Vegan Buttermilk Gluten-Free Biscuits

I've been doing a lot of experimenting with gluten-free flours. The other night I made a hearty soup and really wanted to have a yummy biscuit to help sop it up. I came up with the following recipe, which was incredibly quick and easy. The next morning the leftover biscuits tasted awesome with strawberry preserves. Here's what I did....

FIRST: 
~ Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees
~ Pour 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup of soy milk (This will become the "buttermilk"; it needs a little time to "curdle" so be sure to do this before going to the next step. I recommend using a 2 cup measuring cup so that you'll have room to stir during the third step.)

SECOND: 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the following dry ingredients throughly: 
~ 1/3 cup tapioca flour
~2/3 cup sweet sorghum flour
~1 cup Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour (blend of various flours)
~ 1 tsp baking soda
~ 1/2 tsp baking powder
~ 1/2 tsp sea salt
~ 1/2 tsp xantham gum

THIRD: 
~ Add 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil to the "buttermilk" (Stir the mixture; it should be rather thick) 

Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough into a large ball. Create biscuit by flattening out balls of dough and place on a prepared or non-stick baking sheet. Bake for approximately 12 minutes. 

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Biscuits

Lately, I have been going crazy for organic strawberries. They are great on homemade waffles, cold cereal and banana splits. I've been creating all kinds of "healthy" desserts centered around strawberries. I love the combination of something hearty paired up with delicate berries and then topped with something creamy, such as soy yogurt or coconut ice cream.

One evening I decided to make an alternative vegan version of a strawberry shortcake. I started by creating a healthy biscuit, which could  replace the fatty, gluten-filled, high-caloric ones normally used. I then topped it with sliced strawberries, shredded coconut and low-fat vegan ice cream.

Here's how I created a low-fat, low-sugar biscuit, which was super yummy and tasted great the next day with low-sugar jam!

• This recipe will yield 8 large (but flat) triangular biscuits.

• Give yourself about 45 to 60 minutes to make, bake and cool biscuits. 

• You'll need a large cutting board or a large clean surface to cut the dough, various size measuring cups, 1 large mixing bowl and a large cookie sheet (or 2 small ones). 

PRE-HEAT OVEN at 375 DEGREES

1. In a bowl, throughly mix the following dry ingredients: 

~ Buckwheat flour: 1/2 cup & 1/8 cup

~Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour: 1 & 1/8 cups

~Sweet Sorghum Flour: 1/2 cup

~Baking Powder: 1 & 1/8 tsps

~Sea Salt: 1/8 tsp & one pinch

~Organic Cane Sugar: 1/3 cup

2. Push the dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Then mix the wet ingredients within the well first and then mix with the dry until fully incorporated and the dough forms:

~Organic Rice Milk (or other non-dairy milk): 1/2 & 1/8 cups

~Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: 1/2 cup

3. Put the dough in the fridge to cool for about 10 minutes. 

4. On a large cutting board, cover the surface lightly with one of the flours used. Then press the dough with your hands or use a rolling-pin until it forms a circle. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 8 triangular pieces. 

5. On a prepared cookie sheet (with either parchment paper or a non-stick surface), place the biscuits so that they have a little room to expand. 

6. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on wire rack for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before serving unless you want to eat them warm. 

Pumpkin Scones

I LOVE pumpkin! During Fall and Winter, I crave the yumminess of pumpkin. Although I love savory pumpkin dishes such as Thai curry or Caribbean soup, to me the ultimate pumpkin experience comes from a little added sugar! Another ingredient, which compliments pumpkin is ginger. I've had raisins in scones before, so I thought...why not crystalized ginger. It worked! Depending on fast you can throw stuff in a bowl, you can have these scones started and out of the oven in about 30 to 35 minutes.

Pre-heat Oven: 425 degrees

Add the following dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix throughly:

• 1/2 cup sugar (these scones are not sweet)
• 3 1/2 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill - whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp ginger powder

Now add:

• 1/2 cup vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance, it comes in sticks and easy to cut the correct amount, you can also use vegan margarine) 

Use a metal pastry blender (hand-held kitchen gadget with three or four metal wires) or a couple of knives and cut through the shortening/margarine until the pieces are pea size. 

Now add:

• 1 can pumpkin puree (regular size can, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• A handful of crystalized ginger cut into small raisin-sized pieces

1. Gently mix ingredients (you don't want to over mix, because the dough won't be as flakey) until the dry ingredients become more wet and the dough begins to form. 
2. Then on a cutting board (lightly floured) knead the dough until the dry parts are all incorporated. 
3. Roll out dough or push out with hands until dough forms a circle. 
4. Slice the dough into 12 triangles.  
5. Place on baking sheet (non-stick pan or lightly sprayed pan) with enough room between each other for expansion as they bake. 
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 

Gluten Free - Cinnamon Raisin Bread

My husband and I are trying to reduce our gluten intake. So I've been experimenting with various gluten-free flours and ingredients. Last night I made a loaf of cinnamon Raisin Bread that turned out really yummy. 

