chi83- I'll post my go-to cookbook titles and favorite recipes in them, as well as a few recipes. You may find copies of these, and other GF cookbooks, at your local library. -Grainlady "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam - be sure to check out her web-site - www.elanaspantry.com -Pecan Shortbread Cookies -Cheddar Cheese Crackers -Banana Blueberry Muffins -Cinnamon Apple Muffins -Date Pecan Muffins (a HUGE favorite) -Zucchini Bread -Eggplant Parmesan -Savory Vegetable Quiche -Asparagus Onion Quiche -Kale Tart with Cranberries "Specific Carbohydrate Diet" \- Erica Kerwien \-Sour Cashew Cream (dairy\-free version of sour cream) \-Zucchini Sticks \-Parmesan Crackers \-Almond Saltine Crackers \-Tabbouleh (made with cauliflower) \-Sandwich Rounds (good sandwich bun substitute) \-Banana Bread (BEST recipe I've tried, and there have been many trials) \-Pumpkin Bread \-Roasted Ratatouille \-Recipes where cauliflower is substituted for high\-glycemic rice: Fried Cauliflower Rice, Roasted Cauliflower Rice "The No-Gluten Cookbook" - Series Editor, Kimberly A. Tessmer, R.D., L.D. -Crunchy Cornbread Squares (Can be used for sandwiches, especially good for grilled cheese sandwiches - as well as cornbread. Makes a 13x9" pan and is freezer-friendly.) "Cooking with Coconut Flour"\- Burce Fife, N.D. (many of these recipes are available on\-line; many have stevia as a sweetener option) \-Coconut Bread (An all\-purpose loaf, good toasted or used for French Toast.) \-Lots of good muffin recipes (make 6 muffins per recipe) \-Cream Cheese Squares (egg\-free) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My version of gluten\-free baking mix (Bisquick substitute) (makes 1\-cup) 1/2 c. almond flour (Honeyville or homemade) 1/2 c. hi\-maize resistant starch OR Jay Robb unflavored Whey Protein Isolate OR Pamela's Gluten\-Free, Wheat\-Free Baking Mix 1\-1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 1 T. coconut oil Place in a mini\-food processor, or in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer, until coconut oil is mixed into dry ingredients. (Note: you can use a pastry blender or fork, but the FP or mixer mixes it quicker and better.) I use this mixture for "Impossible Pumpkin Pie" (a crustless pumpkin pie recipe, and many other Bisquick recipes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes (Yield: 4\-6 small pancakes) In a 2\-cup measuring cup place: 1/2 c. quick oats (optional) 1 T. buckwheat flour OR Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Creamy Hot Cereal OR unsprouted OR sprouted buckwheat 1/3 c. buttermilk (or kefir, yogurt) Mix, cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Add and mix in: 1 egg 1 T. melted coconut oil Add dry ingredients: 1 T. palm sugar 1/4 t. baking powder 1/4 t. baking soda 1/4 t. salt Mix well. Add more liquid if the batter seems too thick. Make into small 3\-4\-inch pancakes. I make 4 pancakes at a time on my 11\-inch griddle. PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES 1 stick butter 3/4 c. peanut butter 1 t. baking soda pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 c. unsalted dry roasted peanuts 1/2 c. raw or roasted sunflower seeds 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. palm sugar 1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut 1/2 c. cacao nibs (optional) Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Melt butter and peanut butter together (microwave or stove-top). Cool slightly, if hot, and place in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and blend using an electric hand-held mixer. Using a #50 portion scoop, place the dough on the baking sheets and slightly press to flatten. Bake for 12-minutes. Makes about 40 cookies. Place on wire cooling racks to cool completely. MICROWAVE GLUTEN\-FREE CURRANT BREAD (This is adapted from a recipe I found on\-line and reminds me of an Irish\-style currant bread I made before going wheat\-free, and what we use for toast for breakfast.) Mix well in a 2\-cup measuring cup, or small bowl, using a hand\-powered rotary egg beater or with a fork: 1 lg. egg 1 t. water 1\-2 t. agave nectar OR low\-glycemic coconut nectar\* (or other sweetener of choice) 2 T. buttermilk (kefir or yogurt will also work) pinch of salt Add: 2 T. all\-purpose GF flour (Pamala’s, Bob’s Red Mill, etc.) 2 T. almond flour 2 T. quick oats (or other gluten\-free flakes) After batter is mixed, add 2 T. currants and stir to blend then into the batter. Place the batter in a prepared dish (spray with PAM) \- use a ramekin, mug, or glass bowl that easily holds at least 8\-ounces of liquid. Straight sides work better than rounded sides (I use a ramekin.) Microwave for 2\-minutes on HIGH (more or less time, depending on your microwave \- you may need to adjust it 15\-seconds one way or another). Flip out of baking container onto a wire cooling rack and cool completely. When cool, slice the bread into rounds using a long serrated bread knife. TIP: I place the muffin in a shallow lid, like a cottage cheese container lid or other lid that will accommodate the bread \- anywhere from 1/4\-inch to 1/2\-inch deep. Use the lid as a cutting guide so you get slices about the same thickness. Toast the slices for serving. \* Coconut Nectar \- le$$ expensive homemade version: 1\-1/2 c. palm sugar, ½ c. water. Heat over low heat until dissolved. