pancakes.

I can never find my pancake recipe. I have made pancakes since going GF at least a dozen times and yet, every time the craving strikes I end up spending half an hour trying to track down the recipe I liked after the million I read through before combining a few of my favorites.

I went through and read recipe after recipe. Searched my email. My hard drive. Nada. Then, darling boyfriend said "Don't you have the recipe on your blog?" I didn't. But I did have a grain free waffle recipe that was delicious and easy. Remembering the bisquick days of yore, I figured it couldn't be much of a stretch to turn one into the other.

Grain Free Coconut Pancakes (serves 4)


Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (as needed)
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil + more for greasing griddle
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 - 2 tablespoons shredded coconut (optional)
1 cup almond meal
3 egg whites
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional - to help egg whites set up)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar (brown sugar is fine too)


Grab two bowls - one medium to large mixing bowl one medium to small.


Separate your eggs, putting egg whites in the smaller bowl and yolks in the larger. Set whites aside.


Stir egg yolks. Add vanilla and coconut milk. Stir some more.


Add flax, almond meal, coconut flour, shredded coconut (if using - adds a great flavor and sweetness but does make the texture a bit grainy), a pinch of salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Stir. The mixture should be pretty thick.


Whisk egg whites with a bit of cream of tartar until they are frothy and beginning to set up. If you can get them to peaks, that is bonus points but not really necessary. We just want to beat them enough to get some air and bubbles in throughout. Add 1/2 the egg whites to batter and fold in until just combined. Add the rest of the egg whites and combine well.


At this point we want the batter to be juuuuust pourable. If yours isn't pourable (mine was not), add a splash of water at a time until it reaches a point where it is loose and just pourable. Not as wet as traditional pancake recipes (or my pizza recipe, lolz) but pourable none the less.








Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil and heat.


Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop pancakes onto griddle.







Leave them alone for about 2 minutes, until half the bubbles formed in the pancakes are popping then FLIP with confidence. Cook for 2 more minutes and set aside, covering until you serve.








Dig. In.

Gluten, Grain and Dairy free Brownies

No matter how much planning or googling I do, Father's Day always throws me for a gift giving loop.  It seems that the more creative I get the less likely my dad is to actually use or enjoy whatever I get him.

So what do you get for the man who has everything? Food. I chose food that my mother doesn't make (or particularly like).

Brownies.

These brownies are so rich and decadent it is a bit ridiculous. But they will hit the spot for any chocolate craving.  You can use milk or white chocolate if you prefer.  My family is chock full of dark chocoholics, so that is what I chose for this go around.  

If you prefer cakey brownies, add a few dashes of extra arrowroot starch and less melted chocolate.

12 oz GF chocolate (I used 3 oz of Enjoy Life Semisweet and 9oz of Sunspire 65% Cacao Bittersweet)

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (cornstarch is fine (and suggested by Martha if you do grains)

1/4 cup cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder (cacao will be slightly less sweet/chocolatey)

2 extra large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon espresso or instant coffee

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup coconut sugar, brown or white sugar (if using honey or agave, I would use 1/2 cup max)

1/3 and 1/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

coconut oil for greasing and melting chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a large microwave safe bowl, add chocolate (chop roughly if using bars), 1/3 cup of coconut milk and a few tablespoons of coconut oil.  Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well and then microwaving again. Add more coconut oil if needed to get a smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cinnamon, cacao powder, arrowroot, espresso and salt. In another small bowl, beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup coconut milk.

Grease pan well. You can do this in an 8x8 pyrex, metal pan or in a round pie dish. I use parchment paper as well, leaving at least 2 inches sticking out on each side so that I can lift the brownies out without incident post.

Once chocolate is melted stir in sugar. Next add egg and coconut mixture in thirds, stirring to integrate.  Then vanilla extract. Add dry mixture last and stir vigorously for 90 seconds. If you opt for cakey brownies, stir until the mix starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.  The brownies should be set but oh so very slightly wet in the middle when you're finished.  Turn off the heat and put the brownies back in the oven for 5 more minutes at this point.  Undercooking just a little bit keeps the brownies fudgy in the middle, so again if you prefer cakey, tack 5 minutes on to the bake time.

Allow to cool and cut with a wet pizza cutter or (pro tip from my Aunt who made the BEST brownies ever:) plastic knife. Optionally top with a sparse sprinkling of a coarse salt (my favorite is Alaea that I picked up on a Hawaiian vaca).

Indulge.

