Nutty and moist, this almond bread is both delicious and filling. I serve it like cornbread on the side of a meal. The kids and I need only the bottom half of a square spread with butter, while my husband takes two.

Before coming up with this recipe, I tried a recipe I found on the internet. That bread was so dry we all got hiccups! Then I noticed the recipe called for no fat whatsoever. Well, that would explain it. So I played around with the ratios of ingredients and of course I added fat — and here is the final recipe. We really love these!

Grain-Free Almond Bread

• 3 to 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup barely melted butter or coconut oil
• 2 cups blanched almond flour/meal
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs well with vinegar. Add butter or coconut oil and whisk together until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, flax seed meal, salt and baking soda. Mix with fork until well distributed.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until smooth. Press into a greased 8″ or 9″ square baking pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 9 squares. (Then we cut each square in half horizontally and spread with butter.)

Notes: I have used as little as two eggs and the bread is fine, but more flat. You can add sweetener and dried fruits for a sweet bread. You can double the recipe and get a thicker result (but bake longer). You can double the recipe and bake it in a loaf pan. Lots of options. Have fun!

Enjoy! Let me know how you like these. Have a great weekend!

I shared this post in Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Fight Back Friday and Fat Tuesday.

I’ve always been thankful that I grew up in a household where we read the Bible a lot. Some of my fondest memories are of my dad reading to my sister and me at bedtime. It’s no surprise, I suppose, that I took an interest in aspects of Biblical culture at a young age. I loved plants and gardening, so one of my first research papers in middle school was about the plants and herbs of the Bible.

When I discovered the website Cooking with the Bible, it sparked that old interest. Especially since learning about traditional food preparation methods, I loved the idea that I could create authentic meals eaten in Bible times! I was temporarily disappointed that the authentic food preparation methods had been left out, and some of the traditional ingredients substituted for processed, low-nutrient foods. AND, we have the added challenge of eating gluten free in our house. But, I’ve gotten lots of practice with gluten-free traditional food preparation recipe modifications.

This time, I chose Esau’s Pottage (a lentil stew) and Mouthwatering Date and Walnut Bread, to convert to a “real food” gluten-free lunch (could be dinner, too!).

Esau’s Pottage Makeover

Refer to the original recipe, while reading my notes.

I started soaking the lentils the night before we had the soap, soaking about 2 cups of them in twice the amount of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, according to the directions on the Fundamentals eCourse. Then I added the soaked and rinsed beans, along with fresh water, to the crockpot and cooked on low until they were soft.

About 30 minutes before we were ready to eat (the lentils were fully cooked), I sauteed onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bell pepper in olive oil until they softened a bit. Then I added some already cooked ground beef that we had seasoned with onion and garlic for tacos the night before. (You could also brown ground beef or lamb in the pan before adding the veggies, if you don’t have leftovers to use. This would also be delicious with game meat – venison, elk, etc. And it would definitely be more authentic! Another idea – add in some ground liver or heart for extra nutrients. No one will notice. )

Then I added the lentils and the tomatoes. I added about a cup of water. You could also use broth or the cooking liquid from the lentils. Make sure to use enough salt and pepper, and let it come to a low simmer for at least 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle. This is one of those even-better-the-second-day kinds of things, and the longer you can let it cook slowly, the better it will be. Just add extra liquid as needed!

Date and Walnut Bread Makeover

The bread recipe was a bit daunting at first, since it was originally a wheat flour and yeast recipe. I also wanted a lighter, almost dessert bread, which I find difficult to achieve using gluten-free sourdough.

I should address the walnuts and tapioca in this recipe. Ideally, nuts should be soaked and dehydrated first to neutralize enzyme inhibitors (we learned that in Fundamentals, too). But, since I was using them in a sourdough recipe, I skipped that step. My understanding is that the sourdough process does this job as well. So, either soaked or unsoaked nuts work in this recipe.

Also, some people think tapioca flour is too highly processed to be a good “real food” choice. After trying this bread, I think it would work well even with heavier flours. I might try a bit of amaranth, white buckwheat, or quinoa flour, along with brown and sweet rice flours and arrowroot. We deal with many food restrictions right now, so sometimes I make minor food choices based on what works for us, rather than worrying about the nutrient value of every ingredient. Moderation is key when it comes to these kinds of choices.

Gluten-Free Sourdough Date and Walnut Bread

• 1 cup Gluten-Free Boosted Brown Rice Starter
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot flour
• 1 teaspoon guar gum
• 1/2 cup plain water kefir (or kombucha, or raw apple cider vinegar, or… )
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup dates, finely chopped
• 1 cup black walnuts, finely chopped
• Water, as needed

Mix together all the ingredients and add water a bit at a time (I think I needed about 1/2 cup) until you have a dough that will hold its shape, but is a bit sticky. If you prepare gluten free dough too dry, it may crumble when you roll it out. If this happens, just return it to the bowl and knead in a tiny bit more water.