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Almond Flour Bread (source: somewhere on-line, with my changes) 2-1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. oat fiber (I use hi-maize resistant starch, or spent rye flour or buckwheat flour) 1/4 c. unflavored whey protein powder 1 T. granulated erythritol (I use Swerve) 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda 1 t. xanthan gum (do not omit) 1/2 t. salt 6-oz. Greek yogurt (I use drained kefir curd) 6 T. butter, softened (I use coconut oil) 4 lg. eggs 6 T. almond milk (I also use coconut milk or milk kefir or coconut kefir - whatever I happen to have) Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Grease a 10x4-1/2 loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whish together the almond flour. oat fiber, whey protein, erythritol, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. In a large bowl, beat together yogurt and butter until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time and scraping down bowl and beaters as needed. Add almond flour and beat until combined. Beat in almond milk until thoroughly combined. Spread batter in prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15-minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. [Note: Slice in thin slices.] QUINOA PANCAKES (adapted from a recipe found on\-line) 1 c. soaked quinoa (or quinoa sprouts \- raw) made from 3/4\-cup of dry quinoa\* 1\-2 T. raw honey (agave nectar or coconut nectar) 1\-1/2 T. coconut oil 1 egg 1/2 T. coconut flour 1/4 t. cinnamon 1/2 T. baking powder 1/4 t. salt \*To make quinoa sprouts: Using 3/4 c. quinoa, thoroughly rinse in a strainer and soak in a bowl with enough water to cover the quinoa by an inch or two, overnight. In the morning drain the water (use a fine\-mesh strainer). Measure out 1\-cup and use with the following directions. 1\. Process quinoa sprouts in food processor or blender until a wet batter is formed, 3\-5 minutes. 2\. Add wet ingredients and process until blended. 3\. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add dry mix to batter and mix well. 4\. Heat greased skillet or griddle on low/medium heat. 5\. Using 1/4 cup of batter at a time, place on skillet/griddle. 6\. Cook for about 2\-minutes or until the pancake is golden. You should see bubbles form and then pop around the edges. Flip pancake and cook for a minute or two. \[Grainlady Note: Make the cakes small \- more like pikelets \- and cook slowly on LOW heat for best results.\] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUPER\-SIMPLE BANANA COOKIES 2\-3 mashed bananas 2 c. oats 1 c. chopped dates (or other dried fruit \- cranberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots snipped into 1/4\-inch cubes using kitchen scissors) 1/3 c. coconut oil 1 t. vanilla pinch of salt Preheat oven to 350\-degrees F. Mix ingredients well, drop by teaspoonful onto parchment\-lined baking sheets (I use a \#50 or \#70 portion scoop). Press the dough until about 1/4\-inch thick. Bake 20\-25 minutes until golden brown. Options: use 1/4\-1/2 c. mini semi\-sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, cacao nibs..... \[I usually make this recipe using 1 banana, 1 c. oats (I use sprouted oats I dehydrate and flake), 1/2 c. dried fruit/nuts/chocolate chips/nibs....or a mix of those, 2 T. coconut oil, 1/2 t. vanilla and pinch of salt. Makes 1 baking sheet of cookies \- or about 20 small cookies. I bake them on a parchment\-lined pizza pan in my Convection/Microwave oven or solar oven.\]

The trick to most Indian cooking is to have the masalas (spices) on hand. They can last a long time if kept in airtight containers, and only need a minute or 2 dry-fried in a pan before using. After that, it really is a quite simple cuisine to prepare. And you can mix and match various masalas, rather than follow exact recipes. Experiment! Lentils and beans, too, are generally interchangeable. No 2 Indian cooks prepare the same dish in the same way... And it is a surpisingly quick way to prepare delicious meals once you've tried it once or twice! Just took a pic of my masala shelf... This post was edited by shaxhome on Wed, Apr 3, 13 at 8:38

plllog- If you soak nuts and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in lightly salted water 12-24 hours and dehydrate them until they are crispy dry, they are easier to digest and you increase the nutrients. For more information check out "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. I use this method with all nuts and peanuts we consume because it germinates the nuts which increases the enzyme activity. Another way to offset difficulty digesting large quantities of nuts is to take an enzyme supplement to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors. I also stick to sprouted and dehydrated sunflower seeds for the same reason. You can purchase sprouted seeds from Nuts.com or goraw.com, but I make my own. Here are some tasty ways to consume chia seeds. CHAI CHIA PUDDING 2 c. boiling water 2 Chai tea bags 3 T. chia seeds small amount of milk of choice (cow, goat, nut milk) sweetener of choice (to taste) Steep tea bags in boiled water for 15-minutes. Remove bags and add sweetener and a small amount of milk to "lighten" the mixture. Add chia seeds, mix well. Let sit for 5-minutes and mix again. Refrigerate overnight. CAROB FUDGE \- a terrific high\-energy treat! (source: The Magic of Chia \- by James F. Scheer) 3/4 c. maple syrup 1 c. peanut butter 1 t. vanilla 1 c. almonds, chopped or ground 1 c. walnuts, chopped 1/2 c. sesame seeds 1/4 c. dry chia seeds 1/2 c. sunflower seeds 1/2 c. carob powder (I use 1/4 c. cocoa or cacao powder) Mix maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add carob powder (or cocoa) a little at a time. Mix until well blended. Mix all nuts and seeds together and add slowly to carob mixture. Press firmly into a lightly oiled pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve chilled. Must be stored in refrigerator or may be frozen. Makes 24 pieces. