You know, going grain-free/gluten-free has not been hard. I suppose we were about 90% of the way there since we’d already cut out pastas, crackers, most breads, and all other processed products containing white flour and refined sugar. The thing that I was leaning on pretty heavily for my kids’ lunches (and my own, as work started intruding on my evenings at home and cutting into making-lunches time the last few months) was sprouted 7-grain bread. I felt ok about buying it not only because it contained sprouted grains, but also because it is a local company. But something always niggled at me. We had cut out so many other easy grab-and-go processed foods, but we still grabbed the sprouted bread on *every* grocery trip. At the beginning of 2013, almost exactly a year into our whole foods/SOLE foods (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) diet changes, I finally confronted the ingredients label without my rose-colored glasses. Can you see the problem?
Ingredients: Whole sprouted grains of red wheat berries, oat groats, rye berries, barley, corn, rice, millet, wheat flour, water, wildflower light amber honey, vital wheat gluten, yeast, molasses, salt.
If you’re a glammed-up over-processed nuritionally-deficient waist-expanding health-deteriorating junk food, please take one step forward. Why, hello, “wheat flour”. Yeah. ”Wheat flour” or “enriched wheat flour” is plain old white flour, wearing spanky clean pre-frayed jeans and a reproduction vintage T and trying to blend in with the newly-hip crunchy crowd.
After confronting the poser, I sighed and decided to go gluten-free, and while I was at it, grain free. We’ve been leaning more and more towards paleo anyways so it wasn’t a big leap. Since cutting out lunch sandwiches, my cheese consumption has gone way down, too, which was about the only dairy product (besides butter) that I was eating with any regularity. Not that I have anything against dairy. I have no problem with the occasional glass of milk or dish of yogurt, or a few slices of cheese. It’s just not part of my daily or even weekly diet right now. This isn’t rigid adherence to paleo/GAPS/any other prescribed food guidelines. I am just actively listening to my body’s responses to what I feed it, and gently, respectfully isolating food experiences in order to hear its response more clearly. The more I do that, the more it tells me exactly how to feed it best. Right now it’s telling me that dairy is not desired or needed, simple as that. Maybe it’s a winter thing, or a hormonal thing, or – who knows? As always, I guess I’ll know more tomorrow.
All that said, here’s the delicious recipe for Almond Flour Biscuits that I used (thank you PaleoinPDX!) and a few pics of our delicious sandwiches.
Almond Flour Biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 c. blanched almond flour
- 2 T. coconut flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 1/4 c. melted ghee, butter or coconut oil (I used coconut oil)
- 3 T. honey
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.
- Add the eggs, melted ghee and honey. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Drop large tablespoons of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a greased baking sheet.
- Run a wet hand or spoon over each biscuit to smooth out and flatten a bit. They get larger in diameter as they bake, but not much higher.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until they’re nicely browned. I like to bake them for about 12 minutes in a normal oven, then put them on convection for 2 more minutes, to brown them up nicely. These are better overdone than underdone, so go with your instincts.
When the biscuits are done, make a delicious bacon, tomato, and avocado sandwich using two of the biscuits. Enjoy!
