Yes, You Can Have Gluten Free Pancakes!

The only way to wake up Sam on a Saturday morning is with the aroma of pancakes cooking on the griddle. My children grew up enjoying everyone's favorite "Aunt Jemima" buttermilk pancake mix. My only concession to using the store bought mix was to never succumb to the complete version that only calls for water. Mixing in my own eggs and milk seemed to make it more homemade somehow, especially when the artist in me created pancakes shaped liked their initials or a heart!

Going gluten free made my own love for pancakes a challenge. I started off trying a few GF pancake mixes on the market and cooking a small batch separately just for me. My attempt to create a tastier pancake led to a batter made completely from scratch, using the best blend of ingredients. Everyone now prefers mine for our pancake brunches on the weekends. My base recipe creates five bags of pancake mix that you keep in your pantry. To that you simply add your fresh eggs and milk, and any delicious combination of tasty ingredients. Blueberry pancakes? Chocolate chip pancakes? It's easy!

Base Pancake Mix

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup corn flour
1 cup potato starch
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
1 Tablespoon fine salt
1 Tablespoon Xantham gum
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar (you can omit this and then a heaping tablespoon of agave or honey with the wet ingredients instead)

Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl. Blend well.
Divide mix evenly into 5 ziplock baggies. There should be about 1 1/4 cups of mix in each bag. Label the outside of the bags and store them in your pantry.

Blueberry Cheese Pancakes

Most recipes call for adding the eggs and milk to the dry ingredients but I found that it was hard to mix in the unbeaten eggs and just the right amount of milk without over mixing the batter (a big mistake for pancake batter). My recipe starts with the wet ingredients to avoid this problem. This recipe will make about ten 4" pancakes.

2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 bag pancake mix (1 1/4 cups)
Blueberries (fresh or unsweetened frozen)
Oil or butter for pan

• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk and vanilla. Add the lemon zest and ricotta cheese.

• To the wet ingredients, add the bag of pancake mix. Stir until just combined. It should appear as a thick batter that will cling to your mixing spoon but easily drip back into the bowl. Gluten free flours tend to be a bit more absorbent than regular flours and may require more liquid. I found that 1 cup of almond milk works well, and that is quite different than the usual proportion of dry to wet with ordinary flour based pancakes.

• Heat a griddle or large nonstick frying pan with grapeseed oil or butter. Use a ladle to add small rounds of batter to the hot pan.
• Arrange blueberries on each pancake.

• Cook over medium high heat until small bubbles appear. Flip pancakes over and cook until golden brown on both sides.

• Serve with real maple syrup!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Follow same directions above, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1/4 cup pumpkin purée into wet ingredients. Add 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to batter. These are delicious with fresh sliced fruit such as bananas and strawberries served on top.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

Follow same directions as blueberry pancakes, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1/2 large mashed banana and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter. As I did for the blueberries, I never add the chocolate chips directly to the batter, but arrange them evenly on the pancakes while the first side is still cooking on the griddle.

Apple Nut Pancakes

Follow same directions as blueberry pancakes, but skip the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and blueberries. Instead, blend in 1 small grated apple (peel the apple and then simply grate it over the bowl using the large holes of a grater), 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the batter. 

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It Takes Two to Make Cheese Blintzes

These can really be made by one person, but it is so much more fun with someone else on hand to help. Katie usually helps by arranging the crepes on the kitchen towels. She also eats the extra bits of crepes that form on the outside of the circles, and helps me roll them around the cheese filling. With my daughter away at college, my husband came to the rescue. Here is Norman making perfect blintzes as he watches tennis on TV. Now that takes coordination!

The recipe below includes both regular and gluten free crepes. I always make them both ways for my family and the amount of batter for both versions together will yield just right amount of crepes for the filling. Note: For some reason, Farmer's Cheese does not cause a problem for me with my lactose intolerance, and it says right on the package of Friendship Farmer's Cheese that it has less than 0.5% of lactose in the cheese so that might be why. But if this would still be an issue, you can try other fillings such as fruit, or a savory version with mashed potatoes and other vegetables.

Ingredients

Filling:
3 lbs. Farmer's Cheese (You can buy a big log of this at the deli counter)
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute
2 eggs

Regular Crepes:
1 1/4 cups of water
1 cup of all purpose flour
6 eggs
Pinch of salt

Gluten Free Crepes:
3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of Gluten free all purpose flour
1/4 tsp Xantham gum
3 eggs
Pinch of salt

Grapeseed oil or vegetable oil to fry the crepes
Butter to fry the finished crepes
Light sour cream
Frozen berries
Agave sweetener or honey

Cover a large counter space or your kitchen table with dish towels. I use two 10" non-stick omelet pans to create the crepes. If you do not have two 10" pans or you find it too difficult to juggle 2 pans at once, do one at a time.

• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Add the cheese and mix well. Set this bowl aside.
• For the regular crepes, whisk flour and water together in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in eggs and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk GF flour, Xantham gum and water together until smooth. Add eggs and salt.

• Heat the non-stick pans to medium high. I add a drop of oil to each pan. There should not be too much oil or the crepe will not set properly. Use a paper towel to spread the oil around evenly and to remove the excess oil, leaving just a fine coating in the pan. Do this after each crepe is done.
• Pour a ladleful of crepe batter in the pan and quickly swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan. Hold the pan over the batter bowl and let the excess drip back into the bowl. The crepe should be a very thin coating. Return the pan to the top of the stove and let it set for a few more seconds. You are simply waiting for any glistening wet spots to disappear as the crepe sets.
• Cook only one side of the crepe. Do not try to flip it over and cook the other side. It is so thin that this is not necessary.
• When the crepe is set, turn the pan over the kitchen towels on the counter and tap to release the crepe. 
• Return the pan to the stove and add more oil with the paper towel, then repeat with the batter again. Make sure as you are arranging the crepes on the counter that you separate which ones are gluten free.
• When all crepes are finished, add a small amount of cheese filling on top of each crepe. I usually arrange all the crepes on the counter and add cheese in the center of all of them before wrapping so that I know there is an even distribution of filling on each crepe. With your fingers, make the cheese look like a rectangular log in the center of the crepe. 
• To wrap, fold 2 opposite sides of the crepe over the ends of the cheese log, then overlap the remaining two sides over the cheese to seal.
• I hate to admit that butter does make a difference to the flavor of the blintzes so I do still cook them in a touch of butter on top of the stove. This step can be skipped. Using the pans I have out from making the crepes, I add a small pat of butter to each pan and place 4 blintzes in each pan to cook. Turn them once so that both sides are lightly golden brown.
• Transfer each of the cooked blintzes into a large baking dish and keep warm in the oven. To make this ahead for serving later, cover the baking dish and refrigerate. Reheat them at 350 degrees until hot.
• Serve with sour cream. A fruit topping can be made with frozen, unsweetened berries and agave sweetener or honey heated up in a small saucepan on top of the stove. Let the fruit bubble for a while until a thick sauce forms. Delicious!

Is this gluten free?

A few years back, I went for a walk in Spring Lake with my sons and we stopped at a sub shop to buy lunch. Of course, the boys had no trouble buying lunch, other than to choose what to add on top of their chicken cutlets in their soft, freshly baked sub roll! The shop did sell something called 'sub in a tub' and I very happily asked for a turkey sub with lettuce and tomato, but in a tub (plastic container, no bread). I was thrilled that this was an option and I did not have to awkwardly ask for my ingredients without a roll. We stopped at a picnic table near the lake to eat our 'sandwiches' and chips. It did not take long for me to feel horrible, despite the fact that I was in the prettiest setting, enjoying the nicest weather, and with the best company. The stomach cramps, the bloating and the urge to find a bathroom took over. The culprit this time turned out to be gluten used as a flavoring in the sliced turkey breast!

     After doing a bit of research, I found that 'Boar's Head' brand cold cuts is one of the few gluten free brands to buy. They do not use gluten in their cold cuts, yet many brands do for some reason. Most of these things come through trial and error and it is unfortunate that we have to suffer first to figure it out. Ordering from a restaurant will be difficult at first and you will soon figure out what works best for you. I gravitate towards grilled dishes or salads. Chicken cutlets are often dredged in flour before pan seared in many Italian restaurants, so I usually ask for grilled chicken to be substituted in the dish. Most places are happy to accommodate. 

     At the supermarket, read all labels. Gluten or wheat is a hidden ingredient in the strangest processed products, such as flavorings and soups. It does not always stand out as a product not to buy. Of course the safest thing always would be to shop your foods around the perimeter of the supermarket, such as fresh, un-marinated meats, chicken and fish, or whole fruits and vegetables. If you venture into the middle aisles, read every box or bag. These days, products that are gluten free are often labelled clearly on the front because of the popularity of the diet. 

Grains can be confusing. Eating gluten free does not mean going without delicious grains. Here is a list of the ones I have discovered are good use.

• Rice
• Wild Rice
• Corn
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Sorghum
• Oats (must be labeled on the package as GF)
• Buckwheat (Kasha) even though it sounds like wheat

Stay away from barley, rye, and all varieties of wheat such as whole wheat, semolina, faro, durum, spelt and bulgur. This does not mean doing without delicious side dishes with your meals. A blend of different gluten free flours makes delicious doughs and pie crusts. Potatoes, corn, rice and quinoa (my new favorite) are all wonderful side dishes to round out your next dinner plate.

