Flour Tortillas

I've been working on a flour tortilla recipe ever since I had to give up gluten - a long time!  This has undergone a few tweaks over the years and was pretty good, but the addition that turned the recipe into a real keeper was an idea my oldest son had .... use a tortilla press.  Genius!  This gets the tortilla thin enough that it has flexibility and isn't gummy tasting.  I got mine on Amazon for about $25.

Some are pre-seasoned, which you may want to avoid if you're working with various allergies.  With this recipe, you will be using parchment paper to avoid horrible sticking, so the tortilla won't actually be touching the press.

Flour Tortillas

3 cups rice flour - finely ground works best.  If you're buying pre-ground and the tortilla isn't turning out thin and flexible, try using sweet rice flour from an Asian market.
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup palm shortening or lard
1 T vinegar

Mix the first four ingredients together.  Cut in the shortening until it's the size of small peas and well distributed.  Add the vinegar and enough warm water to give you a dough the consistency of play dough.  This varies from time to time for me but is usually a little less than a cup.  Knead a few times and divide into balls the size of a small egg.  Put back in the mixing bowl and cover with a towel.

I fry mine on a dry electric frying pan heated to the top temperature, but any hot pan will work.  Put a piece of parchment on the bottom of the press and liberally sprinkle with tapioca flour.  Put one of the dough balls on top of it and sprinkle with more tapioca flour.  Put a second piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly down.  

Take the top piece of parchment paper off, lift up the bottom piece with the pressed dough, turn upside down and put it on the hot pan.  Press another!  I work with three at a time.  When there are two on the pan, I turn over the one I put on first (it will have small brownish spots) and put on the third tortilla.  After I press a fourth tortilla, I put the first one on a towel and cover it with another towel, turn the second tortilla over, and put the new tortilla on the pan.  Pretty soon you'll get in a rhythm!

These keep well in the refridgerator for a few days, but need to be warmed (I warm mine in the microwave) to become soft and pliable again.

Cheese Scones

These are totally addictive!  They may not, however, be low-histamine depending on your tolerance for cheese and which cheese you use.

Cheese Scones

2 cups rice flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/3 cup Spectrum palm shortening
2 cups grated cheese - I use Trader Joe's goat gouda (not the one with honey)
1/2 cup coconut milk + a little more for the tops
1 flax egg substitute recipe
Salt for the tops

Measure all dry ingredients into a bowl.  Cut in the shortening.  Mix in the cheese.  Add the coconut milk and egg substitute.  Stir until well mixed, finishing up by kneading with your hands.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, flatten into a flat circle about 7 inches in diameter.  Cut into 16 pie wedge shapes.  Separate the wedges so no sides are touching.  Brush with coconut milk and sprinkle or grind salt on the top of each scone.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes - until golden.

Rice Flour Chapatis

I've been playing around with a Indian rice flour chapati recipe I found awhile ago and finally have it fine tuned enough to write a recipe down.  These are great!  A lot like flour tortillas.  We've eaten them folded around sliced, barbecued chicken with fried red peppers/shallots/herbs and along with lamb stew.  And the next time I try milk, I'm making quesadillas with them!

Rice Flour Chapatis - makes about 6

1 cup corn safe coconut milk
3/4 cup rice flour
1T olive oil
about 1/2 tsp. salt

1.  Heat the coconut milk, oil, and salt in a saucepan until it just comes to a simmer.  Stir in the rice flour a little at a time until you have a lump that sticks together and looks kneadable.  If it's a little sticky still, add just a tiny bit more flour until the stickiness is gone.  Too much flour makes these hard and tough, though.

2.  Turn out onto a cutting board and knead for a few minutes.  This is a potentially owie part if you have sensitive hands - it's hot!  Just do your best.

3.  Put back in the sauce pan, cover, and let sit for about 1/2 hour.

4.  Prehead a griddle to 400F.  Knead the dough a few times and divide into 6 balls.

5.  Take out the first ball and recover the pan.  Roll very thin.  If your dough turned out a little sticky, you might need to add just the smallest bit of rice flour for rolling.  If your dough turned out a little dry/stiff, add a tiny bit of water and knead.

6. Place your first chapati on the griddle and let cook for about 2 minutes.  Turn over and let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes.  It should have white spots and a few brown spots.  Turn over again and cook for about 1 minute.  Parts of the chapati will puff up.

7.  Take off the griddle and place on a plate between towels.  Repeat for the rest of the balls of dough.

Scones

I developed this recipe from an old one for cream scones using coconut milk in place of the cream.  Perfect for breakfast or for a snack with coffee/tea!  These are just plain, but a half cup of currants, blueberries, or other fruit could also be added.

Scones
Makes 8

2 cups rice flour
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup Spectrum palm shortening
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 flax egg substitute recipe
2 tsp. homemade vanilla
a little bit more coconut milk and sugar for the tops

Measure all dry ingredients into a bowl.  Cut in the shortening.  Add the coconut milk, egg substitute, and vanilla.  Stir until well mixed, finishing up by kneading with your hands.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, flatten into a flat circle about 7 inches in diameter.  Cut into 8 pie wedge shapes.  Separate the wedges so no sides are touching.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes - until they have a golden tint to them.

These freeze and reheat really well.  If you don't freeze them, eat them up right away as they get dry pretty quickly.  Different grinds of rice flour hold liquids differently - I grind my own.  If you find your scones are dry even when first baked, add a tablespoon or two more coconut milk.

Basic Breads

At the beginning, I think one of the hardest parts of my new diet regimen was the lack of any type of bread.  I need bread!  It helps fill you up and makes you feel less deprived.  Being able to use only rice flour makes things even more of a challenge - it's not known for making soft breads that actually hold together.  Here are three basics I came up with that work pretty well - muffins, small toasts, and pancakes.  They all freeze well.

Pancakes

1 cup white rice flour
1T sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs or double batch of flax egg substitute (2T ground flax, 6T water, microwave for 1 minute)
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice + water to equal 1 cup (lemon juice not absolutely necessary, but makes it less dense when it reacts with the baking soda)

Mix together and spoon onto hot griddle.  Let top get almost dry before turning over.

These also work as bread for sandwiches!

Flax Muffins

1 2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2T sugar or maple syrup
¼ cup olive oil
1 egg or flax egg substitute (see substitutions button at top)
1 cup water

Mix and spoon into greased muffin pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes.

You can make these fruit muffins by substituting ¼ cup pureed fruit for the olive oil.

Small Toasts

The same recipe as the Flax Muffins, but instead of one egg or flax egg substitute, put in two eggs or a double batch of flax egg substitute.

Bake in greased mini-loaf pans at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes - until the tops are firm and crusty.

Cool and put in the refrigerator (or freeze).  This part is crucial to getting thin slices (which get crispier) - try cutting it warm and you'll get crumbs!  I found an electric knife works really well.

Slice thinly, lay on a baking sheet, and brush tops with olive oil.  Broil until toasted.  Turn over, brush new tops with olive oil, and broil until toasted.