GF Lupin Savoury Muffins

\ 1 Comment \ by

When I went to one of my favorite local health food shops today, I came across lupin flour. Have you heard of it? I’ve seen lupin beans at Kakulas brothers, but not the flour. I couldn’t resist myself taking some home for a little gluten free baking experiment.

Lupin or Lupini beans are yellow legume seeds of the lupinus genus plant, a common food of the Mediterranean basin and Latin America. Flour from the lupini bean has many health benefits such as high dietary fiber, high protein, no starch, non-GMO, and a low glycemic index. It helps manage hunger throughout the day as well as provides higher brain function. It is also naturally gluten-free. Yay!

The problem with gluten-free baking is that it can have a weird texture, or the hint of a strange flavour. It is best to swap half of the flour in your favorite bread or cookie recipe with lupin flour. It is on the salty savoury side so skip adding any additional salt. And it has a texture closer to cornmeal so extra moisture is also helpful. I wanted to bake something savoury using lupin flour today. Spinach, feta cheese, black olives and thyme sounds good to me! These muffins are packed with protein – great for breakfast! I only made three for experiment, but feel free to double up the recipe and make 6 muffins.
Lupin muffinsIngredients

50g lupin flour
50g buckwheat flour
20g flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
30g feta cheese, crumbled
10 black pitted olives, chopped
1/2 cup of baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp thyme
2 large eggs
40ml of olive oil
a pinch of salt

Lightly beat eggs and olive oil in a large bowl. Add all dry ingredients in and stir to combine. Add crumbled feta, chopped olives and spinach, and thyme into the mixture and stir until combined. Spoon the mixture into a muffin tins and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-25 minutes until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Rhubarb Pie

\ Leave a Comment \ by

rhubarbIt is a rhubarb season! These glossy, crisp and rose-red stalks are amazing. It is quite tart and tangy, but cooking or baking makes it beautifully sweet and sour, perfect for a dessert. Rhubarb technically is a vegetable, but more often it is compared in the fruit family. It was mainly used for medicinal purposes back in 2700 BC from China. It has many anti-oxidant benefits, helps your digestion and mostly will help with allergies like coeliac, gluten or dairy intolerance, lung irritation and poor circulation. They are naturally low in calories and contains some fibre, calcium, vitamins C, A and K, magnesium, potassium, manganese and a little iron. Rhubarb is also a good source of lutein, good for your skin and eyes. Its vibrant red colour is powerful antioxidants that can promote good health and help prevent heart disease and cancer.

In this recipe, I added maple syrup to counterbalance the tartness of the rhubarbs and rose water, vanilla and cinnamon to compliment the rhubarbs. Make it for dessert and have the leftovers for next morning. It is delicious x
rhubarb pieIngredients

For the filling
3 stalks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup rose water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1/2 cup coconut flour

For the topping
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp golden flaxseed

Put all filling ingredients except coconut flour in a saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes until rhubarbs are tender. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Then mix the rhubarb mixture and coconut flour in a bowl and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle chia seeds and golden flaxseed. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with thick Greek yogurt or coconut cream.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Vegetarian

GF Chia Flaxseed Biscuit

\ Leave a Comment \ by

flaxseed biscuitI’ve been down to the local health grocery shop near my house yesterday and saw a packet of “Flackers” which I wanted to buy and try. Then my eyes almost popped out when I saw the price. Seriously, 5 small crackers in a small packet costs nearly 10 dollars! So I decided to make one at home. It is surprisingly super easy to make without dehydrator and all you need is just two ingredients. Woohoo, Are you ready?

Flaxseed‘s health benefits come from the fact that it’s high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as phytochemicals called lignans. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains 2 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids (includes the omega 3s) and 2 grams of dietary fiber and 37 calories. Ground flaxseed is better than whole one because the ground form is easier for your body to digest. Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, which means you won’t get all the benefits. Dehydrating is a great way of keeping healthy oils and nutritional properties in raw flaxseed from the high heating. It also creates a nice and crispy texture.

