This little cake is perfect for a last-minute breakfast dish. It is tender, lightly sweetened and gluten-free. The delicate combination of the Masa Harina and coconut flavors is gentle and comforting. Best served warm.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with coconut oil.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, Masa Harina, salt and baking powder and whisk together.
In another bowl, thoroughly beat together the honey, vanilla, eggs and melted coconut oil.
Add the dry ingredients all at once to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.
Pour batter into greased baking dish.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. When you can lightly touch the center of the top, and it springs back and is nicely browned, the cake is done.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
Homemade pasta may seem like a lot of work, especially ravioli, but for me the benefit of knowing what is in the pasta and how it was prepared is enough for me to take the trouble. It is also a great way to get small children interested and involved in cooking.
To Make the Pasta:
Place flour in bowl, make a well and add the whey, eggs and oil into the well. Start by slowly mixing in the flour pulling in only as much as needed. You will want a stiff but pliable dough. It shouldn’t stick to the counter or our hands but should be easy to kneed and not break apart while kneading. Add more flour if necessary or water if needed. (I keep a spray bottle of water on hand and spritz the ball if needed. This places the water evenly on the dough and makes it easier to work in.) After the dough is the right consistency kneed a few time to “smooth” Let sit for 6-8 hours.
To make the Filling:
Brown meat, add spinach until wilted. Turn off heat and crumble feta into meat and mix.
Divide into 3rds and roll out pasta to 1/8 inch thick and 4 inches wide. Place 1 tsp filling in the center of one half (look at the picture for a visual) about 1/2 in from short end. place filing along side 1/2 inch apart. Place a egg wash on half the short ends and length of pasta then between the filling, fold over the non filling side and press the pasta around the filing getting out as much air as possible. If there are large air pockets it can blow a hole in the pasta while cooking making the filing come out.
You can either cook right away or freeze for later.
To freeze:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place ravioli on sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen place in a air tight container.
When ready to cook:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, remember there is no salt in the pasta so all the flavor will come from the water. How big the pot is and how much water will depend on how many you will be boiling. Place ravioli in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes if fresh about 7 if frozen. To check pull one out and tear off a little corner for al dente the center should be a little lighter than the outside, for fully cooked it should be the same color all the way through. If you need to make them in batches use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked ravioli to a strainer and place a pat of butter on them and toss to coat. Repeat as many times as needed.
Top with your choice of sauce or just a little butter and garlic.
Socca (or karantita) is the ideal gluten-free pizza crust — made of only three main ingredients: chickpea flour, water and olive oil. In this version, I spiced it with sumac and fresh rosemary. Once pan-fried, you can add your toppings of choice. For this vegetarian version, I added caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, black olives, and a vegan cashew cheese spread. It’s also delicious with soft goat cheese and anchovies!
Soak the chickpea flour overnight: In a bowl, add 2 cups of chickpea flour, 1½ cups of filtered water, and 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Cover and leave batter overnight on the counter.
Spice up the batter. The next day, you’ll have a batter that is ready to use! For this Middle Eastern take on socca, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried sumac, 2 teaspoons unrefined salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and if you want a little kick, ¾ teaspoon chili pepper powder.
Oil the pan. Add 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a 12” or 14” cast iron or nonstick pan, make sure the bottom and sides are oiled, then pour in the spiced chickpea batter. You can pour in a little at a time if you want a thinner crust, or pour it all in and get a thick crust. With this amount of batter, you will likely have a 1/3 inch thickness (I just cooked the batter at one time — you can see how that looks in the pictures on the post on my blog-slick link above).
Cook the socca pizza. Turn the heat on medium, and after 3-4 minutes, you’ll notice bubbles forming. Keep the heat at medium-low and cover if splashing (it shouldn’t be splashing a lot – if it is, you need to lower the heat). Cook on one side for 7-8 minutes or until the bottom has hardened and started to turn golden (lift up a little to check). Once one side has cooked, use a large flat spatula to flip the socca on the other side. Add more oil if it looks dry. Cook for another 7-8 minutes or until that side has also turned golden. Turn off heat and prepare toppings while the crust cools a bit.
