February 10, 2010 at 9:35 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Kitchen Gadgets, Pantry Staples ·Tagged bread mix, corn starch, Crock-Pot, food sensitivities, gluten-free, gluten-free bread mix, guar gum, home baked bread, potato starch, white rice flour, yeast, yeast bread mix
Strangely enough The Gluten-Free Pantry mixes are not in my grocery store gluten-free section although all of them are gluten-free. They are displayed in the International Foods isle, perhaps because they are a product of Canada.
Whatever the reason I am happy that they are there. We all need a couple of pantry staples that we can pull out and whip up something really good when we don’t have time to do the longer way. And I was motivated by the experimenting of Stephanie O’Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking and her technique for baking bread in a slow cooker. My Crock-Pot and this French Bread & Pizza Mix sat out on the kitchen counter for four days to remind me; and now the mix is mixed and the bread is baked!
The Crock-Pot and the Mix
The first time I made bread from this mix was when I went to help Rita pack and move to Virginia in 2008. This bread was the only gluten-free baked goods that we had at her house. The taste and texture reminded me of the Pepperidge Farm bread that I bought for the kids when they were very small.
It is difficult enough for a child to be sprouting teeth and learning to chew without their little peanut butter sandwich gumming up and making swallowing difficult. It was the soft white bread and not the peanut butter causing the problem. Slices of the Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread made just the right size sandwich to fit a small mouth and our problem (safety issue) was solved.
The Gluten-Free Pantry website announces that they are changing the look of the packaging. I hope that includes legibly printed (for all eyes) instructions. At first the dough was not coming together so I went back and re-read to see if it was my mistake. I thought perhaps the two extra large eggs would equal two eggs plus one egg white and so maybe it needed another egg. No, the dough was still thick enough to mortar bricks together. The water amount looked like 1 1/4 cups but by squinting it looked somewhat different. So I pulled out the magnifying glass and read 1 3/4 cups of water. So I dumped in another 1/3 cup of water and then it made bread dough. That tiny print on a mottled gray background could definitely be improved.
Ready to Bake (with Latte for Me)
This mix produces a 2-pound loaf and the directions call for a 9 inch by 5 inch bread pan. My old bread pans are quite definitely 8 inch by 4 inch so there was bread dough left over. The loaf pan went into the 7-qt Crock-Pot slow cooker. The remainder of the dough was divided into a cupcake pan to make small dinner rolls. Rising took quite longer than I thought it should. Patience, patience (not my strongest suite and after all it was a cold day), and eventually there was bread!
Usually I prefer to make my bread from scratch with dense nutritious flours. This mix is a great shortcut for a treat or for pulling something together when there is no time to fuss over it.
Mom
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February 6, 2010 at 10:10 PM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Pantry Staples ·Tagged allergies, almond flour, amaranth flour, brown rice flour, coconut flour, flour, food sensitivities, garbanzo flour, gluten-free, gluten-free flour, hazelnut flour, healthy, healthy living, potato flour, quinoa flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, teff flour, white rice flour
Bob’s Red Mill produces a wide variety of gluten-free flours. My local HEB grocery in Georgetown stocks quite a few of them but occasionally I drive to Round Rock or Austin to pick up the others. This list consists solely what I have on hand. It was a surprise to realize what variety was there after pulling bags out of the back shelf corners, the door shelves, and bins. This made me realize that there is no organization system in there. And that’s not going to happen anytime soon 
Gluten free flour list in no particular order:
Almond
Coconut
Hazelnut
Tapioca
White rice
Brown rice
Sorghum
Potato
Amaranth
Teff
Quinoa
Garbanzo
Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free coincidentally happens to be writing about what she has found regarding the various qualities of gluten-free flours and how to use them. So I’m just going to mention the ones that work the best for me and the ones that don’t cooperate so well.
Coconut is my absolute favorite flour. It has an elusive fragrance that adds to the yummy quality of sweet baked goods. Even if the recipe is based on other flours I sneak in a tablespoon of coconut flour much like you would use vanilla to intensify other flavors as in my Pumpkin-Spice-Raisin Cookies .
