Virtuous Gluten-Free Ginger Cardamon Pear Cake

Pears mark the very end of in season fresh fruit here in Canada. I couldn't resist buying a whole basket even if I was the only one home to eat them. William was away on a road trip and I wanted to have lots of simple meal options on hand. Naturally, I figured it was a great time to bake.

Baking a cake can be a very dangerous act. Especially if you are home alone with a whole cake afterwards. For this reason, and because I knew I'd want the "cake" to supplement light meals, I opted to more of a "loaf". By that I mean there was almost no processed sugar in it at all. It does have loads of fruit (sugar) and crystallized ginger (sugar) that make it plenty sweet - but not quite dessert.

1/4 cup oil
1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar
3 organic eggs
1 ripe banana
1 cup chick pea flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1tsp gf baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1tbsp garam masala
1-1/2 tsp cardamon 
5 firm pears - diced
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped organic crystallized ginger

This is pretty darned healthy - so great for breakfast on the run, or warmed up with a cup of tea. Chick pea flour is high in protein and fibre. Fruit is also high fibre and integrating any fruit typically means a moister outcome without having to use much oil (not that I'm into low fat in any way - if it's good fat!). 

I'm pretty lazy when it comes to baking. I'm sure it would be lighter and possibly even rise higher if I mixed this in another way - but I'm happy with my lazy food processor, um, "process". 

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor in the order presented using the paddle attachment (not the blade). Oil sugar and eggs first until well combined. Whip in the banana and you'll have a paste. Now measure in the dry, pushing sides down with a spatula as necessary between pulses. Pears, ginger and walnuts go in last so they don't get pulverized into the batter. Pour into a non-stick or greased angel food or bundt pan. Bake for one hour in a 350 degree oven. 

If you eat a quarter of the cake in the first day by yourself, you can easily justify that you just ate a pear, some chickpeas and rice, an egg, walnuts and ginger with a trace of sugar sprinkled on top. I mean seriously - your practically a saint. 

I made this "cake" two weeks in a row as it was so easy and yummy. I preferred the first version when the pears were less ripe. Apples would work perfectly in this recipe - in which case I'd add raisins and or dates too. The point for me was to make it chock full of nutritious ingredients so that it could cover a meal here and there.  

This is very similar to the carrot ginger cake that I've posted about in the past. You can find that sweeter and slightly less virtuous recipe for that cake HERE. 

Breakfast rut. Gluten-free start to the day.

the new juicer in action

It's no secret that breakfast is one of the most gluten-laden meals of most people's day. Cereal, toast, a bagel or muffin on the run.  A healthy, fast, gluten-free breakfast requires some planning if you want to have more than a banana.

There are plenty of gluten free cereals on the market these days. Most are just as chock full of sugar as the "regular" cereals  - and sometimes even more. While I've got an insanely sweet tooth - I'd rather not start my day with what equates to cookies floating in milk. Thanks to the growing gluten-free market we can also find a growing selection off waffles, bagels, muffins, cinnamon buns... you name it. The challenge is finding a HEALTHY choice.

I hate to admit that I've been on a bit of a bread binge of late. That huge shipment of free Udi's products certainly didn't help! I told myself that if you slathered gf toast or bagels in almond butter it was moderately healthy. I know I can do better.

hot rice cereal with raisins, walnuts and cinnamon

When I'm taking better care of myself, my winter breakfast has been Bob's Red Mill hot rice cereal. I also have a very simple cold or warm cereal in the form of plain buckwheat, millet or quinoa with soy or rice milk, sprinkled with raisins, walnuts and garam masala. This is very healthy, easy, and great use for leftover grains. It's delicious, and higher in protein than rice - but like anything, after a while I need a change.

Buckwheat with organic raisins, walnuts, garam masals and rice milk

 
Bill likes fruit and yogurt. I'm more of a veggie person than a fruit person. Truth be told, I like my sweet in the form of chocolate. Fruit and yogurt work for me when it's too hot to think of stirring hot rice cereal - or cooking up grains for future breakfasts. It's also a good option for road trips or when staying away from home.

chickpea flour muffins are high in protein and fibre

Once in awhile I'll bake some super healthy gf muffins made with chickpea flour, eggs, bananas, walnuts and lots of spices. These are handy for breakfast on the run - or to take with you when staying away from home. I like to keep a decent stash in the freezer. Keeping them healthier vs sweet means I won't be inclined to snack on them when I'm craving cookies.

When I'm trying to curb the toast habit, those are my typical "go to" breakfast items. Thanks to my friend Pina - I'm finally giving juice a try. Spinach, strawberries, fennel and pumpkin seeds would not normally add up to breakfast in my mind - but WOW! My first attempt with the Nutribullet was a winner. This is not an endorsement for the tool - in fact I had to go out to buy it twice, because the motor went up in smoke on the first one I bought. Number two seems to be a better piece of equipment.

Here's to day one!

