Healthy Parenting

BRYANNA’S VEGAN, WHEAT-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE FILE

Bryanna Clark Grogan is a revered best selling vegan author, cook, mother, grandmother and former LLL leader. She has 35 years experience in cooking and nutrition. She is also a resident expert at http://www.vegsource.com. Check her site out; http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com Bryanna has graciously given us permission to post her Gluten Free resources. Please visit her website to order books or learn more about her.

BRYANNA’S VEGAN, WHEAT-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE FILE

Here's my gluten-free file-- you may find some helpful resources here:

http://www.vitalita.com/vcg.html (this is not all gluten-free, but there are two FREE downloadable pdf cookbooks with wheat-free recipes here! And pretty much vegan.)

http://www.redstaryeast.com/celiacindex.htm
http://recipesource.com/special-diets/gluten-free/
http://www.theibdpages.homestead.com/ibdrecipes.html
( a great source of non-gluten, vegetarian recipes!)

THE FOLLOWING HAS ALOT OF GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN RECIPES (SCROLL DOWN AND BROWSE THE LIST OF RECIPES):

http://www.recipenet.org/health/archives/archives_recipes.htm

GLUTEN-FREE VEGANS/VEGETARIANS: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/gluten.html

HERE ARE SOME ONLINE RETAILERS THAT SELLS VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS;

http://www.veganessentials.com/products/foodsweets/cheesealterna tives.asp
http://www.getethical.com/cgi/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Wheat_free_Pasta_3.html

SOME OTHER GLUTEN-FREE INFO: http://homecooking.about.com/cs/allergy/index_2.htm

FLOUR & GRAINS

Since no single wheat-free flour has all the attributes of regular wheat flour, the trick is to blend several wheat-free/gluten-free flours using final product texture as a guide. Bette Hagman, a pioneer in gluten-free baking, provides a good basic flour blend in her cookbooks that can be used in equal (1:1) substitution for regular wheat flours. Her gluten-free flour blend suggests that for every 3 cups of flour, use 2 cups white rice flour plus 2/3 cup potato starch plus 1/3 cup tapioca starch well blended with the appropriate amount of xanthan or guar gum.

Any additional protein that can be added (e.g., for vegans, rice or soy protein powder; for non-vegans, eggs, milk powder), helps offset the lack of gluten protein.

For every cup of wheat-free/gluten-free flour, use 1 tsp. xanthan or guar gum for cakes, 2 tsp. xanthan or guar gum for breads or pizza, and 1tsp. or no xanthan or guar gum or most cookies. Agar and kosher gel can also be used.

NOTE: Wheat/gluten-free flour dough will be stickier, heavier, and softer than regular wheat flour dough because there is little to no elasticity to the dough without the gluten. For these reasons, use a batter beater, not a dough hook, and a heavy-duty stand-up mixer to beat extra air into the dough and blend it thoroughly.

BOOK REVIEWS:

This was posted on my board some time ago, by Rana:

I'm looking through the cookbook “MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN: HEALTHY VEGAN COOKING”, by Florence Bienenfeld, Ph.D. and Micky Bienenfeld, and I see tons of dessert recipes that don't use wheat or soy. Some of the cookies use walnuts. There are also wheat-free pancakes without soy or nuts. There are wheat-free and nut-free pie crusts, as well as some that use nuts but no wheat. I've listed some of the pie and bread recipes below, but there are others. The book also has plenty of recipes that use wheat (it has over 400 recipes that use mainly whole food ingredients, but I haven't used it yet b/c I've gotten hooked on Bryanna's cookbooks).

Wheat-free breads include:
oat-bran pumpkin bread, brown rice flour banana bread, cornbread, banana-squash cornbread, easy wheat- free oat loaf, wheat-free scotch oat-rye bread, wheat-free corn-rye- oat bran bread with caraway seeds, and sweet potato cornbread.

Muffins:
wheat-free banana-raisin-walnut scones, wheat-free baking-powder biscuits, brown rice flour-sweet potato scones with raisins or currants, wheat-free oat bran-sweet potato scones, unsweetened w-f oat bran scones, w-f banana-apple-oat-bran muffins, fruit-sweetened w-f oat bran muffins, easy w-f oat bran muffins

