A Simpler Life 2018

fuddle

Katieowl wrote: »

FUDDLE do try the Dan Leppard loaf....my variation of it makes the best GF toast ever, I just made it more nutritious as I knew my customers would prefer a browner, healther looking bread. I took all the dairy out, I just make it with water...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/may/23/baking-white-bread

PS I'd give up on sharing though. No need for everyone to eat it! Cheaper for them to have their own bread.

I've book marked it Katieowl. I will try it, definately. Thank you.

My loaf turned out well. I can't comment on the taste as I've lost my ability to taste due to sinus trouble but the texture was perfect. My tummy isn't happy though so I'm wondering what the heck xantham gum is. :cool:

carolbee

fuddle wrote: »

You posted at the right time money. I had just been reading about growing chickpeas in UK soil. Imagine if I could grow my own specifically for making bread. That thought is sending the self sufficient induced endorphins into overdrive.

We'll see. I know gram flour is made from chickpeas but I think it's a certain variety. I'm not sure. I could use it for onion bhaji too. I imagine I'd send my traditional allotment neighbours into orbit with what I do with my harvest. Ha, listen to me. I'm likely only going to be able to grow rice if the rains don't stop!

We tried chick peas on our south east England allotment this year, not very productive but tasty. Can’t check as away from home and list of seeds etc, for an extended trip. Good luck!

moneyistooshorttomention

Quick google about xanthum gum and yes it can "stimulate" the stomach by the sound of it - and...no....I don't fancy trying it personally....it doesnt sound very "natural" to me.

I'd not heard anything about it being a specific variety of chickpeas - I just use standard (in my case organic - because all of my food is organic if its available). I buy these from the health food store.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We're a two person household too but I'll use the freezer and if the recipe is for four portions I'll freeze two of them and in the fullness of time have a whole weeks worth of meals in there and have a 'gratis' week of food money to invest in 'futures' for the larder.

Hi MrsLW,

As I am currently trying to empty freezer we have the same meal two or three nights in a row. But once freezer is decluttered & defrosted I will start freezing portions again.

I love the idea of a ‘gratis’ week of food money. Thanks for this wonderful tip.

Mrs SD:)

dND

fuddle wrote: »

You posted at the right time money. I had just been reading about growing chickpeas in UK soil. Imagine if I could grow my own specifically for making bread.

To be honest Fuddle I wouldn't bother with the chickpeas. I gave them a go a couple of years ago here in SW France. While they grew well, they only produce small pods with 1-2 chickpeas in each - like soya. Fun to do once but not really viable to produce your annual harvest on a small scale.

However they are a legume, so if you wanted to give your allotment a boost for a year then cover cropping an area with them should give you enough for meal or two.

I grew soya (5ha worth) for a couple of years while I was actively farming here. The following sunflower crop was grown without the usual addition of fertiliser and no irrigation and I got one of the best yields per ha around here. So good that subsequently most of the local farmers are now growing soya as part of their crop cycle (As I got people in to do the planting of seeds because I didn't have the specialised equipment, I think I was used as the experimental site :rotfl:)

pipkin71

Katieowl wrote: »

Have you tried courgetti? I vastly prefer it to all GF pasta and it's low carb!

I would agree with the courgetti. I also prefer it to the g/f pasta and it's cheaper. I have also spiralised carrots which are nice in stir fry. Might be difficult to do using a hand spiraliser, though as carrots are firmer than courgettes. Butternut squash is another one to try, although I bought that rather than made my own.

pipkin71

fuddle wrote: »

Ditto pooky. My GP told me that there was a chance that I could be aspirating stomach acid into my lungs because of acid reflux. I was put on stomach acid inhibitors but on learning about autoimmunity, leaky gut and poor immunity issues I decided to alter my diet. I knew already that wheat and barley gave me indigestion but chose to still eat a high refined carb diet. Another health scare made me act, get if tge stomach tablets and change my diet.I went on a restrictive elimination diet for 6 weeks and found cows milk also gave me indigestion. I won't ever test grains because I cheated before Christmas and found the stomach pain and bloating the answer I needed to know never to go there again. Aside from the cows milk I haven't had any indigestion. That in itself is reason to continue my wheat, barley and rye boycott. I can manage goats milk pooky. I don't know if that helps. Unfortunately that doesn't help the shopping budget though.

So I too am adjusting.

I have also had to adjust my diet as I have bile salt malabsorption, and have terrible acid reflux. It certainly becomes a challenge with regards the cost of groceries, trying to find substitutes.

[Deleted User]

I'm not sure we're warm enough to grow chick peas, I have a feeling that they need much warmer temperatures than we have in the UK even at the height of summer. I know we tried to grow Okra and Coriander one year and even in the polytunnel which gets quite warm! we had very little success.

There is a recipe for a thick chick pea pancake called SOCCA which can be eaten hot or cold and my brother makes it and loves it (never made it myself) which is easily made in a frying pan on the hob then finished in the oven so you need an oven proof pan to make it in.

Socca (this recipe makes 2 x pancakes so use half the batter for each one)

100g chick pea flour (besan/gram flour)
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil (but any will do, use what you have in the cupboard)
240 ml (8 fl oz ) water

Whisk everything together in a jug to combine and let it rest at room temperature for a couple of hours. Heat some vegetable oil in the frying pan and pour in half the batter, as soon as bubbles start to form pop it into a 200deg C pre heated oven for about 4 minutes until the underneath is browned then flip it over and pop it back into the oven for another 4 minutes to cook the other side. The pancake should be brown and crisp in the outside but slightly custardy in the middle. Slip it out of the pan and on to some kitchen paper and serve while it's warm cut in wedges or put on toppings to make it into a sort of pizza with ingredients that don't upset your tum.

My brother likes it cold too, you'd have to try and see if you prefer warm or cold. Hope that's some use.

Katieowl

fuddle wrote: »

I've book marked it Katieowl. I will try it, definately. Thank you.

My loaf turned out well. I can't comment on the taste as I've lost my ability to taste due to sinus trouble but the texture was perfect. My tummy isn't happy though so I'm wondering what the heck xantham gum is. :cool:

.

That's a pity,I know some people do react to it, but I'd triple check it out because it makes ALL the difference to GF baking! It's basically the substance that forms when vegetables rot, you know they go stringy? But obvs it's manufacturered they don't have a mouldy veg factory somewhere

Gram flour is cheap as chips, I really don't think it would be worth the effort to grow your own! For a tasty gram pancake Google besan chilla.

My go to at home for starchy these days is usually GF pancakes. Just doves or Aldi plain gf with sometimes a bit of buckwheat flour, egg and milk. I fill them with cheese or butter them with jam or marmalade and I've even been known to make a coconut one to go curry.

Katieowl

pipkin71 wrote: »

I would agree with the courgetti. I also prefer it to the g/f pasta and it's cheaper. I have also spiralised carrots which are nice in stir fry. Might be difficult to do using a hand spiraliser, though as carrots are firmer than courgettes. Butternut squash is another one to try, although I bought that rather than made my own.

I lashed out fifteen quid for an electric one in the end, I used the handcranked one until it broke!