)

½ cup water

½ cup maple syrup

1 cup oil (safflower or sunflower are best)

 

Put blended ingredients into a large mixing bowl and then whisk in the following ingredients one at a time until smoothly mixed:

 2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum

2 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or ½ cup tapioca powder)

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ cup cane sugar

Meanwhile start pre-heating  oven: 350 degrees F.

Then add in the dry flours a cup at a time, mixing well with a large spoon:

2 cups sorghum flour

1 cup garbanzo flour

3 cups  brown rice flour

Then add in the gluten free chocolate chips (one10 oz. bag), using a large spoon until well distributed–Or alternatively don’t add the chocolate chips, maybe add nothing extra, or put in some sunflower seeds or chopped almonds or walnuts?

Drop dough using a heaped tablespoon onto a pre-oiled pan and then bake  at 350 degrees F. for roughly 12 minutes for each round of cookies.

Note: This makes lots of cookies! You  might want to halve the recipe. The reason I didn’t is that I wanted to use up the package of gluten free chocolate chips all at once, rather than have my bf nibble away at them. You can keep the unused dough in a covered container in the fridge for almost a week until ready to bake–just let it set out a while to warm up a little.

Enjoy!

Onion & Garlic Bread

by Bea Garth

copyright 2011

Another Gluten Free Recipe by Bea Garth: This makes a delicious snack, or accompaniment for most any meal.

Thoroughly mix (and/or sift) together the following dry ingredients in a bowl:

3 cups brown rice flour (i.e., 2 cups raw brown rice ground into 3 cups flour)

1 cup sorghum flour

¾ cup tapioca flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. xanthum gum (or agar agar)

In another bowl, mix the following wet ingredients with a wire whisk:

2 eggs

½ cup safflower or sunflower seed oil

1 ½ cups water

 

Chop up 1 medium large onion, or ¾ of a very large onion

Mince 4 to 6 garlic cloves, depending on size

Add wet to dry ingredients, mixing well.

Then add in the onion and garlic, mixing at least medium well.

Scoop into pre-oiled and dusted (with sorghum  or rice flour) 8 by 8, or 9 by 9 inch square baking pan and then spread the mixture so its overall even and level  in the pan.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes. Afterward, check with serrated knife or wooden toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If so, it is done. If not, bake a little longer.

The top is a little crusty like scone. The inside is fairly moist but not mushy. If you want the recipe to be even more soft and moist, add ¼ cup  cooked mashed squash or yam to the recipe (in the wet ingredient stage). You can also use the cooked mashed squash or yam to replace the eggs. Just increase the cooked and mashed squash or yams to 1/2 cup plus add in 1/4 cup fresh ground flax seed to the wet ingredients.

Flax/Sunflower Meal Zucchini Pancakes

by Bea Garth

copyright 2010

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This recipe shows you how to make a gluten free (i.e., nothing from the wheat family), very low carbohydrate pancakes without eggs  (almond meal, pumpkin seed meal or even sesame meal or some mixture thereof could be substituted for the sunflower meal).

Flax/Sunflower Meal Pancakes

(use a clean coffee grinder to grind the flax, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds–only put in a little at a time. My grinder can take a cup of seeds at once, however I think it is larger than the  average grinder–thus on average only put in 1/4 to  1/2 cup seeds in to grind at a time with a normal coffee grinder )

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1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh flax seed, measured and then ground up

mix with 4 level teaspoons of xanthum gum (or 2 to 3 tsp. of agar agar)

1 tsp. sea salt

and 3 tsp. dry baking soda.

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Mix above mixture and then add the following wet ingredients-using a wire whisk–mixing in well once the water is added:

1/4 cup grape seed oil (or its equivalent heat resistant oil)

1/2 cup 24 hour yogurt (note: use regular yogurt if you are not lactose intolerant–or one to two teaspoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you are casein intolerant)

2 cups water

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Let above mixture  sit and  grind the following ingredients into meal with your grinder:

2 cups dry, hulled sunflower seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds (if you don’t have them–just use extra sunflower seeds instead)

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Hand mix in the above freshly ground seed meal to the wet  mixture above.

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Then grate and add in to the above mixture by hand:

4 cups packed, fresh shredded zucchini (roughly three 7 inch zukes from the store)

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Meanwhile, have a pre-heated fry pan waiting.  Then add 1 tsp. coconut oil and spread around with your spatula before adding in the batter.

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Note: This makes a thicker than most pancake batter. You may find it best to spread the batter around with say a flat spatula that has been wetted with a little  water–so the batter is flat on the pan and not too thick. Flipping it over isn’t hard once you get used to it–you need to run the flat  spatula under them first all around the circumference. I suggest you make small pancakes at first to get acquainted with the idea.

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Some might want to halve this recipe. I made a lot so I wouldn’t  have to whip up another batch the next day. Enjoy!

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PS.–the batter turns green when it sits.  Its just the chlorophyll! Stir it before use. I kept it in a closed container in the fridge until I used it again. I didn’t want it to sit too long in the fridge however since the zukes are perishable and could make it get moldy after a while…

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PPS–my non- gluten free friends up north in Oregon and on Puget Island in the Columbia River (on the Washington side) loved this recipe!