Tortes and Pies:
Apple-Pecan Torte, Apple Delight Torte, w-f Date-Carob-Walnut Torte, Plum Torte w/Brown Rice Flour-Almond Butter Crust, w-f Carob-Almond Torte, w-f Almond-Pear Torte, w-f Dutch Apple Pie, Tart Summer Fruit Cobbler, w-f Tart Dutch Apple Pie, Apricot Pie, Brown Rice Flour Crust, Crunchy Brown Rice Flour Topping, Deluxe Dutch Apple Pie, Brown Rice Flour-Nut Crust (pecans or walnuts), Oat-Pecan Crust, w-f Peach Pie,
and many more (got tired of typing!). Rana

THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET BAKES BREAD: MORE THAN 200 WHEAT-FREE RECIPES by Bette Hagman

Cooking/Health
7 3/8 x 9 1/4; 304 pp.
0-8050-6078-2/paperback
$18.00US/$27.00CAN
October 2000
Also available in hardcover:
7 3/8 x 9 1/4; 320 pp.
0-8050-6077-4/hardcover
$27.50US/$41.00CAN
September 1999

Foreword by Peter H. R. Green, M.D., of The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.

A breakthrough bread book by the unchallenged expert in gluten- free and wheat-free cooking. In Bette Hagman’s three earlier cookbooks, she worked with gluten- free flours that are safe for celiacs (those who are intolerant to gluten) and for those with wheat allergies to create recipes for great- tasting food. Knowing from her own hard-earned experience that bread is the greatest loss for those who can’t eat wheat, oats, rye, or barley, she has experimented with exciting new bean-based flours and has devoted an entire book to breads. Here are yeast breads, yeast-free breads, muffins, rolls, buns, breakfast breads, and crackers -- a vast array of recipes for the oven or the bread machine -- for people who cannot buy breads at a bakery or supermarket but must rely on their own kitchens to provide the staff of life.

Along with dozens of great recipes are: a beginner’s guide to understanding and cooking with gluten-free flours; answers to commonly asked questions about baking with these flours; and a source list of where to buy gluten-free baking supplies.

“Bette’s just-do-it spirit pervades everything she writes. Bette is my gluten-free mentor, as she is mentor to many of us.” --Ann Whelan, editor and publisher, Gluten-Free Living

Bette Hagman, a.k.a. the Gluten-Free Gourmet, was diagnosed as a celiac over twenty years ago. She has devoted her time to creating recipes for gluten-free flours. A writer and lecturer, she lives in Seattle, Washington.

1. Bette Hagman, “The Gluten-Free Gourmet”, as many books, including one on gluten-free breads (see below). Her newest one is THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET MAKES DESSERT. Unfortunately, she relies heavily on eggs in most of the recipes and, since I am not that familiar with gluten-free recipes, I’m not sure how egg substitutes will work in these recipes. The more eggs a recipe calls for the harder it is. But, if the recipe only calls for 1 or 2 eggs, you could try a mixture of flaxseed ”glop” and egg replacer, or beaten egg replacer, or tofu, or whatever seems appropriate (one egg replacer does not work in all instances).

   Here is a list of the recipes I found in the book that use no eggs or could be easily veganized:
   
   Lemon Melts (cookie)
   Orange shortbread
   Fruit and Nut Dessert Balls
   Rice Balls with Fruit and Nuts
   Cereal Crust
   Baker’s Secret icing
   Lemon or Orange Filling for Cakes
   Walnut Caramel Bars
   Florentines
   Butterscotch Bars with Peanuts
   Pecan Sandies
   Snicker’s Pie
   Cobbler
   Nut Crust Supreme

2. ANOTHER BOOK is THE GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN” by Roben Ryberg. This author does not use eggs so lavishly in her cooking. Recipes with no eggs, or easy to veganize include:
   
   Bagels
   Pancakes
   doughnuts
   Danish
   Coffee cake
   Biscuits
   Muffins
   Waffles
   Streusel cake
   Egg-free yeast breads!!!
   Cornbread
   Chocolate bread
   Cottage dill loaf (could use tofu “cottage cheese”)
   English muffins
   Hot cross buns
   Egg-free pizza crust!
   Sourdough loaf
   Banana bread and other tea breads
   Boston crème Pie
   Carrot cake
   Chocolate cake
   Gingerbread
   Yellow cake
   Pond cake
   Pineapple upside-down cake
   Red velvet cake
   Chocolate chip cookies and many other cookies and bars
   No-egg pie crust
   Apple crisp
   Cobbler
   Funnel cakes
   Ice cream cones
   Streusel toppings

