(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)
Going gluten free can be really hard. Not everything is easy to make from scratch and have it come out great. An added problem is many of the gluten free foods have some nasty ingredients - but not Namaste Brand, which is a staple in our house.
Prior to making our home wheat and gluten free, I used to bake a lot - breads, muffins, pizza dough etc... all from scratch. I would use whole wheat flours mixed with white, I would even add gluten to my bread!
When I first went wheat and gluten free, I would mix flours and make things from scratch... then I discovered All Purpose Gluten Free Flour - yippee! I still make some things from specific flours, but the AP GF Flour is handy for so many recipes.
For pizzas, muffins and pancakes, all of my gluten free attempts, be they with a mix of healthy flours or using All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, were less than impressive. I love our cauliflower and also our quinoa pizza crusts, but it's not the same really...
Then I tried Namaste brand, and my whole family fell in love with them!
Namaste Sugar Free, Gluten Free Muffins
This mix makes perfect fluffy muffins, and we have them a couple times a month. We add cinnamon and vanilla, then a load of frozen raspberries or blueberries - soooo yummy! No sweeteners needed at all. They are best hot from the oven, okay the next day, but the third day quite chewy - so eat them fast :)
Namaste Gluten Free Waffle and Pancake Mix
Much better than anything I have made from scratch (both gluten free and non gluten free). For pancakes, I have to add almost twice the amount of recommended liquid (I like a thinner batter than most people). We just add a bit of vanilla and cinnamon. You can also use yogurt or milk kefir as the liquid for extra fluffy pancakes. Add liquid until the batter is the consistency you like.
We did a taste test with the Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Pancake Mix, we found Arrowhead Mills a bit heavier, but worth trying to see which you prefer.
Namaste Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
We have this once a week, and it is by far a family favorite!
I followed the instructions exactly, and used my food processor with the plastic blade to mix the batter.
I line a baking tray with parchment/baking paper and spread the batter thin with an offset spatula. It's never really even, but it always comes out great!
In the oven, the crust really puffs up, after the recommended 20 minutes, I take it out, flip it, press down any huge bubbles and bake it again for a few minutes for extra crispness, before taking it out again and adding the sauce and cheese before the final bake.
My favorite cheese is to mix mozzarella and goat cheese!
Comes out really great every time. The crust has lots of flavor, with a nice crunch. It also works in long thin strips as 'not' bread sticks.
The only negative is that it doesn't really work for 'cold pizza for breakfast' - but then again, it is soooo good, we rarely have leftovers!
Pizza Tips:
If you have one, use a pizza stone in the oven under the tray
Always cool on a rack before slicing - you can use an oven rack if you don't have anything else
Going gluten free can be really hard. Not everything is easy to make from scratch and have it come out great. An added problem is many of the gluten free foods have some nasty ingredients - but not Namaste Brand, which is a staple in our house.
Prior to making our home wheat and gluten free, I used to bake a lot - breads, muffins, pizza dough etc... all from scratch. I would use whole wheat flours mixed with white, I would even add gluten to my bread!
When I first went wheat and gluten free, I would mix flours and make things from scratch... then I discovered All Purpose Gluten Free Flour - yippee! I still make some things from specific flours, but the AP GF Flour is handy for so many recipes.
For pizzas, muffins and pancakes, all of my gluten free attempts, be they with a mix of healthy flours or using All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, were less than impressive. I love our cauliflower and also our quinoa pizza crusts, but it's not the same really...
Then I tried Namaste brand, and my whole family fell in love with them!
Namaste Sugar Free, Gluten Free Muffins
This mix makes perfect fluffy muffins, and we have them a couple times a month. We add cinnamon and vanilla, then a load of frozen raspberries or blueberries - soooo yummy! No sweeteners needed at all. They are best hot from the oven, okay the next day, but the third day quite chewy - so eat them fast :)
Namaste Gluten Free Waffle and Pancake Mix
Much better than anything I have made from scratch (both gluten free and non gluten free). For pancakes, I have to add almost twice the amount of recommended liquid (I like a thinner batter than most people). We just add a bit of vanilla and cinnamon. You can also use yogurt or milk kefir as the liquid for extra fluffy pancakes. Add liquid until the batter is the consistency you like.
We did a taste test with the Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Pancake Mix, we found Arrowhead Mills a bit heavier, but worth trying to see which you prefer.
Namaste Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
We have this once a week, and it is by far a family favorite!
I followed the instructions exactly, and used my food processor with the plastic blade to mix the batter.
I line a baking tray with parchment/baking paper and spread the batter thin with an offset spatula. It's never really even, but it always comes out great!
In the oven, the crust really puffs up, after the recommended 20 minutes, I take it out, flip it, press down any huge bubbles and bake it again for a few minutes for extra crispness, before taking it out again and adding the sauce and cheese before the final bake.
My favorite cheese is to mix mozzarella and goat cheese!
Comes out really great every time. The crust has lots of flavor, with a nice crunch. It also works in long thin strips as 'not' bread sticks.
The only negative is that it doesn't really work for 'cold pizza for breakfast' - but then again, it is soooo good, we rarely have leftovers!
Pizza Tips:
If you have one, use a pizza stone in the oven under the tray
Always cool on a rack before slicing - you can use an oven rack if you don't have anything else
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