Monday, November 21, 2011

Flax Bread

As promised, the flax bread recipe, cut and paste from Gluten Free Easy site.

I doubled the recipe and baked in a bread loaf pan. S has become quite adept and making this almost entirely by himself!

Kiva’s Golden Flax Bread (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free +)

From Gluten Free Easily

Kiva’s Golden Flax Bread

2/3 cup flax meal

1/3 cup almond meal (optional, but other nut meals can be substituted)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder*

Salt to taste (I like more salt in my flax bread than I would in other bread)

about 3 tsp olive oil or unrefined coconut oil (or butter, depending on what kind of flavor you want and your specific dietary needs)

2 eggs (1 egg will suffice, but 2 eggs holds together just a bit better)

water to texture desired (it makes a big difference, and the wetter it is, the harder it is to get it to cook all the way through, I go for minimal water needed to get things fluid enough to pour the batter)

Mix dry ingredients together well.

Gently beat eggs together before adding (optional, but it blends better that way).

The recipe will work for a regular-sized pie tin or small loaf pan. Double the recipe for a more normal-sized bread loaf pan. Don’t forget to grease the pan well before pouring the batter in.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Toothpick or butter knife should could out clean if you insert it into the center of the bread. Enjoy fresh out of the oven or at room temperature for a nice sandwich.

Variations:

For an herbed bread: add small chunks of sharp cheddar cheese, a tablespoon of crushed thyme, a tablespoon of crushed sage, a teaspoon of oregano or bee balm, small handful of fresh chopped rosemary, fresh ground black pepper to taste, and maybe some coarse salt on top. You can even add some green onion, broccoli, or nettles for extra panache if you like.

Sweet Bread: add cinnamon, honey, cardamom, vanilla, and even some fresh fruit like sliced strawberries.

Pancakes: just make the batter thin enough to spread on a hot cast iron pan or griddle. Unsweetened applesauce is nice in the pancakes instead of water.

Pictures are of this morning’s bread, with walnuts added for extra texture and arugula and sage added for delightful greenness. This loaf was made in a metal pie tin.

Recipe courtesy of Kiva Rose (Bear Medicine Herbals)

*Be sure to use a grain-free baking powder or grain-free baking powder substitution to make these completely grain free. Kelly (The Spunky Coconut) did a handy post a while back on this topic. Be sure to read the comments in response to her post for readers’ thoughts and ideas on this topic.

Shirley’s Notes: My loaf was only 6 inches in diameter and maybe an inch and a half high. I used one tablespoon plus one teaspoon of water. I’ll use a little more water next time to see if I can get a slightly larger loaf as is shown in Kiva’s photos. I used Honeyville almond flour, olive oil, aluminum-free baking powder, a dash of sea salt, and two eggs. For a baking receptacle, I used a stoneware pie plate that I had simply lined with parchment paper. Next time I plan to use a loaf pan. I’ll either use a small one or double the recipe and use a regular-sized loaf pan as Kiva advises.

Find more recipes like this at http://www.glutenfreeeasily.com

Sunny Seed Paté

It was lovely to gather with you Mamas this weekend!

Here's the sunny seed paté spread some of you asked about. I added tahini, a carrot, and some olive oil. The recipe is from The Avocado Queen.com.

Recipe for Simplicity - Sunflower Seed Pate

BASIC Recipe - Combine the following ingredients in a Food Processor (with the "S" blade):

  • 2 cups soaked raw sunflower seeds (ideally soaked for 4-6 hours, but less is okay if there is no time to plan)
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1-2 clove garlic (according to your own taste)
  • 2 TB nama shoyu (or substitute gluten-free tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
  • 1/2 TB cumin
  • dash of cayenne (or more to taste)

Tasty Additions (add some or all of the following):

  • 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley or cilantro
  • 1/2 small onion (about 1/4 cup)
  • 4+ kale leaves
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1-2 stalks of celery
  • 1/2-1 bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup raw tahini