Carrot Loaf for Kids

I tried this recipe as yet another attempt to find another breakfast or mid-morning snack my almost-two-year-old would enjoy. Today's Parent is always a good source for kid-friendly recipes. I liked this loaf a lot -- and my daughter ate a whole piece. That's no guarantee she will ever eat it again, but it's a start!

1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup amaranth flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 packed cup grated carrots (2 medium or 1 large carrot)
1/2 cup very well-drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk flours and starches with flaxseed meal, xanthan, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk carrots, pineapple, yogurt, sugar, veg oil, and eggs until well-blended.

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the loaf tests clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing to serve. (Or, if serving warm, cut fat, not thin, slices, because the bread is delicate when hot.) This loaf is especially delicious spread with cream cheese.

Cornmeal Pancakes

These are light, thin pancakes of the kind I tend to prefer. I've never liked the thick, gluggy, stodgy kind of pancake from a mix. This recipe is adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It strikes me these pancakes could be used as thick crepes. For instance, I think an oblong cornmeal pancake (with reduced sugar) could be wrapped warm around a gluten-free breakfast sausage and topped with onions, relish, or sauerkraut in place of a bun.

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large well-beaten egg
1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the cornmeal. Stir well. Pour in the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients and beat well, until the batter is thoroughly mixed.

Heat pan to medium-high heat (less hot than for some other pancakes) on a lightly greased pan. Use about 2 tbsp of batter per pancake. As for other pancakes, cook the first side until bubbles on the top break but do not fill back in, then flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side. Drizzle with molasses or maple syrup or fruit sauce to serve. These freeze and re-toast well in a toaster oven.

Cinnamon Rolls

I have been craving sweet, biscuity cinnamon rolls for two weeks and finally got time to make them today, with much success! The dough is mostly Rebecca Reilly's delicious scone recipe from Gluten-Free Baking, with adaptations and additions as needed. If you're the kind of person who glazes cinnamon rolls, then glaze away, but these rolls don't need a glaze.

[This recipe is much easier to deal with than the other cinnamon roll recipe on this site. By a long shot.]

3 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 rounded tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, cold
2 large eggs
1 tbsp liquid honey
1/2 cup whipping cream

First, blend softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine flours and starches with baking pwder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until well blended. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives until finely crumbed. Beat eggs, honey, and cream with a fork until well blended. Pour over crumbed mixture. Stir well, to make a well-mixed, moist but workable dough.

Turn out on a sheet of parchment or other pliable material that is well dusted with rice flour. Knead the dough 8 to 10 times. Pat out with fingers to a rectangle approximately 12" long and 9" to 10" wide, ensuring the dough is not too thin or weak at any point.

Crumble the reserved butter, sugar, and cinnamon mixture as best you can and sprinkle it over the dough as evenly as you can. Spread gently with fingers to ensure coverage, leaving one lengthwise edge uncovered so it will seal. Be careful not to tear dough. Roll the dough gently into a log lengthwise. Cut the 12" tube into approximately 16 pieces, 3/4" each. Set 2" apart on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed outwards and golden on top.

Makes 16 rolls to serve with hot tea.

Egg and Cheese Brunch Pie

If you use leftover gluten-free pasta in this easy quiche, warm it in the microwave before adding to the pie.

1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 mushrooms, finely chopped
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup hot cooked brown rice or corn noodles (spaghetti or fettucine)
pepper, to taste
2 very large or 3 medium eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup hot milk

Preheat oven to 325F.

To prepare crust, mix together flours, xanthan, cheese, mustard, salt, and butter. Use more butter if needed to hold it together. Press firmly into a 9” pie plate.

Lightly sauté onions and mushrooms in butter until browned. Pour over crust. Top with a layer of warm noodles and sprinkle with cheese, dusting with pepper. Pour beaten eggs over the pasta. Slowly pour in the hot milk. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until well set.

Amaranth-Blueberry Pancakes

July got away from me with no recipe postings, due to regular summer busy-ness, a new baby in my sister's family, and a bout of hot summer weather that kept me out of the kitchen.

These amaranth pancakes were a hit with my baby, who liked sinking her new teeth into the dense and chewy little cakes. Halved fresh raspberries would be a nice substitute for blueberries. Leftovers are best reheated in the microwave. They do not do well in the toaster, unless you like a lot more crunch to your pancakes than I do.

1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp baking soda
sprinkle of salt

2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp oil

1/2 cup blueberries

In a medium bowl, whisk flours and starches, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and oil until well blended.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, just to combine. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon by the generous, dolloppy tablespoonful onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. Turn once, after set on one side.

Makes about 12 smallish (2 1/2-3") pancakes.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is based on Bette Hagman's muffin recipe, with additions of whole grains and a flavourful sprinkling of cinnamon sugar from my mother's wheat-based blueberry muffin recipe. If possible, it’s best to let these cool an hour or so before eating them. When they’re hot, the texture is quite nice, but they taste too “eggy” for my liking. The muffins freeze well and heat nicely in the microwave.

Topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
5 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries or other chopped fruit

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 12 muffin cups. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk. Don’t overbeat. Stir in vanilla. Fold in blueberries. (The dough will seem sloppier than regular muffin dough.) Pour into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake about 20 minutes, until muffins test done.

Makes a dozen muffins.