Cover a cookie sheet in parchment paper. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions. Taking one portion at a time, roll into a ball as best you can, pat down on the parchment paper, then cover with another small piece of parchment and using a rolling pin, roll each “cake” until it is round and about 1/4-inch thick. Space the cakes about 1/2-inch apart. My bread cakes were about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise overnight, or for at least 8 hours. I didn’t see much rise from my bread — much less than I expected. When I make this again, I may try rolling a few a little thicker, more like 1/2-inch. I think all the dates and nuts might have kept the sourdough from rising like it normally would have. It still turned out great!

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (after all, they cooked over a fire in Bible times, right?) and bake 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

Verdict: Bible Lunch

I really enjoyed this lunch — a bowl of lentil stew with one of the cakes of bread on the side. Dipping the bread into the stew is heavenly (pun intended )! The bread is sweet, crunchy and chewy. The soup is warm, hearty and salty. The textures and flavors compliment each other perfectly. This bread would also be delicious dipped in hummus, or maybe even with a chocolate fondue for a holiday treat? Enjoy! If you get inspired to convert any other recipes from Cooking with the Bible, I’d love to hear about it!

I hoped Erin would keep sharing her yummy recipes with us, and she has. Erin gave us the fabulous sourdough English muffins, which you must try if you haven’t already. They are getting rave reviews. She also shared her no-soaking required, easy sourdough waffles. Please welcome her back today as she shares her gorgeous and flexible soaked, spiced, oatmeal-yogurt muffins.

This tasty and nutritious muffin recipe was adapted from the Oatmeal-Yogurt Cake recipe found in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. Enjoy!

• 2 cups flour of choice (you can mix and match)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• a few tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
• heaping 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• heaping 1/2 tsp. allspice
• heaping 1/4 tsp. ginger
• heaping 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt plus 1/2 cup milk (or you could use all yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or coconut milk, along with 2 tablespoons of an acid such as raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey)
• 3/4 cup sweetener (I finished some things up and used 1/4 c. maple sugar, 1/4 cup sucanat, and 1/4 cup honey)
• 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• add ins like grated carrot, dried fruit, crispy nuts, unsweetened coconut, grated/patted dry zucchini, dark chocolate chunks for a treat…

*Life is too short not to heap your spices!*

In a medium sized bowl stir together your flour, oats, ground flax (if using), and spices. Add to this mixture your yogurt and milk or whatever combination of liquid you desire. Stir. This will be a stiff dough. You may want to use your hands to make sure all dry ingredients have become wet. Cover the dough ball (still in the bowl) with a piece of plastic wrap and leave to rest on your counter for as little as 8 and up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to finish up your muffins, grab a smaller size bowl and whisk together your sweetener of choice, the melted butter or coconut oil (not too hot), 2 eggs, salt, and vanilla. Once nicely incorporated add your baking powder and baking soda. Whisk again.

Now, this is the strange part. This is why I only have finished product pictures of these muffins. I was not sure if this little experiment was going to turn out. We never know unless we try!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and make sure your middle oven rack is ready to go. Pour your liquid onto the dough ball. Wash your hands, and dive in. You need to squoosh and squoosh and break up that dough ball to incorporate the liquid. It seems crazy, but it works. I can’t even imagine doing this with a spoon. As you squoosh, try to break up every little clump your fingers come across. Takes a little bit of time, but I must say, it is worth the effort. Once your dough looks like normal muffin batter, stir in your add ins. Fill your muffins cups 2/3 full.

I made 12 regular size muffins, 12 mini muffins, and then a random muffin pancake. I heated up my cast iron, took that random bit of dough that was left over in my bowl, and gave a pancake a try. It worked! Spread it out a little bit, give it some time, and you will have a delicious muffin pancake to enjoy.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 25 minutes (keep an eye on them) depending on the size of your muffin tins. Enjoy warm with butter or honey or homemade jam or a slice of cheese or yogurt cheese or egg salad… Mercy! The possibilities are endless! These muffins freeze beautifully and keep on the counter for a week or so. A slight warm up for the older muffins does bring back that fresh out of the oven experience. Delish!

Sandwich Round-Up coming up this Friday, April 23rd! Read this post for more information. I hope to see you then!

If I had had time yesterday to participate in the Tuesday Twister (better go add myself now), I would have shared that I made these gluten-free soaked biscuits. They are moist, light, and tasty – even after three days. This is a gluten-free and soaked version of my cinnamon and honey sprouted spelt biscuits.