3. Last, but not least, is GLUTEN-FREE BAKING by Rebecca Reilly, a French-trained baker who found out she had Celiac disease. There are a lot of European-style recipes in this books, many of which require eggs. But here’s a list of either egg-free or easy-to-veganize recipes from this lovely book:
   
   some muffins with no eggs; some with only 1 egg
   scones
   shortcake using egg replacer
   sweet breads—most have 2 eggs, some only 1
   her cakes seem to use a lot of eggs, but a few use only 1
   Her Basic Cake and carrot Cake are egg-free
   Egg-Free, GF GRAHAM CRACKERS!
   Egg-free peanut butter cookies, shortbread, Florentines and Linzer cookies
   Her biscotti use eggs, but maybe could be veganized
   Some egg-free bars and squares (if you use veganized fillings)
   Nondairy chocolate cheesecake
   Chocolate applesauce cake
   Various pastries—her basic uses 1 egg, but there’s an oil crust with no egg and a Rich Pastry with no egg that uses curd cheese—perhaps tofu crème cheese could be used instead.
   Graham crust, cereal crust and pecan crust have no eggs
   Blueberry Pudding cake
   Mississippi mud pie
   Chocolate pudding cake
   Fruit Cobbler
   Crisp toppings for crisps
   Brown Betty
   GF Filo pastry!!! (uses 1 egg), so GF Baklava and strudel!
   Shaker fresh berry pudding (like an English Summer Pudding)

******************************

I've been playing with this new gluten-free flour mix. I tried it in muffins, pancakes and a vegan yeast bread that I devised starting with one of Bette Hagman's (“The Gluten-Free Gourmet”) recipes. They all worked well! The only problem I find is that the flour, even though it's made from mostly wholegrains, tastes bland to me-- blander than even white flour. I compensated a bit with a little more salt and a tiny bit more sugar, and adding lemon rind and nutmeg to the muffins, etc..

BRYANNA'S GLUTEN-FREE HIGH-FIBER FLOUR MIX
Makes about 13 c.

7 and 1/2 c. brown rice flour (I ground it from short grain brown rice)
2 and 1/2 c. potato starch
1 and 1/4 c. tapioca flour
1 c. ground flax seed
1 c. chickpea flour (or soy flour)
4 and 1/2 T. xanthan or guar gum

Mix well and store in a moisture-proof container in in the freezer. Use cup-for-cup instead of regular flour.

NOTE: Because non-gluten flours lack the structure that gluten provides, xanthan gum or guar gum (available in health food stores) is often added to gluten-free baked goods. This mixture contains enough xanthan or guar gum for cakes, cookies, pancakes, and quick breads. For yeast breads, you may have to add up to 1 tsp. more gum per cup of gluten-free flour.

I found this info at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

BREAD MACHINE METHOD FOR GLUTEN-FREE YEAST BREADS
(you must have a "quick bread cycle", "cake cycle" or "bake only cycle")

Bring all ingredients to room temperature (70–80 degrees).
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, whisk together.
Combine all wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl and whisk together.

For round-pan models; place dry ingredients in the pan first, then liquids. For square upright or rectangular models, place wet ingredients in pan, then dry.

For bread machine with a "bake only" cycle, select dough cycle for mixing an rising. Press "stop" when cycle is complete: then select the "bake only" cycle to complete the bread. The purpose of this step is to eliminate the second kneading cycle that is used for wheat breads.

Follow the remaining manufacturer instructions for your machine.

BRYANNA'S GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN YEAST BREAD
Makes 2 8 and1/2 x 4 and 1/2" loaves

Grease the pans really well-- this sticks easily.

Mix and let stand 5 minutes:

1 and 3/4 c. warm water
1 packet regular yeast (2 and 1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. unbleached sugar

Meanwhile, blend in the blender;

1 c. water
1/4 c. flaxseeds

When frothy, with just bits of flaxseed hull in it, add and blend:

2 T. PLUS 2 tsp. EnerG egg replacer powder
1/4 c. olive oil or melted Earth Balance
1/2 tsp. agar powder OR 1 T. agar flakes
1 and 1/2 tsp. vinegar
4 tsp. molasses

In a bowl, mix well:

4 c. Bryanna's Gluten-Free High-Fiber Flour Mix
1/4 c. instant mashed potato flakes
6 T. unbleached sugar
3 T. soy or rice milk powder
1 T. plus 1 tsp. xanthan or guar gum
1 T. salt

Add the frothed-up yeast mixture to the blended flaxseed mixture and blend briefly. Dump this into the bowl of a stand-up electric mixer. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is all mixed in. Beat for 3 and 1/2 minutes. Scrape dough (it's actually a really thick batter) into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour, or to the tops of the pans.

Have the oven preheated to 400 degrees F. Bake the breads for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and cover the breads with foil. Bake 30 minutes more. Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully remove from pans top a rack to cool before slicing. This really looks, smells and tastes like bread! You can toast it and make breadcrumbs out of it.

