This is the most forgiving, tasty banana bread we have ever had.  When I say forgiving I mean this recipe is super adaptable.  I have made it using 2 eggs, 1 egg, less oil, 1 less banana, less sugar, no flax meal, and it always turns out great.  I adapted my Banana Cherry Walnut Loaf by using Almond flour - so moist and nutrient dense plus a healthy alternative all the way around.

1 rounded cup blanched almond flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp GF baking powder

2 Tblsp. ground flax meal (optional)

3/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum

2 large eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3 Tblsp. Avocado Oil

1 tsp. vanilla

3 ripe bananas mashed with a fork - large or small whatever you have on hand

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium size bowl whisk together:  almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, flax meal, xanthan gum then set aside.

In another bowl whisk the eggs until frothy.  Whisk in the sugar, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas until well combined.  Add to the dry ingredients, lightly mixing then add in the walnuts to combine.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake 1 hour.

Great as a mid afternoon snack, great for breakfast or as a part of lunch served with sliced cheese and raw veggies.

This recipe was so easy with just a few ingredients too!  The buckwheat flavor comes through, but not in an overpowering way.  As well, the sweet lite tang of the ferment in this bread is delicious.  Plus it has great texture, a lovely bread - perfect for breakfast, lunch or with dinner.
I found the recipe for Fermented Buck Wheat Bread here.  On that note, for some reason there is difficulty in my posts maintaining links so I will extend a huge thank you to Melissa Johnson of Bread Topia for this recipe and do a recap here.
2 1/2 cups organic buckwheat groats
3 1/2 cups water
Recipe:
1 1/3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
3 Tblsp. ground flax seed - optional
sun flower seeds for top of bread - or any seed of your choice - optional
In a large glass bowl, combine the buckwheat with 3 1/2 cups water, cover with a clean towel, soaking for 6 hours.  Drain well in a colander - the runoff will be gooey but do not rinse.
Add the buckwheat to a food processor with the 1 1/3 cups water and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a large glass bowl, cover with a clean towel, to ferment for 24 hrs.
Line a glass loaf pan with parchment paper.  At the 24 hours of time, gently stir in the salt and ground flax seed (if using).  Transfer the mix to the lined loaf pan and scatter he sunflower seeds on top (if using).  Place in a cold oven with the light on for another 30-60 min.  Mine had fermented and raised quite nicely by the 30 min. mark.
Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.  When the bell goes off on the stove once it has reached 350 degrees temperature - time to bake will be approximated 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees.
Once baked, remove from the oven, lift the bread out with the parchment paper, placing onto a wire rack.  Gently remove the parchment paper - allow to cool.
This lovely bread is one I will be making again and again.  Just a few ingredients, some time, and deliciousness awaits. 🙂