For the gluten-free flour blend, I used equal parts of these fresh-ground flours: millet, sweet brown rice, hulled buckwheat, and tapioca.

Makes about 24 biscuits

• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend (cannot be warm from grinding or will melt the coconut oil)
• 6 generous tablespoons unrefined, virgin coconut oil, chilled if liquefied at room temp (like during the summer)
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar, kefir, Kombucha, yogurt, or whey
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw milk, coconut milk, or nut milk (or even water)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional raw milk

Cut coconut oil into flour with a pastry cutter or fork, until coconut oil is the size of peas or smaller. Lightly stir in the raw apple cider vinegar and milk. Cover and leave on the counter for 8 hours or overnight.

The next day…

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix in the honey, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt – gently. If it is not mixing well and needs a bit more moisture to make a workable biscuit dough, add additional milk as needed.

Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 1/2″ thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2″ squares.

Transfer squares to a coconut-oiled cookie sheet, leaving space between. Put sheet in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to drying rack. Eat!

Received the Rome Cast-Iron Waffle Irons today. The UPS man always gives the kids candy, but today they were just as excited about what was in mom’s box… they knew we would be having waffles for dinner!

The irons come coated with paraffin wax to prevent rust. This must be removed. My method of choice was to smoke up the entire house by putting a half of an iron on each burner (2 irons, 4 halves, all 4 burners) and letting the wax burn off over medium heat. The exhaust couldn’t keep up with it all, thus the smoky house. Caution: Don’t assume I’m recommending this method; try it at your own peril. Paraffin wax is extremely flammable!

Then I seasoned the irons right on the four burners, too. For about fifteen minutes, and while over medium heat, I brushed each half over and over with coconut oil until they turned dark.

The recipe: a thick four grain flatbread batter, with an addition: 1/4 cup of organic, extra-virgin olive oil. Each waffle took 4 minutes. I flipped the entire waffle iron over on the burner after 2 minutes to brown both sides.

Result: crispy, delicious (really delicious). Drizzled with agave. That’s it, simple! Jeff ate his with two fried eggs and sans the agave. The recipe works as either savory or sweet. I know I’m going to have to make some tomorrow ASAP, otherwise I will have to listen to very polite beggars all day.

My friend Jami is a great adventurer and a very creative person. She’s the one who taught me how to make Kombucha. (Thank you, Jami!) She came over yesterday to make soap and we wanted to try something else new on the same day. Well, I was game. All I need to try something new is a little inspiration or someone else around (lacking those, I tend to go through my usual routines over and over).

She brought the waffle iron. Using my four-grain flatbread recipe, we made a thicker batter (by using a little less water). We oiled the waffle iron with a little extra-virgin, unrefined coconot oil. I was concerned that the waffles would be gooey inside, but they really weren’t too bad. The iron steamed all that water out. Literally. For the first 4 minutes of cooking, the steam poured out. A set of waffles would cook in about 4.5 minutes with this waffle iron.

We ate the waffles dipped into a delicious bean soup Jami brought — spiced up with her home-grown hot peppers. The breads were really savory and tasty. The organic corn flour gives them an awesome flavor. And we ate sprout salads topped with other of her garden veggies — bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

What I wonder is, does anyone know of a cast-iron waffle iron? Or stainless steel? The one we used was a non-stick, which we all know is not the ideal solution. I have a little cast-iron waffle iron that is meant for campfires, and it is fun to use, but unwieldy on the stovetop. I’d love to find something for household use made of safe materials. So please let me know if you know of anything!

I am so thankful to Sonya, a friend and commenter, for sharing a gluten-free tortilla recipe with me! I didn’t follow it exactly, so here follows my modified recipe. The original is Living Without’s Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas.

We enjoyed these today as wraps with shredded chicken and shredded goat cheese. We all agreed they were the best tortillas ever! Who needs gluten? These are just as good, if not better!

This recipe makes about 8 tortillas.

• 1-1/4 cup corn flour*
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour*
• 1/3 cup potato flour
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups pure water, room temperature

*Flour Tortilla Variation: Increase the brown rice flour to 1 cup. Use 1 cup of buckwheat flour instead of the corn flour. No other changes are necessary. This is a very yummy variation!

Combine all the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Add the oil and cut it in with a whisk or a fork. Add 1/2 cup water. Mix well. Add more until the dough becomes soft and hangs together when made into a ball.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Generously flour a clean counter-top with corn flour, for rolling. Form a 2-inch ball of dough, then flatten it.

