Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook (6 page)

or spices, as you wish. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes to coat the grain and infuse it with flavor. Lower the heat and pour in the hot cooking liquid. Give the grain a quick stir, then cover and simmer for however long the grain usually cooks.

Soaking grains.
To make grains easier to digest
, soak them in their cooking liquid for at least 6 hours before cooking.

Baking grains.
For soft, slightly sticky grains that split open when cooked
, bake them in a covered baking dish at 350°F, using the same amount of liquid as you would for the boil-and-simmer method. You can toast, sauté, or soak grains before you bake them, if you like. Baking takes slightly longer—usually about 10 minutes, though you may need to increase the cooking time more for longer-cooking grains.

An automatic rice cooker is a terrific and almost effortless way to cook rice and other grains. They’re highly efficient and make deliciously chewy grains. And, they’re an especially good choice for college students and others who don’t have access to a full kitchen. Although the exact instructions may vary depending on the model, in most cases all you have to do is put in the ingredients, turn it on, and walk away. Also, you can sauté grains with spices and vegetables in the rice cooking bowl before adding cooking liquid. The ratio of cooking liquid to grain is the same as in the boil-and-simmer method. A rice cooker may take a little longer than the stovetop method.

If you’re in the market to buy a rice cooker, I recommend a 12-cup rice model with a stainless steel cooking bowl—not just coated with stainless steel but completely made from stainless steel. I also recommend getting one that has a “keep warm” function and automatically switches to that mode once grain is cooked. Other great features to look for are a glass lid for easy viewing of the contents while they cook, and a stainless steel steaming tray, which is also great for heating tortillas. The best source for these is Lotus Foods (see Resources).

Pressure-cooking is an eco-friendly option, as it usually cooks grains (and other foods) more quickly. Another advantage is that it yields cooked grains that are tender, moist, and usually sweeter. Pressure-cooking isn’t as common as it used to be, maybe because people think it’s overly involved, or because they got scared off by pressure-cooking horror stories. If either describes you, it’s time to rethink. Today’s pressure cookers are safe and easy to use.

Pressure-cooking really doesn’t make sense for quick-cooking grains, like amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, and teff, since they cook so fast anyway. Plus, because amaranth and teff are so small, they might clog the pressure vent in some pressure cookers. However, it’s a good method for whole oats, sorghum, and many varieties of rice. Just use about 1/2 cup less water per cup of grain, and decrease the cooking time by about 5 to 10 minutes. In fact, you can often decrease the cooking time even more. Try turning the heat off earlier. As the pressure comes down naturally, grains (and other foods) will continue to cook with the residual heat. As you experiment with this, you’ll develop a feel for the timing with different foods.

If you’re willing to use a pressure cooker, I encourage you to go one step further and use a rice crock, also known as an Ohsawa pot. (The best source for these is Gold Mine Natural Food Company (see Resources). In this method, the food is cooked in a stoneware casserole, or rice crock, that’s placed inside a pressure cooker. I recommend a medium-size rice crock, which fits nicely in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Because no steam is lost in this cooking method, you can use less liquid—about 1/2 cup less per cup of grain. However, the cooking time is the same as with the boil-and-simmer method.

Using a rice crock has numerous advantages. It gives grains an earthy, sweet flavor that’s superior to what you get when boiling and simmering or using a pressure cooker in the standard way. Foods cooked in a rice crock won’t burn, and they won’t have the metallic flavor that other cookware can impart. Plus, cleanup is quick and easy. Simply empty the water from the pressure cooker, air dry it, and put it away. You can wash the crock by hand or in the dishwasher.

After the grains are cooked, you can keep the crock inside the pressure cooker, surrounded by the hot water, and the grains will stay warm for hours without becoming overcooked. This makes the crock (which is quite attractive) a great way to keep food hot until you serve; it’s also a good way to transport a hot dish to a dinner party. In addition, you can use the crock to reheat cooked grains and other dishes. Simply put the crock in the pressure cooker, pour in enough water for it to come halfway up the sides of the crock, and cook at pressure for 5 minutes. And here’s a really fun tip: You can make fancy layered dishes in a rice crock, as the surrounding water gently rocks the crock without significantly disturbing the food within. Normal pressure-cooking agitates foods, like a washing machine, mixing them up as it cooks.

Here are detailed instructions for cooking grains in a rice crock in a pressure cooker. Once you get the basic method down, experiment with other dishes.

1. Put the grains, cooking liquid, salt, and whatever other ingredients you like in the rice crock and cover with its lid.
   
2. Place the crock in the pressure cooker. (Some models have a rope to make it easier to transfer the crock into and out of the pressure cooker.)
   
