Dad's Super Gluten Free Pancakes

Pancakes are a favourite breakfast/brunch in our home and for years my husband has been working to perfect a healthy gluten and dairy free version for the girls and I.  He has finally happy with his mix and has agreed to let me share his recipe at last.

What you will need:

• 2 cups of gluten free flour (see note below for options)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bi-carb soda
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tbsp rice bran or vegetable oil
• 2 cups non-dairy milk (we use soy)
• pinch of salt

A note about the gluten free flour mix:

When it comes to gluten free flours there are a huge array of possibilities, with greatly varying results. The standard supermarket bought flour mixes are predominantly starch with little, if any, nutritional value. Our aim has been to use a mix of flours that give a finished product that is light, delicious and highly nutritious. Here are a few possibilities you can try:

Flour option 1 - one cup of a starchy type of GF flour like a commercial blend or tapioca, and one cup of a more nutritious flour like sweet sorghum.

Flour option 2 - 3/4 cup of starchy GF flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour and 1/8 cup of high protein GF flour like quinoa or teff.

Flour option 3 - the Superfoods option, and the one we use for best results - 1/2 cup starchy GF flour (commercial or tapioca), 1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour, 1/3 cup brown rice flour, 1/3 cup quinoa flour, 1/3 cup teff flour.

You can play around with the flour mix as long as you end up with 2 cups of flour. 

Gluten free flours are now readily available in supermarkets and health food stores.

What you need to do:

     1.  Sift the flours, baking powder and bi-carb into a large mixing bowl. 

     2.  Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the flour mix. Set the egg whites aside

     3.  Add the golden syrup, oil, milk and salt to the bowl and mix together.

     4.  Whist the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.  Slowly fold egg whites into the pancake 

           batter.

   

     5.  Heat a frypan to medium and lightly oil before cooking batter in batches.

   

     6.  Enjoy with maple syrup, fresh berries or whatever toppings your prefer.

Sweetcorn Fritters

Everyone loves a fritter.  Well, everyone except my children.  They are finally coming around after years of rejection.  This is the recipe that seems to have won them over.

What you will need:

• 3 cobs of corn, steamed and kernels removed
• Chopped fresh parsley, roughly quarter of a cup
• 2 organic eggs
• 1/4 cup non dairy milk (I use soy as it is less sweet than some others but unsweetened almond would be fine too)
• 1/3 cup quinoa flour
• 1/3 cup brown rice or sorghum flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for cooking

What you need to do:

1.  In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add the milk.

2.  Mix in the flours, cumin and salt and pepper to make a smooth batter.

3.  Add the cooled corn kernels and the chopped parsley and mix well.

4.  Heat a non-stick pan and add a little olive oil.

5.  Place heaped spoons of the mixture into the pan.  Cook for a few minutes before flipping.  Ensure that the fritters are golden brown and cooked through.

6.  Keep fritters warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batter.

7.  You can serve the fritters with green salsa, a quinoa salad or any other salad or vegetable side dish.

Notes:

• You can substitute a can of corn kernels but the result is nowhere near as tasty as using fresh corn.
• Any combination of gluten free flours will work.  I use quinoa to increase the nutrient profile and provide additional protein.
• If you can tolerate dairy products, regular cows milk would be fine.
• If the batter is too thick, just add a little extra milk to the mixture.