Sauté the veggies and prepare other toppings. For this version, I sautéed 4 green onion stalks till translucent and starting to caramelize and added to it 2 medium chopped tomatoes and a mix of 8-10 crimini and white button mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil. You can add whatever toppings you would like and have on hand.
Add cheese layer. Soft goat cheese is one of my favorites!
Add the other toppings. When the sautéed veggies have cooled a bit, add them on top of the pizza and spread evenly. Slice 15-20 olives and sprinkle evenly over pizza.
Slice and eat. Cut into fourths with a knife, and serve lukewarm. You can keep any leftovers in the fridge – it makes a great and filling lunch!
These crackers are a pretty good substitute for their wheat cousins. More dense and more filling, they would make a nice lunch paired with some apple slices and nut butter with a tall glass of raw milk. Of course, you can totally feel free to squish some dark chocolate and homemade marshmallows between them, or even use them as a base for an ice cream sandwich!
The toughest part of this recipe is rolling the dough out thin enough. Thicker crackers will be more on the soft side, like a graham cookie. I’ve adapted this recipe from The Joyful Abode.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sucanat, honey and molasses. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat until well combined.
Sift together dry ingredients. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet and beat until a dough forms. Allow to site for five minutes to allow the coconut flour to soak up moisture and become more manageable.
Divide dough into two balls. Place each ball onto one of the parchment lined cookie sheets. Pat down into a rectangularish shape and then place another piece of parchment on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin on top of the parchment to roll the dough into 1/8″ thickness. Remove the parchment paper and repeat with the other dough ball.
Score the rolled out dough with a pizza cutter into 3″ square pieces. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the sheets halfway through for more even baking.
Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets. Break into squares. Crackers will be kinda soft at first. I found that leaving them out, uncovered for a day crisped them up (though this may not work in a humid environment). Store at room temperature in a cookie jar to maintain crunch.
* The arrowroot starch may be omitted completely in this recipe. I added it because I think it helps to get a better crunchy cookie. Next time I make these, I will probably decrease the coconut flour to 1 1/2 cups and increase the arrowroot starch to 1/3 cup to get an even better texture.
I love these pancakes for their simplicity, you don’t have to stand around flipping pancakes, but pour them in the pan and let them sit until done. You also don’t have to worry about soaking anything the night before, just scoop out some sourdough starter and add the rest of the ingredients to it.
Put a 12 inch cast iron skillet on low heat and add the 1 T butter for the topping plus the 2 T butter or coconut oil for the pancakes to melt. Thinly slice the apple while you wait for the butter to melt.
Put 1 cup of starter in a small bowl and when the butter is melted add the 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the starter. Swirl the remaining butter in the pan to coat evenly lay the apple slices on the bottom of the pan get them as close as possible but not overlapping. Next sprinkle the sucanant over the apples. Turn off the heat and then prepare the pancakes.
The pancakes are pretty simple, mix everything but the soda in a small bowl. Once combined sprinkle the soda over top and mix in quickly. It will bubble up and just about double in size. Turn the heat back on to low and pour the pancake batter over the top.
Let this cook for 5-10 minutes until the top starts to have a few dry spots. Turn the broiler on to about 350 degrees. When the dry spots appear place in the pan in the broiler for a few minutes until the top is dry and starts to brown lightly.
When done, cut into 8 wedges flip onto plate, to show the apples and eat. These are very good topped with fresh whipped cream.
You can use your favorite pancake recipe for this if yo don’t have any sourdough.
The pancake recipe is adapted from GNOWFGLINS.
These muffins are a perfect treat to have on hand in a real-food kitchen. The subtle undertones of the maple syrup and the delicious flavor of the chopped walnuts will make you reach for just one more.
In a large bowl, combine egg, butter, milk, maple syrup, and salt. Beat well.
Stir in flour and baking powder until just mixed.
Stir in walnuts.
Pour into muffin tins and bake 375* for 20-25 minutes. For mini-muffins, bake ~10 minutes.
These freeze well.