Mandel Bread

Mandel Bread is not a bread at all but a cookie. It is a Jewish version of an Italian Biscotti cookie. This recipe is based on my Aunt Elke's traditional Mandel Bread recipe that started off with a few simple ingredients. Of course, once I started revising it with gluten free options and healthier fats and sweeteners, it became a bit more involved.


The almond flour and coconut oil that I use to update this recipe definitely gives this simple, rustic cookie a deep and delicious taste!

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Xantham gum
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetener such as agave, honey or sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios, or almonds)
Pinch of sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling over top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the almond meal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and Xantham gum. 
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil until creamy. Hint: Wash the bowl in hot water first and dry well before adding the coconut oil. The oil will cream easier if it is little warmer than room temperature. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla, and blend well.
• Blend the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients by adding it a little at a time. (I usually add the dry ingredients in thirds until well blended.) Use a rubber spatula to incorporate any of the batter on the sides of the bowl, especially the coconut oil that tends to stick there.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
• Use your rubber spatula to transfer dough to parchment lined cookie sheet and form into long rectangular shape. Dough will be very wet and sticky. Sprinkle top with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon.

• Bake in the center rack of your oven until it is golden along the edges and set in the center. Dough will spread even more as it heats up and bakes. 

• Slip the cookie with the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and let it cool on your counter. (I rest it on my large wooden cutting board.) Let cool for about 15 minutes and while you are waiting, raise the temperature in the oven to 400 degrees.
• Once the cookie is cool enough to handle, slip the parchment paper out from underneath and set the paper back on the empty cookie sheet.
• Take a sharp knife and slice the cookie into long strips, like this...

• Carefully set each cookie strip on its side back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. It should all fit. You are simply toasting the side of the cookie, it will not spread anymore and you don't have to leave space between them.

• Bake until toasted, about 5 minutes. This happens quickly so watch the oven carefully. Cool finished cookies on a wire rack. They harden as they cool.
• I usually store them in the freezer just so I don't eat them every time I pass through the kitchen. (It is so wonderful to have a treat that I can eat again!) They freeze beautifully and happen to be delicious cold.

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Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Caffeine Free, what next?

It is hard to believe how many major food groups I have eliminated from my diet, but I have to admit that I feel better than I have in years. It is hard to go out to eat with my family and not worry about what I can order, but even that has gotten easier as time goes on. I'd rather do without freshly baked bread (my favorite!) than be in pain all the time or on medication. Changing how you eat is a real adjustment, especially for such a foodie like me. I think of what my dinner will be while I'm still eating lunch and I don't think I have ever skipped a meal in my entire life! I love to cook, try new recipes, and watch anything on TV where cooking is involved. Someone dicing up a vegetable or stirring a pot is my idea of riveting television!! I put my love of cooking to work and discovered simple changes to my family's favorite recipes so that I can still enjoy it all. It really is a healthier way to live and I don't hear many complaints coming from my dinner table!

I discovered my lactose intolerance after visiting Joe's Dairy Barn in Hopewell Junction, near our summer camp (Kinder Ring). I had a delicious cup of frozen yogurt and spent the next two hours running from bathroom to bathroom, doubled over in pain. It was our day off at camp and we were taking a day trip up to Rhinebeck and Woodstock. What a trip that was! I thought it was just the one incident and vowed never to go back to Joe's again, but this started happening regularly after having things like milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, or cream cheese (as in cheese cake, not the little smear on the bagel which I can't have either anymore!!). If I took a Lactaid pill, it would ease the symptoms very quickly, so I knew that it had to be lactose intolerance. Hard cheeses, like cheddar or Jarlsberg, and semi soft such as brie and Mozzarella are okay in moderation. I have tried Lactaid milk products and then soy milk, but I found "Almond Breeze" unsweetened almond milk to be my favorite for cereals, baking, smoothies, and as a splash in my tea.

My need for a gluten free diet developed gradually. I was getting horrible stomach cramps and nausea about two years ago. This would especially happen after eating out at a nice restaurant. I don't normally put a basket of bread on my dinner table at home, but at a restaurant the bread is there to munch on while you are waiting to eat and often starving. I would come home in such pain! One day I woke up in agony and I was afraid to eat anything rich or creamy, so I thought I should just have plain toast or a toasted bagel. The bagel made it so much worse. Coincidentally, that day on Dr. Oz, there was a gastroenterologist on the show and he talked about the pros and cons of the new gluten free fad diets. At that time, the stores were beginning to be flooded with all kinds of gluten free products that are definitely not diet worthy. They are full of sugar and very low in fiber. The doctor said that not everyone has Celiac Disease but some people can be gluten intolerant, as I have an intolerance for dairy and caffeine. That made sense to me. To test this theory, he said to eliminate all gluten from your diet for two weeks and then re-introduce it and see what happens. I started feeling so much better without the bread, pasta, cookies, pretzels and all the other yummy gluten rich foods. When I tried to eat regularly again, my stomach hurt all over again. So there you go! That was enough of a test for me. I finally did visit a gastro doctor and he ruled out Celiac Disease, but advised me to continue eating gluten free as I was feeling so much better on the diet.

