Brown Rice Bread

I’m always looking for different gluten free bread recipes. Most of the light, fluffy gluten free breads use eggs for that lightness. But it is possible to make gluten-free breads using baking powder instead of yeast and/or eggs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally grease an 8×5″ loaf pan (preferably glass for even cooking). In a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup of all-purpose gluten free flour (oat, white rice, etc., would also work)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk or stir to combine and aerate. In a smaller bowl, combine:

2 cups non-dairy milk

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Whisk or stir before adding to the dry ingredients. Using a large spoon or hand mixer on low, mix until combined. Batter will be the consistency of a cake batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Asparagus and Mushroom Galette

My grandson loves asparagus so when I saw a recipe for this in a magazine, I knew I had to make it for him. And it was a big hit! So big in fact that he ate the entire thing, except for a couple of pieces his parents managed to snitch. It’s easier to make than a pie and just as tasty. And the asparagus and mushrooms can easily be replaced by other veggies to meet your family’s tastes. I’m thinking about making another one using green beans and mushrooms or some of those great roasted veggies I prefer like parsnips and carrots.

First, prepare a gluten-free pie crust, enough for one 12-inch crust (I have several recipes on this site or use your favorite) and put it in the frig to chill.* Then, prepare the vegetables. You’ll need:

1 pound asparagus
1 medium sweet onion (or 2 stalks of leeks, white part only, or 4 shallots)
1/2 pound of baby bella or shitake mushrooms
4 ounces of soft vegan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Salt and other herbs to your taste

To make the galette:

Wash and cut into 1-2″ pieces One pound of asparagus
Peel, cut in half, and then into slices, a medium sweet onion (or if you prefer, you could use shallots or leeks, washed and cut into 1/4″ slices)
Clean and slide a half-pound of baby bella or shitake mushrooms
Heat over medium heat, 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil before adding the vegetables
Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon (depending on taste) of salt and cook until veggies are softened, about 5 minutes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Take the pie crust dough out of the frig and roll it out to a 12″ round (I did this on a piece of parchment paper already on a baking sheet (without sides) for easier assembly)
Crumble your favorite vegan soft cheese over the cooled vegetable mixture and add the fresh thyme
Spoon the mixture onto the pie crust to within 2″ of the edge (want to leave that 2″ to fold back up over the vegetable mixture)
Fold up the edges of the crust, pleating it as you go, leaving the middle of the galette open
Brush the folded crust with non-dairy milk (optional, or if you can have egg, you could use one beaten egg for this)
Sprinkle with more cheese to taste
Bake in pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown
Let stand a few minutes before cutting

*I find the pre-formed gluten-free pie crust impossible to remove from its aluminum pie plate so I don’t recommend using those for this.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I remember my mother making chocolate bread pudding, my father’s favorite, when she had stale bread. That usually happened in the fall and winter months since bread pudding really is a heavy dessert that wouldn’t go well during warmer months. Yet this gluten-free bread pudding I found to be much lighter than what I remember. I haven’t had or made bread pudding in years although it’s come to my attention a lot in recent months watching bakers make a variety of bread puddings on the Food Network. And of course, there was a long stretch when bread just wasn’t a part of my diet since I wasn’t particularly fond of those bricks of rice bread that crumbled if you tried to eat them and weren’t really that tasty. But gluten-free breads have come a long way in the last several years. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did! Feel free to change up whatever you need to for your family’s tastes. For example, if nuts are in your diet, chopped walnuts or pecans would work instead of the pumpkin seeds. And raisins or currants can be substituted for the dried cranberries. Serves 8-12 depending on serving size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×15″ baking pan. In a large bowl whisk to combine:

1 cup date sugar (or coconut; syrups would work as well)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or allspice)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 15ounce can pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon baking powder (because we’re not adding any eggs)
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup pumpkin protein powder

Add:

3 cups non-dairy milk (anything except soy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk until smooth before adding:

6 cups diced stale bread (I used an entire 8 ounce loaf, 12 slices)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. I let mine sit in the fridge for almost 2 hours before I got around to baking it. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand at least ten minutes before serving. Serve warm with your family’s favorite “nice” cream or non-dairy creamer if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Pumpkin French Toast

So good it doesn’t need maple syrup, not that you shouldn’t feel free to top this toast with a little. There is maple syrup in the recipe, so it already has some sweetness. I found putting syrup on the toast masked the flavor of the pumpkin and spices so if you must, a little dab’ll do you as the old saying goes. Of course, you can substitute sweet potato or squash puree for the pumpkin and the spices can also be altered depending on your family’s tastes.

