GLUTEN FREE / LOW GLUTEN DIET incl GF Pancake recipe

Most people these days have heard of eating a Gluten Free diet but few realise that you don't necessarily need to be a Coeliac to reap the benefits from this way of eating! You also don't have to go full steam ahead to eating only Gluten free products. Even just reducing the amount of Gluten you are getting in your diet can show great improvements overall. By eating a low gluten/gluten free diet you will begin to notice things such as a flatter stomach, an increase of your energy levels and less of that fuzzy head feeling some people report having.

You'll find limiting gluten in your diet means your digestive system will thank you by improving regularity, feeling less sluggish and lessening the time that toxins sit in your intestines and bowel. By improving the functioning of your digestive system you'll find your metabolism benefits also. That could mean budging those love handles, muffin tops and belly fat much more efficiently alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise. Overall your health will improve in a very short time frame. I strongly recommend giving it a try for at least 2 weeks and see how much better you feel. Keep a diary each day of what you've eaten and keep track of your toileting habits and general wellbeing.

After playing around with GF recipes now for almost a year I'm beginning to get the knack of it! If you choose to buy a ready-made GF flour you can make things a little easier on yourself. If however you get to a point where you think eating GF is going to be a long term commitment then I recommend buying half a dozen different flours in bulk to reduce your costs. Most recipes benefit from the use of at least 3 flours. My own experimentation seem to reveal that using a light, fine flour (such as rice flour) in conjunction with a hardy, thicker flour with more texture (like coconut flour) alongside a small quantity of a high starch flour (such as tapioca starch) gives the best results.

Adding Xanthan Gum to your GF baking can help to hold all the ingredients together. Xanthan Gum is a natural polysacharide that can be derived from many sources. The one I use comes from corn *edited. It is used as a natural emulsifier in many food products and acts like gelatin to hold ingredients together. Some recipes I choose to use 1-2 tbsp of Chia seeds instead of xanthan gum, which also helps to bind ingredients and has added nutritional benefits.

Here is a family favourite recipe in my house. We love eating our Gluten free pancakes with organic maple syrup and berries on top but you can choose to eat yours anyway you like!

As with all my recipes if you don't want to use organic then use standard. If you don't have agave syrup then use honey. If you don't use coconut oil then use your alternative. The addition of all of these ingredients is what I believe produces a much healthier end result, but you make it as you wish!

ANGIE'S GLUTEN FREE PANCAKES
Big batch, serves family of 6

edited 29.3.2014

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Xanthan gum (can be made without but helps to hold together a bit better)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder (ordinary will work for low gluten)
40g Organic Extra Virgin Coconut oil
200g Rice flour (brown for more nutrients but white is fine too)
80g Organic coconut flour
20g Organic Tapioca Starch
60g Organic Agave syrup (or honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar/sugar)
10 drops Liquid Stevia (OR use more agave/honey if desired)
4 Free range large whole eggs
600mls Milk (your choice, plain, soy, almond, etc) Use more milk for thinner pancakes!

Topping as per photo: Organic Maple syrup, a few blueberries to decorate.
For Blueberry pancakes: Use half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (unthawed)

• Add ingredients together and mix well using your Thermomix, Mixmaster or hand beaters.
• Add a little more liquid if the mix is too thick. GF batters are generally thicker than standard! 
• If you like you can add half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw) at the end and fold in to the mix.
• Cook on a lightly oil sprayed pan or pancake/crepe maker and turn once the underside is brown and hardening (you won't see many bubbles on top like normal pancakes).
• Turn and brown on the other side and serve topped with organic maple syrup.

Serves a family of 6 so if you would like a small batch then please half the ingredients list!!

Hope your family enjoy these as much as we do!

PLANNING AHEAD PAYS OFF!

I've come to realise over the last couple of years that one of the best ways to ensure you don't fall too heavily 'off the wagon' with healthy eating at home is making sure you have done some planning ahead when doing a regular grocery shop! Getting into a rhythm of jotting down at least 3 or 4 meals for the week can help considerably when shopping as you're much more likely to have what you need in the fridge and pantry and less likely to resort to eating a less healthy choice like takeaway.

These days I shop for all my bulk health food ingredients at Mrs Flannery's every 2-4 wks, preferring to shop on their Supersaver Saturdays and Member Saturdays for better prices. I shop usually once a week for all my fruit and vegetables at my local greengrocers for super fresh produce at great prices. Generally I'll opt to freeze chopped fruits that won't last as long and store more perishable items in my Tupperware fridgesmart containers. My Coles grocery list is almost always identical these days with the odd exception of a change in my lean white meats for the week or the odd stock-up of long-life pantry items (such as canned bean mix, cereals and soy milk/lactose free milk for the boys).

