A recent trip to the doctor confirmed that I have a mild wheat allergy. (wah. wah) Although, consuming wheat isn't as dangerous for me as it is for people with Celiac's, it’s still wise for me to avoid it when I can – especially since I notice an improvement in my overall health and vitality when I do.
You're probably thinking to yourself,"Wow, that sucks!" But for me, this has been an easy transition, as I tend to reserve my favorite wheat foods for Italian dinners and special occasions-- opting on most days for brown rice products, quinoa, and gluten-free desserts instead.
Because I've always suspected an allergy, and quite frankly love a good culinary experiment, I've done some gluten-free baking in the past. But up until now, I never realize just how many kinds of gluten free flours there are! From buckwheat to almond, the options seem to be endless!
During my last health-food store excursion, I decided to pick up chick-pea (Garbanzo bean) flour. Although it definitely did NOT pair well with the very experimental pumpkin bread I made on Sunday, (Sean was less than impressed) I learned that there is still quite a bit I can do with it.
First up, falafel! This goes great with tahini yogurt or hummus.
I happened to enjoy mine over a lovely bed of greens along side a bowl of lentil soup.
1 Cup Garbanzo bean flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic (I used the powder)
1/2 tsp oinion powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsp olive oil
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend thoroughly.
Add the lemon juice and hot water to the dry mixture and stir until combined.
Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat your olive oil on medium heat until hot. Add the batter by the tablespoon and flatten slightly. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain oil.
Makes 10-12 falafel patties
Next up, Pizza!!
2/3 cup chickpea four
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1.Preheat the broiler. Sift the chickpea flour with the salt into a medium bowl. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the water, whisking constantly to form a paste. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup of water and let the batter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stir in the rosemary.
2.Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet. Stir the batter once, pour it into the skillet, flatten with your spoon and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top. Cook the pizza over moderately high heat until the bottom is golden and crisp and the top is almost set, 2 to 3 minutes. Burst any large air bubbles with the tip of a knife.
3.Sprinkle the tomato, onion, Parmesan and pepper over the top, then place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the pizza is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide the pizza onto a work surface, cut into wedges and serve hot.
These recipes are so simple, delicious and nutritous. What other yummy dishes do you think you can make with chick pea flour?
No comments:
Post a Comment