Gluten Free/ Primal/ Paleo Savory or Sweet Waffles

Sometimes, I wake up on the weekend and know exactly what I want to eat.  This morning, however, I wanted four different things that didn't make sense together. I wanted something that felt carb-y, something sweet, something savory, something crunchy... one of those mornings.

Doing my usual google dance for a good recipe using ingredients I have on hand, I found this awesome recipe for waffles, courtesy of 17 Recipes, which was the perfect base. I made some changes per my tastes and wanted some extra body to the waffles via the coconut flour to stand up to the savory filling. Which was still deeeelicious topped with some good maple syrup.

Happy hodge podge breakfasting to you.  Maybe it IS possible to have it all... *cough* for breakfast.


Gluten Free/ Primal/ Paleo Waffles (makes 6 waffles)

Ingredients
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil (for sweet) or butter/ghee (for savory), melted
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 cup almond meal
3 egg whites
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt

for sweet waffles:
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar

for savory:
1 tablespoon low sodium Adobo seasoning
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I like Organic Valley's Raw Milk Jack Cheese)
2 tablespoons of chives or green onions, finely diced

Directions:

Preheat your waffle iron.

1. Separate egg yolks and whites into two bowls.
2. Add milk, almond meal, coconut flour, flax and a pinch of salt to bowl with egg yolks and combine.
3. Melt fat of choice and add to almond yolk mixture, stirring to combine well.
4. Beat egg yolks until very frothy or peaks form. Fold in 1/4 to 1/3 of egg whites into almond - yolk mixture at a time until all of the egg whites are integrated.
5. Add sweet or savory ingredients to mix.

Batter will be thick and appear somewhat mealy if you add in shredded cheese.

You can use refined coconut oil, melted butter or the fat of your choice that holds up to high heat for greasing. Using an1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop waffle batter into center of greased waffle iron.  Cook until desired done-ness.  Top with fruit, maple syrup, honey and/or butter of your choice.

Gluten Free Superbowl!

Need some last minute superbowl help? Finger foods made gluten free are a friggin' snap, guys.

I already have a post of naturally GF dips waiting for your click, found here:

Black Bean Dip, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip and Garlic Shrimp Dip

And also feel I should mention this deliciousness courtesy of my spirit animal, Ina Garten:

Tuna Tapenade

The following recipe is something a little different that happens to also be very very very easy to adapt GF:

Artichoke Bread

I usually substitute a loaf of Joan's GF Great Bakes Italian Bread for the bread listed in the recipe. It holds up very well.  I'm sure that any of my Against the Grain favorites would work wonderfully too.

You can also use pretty much any dip as a sub for the Artichoke Dip if that is more your fancy. I used a fantastic crab dip the last time that was kind of like crab rangoon on a loaf of bread.  Also known as heaven, even for this heathen.

Lastly, a two new ones!

Gluten Free Crab Rangoon Dip

12-16 oz jumbo lump crab, drained and picked over for shells

2 green onions, chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of gluten free soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos)

1/2 tsp of lemon grass or 1 tsp of lemon juice

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 oz sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix it all together and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Optionally top with a layer of a parmesan to create a crust on the top.

If you'd prefer to make this mix into actual crab rangoon, you can make the exact same combo, subbing additional cream cheese for the sour cream

Rick Bayless's Winter Guacamole

3 avocados (they are ripe when they gently yield and mush to pressure)

1/4 cup of finely diced red onion

1/2 cup of finely diced sun dried tomatoes

2 fist fulls of cilantro

juice of 2 limes

1 - 2 jalapenos or serranos (if you are a spice hater -  sub a roasted poblano for smoke without heat)

S + P to taste

Mash avocados with a potato masher. Add the rest of the ingredients, finishing with the lime juice, salt and pepper. To change it up, you can add a few slices of bacon, drained canned crab or sauteed shrimp.

Lets go Jets..... in somewhere around 2020.

Baking Conversion Chart

Oh MAN was I excited when I saw this! I used to bake constantly, partially because my wonderful roommate was always an eager audience for my cookies, cupcakes, muffins etc etc etc.  Also because it was damn easy with wheat flour.  Which of course, I never appreciated until after I couldn't eat it anymore.

Once I learned about the Celiac/allergy/intolerance (depending on who you ask...), I scoured the internet for baking conversion charts after many failed experiments with trying to directly replace wheat flour with AP blends.

At long last, here is that chart!  Kudos to Udi's, who posted it on Facebook and Pinterest.

Herbed Baked Eggs

As much as I love summer, the days on the beach, getting out of work when there is still daylight to spare etc, I am more excited about Fall than I thought I was.

Exhibit A. I have busted my velour pants out of seasonal retirement.

