My daughter Paula asked me if I had any good gluten free recipes. One of the ladies she works with recently discovered that she can no longer tolerate gluten. I reminded Paula that “gluten free” was not really my specialty, but that I did have a few fabulous recipes I would be happy to share.
The first recipe that came to mind is this recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes from Bob’s Red Mill Flour. Now, the foremost thing you need to know about my choice of featuring this recipe is that I basically hate oatmeal. I could no more eat a bowl of oatmeal than I could, for example, ride a horse for eight hours downhill! (If you have never ridden a horse, then you haven’t had the joy of being over 60 with knees that scream at the merest suggestion of an incline or decline to begin with! Then multiply that by 100, and you will know how I was feeling after I got off a horse after only riding 2 hours, the last 30 minutes of which were downhill!) So for me to tell you that oatmeal pancakes are my favorite should give you some indication that they are very, very good indeed!
I found this recipe a few years back when I was researching a gluten free diet. I thought I might possible have an intolerance, but tests revealed that gluten was not the problem. And even though I am not sensitive to gluten, a few of the recipes I found during my “gluten free” phase are still part of my life. During that time I also discovered that cornstarch and potato starch/flours are fine thickening agents for sauces, gravies, and soups. That rice pasta isn’t half bad (beats no pasta at all)! Polenta and grits are food from the Gods. And soy bean and sorghum flours are about the worst tasting ingredients I ever tasted!
So setting my scary memories of bread made with sorghum flour aside, I am going to swear off gluten for the next couple of weeks, and feature a few fantastic recipes that contain not a hint of protein composites found in foods processed from wheat or related grain species.
So please join me as I explore the gastronomic gourmet world of “gluten free”. You might even find that you can actually reduce the amount of gluten in your life without feeling like you have lost your best friend. And don’t forget – “gluten free” is trendy. It’s totally hip, cool beans, groovy, the bee’s knees, and in-like-Flynn. Be there or be square!
- 1 c. milk
- ¾ c. quick cooking rolled oats
- 2 eggs, separated
- ¾ c. oat flour
- 2 T. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 T. vegetable oil
Heat milk in a saucepan until it feels very hot to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in the oats; let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile whip the egg whites to stiff peaks; set aside. Combine the oat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the cooled oat/milk mixture, egg yolks, and oil. Fold whipped egg whites into batter. Fry as you would any pancake. Serve with butter and your favorite syrup. Hint: Always warm syrup before serving. It’s just the right thing to do!