What is in my Pantry? Flours and Meals....

Good Evening! As promised last week, over the next few weeks we are going to take a deep look in what is in my Gluten, Dairy and Preservative free Pantry….I was planning on posting this blog this morning but got a little side tracked today with a lovely catch up with the gorgeous Tanya from Additive Free Pantry….we always have such a lovely time together, we don’t shut up, laugh  A LOT and inspire each other, which in turn hopefully inspires YOU!

 

Today I will share with you Flours and Meals…..

Flours 

There are masses of different Flours you can buy …. “Gluten Free Flour” (pre packed mixed flours) white rice, brown rice, buckwheat, besan (chickpea), amaranth, arrowroot, maize (corn), quinoa, soy, potato …just to name a few….but for me I don’t want a cupboard full of 20 different flours that I don’t use all the time so I stick to just a couple. 

You need to always read labels carefully when buying packaged flours (as I am allergic to corn and soy ) I don’t buy the pre packaged Gluten Free Flours as these are included in them. 

I have rice flour (both brown and white), Buckwheat flour (which confusing as the name is, it isn’t actually wheat), Quinoa Flour and have once before bought Potato Flour. 

For 99% of my baking I use Rice and Buckwheat. I bought the Quinoa and Potato flours when making home made GF and DF Pizzas – and only ever used the Potato flour then (Here is the link  for the Pizza if you are interested). Potato flour would be good for a ‘thickener’ in cooking, but purely out of habit I always reach for the rice flour when needing this. Quinoa I use from time to time (when making Poori bread from book Cut out the Crap) it is great and it also makes yummy pancakes. For school cakes and everyday baking I use Rice and Buckwheat. 

Carrot Cake (using buckwheat flour) from Cut out the Crap

I buy white rice flour from the Supermarket. It comes in little red boxes. I buy my brown rice flour and buckwheat flours online and in bulk (you can buy them from Health food stores and often in Supermarkets)- I then transfer them over to an air tight container.

My flours (white rice, brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat) I think I need new labels!

Like when eating a bowl of white rice v brown rice there is a difference in the flours. Brown rice is ‘nuttier’ in taste as it is ground with the ‘husk’ still on it. There is also a nutritional difference with brown rice being the healthier option for more fibre, magnesium and other vitamins.  I don’t think the cake / slice / biscuit will turn out different when swapping between white and brown rice flours in your recipe….or at least in my opinion it doesn’t!

What you need to remember: Gluten Free flours (like listed above) are plain flours. Having no Gluten in them means they can be a tad ‘fussier’ to work with as the Gluten is normally the ‘ingredient’ that helps it bind and rise. I find them quite dry and so you may need to ‘tweak’ recipes if you are wanting to convert and old favourite from wheat plain or wheat self raising flour. You may need to add raising agents (eg baking powder) and you also might need more liquid (milk, butter, oil etc).

Meals

(definition : the edible part of any grain or pulse ground to powder)

Almond Meal

Once again there is a great variety. I personally have Almond Meal and Hazelnut Meal in my pantry. I use these for cakes and biscuits. I also use Almond Meal to thicken up a Curry if its needed as it adds another beautiful ‘nutty’ taste and thick texture to the dish.

You will see in my first book “Cut out the Crap” that I use Almond Meal in different cakes and make the most scrumptious Macaroons using Hazelnut Meal (one is never enough!)

Hazenut Meringues from COTC

I hope this has helped….if you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to comment here or email me at info@cutoutthecrap.com.au and I will do my best to help you!

Have a great day!

Take Care of You,

Collette x 

 PS Don’t forget to head to yesterdays blog and enter into the LOVING EARTH give-away!  http://www.cutoutthecrap.com.au/loving-earth-give-away/

 

What is in my Pantry? Flours and Meals....