It doesn’t matter if you eat grain-free by choice or necessity — but I guarantee this recipe will make you reach for your coconut flour. You won’t find a chocolate cupcake anywhere that tastes even remotely as moist and flavorful as this one. Watch your grain-free AND wheat-loving friends inhale these treats. The best part? It’s power-packed with nourishing protein and fiber: the healthiness of a muffin with the taste factor of a cupcake. Bet you can’t eat just one…
In a large bowl, whisk ingredients together — EXCEPT the raspberries.
Fill muffin tins with batter.
Gently poke 3 raspberries into each muffin tin.
Bake 325* for 20 minutes.
These taste delicious stored in the fridge or eaten straight from the freezer.
To make mini muffin size, poke only one raspberry into each and bake ~12 minutes.
These freeze wonderfully and still retain their moistness.
The quest for the perfect biscuit that is also healthy has come to a successful end! These are amazingly tender and flavorful biscuits. They are made with whole wheat flour made from wheat berries that I sprouted just until tiny sprouts began to show, then dehydrated and ground them.
Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together thoroughly.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture, a small part at a time and stir it in gently to get it covered with flour so the butter pieces won’t stick together.
Pour in the milk and stir with a fork, just enough to moisten all of the flour.
Sprinkle a little more of the sprouted flour on your work surface and dump the dough out onto it.
Press the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place the biscuits on a baking sheet. You may place them close together OR leave room between them if you like them to be more crispy.
Bake at 500 degrees F for 10 - 12 minutes. Watch them carefully, and bake just until they start to brown on top and the bottoms are browning.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a basket lined with a cloth to serve.
These coconut flour crepes are simple to make and perfect little packages for a plethora of fillings or toppings. You could even use them as a wrap option for lunch! If you don’t eat grains, or just like to mix it up these are a great little gem to have in your recipe box. I sometimes whip up a batch for my kids to have as a snack along with fresh fruit and nut butter inside. Makes for a fantastic lunch option when I didn’t get around to baking bread. Fill with sweet or savory fillings, or simply fold in quarters and top with fruit sauce, preserves or compote.
Beat eggs well with a whisk until pale in color. Whisk in honey if using-I don’t usually add this because I like the option of using the crepe for sweet or savory dishes. Be sure your melted butter is not too hot and slowly drizzle it into the eggs while whisking.
Sift the coconut flour and arrowroot powder onto the egg mixture. Sifting is important or you will have lumps and the batter won’t turn out right. Whisk to incorporate.
Add enough raw milk or water to make the batter the thickness and consistency of heavy cream. Allow batter to sit for about 5 minutes. During this time the coconut flour will absorb some of the liquid. Add any additional liquid after this time if the batter is too thick.
Heat a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron pan on low heat. Brush the bottom with butter or coconut oil. I usually only have to do this once, but if your pan is not well-seasoned, you may have to do it intermittently between crepes.
Pout 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl swirl it until the bottom is completely covered. Do not worry if it’s not completely covered or perfectly round. It can take a bit of practice to get the feel of it.
Cook the crepe until the edges appear dry, usually 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges with a spatula and flip the crepe. Cook for another minute or so on the opposite side.
Stack finished crepes on a plate to keep them warm and pliable. Repeat with remaining batter.
Store leftover crepes in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Freeze crepes by placing a sheet of parchment between each one and storing in an airtight container. Thaw by placing at room temperature or in a warm oven.
I made many sourdough bricks before I finally developed this recipe. It’s easy, delicious and works perfectly every time. I hope it will work for you, too. This loaf can be made 100% whole wheat by substituting the bread flour for more whole wheat flour.
Mix the starter, salt, water & unbleached bread flour in a large bowl or kitchenaid mixer. Add whole wheat flour until the dough is dry enough not to stick to your hands.
Knead for 10 minutes, or 7-9 minutes on low if you’re using a mixer with the dough attachment. When the dough is ready to be set to rise it will be stretchy and pass the windowpane test.
Oil a large bowl and set the dough in it and cover with oiled plastic wrap. If your kitchen is cold place it in the turned off oven with just the light on. Otherwise just leave it on the counter for 6-8 hours.