Garbanzo bean flour is another favorite. I started using it with recipes from Erin McKenna’s recipe book, BabyCakes , most especially my version of Cinnamon Toasties. Erin demonstrated this recipe on Martha Stewart which is where I discovered it. WARNING: You do need to be aware that most of her recipes call for a flour blend that includes fava bean flour. That is a concern for a small segment of the population who can have a serious anemia reaction known as favism. Read about favism here. A friend had that reaction and needed a transfusion to save his life. The source of the fava bean ingestion was never discovered. As a result there will never be any fava bean products in my kitchen.
Tapioca flour is used a lot in blends to help provide a nicer crust especially if you are working with a recipe with naturally low sugar content or substituting for sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners.
Potato flour provides a significant amount of iron whereas potato starch does not. The flour is somewhat heavier than the starch but when balanced in a blend it works just fine.
Sorghum flour has an aroma when baking that almost makes me believe that there is wheat flour in the recipe. It is especially good in breads.
My favorite sweet baking blend is found in my recipe for Date Cake – Revisited, my gluten free adaptation of Ricki’s Mrs. K’s Date Cake found on her Diet, Dessert, & Dogs blog. And as I noted in that post – first attempts do not always produce wonderful results. My blend works in many other recipes found in Ricki’s book, Sweet Freedom. I have been baking from that book for months now.
Amaranth and quinoa pack some powerful nutrition having a complete amino acid profile which translates to high quality protein. And while you want to use them for that reason the strong flavors make it difficult to find a suitable recipe match. So far they have not worked for me in breads or sweets. My one real success is amaranth in my savory Lentil Patties. It might be that quinoa would work there also. If you have a recipe that is happy with quinoa flour I would love to try it!
Hazelnut is a recent purchase but so far I have not tried the recipe for which it is intended. That would be another of Ricki’s fabulous recipes, Hazelnut Melting Moments.
Teff flour is another recent acquisition and I intend to use it in bread recipes. If you happen to be in a baking mood . . . Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooking has a book out called Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and it has directions on how to bake bread in a crockpot. Intriguing!
It’s no wonder my friend Lynn once commented that you need a separate freezer just to store your gluten free flour!
Mom
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February 2, 2010 at 1:25 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Pantry Staples ·Tagged easy, gluten-free, healthy diet, kosher, low-calorie, shelf stable, travel, vegetarian, yeast-free
We are all encouraged to eat fresh and eat local but there are many of us who do not have the time to do the shopping, preparation, and cooking. We fill in the gaps with ready-to-eat and drive-through-fast-food all the while wishing we could do better. Rita and I struggle with this all of the time attempting to be gluten-free and feed ourselves and our families well. We employ various strategies and alternate between 100% homemade and furiously reading labels and trying to find the best off-the-shelf products.
Rita and I were shopping at World Market in Round Rock over the holidays and discovered that they carried the Tasty Bite packaged heat-and-eat entrees. Many of these are naturally gluten-free as well as vegetarian, kosher, no MSG, and preservative free plus they are shelf stable and do not need refrigeration. Rita was familiar with many of these because David often takes them to work for lunch. She helped me pick out a few that she knew he had sampled.
So far I have tried the Channa Masala and Kashmir Spinach – combinations that were previously unknown to my taste buds. And what I have been missing! Spicy does not mean scorching hot – spicy is lots of herbs and seasoning, ingredients you recognize and can pronounce and might even have in your own pantry! The package is labeled as two servings but the calorie count is so modest you would not be over-indulgent if you ate the whole packet – like I did The Channa Masala was so good that I did a web search for a recipe so that I might make my own. The only thing is that the chickpeas (garbanzos,channa) in the packet were so much larger than any that I have ever seen that I will probably just continue to keep a few of these Tasty Bite packets in the pantry. And thinking ahead, this can be a new emergency/travel food . . . .
Mom and Rita
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February 1, 2010 at 6:41 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Pantry Staples ·Tagged gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, vegetarian, frugal, egg-free, vegan, low-calorie, healthy diet, easy, waffle, 'fast food'
Every now and then when trying a new gluten-free food, sometimes homemade, sometimes commercial, a taste memory comes rushing back. Do you remember toast – that elusive slightly sweet smell and the crunch with tiny, savory little crumbs brushing your tongue as you chew?
