Vanilla-Maple Buckwheat Granola

So are you finding breakfast the most difficult meal of the day? I missed muesli a lot when I first became gluten free — and in NZ it’s very difficult to find gluten free oats, so I decided granola was the way to go. You can eat it dry, or as a snack, or with milk or yoghurt. It’s delicious, and this recipe, which a little sugary, is fairly nutritious too with all the seeds and nuts (things that in my diet I tend not to get enough of). It’s fairly economical, because you don’t need to eat a lot to feel full, buckwheat being a fairly protein-rich kinda guy. So it should last you a while, if you can stop yourself from chowing down on it all the time!

Preparation time: 15 minutes if you have all your ingredients ready

Ingredients

• 3 cups of roasted buckwheat groats (kasha)
  • I made my own kasha by rinsing the raw buckwheat groats (they’ll be greenish), and then frying them in a pan on a medium heat carefully for about 5-10 minutes (more if your’re doing a large amount, though I recommend only a few cups at a time), stirring regularly.
• 1 cup almonds/hazelnuts/brazilnuts/walnuts (I like a mix – chop ’em if they’re too big)
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (I like cranberries and/or apple bits)
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons rice bran oil
• 3 tablespoons honey, maple or agave syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C/360F.
2. Carefully oil/butter a baking sheet. I also dusted mine with some brown rice flour to try to stop the inevitable stick. Do not use baking paper unless you’re prepared to spend a long time picking bits of paper off your buckwheat later.
3. In a large bowl, combine your kasha, seeds, nuts, fruit, and coconut.
4. In a small pot, gently heat all wet ingredients for a few minutes.
5. Let it cool a minute, then pour over dry ingredients and stir until well coated.
6. Transfer mixture onto baking sheet and spread out in single layer. This is a bit tricky as some of your nuts (hazelnuts esp) will want to go rolling away. Keep those bad boys under control!
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until it’s started to turn golden and crunchy.
8. Let cool completely before storing in airtight container.
9. If the granola still feels a little wet, let cool. Then bake in the oven at lowest temperature for another 5-10 minutes.

Variations on the recipe:

You can substitute other seeds/nuts/dried fruit if you like, and use some whole quinoa and millet can also be used in the place of some of the buckwheat.

Vegan Brownies

Gosh, now I have to eat it. My life is so hard.

This recipe is not one of my own alas, but comes courtesy of The Gluten Free Vegan. And it is delicious. Best gluten-free brownies I have had, hands down.

On with the show.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
• 1 cup applesauce (made the old fashioned way, by simmering apples in water with some sugar)
• 1 banana, peeled and mashed (I always store my past-it bananas in the freezer – they’re perfect here)
• 1 egg (or equivalent egg replacer – see note below)
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour (can you tell I really like this?)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F. Spray and/or wipe your brownie pan with your chosen cooking lubricant.
2. Mix in a large bowl the oil and the sugar for a bit, add applesauce, mashed banana and egg (or replacer) for 1 or 2 minutes.
3. Add the cocoa and stir.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, powders, gums and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir.
5. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, stir by hand.
6. Put them in your pan and cook for 35-40 minutes. As all good brownie should, these will stay relatively sticky.
7. Cool on a wire rack. Cut up into brownie-sized brownies.
8. Served with yoghurt is delicious as I’m sure you’re aware.

My favourite egg replacer:

Stir 1 tablespoon of ground linseed/flaxseed (fresh is best!) into 3 tablespoons of warm water, and sit for a few minutes and let it froth up. This is equivalent to 1 egg — but you need to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder for each egg you replace with this for leavening.