Using natural wax paper (from Natural Value) between the dough and a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle, about 8 inches in diameter. Rotate the dough as you roll to prevent it from sticking to the counter; dust with more flour as necessary. If the tortilla does stick to the counter, release it by sliding a spatula between it and the counter.

Transfer the tortilla to the heated cast-iron skillet. Oiling is not necessary if the skillet is well seasoned. Allow to cook on the first side until big and puffy, about 1 minute.

The underside with have spots of browning. Flip over and let the second side brown. Transfer cooked tortilla to a dinner plate and cover with a towel to keep soft and warm.

Begin the process again with a new tortilla — shaping it and baking it. Once you develop a rythmn, you’ll be able to roll one out while another is cooking.

Unfortunately, this is one of those foods for which I can’t figure out a plastic-free method of storage. So, store them in a zipper-seal plastic bag in the fridge or in the freezer for future use.

I use flax seed meal and water, whisked together, almost exclusively as an egg substitute. It is the ideal substitute in most baked goods. Now these are normal baked goods, such as muffins, cookies, and cakes. No egg substitute will work successfully in dishes that are egg-dependent, such as quiche or meringue.

The process is very simple. For every egg in the original recipe, use 1 tablespoon flax seed meal and 3 tablespoons water. Whisk them together and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. It will get gummy, just like eggs. Then the mixture can be incorporated into the recipe where it calls for egg(s). There are no other adjustments needed in the recipe.

I have noticed that usually, you will not be able to tell any difference in baked goods where flax seed meal has been substituted for the eggs. However, small items like cookies may be more crumbly. I recommend making cookies as bars. Anything that bakes as a bigger solid — such as muffins, quick breads, cakes, or bar cookies — will do just fine.

If you use too much flax seed meal/water mixture (or if you use any flax seed meal/water mixture in pancakes), the risk is that what is baking will remain gummy inside. That is why I don’t use any egg substitute at all for pancakes or pancake-style flatbreads. They just don’t cook inside before getting burned on the outside.

You can grind your own flax seeds in the Vita-Mix dry container (on HIGH), in a heavy-duty blender, or in a coffee grinder. A food processor will not achieve a fine enough grind. Grind the seeds until they’re fine, like a flaky powder. When the meal begins to clump together, that is generally fine enough.

People often tout the benefits of flax seeds because they contain Omega-3, an essential fatty acid that we need and generally don’t consume enough of. However, flax seeds, when baked, lose the Omega-3. They must be raw to get that benefit. Still, as an egg substitute, flax seed meal offers excellent results and you will still get fiber, so all is not lost.

On the other hand, don’t think that sprinkling whole raw seeds on your salad or yogurt will give impart an Omega-3 benefit. In their whole form, the seeds will pass right through your body — you must grind them to get the full benefits.

It is best to grind just the amount of flax seed meal you need, at the time you need it, because exposure to light and oxygen will compromise the nutritional benefits. The next best option is to grind a few days’ worth or a week’s worth of the flax seed meal and store it in the freezer in a dark colored jar, to minimize light exposure.

Naomi was my helper today to make (okay, create) these muffins. We all were in the mood for muffins, but I didn’t have any pureed vegetables, apple sauce, pear sauce, or bananas. I usually like to include one of those for moisture and flavor. So we rustled up some coconut milk instead. The batch turned out smaller. But these muffins are perfectly warm, delicious and spicy for our snacking today. Give them a try!

In addition to being gluten-free, these muffins are also egg-free and dairy-free. Makes 18 muffins.

• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
• 1 cup grapeseed oil
• 1-1/2 cups date sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon*
• 1 teaspoon ginger*
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup millet flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup ground nuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixing bowl, mix flax seed meal and coconut milk. Let sit for a few minutes. Add grapeseed oil, date sugar, vanilla and spices. Blend well, until smooth.

Add baking powder, salt, flours and quinoa flakes. Mix lightly, until smooth. Add raisins, coconut and nuts. Mix lightly, to incorporate.

Fill greased muffin tin or muffin paper liners three-fourths full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container.

*Instead of cinnamon & ginger, use 1 teaspoon Five-Spice Powder. Yumm!

© Copyright 2008 by Wardeh Harmon.

When measuring out the ingredients to make a double-batch of Cheezy Gluten-Free Crackers, I fill a quart size jar with all the dry ingredients for another double-batch of crackers. I store it on the door of the freezer. It is ready for me to use sometime during the coming week. I just transfer the contents of the jar to a mixing bowl, then add oil and water , roll out the crackers and bake them. This make-ahead planning is really a help in my kitchen during the busy weekdays. If decorated with fabric under the wire ring, this mix would make a great gift for a gluten-free family.