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \-Chia gel: 1 T. chia seeds + 9 T. water (you can use other liquids if you'd like). \-I add chia seeds or chia seed gel (water and chia seeds) to all yeast breads. It helps keep homemade bread stay moist longer and increases the fiber. If you don't like the dark seeds in your breads (slightly bigger than poppy seeds), mill it into flour and add it. \-Egg replacer. To replace one large egg, use 2 T. of chia gel. \-Fat replacer. Chia gel can be used to substitute for up to half the butter or oil in baked recipes without altering the taste, texture, or baking method. To replace butter or oil, use 1 T. of chia gel per tablespoon of butter or oil removed from the recipe. (Source: "Chia Seed Remedies") \-You can mill chia seeds into a flour in a coffee/spice mill. I regularly mill a 50/50 chia seed and flaxseed mixture and store it in the freezer. I add this mixture to our morning smoothie, baked goods, oatmeal, etc. \-I add chia seeds to homemade "energy bars". \-I add chia seeds to lemonade made with whey from draining my kefir. Chia Fresca is a favorite Mexican beverage. CHIA FRESCA 16 oz. filtered water 6 T. lime juice (fresh\-squeezed, about 2 limes) 1 T. chia seeds Your choice of sweetener. -Chia gel works in hot or cold beverages Add it to 100% fruit juice beverages, coconut water, etc. WATERMELON CHIA SLUSHY (source: "Chia Seed Remedies" 2 c. watermelon chunks 1 T. dry chia 1/2 c. crushed ice squirt of lime juice Sparkling water or seltzer In your blender, plus or chop the watermelon chunks. Be careful not to reduce it to liquid. Add the chia to hydrate and wait about 10-minutes. Add a squirt of lime juice, the crushed ice, and your amount of sparkling water. Pulse once to combine. Now you're ready to pour a glass of sweet, cool, refreshment. -I add chia seeds to my homemade popcicles. homemade tortillas, homemade pudding, granola...... CHIA COCONUT PUDDING (1 serving) 1-2 T. chia seeds (I like to use white chia seeds in this recipe) 1 T. coconut milk powder (Wilderness Family Naturals) 1 c. water Grind seeds or use whole (I grind them). Mix milk powder and water and heat to boiling point. Whisk seeds into liquid. Whisk again after a few minutes. Serve hot or cold with a drizzle of honey. -Add 2 T. chia seeds along with bread crumbs per 1-pound of ground meat when making meatballs or meatloaf. I use 3 to 5 pounds of chia seeds each year. -Grainlady

Shanghaimom, Mgoblue85 is right that the VitaMix is far more than a blender. It's hard to describe an appliance that does so much so well, kinda hard to believe something is still so well-made and well-supported in this day and age, but it's true. Those of us who've been using them for years attest to that. If you belong to Costco, the best advice I can give you is to take one home and try it! Like any new multi-purpose appliance, you won't get it perfect the first time you try making something, but keep it for a few weeks or months while you learn, and if you don't care for it, Costco will take it back! The thing is SO powerful that the friction of the spinning blades is what cooks the soups, there is no heating element involved. That power is also what creates such silky, silky soups. Your split-pea, pumpkin, or carrot-ginger soups will be so much better you will be convinced in your own kitchen. Also,, since it combines things so finely, you are able to add all kinds of nutritious things to your recipes, but you don't taste them separately. I know that sounds confusing, but a good example is a fruit smoothie. When I make these, in addition to the fruits of choice, I can use juice, yogurt, kefir, milk, or other fluid, and then add the extras such as a handful of baby spinach, a few leaves of kale, or raw veggies like carrots or tomatoes. It's amazing how much you can load veggies into a fruit smoothie and no one can tell. That's great for getting veggies into folks who aren't so crazy about them. When you do soups, you can add (and hide) tofu for protein balance, or cooked chicken, shrimp etc. If you don't wall it all smooth, but having texture, all you do is save out some ingredients and add them the last few seconds. Desserts are great, too. You can literally make ice cream in about 45 seconds! or Sorbets, Sherbets of all flavors. I strive to have as nearly a no-food-waste kitchen as possible, and the VitaMix also helps with that. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I don't throw out apple cores, skins, and seeds any longer. All the Vitamin C loaded strawberry leaves go right into my smoothies. No orphan veggies, cheese bits, tofu leftovers, even coffee gets frozen and it's all used. One thing you would learn quickly is that it doesn't matter how "ugly" appearing something is, something you wouldn't serve as is, but can be great tasting in a VitaMix concoction.