BRYANNA'S FEATHERLIGHT CORNMEAL-ORANGE-PECAN GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES
makes about 24 four-inch pancakes

Fruit juice makes an extra-light eggless pancake.

1 and 1/2 c. Bryanna's High-Fiber Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 c. stone-ground cornmeal
1/4 c. soy flour or chickpea flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. orange juice (freshly-squeezed, preferably)
1 c. water
2 T. finely-grated (organic) orange zest
1 T. oil
1/2 c. finely-chopped toasted pecans (you can substitute unsweetened shredded coconut for the pecans, if you like)

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, soy or chickpea flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together well. Add the remaining ingredients and stir briefly, just to mix—lumps are okay. (This batter is a little more runny than ordinary pancake batter—the cornmeal really sucks up the liquid as it cooks.)

Heat a non-stick griddle or skillet (an electric griddle cooks very evenly), or a heavy cast iron one, over high heat. When it’s hot (drops of water dance on the surface when sprinkled on, the disappear quickly), turn it down to medium (I usually turn my electric griddle to 325 degrees F). Rub a little oil over the surface with a scrunched-up paper towel. Spoon the batter onto the surface, not crowding, because they spread a little. I like to make small pancakes, no larger than 4” across – they seem to cook better this way.

When bubbles appear on the tops, flip them over gently, loosening the bottoms carefully.

When the underside is golden and the inside is cooked (you can check one with a fork to make sure), serve them immediately. DON”T overcook these—they should still be kind of puffy when you take them off the griddle. If you let them overcook, they’ll go flat and won’t be as light and cakey as they should be. Serve hot with maple syrup or other favorite toppings.

BRYANNA'S GLUTEN-FREE LEMON-WALNUT-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
makes 12

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups.

WET MIX:
1 and 1/4 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 c. oil
2 T. water
1/2 T. EnerG egg replacer powder
3/4 c. light unbleached sugar
grated zest of 1 large lemon

DRY MIX:
2 c. Bryanna's High-Fiber Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 T. baking powder
3/4-1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly-grated nutmeg

FRUIT AND NUTS:
1 c. fresh blueberries (cut big ones in half)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
unbleached brown sugar or Sucanat to sprinkle on top

Blend the wet Mix ingredients in blender well. Mix the Dry Mix in a bowl well. Add the blueberries and nuts to the Dry Mix and toss. Add the Wet Mix and mix briefly. Spoon evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops generously with brown sugar. Bake 20 minutes. Loosen muffins carefully with a knife and turn on their sides in cups. Place pan on a rack. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

BRYANNA'S WHEATLESS CORNCAKES
makes about 12/ 3-4"
(wheat-free and can be soy-free)

If you love corn, as I do, you'll love these. They're good for any meal- - with maple syrup or fruit sauces for breakfast; or, for lunch or supper, with chile or gravy; or try tofu sour crème with red pepper or jalapeño jelly!

For a change of pace, you can add minced bits of red and/or green pepper (mild or hot); chopped sauteed onion or minced raw green onion; or fresh herbs to the batter.

1 c. stone-ground cornmeal
1 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 c. water
OPTIONAL: 1 T. flaxseeds
1 T. EnerG Egg Replacer powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cooked, canned or thawed frozen corn kernels, drained as dry as possible

In the blender, mix the cornmeal, soymilk, water, optional flaxseeds, egg replacer, baking powder and salt. Mix for about a minute. Add the corn and mix briefly, just to chop the corn. Do not add more cornmeal if the batter seems runny. Cornmeal absorbs a lot of liquid as it cooks.

Heat a non-stick griddle or skillet (an electric griddle cooks very evenly), or a heavy cast iron one, over high heat. When it’s hot (drops of water dance on the surface when sprinkled on, the disappear quickly), turn it down to medium (I usually turn my electric griddle to 325 degrees F). Rub a little oil over the surface with a scrunched-up paper towel. Spoon the batter onto the surface, not crowding. I like to make small pancakes, no larger than 4” across – they seem to cook better this way.

When bubbles appear on the tops, flip them over gently, loosening the bottoms carefully.

When the underside is golden and the inside is cooked (you can check one with a fork to make sure), serve them immediately. (DON”T overcook these—they should still be kind of puffy when you take them off the griddle. If you let them overcook, they’ll go flat and won’t be as light and cakey as they should be.)

