Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits (Vegan)

I had an odd craving for my childhood love of Hardee’s cinnamon raisin biscuits- you know, those awful greasy gluten, dairy and sugar filled hunks of death (= a child’s delight)? Well, I was inspired at 5:30 am this morning (hence the “sunrise”) to make them this time around myself as gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and no sugar added/ low glycemic. They were delicious and virtually impossible to stop eating!

Sunrise Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

2/3 c. organic almond milk/buttermilk
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. organic smart balance vegan margerine, melted
1/2 t sea salt
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 c. flour consisting of:
- 1/2 c. buckwheat flour
- 1 c. brown rice flour
- 1/2 c. garbanzo flour
1/2 c. raisins
3 T cinnamon

Optional: coconut, brown sugar (did not use brown sugar here; I did use coconut in about half of the recipe for variety)

Mix dry ingredients together. Melt smart balance margarine in microwave and let cool; add almond milk, vinegar, and margarine to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add raisins and cinnamon and mix (it was easier to mix them by hand at this point and shape the biscuits in my palm).I did not roll out the dough and cut biscuits, but rather chose the lazy way of hand-patting little rolls and dropping them onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool and enjoy! They make a fantastic companion to coffee, especially at 6 am!

Options of use of leftover biscuits:

Top biscuit with fresh ground flax, cinnamon, and serve with fresh fruit of your choice- I used banana and fresh peach here. It works great as a breakfast, dessert, or side. I ate it with a lactose free peach and whey smoothie for breakfast.

Pancakes

Buckwheat and Brown Rice Apple Pancakes

1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
1/2 c. organic brown rice flour
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. water (or slightly less)
1 t. baking powder (non aluminum)
1 T. organic virgin coconut oil (see Tropical Traditions)
1 free range egg
1/4 head green cabbage
3 small organic apples
2 T. cinnamon
1 dash sea salt

First puree cabbage in and one apple in Vitamix (or alternative food processor) to pulp. Separately mix dry ingredients then add chopped apples, egg, and puree mixture while mixing throughly. In large frying pan, heat 1-2 T. organic virgin coconut oil and cook pancakes on one side until the edges bubble. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, depending on range heat. Serve hot with your choice of toppings- I added some organic lemon raspberry marmalade, cinnamon, and fresh ground flax.

All things Egg-o-licious

I could live off eggs, and trust me after my celiac diagonsis I sure tried! I’ll update with actualy recipes later, but for now I’ll list all the ways I can think to consume the incredible edible egg:

First, get cage free organic eggs (local if possible)- the taste is defintely better, not to mention the superior nutritional quality.

* Poached eggs served on top of sauteed greens with garlic and ginger (horesradish adds a nice kick as well)

* Fried eggs in virgin coconut oil, tossed with sauteed assorted veggies and topped with hot salsa

* Omelettes: fill to the brim with fresh or grilled/sauteed veggies, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and herbs. I even add whatever leftover meat for extra protein.

* Low carb Egg Rolls- all egg! Cook scrambled eggs in large pan with coconut oil and then fill with shredded cabbage, ginger, carrot, and greens sauteed in Bragg’s or gluten free low sodium tamari. Roll up and munch!

* Any kind of eggs with kale or collards is a wonderful and inexpensive classic.

* Huevos Rancheros, of course, is a breakfast or dinner staple.

Okay, I am tired now so I’ll have to revisit this subject armed with real recipes and pictures.

GF DF CF Breakfasts

Rice and Flax “Oatmeal” Porridge

This is my affordable bulk GF replacement for my fiancee’s oh-so-frightening obsession with oatmeal for breakfast (before our household went GF). He is a “carb” metabolic type where I am a strong protein type, so often it is double meals so satisfy our different needs, but this recipe can feed us both (sigh!). It includes flax for healthy Omega 3 fats, superior fiber (7 of 8 carbs are fiber so flax is perfect for low carb diets), and high protein. The flax lowers the glycemic index of the rice and raisins which is why I use a 1/2 and 1/2 recipe here. If you have too much gas or cramping from the high fiber then feel free to reduce the amount of flax. I made this in the crockpot, but it can be made in a pot or microwaved.

2 c. whole grain organic brown rice*
2 c. flaxseeds
1/3 -1/2 c. raisins and/or cranberries
1/3 c. walnuts and slivered almonds for a good “crunch”
2 c. Almond Breeze almond milk**
5-8 c. water (adjustable, see below)

*Brown rice has a glycemic index around 57 where white rice is 88, much too high for even people without insulin problems.
**I use unsweetened; any rice/soy/cow/hemp/hazelnut milk can also be used but most will add sugar; a good dairy substitution would use 1 can evaporated milk.

Grind/blend uncooked rice and flax in blender (I use a dry blade Vitamix container which takes about 30 seconds to pulverize the rice and flax). Adjust the grind to suit your tastes- we like it mostly fine ground with a few surviving rice kernels. Place meal in crockpot or pot of choice and add raisins (cranberries, currants), nuts, seeds such as sunflower seed which provides good omega 6 fats to balance the flax Omega 3 fats, and milk. Stir and add spices to taste- I use a LOT of cinnamon (also helps with glycemic index and insulin levels), nutmeg, and cloves. Add water or more milk until mixture is very watery, keeping in mind that the flax will absorb much of the water before the rice even gets a chance to cook. Cook on low anywhere from 3-8 hours. I have found that I could not overcook the porridge as long as I added water when needed).

Serve hot or cold (best hot), topped with fresh banana, blueberries or other seasonal, local fruit. My fiancee likes some natural brown sugar in it as well, though agave nectar or honey work also.

***Be sure that your brown sugar is REAL and not just white sugar with molasses added. We use Whole Foods Natural Brown sugar- it is real and cheaper than the organic varieties.***

Yield: way to many bowls! This stuff last forever- a great family breakfast that is easy, healthy, GF and DF, and budget friendly! Reheat leftovers for quick breakfasts (or great dessert base) in the microwave. I made this since gluten free oats and other commercial gluten free cereals (millet, white rice, tapioca, etc) are pricey or choc-full-o’ sugar or high glycemic grains only. I want to control the glycemic index of what we eat- many gluten free items are sky high in glycemic impact and actually WORSE for you than white bread (see The International Table of GI and GL Values for a downloadable Excel file with glycemic indicies (GI) and loads (GL) ).