3. Pour in enough water for it to come halfway up the sides of the crock. You can use warm water to save cooking time and energy, but don’t use boiling water, which could shock the stoneware and crack it.
   
4. Attach the lid to the pressure cooker, place it over high heat, and bring it up to full pressure.
   
5. After about 1 minute, lower the heat to maintain low pressure, then cook however long the grain requires.
   
6. Turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to come down naturally. If you’re in a hurry, put the pressure cooker in the sink (transfer it carefully, without tilting or sloshing) and run cold water over it to bring the pressure down quickly.
   
7. Open the pressure cooker and use a potholder to open the lid of the rice crock. Check that the grain is tender. Sometimes, particularly with millet, the grain may need extra water. If so, add a bit more water, then close the lid. You can probably just let the rice crock sit, as the residual heat should be sufficient to help the grain absorb the extra water. Alternatively, cook at low pressure for another 5 minutes.
   

Of all the meals in the standard American diet, breakfast is perhaps the most dominated by grains: cereals, pancakes, baked goods, and, of course, the ever-present toast—almost universally made from wheat flour. I’ll be honest. It’s rare that I want toast for breakfast. Why would I? There are so many other wonderful whole grain choices: waffles, pancakes, porridges, muffins, granola, and, for those rare times when I don’t want grains for breakfast, fruit smoothies, miso soup, or hearty tofu scrambles. If you’ve been avoiding gluten, you’ve probably thought you had to live without some of your favorite breakfasts. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee—or just thumb through this chapter. You’ll find the alternative recipes I’ve included to be a real eye-opener.

Beyond being delicious and gluten free, all of the recipes in this chapter will give you energy and rejuvenate your senses. Best of all, most of them are fairly easy to prepare and are very adaptable. These days, so many people need or want to avoid various foods in their diet. It may be that in addition to avoiding gluten, you don’t eat dairy products—another major component of the average American breakfast. Don’t worry; some of the recipes are vegan, and I’ve provided a few tips on creating egg- and dairy-free variations. I’ve even included a recipe for making your own
almond milk
.

You’ll find a number of recipes for pancakes and waffles—breakfast favorites that you may have thought you had to give up on a gluten-free diet. But let’s face it: many people are too busy to cook that kind of breakfast except on weekends. With that in mind, I’ve started the chapter off with quick breakfasts, like smoothies and porridges, as well as a couple of grab-and-go muffin options. These recipes and their variations may become your go-to breakfasts, but I guarantee you’ll look forward to the weekend, when you have time to make
Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon
,
Berry Good Corn-Quinoa Pancakes
,
Teff Waffles
, and other breakfast delights. Pass the maple syrup!

Here’s a tip you’re bound to love: Some of the recipes in
chapter 8
, Sweet Indulgences, are chock-full of fruit and use only a moderate amount of healthful sweeteners, so they can serve double duty as breakfast fare. The
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
makes a great coffee cake. Or try
Granny Smith Apple Crumb Pie
or either of the fruit crisps (pages 192 and 193) topped with yogurt. With recipes like these, who says you can’t have dessert for breakfast?

And as for the toast? You could definitely have a
Corn Muffin
or
Amaranth and Corn Flatbread
, but I’ll let you in on a delicious secret:
Fried Dulse
stands in for toast just fine—and it’s also a nutritional powerhouse, packed with a generous amount of protein and a complete range of minerals.

Before you dive into the recipes, here are a few tips that can make the job of cooking easier, and some of them also make your cooking more eco-friendly:

• When you need to measure both a liquid oil and a liquid sweetener, measure the oil first (including melted coconut oil and butter). Then, when you measure sticky liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup using the same cup, they’ll slide out quickly and cleanly. For the same reason, when making a recipe that calls for both oil and nut butter, it’s best to measure the oil first.
  
• When a recipe calls for melted coconut oil, I find the easiest way to melt it is in a small skillet. Then, if you need to oil a waffle iron, baking sheet, or other pan, you can just clean out the skillet with a pastry brush and use the brush to oil the pan.
  
• You’ll read many recipes that call for mixing wet and dry ingredients separately, then combining them. In my experience this isn’t necessary, and it just dirties another dish. Most of the time you can just mix everything together in one bowl.
  
• In the recipes in this chapter, I’ve organized ingredients lists so that the information is presented in a uniform way to make things easier for you. But when I’m cooking, I usually add the ingredients in whatever order I like. You should feel free to do the same. One caveat: If you’re making a batter that uses egg, whisk the egg first, then add the remaining ingredients.
  