In a one-inch-deep bowl combine:

1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin protein
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or allspice)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Whisk together until well combined. Over medium high heat, in a large skillet heat:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Using a total of 8 slices of gluten-free bread, soak slices in the mixture (I found pressing down on the second side helps it absorb the pumpkin mixture). When the oil is hot, add the bread. Continue dipping slices until the skillet is full. Brown on the first side for about 3-4 minutes before turning and cooking on the second side for about the same time or until brown and crispy. You may want to turn them several times to get all sides browned and crispy. Add more slices as you remove those that are cooked. The last slice may need a little help absorbing the liquid since most of it will already be used. I took a spoon and scrapped the last remaining mixture onto the second side. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings of 2 slices each.

Swedish Fruit Pie

I was looking on the internet the other day for alternatives to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and found this using apples. I think it would be excellent with most fruits. It’s more like what we’d call in the United States a crumble. Easy to make and tasty, the most difficult part is peeling and cutting up the fruit. I used pears but apples, peaches, plums, figs, raspberries or blackberries, would work very well. And any combination of spices that your family likes would work as well as the three I used, cardamom, allspice, or ginger for example.

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees then peel and cut up:

about 2 pounds of fruit (4 cups, I used four large pears)

Try to make the fruit all the same size so it cooks evenly. Toss the fruit with a mixture of:

1 tablespoon date sugar (or any granulated sugar you like)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate then pour in the fruit. In the same bowl as you had the fruit, mix together:

3/4 cup melted vegan butter or avocado oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar (any kind)
1/4 cup brown sugar (again I used date)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk to combine until the sugar is dissolved. If you can use eggs, feel free to substitute 1 egg for the vinegar (be sure to cool the vegan butter before adding the egg). Once combined, add the following ingredients which you’ve sifted together:

1 cup all-purpose, gluten-free flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (if you used an egg reduce this to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir to mix thoroughly, mixture will be thick and almost crumbly if you didn’t use the egg. Spread over the fruit and then sprinkle with another teaspoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until crust is fully cooked. Let cool before serving for easy cutting. Can be topped with any non-dairy cream or whip.

Pear and Blackberry Crumble

Sorry that I’ve not been able to post new recipes for the last several months. Early in July, I fell and severely injured my left leg and was bedridden for almost six weeks. Then, earlier this month my doctor discovered several basal cell carcinomas; one on my right arm and the other on my nose. So I’m in the midst of dealing with that.

One way I’ve often dealt with cheering myself up is with food which is probably one of the reasons I now suffer from so many allergies and sensitivities. Today, I put together a crumble using pears along with what I think is it’s perfect pairing – blackberries. Easy to do, don’t even need a mixer; just a couple of bowls and a mixing spoon. And oh so delicious and much healthier than, oh say, pie or cake.

First, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of an 8″ baking pan (square works best). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine:

3-4 slightly unripe pears, peeled then sliced or diced
1/2 pint blackberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc., whichever you like best
Dash of sea salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Mix to combine. In the second medium size bowl combine:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (preferably organic)
1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/3 cup date sugar (or coconut)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup avocado oil (or melted vegan butter if you can use it)

Stir to combine until all the dry mixture is moistened. Spread about half the oat mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the fruit mixture, spreading evenly in the pan and then finally distribute the remainder of the oat mixture evenly over the top of the fruit. Bake for about an hour depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Serve hot or warm with either a non-dairy frozen ice “cream” or I like it with just a bit of oat milk. Makes 6-8 servings.

Simple Vegan French Toast

I’ve blogged a French toast recipe before now but I think this one is even easier and tastier than the previous one. This recipe is so easy a child can do it for themselves or parents. Just a couple of ingredients, which can be changed depending on the taste you’re looking for (i.e., nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, etc.) on a particular day. I found, using hot oil, that the outside gets very crunchy while the inside stays soft and tender.

Whisk together in a 3-cup bowl (wide enough to put a slice of bread into):

3/4 cup non-dairy milk, your choice

1/2 teaspoon spice, again your choice (I prefer allspice but use whichever spice you like)

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon arrowroot

Set aside and heat over medium high heat in a 12″ or larger skillet:

2 tablespoons oil

Dip into the milk mixture, one at a time:

6 gluten-free slices of bread, again your choice as to what kind*

The milk mixture may take more than six slices depending on the density of your bread. You may want to do this before heating the oil and let the slices of bread sit for a minute in the milk mixture since gluten-free bread can be denser than other breads and may need to soak a little longer; remove each slice after soaking to a baking sheet if doing prior to heating the oil. The oil will splatter because of the liquid in the bread so use a splatter guard if possible. Once the bread begins to brown, reduce heat to medium after flipping the slices over. Brown on the second side; the hot oil will get them nice and crispy. It takes about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with jam or maple, agave, or date syrup.

