Gluten Free Corn Bread with Millet
Gluten Free Corn Bread
Made with all corn or a combination of corn and millet
One of our kids is not eating wheat right now because her skin stays much clearer without, so this cornbread has been a staple for simple lunches around here lately. I’ve added millet because it’s an alkaline seed which helps to balance the body’s PH. Besides that, I like to feed our family as much variety as I can, and this is one easy way to do it.
Add the millet if you’d like, but this recipe works just fine with all corn, freshly ground if possible.
Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons ghee (butter oil) or coconut oil, or a combination
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups coarse cornmeal, preferably freshly ground
1/2 cup coarsely ground millet (or use 1/2 cup additional cornmeal instead)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
scant 2 cups yogurt, buttermilk or kefir
Preheat your oven to 400°.
Place an 11″ cast iron skillet or 9″x13″ baking dish in the oven. Add the ghee or coconut oil to the skillet and let it melt in the warming oven while you mix up the batter. The hot oil will give your cornbread a nice crispy crust, especially if you’re baking in cast iron.
Mix the cornmeal, millet flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl and set it aside.
Beat the eggs with a fork and add the yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir. Combine the mixture together with a spoon or fork until it’s a fairly even color (no unmixed swirls of egg).
Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine, but be careful not to overmix.
Remove the hot pan from the oven and swirl the melted oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Then pour in the batter and bake 20 – 25 minutes. The cornbread will pull away from the sides of the pan when it’s done, and it will be a nice golden color.
Peppermint Patties
Peppermint Patties
Last spring, I followed a 14-week low carb anti-inflammatory diet, during which time I needed some kind of snack that came close to satisfying my cravings for chocolate and sugar. I got the idea for this simple frozen patty from the Carob Chips recipe in Nourishing Traditions, however this version uses stevia, which does not affect blood sugar, and the strongly flavored peppermint oil covers the unfamiliar taste of the stevia. Freezing them just adds to the refreshing minty blast.
On a side note, the 14 week low carb anti inflammatory diet must have made some serious changes in my body. I have always had sugar cravings. Always. And I eat a lot. I mean, generally more than my husband. No, I’m not fat. I just have a really big appetite and a hearty metabolism to go with it. But I’m getting off track… This 14 week diet I did allowed no sweeteners (except stevia), no fruits except lemons, grapefruits and berries, no grains, no beans, and no starchy vegetables, at least not for the first 6 weeks. It was really tough at first, especially as the main chef of our house, but now that it is over, I have lost all cravings for sugar.
Update: It’s been a year and a half since my 14 week diet, and I still don’t crave sugar that much. If I do get a bit of a sweet tooth, it’s easily satisfied by a piece of fruit. Has anyone else had this experience? I’d love to hear your comments.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil
3/8 cup carob or cocoa powder (sift it if it’s lumpy)
2 – 6 drops pure peppermint essential oil
1 – 3 drops liquid stevia or 1 – 3 tiny dashes powdered stevia
Directions: Mix all the ingredients together very well. (You don’t want to bite into uncombined peppermint oil or stevia.) Spread 1 1/2 inch circles thinly onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or pour into mini muffin tins and freeze for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and store the patties in a container in the freezer.
Makes 10 – 12, depending on how thick you make them.
Making Peppermint Patties
High Fat Coconut Energy Bars
I know, I know: high fat has certainly been taboo. But many people actually try to add more nutritious, lauric-acid-rich coconut oil to their diets, our family included. Here’s one of our favorite ways to do it.
From my good friend Christine, a very tasty, edible winter moisturizer that soothes skin from the inside out. These are very, very rich – cut the bars small, like fudge, and eat them (don’t rub them on your face). ;-)
2 cups soft or melted virgin coconut oil
2 cups smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter (Christine’s recipe actually calls for almond butter, but we don’t care for the almond flavor in these and changed it to good ol’ peanut butter. Feel free to use either or.)
1/2 – 3/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 cups fine unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix all the ingredients together and spread or pour into a 9×13 pan, preferably one with a lid. Chill them until solid, then cut into small bars. Store in the fridge so they don’t melt.