I never did buy or even try gluten free cookies and pretzels as I've always struggled with the same horrible 25 pounds and realized this change was forcing me to less junk food. If I wanted a baked treat, I would make it from scratch using healthier flours, less sugar and better fat choices. These are the products I always keep in my freezer or my pantry:

• King Arthur all purpose flour. This is my 'go to' flour for baking but I also keep on hand other types of individual flours such as oat flour, millet flour, brown rice flour, almond meal, corn flour. It is fun to experiment with them or create your own blend. I do not recommend baking with rice flour alone or almond flour alone. The consistency is horrible. *Important: Keep almond meal in the refrigerator or freezer as you should be storing all nuts.
• Xantham gum makes any gluten free flour bake like traditional all purpose flour (expensive but you really use a tiny amount and it lasts a long time)
• "Grainless Baker" hot dog rolls and hamburger rolls. These can be found in the freezer of your store. I have given up the idea of a sandwich for most meals and gravitate more toward salads, but these buns are not bad and can make a BBQ burger or hot dog feel really satisfying. Even the gluten free hot dog stand in Citi Field uses this brand!
• "Food for Life" Rice Almond bread. This loaf is also kept in the freezer and is good toasted with something flavorful spread on top. 
• Gluten Free "Rice Krispies" and "Chex" cereals. Put these in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. These make terrific 'bread crumbs' for breading chicken cutlets or to use in meatloaf and meatballs. Mix them with grated parmesan cheese for flavor. I recommend using slightly less than the recipe calls for with bread crumbs for meatloaf or meatballs. The cereal seems to be more absorbent than "bread" breadcrumbs.
• Gluten Free Oatmeal. Oats are gluten free but many brands process them in a place that also manufactures wheat products so they might be contaminated. I use a brand that is labeled gluten free just to be sure. I use rolled oats in baking as part substitute for flour to bump up the fiber and I use quick cooking oats as bread crumbs in meatloaf. I saw this idea when there was a guest cook on "The Chew" and it really is a wonderful and healthy alternative.
• Coconut Oil. Lately, this has been recommended as a healthier fat to use. It resembles Crisco when cold. I bake very successfully with coconut oil but mostly cook on top of the stove with Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil. 
• Gluten Free Tamari or Soy Sauce. Big surprise to me that soy sauce has gluten. Why is it even in there? When I order from the Chinese restaurant I get rice noodle dishes without soy sauce or steamed chicken and vegetables. To make Chinese style dishes at home, I cook with gluten free tamari and nobody in my family knows the difference.
• "Bionaturae" Organic Gluten Free pasta. This can be found at Wegmans and Whole Foods and I recommend buying a few bags and keeping them on hand. This is my favorite pasta because it is a blend of rice, potato and soy.
  
  My good friend Vicki's son Ned cooked us a meal with this pasta and I've used it ever since! I do not recommend buying rice pasta or corn pasta. Pasta made out of a single grain like this is often gummy in texture.  "Archer Farms" Gluten Free pasta from 'Target' is very nice though and easier to find perhaps. It is a blend of corn and rice, and the blend of the two is what probably makes the difference. 

Blueberry Scones

These happen to be gluten free and dairy free and are made with no eggs. There is only a drizzle of sweetener on the top and no sugar at all in the batter! Hard to believe how delicious they are, especially served warm. I keep a batch in the freezer and reheat one for 30 seconds in the microwave whenever I want a treat for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats (I use gluten free)
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (almond breeze)
• 1 tsp real vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup all purpose gluten free flour (I like King Arthur brand)
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Xantham gum
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (Shop Rite organic blueberries are tiny and perfect for baking)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sugar or agave for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.

1. In a small bowl, mix rolled oats with almond milk and vanilla. Let soak for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a another small bowl, whisk together the flours, Xantham gum, salt, and cinnamon. 
3. Cream the coconut oil with an electric mixer. Add in the dry flour mixture and beat until all incorporated. 
4. Add the oats, blueberries, nuts, lemon rind. Mix together with a rubber spatula.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to place 10 scoops onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten each mound lightly with your hand to form the round scones.
6. Sprinkle tops with sugar or drizzle with agave.

Bake until golden around the edges. Cool on wire rack and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

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