Last year a batch of flat bread that must have been baked a little long did not want to roll. It filled the pan like a very thin pizza crust without toppings. One piece was chewy and tasty but as I was somewhat perplexed at the result the remainder was cut up and frozen. I thought about it for a while and later I put a piece in the toaster to defrost it and experienced toast for the first time in years. And that is what happened with the rest of the batch. Now, if I want my egg on toast when Don is cooking poached eggs then I make up a batch of that recipe.
More gluten-free food is becoming locally available at the mainstream grocery stores and I was at my local HEB looking for a specific brand of bread and/or pizza crust that was supposed to be there and had been highly rated. None of that was to be found but there were several flavors of these Van’s waffles. My waffle taste memories go way back when my Dad used to make a production out of baking waffles on a Sunday morning. In the freezer there were apple and blueberry variations available but I wanted to taste the basic waffle without embellishment so I chose the Van’s All Natural Flax version.
One of those waffles popped right out of the box and into the toaster even before the rest of the groceries were put away. That toasty aroma filled the air. The stress of shopping always makes me hungry and it took a bit of control not to burn myself trying to take a quick bite. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. So another one went into the toaster but this time I was thinking sandwich. A single paper-thin slice of ham and a small slice of cheese were wedged in between the two sides of the waffle that I had pried apart with the aid of a fork and a sharp serrated knife.
Van's All Natural Gluten Free Waffles
This is what I call ‘fast food’ out here on The Gluten-Free Edge! For a quick out-the-door breakfast grab one of these waffles and a cup’a whatever starts your day the best.
Mom
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January 27, 2010 at 9:06 PM
· Filed under Dessert, Recipes, Treat ·Tagged gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, fruit, apples, coconut milk, bananas, overripe bananas
Those Neglected Bananas
Those four-week-old over-ripe bananas finally were rescued. I love bananas but Don does not. Consequently it took me awhile to get around to preparing a recipe that could not go into the freezer to be used up gradually.
Those Poor Neglected Bananas
I had been dreaming about trying something like this but now it was time to buckle up and go for it. Unflavored gelatin, a can of coconut milk, Mexican vanilla, stevia, and those four bananas went through the blender. The creamy result was poured in a mold and put in the refrigerator to set up. The liquid tasted a bit astringent – bananas and coconut milk each have a bit of that quality. By the time we returned from the fitness center it had set up and was ready to unmold. The astringent quality had mellowed.
By the next morning (Panna Cotta for breakfast is like having ice cream for breakfast – decadent but still healthy enough) the astringency had mellowed even more. But then I thought I noticed the bananas in the panna cotta were causing it to darken and change color as if the bananas were continuing to ripen even more!
Never-the-less it is still retains a good flavor – but I’m thinking along these lines:
1) Plan ahead – if it is made with bananas then you really need at least six or more people on hand to share it with.
2) Or, make it with apples – sautéed with a bit of coconut oil, sweetener, and cinnamon so that there is about 1 1/3 (a bit more or less) cups of apple to pulse in the blender. I’m going to try it this coming weekend when we have another cold front coming through (the kitchen will be a warm, cinnamon-scented refuge). My beloved husband loves apples so I can depend on him help me evaluate an apple version.
Banana Coconut Panna Cotta
Ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas, peeled (or about 1 1/3 cups prepared fruit of your choice)
2 packets gelatin (I have agar but haven’t played with it yet to make it totally vegan)
1/4 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Do this first:
Assemble and plug in the blender. Place the prepared fruit into the container. If you plan to use a mold you need one that will hold 3 cups of liquid and give it a very thin coat of Pam or coconut oil to help the panna cotta to unmold. You will still need to dip the mold in hot water for it to release neatly onto your serving plate.
Prepare the gelatin mixture:
Add the water to a small stainless steel saucepan. Sprinkle on the gelatin and add in the vanilla. Allow the gelatin to absorb the liquids and swell up. Then place the pan on the stove and turn the heat on very low. Slowly melt the gelatin. Pick up the pan occasionally and tilt to move the grainy bits around so they will melt more evenly. When all of the mixture is nearly melted use a metal spoon to gently pull any remaining unmelted grains out from the edges into the center of the pan (this IS tedious but essential). The gelatin must be completely melted before it will blend with the remaining ingredients. Unmelted gelatin will not congeal and the panna cotta will not ‘set’.
