Authors: Carol Kicinski
Simply . . . Gluten-Free Quick Meals: More Than 100 Great-Tasting Recipes for Good Food Fast (3 page)
Make up a batch of this mix, store it in an airtight container in the pantry or in a plastic storage bag in the freezer, and you can get pancakes or muffins on the table in no time with very little effort and lots of options.
6 cups
Sweet Rice Flour Blend
6 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons kosher or fine
sea salt
In a large mixing bowl, slowly whisk all the ingredients together very well, making sure they are evenly distributed.
This recipe can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
Makes 12 pancakes
Starting with the Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix, you have lots of options as to what goes into your pancakes. The liquid can be milk or the dairy-free milk of your choice, the liquid fat can be melted butter or dairy-free butter substitute, any type of oil you prefer such as coconut or grapeseed or even bacon fat, and the sugar can be substituted with the sweetener of your choice. You can also tailor these pancakes to suit your own personal preferences, adding more or less sweetener. Add a little more liquid for thinner pancakes, less if you like your pancakes thicker.
While these basic pancakes are delicate and delicious on their own, they can also be changed up by stirring in a cup of fruit such as blueberries or sliced bananas. Stir the fruit in after the batter has been mixed. For savory pancakes, omit the sugar and vanilla.
1
1/2
cups
Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix
2 large eggs
1 cup liquid (milk, dairy-free milk,
etc.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup liquid fat (melted butter,
bacon grease, grapeseed or
coconut oil, etc.)
2 tablespoons sugar (or
equivalent amount of
another sweetener)
Whisk all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until fully combined and smooth. If adding fruit or other flavor agents, add them now.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately when splashed onto the hot pan. Lightly grease the skillet with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray, melted butter, or oil. Ladle ¼ cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake is bubbly, the edges appear dry, and the bottom is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the opposite side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. The pancakes can be kept warm in a low (200-degree) oven until serving.
Basic Muffins and Quick Breads
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
As with the pancake recipe, you have lots of options here. This is a basic muffin and quick bread recipe to which you can add fruit, nuts, and seeds. The liquid can be milk or the dairy-free milk of your choice, and the fat can be melted butter, bacon grease, or whatever oil you prefer.
You can also make savory muffins with this recipe; just omit the sugar and vanilla extract and add any herbs and spices you like such as rosemary, curry powder, or cayenne pepper, chopped sautéed vegetables, diced chilies, grated cheese, corn kernels—you name it. About a cup of mix-ins will work for the whole batch.
1
1/2
cups
Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix
2 large eggs
1 cup liquid (milk, dairy-free milk,
etc.)
¼ cup liquid fat (melted butter,
bacon grease, grapeseed or
coconut oil, etc.)
1/2
cup sugar (or equivalent
amount of another sweetener)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper baking liners. For quick bread, spray a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray.
Put the Basic Pancake and Muffin Mix in a large mixing bowl. Break the eggs into another mixing bowl, whisk lightly, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix and stir to combine; a few lumps are OK. If you want to add fruit or other flavorings, do so after the batter has been mixed. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the muffins are browned.
For a quick bread, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is nicely browned. Run a knife around the edges when it comes out of the oven. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes 12 muffins or one 9 × 5-inch loaf
VARIATIONS
Blueberry:
Add 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries.
Apple Cinnamon:
Replace the sugar with brown sugar, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 cup of diced apples.
Banana Nut:
Reduce the liquid to ¾ cup, add 1 cup mashed bananas, and
1/2
cup chopped nuts.
Cranberry Orange:
Use orange juice for the liquid, increase the sugar to ¾ to 1 cup, add the finely grated zest of an orange,
1/2
teaspoon baking soda, and 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries.
Chili Cheese:
Omit the sugar and vanilla, add 1 small can of diced mild green chilies, and 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
• Vegetarian/ Vegan Adaptable
These biscuits can be rolled and cut with a cookie cutter, dropped by spoonfuls and baked for drop biscuits, spooned on top of simmering stew for dumplings, and sweetened up and baked for shortcakes. For a flakier biscuit, I prefer to use cold, solid fat in this recipe but to be honest, liquid fat works perfectly well and is easier to add to the flour mixture. The quicker you make these and the less you work the dough, the lighter the biscuits will be.
