dessert for breakfast and healthy!

Last weekend I had been watching the bananas on the counter turn to the perfect brown dottiness for baking.  And then they started disappearing!  In this household, that is also just right for eating.  I was able to work with three bananas which became banana pancakes for Sunday breakfast.  These tasted like dessert but were heavenly!  And healthy!

Banana Pancakes

Note:  You may use milk or another non-dairy milk of your choice

          You may use two cups of whole wheat or white flour instead of the gluten free flours

3 bananas

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup teff flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 cup hempmilk

Start preheating a griddle over medium heat.

Mash the bananas well.  Mix in the brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and salt to the bananas.  (I did this in the blender because it was easier.)  Mix in the flours, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Mix in the hempmilk.  If you wish a thicker batter use less.  If a thinner batter, use more milk.

Grease your griddle and fry like you would for normal pancakes.  I found when I used olive oil for the frying, the pancakes were more caramelized.  Butter made them less candy like.  It was a bit strange.

My Beloved made unprintable comments about these pancakes they were so good!  It was like eating dessert first.  Did not need syrup!  Yumminess!

gluten free chocolate fudgy oatmeal peanut butter brownies

I got home from work and skating today knowing I was going to need to make something for the potluck at work tomorrow.  The potluck is on a Thursday, which does not sound so difficult, but one of the people eating eats vegetarian on Thursdays.  And she eats no eggs on Thursdays.  Part of the challenge was to come up with some sweet she could eat.  But then I figured any leftovers my Beloved would wish to eat would need to be gluten free.  I came up with the brownie recipe.  

Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Brownies

Notes:  To make vegan, find a peanut butter chip without whey in them or use chocolate chips.

            If you allergic to nuts, use 1/3 cup sorghum flour and 1/3 cup amaranth flour in the place of almond 

flour

    You can use 1 2/3 cup wheat flour in the place of all the gluten free flours if you wish.

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive or canola oil

2/3 cup hempmilk or other non-dairy milk or regular milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup arrowroot starch

1/3 cup potato flour

2/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup teff flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper or butter.  I used parchment paper because it is just easier.

Mix the sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla together.  Add all the flours, cocoa, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Mix well.  Mix in the oatmeal.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  At this point, you could mix in the peanut butter chips or sprinkle on the top.  I chose to sprinkle.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife stuck in the brownies come out clean.  If you can, wait 20 minutes to cool so they hold together better coming out of the pan.

These are just decadence.  Especially if they are just a bit warm.  There should be leftovers for my Beloved tomorrow but there may not be.

fry bread - gluten free or not if you please (biscuit too)

I was reading A Grave Denied by Dana Stabenow on Sunday morning and there was this description of fry bread and coffee that made my mouth water.

Now you must realize, the above picture is how my kitchen normally looks on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  Every burner of the stove is being used, something is in the crockpot, there might be something in my thermal pot (in this case yogurt), and I am trying out something new.  My Beloved just chuckles.  And reaps the rewards.  So in the middle of this, I look up some fry bread recipes and go about putting a gluten free one together so we can have it for breakfast.

fry bread (gluten free or not)

1/4 cup potato flour  (if you would like to make this without gluten free flours, just use 1 cup flour)

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup amaranth

1/4 cup corn 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup milk powder (I used non-instant)

1/4 teaspoon salt

warm water

In a skillet, heat a half of inch of oil.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  I actually whisk them to make sure there are no lumps.

Mix in enough warm water to make a stiff dough.  I started with a quarter cup and ended up closer to a half cup.  But do not add too much water because you need to roll out the dough.

Divide the dough into four.  Roll out each piece into a circle.  Put into the hot oil.  

They were done when they were golden and floated to the surface.

We ate them with beans, eggs, and honey.  VERY yummy!  Made our bellies haaapppyyy!!!

I did a little bit of experimenting with this dough.  I took a golf ball size bit and baked it just like a biscuit, 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten minutes.  This dough made a fabulous baked biscuit.  More ideas!  I am getting around to figuring out my scone recipe in a gluten free from.  I really need to buy more flours though.  Going to the grocery store has not been on the list recently.

Try the fry bread with honey and a cup of sweet tea or a cup of coffee with cream and brown sugar.  Happy belly!

gluten free blondies

Blondies worked!  These are not vegan but they are gluten free and the gluten free flours I used were whole grain.  I started with the blondie recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  I liked how few ingredients there were.  I find that I have the best luck with changing something to gluten free when the recipe is simpler.  My Beloved likes the protein count in these as well.  The flours add a bit.

Blondies

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground flax (as fine as possible)

1 tablespoon boiling water

1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup sorghum flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and "flour" a 8 by 8 inch pan.

Mix the butter and brown sugar together.   Really cream well.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Mix the flax and boiling water together in a small bowl.  Add to the sugar and butter mixture.

Add all the flours, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Mix well.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.  

Cool if possible!  They will come out of the pan easier.

These were good.  Not too overwhelmingly sweet but I think a bit of that is the whole grains.  I think they are lovely.  My Beloved makes them disappear.  It will be interesting to see how long they last (grin)

not the swedish chef doughnuts

I introduced my Beloved to the Swedish Chef a while back.  He was never one of those kids who sat much.  Outside and playing was his choice so he never saw the Muppets.  He now quotes the doughnut skit often.  But he has decided to go gluten free again because it makes him feel better.  And I wanted a doughnut pan.  What does that mean?  Gluten free doughnuts!

I took the recipe for Old Fashioned doughnuts by Lara Ferroni in her book Doughnuts:  Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home and made it gluten free and modified it to what I had in the kitchen.  It was very easy.

Gluten Free Old Fashioned Baked Doughnuts

1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1/4 cup millet

1/4 cup sorghum

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup corn flour

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup yogurt

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter or shortening

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together well.  You want them to be very well mixed and light.  Add the egg, yogurt, and butter.  Mix until everything is combined.

I purchased the Wilton doughnut pans that have a very nice non-stick finish.  The mini pan I would probably grease but the regular size I did not have to.  I also over filled the pans so less full then you see above

Bake 6 to 10 minutes.  Let cool a bit before you remove them from the pan.  Glaze.

These are pretty fabulous.  Also, if you have problems getting them out of the tin, they would make lovely cake balls!  The Tall Short Person came through and kept munching.  She did not even realize they were gluten free!  How amazing is that?  She has come to be more adventurous in her old age but she is still fairly picky.  A lot of picky has to do with texture so these were really spot on.

One caution:  Do not eat them all in one sitting (smile)