BRYANNA'S CRISPY WHOLEGRAIN, LOW-FAT, HIGH-PROTEIN WAFFLES
makes about 10/ 4” waffles (can be soy-free)

You can make wholegrain waffles from an ordinary waffle recipe—but why spoil a good thing with all those eggs and melted butter? Try these crispy, ultra-nutritious homemade waffles.

It’s a great recipe for anyone with food allergies because there are so many choices. (Don’t use spelt flour , though—it makes a very heavy waffle.) Of course, there’s no dairy or eggs to worry about, and you can totally avoid wheat or gluten of any kind, if necessary. If you can’t eat soy, you can use chickpeas.

Don’t be put off by having to put the soybeans (or other beans) on to soak the night before. This takes just minutes before you retire for the night and then, in the morning, the batter is quickly made in the blender while the waffle iron heats up. These waffles take a little longer to bake than ordinary waffles (about 8 minutes), so you might want to make them ahead of time, or have two waffle irons going at the same time. They can be reheated quickly in a very hot oven for a short time (you just want to crisp and heat them, not dry them out), or in a toaster.

These waffles are inexpensive and low in fat, but contain high-quality protein, fiber and other nutrients—a great way to start the day! They can also be used as a lunch or supper dish, topped with chile or creamed vegetables, etc.. Keep some ready-made in the freezer for quick toaster snacks—they are great eaten out of hand with a little low-sugar (ultra-lite) jam. My favorite version is made with soybeans and half wholewheat flour, half stone-ground cornmeal.

NOTE: And, don’t worry, no one will suspect that there are beans in these waffles!

1/2 c. dry soybeans OR chickpeas
2 and 1/4 c. water
1 and 1/4 c. brown rice flour, or stone-ground cornmeal, or a mixture
1/4 c. rice bran
2 T. unbleached sugar OR maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or fruit concentrate syrup
3 T. flaxseeds
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

OPTIONAL FLAVORINGS:
You can add about 1/2 T. of vanilla, lemon, or orange extract, if you wish. You could also add some grated (organic) citrus fruit zest. You can substitute fruit juice for some of the water, if you wish. You can add 1/2 c. finely chopped toasted nuts or unsweetened shredded coconut.

The night before:

Soak the soybeans or chickpeas in plenty of water. The beans can soak in water in the refrigerator for up to a week with no fermentation, if you aren’t sure when you’ll make the waffles.

In the morning:

Drain the beans. Place them in the blender along with all of the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and light and foamy. This may take several minutes. Let the batter stand while you heat up your waffle iron.

NOTE: Even if you have a non-stick iron, this recipe will work better if you spray the grids well with oil from a pump-sprayer or with a commercial non-stick spray. If you have an older iron, you may have to grease it with vegetable shortening (you can sometimes find a non-hydrogenated version at health food stores) to keep the waffles from sticking. If using that much fat is a problem, then you should probably get a newer, nonstick waffle iron—there are some very inexpensive models.

When the iron is hot, pour on about a heaping 1/3 c. of batter for each 4” square waffle . Close the iron and set the timer for 8 minutes. Don’t check before 8 minutes is up. If the iron is hard to open, let it cook a couple of more minutes.

COOKING NOTE: Spray the iron with punp-spray oil or commercial cooking spray before you make each batch of waffles. Blend the batter again briefly before pouring out each waffle. If the batter gets thicker on standing, add a LITTLE water, just until it’s the consistency you started out with.

The waffle should be golden-brown and crispy. Serve immediately, or let cool on cake racks. When they are cool, they can be frozen in plastic bags or rigid containers. Serve with your favorite toppings.

If you don’t use up all of the batter, and you don’t want to cook the waffles ahead of time and freeze them, just refrigerate the batter in the blender with the lid on. You can re-blend the batter (adding a tiny bit more water if the batter has become too thick) just before cooking the waffles.

VARIATION #1:

USING WHOLE BROWN RICE:

If you prefer, you can soak 1 c. brown rice in the 2 and 1/4 c. water overnight. In this case, drain the beans, but NOT the grain. Use the water you soaked the grain in for the waffle batter.

VARIATION #2:

SPUR OF THE MOMENT WHOLEGRAIN AND NUT WAFFLES

If you forgot to soak beans for the other waffle recipe, or decided to makes waffles on the spur of the moment, or you’re allergic to beans, try these!

The recipe is the same as the one above, but, instead of using the beans that you’ve soaked overnight, use instead 1/3 c. chopped nuts or seeds (or 1/4 c. nut butter). You can use raw or roasted nuts, seeds, or nut butters. You can use cashews, almonds, pecans, filberts or hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.—even peanuts. Mix and cook just as for the basic recipe.