In a large bowl MIX the following DRY ingredients:

~ 1 cup sorghum flour (try Bob's Red Mill brand)

~1 + 1/8 cup oat flour (try Bob's Red Mill brand)

~ 1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour (I get this in bulk or use Bob's Red Mill)

~1/2 cup tapioca starch (I get this really cheap at Asian markets, but Bob's Red Mill makes this too)

~3 tsp of Xantham Gum (this is a key ingredient - don't leave this item out, it won't form correctly)

~1 tsp sea salt

~1 Tbsp Yeast (I buy this at Costco where I can get a huge container of this for less than the price of a few little packages at the grocery store. Just be sure to keep it in your fridge.)

~1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Cinnamon (I get this from Costco in a huge container, which is pretty affordable)

~ 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Organic Pure Cane Sugar (I get this at Costco too, 1 giant bag costs a little more than one regular size bag at the grocery store)

MIX THESE DRY INGREDIENTS THEN ADD 

~1 or 1 + 1/2 cup organic raisins (I get these in a giant bag at Costco)

In another bowl MIX the following WET ingredients:

~2 Tbsp + 1 tsp flax meal with 6 Tbsp water - MIX TOGETHER before adding the rest of the wet ingredients (I just got a giant bag of this at Costco for a great price, but you can buy the flax seeds in bulk and grind your own flax meal)

~1 Tbsp agave syrup (you could add a little more to make the bread sweet)

~2 Tbsp flax oil (I got this from Costco too)

~1 tsp apple cider vinegar (I used the Bragg's brand)

~1-3/4 cups water 

Add the wet to the dry and thoroughly mix. It will form into a globulous dough.

Get your bread maker ready to go with the basket and kneading paddle in place. Scoop the dough into the basket so that it fills the bottom evenly.

Set your bread maker for GLUTEN-FREE (if you don't have this option, set it for WHITE), 1.5 POUNDS, DARK browning. (Your bread maker will knead the dough and bake it, which should take less than 2 hours).

Pancake Bread (Banana, Blueberry and Chocolate Chip Bread)

Ok, the name is weird - Pancake Bread! I wanted to make a bread that contained all the things I like to eat on a pancake. My nephew thinks the name is totally wrong; as he feels pancakes are flat NOT bread. He wants me to call this Pudding Bread (The bread is EXTREMELY moist and when he ate it warm, the bread did have a pudding quality). Whatever you want to call the stuff, I think it tastes yummy and my Mommy agrees! Here's what I used (as best I can remember): 

TURN OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

In a large mixing bowl: 

~squish three large, ripe bananas (mush 'em up really good)

~1/4 heaping cup of apple sauce (unsweetened)

~Slightly less than 1/4 cup olive oil

~3 to 4 heaping spoonfuls of blueberry preserves (I used an organic, low sugar jam from Trader Joe's)

~3 tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff)

Mix all the wet ingredients around. Then add the following dry ingredients to the bowl:

~1.75 cups of whole wheat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)

~2 to 3 tablespoons flax meal

~1/3 cup brown sugar

~approximately 1/4 cup (quick cook) rolled oats

~ a couple shakes of ground nutmeg

~1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of finely ground sea salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all the dry ingredients with the wet. Use a mixing spoon. Taste and add more jam, maple syrup or brown sugar to get the sweetness you like. Remember, there will be chocolate chips, so don't go crazy with all the sugar!!

Add the following to the bowl and mix together: 

~1.25 cups of blueberries (I used frozen, organic ones that were defrosted)

~a couple handfuls of walnuts (I broke these apart with my hands, but you can chop these up)

~ a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips (I used the semi-sweet ones from Trader Joe's)

Pour ingredients into a loaf pan. I used a glass (pyrex) loaf pan, but I'm sure metal will be fine. Just spray the pan first with some non-stick cooking spray. 

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack.  

Enjoy!

Flax and Cornmeal Flapjacks

I have no idea what the exact amount of the ingredients were, but these flapjacks turned out healthy, hearty and yummy. I just threw stuff in a bowl and viola. I'll try to recreate what I did....

Heat up griddle

In a medium size mixing bowl add the following (I used a bowl the a pour spout, if you have one I'd use it) - 

2/3 cup medium coarse cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

1/4 cup (maybe a tiny bit more) flax seed flour/meal

2 to 3 pinches of baking powder

3 to 4 pinches of baking soda

4 or 5 grinds of sea salt

3/4 cup very hot water - mix all contents together with whisk

Now add approximately 2 to 3 teaspoons of olive oil - stir

Then add approximately 1/4 cup soy milk - stir. If mixture is not runny enough for pancakes then add a little more soy milk. Don't make it too runny, just enough so that it will pour nicely. 

Pour out mixture on to griddle, making 8 small flapjacks. 

Serve with vegan margarine, sliced bananas, chopped walnuts and maple syrup.