Gluten Free Focaccia

2 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
21/4 tsp dry yeast
Mix the above together and set aside

Next
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp finely minced onion
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
Mix the above together.

In a large mixing bowl mix the yeast mixture with 1 egg and 1 tbsp olive oil with a hand mixer.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat at hi speed for two minutes - the dough will be fairly runny.

Oil a 9" x 15" flat cake pan and spread the dough flat in it.  Drizzle the top with 2 tbsp olive oil and cover.  Let rise for 25 minutes for fast acting yeast or 45 minutes for regular.

Bake at 400 F° for 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned.  Cut into squares to serve.  Best served warm.

Add other toppings like olives, sun dried tomatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, capers, etc if desired. 

Savoury Corn Meal Muffins

DRY
1 cup GF flour (I use flour that I premake in large batches: 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup sorghum, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup buckwheat, 1 tsp xanthan)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

WET
Use a large liquid measuring cup and add
1 egg
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup chia seed
1/4 cup ground flax seed
3 tbsp coconut nectar
Fill up container with unsweetened almond milk to the 2 cup mark.
Whisk this quite well...it should have the consistency of yoghurt.

Add wet ingredients to well mixed dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Add chopped green onions/cayenne/olives etc to match your meal.

Bake in well oiled cast iron corn meal tray or muffin tins at 425 F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers

I found out two things tonight.

Firstly...making crackers is not that difficult. And - they are amazing!!

And secondly...I need a pastry cutter. I was never much of a pie person but if I'm gonna continue with any more cracker adventures then I'd be better off with one!

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers
2 cups organic dark buckwheat flour
2 tbsp hemp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup organic brown rice milk
white rice flour for rolling dough
garnish with additional sea salt if desired (up to 1 tsp)


Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Use ungreased cast iron cookie sheets for best heat distribution.

Combine all ingredients except the rice milk with a pastry cutter (or cut with a wooden spoon or your fingers). Mix this until the mixture looks a bit crumby.

Slowly stir in the rice milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be soft and you should be able to form a ball with the dough easily (it should not be runny or sticky).

Divide the dough into balls (2-4 depending on the size of your sheets). Lightly dust a dry surface with rice flour and roll the dough into a sheet 1/8" or thinner.

Trim the uneven edges (if desired) and use a spatula to lift the dough onto the sheets. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to score the dough into desired cracker shapes.

Sprinkle the top with salt if desired and press into dough. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges start turning up. Take sheets out of oven and turn over the crackers using tongs or gently with a spatula.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the edges are well browned. Remove from oven and cool crackers completely on racks.

Break crackers apart (if needed) and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Sugar Free Baked Apples: Comfort Food

For each person needing comforting:

1 organic apple, cored

Fill the core with a semi dry oat mixture (during the day soak about 1/2 cup oats to one cup boiling water and add about 2 tbsp organic raisins and 1/4 tsp organic ground cinnamon).

Pour maple syrup on the core to allow it to seep into the oat mix.

Bake in a covered dish at 350 F for about 45 minutes until apples are quite soft.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;) I use irish steel cut oats because these are not contaminated in their facility (as per their website). The question as to whether oats contain gluten has not been answered clearly so I use this product moderately.

Gluten Free Ginger Drops (Sugar Free and Dairy Free too!)

I adapted this recipe from the recipe I used 30 years ago for the first time.

I mixed all of the following using my food processor. I added the flours slowly at the end.

1/4 cup organic sunflower oil
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup ground sesame seed
1/2 cup pitted dates (about 10)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 free range egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp gluten free aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp organic ground ginger (I did not have fresh on hand...I'd triple this for fresh)
1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1 cup organic sorghum flour
1 cup organic buckwheat flour

Lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Form balls, garnish with lemon zest and place on lightly greased pans. I used some of my cast iron pans. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

All of the above items except for the sorghum flour were purchased at Karma Co-op ;) I purchased the sorghum flour at Fiesta Farms.

Hemp Buckwheat Protein Bread (gluten free)

(adapted from this recipe)

This is very dense but it is quite good toasted with marmite (UK). Or served with mackerel and fresh greens.

I purchased all of the ingredients (except one, noted below) at Karma Food Co-op.

Makes: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 10 min + rising time
Cook Time: 30 min - 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Hemp Protein Powder
1/2 Cup Shelled Hemp Seed
1Tbsp Hemp Seed Oil
2 cups Organic Buckwheat flour (I use whole grain)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato flour (purchased in Toronto's Chinatown)
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 Free Range Eggs
1 1/3 rice milk or Hemp Milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp Italian Spices(Marjarom, Thyme, Rosemary)
1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
5 cloves minced garlic (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a flat cookie sheet.
Mix all ingredients together, shape loaf on cookie sheet, let rise, then bake at 350 until golden brown.

I will update this post with a yeast free version once I get my sourdough starter started ;)

1 Egg Cake (use egg substitute if you wish!)

1 Egg Cake

Dry

1/2 C Sorghum flour
1/2 C Sweet rice flour
1/4 C Tapioca starch
1/4 C Potato starch
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tsp gluten free, aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet

3/4 tsp Vanilla (pure)
1 Egg (or 1/8 cup ground flax seed mixed with 1/8 cup boiling water)
1/2 C Maple Syrup
1 C Fresh coconut meat (shredded in a food processor)
1/2 C Coconut water kefir

Prep Time: 10 minutes

• Preheat over to 350F

• Mix dry and wet ingredients seperately and then combine and pour into lightly greased cake pan or muffin tin

• Bake 30-45 minutes depending on container used.
  

• Makes: 1 8"x8" cake (or could make muffins, 6-8)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 free range egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts/pecans/soaked almonds etc
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F and mix all ingredients. Grease cookie sheets with pasty brush and sunflower oil. Bake by tbsp drops for 10-15 minutes.

Use 1/2 cup buckwheat flakes or gluten free oat flakes instead of nuts for a wonderful variation!