BRYANNA’S PERFECT CORNBREAD
Makes 1 10" cast-iron skillet or 12 muffins
(wheat-free and can be soy-free)

This is my favorite cornbread—Yankee-style, since it’s a little sweet. It’s moist and corny, high-fiber and low in fat.

(NOTE: For Southern-Style Cornbread: Use white stone-ground cornmeal and omit sugar, or use only 1 T..)

DRY MIX:
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 c. plus 1 and 1/2 T. Bryanna’s Gluten-Free High-Fiber Flour Mix
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

WET MIX:
1 T. lemon juice with nondairy milk to make 1 and 1/4 c.
1/4 C. unsweetened smooth applesauce
2 T. oil or melted non-dairy margarine

Oil a 10" cast iron skillet and place it in the oven while you heat it up to 375 degrees F. Whisk the dry Mix ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk or blend the wet Mix ingredients together and add to the Dry Mix. Mix briefly and pour into the hot skillet. Bake 20 minutes.

VARIATIONS: CORN MUFFINS: Bake the batter in 12 greased muffin cups for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees F. If you like, add 2/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts or pecans; and/or 1 c. fresh cranberries or blueberries, or 1/2 c. dried cranberries or blueberries, or 3/4 c. chopped pitted prunes.

HOT CHILE SURPRISE CORN MUFFINS: Make muffins as directed above, but spoon only half the batter into 12 muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tsp. of hot red pepper or jalapeño jelly into the center of each portion. Top with the remaining batter and bake as usual.

GREEN CHILE CORNBREAD OR CORN MUFFINS: To the batter, add 1 (4 oz.) can , drained well, of chopped green California chiles. Sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/4 c. dairyfree soy Parmesan, or sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin with 1/2-1 T. soy Parmesan.

BRYANNA'S FLAXSEED AND SESAME THINS (crackers)
makes about 98/ 1 and 1/2” square crackers
(can be soy-free and wheat-free)

This recipe is very easy, inexpensive, and versatile, and now I make crackers regularly. This recipe makes about the equivilant of a box of crackers, for a fraction of the cost, greater taste and nutrition, and much less fat.

DRY MIX:
1 and 1/2 c. Gluten-Free High-Fiber Flour Mix (see recipe above)
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1 T. roasted sesame oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
OPTIONAL: 1 T. onion soup mix or 1 T. dried onion flakes
1 T. dried herbs
1/2 tsp. caraway seed
1/4 c. toasted hulled sesame seeds
1/2 c. non-dairy milk (plus more for brushing tops)
kosher or coarse salt, if desired, to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the Dry Mix in a food processor. Add the sesame seeds and whirl for a minute. With the motor running, pour the non-dairy milk in through the top. When the mixture forms a ball on top of the blade, remove. Chill at least 10 minutes, or several hours, well-wrapped in plastic.

Cut the dough into quarters. Roll each piece between two sheets of floured waxed paper, flouring as needed. To 1/16th” thick.

Another way to do this is with a pasta rolling machine, either manual or electric, to the #4 thickness. Run the dough through the widest setting a few times until the dough is easy to handle, just as you would with pasta dough, before you start to gradually tighten the settings.

Cut the dough into squares (or whatever shapes you like). I like small crackers, about 1 and 1/2” square, and this recipe makes about 98 of those size.

Place the crackers, not touching, on ungreased cookie sheets.. Brush with non-dairy milk and, if you like, sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Bake for 5 minutes, then shift the pans around from right to left and turn the ends that were facing to the back of the oven to the front, for more even baking (a convection oven will help with this), then bake 5 more minutes, or until golden (NOT brown) and crisp. If you do two racks at a time, it’s best to switch the pans around from top to bottom halfway through. Cool on racks. They crisp up even more as they cool. Store airtight when absolutely cool.

BRYANNA'S WHEAT-FREE POUR-AND-BAKE CORN CRACKERS
makes about 8 dozen
(soy-free and wheat-free)

The “pour-and-bake” method utilizes a thin batter than can be poured out onto cookie sheets into a thin film, so no rolling-out is necessary!

1 and 3/4 c. water
1 and 1/4 c. cornmeal (as finely ground as possible-- sometimes you can get a product called "corn flour" in HFS)
1/2 c. raw cashews
1 and 1/2 T. sesame seeds
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic granules

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If possible, use an oven thermometer—a hot oven will burn the crackers.