Bea’ s Gluten Free Ginger Chicken Borscht

by Bea Garth, copyright 2010

Gluten Free

Potato Free

Note: This is another one of my gluten free recipes. It is perfect for impressing your boy or girl friend, family, or take to a potluck. Might want to halve the recipe if you just make it for yourself. Excellent for overcoming a migraine  or accidental glutening–or if you otherwise just want to detox. Very tasty! The ginger, rosemary and basil really brings it out.  The plain yogurt topping is optional– however I find it really adds to the zest of this dish.

2 chicken breasts

2 chopped beets

4 tsp chopped ginger

2 medium or 3 small sweet potato thinly sliced (4 cups)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cup sliced celery

3 cups water

3 beet tops, chopped (not fine)

2 tsp basil dry crushed
2 tsp fresh rosemary, stripped from stem (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon tamari gluten free soy sauce
2 cups sliced broccoli flowerets
2 cups water
2 small zucchini thinly sliced (roughly 7 inch)

Optional:

Cooked brown rice

plain yogurt

lemon or apple cider vinegar to taste

Remove skin and chop chicken into roughly one inch pieces (can chop and de-bone after cooking a while  if desired).  Place in large skillet with 2 cups water.
Add the chopped ginger. Cover and bring to boil, then simmer until chicken is well cooked (15 min).

Add sliced beets with 1 cup water. Again bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes.

Add sliced sweet potato, celery and loosely chopped beet greens (or cabbage) and salt with rosemary and basil. Simmer one minute with lid on. Then distribute zucchini evenly over top surface.  Simmer covered 8 to 10 minutes until veggies poke easily with fork.

Sprinkle chopped garlic over surface, stirring into juices. Replace lid. Remove from heat.

Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve over brown rice (optional) topped with some plain yogurt and a little fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste (if desired) — or Bragg’s apple cider vinegar.

Teff Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes

by Bea Garth copyright 2010

Note: This time of the year many of us want to start using alternative gluten free flours  and other healing foods as well as herbs.  The following is one of my favorites.

Teff Pancakes with alternatives…

In mixing bowl add and mix together and blend using a wire whisk:

¼ cup oil (grape seed, safflower, or sunflower etc. Even olive oil will do)

3 cups water

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. xanthum gum

Then mix in (one ingredient at a time) with a large spoon:

½ cup tapioca flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 ½ cup teff flour

If the batter is too stiff, add a little more water.

If eggs are OK for you, you can add an egg or two. If you do add eggs however only put in one teaspoon of the baking soda unless you like your pancakes really “cake-like” and high. The eggs can take the place of the xanthum gum if necessary.

Preheat your frying pan, then turn down to medium low. When pan is hot but not too hot add a half teaspoon of coconut oil. It’s the best oil to use since it doesn’t stick or burn easily plus is very healthy to use.

I make small to medium sized pancakes and turn them after roughly 3 minutes per side.

I like to serve them with yogurt and sunflower seeds sweetened with a small dusting of plain powdered stevia, however any cut fruit or honey etc. will do.

Make extras as snacks. Nice for lunch or anytime. You can store the batter with a lid or plate on top of the bowl or container and make as needed. Enough for 3 or 4 people—or 3 or 4 mornings.

Note: Alternatively one can substitute cornmeal, buckwheat or even brown rice flour for the teff (or the sorghum). If  desired, one can substitute a tablespoon of mashed yam for the tapioca flour and add some other less adhesive flour in its place. Mashed banana is good too for its adhesive capabilities —1 to 2 small banana should do it. Alternatively one can simply use 1 to 2 eggs and forget the yam or banana unless desired for taste etc.

I sometimes add already cooked rice to it to give it a nice texture, esp. if I use brown rice as the main flour ingredient. Add less other flours like sorghum if so however…or add  as little more oil and water to make a bigger batch.

Carob Banana Bars (gluten, sugar, milk, egg free)

by Bea Garth, copyright 2008

Try these delicious carob, banana bars. Again they seem sinfully rich but aren’t since there is no sugar, chocolate, eggs or milk.

preheat oven to 350 degrees

½ cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut milk (or other)
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

2 cups GF flour mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon stevia powder
½ teaspoon potato flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup carob powder

Optional — Add:
1 cup sunflower seeds (or chopped nuts)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Add vanilla extract, coconut milk and applesauce ; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in mashed bananas.
Combine the gluten free flour mix, potato flour, xanthan gum, carob, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add flour mixture to creamed and mix well.
Optional: Add sunflower seeds or chopped nuts.
Spread into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until the bars test done.
Yields about 2 ½ to 3 dozen bars.

Gluten Free Carob Brownies

by Bea Garth, copyright 2008

(Note: Steve Arntson convinced me I should post some of my better gluten free baking experiments. I can vouch that this one is really excellent. This treat tastes sinfully rich but is wheat free etc., sugar and chocolate free with no artificial additives!)

Bake at 325’ F –preheat oven

Mix and sift together the following dry ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup quinoa flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. potato flour
¾ cup carob powder
1 tsp. bak. soda
1 tsp bak. pwdr
1 scant tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthum gum
1 tsp. stevia

Then mix together the following wet ingredients:
½ cup safflower or other oil
½ cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup applesauce

Then mix wet into dry ingredients.

Optionally can add ½ cup sunflower seeds or other seeds or nuts.

Oil 8×8” baking pan or a 9” round cake pan. I use coconut oil.
Spoon brownie mixture into pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes,
until you can test it with a wooden toothpick and it comes out clean.

Really excellent to chase away the blues without truly pigging out!