2 cups
Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix
4 tablespoons (
1/2
stick) cold,
unsalted butter or another fat
1 cup liquid (milk, dairy-free milk,
etc.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Put the Basic Pancake and Muffin Mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter or other fat and cut the fat into the mix with a pastry cutter, two knives, or even your hands until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some larger pieces of butter or fat. Add the liquid and stir with a fork just until combined.
For rolled biscuits, dust a work surface with some more of the baking mix, dump the dough on top, and knead 4 or 5 times. Flatten the dough with your hands into a disk about ¾ inch thick. Cut into circles with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Gather the dough scraps up, working the dough as little as possible, reshape into a disk, and cut the remaining dough. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13 to 17 minutes, or until browned, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For drop biscuits, simply spoon equal mounds of the dough (a little larger than a golf ball) onto the prepared baking sheet and bake 13 to 17 minutes, or until browned, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The time will depend on the size of the biscuits.
Makes 8 to 10 biscuits
VARIATIONS
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix and mix well. Proceed as above using 1 cup buttermilk as the liquid. For dairy-free buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of dairy-free milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. Do not be alarmed if it looks a little curdled.
Dumplings:
Prepare as for biscuits, drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of simmering stew or soup, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Shortcakes:
Add ¼ cup sugar to the dough, prepare as for drop biscuits but make them larger (about 1
1/2
times the size of biscuits, making 6 shortcakes), and sprinkle a little more sugar on top of each shortcake. Bake as for biscuits. When done, cut in half and top with fruit and whipped cream, if desired.
Whole Grain Pancake and Biscuit Mix
• Dairy-Free
Makes 8 cups mix
Just like the Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix, this is a great basic mix to have on hand. The main difference is this mix is made with brown rice flour, which is a whole grain gluten-free flour. Pancakes and baked goods made with this mix will have a heartier taste and are healthier and more wholesome. Baked goods will not get quite as brown as those made with the Basic Mix, but they are still lovely and, of course, delicious.
As I stated in the recipe for Sweet Rice Flour Blend, not all flours are created equal. For the very best results use only superfine brown rice flour. My favorite brand is Authentic Foods, which is available in health food stores and on the Internet.
There is no xanthan or guar gum in this recipe as I find it unnecessary in this mix. You can vary the type of starch you add depending on other food sensitivities and personal taste preferences.
As with the Basic Pancake and Biscuit Mix, you have a wide variety of options regarding what type fat, sweetener, and liquid you use.
Make up a batch of this whole grain mix, store it in an airtight container in the pantry or in a plastic storage bag in the freezer, and you can get healthy pancakes or muffins on the table in no time with very little effort and lots of options.
6 cups superfine brown rice flour
2 cups tapioca starch (or potato
or cornstarch)
8 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons kosher or fine sea
salt
In a large mixing bowl, slowly whisk all the ingredients together very well, making sure they are evenly distributed.
This recipe can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled.
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
Makes 12 pancakes
A quick, healthy breakfast is easily prepared using Whole Grain Pancake and Biscuit Mix as a base. See
Basic Pancakes
for ideas on how to customize this recipe to suit your own personal tastes. For fruit pancakes such as blueberry, stir in a cup of fruit after the batter has been whisked together.
2 cups
Whole Grain Pancake and Biscuit Mix
2 large eggs
1 cup liquid (milk, dairy-free milk,
etc.)
2 tablespoons liquid fat (melted
butter, bacon grease, grapeseed,
or coconut oil, etc.)
2 tablespoons sugar (or equivalent amount of another
sweetener)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whisk all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until fully combined and smooth. If adding fruit or other flavor agents, add them now.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles immediately when splashed on the hot pan. Lightly grease the skillet with gluten-free, nonstick cooking spray, melted butter, or oil. Ladle ¼ cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake is bubbly, the edges appear dry, and the bottom is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the opposite side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. The pancakes can be kept warm in a low (200-degree) oven until serving.
Whole Grain Muffins and Quick Breads
• Dairy-Free Adaptable
Healthy, whole grain, gluten-free muffins can be ready to eat in about 35 minutes, and make for a great start to any day. Muffins and quick breads also freeze well; just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and warm up briefly before serving. Quick breads take longer to bake, but there is no effort required other than a little whisking and popping them in the oven.