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 Pie (with gluten-free option)

My sister, nephew and I are planning a big Vegan Thanksgiving for friends and family. One of my very favorite Thanksgiving menu items is Pumpkin Pie!! I love the stuff. My sister decided not to make one, but instead order it from New Seasons. Nothing against New Seasons, but their pies are EXPENSIVE. I'm a penny-pinching, DIY person; so, last night I experimented making a pumpkin pie and IT CAME OUT AWESOME!!! I must admit it wasn't completely DIY, I used a store bought crust and canned pumpkin. But it was EASY!!!

Here's what I did......

FOR THE FILLING

In a large metal mixing bowl I mixed the following (note you can use a blender or food processor): 

• 1 box extra firm silken tofu - use an emersion blender and blend until creamy and the chunks are gone, be sure to do this first (if you don't have an emersion blender, you can mix everything in a food processor or regular blender)
• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 3/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (I get this stuff dirt cheap at asian markets, but Bob's Red Mill makes it too)
• 4 tsp vanilla (the real stuff - you can get a giant bottle of this at Costco fairly cheap)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp agave (optional. I added this to make it slightly sweeter. Taste batter and if you think it needs extra sweetener you can add the agave to your liking. Maple syrup would also work or a little more sugar)

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, pour into pie shell* and bake for 1/2 hour at 400 degrees and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.**

Cool pie on rack.

*I used a store bought graham cracker crust. I did not pre-bake it. However, you could use a gluten-free pie crust or a traditional pie crust and pre-bake pie crust if needed. If you're even more DIY than me, you can make your own crust.

**My oven is old, therefore I tend to bake things at a high temperature. Be sure to keep an eye on your pie and adjust the heat as needed. Keep in mind that the pie needs to get firm and the higher temperature at least for 15 minutes in the beginning really helps. 

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).

Flax & Rice Gluten-Free Bread

In a large bowl MIX the following DRY ingredients:

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

~1-1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour (I get this in bulk)

~1/2 cup tapioca starch (this item is really cheap at Asian markets)

~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.)

In another bowl MIX the following WET ingredients:

~2 Tbsp 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)

~2 Tbsp agave syrup

~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 *

*Note, the bread turns out a little doughy sometimes (due to my bread maker). If your bread maker tends to make things more doughy then add a little less water. The bread comes out REALLY moist and toasts up really well. 

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, MED browning. (Your bread maker will knead the dough and bake it, which should take less than 2 hours).

Corn Pudding (side dish)

I made this side dish for ThanksLiving and it was a big hit. I've had several people ask me for my recipe. It is gluten-free and soy-free. Veganomicon has a yummy Southwestern Corn Pudding (pg. 151), which I LOVE and highly recommend. However, for ThanksLiving I wanted something that was similar to the maize pudding I sampled as a child on a field trip to Plymouth Rock. Therefore, I modified the recipe to emulate the flavors and textures I remember from that cold day in New England back in 1976.

So, here's how I made it....

First....
~Turn on your oven to 350 degrees
~Sauté two bags of frozen organic sweet corn in a skillet w/ a little olive oil. Cook until corn starts to get a little browned from caramelization. 


Meanwhile......in a large mixing bowl......combine the following dry ingredients....
~1/4 cup corn starch
~1/4 cup corn flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this)
~1/2 cup cornmeal
~1 tsp salt
~cayenne pepper (add according to your liking or leave out)

Then........Add the following to the bowl and mix
~the sautéed corn
~1 can light coconut milk (Trader Joe's sells this for about a buck)
~2 tablespoons REAL maple syrup
~(for sweeter pudding, add a little agave)

Pour into casserole dish and cook uncovered for 40 minutes. Let cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving. Tastes good cold, but I prefer it warm.

Gluten-Free Bread: (Brown Rice & Garbanzo)

My husband and I decided to go on a 20 day cleanse, which ended up being a lot easier than I expected. We gave up caffeine, alcohol, sugar (tiny amounts of agave was used in moderation), processed foods, corn, gluten and fried foods. We focused on raw foods, herbal teas, steamed veggies, brown rice, beans and occasionally tempeh (we reduced our normal soy intake). For the first three days, I suffered from headaches due to the caffeine withdrawals. Once the headaches subsided, I was home free. Today is our last day of our cleanse (just in time for Valentine's Day tomorrow), but we feel so good that we're planning to start the cleanse back up again in a week.

Through this cleanse journey, I had to rethink how to cook. Wheat is in everything from soy sauce to seitan. I had made the most amazing hummus and was tired of eating rice cakes. So, I decided to make gluten-free bread. First I had to find Xanthan Gum. This was a challenge, but I found it in bulk at a natural food co-op. I found out later that Bob's Red Mill makes it for approximately 12 bucks a bag (find in the nutritional section of some grocery stores). For a loaf of bread, it only takes 3 tsp, so you might want to buy it in bulk to save money.

I modified a recipe to be vegan and (refined) sugar-free. You'll need a bread maker for this. It is VERY important that you pre-mix the ingredients so that it will rise correctly in the bread maker. This recipe yields a 1.5 pound loaf.

In a large bowl MIX the following DRY ingredients:

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

~1-1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour (I found this in bulk)

~1/2 cup potato starch (this item might be spendy, but I always stock up after the Jewish Holidays when my grocery store marks it down from $6 to $1)

~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)

In another bowl MIX the following WET ingredients:

~2 Tbsp 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)

~2 Tbsp agave syrup

~2 Tbsp oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)

~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, MED browning. (Your bread maker will knead the dough and bake it, which should take less than 2 hours).