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!