When the gelatin is entirely melted then quickly pour in the entire can of coconut milk, set down the can and stir the mixture to distribute the gelatin throughout the coconut milk. Scrap any remaining milk and solids from the can into the pan. Turn off the heat but leave it set for a few minutes.
Turn on the blender and pulse gently to puree the fruit. It doesn’t take but a few moments. Too much will oxidize the fruit, turn it brown, and degrade the flavor. Pour the warm mixture from the pan into the blender jar with the fruit. There should be about 3 cups of liquid altogether. Blend the mixture for about 30 seconds before pouring into a bowl or prepared mold. Chill for several hours until it is completely set.
Mom
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January 26, 2010 at 9:36 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Veggies ·Tagged carrot tops, carrots, chia, chia seed, dairy-free, egg substitute, egg-free, frugal, garlic, gluten-free, green peppers, healthy diet, mushroom, quinoa, vegan, vegetarian, veggies
Carrots
Who remembers anymore what carrots look like fresh out of the garden? It came as somewhat of a startle when a large sack of carrots- roots, frost bit tops, mud, gnats and all showed up in the food pantry last Friday afternoon. The carrots themselves were fat and beautiful but I knew we would have to work fast to get them distributed. We divided out two pound bags and started giving them out with food orders. There was not the usual flood of clients that day (a rare occurrence) so we gave them out to all comers who stopped by the window. At the end of the shift Ann and Megan had already left and I didn’t have time to write up a note and put that one last lonely bag in the fridge. So I brought it home to reacquaint myself with basic veggie preparation.
Into the sink with all of them, spray hard to soften and rinse off most of the mud, and untangle the tops (they were a large, green&brown, unruly fright wig mass) – they filled up the sink. Then I cut off the roots and carefully picked out the good green tops and threw away the brown ones. The roots were scrubbed with a brush to remove the last bits of mud from the crevasses, the greens were rinsed again and all of it set aside to drain. The top part of the carrot where the greens join the root was too hard to clean so that bit was trashed as well.
Tops to the Trash
Why bother with saving the greens? As I learned after my previous post on Carrots the green tops are not only edible but they are fabulously nutritious and all of that is usually thrown away by the time carrots arrive in the produce section of your grocery store as I was notified by the World Carrot Museum.
All Cleaned Up and Ready to Cook
Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
I hadn’t cooked quinoa in quite a while – too busy with baking experiments and other activities. But when I came across this recipe at Karina’s Gluten-Free Goddess blog for Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf something clicked into place. Mushrooms and green peppers in the fridge?, check, garlic?, check, parsley?, no but I have used carrot tops as a substitute before – so I really, really had to make this dish!
Time Out for Lunch!
All About Stevia
Ricki’s blog, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs is one of my favorite reads. Today she had a very interesting discussion going, All About Stevia. This product is something I have been playing with since Rita bought me a bottle of Sprout’s brand of liquid stevia over the holidays. So far I really like it as a sweetener in my lattes, both café latte and chai latte. The recent recipe for Banana Coconut Muffins has been well received by my taste test crew – with no added sugar, the sweetness all comes from a banana and that liquid stevia. And finally I have really gotten into Ricki’s super healthy creation Chia “Tapioca” Pudding. I’ve been having it most mornings for a couple of weeks.
Chia Seeds
Chia has a fascinating nutritional profile and is now starring as one of the newest ‘super foods’. Soaked chia seeds are gelatinous in texture and a spoonful of chia seed mixed into liquid will set up as a soft pudding. I use 1/2 cup of warm almond milk adding one tablespoon of chia, eight drops of stevia, and four drops of vanilla. When set aside for several hours it becomes very much like a tapioca pudding because of the swollen seeds. They are seeds and may not be suitable for consumption by anyone that has texture issues! Chia is available pre-ground and if you plan to use ground chia I say buy it that way – I keep both on hand. My attempt to grind them with a mortar and pestle would make a good you-tube comedy – not one of the seeds were ground; instead they popped out all over the counter like a flea circus. The whole dry seeds are extremely hard and also have a static charge – not easy to chase and gather them back up.
Ground chia is one of several substitution possibilities for replacing egg in baked goods for vegans or for those folks with egg allergy. Sprouted chia seeds can be used in salads and for sandwiches as well as on your Chia Pet.