Have you seen Chef Lynn's Show  "Pitchin' In" ?  If you have not - it is a must see.  The premise behind the show is that Chef Lynn travels the States and Canada, seeking out local farmers of all kinds, fishermen, shell fish harvesters, cattle ranchers, Poultry farmers - you name it - with the endeavor of learning their trade in exchange for a fabulously cooked meal using their local ingredients.  She is down to earth, hilarious, and manages to get herself neck deep in trouble!
By the way, a most wonderful cook book you can check out  here - well worth it.
I love Chef Lynn...shhhh please don't tell Jamie - I love him too but don't want to get his wee nose out of joint.  There will be a few of his recipes coming soon....
Seriously though, Chef Lynn's  food looks mouth watering delicious.  Honestly, everything I have seen her cook, leaves me drooling.  Then tonight I made her recipe Turkey Casserole with Biscuits.  I did not have Turkey, so used Chicken Thighs.  Now the next best thing in the whole, wide, wide world:  Honest to Goodness Gluten Free Biscuits.  Mama!  I am in heaven!  These biscuits may not look like much - but they tasted like the real thing....friggin' amazing!
These biscuits tasted like their gluten filled cousins...seriously.  The texture was perfect.  I can't wait to bake these on their own.  I knew this biscuit recipe was either gonna be wonderful....or not.  Every once in a while I hit a winning gluten free recipe and this one meets the expectation...to follow.
CHICKEN CASSEROLE:
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 of an onion cut in half
handful of Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, stems included
4 Fresh minced Sage Leaves
salt and pepper
Add everything to a medium sauce pan, lid on, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer 25 minutes then remove from the heat, and remove the chicken to a plate, then strain the liquid into a bowl and reserve.  Discard the extra vegetables.
1 Tblsp. butter, 1 Tblsp. Olive Oil
3 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 celery stalk, halved and diced
1 onion, minced
3 minced garlic cloves
4 medium sized Crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
3 Tblsp. Fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, minced
1 cup of frozen Peas
salt and pepper to taste
Cornstarch and chicken stock to make a slurry
Here are some of the veggies:
Heat up a medium saucepan on medium high heat with the olive oil and butter.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until golden.  Then add in the chopped onions, garlic, celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper.
Saute for five minutes, then pour in the chicken stock, reserving enough to make a cornstarch slurry.
Put the lid on and bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Check for seasonings.
Meanwhile, once the chicken has cooled, shred into good sized pieces and set aside.
Next step:
GLUTEN FREE BISCUITS:
1 cup Brown Rice flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 Tblsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. salt
1 rounded tsp. Xanthan gum
3/4 cup Milk - I used Kefir Milk, if you can tolerate Buttermilk that would be good too - or use your favorite milk
1/2 cup cold butter
1 1/2 Tblsp. dried chives
3 Tblsp. grated Aged Cheddar cheese
Sweet Rice Flour
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including the chives, whisking well to combine.  Add the butter and using your hands, combine, rubbing in the butter until it forms large pea size shapes.  Add the milk and the cheese, mixing to combine.
This mixture is very forgiving.  Sprinkle your board with a light dusting of Sweet Rice Flour.  Turn the dough onto the board.  I started to roll, which did not really work, so instead, I just used my hands to press out a general shape, 1/2 inch thick.  Then I used a plastic cup, a good 2 inches wide, to cut out the biscuit shapes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
NEXT STEP:
Once the vegetables are tender, add in the shredded chicken, minced Parsley and frozen peas.  Bring to a simmer and thicken with the Corn Starch slurry.  You will want a fairly thick gravy.  Then transfer the chicken veggie gravy to a 9x11 casserole dish.
Place the biscuits on top of the chicken casserole, can you see how soft the dough looks?  It reminds me of the real "gluten"  filled biscuit:
Bake for 25 minutes - very important:  do not open the oven.
Once out of the oven, brush lightly with butter.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes then serve, dive in, mow down - you will love it. We sure did!
This is the first recipe I have made from Chef Lynn's "Pitchin In".  I can't wait for more.  I would love to get into the kitchen and cook with Chef Lynn...although, I think she might give me the "boot" for laughing too hard.... 🙂

Theses buns were so good, light and fluffy on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside.  In looking at Andrew's Cinnamon bun recipe, (which is the best gluten free Cinnamon Bun I have ever tasted!) I made some changes to the amounts, and the ingredients.  The amount here made 7 buns - next time I would double the recipe - we just wanted to sit down and eat them all!  Thanks Andrew for such a delicious versatile recipe!
2/3 cup of Buttermilk plus 1 Tblsp. (I used Kefir milk) - any milk with vinegar added should work
1 Tblsp. Yeast
1 Tblsp. honey
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
2 tsp. Xanthan gum
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus 1 Tblsp. Grape Seed oil
1 egg
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Heat up the milk just until warm.  Add in the honey, stirring to dissolve.  Sprinkle in the Yeast and allow to proof.
Meanwhile, mix up the dry ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine.  In another bowl, whisk up the egg until light and add in the oil, whisking to combine.
Add the egg/oil mixture and the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.  The batter will be very sticky.
Lay parchment paper onto a baking sheet.  Using a spoon, scoop out a large amount of dough, swirling with the spoon to shape into a round shape.
Turn the oven off, and place in the baking sheet, allowing the buns to raise for one hour.
Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and bake about 18-20 minutes.   Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm with butter for any dinner meal or with butter and jam for breakfast.

I can not believe how delicious these gluten free Yorkshire Pudding/Popovers tasted.  Seriously, I am amazed.  Recently, Katie, at Thyme for Cooking did a post on Pop Overs.  (please check out Katie's post for the original recipe) I knew I had to try making a Gluten Free version.  Then the next day, watching Jamie Oliver's show 30 Minute Meals, he made Yorkshire Pudding...this was so going to be a done deal.