Having my set list of raw ingredients means I have a multitude of meals ready to make quickly and easily without resorting to takeaways every second or third night like I once did! Yes cooking and preparing meals can be time consuming but there are ways around that too! Try chopping up a whole bag of carrots, beans, potatoes, etc at a time and storing what you don't require that night in a well sealed container in the fridge and then you can use the prepared ingredients for 2 or 3 nights in a row! Or cook twice as much as your family will eat and freeze the leftovers to eat at the end of the week when you need a quick and easy go-to meal.

One of the other big tips I have is start simply. Having all the ingredients for a basic salad in your fridge means you've always got a side ready to go for lunch, dinner or simply add your salad stuff to your juicer when it's looking a little tired!! Always keep your staple ingredients on hand like rice, potatoes, pasta, noodles, etc to go alongside your chicken, meat, fish. Buy your meats in larger portions for better prices and freeze in individual portions, thawing out the day before in your fridge so it's ready to go the next day. I've learnt to look at a piece of chicken breast and vegies and instantly I have at least half a dozen dinners I can make from this. Eg: chicken and veg stirfry, curry chicken, chicken and veg soup, steamed chicken with salad, chicken skewers for the bbq, chicken bolognaise.

Don't forget when keeping a plan that your pantry should really be organised as well as possible so you always know what needs replenishing and you use what is actually there for you. Ever done a pantry cleanout and found loads of food sitting up the back that need to be chucked out because you forgot it was there? I think we're all guilty of this but when you organise your pantry efficiently from the start you'll find this happens less and less which eventually means less money going straight in your bin ;)

Below is a picture of my pantry. I sort my pantry so everything that I use daily is at eye level. All my baking ingredients are up high as I don't tend to bake all day every day. I keep the kids snacks in clear containers at their reaching height so they can help themselves to good healthy snack options throughout the day. Almost all my containers are clear and labelled so I never forget what is in them and know when they need topping up when doing a quick check before grocery shopping. My pantry took at least 2 years to look like this. I know that buying all the right containers can be expensive so I made my purchases bit by bit over the years. I'm at a stage where I pretty much have exactly what I need now, hence the reason it's looking so well organised!

I hope some of this has been useful to you guys. Don't forget I love your feedback but you may be best leaving your feedback on my Facebook page as more people will get to see your comments that way and you'll probably find I'll respond to you much quicker that way!

SIMPLE SIDES anyone can make!

I'd thought I'd share a quick post with some SIMPLE SIDES to add to any of your own favourite dishes. Here are a few of my favourite sides that are healthy, nutritious, quick and easy to make! You don't need any fancy gadgets (like my Thermomix), although I do use mine to steam my greens. Use your oven, microwave, Food processor or blender, cooktop or Thermomix (if you're lucky enough to have one).

These sides can be put together with a piece of steak, fish or chicken. Alternatively you can do as I do some nights and whip up a few and serve buffet style at the table for the family to pick and choose as they wish! These options are lower in fat and will fill your tummy for longer than things like wedges, potato bake, creamy coleslaws or any of those other 'quick' side dishes many people opt for. These are also an easy way to increase your vegie count for the day!

STEAMED ASIAN STYLE GREENS

• Chop your favourite greens, such as Pak Choy, Bok choy, green beans, broccoli, etc
• Steam your greens using a steamer or cook in the microwave
• Make up a dressing using Soy sauce and Agave syrup (honey would work too)
• Stir through the dressing over greens when just cooked, but still retaining some crunch!
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve whilst hot!

GARLIC ROASTED BABY POTATOES

• Chop baby potatoes into bite sized pieces and space evenly on a baking paper lined tray
• Spray potatoes using some Extra Virgin Olive oil spray
• Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and sprinkle evenly over the potatoes
• Sprinkle salt over the potatoes
• Cook in a preheated oven at high temp (approx 200 deg) for approx 10 mins before turning roughly in the tray. Cook further for approx another 10-15 mins. Test a piece to see if cooked to your liking before removing from oven. Keep a close eye on your oven til you get to know how long and exact temp for your oven!

MINI GARDEN SALAD

• Punnet of cherry tomatoes, 1 cucumber, half a block of low fat fetta cheese, balsalmic glaze or dressing (recipe here) >>http://angieshealthykitchen.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/preventing-post-christmas-pigouts.html
• Halve your tomatoes if you wish, dice your cucumber (cut in half lengthways, then those lengths in half again, then across to dice), cut your fetta into tiny cubes
• Combine the salad in a bowl with a drizzle of your glaze or dressing (enough to your liking)
• You can also add pitted olives if you like them!

SPECIAL BAKED BEANS

• Puree 2 tomatoes in your food processor, blender or Thermomix.
• Add minced garlic, onion or shallots if you wish
• Cook in your Thermomix or on your cooktop for approx 10 mins on high temp with a little coconut or olive oil
• Add the tomato mix to a can of baked beans and sprinkle with crumbled low fat fetta cheese or grated cheddar if preferred
• This serves nicely with some eggs for breakfast, added with chilli/curry paste and potatoes as a quick and easy vegetarian bean curry or goes nicely as a side for any main at dinnertime