I like the idea of having a carb-free breakfast - and incorporating protein in the form of nuts and seeds. Like anyone starting out on a new diet regime - time will tell, but this week I'm pretty pumped about what I'm hoping will be a breakfast makeover. 

I've never eaten this much fruit before - bananas, nectarines, berries, greens and seeds all blend together really well - no need for milk ingredients or milk substitutes, so perfect for people who are lactose intolerant too. Admittedly, pretty hard core healthy - and not for everybody.

If you'd like to read more about my super-easy muffin recipes see link HERE and HERE. I've posted about my quinoa breakfast HERE - and buckwheat HERE. 

I figure if you start the day healthy, you'll feel better about having fries for lunch :)

ricotta in gluten free muffins

I don't see this site as a baking resource, and as noted in a previous post (found HERE)... I like to bake a little ad hoc. This was my first time replacing fruit or veg in my muffins - with ricotta. Divine. This light and airy cheese creates a wonderful flavour and texture. These are also packed with protein. I kind went with an Indian flavoured theme here...

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola (or light) oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

1 cup chick pea flour

2/3 cup brown rice flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp each of cardamom and garam masala

In a food processor fitted with a paddle - add ingredients in order of appearance. These were sweet - you could cut back sugar to 1/2 cup if you prefer. Spices are important when using chick pea flour, because while very good for you - it has a distinct flavour that I like to mask in non-savoury baked goods. I'd like to try this next time with lots of lemon zest and a tsp of ground ginger in place of the raisins and spices listed here. I find it pretty hard to mess up  muffins. Be brave! Line muffin tray with paper cups and fill with the mixture which should be the consistency of cake batter, 30 mins at 350 degrees. Makes 12 muffins that freeze well. We typically buy ricotta to use in our baked ziti dish - and this is an excellent use for the leftovers. Check out another simple gf recipe inspired by the Sopranos right HERE!

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Quinoa: gluten-free super food!

quinoa for breakfast with raisins, walnuts, brown sugar and garam masala

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a complete protein grain that hails from the Andes in South America. It is considered a super-food because of it's exceptional balance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. I eat it because I like it, and it makes a nice change from rice, or buckwheat as a morning breakfast cereal. In the the summer my preferred way to enjoy quinoa is in place of cous cous (which is cracked wheat - and NOT gf) in a tabuleh salad (typically includes parsley, tomatoes & cucumbers and mint). I'm not making that today as tomatoes and cucumbers are far from in season here in Canada... but we will eat plenty of it come summer (Bill won't pick out the cucumbers if I cut them small enough).

Cooking instructions are really easy: add 1 cup quinoa (rinse it thoroughly in a sieve) to 2 cups water with a pinch of salt.Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and let simmer on low for about 15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and treat it like any other grain, varying spices to fit the dish. Please do share your favourite way to enjoy quinoa in the comments!

buckwheat - a great gluten free breakfast food

This past year my go-to breakfast grain has been Bob's Red Mill brown rice, but for years it was buckwheat. I have to share that when I was photographing this grain below, Bill was like "not very appetizing!"... true. 

This is not a sexy looking grain... but it's tasty, versatile, healthy, easy to make and another one of those grains that you can cook up once and use throughout the week.

 

Rinse one cup of toasted buckwheat groats in a strainer. Put in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to the lowest possible simmer setting keep covered for about 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. Tah-dah... grains are so easy.

For the next few days I'll be eating buckwheat for breakfast with raisins, walnuts and a little milk (soy & rice milk also go well with this). The toasted buckwheat has a nutty flavour, and I don't find it needs anything more, but you could add some maple syrup or cinnamon. If you are looking for some breakfast variety - I'd give this a try. It's an inexpensive, satisfying and healthy start to the day! Love to hear how others are using this grain in savoury dishes.

easy gluten-free breakfast idea

I greet each new day in a zombie stance - each step of my routine is done with little thought - all process. Maximizing hours with my head on the pillow has inspired a diligent routine that begins with hitting the snooze button exactly twice. 

All this said to illustrate that I am not one to create a leisurely breakfast. It's about speed and nutrition. In the cold months I want something hot and comforting. Good local fruit is limited... so it's time to pull out the Bob's Red Mill hot cereal.

At first I balked at the effort required. It's now so simplified and automated that some mornings I do it in my sleep. The trick is having the ingredients and tools at the ready. My breakfast gear is all stored on one shelf in jars.There are microwave instructions on the bag... but I opt for stove top as it takes the same time and "effort".

1/4 cup brown rice or "GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal" mix

3/4 cup water

optional: 

handful walnuts & organic raisins

1/2 tsp brown sugar or maple syrup

cinnamon or ginger or garam masala

cook first two ingredients in a little pot. When thick pour over the other ingredients in a bowl. Stir. Eat while surfing the net or looking for your keys.

This stuff sticks to your ribs and will keep you fueled until lunch. Keep in mind that what makes it stick to your ribs, also makes it stick to the pot - so rinse out right away or pay later! 


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