Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook (22 page)

Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the water, apples, dates, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the apples soften. Taste and add more cinnamon or adjust the sweetness if desired.

Pour the filling into the crust and crumble the reserved dough over the top. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crumbs turn a slightly darker brown. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Remarkably delicious, this pie is fun and easy to make. For a light-colored piecrust like the luscious pie on the cover of this cookbook, use ivory teff flour; for a chocolate-brown piecrust use brown teff flour. Both are equally scrumptious. Serve the pie warm, or top it with ice cream, a non-dairy frozen dessert, or whipped cream. You could even serve it with a dollop of yogurt for breakfast.

Serves 6 to 8

Crust

2 cups teff flour

½ cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil or butter

½ cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon sea salt

Filling

5 ripe peaches, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon maple sugar or date sugar

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan.

To make the crust, combine the teff flour, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir until well combined. Reserve ½ cup of the mixture to use as a crumb topping.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pie pan and use your fingers to press it out in an even layer over the bottom and sides of the pan. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes, until it loses it shine.

Put the peaches in the baked piecrust. Sprinkle the maple sugar and cinnamon over the peaches.

Crumble the reserved dough over the peaches. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crumbs turn a slightly darker brown, and the peaches are tender to your liking.

Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Variations

Simmer the peaches, sugar, and cinnamon, along with a bit of water, before putting them in the piecrust.

Make a topless peach pie by using the crust recipe on page 192.

This beautiful vegan pie is quick and easy to make, and even easier to love. Feel free to swap other seasonal fruits for blueberries, such as cherries or peaches. Date sugar, made from crushed dried dates, has a coarse texture, which works just fine in this recipe, but if you’d like it finer, just grind it in a food processor or coffee grinder.

Serves 6 to 8

Crust

1½ cups teff flour

½ cup date sugar

½ cup canola oil or melted extra-virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup water

½ teaspoon sea salt

Filling

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Pinch of sea salt

¼ cup brown rice syrup

1 tablespoon arrowroot or kudzu powder

¼ cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan.

To make the crust, put the teff flour, date sugar, oil, water, and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir until well combined.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pie pan and use your fingers to press it out in an even layer over the bottom and sides of the pan. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine the blueberries and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 3 minutes. If you feel you must stir, do so gently to keep the blueberries whole. Gently stir in the syrup and simmer for just a moment longer. (Keeping the cooking time short will also help keep the blueberries whole.)

Dissolve the arrowroot powder in the cold water, then stir the slurry into the berries. Cook for about 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Taste and, if you’d like a sweeter flavor, add more syrup.

Pour the filling into the crust. Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes, until the filling sets up, before serving.

Take your pick of several flours to make this delicious apple crisp. I like to use Gala, Cortland, or McIntosh apples because they are my local favorites and bake quickly; if apples grow in your area, I encourage you to experiment with local varieties and find which you like best. Enjoy this crisp for dessert, and if any is left over, top it with maple yogurt for a great breakfast.

Serves 6 to 8

4 cups sliced apples

2 cups rolled oats

½ cup ground flaxseeds

1/3 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil or butter

1/3 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup apple juice

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Spread the apples over the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Put the rolled oats, flaxseeds, oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. (You may want to use your hands.) Crumble the mixture over the apples, then pour the juice over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the apples are tender. Serve warm.

Variations

Use any combination of fresh, dried, or frozen fruits. Whatever fruit you use, you’ll need to bake for at least 30 minutes so the topping crisps up.

Try other flavors of fruit juice.

Substitute teff flour, brown rice flour, or sorghum flour for the ground flaxseeds; or try ground almonds or ground hazelnuts (see page 24 for more information on grinding nuts).

Lovely and versatile, this fruit crisp offers you plenty of options. You can make it with different flours or swap other seasonal fruits every time you make it. Enjoy this crisp for dessert, topped with whipped cream or ice cream, and if any is left over, top it with maple yogurt for a great breakfast.

Serves 6 to 8

3 Bartlett pears, cored and sliced

¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups rolled oats

½ cup teff flour

1/3 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup apple juice

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Spread the pears and cranberries over the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Put the rolled oats, flour, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. (You may want to use your hands.) Crumble the mixture over the fruit, then pour the juice over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the fruit is tender. Serve warm.

Variations

Substitute other seasonal fruits: peaches, blueberries, strawberries, or apples would all be great choices. The baking time may vary from 20 to 30 minutes; it’s done when the topping is crisp and the fruit is tender.

Try other flavors of fruit juice.

Substitute brown rice flour or sorghum flour for the teff flour, or try ground almonds, ground hazelnuts, or ground flaxseeds (see page 24 for more information on grinding nuts and seeds).

This isn’t your everyday mocha; coconut milk and cinnamon sticks give this rice pudding an exotic and especially enticing flavor, and the Madagascar pink rice adds an exotic tropical flavor, but you could use long-grain brown rice or brown basmati rice, if you like; just be sure to increase the cooking time to 40 minutes. For a beautiful decorative touch, garnish each serving with fresh seasonal berries.