Ingredients (30cm x 20cm, thin cracker)

50g golden flaxseed
1 tbsp chia seeds
a pinch of Himalayan salt
50g water

Put flaxseed and chia seeds in your food processor and pulse a few times. Season with salt and add water. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes until they all stick together. Pour the mixture on a baking paper and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake in 100 degree oven for about 90 minutes, flipping about halfway. Take it out of the oven and cool it down. Carefully peel off the baking paper and cut into squares. Feel free to add some dried herbs and spices in this recipe to make it more interesting – garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sesame seeds, tamari, cacao, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, etc.

Flaxseed is an excellent source of essential fatty acids—great for your skin, body and overall health. Baking with ground flax or flaxseed is great for texture, but the high heating breaks down the oils and nutritive properties of the flaxseed. So dehydrating raw flaxseed by baking it at your oven’s lowest temperature is the way to go. This recipe creates savory crispy crackers that optimally preserve the goodness of flaxseed. – See more at: http://www.cooktj.com/node/133#sthash.aK1pdrHS.dpuf
Posted in: Baking, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Cauliflower Steak with Avocado Chimichurri

\ Leave a Comment \ by

cauliflower steakYes, I am having a steak today. Cauliflower steak 🙂 It is about time for cauliflower to shine on a plate. I will be so happy to have this steak at the restaurant or pub as a vegetarian/ vegan option. That means I can actually use a knife on this beauty like everyone else does on the meat. Roasted cauliflower tastes scrumptious and looks amazing. The sauce on top, called Chimichurri, is the Argentine sauce traditionally served on top of steak. The sauce itself is fresh, spicy, bright, and vegetarian. You can easily make at home and keep the leftover in the fridge. It is beautiful on poached eggs, toast, soup, grilled veggies and maybe some noodles, too. I made my spin on the traditional Chimichurri by adding creamy avocado.
cauliflower steak1Ingredients

The leftover gremolata oil will keep for several days in the fridge and is delicious over your morning eggs and toast, stirred into soup, tossed with pasta, or simply mopped up with crusty bread. – See more at: http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/02/roasted-cauliflower-steaks-with.html#sthash.lFRDToA3.dpufIngredients (serves 2)2 large slices of cauliflowerIngredients

1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Himalayan salt

For Avocado Chimichurri
1 avocado
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup of coriander leaves
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp e.v.o.o
1 tsp of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Toss sliced cauliflower with oil, spices and herbs. Place on a baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven (200) for 20-30 minutes or until golden and tender, flipping about half way. In the meantime, make Avocado Chimichurri sauce by blending all ingredients in your food processor. Transfer cauliflower steaks onto a serving plate and top with the Avocado Chimichurri sauce.
cauliflower steak2

Posted in: Baking, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

GF Apple Tahini Loaf

\ Leave a Comment \ by

apple tahini loafTahini is a paste made of sesame seeds. It is high in vitamins A, E, F and T, as well as B vitamins, biotin, and choline. Tahini is also 20 percent complete protein – higher than most nuts, great for vegetarians and vegans. Tahini is also high in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, and phosphorus, and is an excellent source of calcium. I like using it in salad dressing, hummus, power balls and spreads. I’m sure you all know the slices of apple and nut butter is a good flavour combination as well as a great snack between meals. I added a table spoon of tahini in the loaf batter and used another table spoon to drizzle over the cake. It tastes beautiful and also adds more nutrition to this guilt-free cake. You can also add some chopped dates or walnut in this recipe if you like.

Ingredients

1 Granny Smith apple
3 eggs
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp unhulled tahini paste
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp flaxseed meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
a pinch of salt

Gently beat eggs, melted coconut oil, 1 tbsp of tahini paste and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add all dry ingredients into a bowl and combine well with a spatula. Pour the half of the mixture into a prepared loaf tin, put the layer of sliced or grated apples, then pour the rest of the mixture over the apples, and top with more apples on top. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 45 minutes until cooked. Take it out of the oven and cool down in a tin for 10 minutes. Mix 1 tbsp of tahini with yogurt in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle cinnamon before serve.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Vegetarian