Exhibit B. Craving savory, warm baked eggs when I woke up this morning.

Herbed Baked Eggs

(serves 2)

4 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon of butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of bleu cheese
2 - 3 tablespoons of finely diced green onions
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon or a large pinch of coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

You can bake this in a small pie dish or in two individual ramekins. I used two ramekins, which is reflected in the directions.

Preheat oven to 450.

Crack eggs into a small bowl. Set aside.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk to the bottom of each ramekin.  Put the baking sheet in oven for approx 5 minutes to melt the butter and heat both liquids so that they can combine easily.

While the butter and coconut milk are heating up, chop green onions and combine with herbs and parmesan.

Remove baking sheet from the oven. Working quickly, stir the liquids together and add two eggs to each ramekin.  Add one tablespoon of bleu cheese to each ramekin. Then, cover the top of each ramekin with the herb, green onion and parmesan mixture, akin to the way you might top a casserole with bread crumbs.

Return baking sheet to the oven and bake for 8 minutes at 450.  Then, turn the ramekins 90 degrees and return to the oven for 2 minutes.

Now, the eggs should be set, which you can test by rocking the ramekin slightly.  There should not be much of a jiggle except in the middle of the ramekin.  Remove baking sheet from the oven.  The eggs will continue to cook slightly out of the oven in the warm dishes.  Allow the eggs to sit for 2 minutes and serve.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Okay. WHO AMONG YOU KNEW THAT YOU COULD COOK A SPAGHETTI SQUASH IN THE MICROWAVE IN TEN MINUTES??? Ya'all are assholes, keeping that secret from me, knowing my deadly serious spaghetti squash addiction, letting me spend 45 minutes waiting for the oven timer to ding. Sheesh.  I see how it is. Anyway. Hostility aside. Now that I know this, there is no turning back.  I am slightly skeeved by microwave cooking but am also colossally lazy, so guess which self state won? 10 minutes vs 45 minutes.  Ding ding ding.

Boyfriend and I had sushi for dinner last night.  My first time eating rice after doing a Whole 30.  Except I don't know how I tolerated the rice since I got freaking glutened by there being tempura crunch flakes in a roll that did not advertise having them.

((Blegh. I never learn my lesson with sushi, which is my single biggest culprit when it comes to accidental glutening.  I will never understand why restaurants seemingly list all the ingredients of their dishes except for the ones I'm allergic to.  Particularly sushi joints who painstakingly list tuna, salmon, caviar, cucumber and avocado in an inside out roll of rice and seaweed.  Why the shit wouldn't the crunch also be listed? I digress....))

SO eating sushi gave me a taste for one of my favorite crappy Americanized Chinese food dishes - Cold Sesame Noodles.  I happened to have a good set of ingredients on hand and consulted Martha Stewart's recipe, making edits and improvements below so everything is pretty paleo (I used Tamari, which some consider a no no) and gluten free.

You could substitute gluten free spaghetti, egg noodles or shirataki noodles for the spaghetti squash. I happen to love the al dente feel of spaghetti squash and think it goes perfectly the flavors of the sauce. Great with a side of broccoli.  Madam Martha threw in scallions, but I didn't have any on hand so its not included in the below, though I do think it would be a nice touch.  I also have seen other recipes for this dish that included shredded carrot and cucumber too, also an interesting variation that ups the crunch and the color.

Paleo Cold Sesame Noodles

1 spaghetti squash
6 tablespoons sesame paste, stirred (tahini)
2 teaspoons of coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
3 tablespoons of tamari (gluten free soy sauce) or coconut aminos
a few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chinese five spice
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil (sesame or peanut oil would taste great here too if you prefer)
2/3 cup water

Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out goopy strings and seeds.  Place face down on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Take out a medium sized serving bowl.

Mince ginger and garlic.  Add coconut oil to a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add ginger and garlic once oil is hot and sautee for 2 minutes.

While ginger and garlic sautee in oil, spoon tahini into bowl.  Once ginger and garlic are lightly browned, pour contents of sauce pan into the bowl and whisk.  Add tamari, hot sauce, five spice and coconut sugar whisking again.  Add 1/3 of a cup of water.  Taste and check consistency.  If still too thick, add the remaining water. It should be the consistency of a cream sauce and no longer that of peanut butter. Set aside. Unless your spaghetti squash is gigantic, there will likely be some sauce left over, which would be tasty on chicken or veggies.

Using a fork, remove flesh of spaghetti squash, forming "noodles."  Add half of the tahini sauce and stir.  If it coats to your liking - eat! If not - add more sauce! Rocket science, here.

Yum! Exactly the brunch I had in mind today.