2013 Blog Goal

I know that the premise of my blog is about living life spherically and moderately, but I want have a baking focus for this coming year. I'm frustrated with the challenges of baking gluten free but since I now need to do so, I want to get good at it. Its not so much about eating baked goods, but rather that I just plain like baking whether I eat the results or not - baking is fun!

Whole Grain Gluten Free Soufflé Experiment

This morning I had leftover batter from the Whole Grain Gluten Free Pancakes I made yesterday, but wasn't in the mood for pancakes today, so I used the leftovers in a little experiment. They turned out better than I expected! But I still want to develop these into a healthy whole grain breakfast cupcakes version (of course I'll post the finalized recipe when I get it all figured out).

Whole Grain Gluten Free Pancakes (gf, df)

A strong nutty, whole grain flavour makes these a distinct break from the traditional pancake, as well as being much healthier. I developed this recipe from the cornmeal pancake recipe on the front of the Bob's Red Mill Course Grind Cornmeal package.

Farro, White Bean & Lemon Salad (gf, v)

This is a recipe I found over at Serious Eats, and created by Blake Royer, but its the recipe that turned me on to the greatness of the whole grain farro so I want to pass it on to you. I've made a few adjustments of my own, but the original recipe is here. This is another great make-ahead lunch.

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of this one!

Gluten Intolerance

I've been having digestive problems most of my life, but especially so for the last two years. I originally started trying to eat more gluten free grains in order to have a more rounded diet that included a variety of grains, but I've noticed that my digestive system has been a lot better. I've tested it out a couple times - eating gluten after not eating it for several days - and I would very quickly start to have a lot of pain in my abdomen. This has pretty well confirmed that I have developed a gluten allergy. (My doctor has tested me to be sure its not Celiac.) So, I am going to be continuing my exploration and learning about how to successfully bake with gluten free grains (just more balanced with protein and vegetables than I have been lately) and will be posting the knowledge I gain through these experiments.

I am also in the process of developing some key resources for gluten free cooking and will be posting them and updating them as necessary.

Barefeet in the Kitchen's GF Sandwich Bread

I just discovered this blog today, and am excited about it! Barefeet in the Kitchen is the food blog of Mary and her three boys, and is now a gluten free blog. I'm looking forward to trying out her recipes and learning from her experiences converting to gluten free. This recipe below is a wonderful staple for any gluten free home. Her Tender High Rise Gluten Free Sandwich Bread is the first real success I've had with baking anything gluten free that is supposed to rise. I've copied her recipe below (with my milk free substitute), for reference only, in a different colour font, and my notes. Please DO see her original post for detailed directions and photos for the steps as this recipe does have a few details that are important and she has had multiple questions about the recipe, which she answers in her comments.

Leek & Mushroom Soup (v, gf)

This is a delicious and bright soup that can be enjoyed year round and can fit various price points depending upon which mushrooms you choose to use.

Too Many Carbs...

I received in the mail today my new bamboo bathroom scale from Amazon.com and weighed myself and solidified the thoughts that have been going through my head recently: I'm too obsessed with carbs these days.

I've been very excited to learn all this great new information about baking gluten free that I've been whipping up pizza after pizza. It can be easy to forget: even though its gluten free it still has carbs in it. And all these carbs I've been experimenting with, well, it hasn't exactly been living life either spherically or moderately. Thus, I am going to be cutting out the carbs for a few weeks, to reset my metabolism - my body is clearly very much addicted to the carbs right now and I have to put it through carb rehab. I'm not going to start today; I need to go buy healthy carb-free groceries first. Plus I have just purchased the ingredients to make something I've been dying to try - Gluten Free Naan! But I have it marked on my calendar: 17 November, 2012. No more carbs, end of story. At least for two weeks - just long enough to get my body over the carb addiction. Then I'll start adding them back into my diet in healthier qualities and quantities; spherical and moderate carbs.

I'll be posting more about my understanding of carbs, metabolism, and health in the next month or so. Plus updates upon my success in getting back into my clothes from before I got really sick two years ago and started this decent into carb addiction (my body did literally need tons of them for a while, but not for a while now).

I have a recipe on my radar for a rutabaga and edamame dish, as well as leek and mushroom soup. I have some favourite carb free recipes to pull out for you as well. Start looking forward to more amazing veggie-based recipes!


Update:
Even though I had good intentions, this hasn't happened. That being said, I am trying to eat far less carbs and more protein and vegetables. I will hopefully be able to do this full metabolism reset come January 1st, I've realised that I just have too many other factors in my life right now to commit to something like this. (11/23/12)

Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi

This is a great way to make comforting gnocchi a whole lot healthier and homemade is always so much tastier than store bought. Just a few simple ingredients and a fun process to a delicious Italian meal.

Autumnal Pumpkin Pizza (gf)

This might sound a bit odd at first - who puts pumpkin on pizza? - but its actually pretty great. The savoury crust, the spicy pumpkin sauce, and the tang of gorgonzola cheese truly separate this pizza from its sweeter cousin the pumpkin pie. Omit the turkey and this pizza is still a great vegetarian option to savour the flavours of the autumn harvest.

Savoury Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

This savoury alternative to my Basic Gluten-Free Pizza Crust brings more flavour to pizzas that need a little more panache than a basic crust.

Basic Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

This is a basic recipe for gluten-free pizza crust that you can add to in order to create various types of gluten-free pizza crusts, such as my Savoury Gluten-Free Pizza Crust. It's akin to a thin crust, but a bit thicker, but definitely not a risen crust.

Why you have to start with a different basic pizza crust than in regular gluten-present baking is explained in my post: Binding Gluten-Free Bread & Pizza Dough. Be sure to observe the directions below as this is created in a much different manner than regular pizza dough.

Binding Gluten-Free Bread & Pizza Dough

Simply swapping regular flour for gluten free flour in a pizza, or any bread recipe, simply will not work. Period. End of story. This is because it is the gluten itself that binds the flour and makes it sticky and stretchy the way these doughs need to be to form them. In order for gluten-free bread and pizza doughs to work that gluten needs to be substituted with something that will give the dough a similar binding effect, otherwise you'll just end up with a crumbly mess.

Breakfast Smoothie # 4 (gf. v)

This fruity smoothie is a sweet start to the morning and pays homage to the strawberry.

Breakfast Smoothie # 1 (gf, v)

Verde Farro Salad (gf, v)

This is a healthy lunch that's great fro making on the weekend and having for the work week. The farro, a hearty whole grain will really fill you up, while the zingy seasoning will excite your taste buds in the middle of a long work day.

Chickpea, Tomato, Kalmata & Feta Salad (gf, v)

I fell in love with this salad back in undergrad, when feta cheese was still exotic and super expensive to me. I discovered it in the very first issue of Everyday Food. Over the years I've modified the recipe slightly, but the essence is still there. This makes a great fast lunch you can throw together and keep in the fridge or eat straight away.