Neglected Bananas
Four weeks ago I bought bananas to ripen for banana muffins and possibly banana bread. Two batches of those Coconut Banana Muffins later and there were still four v-e-r-y ripe bananas hanging out in the guest room. So this afternoon I conjured up a new recipe that I had been thinking about, put it together, and I’ll post about it tomorrow. It’s been quite a long day in the kitchen.
Mom
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January 24, 2010 at 7:09 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Kitchen Gadgets ·Tagged colander, green living, Kitchen Gadgets, kitchen sink, manual kitchen tools
We had Arroz Clásico as side with dinner tonight. Heading off to do errands I decided to leave myself a ‘breadcrumb’ to remind me that I was helping with dinner tonight so I placed the container of rice on the kitchen counter. When I returned from errands we went to the fitness center. Returning home I told Don that I was going to get the rice started so it would be thoroughly cooked and tender. He mentioned that he had noticed the container that I had placed on the counter. And then he added that since we had planned and discussed Arroz Clásico he felt that the macaroni container was in error and had replaced it with the rice container. It is so reassuring that when you get flakey there is someone to cover your back!
While I was peeling, trimming and slicing the onion with tears running down my checks and sniffling away I remembered my Dad called these ‘mean’ onions. Then my attention wandered on over to the kitchen sink colander, a Christmas stocking stuffer that is becoming another favorite kitchen gadget.
- Sink Colander
Colanders in the sink used to be standard equipment before the days of garbage disposals. All the peelings, cores, and trimmings went in the colander to drain before being trashed or composted. We had a septic tank at our place the country and didn’t have a disposal. When we moved we chose not to use the one already in this house. I run the disposal to clean it out occasionally but had started using a lot of paper towels to bundle the stuff that goes in the trash. That is not really green or earth friendly, is it? I like the way this colander hooks over the center of the sink and is right under the water spigot if needed. So now we are saving on paper towels. When I get my act together there will be even less paper.
Another thing that was really great about this product – it was part of a school fundraiser for one of the grandchildren. No high calorie, high fat candy bars or cookie dough – this is something useful and reusable.
Mom
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January 22, 2010 at 2:16 AM
· Filed under Mains, Recipes, Veggies ·Tagged cabbage, carrots, frugal, gluten-free, healthy diet, low-calorie, low-carb, onions, veggies
When Don used to travel for work and I was at home at the house in the woods with only the cats for company, cooking everyday for myself was not a priority. There were too many other projects going on around the place. This was my home-crafted bookcase period (eventually seven of them), learning to crochet afghans and throw rugs, and attempting to landscape in caliche soil with alkaline well water compounded by the persistent Central Texas wildlife and blistering heat.
Cooking this hearty casserole that lasted several days freed up more time for those other endeavors. This was (and still is) one of my favorite combinations. It is easy to adjust the seasonings to your own preferences or seasonal vegetables. This can be cooked in a crockpot, in the oven, or on the stovetop and for me that usually depends on the weather. If it is winter the oven or stovetop adds more warmth to the house. In summer the crockpot helps to avoid that.
This week’s batch omitted the rice (the post-holiday low-carb version) and with no rice to be cooked the casserole only needs reheating to serve.
Cabbage Casserole
Cabbage Layer -
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds cabbage, thinly sliced (at least 6 cups)
(Sometimes I add grated carrots or other veggies languishing in the fridge)
Sea salt and pepper
1 teaspoon thyme (from a jar)
Meat Layer -
1 pound extra lean ground meat – we used turkey
Sea salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Sauce -
1 can diced tomatoes
3 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 packet or cube of instant bouillon (whatever flavor you prefer)
8 ounces water (if you use rice)
Rice (optional) -
1/2 cup converted rice, dry
Cabbage Prep:
Place all ingredients in a very large skillet or pot and sauté until the cabbage is bright green and onions are transparent.
Meat Layer Prep:
Cook all ingredients until all traces of pink are gone and set aside. Grocery stores now carry pre-seasoned ground meat and sometimes I just cook up a package of the lean ground turkey with Italian seasoning (ever lazier – that’s me).
Sauce Prep:
Puree the tomatoes in a blender. Add the other ingredients and blend.
Assembly and cooking:
Layer these ingredients into a casserole starting with 1/3 of the cabbage, followed by 1/2 of the meat, 1/2 of the rice, cabbage, meat, rice, and finishing with the cabbage. Pour the sauce over all and work it into the casserole layers with a spoon. Bake it at 350*F for 45 – 60 minutes – checking to be sure the rice is done.
