For nearly a decade of my life, Saturdays meant roisenbrot day from Mahlzahn Backerei in Neuenheim, Heidelberg.  Picking up a loaf generally involved a morning walk across Bruckenstrasse with Sophie our Bernese Mountain Dog stopping traffic as she languished along behind Sebastian’s kinderwagon. Although we’ve said farewell to Sophie and gluten since those days and there was never a replacement for Sophie’s big heart I think I finally found a Gluten-free Roisienbrot that stands the Mahlzahn test.  Thanks once again to Aran Goyoaga for the inspiration. 

You may be pleased to learn there’s no sourdough involved so you can make this bread tonight if you have an enamel cast iron dutch oven handy.  This workhorse of the kitchen makes every oven a bread oven including my countertop toaster oven.  I hope you enjoy this bread as much as we do. Close your eyes with the first bite and you might even see the Heidelberg castle. 

Ingredients

• 500 g (2 ¼ cup)  of plant-based milk, I use almond
• 3 TBL of maple syrup, date syrup, or honey
• 1 TBL yeast
• 3 TBL Psyllium Husks
• 240 g Buckwheat Flour ( 2 cups) 
• 120 g Tapioca Starch ( 1 cup)
• Grated zest from one lemon
• ½ tea cinnamon
• ¼ tea cardamon
• 1.5 tea salt
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 TBL sesame seeds

Directions

1. Weigh all dry ingredients and place in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Blend briefly to mix.
2. In a saucepan, gently warm milk to 110 degrees, add sweetener, and yeast, whisking to combine.  Allow yeast to activate until frothy.  Add psyllium husks and allow 5 minutes to gel.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and process or mix for 2 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
4. Turn out onto a floured board knead in raisins and form into a ball. 
5. Gently placed in flour and sesame seed-dusted bowl or proofing basket to rise, cover with a damp towel, and set aside for 45-60 minutes depending on air temperature.
6. 30 minutes prior to baking place the dutch oven with the lid on the rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
7. When the dough is ready to bake gently slide it into the hot dutch oven, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, remove lid from dutch oven and continue baking another 30 minutes. 
8. Despite temptation otherwise, cool this loaf completely before slicing. Cut in slices for toast or into quarters for freezing.  Warm gently at 175 degrees for 20 minutes prior to serving. 

I really did not believe there was a cauliflower recipe I had not tried and then along came this one, and wow!  It is so yummy and so simple I’d make it again tomorrow! 

Inspired by 177Milk Street, Tomato Braised Cauliflower, Rebecca Richmond

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower cut into small florets of similar size
• 1 whole yellow onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ cup of tomato paste
• A pinch or two of red pepper flakes
• A handful of raisins
• ½ tea of cinnamon
• 2 TBL of honey
• Cubes or Crumbles of Vegan Feta
• Chopped toasted almonds
• Steamed Rice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Toss cauliflower pieces with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet ( do not crowd) and roast 15-18  minutes. Edges should brown and pieces should be just fork tender but still hold their shape.
3. While the cauliflower roasts heat a heavy skillet with a splash or two of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft.  Push onion aside and add tomato paste and pepper flakes allowing the paste to darken and thicken further.  Add cinnamon, honey, and raisins mixing well. Tip roasted cauliflower pieces into the pan and stir gently to coat each piece.  
5. Serve with rice and top with feta and chopped almonds.

Borrowed and adapted from Aran Goyoaga Cannelle et Vanille, this is the perfect Saturday cake. Whip it up just after lunch so it will be ready to slice with a cup of tea late afternoon. Adaptable recipes are my thing and this cake stands in well with a variety of seasonal fruits. So far I have tested lemon blueberry, almond cherry, and peach all equally delicious. Bake in a 9 “ springform pan or cast-iron skillet.

Ingredients

• ½ cup or 115 grams of olive oil 
• 1 cup or 140 grams of superfine brown rice flour
• ¾ or 150 grams of coconut sugar
• ¼ cup or 30grams of tapioca starch
• 1.5 t baking powder
• ½ t salt
• Finely grated zest from a lemon, lime or orange
• ½  cup or 115 grams of almond milk
• Egg replacer for two eggs ( I’ve tested this with Bob’s Redmill)
• 1 T of vanilla, or ½ tea of vanilla powder, or almond extract
• Fresh fruit to top such as 6 peaches or plums,  a handful or two of pitted cherries, 8 ounces of blue or other berries.
• Powder sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Brush cake pan or skillet with oil and press a circle of parchment paper in the base. 
3. In a large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.  Then add wet ingredients and extract 
4. Mix well.
5. Pour batter into pan, carefully placing fruit on top.
6. Slide into the preheated oven. Check after 50 minutes with a toothpick. 
7. Allow cake to cool before serving. 

If there’s something to celebrate, and there is always something, you might consider taking it up a notch with whipped coconut cream or a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream. 

I also think it’s worth experimenting with flours considering oat flour or buckwheat in place of the brown rice.

The saffron in this Saffron Pumpkin soup adds touch of elegance that will make it seem like you’ve made a gourmet restaurant style soup – because you just did!

Seed Topping

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• A pinch of  red pepper flakes

1. Set oven at 350 degrees.
2. Toss seeds together in a bowl and spread on a parchment paper-covered sheet pan.
3. Roast in the oven for 10 mins.  Allow to cool and store in an airtight container until use.

Soup

• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced 
• Medium pumpkin or butternut squash seeded and cubed
• Salt and Pepper

1. Set oven to 450 degrees
2. Toss oil, onion, pumpkin and place on parchment paper covered sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until edges darken and fork-tender.
3. In stockpot heat together

• 1 liter of veggie broth
• ¼ tea of saffron threads
• Zest from one orange
• A pinch or two of harissa depending on spice preference
• Bunch of kale, removed from stalks and chiffonade cut, blanched
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• A handful of cilantro, leaves removed and chopped

When the pumpkin is roasted tip into stock, add kale and chickpeas.  Heat until warm but do not cook further. Divide into bowls, sprinkle with cilantro and seeds, serve and enjoy!

This is one of those amazingly simple recipes with delightful complex flavors. Perhaps you could serve it alongside of this sourdough gluten free bread?

Ingredients

• 5 medium zucchini
• 3 heaping tablespoons of tahini
• A splash or two of olive oil
• Juice from two lemons
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• A clove of garlic and handful of mint (otional)
• Sea Salt
• Water to thin if needed

Directions

Broil zucchini whole on a rack in the middle of your oven for 45-60 minutes, or until they begin to collapse. Turn with tongs every 15 mins.

Allow to cool completely

Scrape flesh out of skins and into a colander, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain over a bowl.

In your food processor combine the remaining ingredients, withholding water until you see if it is needed to thin the dip.  Add drained zucchini and pulse until blended. 

Topping 

•  A handful of Pine Nuts
• 1 tablespoon of Vegan Butter

In a small skillet toast pine nuts over medium heat, add vegan butter and toss to coat. Use as a topping over the Baba ganoush