Mix all the ingredients in the blender until smooth. Grease 2-4/ 10x15” (rimmed) cookie sheets or jelly roll pans. Place 2/3 c. of batter in each pan and tilt until the whole bottom of the pan is coated with batter, evenly. It will be a very thin coating.

Bake about 5 minutes, or til crackers are firm to the touch. At this point, if you want a topping, brush the sheet with nondairy milk and sprinkle with your selected topping of choice. (See below.) Then cut each sheet lengthwise into 3 or 4 equal strips and crosswise again in 6 equal strips, using a very sharp knife or pizza cutter. Try not to tear the still-soft crackers. Bake 10-20 minutes more, until the crackers are golden and crisp. If the oven heat is uneven (a common thing), carckers in some areas of the pan, particularly along the sides, will brown faster. Remove these crackers and continue baking the rest.

Cool the crackers on racks. Wash, dry and grease the pans again and continue baking until all the crackers are baked. Store cooled crackers airtight.

NOTE: INSTEAD OF BAKING YOU CAN DEHYDRATE THESE in a home food dehydrator. They will be lighter-colored but very crisp. Bake them until they are pale aand not yet crisp, but cooked enough to cut and handle, about 10 minutes TOTAL cooking time. Remove them from the oven at this point, cut and lay them out on your dehydrator trays. Dry the crackers until very crisp. Cool and store airtight.

A FEW MORE RECIPES:

BUTTON’S WHEAT/GLUTEN FREE PIZZA CRUST

From: Button (208.168.96.35)
Subject: Here's a wheat/gluten Free Pizza Crust!
Date: August 30, 2001 at 8:28 am PST
The other night I made this pizza crust and it was delicious!! The whole family loved it! And the two pieces that were left over were just as good today! This crust is not crumbly - and doesn't fall apart! I doubled the recipe. This is the original and makes a small pizza.

Ingredients:
1 Tlb gluten-free active dry yeast
2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tlb tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp unflavored, unsweetened gelatin powder (emes)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2/3 cup soy milk (105 degrees)
1/2 tsp honey or fruit sweet
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
extra garbanzo bean flour for sprinkling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients with a fork. Mix thoroughly.
2. Add warm milk, sweetener, oil & vinegar
3. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. (If the mixer bounces around the bowl, the dough is too stiff. Add water, 1 Tlb at a time, until dough does not resist the beaters) The dough should resemble soft bread dough.
4. Pour mixture onto a 12 inch pizza pan or baking sheet that has been coated with pure olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with extra flour, then press the dough into the pan. Spread out to the shape of the pan or the shape you want, if using a cookie sheet. Continue to add extra flour to keep dough from sticking. Make a thicker edge to hold the toppings in place.
5. Bake the pizza 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Top pizza with sauce and whatever toppings you want. Bake for another 15-25 min or until top is nicely browned.
Serves 4-6 pieces.

LUNDBERG FARM’S WHEAT-FREE GOLDEN MACAROONS

2 cups grated coconut, toasted at 350F, until lightly golden
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup Lundberg Sweet Dreams (brown rice syrup)
1 cup corn oil
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 orange rind, grated
juice of 1/2 orange

Mix together the first four ingredients and set aside. Mix the remaining ingredients together and add to the first mixture. Mix well. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour. With a tablespoon, form the dough into mounds and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, the macaroons can be brushed with the following glaze to give them a light golden brown color and shine.

RICE SYRUP GLAZE

This glaze is used primarily to brown foods that don't contain enough sugar to sufficiently brown in a moderate-to-high oven. Note: Do not brush glaze on at the beginning of baking as it will burn the cookie before it is baked.

2 tbsp. Lundberg Sweet Dreams (brown rice syrup)
1 tsp. water
Mix together well and brush on each macaroon.

LUNDBERG FARMS ALMOND RICE CRISPIES

3/4 cup Lundberg Sweet Dreams (brown rice syrup
3/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups rice cake crumbs
2 tbsp. tahini or sesame butter

Heat Lundberg Sweet Dreams to a simmer. Put the almonds in a food processor or blender and make almond meal. Place Lundberg Sweet Dreams, almonds, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Add rice cake crumbs and tahini or sesame butter to the Lundberg Sweet Dreams mixture and mix until well blended.

Press the mixture into a lightly oiled, 6 1/2-inch cake pan. Let stand for a few hours. Cut and serve. Serves 8.

