Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

I’ve often said on this blog that I’ve been searching for a bread recipe that doesn’t turn out like a brick or is gummy. That’s very difficult when eggs aren’t included in the recipe. Flax gel and other egg substitutes just don’t seem to work well in breads. I may, however, have finally found the answer. Here’s a bread recipe that I’ve just made, raises very nicely, is very easy to make, even with the yeast. It’s really not that difficult to use yeast, the correct temperature to activate yeast is between 98 and 101 degrees so lukewarm like baby formula. And it tastes delicious!

Grease an 8×4″ loaf pan. In a 2-cup bowl, heat in the microwave for 40-45 seconds:

1 cup non-dairy milk

When you take it out, stir it a little then test it with your finger or put a drop on your wrist. It should be lukewarm, your body temperature so if you put a drop on your wrist, it shouldn’t feel hot or cold. If it feels cool, put it back in the microwave for 5-10 seconds more. If it feels too hot, stir with a metal spoon and whisk in:

2 teaspoons date sugar

This should help cool it down but test it again. If it already feels lukewarm on your wrist go ahead and add the date sugar along with:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Whisk in the yeast and set aside for 10-15 minutes. If your yeast/milk mixture doesn’t start bubbling (foaming) in the first 5 minutes, it’s no good, throw it out and start again.

While the yeast works, in a large bowl combine:

1 cup millet flour

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup arrowroot

1/2 cup tapioca starch (or flour)

1/4 cup quinoa flour

1/4 cup whole millet (optional)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whisk to combine, leaving a pit in the middle of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine:

5 tablespoons ground chia seeds

1 cup warm water (again test on your wrist for lukewarm)

3 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons vinegar

Let sit for a couple of minutes (3 or 4). Add to the dry ingredients and then add:

the yeast mixture

the chia mixture

Stir to combine wet and dry ingredients but be careful not to overmix or your bread will be tough. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan, pushing down the dough to release any air bubbles and gaps along the sides of the pan. Set in a warm place for 40-50 minutes or until dough reaches the top of the loaf pan.* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for 60 minutes. Remove and cool completely (3-4 hours at least) before cutting.

*I brushed the top of the loaf with avocado oil so that the top didn’t get dried out while rising. When I removed it from the oven, I brushed it again with the oil to soften the top crust which likes to crumble with this bread.

Quinoa Bread

This is a quick bread – uses baking powder and baking soda as rising agents instead of yeast. Yet it comes out quite light and fluffy, almost a savory cake consistency. For a finer grain use quinoa flour rather than attempting to grind your own. Using my food processor, I pulsed the raw quinoa for almost five minutes without successfully grinding even half the two cups.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally spray or grease an 8×5″ loaf pan (I used a glass one for more even cooking). In a medium to large mixing bowl combine:

2 cups ground raw quinoa (or flour)

1 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Whisk to combine and aerate. In a smaller (4 cup) bowl combine:

2 cups oat milk (or any non-dairy milk)

3 tablespoons avocado oil (or any oil will work)*

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Whisk and add to the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or hand mixer on low, mix until combined. Batter will be thinner than cookie dough. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in middle rack of oven with a piece of parchment paper loosely covering it so that it doesn’t over-brown. Remove the paper after 30 minutes. Bake for a total of 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.

*TIP: Add your oil before any type of syrup and the sweetener will run right out of the measure.

Stuffed Winter Squash

I do love squash, doesn’t matter to me what kind, color, shape, etc., it’s all delicious. My mother used to cut acorn squash in half and fill the halves with butter and maple syrup and bake them, so good! It never occurred to me to stuff winter squash but here’s a recipe that’s succulent and almost sinfully good. It doesn’t hurt that it’s extremely easy to make either! Use whatever kind of winter squash you like (I used acorns and the recipe would have stuffed 3 or 4 (so 6-8 halves).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve and seed squash, the number will depend on what kind you use and how big a hole will need filling. Rub the inside of the squash with:

1 tablespoon olive oil (2 if you have more than 4 halves)

Place each half, meat side down, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 40-60 minutes or until fork tender.

While the squash bakes prepare the stuffing. In a 12″ skillet, heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil

When hot add:

6-8 ounces chopped shitake mushrooms

1 bunch scallions (8-10), sliced (put 1/4 cup aside for garnish)

Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot depending on your family’s taste)

Cook, crumbling the meat as it cooks, until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add:

1 1/2-2 cups cooked quinoa, again depending on how much stuffing you need for your squash halves (I used a bag of frozen cooked quinoa from Whole Foods)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the quinoa is heated through and the garlic tender, about 3 minutes. Keep warm until the squash is cooked.

When the squash is tender, remove from oven, turn meat side up and fill the cavity with the stuffing. Garnish with reserved scallion greens and:

2-4 tablespoons (depending on how many halves you have) date syrup (honey or maple syrup).

Serve immediately.