Here is the thing.  Many moons ago, way too many to count, but suffice it to say when I was still a young "sprout", I tasted Yorkshire Pudding for the first time.  Ladled in copious amounts of Roast Beef Gravy.  I can not remember who made them, but I do remember there were some major groans coming from the table.  Now, not to be a snob here, but seriously?  All I could taste was watered down gravy, dough, and grease.  I thought they were disgusting.  Plus I was having a major guilt attack.  My mom would have turned over in her grave!  Not that Danes are not serious bread lovers - they so are.  However, typically bread of any kind is served at breakfast or lunch.  Never at dinner.  And never to sop up gravy.  Heaven forbid that...ohh no, not to sop up gravy.

Then when first married to my DH, he would often comment on how he missed his mother's Yorkshire Pudding with Sunday's Roast Beef Dinner.  Being the youngin that I was, and after the nasty tasting experience I had, I remember thinking this was a food I did not want to have again.  I never did get to taste his mom's Yorkshire Pudding, so I never had the experience of good gravy with good Yorkshire Pudding.

So then, when I first saw Katie's post, I thought, I have to give it a try.  I had no idea if a gluten free version would work, but when I pulled them out of the oven, they looked fabulous.  And did my DH like them?

HE LOVED THEM!  Yeahhhh!  He also said they were much more light and fluffy than their gluten filled cousins.  His only comment was that they needed more salt.  I disagree on that note....they were perfect.  Thanks Katie, for this wonderful recipe Inspiration.  Many thanks from my DH too, he was a happy boy tonight 🙂  These Yorkshire Puddings will be frequenting our dinner table more often - I am a total convert now.  It got me thinking...what about dessert.... with chocolate or whip cream and maple syrup...mercy, Katie, I think you have created a monster in my kitchen!

GLUTEN FREE YORKSHIRE PUDDING/POPOVERS:

to a 1/2 cup measuring cup, spoon in 1/4 cup Cornstarch, then fill to the top with Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
1 tsp. Gluten Free Baking Powder
1 cup Milk - I used Soy milk
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
Grape Seed Oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with a large six formed muffin pan placed in the center of the oven to heat up.
In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients, and pulse, just to incorporate.  Then add the eggs, and milk, blending quickly to be well combined.

With oven mitts, remove the muffin tin, and add in grape seed oil to each muffin.  I was pretty generous with the oil, and using a silicone pastry brush, pull some of the oil up the sides of each muffin form.  Pour in the batter, and place into the oven, baking for 25 minutes.  Do not open the oven door, allowing to bake fully for 25 minutes.  (With my crazy oven, to get a deeper golden color next time I will bake for 30 minutes...still so delicious though)

We had these luscious Yorkshire Puddings with my Hearty Beef Stew. Dh decided he would fill one up:
Then he ate three more...yes, three.  Thanks again Katie...we love this new recipe!

I found these scrumptious cherries at Costco.  Have you tried them yet?  The first thing I look for in dried fruit or nuts of any kind, is that they do not have any nasty chemical preservatives.  These only contain sugar.  They are luscious, plump, sweet/tart yumminess!
They would be fabulous in granola, yogurt, muffins.... just look at these luscious babies:

I don't eat a lot of sugar.  Mostly, I use natural sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup.  But once in a long while I will use organic cane sugar.  Plus, I always freeze much of my fruit, as it brings out more natural sweetness - particularly with bananas, so you can use less sugar in the recipe.  Usually by at least 1/4 of a cup.
I just had to use these cherries in my banana loaf recipe.  I can’t remember where this original recipe came from - it is a recipe I have been making for years.  It is easily adaptable using other gluten free flours as well.
Banana Bread is such a great standby snack or good for Breakfast too.
½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
¾ tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. G.F.baking powder
2 Tblsp. Ground flax meal
1 tsp. Xanthan gum
2 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup Organic Cane Sugar or brown sugar
4 Tblsp. Grape Seed Oil
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chopped dried cherries
2 –3 mashed bananas (I only use 3 if they are small)
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, whisking to incorporate, and set aside.  Using a hand mixer, beat eggs till frothy.  Add the brown sugar, oil, vanilla mixing well to combine.  Then add in the  mashed bananas, stirring by hand with a whisk to incorporate.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing by hand until blended then fold in the nuts and cherries.
Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan with Sweet Rice flour, pour in batter.