Serves 4 to 6

¾ cup Madagascar pink rice

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

2 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

Pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup raspberries or sliced strawberries, for garnish (optional)

Put the rice and coconut milk in a medium-size saucepan. Pour some of the water into the coconut milk can and swish it around, then pour it into the pan; if needed, repeat with more of the water so you get every last drop of the coconut milk’s goodness into the pan. Once all of the water is added to the pan, add the cinnamon sticks and salt and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, stir in the cocoa powder and coffee, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Serve immediately, garnished with the berries if you like. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

This crunchy and sweet confection is the perfect alternative to sugary peanut brittle. Enjoy these bars for snacking and with tea. Using kelp instead of salt adds minerals and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients. For this recipe, I recommend kelp flakes from BC Kelp (see Resources), harvested off the shore of British Columbia. Special thanks to Kacie Loparto of She Sells Seaweed for sharing a version of this recipe in my Cooking with Sea Vegetables class, and for being so open to my new variation.

Makes about 16 bars

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup brown rice syrup

1 cup sesame seeds

½ cup chopped raw almonds

¼ cup kelp flakes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the oil and syrup in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam. Turn off the heat add the sesame seeds, almonds, and kelp, and stir until thoroughly combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and lay another sheet of parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to gently spread and flatten the mixture.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Peel off the parchment paper and break the crunch into rectangular pieces. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

This glossary offers information on some of the more unusual ingredients in the recipes. For information on grains and flours, see
chapter 1
, Meet the Gluten-Free Grains.

Arrowroot powder,
derived from the root of a plant native to the West Indies, can be added to flour to make baked goods lighter and fluffier. It can also be used as a thickener for stews, sauces, and puddings.

Brown rice syrup
is thick and amber colored. Made from cooked brown rice, it is about half as sweet as sugar. Use it in sauces, salad dressings, puddings, frostings, and pie fillings, and as a topping for pancakes.

Coconut oil
is a cholesterol-free saturated fat with numerous health benefits. This semisolid white oil, extracted from fresh coconuts, enlivens both savory and sweet dishes. Use it like olive oil or butter in cooking and baking. I prefer extra-virgin coconut oil because I love the taste of coconut. If you don’t want the coconut flavor, use a refined coconut oil. As always with oils, be sure to use organic. Because oils are concentrated (a little oil being made from a lot of source ingredients), toxins in the source ingredient may be more concentrated in the oil.

Dulse
is a soft, leafy, reddish purple-brown sea vegetable harvested along coasts of the North Atlantic. It melts in your mouth and makes a wonderful snack, and kids love it. Fried, it tastes almost like bacon and is delicious served on the side with eggs or as a crisp garnish. You can also add it to oatmeal, soups, stews, or bean dishes; or rinse it and add it to a salad in place of spinach. Like most sea vegetables, dulse is a good source of vitamins and minerals; a single serving (just 7 grams) contains 42 percent of the daily value for vitamin B
6
, 23 percent of the daily value for vitamin B
12
, and 19 percent of the daily value for iron.

Garlic scapes,
the green stem and flowering tops of garlic, are cut off by growers to encourage the garlic bulb to grow larger. Lucky for us, they are harvested in summer, giving us fresh garlic to use while we wait for the bulbs to mature in autumn. No need to peel them, either; just chop them up like scallions and add them to dips, dressings, pesto, stir-fries, or anywhere you’d use garlic. They’re a nice crunchy vegetable with mild garlic flavor and tasty in their own right. However, their season is fairly short, and unless you grow your own or shop at a farmer’s market or a well-stocked natural food store, they can be difficult to find. No problem! Just substitute 1 clove of garlic for each garlic scape.

Ghee,
like clarified butter,is made by simmering butter and then pouring off the butterfat. This removes the milk solids and makes the butter easier to digest. Ghee doesn’t require refrigeration and can be used like butter for high-heat cooking, as in frying, roasting, and grilling. Although you can purchase ghee, why not make it yourself? It’s so easy. For the method, see page 86.

Goji berries,
also known as wolfberries, are small, red berries revered in Chinese medicine for promoting health, vitality, stamina, and longevity. Typically sold dried, they’re loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, iron, and beta-carotene. Use them like raisins in porridges, pilafs, and baked goods. If you don’t have goji berries on hand, you can substitute other small dried fruits, such as raisins or dried cranberries

Hempseeds
have a softer texture than sesame seeds and a mild flavor. They are a complete protein and also rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. Try them sprinkled on grains, granola, salads, yogurt, soups, and dips, or mix them in with flour when baking.

Kelp
is a thin, leafy variety of kombu sea vegetable harvested off the coast in the northern Atlantic and northern Pacific. When toasted and ground, it makes a great condiment that’s especially good on popcorn and soups. Contact BC Kelp (see Resources) to purchase a wonderful variety that has a crisp texture like a potato chip and doesn’t need to be toasted before grinding for use as a condiment. The Atlantic variety is great for making beans from scratch, or for longer cooking techniques where it enhances flavors as it melts into soups and stews.