When the dough has risen well, punch it down and leave it covered in the bowl for another rise (about 2-3 hours)
After the dough has risen an second time, punch it down again, form it into a loaf and place it in an oiled loaf pan for a third and final rise. This third rise usually take an hour or two. Remember to keep the dough covered with the oiled plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
When the loaf has risen, put small slits in the top of the loaf with a serrated knife. Put the loaf into a cold oven and close the door. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and the timer for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off you should have a large loaf of nicely browned, wonderfully sour sourdough bread.
Editor’s Note: As a compromise food, some people choose to eat small amounts of unbleached flour to create a more pleasing texture to baked goods; however, many have had great successes baking with 100% whole wheat without sacrificing nutrition.
A real special treat. Freshly baked, lightly toasted these bagels make a welcome addition to anyone’s breakfast.
To make the sponge:
Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl, cover with a towel and let rest for 8 hours
To make dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 C sponge, eggs, milk, sea salt, and barley malt syrup.
Gradually add flour until dough forms a ball.
Knead for 5-7 minutes, using more flour if needed
Place dough in a oiled bowl and cover.
Let rise for 8 hours, or until dough has doubled.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, and shape into bagels rounds.
I make a rope, wrap it around my hand, and roll the dough together.
Place bagels on an oiled baking sheet, and cover with a towel.
Let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In the meantime prepare the wash.
Fill pot with water and dissolve barley malt syrup in water.
Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
Place bagels, 2 at a time, in simmering wash. Let them soak in wash until they float. This will take less than 1 minute.
Remove from water and place on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until done.
Crepe Souzette is a famous French breakfast or dessert made with the thin, French-style pancake called a crepe. The crepes are draped into a rich orange sauce that is traditionally prepared with orange juice and a liqueur and often au flambes. This is a real food version of that recipe sans alcohol to make it more kid friendly. The sourdough crepes add an additional flavor note that makes this dish really satisfy.
To Make Crepes:
Whisk together sourdough starter, melted butter, eggs and salt until well combined.
Whisk in the milk until you have the consistency of heavy cream. If your batter is too thick, your crepes will be too thick. Too liquid and they will not hold together well. If after your first crepe, you determine that the batter was too thick, add more milk; if the batter is too thin, add a little more starter.
I choose to always make a basic crepe and never sweeten my batter, but if you would like a more dessert crepe, you may add a tablespoon of honey to the batter.
Heat a well-seasoned 10″ cast iron skillet on Med-Low heat. Brush the bottom with a little butter or coconut oil. If you pan is seasoned well, you should only need to do this the one time. Otherwise, brush on oil as needed every few crepes or so.
Pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and swirl around the pan to completely cover the bottom. It’s okay is a little gets on the sides or if your crepe isn’t perfectly round. It will still be delicious. cook for about a minute or until the edges look a bit dry. Use a spatula to release the edges and work your way under the crepe and flip. It should not be difficult to flip. If it is, let it cook a bit longer. Cook for another minute on the other side. Remove to a plate.
Repeat with remaining batter. Stack finished crepes on top of each other to keep them warm and pliable.
Crepes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Simply warm in a cool over while your making the sauce. Crepes also freeze well. Allow to thaw at room temperature before peeling apart.
Crepe Suzette Sauce
Zest 1 of the oranges and set zest aside.
Juice the 4 oranges and discard peels.
Heat the butter and orange zest in a skillet over medium heat. Add the orange juice and honey and whisk until the honey is completely dissolved and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes. Sauce should appear thickened a bit. If not, allow it to bubble a bit longer. Reduce heat and simmer for another couple of minutes.
Assembling the Crepes
Fold your crepe into quarters so it looks like a wedge. Using tongs, dip a crepe into the orange sauce, then flip it over to cover both sides with sauce. Place on a plate and repeat with remaining crepes. Drizzle any leftover sauce over the crepes.
Serve topped with whipped cream or homemade cultured Mascarpone cheese!
NOTE: The crepe recipe was adapted from GNOWFGLINS Sourdough A to Z eBook. If you want to learn how to make the most of your sourdough and learn other amazing sourdough recipes, check it out!