When I teach my Great Grains in the Morning cooking class, we make
Vanilla Hazelnut Granola
and fresh almond milk. Before the granola is out of the oven, students have already drunk all of the almond milk. Nut and seed milks are fun and easy to make, and the homemade version are much more delicious than anything you could buy. They’re also an excellent alternative to juices and dairy milks. They’re lighter and more refreshing, and some say they’re less likely to cause congestion. You can use them as the liquid in porridges, baked goods, or waffle and pancake batters, or you can use them in smoothies or drink them straight for a delicious, cool summer beverage. I’ve provided a recipe for almond milk here; see the sidebar for information on using other nuts and seeds. Many people find that presoaking the almonds makes them easier to digest, but you can skip that step if you like.

Makes 2 cups

½ cup raw almonds (with skins)

2 cups water

Combine the almonds and 1½ cups of water and soak them overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Drain the almonds, discarding their soaking water, then rinse and drain well.

Put the almonds and the 2 cups of water in a blender. Blend until smooth or until the water looks like milk. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the almond meal with the back of a spoon to get every last drop of almond milk. (You can also strain the milk using cheesecloth or a nut milk bag; be sure to squeeze to get every last drop of milk.) Discard the almond meal.

Stored in an airtight container the refrigerator, almond milk will keep for 4 or 5 days.

Making Other Nut and Seed Milks

Beyond being a great ingredient for all manner of breakfast recipes calling for juice or dairy milks, nut and seed milks are also excellent in creamy vegan sauces and soups, and in cakes, brownies, and other baked goods. Naturally, nut and seed milks taste like the ingredients they’re made from. So try your hand at making a wide variety of nut and seed milks, and experiment with using different ones in different recipes. I like almond milk and hazelnut milk over granola and for baking brownies and other pastries because they are light and sweet.

There is a debate about presoaking nuts and seeds before making nut and seed milk. Many avid raw food enthusiast maintain that hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and hempseeds are the only ones that are so easy to digest that you can forgo presoaking. For all other varieties of nuts and seeds, you might experiment with presoaking and see what your body likes. Use the method for almond milk, adjusting the amount of water as indicated below. When you soak nuts and seeds, they’ll swell to approximately double in size. Note that the amount of water referred to in the charts is for the starting, presoaked volume of nuts or seeds. For example, if you soak 1 cup of almonds overnight, you’ll have 2 cups of almonds in the morning. However, you’d still use 4 cups of water to make the almond milk.

You can also use this method to make your own coconut milk. For each cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, use two parts liquid. The variations on nut and seed milks are endless: To sweeten, add a bit of maple syrup, honey, molasses, banana, or dates. For flavor, try carob powder, cocoa powder,
cacao powder
, or vanilla extract. For a real nutritional boost, add a sprinkle of maca, which will also lend an earthy and mildly nutty flavor. Or, for a thicker, creamier milk with richer flavor, use less liquid.

Smoothies make for a quick and easy start to your day, and the variations are endless. Another plus is that it’s so easy to add in nutrient-rich ingredients, like the maca in this recipe. Although it’s optional, try to it track down; you may find that a maca boost in the morning helps you get through the day with more stamina and a sense of well-being.

Serves 3 or 4

2 cups
almond milk

3 ripe bananas

1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tablespoon maca powder (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Variations

Swap other fresh or frozen berries or seasonal fresh fruits for the cranberries, such as cherries, peaches, or strawberries.

Substitute other nut or seed milks, such as hazelnut milk.

For extra protein and a creamier smoothie, add 1 cup of plain or maple yogurt, which will also give you beneficial probiotics.

This breakfast shake is so thick and delicious that it reminds me of the malteds I use to get when I was a kid. And between the blueberries, coconut milk, hempseeds, and almond butter, it’s a real nutritional powerhouse. You might find, as I do, that a couple of glasses will keep you going for most of the day, or for a great breakfast, have one glass with a
Corn Muffin
.

Serves 2 to 4

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

5 tablespoons
almond butter

¼ cup hempseeds

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Variations

For a creamy mousse, refrigerate overnight and eat it with a spoon the next day.

Hazelnuts and cinnamon make this granola taste like a sweet cookie, and the teff adds a subtle hazelnut-chocolate flavor, along with calcium and iron. For an added treat, mix in some dried fruit after the granola has baked, or serve the granola topped with fresh fruit. Although you can serve it with any type of milk or yogurt, homemade
almond milk
complements it nicely; or to enhance the hazelnut flavor, try making some
hazelnut milk
to accompany it.

Serves about 6

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw hazelnuts (skins on)

½ cup teff flour