Yeasted Banana Nut Waffles & Agave Coconut Cream - Gluten Free

Since the times of the ancient Greeks, people have been eating cakes flattened between two cooking plates. By the thirteenth century we began eating waffles after a craftsman had the idea to create honeycombed plate.

The Belgian waffle is thicker than the traditional American waffle, because it uses yeast rather than baking powder and soda. Brussels waffles became popular at the 1960 World's Fair in Brussels, when they were served by restauranteur Maurice Vermersch. His Brussels waffles were made from one of his wife's recipes. Maurice was so successful at the fair that he decided to go to the 1964 World's Fair in New York. Once in Queen's he renamed his pastry the Belgian waffle.

I was inspired by an article in The Daily Gullet, by Matthew Amster-Burton, titled "Desperate Measures: Waffles, Breakfast With the King." Like Matthew, I always forget that I would like to have waffles in the morning, actually make that my entire family. Light, crisp and filled with syrup, they are a soul satisfying way to start the say. So I took Matthew's advice and started up a batch of gluten free banana nut yeast waffles.

I couldn't wait to start cooking when I woke up. Armed with a hot cup of tea, I warmed up the waffle iron and gathered my kitchen tools. The aroma was so enticing, I quickly had company in the kitchen. Our Shetland sheepdog, came in and laid on my feet while I was cooking. This batch of waffles turned out beautifully. I served them with either warm maple syrup or Agave Coconut Cream. Either way, the waffles were delicious.
Recipes

Banana Nut Waffles

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1 tsp Plantago seeds (psyllium seeds)*
1/4 tsp salt
1 package dry active yeast
1 cup water (110 to 115 deg Fahrenheit)
1 cup lite coconut milk
4 Tb butter, melted
4 Tb coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tb agave syrup
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Agave Coconut Cream

1/4 cup coconut milk
1 Tb agave syrup

Waffle Instructions

1. Pour the yeast into the warm water and set aside to proof for ten minutes.

2. In a large bowl, dump in the flours, plantago seeds and salt then stir. Then pour in the coconut milk, yeast and water, butter, coconut oil, eggs and agave syrup. Stir the mixture together.

3. Cover the batter and set aside in a warm location for about one hour, if you want to use the batter right away. If you want to use the batter the next day, cover the batter and place in the refrigerator. The next morning allow the batter to come to room temperature before using.

4. Preheat your waffle maker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes 6 waffles.

Agave Coconut Cream Instructions

1. Pour the coconut cream into a small bowl. Whisk until the cream is slightly fluffy.

2. Dump in the agave syrup and whisk. Serve with Banana Nut Waffles.


What did my family think of the waffles? They were a hit. Everyone of us thought they were great. My children didn't care for the agave coconut cream on their waffle, they preferred the maple syrup. My husband and I enjoyed the coconut cream on the waffles. This recipe is a keeper.

* Note: I purchased my Plantago Seeds (Psyllium seeds) from Native Seeds/SEARCH.

Chestnut and Celeriac Soup

Rich and hearty soups are staple fare at my home when fall weather arrives. Warming you from the inside out, these types of soups can chase the chill from your body just like a toasty radiator. I'm always looking for ways to stay warm when chilly weather hits and new soups for us to try.

While I was at the vegetable stand, I picked up a celeriac, some parsley roots and sweet potatoes that I thought would be wonderful together in a soup. After looking through my collection of cookbooks, I was inspired by a recipe for sweet potato and celeriac soup in Vegetables: from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider. I used celeriac, parsley root, sweet potatoes, shallots, celery and chestnuts to create a delightful fall soup.

Recipe

2 cups chopped celeriac
1/2 cup chopped parsley root
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped shallot
3/4 cup chopped roasted chestnuts
1 quart vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups water
2 tsp sea salt
dash black pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. In a stock pot, pour in the first ten ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

2. Puree the soup in a food processor and then return it to the stock pot to keep warm.

3. Add the nutmeg then stir. Garnish with celery leaves and chopped roasted chestnuts.

What did my family think about the soup? My husband and I thought it was delicious. My children didn't really enjoy it, but they said it wasn't too bad. My husband and I enjoyed it for lunch the next day with toasted ham and cheese open faced sandwiches.

Millet Pilaf - Gluten Free

Ancient civilizations relied on millet as their staple crop, because they thrive in arid and semi arid conditions. Several varieties of millet developed concurrently, broomcorn and foxtail millet in China and pearl millet in the Sudan. While millet's ancestors panic grass and barnyard grass developed in Japan. From these areas, millet slowly spread around the world.

The ancient Egyptians used it to make bread, beer and a beer bread. The people of India make a flatbread called roti with millet. The people of Europe ate millet mixed with water or milk in a type of porridge. Other cultures also used millet to make wine or beer, the Chinese used millet to make wine as much as 8,000 to 9,000 years ago.

In North America millet is primarily used for bird seed, but for the gluten intolerant it is a wonderful addition to the kitchen pantry. Millet grains can be cooked in water or broth to make a dish like mashed potatoes or into a fragrant pilaf. At Epicurious.com you can find recipes for Curried Millet, Shiitake, and Corn Salad Restey and White Bean and Vegetable Cassoulet with Millet Crust. I chose to make a simple pilaf with flavors my children like to eat. Deliciously aromatic the pilaf was delightful, filling your mouth with the delicate flavors of sage, carrot, celery and garlic.

Recipe

1 cup millet*
3 Tb olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 tsp sea salt
dash black pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 cup chopped apple

1. In a 4 quart cooking pan, pour in the millet and olive oil. Lightly toast the millet seeds for 3 to 5 minutes. Stirring constantly so that the millet seeds don't burn.

2. Pour in the vegetable broth, the chopped vegetables, salt, pepper and sage. Bring the liquid to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 25 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the millet. Remove from the heat.

3. Dump in the chopped apple and stir. The heat of the pilaf will lightly cook the apple.

4. Allow the millet pilaf to cool before serving.

What did my family think of millet pilaf? Neither of my children liked the pilaf, but they didn't like quinoa pilaf the first time they tried it either. Now, quinoa is one of their favorite grain dishes. My husband and I thought it was delicious. In fact, my husband enjoyed it so much he finished off the left overs for breakfast the next day.

* Note: You can purchase gluten free millet from the Glutenfreemall.com or hulled millet from Bob's Red Mill. You can purchase gluten free millet flour from Bob's Red Mill.