I know, more brown food!

*FYI, I made a batch of old-fashioned donut muffins, didn’t add the topping, sliced them in half crosswise and used them instead of bread and they were scrumptious! BTW, not the photo above.

Old Fashioned Cake Donut Muffins

It’s a snowy day here in Minnesota so I’m stuck at home. Days like this always give me an urge to bake. It comes from the days, growing up, when my father who worked for the Town road crew, could be out all day and often into the night plowing snow and salting the roads. He’d stop home once or twice in a twelve-hour period and be hungry and want a fresh thermos of coffee. On days like that, I’d bake cookies, muffins, cupcakes, anything portable but his favorite thing was my old fashioned cake donuts. I found a recipe yesterday, not allergy friendly of course, for donut muffins (Dianne on allrecipes.com) and I managed to make it allergy free. Hope you enjoy these. Make a single batch (6-7 small muffins) or a double batch (12-14). Either way, it takes longer to measure out all the ingredients than it does to mix them together and get the dough in the muffin tin! Very quick and easy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini or small muffin tin and set aside. For a single batch, in a medium bowl combine:

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons date sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (those of you who follow me regularly know I don’t like nutmeg but in old fashioned donuts, it just has to be nutmeg!)

Stir to combine before adding:

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any melted butter, margarine or shortening)

Stir until just combined. Portion into the baking sheet. Try to get all the muffins around the same size. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes or so before removing from the baking pan. If desired, top with the following:

Dip each muffin’s top into:

1/4 cup avocado oil (or melted butter, margarine or shortening of your choice; should be enough for all the muffins)

Then dip into a mixture of:

1/4 cup date sugar

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (cinnamon, allspice, etc., would also work just fine)

Let cool a few more minutes before serving, if they last that long!

*I used a small muffin pan (about 2″ diameter at the top and a double batch made 12).

Pumpkin Scones

The Asian pear scones were so delicious – moist and flavorful – that I decided to try another scone. These pumpkin scones are also very moist, with warm spices. Perfect served warm for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. And easy to make.

In the bowl of a food processor (or a medium size bowl) combine:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum (or guar gum)

1/2 cup date sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon allspice (or cinnamon)

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (or nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spices, cardamon)

1/4 cup Spectrum shortening (or full fat solid coconut oil or congealed olive oil*)

Pulse until crumbly (or use a pastry cutter or fork to combine until crumbly). Place mixture in a medium bowl. Add:

1/2 cup oat milk

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree

Mix until just combined. Spray a small baking sheet (9×15) or line with parchment paper. Turn the mixture out onto the baking sheet and form into a flattened circle approximately 8″ diameter. Using a wet knife, cut into quarters and then cut each quarter in half to form 8 triangles. Arrange pieces approximately 1″ apart on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (20-30 depending on your oven), or until the top is slightly firm when pressed and the scones are slightly darker in color. Cool.

OPTIONAL:

Glaze with a mixture of monk fruit confectioners sugar (approximately 2 tablespoons) and 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup. Add 1-2 teaspoons water as needed to form a thin glaze, or more maple syrup. Drizzle over scones.

*Put the olive oil in the freezer about an hour before you need it and it will solidify.

Quick Pumpkin Bread

Quick breads are so easy to make and so delicious to eat. Flavorful with warm spices, they take minutes to mix together and, when gluten-free, can take almost an hour to bake. But definitely worth it. Here’s a pumpkin quick bread recipe that will delight your whole family. I used allspice and ground cloves but feel free to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger (pumpkin pie spices) instead. Various flours can also be used including all-purpose (I use the 1 to 1) but whatever one you choose will work. For a lighter bread, eliminate the protein powder and use an additional half cup of one of the other flours.

First make some flax gel by combining in a small dish:

2 tablespoons ground flax meal

1/4 cup warm water

Whisk to combine and set aside to gel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bread pan (9×5″) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Into your mixer’s bowl or a medium bowl (if using a hand mixer), add:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup (date or agave syrup, honey)

1/4 cup avocado oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Mix until combined before adding:

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup pumpkin protein powder (or another 1/2 cup of any of the flours)

2 teaspoons allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 to 1/2 cup date sugar (depending on your taste)

the flax gel

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional, you could use chocolate or carob chips instead)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional to sprinkle on top in the pan)

Mix until all ingredients are well combined. This is a thick dough. Spoon into the prepared bread pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds if desired. Bake for 50-60 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean cook for another 5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Great warm or toasted the next day. Will keep for several days in an airtight container.