Gluten Free Vegan Living

Teff, originally from Ethiopia, is one of the tiniest seeds in the whole grain category.

Read more about Teff on my Squidoo Lens:  Gluten Free Grains!

Awesome Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups teff flour ( we use Bob’s Red Mill Teff Flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt ( or plain salt even)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup ( which can be replaced by agave nectar, if you can’t eat syrup)
• 1/2 cup canola oil ( or any vegetable based)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla ( Frontier makes gluten free vanilla)
• 1 cup peanut butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, set aside.
3. In a food processor blend syrup, oil, vanilla and peanut butter.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, blend well.
5. Shape dough into walnut sized balls.
6. Place on a slightly greased cookie sheet and flatten gently with the tines of a fork.
7. Bake about 13-15 minutes.
8. Cool on wire rack.

Recipe source:  http://www.food.com/recipe/awesome-gluten-free-vegan-peanut-butter-cookies-171561

Sources:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teff

Amazing Grains: Creating Vegetarian Main Dishes with Whole Grains

Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook: 150 Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Recipes, Many with Egg-Free Variations

Montina is the trademark flour made from ancient Indian Ricegrass.

Read more aboutMontina on my Squidoo Lens:  Gluten Free Grains!

Montina All-Purpose Flour Blend contains white rice flour, tapioca flour and Montina Pure.

Montina™ Banana Bread

• 3 large bananas mashed
• 2 cups Montina™ All-Purpose Blend Flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons Xanthan gum
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of vegan butter or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs or equivalent egg replacement

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375°. Blend together the Montina All-Purpose Baking Flour Blend, baking powder, and Xanthan gum.

In a separate large bowl, combine eggs 9or substitute), butter, sugar, bananas, and vanilla, stir well until mixed. Combine the dry ingredients, mix well.

Bake in greased loaf pan for 40-50 minutes.

Recipe Source: http://www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com/montina.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ricegrass

Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods

Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook

Buy Montina Ryegrass Flours by clicking on one of the links below:

Amaranth is probably the oldest grain cultivated today.

My favorite way to eat Amaranth is to mix equal parts of amaranth to another grain, such as Teff; mix it with 2 parts and simmer it for about 20 minutes.  Add dry fruit such as raisins or cranberries and top with coconut milk.

Find out more about Amaranth on my Squidoo Lens:  Gluten Free Grain

Living Without Magazine has a wonderful recipe using Amaranth:

Popped Amaranth Hemp Cereal

It may take a couple of times to get the hang of popping amaranth without burning it, so have a few extra tablespoons on hand. Hemp seeds contain more protein than other seeds and also give this cereal a healthy dose of beneficial omega fatty acids.

½ cup amaranth
¼ cup hemp seeds
¾ cup chopped dried apricots
1½ cups sliced strawberries
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 cups hemp milk or milk of choice

1. Heat a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. When a drop of water energetically sizzles in the pan, add 1 tablespoon amaranth, cover with a lid and shake the pan vigorously as soon as the grains begin to pop. Continue until most of the amaranth has popped, about 10 to 15 seconds. (If amaranth burns, try shaking the pan about 1 inch above the burner when the popping begins.) Remove popped amaranth from the pan and place in a large bowl. Repeat with remaining grain until all amaranth is popped.

2. Stir hemp seeds and apricots into popped amaranth.

3. Divide amaranth mixture among 4 serving bowls. Top with equal amounts of strawberries, maple syrup and hemp milk.

Amaranth on left and Wheat on right

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth

http://chetday.com/amaranth.html

http://www.healthy-foods-lifestyle.com/gluten-free-grains.html

Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook: 150 Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Recipes, Many with Egg-Free Variations

Buy Amaranth Grains, Flours and Products Here:

Quinoa is my favorite grain.  Before I discovered I was gluten intolerant, I had never heard of Quinoa or knew it was Gluten Free.  What is Quinoa?  Since then, I have become a avid promoter and consumer of Quinoa.  This little grain has so many uses.  I add raisins and coconut milk to Quinoa for breakfast; mix it with veggies, lemon juice and oil for a nutritious salad;  and add it to soups and stir fries for dinner!  Do you know of any other food you can use for all three meals?

The article below tells about Quinoa and some ways to use Quinoa.  The article is not written by a vegan, but the information is still pertinent!

Quinoa: It’s the old/new gluten-free super grain!

…a plant food source like quinoa is neither fish nor fowl, making it a ticklish task to label its status. This supergrain is like a combo plate with various quantities of both protein and carbs. So you have to look at your overall carb and protein intake throughout the day to decide whether you want to convert quinoa into a carb side or a main-dish protein.

Embrace its multitasking attributes — toss it in pilafs, stews, salads, stir-fries, turkey burgers or meatloaves or anywhere you want to swap out pasty, empty carbs like white flour and Styrofoam white rice for the nutritional powerhouse busting with nutty and grassy nuances. Quinoa pairs well with legumes making a fine vegan or vegetarian meal or grilled deep-sea scallops or chicken breasts for die-hard pescavores or pollitarians.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Do you have some good recipes to share with us using Quinoa?  Or have you tried some the different types of Quinoa:  red or black?  Personally, I love them all.

If you are eating a large quantity of rice, you may need to re-evaluate your diet.  According to recent findings, rice contains a larger level of arsenic than other cereal grains.  Being on a gluten free diet, I personally, have increased my rice consumption.  Thankfully, the article does give some tips in helping consumers reduce the amount of arsenic they have in their rice.

Gluten-Free Diet, Arsenic, and Rice

A couple months ago I was asked to look into the issue of arsenic in rice. I hesitated because I was concerned about raising undue concern among those with celiac disease who must follow a gluten-free diet. I looked at my own gluten-free diet which I don’t consider to be rice based. The cereal, crackers, and waffles (which I use as bread) are rice based and I frequently eat rice at lunch or dinner. This got me wondering whether I needed to be concerned about the arsenic levels in my own diet. Arsenic in rice may be an important issue for people who follow a gluten-free diet if it is largely rice based. Fortunately, gluten-free diets do not have to be rice based. There are so many other gluten-free grains and flours to choose from and so many ready-made cereals, bread products, and pastas made from grains other than rice. It is a good idea to not eat too much of any food. As poet William Cowper said, “Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.”

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Another point that the article did not go into an detail is the availability of other gluten grains and celiac or gluten intolerant person can consume.  The list of good gluten free grains is longer than most people realize.  My personal favorite in quinoa — I love the taste and texture!

If you are interested in finding out more information on gluten free grains, check out this article:

What Grains are Gluten-Free