Breakfast Rice Pudding

This rice pudding is more like a naturally sweet breakfast porridge than a dessert. It is gluten, egg, and dairy free and is still delicious. This batch makes enough for at least five days' worth of breakfasts -- just tuck the casserole dish into the fridge and warm a serving at a time in the microwave. If you don't have cashews, pecans make a good substitute, for a flavourful but slightly darker-hued pudding.

2 cups cooked brown and wild rice combo
1 cup crushed pineapple and juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 325F. In a casserole dish, combine brown rice, pineapple and juice, and dried fruit.

In a blender, combine banana, hot water, cashews, orange juice concentrate, vanilla, and almond extract. Blend until smooth.

Pour blended ingredients over rice mixture. Mix well. Bake for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 breakfast servings

Gluten-Free Crepes

These turn out beautifully. No one will know they are gluten-free -- if secrecy about celiac happens to be your thing. They can be used for supper or for dessert and extras store well in the refrigerator.

1/3 cup rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% milk

Whisk flours with salt in a medium bowl or cup with a pouring spout. Whisk eggs and milk until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into flours and refrigerate batter at least 1 hour.

Remove from the refrigerator and whisk batter again very thoroughly. (Flours will have settled lumpishly to the bottom.)

Grease a crêpe pan with butter over medium heat. When butter has fizzed and the bubbles have subsided, pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan. Tilt pan to cover evenly. Cook until set, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip and cook lightly (30 seconds) on the other side. Stir the batter well from the bottom before cooking each crêpe, as flours will settle again swiftly.

Makes 10 to 12 thin crêpes.

Porridge-y Goodness

Brown rice porridge doesn't have enough flavour for me, and quinoa flakes don't have enough texture -- but put them together and they balance each other out deliciously and nutritiously.

The porridge recipe below is almost instant. Amounts are for one big bowlful. I measure five or six individual servings into little resealable snack bags so I can "just add water" in the morning.

3 tbsp quinoa flakes
2 tbsp cream of brown rice cereal
1 tbsp unrefined sugar (sucanat - evaporated cane juice)
1 tbsp whole flaxseeds
1 heaping tbsp raisins
dash of cinnamon
sprinkle of salt
3/4 cup water

Stir dry ingredients together, then stir in water. Cook three minutes in the microwave, stirring once partway through. Remove from microwave, stir well, and allow to sit for two minutes.

Serve with milk or soy milk - or cream, if you are feeling decadent.

Gluten-Free Granola

As I have now mentioned several times, I ordered twenty-five pounds of wonderful pure, uncontaminated oatmeal from Cream Hill in Quebec, and my life has been greatly enriched by being able to reintroduce the texture and taste of oats into my diet. Here’s a fantastic granola recipe that tastes a bit similar to “Harvest Crunch” and is good by the handful as well as by the bowlful.

(And the warning again -- uncontaminated oats are not available everywhere, and not all celiacs can tolerate oats at all, so be sure whomever you’re cooking for is okay with oats, and be absolutely sure you use pure, uncontaminated oats.)

3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas (raw hulled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp powdered milk or soy milk powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

In a large bowl, combine oats, flaxseed, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, almonds, and milk powder.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt honey with vegetable oil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and almond extract. Pour over oat mixture and stir well. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 300F for 30 minutes, stirring well every 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally until fully cool.

Add raisins or other dried fruit if you like.

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

I keep meaning to make a more low-fat version of these muffins, which are much too much like carrot cake for breakfast in the incarnation described below.

However, every time I set out to make the muffins, I find I have all kinds of vegetable oil and absolutely noto a scratch of the plain yogurt I would need for the low-fat version). And then I think of the lovely crunch to the muffin top in the not-even-close-to-low-fat version, and somehow, I've made carrot cake for breakfast. Again.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour (or another 3/4 cup brown rice flour)
1/2 cup tapioca or potato starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar (or evaporated cane sugar)
2 tsp cinnamon

Stir in evenly:
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup nuts or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or other chopped dried fruit
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated

In a separate small bowl, beat:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla

Stir the wet ingredients into the flour-fruit-nut mixture until just combined.

Dollop into well-greased muffin tins.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Makes 15 nice, fat muffins.

Buckwheat, Buttermilk, and Blueberry Pancakes

These pancakes have the advantage of requiring only one special gluten-free flour, buckwheat. They are my favourite breakfast food. I often make a batch on Sunday morning and refrigerator or freeze the leftovers to toast up on weekday mornings.

Separating the eggs for these pancakes adds a step, but it’s worth it — it makes them light and airy. The flaxseed and blueberries add fibre and flavour.

1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 rounded tsp baking soda
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 eggs, separated

1 cup blueberries (optional — frozen okay)

Whisk together dry ingredients in a big bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg yolks in a small bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff in a medium bowl. In the large bowl, mix dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture until just combined. Fold in egg whites and then blueberries. Pour by the 1/4 cupful onto a medium-hot oiled griddle or pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup or Blueberry Sauce.

Makes 12 pancakes.

Blueberry Sauce: Bring 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add 2 cups blueberries (frozen are fine). Return to a boil, lower heat, and simmer while making the pancakes. Stir 1 tsp arrowroot flour or cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water. Whisk into simmering sauce. Cook until clear and thickened and sticky.