This batch provided enough for two hearty dinners for both Don and me – we don’t call it leftovers we call it planning ahead!
Mom
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January 21, 2010 at 6:36 AM
· Filed under Edge Chat, Pantry Staples, Veggies ·Tagged easy, emergency food, frugal, gluten-free, grain-free, healthy diet, low-calorie, low-carb, salad, spinach, vegetarian, veggies
In the post-holiday, workout, trim-back-down season it gets crowded up at the fitness center. We’ve been going a little later in the evening when it is easier to make use of the equipment without a lengthy wait. Part of the strategy also is to cut back on calories and for me that means load up on the salads and fresh veggies – not much baking going on right now.
Theoretically I know that it doesn’t take that much effort to whip up a homemade salad dressing and wow, they are so much tastier than bottled dressing from the grocery store. But I don’t have the dedication to do that every time so there is always the gluten-free dressing in the fridge or pantry for a fall-back option to keep the diet on track. Ken’s Salad Dressings has many options ranging from fat-free, light, regular, gourmet and a few other choices. I am a big fan of Balsamic Vinaigrette and Chunky Blue Cheese – not your low-cal versions by any means but if it tastes really good it helps me to stay on track.
Easy Spinach Florentine
In the cold weather something hot is good too and I pull together this tasty, low-cal dish in a jiffy with these ingredients:
1 cup cooked greens, from a can or microwaved from frozen (your favorite greens)
Garlic powder
Sea salt
1 generous tablespoon of Ken’s Chunky Blue Cheese
Ken's Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Put the ingredients in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 30-40 seconds. Dig in. It is healthy, low in carbs and calories, high in vitamins and a bunch of other stuff that is really good for you. Do something good for yourself and it gives you a lift!
Mom
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January 16, 2010 at 11:21 PM
· Filed under Muffin, Recipes, Treat ·Tagged banana, coconut, coconut flour, cranberries, dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy, high protein, low-carb, Mexican vanilla, sugar-free
The treasured souvenir that I brought back from our Mexico cruise after Thanksgiving was some of that fabled Mexican vanilla – a few bottles to share and one for me. It has been such a treat that my supply is rapidly dwindling. I searched the internet for a more local supply and this is what I found. Molino Real Vanilla
Molino Real Vanilla
These petite muffins are densely nutritious and very filling. They make a wonderful first breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea and/or a delightful little afternoon snack. The Mexican vanilla described above, along with the coconut flour, gives them a delightful fragrance. I shared these with friends at The Caring Place for expert opinion as they are not very sweet. Clara, who has gluten issues, gave it two thumbs up. Ann, who does not have gluten issues and has much baking experience, also gave the recipe a high rating. I love it when friends from both sides of the gluten equasion equally enjoy a recipe. I used dried cranberries which added a bright touch of color to a light colored muffin.
Out of the Oven
Adapted from Salba Banana Coconut Muffins (GF) at the Salba.com.
Coconut Banana Muffins
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 room-temperature eggs
1/3 cup mashed banana (1 small, ripe banana)
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla flavor or vanilla extract
12 drops of liquid stevia or 2 small packets granular stevia
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon shredded coconut, unsweetened (desiccated)
2 tablespoons whole or ground chia seed
2 tablespoons raisins, cranberries, blueberries or finely chopped nuts or cocoa nibs
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Sift and whisk together the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and coconut flour (it keeps better in the freezer but it does get clumpy) in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chia seed, coconut, and optional ingredients and whisk again to blend the dry ingredients.
Whisk together oil, eggs, banana, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Measure spoonfuls of batter into silicon muffin cups or a muffin pan greased with coconut oil. I used a large size kitchen scoop (50 ml – 10 teaspoons) and filled the silicon muffin cups to the inside line which produced seven muffins.
Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then pop out of the pan or liners. Serve immediately or wrap individually for later use. The flavor seems to improve/mellow after wrapping and cooling and the fragrance comes through the wrapping!
Even with the banana and cranberries these muffins have only about 11 grams of carbs with 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein and a very low GI index which makes them ideal for these post-holiday low-carb high-protein diets.
Mom
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