Almost Sugar-Free Banana Bread (gluten free)

Almost Sugar-Free Banana Bread (gluten-free)

4 medium or 3 large very ripe bananas , mashed
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 lg. eggs
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour (1 c brown rice, ½ c teff, ½ c tapioca, 1 1/2 tsp xantham gum)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tbsp brown sugar

 

Beat together mashed banana, oil, eggs and water until creamy. Add vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat well. Spoon batter into oiled and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Spread batter evenly.

Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

*** This bread is very dense and chewy

Gluten Free Monkey Bread

** Need 2 people to make

For the dough

http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-french-bread-180306?scaleto=1&mode=null&st=true

Follow this recipe and make enough dough for 2 loaves.

For the cinnamon sugar coating

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 c sugar

For the caramel topping

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

 

Directions

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl and set aside.  Follow the directions for the bread dough but don’t bake it or let it rise just yet.  Working very quickly (it’s fast rise yeast so it needs to get to a warm place to rise asap) and with a friend (one person for the spooning and the other for coating), take small spoonfuls of the dough, drop them in the cinnamon/sugar and coat, and place them randomly in a greased glass 9 x 13 in pan.  When finished, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon/sugar over the dough.

Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size (I put the dough in my oven, turn the oven to 350 for 1 minute, then turn off the oven).  Meanwhile, melt the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan, but do not boil.  Pour the caramel topping over the dough anytime during its rise time, but before baking it.  After the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crispy on top.

Immediately turn upside down the bread onto a cookie sheet or storage container (this lets the caramel topping coat everything).  Cool.  Serve. Store.

 

 

Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins

 

If you haven’t noticed yet, I have an obsession with muffins. I bake them every week for breakfast. I just discovered the awesome flour combination of quinoa, teff, and brown rice. It gives a hearty whole grain flavor and packs on the nutrients to the muffins!

Strawberry Muffins, Gluten Free

Ingredients
¼ cup oil
½ cup milk
1 egg
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup quinoa flour
2/3 cup teff flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 ½ tsp xantham gum
1 cup chopped strawberries

Directions
Combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly. In a separate large bowl, mix flours, xantham gum, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the liquid mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir in chopped strawberries. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Crustless Spinach Quiche Cups (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil
¼ c onions, chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
1 10 oz bag of fresh spinach
5 eggs
1 c finely shredded Italian cheese or Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

Saute onion, garlic and olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and about ¼ cup of water. Using medium heat, cook the spinach just until wilted, about 3-4 min. Use either your hand or a spatula to pack in the spinach. Drain the excess water really well (especially if you decide to use frozen spinach instead).
In a bowl whisk the eggs. Add the cheese, spinach, onion, and garlic and stir well. Fill muffin tins ¾ full. Fills about 8 muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 22-23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Stores for about a week in the refrigerator.

**Try substituting ingredients for peppers, mushrooms, or anything else you like on your eggs.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

¾ c tapioca starch
½ c brown rice flour
½ c quinoa flour
1 ¾ tsp xantham gum
½ c lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 c mashed cooked sweet potato
¾ c buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 standard muffin cups.
2. Whisk together the flour, xantham gum, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix well.
3. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake 16-18 minutes. Let cool complete on wire rack before storing. Freezes well.

Carrot-Squash Muffins

Carrot-Squash Muffins (Gluten Free)

For all you moms out there wondering how to get your kids to eat veggies.  If you are wondering how to not make them gluten free, just substitute 1 1/2 c of whole wheat flour for the brown rice, tapioca, and xantham gum.

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
2 large bananahs, mashed
6oz baby food squash
2 carrots, grated,
2ggs, beaten
¾ c tapioca starch flour
¾ c brown rice flour
1 ½ tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 standard size muffin cups.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash, carrots, and eggs. Stir in the flour, xantham gum, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Freezes well.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

1 large egg + 2 egg whites
¾ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup Brown Rice flour
½ cup Tapioca starch
1 tsp xantham gum
1 cup gluten free quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tart cooking apples cored, peeled, and chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Then add the milk and oil, stirring until blended. Stir in flour, xantham gum, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until moistened (do not over mix). Fold in the apples. Fill muffin tin cups ¾ of the way full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Freezes well.

Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Muffins

Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

For topping:
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
8 Tbs sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

For the bread:
¾ c Brown Rice Flour, 3/4c Tapioca Starch
1 1/8 c Sugar
1 ½ tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1 ¼ c of canned solid-pack pumpkin
3 oz vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tart apple peeled, cored, and copped into small pieces (~1 cup)

Directions

For the topping, blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Set aside.  Preheat oven the 350F.  Mix together flours, sugar, xantham gum, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a bowl.  In large bowl (I used my stand mixer), whisk the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs.  Then add the flour mixture, stirring until well combined.  Fold in apples.  Fill greased muffin tins with the batter.  Sprinkle the topping mix over the batter.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

2/3 cup Buckwheat Flour, heaping full

1/3 cup Brown Rice Flour, heaping full

1 tsp Xantham Gum

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 lg Egg, well beaten

1 1/4 cup Milk

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients together.  Spoon out or ladle out onto a medium hot griddle; cook until bubbles are well-formed around edges of pancakes; turn and cook other side.

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

Healthy Breakfast Muffins, No Added Sugar!

• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
• Optional toppings: nuts, chocolate chips, raisins

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, combine wet ingredients: egg, applesauce, banana, milk. Add dry ingredients (except oats) to mixture.  Mix well.  Add oats and stir with a spoon.  Grease muffin tins.  Fill batter just below the top of the muffin cup.  Bake for 30 min or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Allow to cool on cooling rack.  Freezes well.

Makes about 18 muffins.

*Note if making gluten free. Make sure the oats are gluten free. The flour can be any kind (I just use plain tapioca flour) but don’t forget to add the xantham gum (1 1/2 tsp) if your flour doesn’t already have it in the flour mixture.