Bake at 350 degrees, 50-60 minutes.  Remove from the loaf pan, let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy plain or with a spread of butter.

Sometimes it is just darn hard to take a decent picture!  I seem to have the occasional good day, and many not so good days, sigh.  Despite the picture, these fish burgers were a yummy meal, which we had with a creamy coleslaw, recipe pending.

The other part to this post, is that I made a couple of changes to my Hamburger Bun recipe - they are even better!
They are bigger, softer, and toast up really well.
You can find my original recipe here.  The changes I made was to decrease the Xanthan Gum from two tsp. to one.  I also decreased the amount of flour mix by 1/4 cup, and added 1/4 extra cup of Tapioca Starch to equal a total of 3/4 cup Tapioca Starch to the pre-mix of flours.  The other change I made, was once the muffin rings were filled, I then turned my 200 degree oven off, and immediately put in the tray of buns to raise for 30 minutes.  It worked beautifully.  Just a couple of simple changes took this recipe to a whole new level,  so I will always make them this way from now on.  I will also include this update, in my original post.  Now onto the Fillet of Fish Burgers:
This was enough for two, - just increase amounts if you have more people to feed.
1 lb. of white fish - we used snapper, bones removed
1 beaten egg
2 Tblsp. White Rice Flour
2 Tblsp. Corn Starch
2-3 tsp. dried dill
salt and pepper
3 Tblsp. Grapeseed oil
Rinse and pat dry your fillet of fish.  Cut into 3 or 4 burger size pieces.  Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat with the grapeseed oil.
On a plate, add the flour and seasonings, mixing well with a fork.  In a bowl, whisk up the egg.  Dip each piece of fish into the egg, allowing any extra to drip off, then into the flour mixture, pressing the fish to coat well.  Add to the hot pan and cook about 6 minutes per side.  It will depend how thick your fish is - mine were not that thick.
We had these Fillet of Fish burgers with lettuce, sliced red onion and my Tartar Sauce Recipe.  A nice alternative to your everyday Burgers.

It is difficult to see from the photo, but, the bread on the right was baked in a Cuisinart Bread Machine.  It is about one inch higher than the oven baked bread on the left.  Although, the oven baked loaf of bread is considerably longer.
Last week, a reader emailed me asking if my Whole Grain Bread Recipe would be doable in the oven.  Although I had never baked a Gluten Free Loaf of Bread in the oven, I said that yes, it should work, I gave her a few guidelines to follow that I thought might work.  Then I decided to give it a try.
You see, years ago, when I first realized that gluten was my enemy, I immediately went out and bought a bread machine.  Previously, I had only baked bread from scratch in the oven.  Here we are today, two bread machines later, and I have never looked back.
I was pleasantly surprised.  The oven baked loaf had a really nice flavor and a slightly different texture.  Maybe, more intense, is the word that comes to mind....or maybe like the texture of Hovis bread?  I loved it!  Even as much as I love my bread machine bread, which is saying a lot. For my Whole Grain Gluten Free  Bread Recipe please check here.  This post is more about the process I went through in baking a loaf of Oven baked Gluten Free Bread.
I began by whisking the dry ingredients and then proofing the yeast:
When I proof the yeast, I developed a habit my mom always did, which is to cover the bowl with a towel until proofed:

Once I have combined the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients,  then I mix by hand, until there is a cake like batter consistency: (this recipe does not do well if over mixed - mix until just combined)
At this point, turn on your oven to 200 degrees, and turn off after 4-5 minutes.  Transfer the bread dough to a greased loaf pan, and brush the top with melted butter. Then cover loosely with a clean towel, and place in the warmed oven to rise.
Let rise for 1 hour or until the bread has risen about one inch over the top of the pan.  (I let mine raise for 1 hour, but next time will let it rise an extra 15 minutes)  Each stove, and kitchen temperature is different - so adjust your times as is necessary.  Once the bread has risen, remove the towel, turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake 55-60 minutes.
Remove from the pan, and turn the loaf out onto a wire rack on it's side.  Allow to cool for at least one hour before slicing.  I always put my bread into a plastic bag once it has cooled for a few hours, then I slice the bread as the crust then becomes more soft.

This bread was delicious, and it toasted nicely too!  Enjoy!