Kudzu,
made from the root of a plant native to Japan and China, is used as a thickener for soups, stews, sauces, jellies, and jam. In Oriental medicine, it’s recommended for its calming antacid effect on digestion. It usually comes in small chunks that you need to dissolve in cold water before adding to recipes.

Maca
root comes from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru, where it has been used for thousands of years to boost stamina. It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and healthy fats and is thought to boost libido and immune system function and help combat stress. Typically available dried as a powder or flour, it has a pleasing earthy, nutty flavor. The flavor is strong, so little goes a long way; for a hint of its sophisticated flavor, you can add a tablespoon to everything from baked goods to smoothies to stews. But if you don’t have any on hand, don’t let that stop you from making any of the pastry recipes in this book that call for it. Just substitute an equal amount of flour for the maca.

Miso
is a salty and sometimes sweet fermented paste made from beans, grains, or a combination of the two, along with sea salt. Some varieties also include sea vegetables, spices, and even dandelion greens. Light, mellow sweet and white varieties, aged from 3 to 6 months, have a subtle flavor that’s excellent for salad dressings, creamy sauces, dips, and delicate soups. Darker varieties, aged for 1 to 3 years, such as hearty brown rice miso, red miso, and hatcho miso, are saltier, stronger in flavor, and delicious in soups, casseroles, and stews.

Nori
is a delicate purplish-black sea vegetable most familiar in the form of sheets used for sushi rolls. When toasted and crumbled, nori is a tasty garnish and condiment. Of all of the seaweeds, it is the highest in protein and vitamins A and C and is a good source of all the B vitamins. It also has a relatively low sodium content.

Sea salt
contains more trace minerals and less sodium chloride than commercial salt, which has added iodine, as well as chemicals used to stabilize the salt or keep it flowing freely. Salt is undergoing a renaissance these days and a lot of interesting varieties are available, from Celtic Sea Salt to Himalayan varieties to solar-dried versions. Experiment with different salts for different purposes to discover which you like best.

Sesame oil
is, obviously, made from sesame seeds. Just be aware that there are two basic types: Toasted sesame oil is highly flavorful and typically isn’t used for cooking; rather, it’s used in dressings and for drizzling on soups and stir-fries to give them an Asian accent. Plain sesame oil has a lighter aroma and flavor and tolerates moderately high heat, making it a good choice for sautéing, baking, and braising. It’s also great in dressings and dips. I always use unrefined, organic sesame oil, which has a superior nutritional profile and a richer flavor and color than refined varieties. And because oils are concentrated (a little oil being made from a lot of source ingredients), toxins in the source ingredient may be more concentrated in the oil.

Tahini,
a paste made by grinding sesame seeds, is a great source of iron and calcium and a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Add tahini to sauces, spreads, and stews for a rich, creamy texture and flavor.

Tamari
is a natural soy sauce made without wheat. When made traditionally, it’s the liquid that rises to the surface during miso making; however, these days it’s more often manufactured directly—to save time, and because more tamari is sold than could be generated via miso production. Use it anywhere you’d like a salty flavor: on grains, as a seasoning in stir-fries, stews, and soups, and so on.

Tempeh
is made from cooked and fermented soybeans, sometimes with other ingredients, including grains, so read the label carefully to be sure it’s gluten free. It has a firm, tender, meaty texture. It’s high in protein, easy to digest, cholesterol free, delicious, and extremely versatile. You can sauté, bake, broil, steam, or simmer it, and it combines well with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices. It’s a great addition to soups, stews, casseroles, sushi, and sandwiches.

Tofu
is a fairly familiar ingredient these days, but there are a few points to keep in mind. First, avoid purchasing tofu in aseptic packaging; the packages contain aluminum and also can’t be recycled in many communities. Tofu comes in many textures. Extra firm is my favorite for stir-fries and sautés. Firm contains a little more water. Soft and silken tofu are great for puddings, pie fillings, and creamy dressings.

Umeboshi paste
is a puree of umeboshi plums: small pickled plums that are aged for several years. They have a distinctive flavor that combines sweet, sour, and salty. Umeboshi paste is often spread on toasted nori or sushi rice when making nori rolls. You can also use it instead of lemon juice and sea salt to season salad dressings, sauces, and dips.

Umeboshi vinegar,
also known as ume vinegar, can be used in place of tamari or lemon and salt. It has a sour (lemony) and salty flavor and a deep ruby color. Although it isn’t actually vinegar, it can be used in the same way. It is the juices extracted during the process of making pickled umeboshi plums, together with shiso (beefsteak) leaves and sea salt. For a quick, delicious salad dressing, try olive oil and umeboshi vinegar, or sesame oil, umeboshi vinegar, and rice vinegar.