There was a time, pre-Celiac of my youngest, when our household was pretty well known for bread. My husband baked homemade bread by hand, never even attempting the bread-maker we were given as a wedding gift. Pew! Pew! He spits on the bread machine. The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum was his, well, how do I say it... Bible. I, in the same vein, was the whirling dervish of quick breads, the Octomom of sweet cakes. Oh my yeast, those were some tasty, happy days of olfactory goodness. There is nothing like fresh bread baking in the oven.
It was nice while it lasted. My baby left me with a scar too large to mention, droopy body parts, and a house absent of the sensual bouquet that baking bread offers. See how a mother's love is? I still want to kiss her all over and hug her tightly every minute of every day anyway -- despite the loss of gluten. And my abs.
For a while I experimented successfully with gluten-free quick breads, settling upon a few lovely recipes that pleased the entire family. Then, I decided to personally mess it all up again by going vegan AND sugar-free. I must really like a challenge. Essentially, I hadn't even attempted a quick bread since going vegan. But, that was summer and this is fall. Summer does not require quick bread. We have watermelon. Fall beckons two things, though: soup and bread. What is fall without pumpkin bread? Banana bread? Zucchini bread made from the final bits of Farmer's Market zucchini?
I created a few recipes last week that were okay. My family, used to gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan, were content enough with the loaves. I am not sure they would have flown in the real world, though. I think this week's attempt comes closest to something one could serve to guests without having to explain that it is free of pretty much everything typically used to make quick breads taste good. It is moist and sweet and tastes like fall.
But that's for you to decide. Please make a batch and let me know if your family likes it or if it made them hide. What about guests or friends? Would you serve it to them? I fear that my taste buds are so used to this lifestyle that I am careening away from what normal people eat. Help me. Won't you please help me?
Zucchini Banana Bread (makes 2 standard, but short, loaves or 1 standard, very tall loaf)
2 c. grated zucchini (skins on, again because I am lazy)
2 very ripe, one might even say rotten, bananas (skins off, because that would be weird otherwise)
3 T. flax seeds, blended in a blender with 3/4 c. water until gel-like (you can also use 3 servings egg replacer, but you can kind of taste the egg replacer when you use that much)
1/2 c. Date Syrup (you can find this in any "fruit market" type store, where they sell foods from all over the world; I found it in the Iraqi section; you can use agave here, but the date syrup is cheaper and sweeter; if you use agave, reduce milk by 1/4 cup and use 3/4 c. agave; Whew!)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. vegan milk of your choice
1 T. apple cider vinegar
2 c. brown rice flour
1 c. white rice flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder (gluten-free)
1 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
optional: 3/4 c. chopped nuts of choice or 3/4 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients in one bowl. Combine all dry ingredients in another, bowl. Add wet to dry and combine. Put into your 1 or 2 loaf pans. If you'd like, drizzle a little date syrup on top. Bake 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick or tester comes out dry.
It was nice while it lasted. My baby left me with a scar too large to mention, droopy body parts, and a house absent of the sensual bouquet that baking bread offers. See how a mother's love is? I still want to kiss her all over and hug her tightly every minute of every day anyway -- despite the loss of gluten. And my abs.
For a while I experimented successfully with gluten-free quick breads, settling upon a few lovely recipes that pleased the entire family. Then, I decided to personally mess it all up again by going vegan AND sugar-free. I must really like a challenge. Essentially, I hadn't even attempted a quick bread since going vegan. But, that was summer and this is fall. Summer does not require quick bread. We have watermelon. Fall beckons two things, though: soup and bread. What is fall without pumpkin bread? Banana bread? Zucchini bread made from the final bits of Farmer's Market zucchini?
I created a few recipes last week that were okay. My family, used to gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan, were content enough with the loaves. I am not sure they would have flown in the real world, though. I think this week's attempt comes closest to something one could serve to guests without having to explain that it is free of pretty much everything typically used to make quick breads taste good. It is moist and sweet and tastes like fall.
But that's for you to decide. Please make a batch and let me know if your family likes it or if it made them hide. What about guests or friends? Would you serve it to them? I fear that my taste buds are so used to this lifestyle that I am careening away from what normal people eat. Help me. Won't you please help me?
Zucchini Banana Bread (makes 2 standard, but short, loaves or 1 standard, very tall loaf)
2 c. grated zucchini (skins on, again because I am lazy)
2 very ripe, one might even say rotten, bananas (skins off, because that would be weird otherwise)
3 T. flax seeds, blended in a blender with 3/4 c. water until gel-like (you can also use 3 servings egg replacer, but you can kind of taste the egg replacer when you use that much)
1/2 c. Date Syrup (you can find this in any "fruit market" type store, where they sell foods from all over the world; I found it in the Iraqi section; you can use agave here, but the date syrup is cheaper and sweeter; if you use agave, reduce milk by 1/4 cup and use 3/4 c. agave; Whew!)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. vegan milk of your choice
1 T. apple cider vinegar
2 c. brown rice flour
1 c. white rice flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder (gluten-free)
1 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
optional: 3/4 c. chopped nuts of choice or 3/4 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients in one bowl. Combine all dry ingredients in another, bowl. Add wet to dry and combine. Put into your 1 or 2 loaf pans. If you'd like, drizzle a little date syrup on top. Bake 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick or tester comes out dry.
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| A short loaf |