From veganchef.com
CHEF BEVERLY LYNN BENNETT’S WHEAT-FREE GINGERBREAD CUT-OUTS

2 cups brown rice

flour 1 1/2 cups arrowroot, plus extra for rolling out cookies
1 1/2 cups amaranth flour
2 T. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 cups Sucanat (or brown sugar from sugar beets)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/3 cup molasses
2 T. vanilla
safflower oil, for oiling cookie sheets
Decorations: dried currants, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds
Decorator's Frosting (see recipe below)

In a small bowl, stir together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, amaranth flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves, and set aside. In a medium bowl, place the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator, and chill the dough for 1 hour or more. Using a little safflower oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) two non-stick cookie sheets and set aside. Sprinkle a little arrowroot over a work surface. Divide the chilled dough into quarters, work with only one quarter of the dough at a time, and keep the remaining dough covered and chilled until needed. Working in batches, roll out the quarter of dough to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake them at 350 degrees for 6 minutes (the cookies will feel slightly soft to the touch). Allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat the rolling and cutting-out procedure for the remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

To make Gingerbread People: Cut the dough using a person-shaped cookie cutter. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheets. To decorate them: use two dried currants for eyes, pressing them slightly into the dough; squeeze one dried cranberry with your fingers to form it into a mouth, pressing it slightly into the dough; and then use 8 sunflower seeds to make the outline of a vest, or 10 sunflower seeds to make the outline of a dress, pressing them slightly into the dough. Bake as directed above. The dried currants, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds can also be used to decorate other cut shapes of cookies.

To make Glazed Gingerbread Cookies: Cut cookies as desired and bake as directed above. Prepare the Decorator's Frosting and use it to decorate the completely cooled cookies, as desired. Allow the frosting to set completely before transferring the cookies to an airtight container.
Yield: 3 - 4 Dozen

From veganchef.com
CHEF BEVERLY LYNN BENNETT’S VEGAN POWDERED SUGAR 2

4 cups unbleached cane sugar (or white sugar from sugar beets)
1 cup arrowroot

In a blender or food processor, blend sugar and arrowroot for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender container and blend an additional 1 minute. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 4 Cups

CHEF BEVERLY LYNN BENNETT’S DECORATOR FROSTING (veganchef.com)

1 cup Veganized Powdered Sugar Version 2 (see recipe above)
1/2 t. vanilla
2-4 t. soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice

In a small bowl, stir together the Veganized Powdered Sugar Version 2 and vanilla. Add soy milk a little at a time, stirring well after each addition to reach spreading consistency. Spread on cookies using a knife, spatula, or a pastry bag. Allow frosting to dry completely before stacking cookies.
*Note: If desired, you can tint the frosting with natural food coloring. Or use fruit juice concentrate (such as raspberry or blueberry) as a replacement for the soy milk in the recipe, for a more natural tint.

Click the link below and scroll down to "Gluten-Free desserts" for lots of recipes (some vegan, except she uses honey in alot of recipes- you could substitute maple syrup and a bit of Sucanat or sugar).
http://www.recipenet.org/health/archives/archives_recipes.htm

Here's a gluten-free pie crust;

GLUTEN FREE PIE CRUST (THAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT!!!)

Another recipe from The Gluten-Free Gourmet by Bette Hagman. This is a truly great pastry - flaky, tender, with no funny taste or texture, and easy to handle. (The upside of gluten-free pastry: no gluten means pastry is NEVER tough.) If you have trouble getting some of the ingredients, email me for help if you want. You will get perfect results if you can make it with the preferred ingredients, but I have listed possible substitutions.

1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 cup sweet (or glutinous) rice flour (essential)
1 rounded teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum(essential)
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup crisco (Spectrum makes a non-hydogenated kind)
1 egg, cold (could use egg substitute)
1 Tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
4 Tablespoons ice water
sweet rice flour for rolling

Stir together the flours, xanthan gum, salt and sugar. Cut the margarine and crisco in small chunks, until you have pieces of shortening the size of lima beans distributed throughout the flour.

Beat the egg, add vinegar and ice water. Stir into the flour mixture until it forms a ball. Turn out onto lightly floured board, and knead a few times (it won't get tough). Divide in two, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill at least one hour.

Roll out on floured board, or on floured plastic wrap or wax paper. The dough is fragile, but I have always been able to gently fold it and ease it into the pie plate. If it tears, lightly dampen edges and push together.

Bake as directed in recipe for whatever filling you are using.

For a baked crust, prick shell with fork, bake in preheated 450 F oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

Makes 1 double crust pie, or two single crusts

Bryanna Clark Grogan is a revered best selling vegan author, cook, mother, grandmother and former LLL leader. She has 35 years experience in cooking and nutrition. She is also a resident expert at http://www.vegsource.com Check her site out; http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com

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