Baked Oats and Pumpkin Puddings

I’ve been looking at all kinds of recipes for baked “oats”. But none of them have actual oatmeal in them, they all use oat flour. So here’s my alternative. I’ve added some quinoa flour and oat protein powder to the mix to increase the protein content of the pudding as well as increasing the sweetener a little because the flour, at least in my opinion, overrides the taste of the pumpkin and spices. I didn’t think of it until after they were in the oven but adding some roasted pepitas would some crunch.

As a reminder for those of you new to my blog, there are a number of allergen-free recipes here to make your Thanksgiving dinner allergen free such as gluten-free gravy (and fat free), string-bean casserole, vegan pumpkin pie, and a delicious mushroom and Italian sausage stuffing (which I made this year with a loaf of that quick and easy oat bread on the blog).

Lightly grease 6, 6-ounce ramekins and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk together:

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup quinoa flour

3/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup pumpkin protein powder (or any protein powder you use, vanilla or even chocolate would work)

1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey, coconut nectar, date syrup, etc.)

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup dairy-free milk (any will do but I would advise against using soy)

1/4 cup roasted pepita seeds

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Whisk until smooth then scoop into the ramekins to about 1/2″ from the top. Dust top with more pumpkin pie spice. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until set.

Fish and Rice Stirfry (Dairy-free, Soy-free, Gluten-free)

I’m always looking for new ways to use fish. Fish is one of those proteins that I love to eat but don’t often like to cook. This is a quick recipe that really highlights flavor. Its well balanced nutritionally, very filling, and can be adjusted to serve the tastes of anyone.

You’ll need:

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked quinoa
6-8 ounces white fish, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 3 tablespoons fresh parsley)
Scallions, cherry tomatoes, etc. for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of a half lemon

In a large hot skillet, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute over medium heat until celery and carrots are softened. Add the fish and cook thoroughly. Add the rice, quinoa, peas, and herbs.* Stir to combine. Heat through, spritz with the lemon juice and serve with whatever garnishes you like. This time of year, my first garnish is always tomatoes although this year, without my husband’s garden, I’ve had to find fresh tomatoes in the markets.

*Other additions, depending on your tastes, could be some diced peppers, sweet or hot; some hot sauce or chili oil; Old Bay seasoning or other herbs; and perhaps, since I’m now living in Minnesota instead of New Hampshire where this seems to be like seafood back east, some wild rice instead of the brown rice and/or quinoa.

Quinoa and Wild Rice Stuffing (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan)

My father and older brother used to spend the fall hunting birds such as grouse, pheasant, and quail. All of these birds are quite small so none alone would make a meal for six people so my mother would save them up all fall and for New Year’s Eve, she would bake them with a wild rice and artichoke stuffing. Here’s my version. Serves 6-8.

You’ll need:

1 cup cooked wild rice (be sure to get just wild rice, not a wild rice mixture. This took me some hunting but I did manage to find a small bag in my local grocery)
2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 diced onion
3 stalks of celery diced
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
8-10 small baby artichokes, cooked (I used jarred in water and they worked fine) and quartered – if you can’t find baby ones, use artichoke hearts but trim the tops to remove any tough pieces
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 quart baking dish, greased
1/4 cup avocado oil

Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the onions, celery and mushrooms. Simmer over medium heat until tender. Add the rice and quinoa and mix thoroughly. Pour into the greased baking dish and pour the vegetable stock evenly over mixture (if you prefer, you can use turkey or chicken stock instead). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes uncovered.

Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, soy-free, vegan)

If you love quinoa and sweet potatoes as much as I do, this recipe is a must for your side dish repertoire. It easy to make and delicious to eat, flavorful from the herbs and garlic as well as the sweet potato, crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Garnish with your favorite aioli or eat them plain. Be sure to add lots of scallions to garnish as well since sweet potatoes love them. I used a curry aioli which I made by adding 2 teaspoons of curry powder to 1/2 cup of hot olive oil. Let it cool before you begin blending the aioli. Make sure you don’t heat the oil after you add the curry powder or it will burn very quickly. Makes 6 servings (2 patties each).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need:

1 cup cooked quinoa, whatever color you like
1 cup sweet potato puree
1 15 ounce can drained chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 of a medium onion
1/4 cup quinoa flour
2 scallions sliced for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon seasoning mixture such as Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon ground flax, preferably golden
2 tablespoon arrowroot
1/3 cup water
1 to 1 1/2 cups breads crumbs, with seasonings added — remember if you need more, you can add more but you can’t take it away or use it again once you’ve covered your patties.

Mix the ground flax with 3 tablespoons of hot water and let sit until cool. In a food processor, add the chickpeas, garlic and onion. Blend until well mashed. In a bowl, put the quinoa, sweet potato puree, chickpea mixture, flour and seasonings. In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot with the other 3 tablespoons of water (cold this time). Combine the arrowroot and the ground flax mixtures and add to the quinoa mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Spread the bread crumbs in a small baking dish (I used a small cookie sheet with sides). Scoop out the quinoa mixture by 1/4 cups (it doesn’t have to be exact). Put the scooped mixture on the bread crumbs and cover with more bread crumbs as you flatten it. Place on another sheet while you finish the remaining patties, make sure you wipe off excess bread crumbs.

Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and when the patties are browned, put them on this cookie sheet in a single layer. In a large skillet, put 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat (more may be needed as the patties fry). Add the patties to the skillet without crowding and brown on each side. When all are fried, bake them for 15-20 minutes to heat through and cook inside. Garnish with aioli and scallions.

Quinoa and Rice Cereal with Fruit (dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan)

I grew up in New Hampshire and my mother was always very frustrated with me in the winter because I absolutely refused to eat any type of hot cereal. I remember distinctly back in the 1950s and 1960s that Maypo was the go to hot cereal along, of course, with oatmeal. Not for me! I hated hot cereal, it was always so slimy in my mouth. Probably the way my mother cooked it. My mother would be so upset with me now to see how much hot cereal I eat during the winter. This is one of my favorites. I used to buy expensive quinoa and rice cereal already premade, just add the liquid and cook it. Now I make my own; so easy and it can be done with the new overnight refrigerator technique. I give you the stovetop version here. Makes two servings.

In a medium saucepot:

1/2 cup white quinoa
1 small pear diced
8-10 blackberries or raspberries (blackberries don’t break up as much as raspberries so I usually use those and its fine to take them out of the freezer and add them into the pot frozen)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash or two of salt

In a blender, blend until mainly smooth:

1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cold water

Add this to the pot, cover and cook over low heat, stirring frequently. This will thicken quickly because of the fruit so be sure to stir often. Keeping it covered insures that the quinoa cooks. When the quinoa looses its white sheen, its cooked. If its too wet, cook uncovered for a few more minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup if the fruit hasn’t gotten it sweet enough. You can also feel free to add a tablespoon of ground flax, some chia seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, etc. Or substitute an apple for the pear.

To use the overnight refrigerator technique, put all the ingredients into a large mason jar, shake to mix (or stir), and refrigerate overnight. Heat up in the morning and enjoy.

Savory or Sweet Seed Crackers (dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free)

Sometimes the best comfort food is something small, quick and within reach. These seed crackers fit that need for me since I can’t have anything pre-made like store-bought cookies or crackers. The savory crackers go well with hummus, guacamole, or other dips and even with some non-dairy cheeses. The sweet ones are tasty by themselves or with some hemp cream. And with both of them, you can vary the herbs and seasonings to fit your taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the savory or sweet crackers, put in your food processor:

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup water

Process until blended and the rice is broken down, adding small amounts of water as needed. The amount of water used will depend on the moisture in your rice and quinoa. The mixture should have a dough consistency. Remove half from the processor and form into a ball. Make a hollow in them middle and add herbs such as:

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dry parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Need herbs into the dough. Place dough on a piece of greased parchment the size of your baking tray (preferably one without sides so you can slide the rolled out dough onto the sheet easily, before and after baking. Place a second greased parchment sheet on top and using a rolling pin or heavy can, roll out dough until very thin. The thinner you can make it, the crispier the crackers after baking. Place on baking sheet, remove top layer of parchment and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from over, flip over (this is always difficult for me and I usually end up with some of the dough underneath so I have to pull it open again but if you’ve cooked it long enough, this is easily accomplished), and cut into cracker sized squares. Put back into the oven for another 20-30 minutes until crackers are crispy and browned on the edges. If you have some that are thinner than others (usually the middle of my crackers are slightly thicker), remove the thinner ones and continue cooking the thicker ones until they are dry and crispy.

For the sweet crackers, you should have left half the dough in the food processor. Return the bowl to the processor and add:

2 tablespoons carob or cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon monk fruit powder
2 tablespoons hemp hulls

Process until well mixed; you shouldn’t need to add more water but if you do, add it by tablespoons being careful not to get mixture too wet. Remove from processor, and follow rolling and baking directions above.

Quinoa Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free)

This is easy to make and one of those dishes where you can follow my recipe exactly or add whatever vegetables your family likes. Quick and easy. To turn this side dish into a meal, simply add 12 ounces of flaked tuna or salmon, or cooked chicken. If you want to add more fiber, you can add some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or even some hemp hulls or chia seeds. This recipe is also very easily reduced to make fewer servings.

Put in a 2 quart saucepan:

1 cup plain or red quinoa
2 cups water

Cover and cook on medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork before you put it in the fridge to cool.

To a 10-12 inch skillet heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Add:

1 small red onion chopped
1 small zucchini sliced
1 small summer or yellow squash sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic depending on size
1 small yellow, orange or red pepper chopped

Saute over medium heat until softened. Put aside to cool.

Add to the pan:

1/2 cup shredded carrot (I like to use the rainbow)
1/2 cup diced jicama (or if you prefer apple)
1/2 cup sliced snap or snow peas
1/2 to 1 cup of cooked green peas
1/2 cup cooked yellow or white corn

In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa and all the vegetables. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your favorite vinaigrette and mix thoroughly. Chill. You may need to add more of the vinaigrette after you’ve chilled it since it may dry out as the quinoa absorbs more of the liquid. I like to serve this on a bed of red leaf lettuce. This recipe serves 8-10 as a side dish.