Millet Apple Raisin Cake is easy to make, gluten-free, and also featured on the Whole Grains Council website.
Millet Apple Raisin Cake from Leslie Cerier's Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook
Millet Apple Raisin Cake
Leslie Cerier
Millet is a naturally sweet grain, and after cooking it sets up and is sliceable. My daughter Emily loved this healthful and easy cake as a child and still does 20 years later.
1 cup millet, rinsed
3 cups apple juice
1 cup raisins
pinch of sea salt
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the juice is absorbed, and the millet is tender. Give it a stir and then taste it; if the millet is still crunchy, add more juice, cover, and simmer for about 3 minutes, then check for tenderness again.
2. Pour the mixture into a standard loaf pan or pie plate and let it cool for about 1 hour until set. Slice and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Variations:
Use a combination of other fresh or dried fruits, such as pears, apple or apricots. Small fruits are finea s is, but you may want to chop larger fruits.
Try different fruit juices.
Stir in about 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or vanilla extract before pouring the cooked mix into the cooling pan.
Use whole corn grits in place of some or all of the millet.?
Here are some remarkably delicious recipes from Leslie Cerier‘s Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook. Also you will be able to listen to an interview with The Natural Counselor, Irina Wardas HHC AADP, Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert. You will learn what is gluten, what grains are gluten-free, how quick and easy it is to open up a world of health eating pleasure; eat a high fiber, mineral and vitamin rich gluten-free diet, and lots more.
Here is the link to listen to the interview and below you have 2 of the recipes that I gave on the interview: Butternut Squash and Tempeh Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms and Millet Apple Raisin Cake
Butternut Squash and Tempeh Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms
Serves 4 to 6
The cooked butternut squash practically melts to form a sweet sauce in this warming stew. If you use soy-rice tempeh, the dish offers complete protein; or you can just serve it over cooked millet or rice. Chickpea miso is especially complementary to the flavors of this stew, but you can substitute other gluten-free varieties if you like; hearty brown rice, adzuki bean, or millet miso would all be good choices. You can use either red or white wine in this dish—or any other wine for that matter. I recommend using whatever wine you’d like to drink with the stew. For a special treat, try pear or peach wine.
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
2/3 cup wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound tempeh, cubed
4 cups cubed butternut squash
4 cups cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons chickpea miso
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in the wine for about 15 minutes, until they soften.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add the squash, potatoes, water, wine, and mushrooms. (You may want cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces or at least halve larger mushrooms.) Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the butternut squash is melting into the pot.
Stir the miso and mustard into some of the hot broth, then stir the mixture back into the stew, along with the rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Millet Apple Raisin Cake from Leslie Cerier's Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook
Millet is a naturally sweet grain, and after cooking, it sets up and is sliceable. My daughter Emily loved this cake as a child—still does twenty years later. Not only is it quick and easy to make, it’s extremely healthful. In fact, you need not enjoy it just for dessert; instead of pouring it into a pan to set up, you can eat it hot, as a porridge. And as you can see from the variations below, it’s also a very versatile dish. Experiment and tweak it to your liking!
1 cup millet, rinsed
3 cups apple juice
1 cup raisins
Pinch of sea salt
Combine the millet, juice, raisins, and salt in a medium-size saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the juice is absorbed and the millet is tender. Give it a stir, and then taste it; if the millet is still crunchy, add more juice, cover, and simmer for about 3 minutes, then check the tenderness again.
Pour the mixture into a standard loaf pan and let it cool for about 1 hour, until set. Slice and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Variations
Use a combination of other fresh or dried fruits, such as pears, apples, or apricots. Small fruits are fine as is, but you may want to chop fruits that come in larger pieces.
Try different fruit juices.
Stir in about 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or vanilla extract before pouring the batter into the loaf pan.
Use corn grits in place of some or all of the millet.
To use a pressure cooker, just put all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker and lock the lid. Bring up to pressure over high heat, then adjust the heat to maintain pressure and cook for 15 minutes.
Now that the weather here in New England is cooling off, lots of folks are starting to cook and bake. Good news, there are lots of fun, easy and quick recipes in Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook http://lesliecerier.com/cookbooks-gluten-free.html and many reviewers and foodies are loving this cookbook.
Here are some recent links which also offer recipes complete with photos of my latest cookbook.
The Savvy Vegetarian loved the “Millet and Carrots”served with the “Mushroom Sauce” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook. She says that Leslie Cerier’s gem of a cookbook is a collection of easy, quick and simple gluten free recipes. But she has packed a whole lot more than gluten free cooking into 223 pages.” Here is the link to read the full review:http://savvyvegetarian.com/articles/gluten-free-recipes-review.php
Then “Flora’s Kitchen, An Adventure in Gluten-Free Eating”, also blogged about my cookbook on Oct 10th. She said that “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review:
Veggielady4life also reviewed my cookbook and she said, “ I have to say this book is an excellent resource for both gluten-free as well as non-gluten-free cooks. It has a wonderful introductory section that discusses many of the most common gluten-free grains, many of which you probably use every day (without even realizing they are gluten-free!). Corn, millet, oats, quinoa, and rice are just a few examples. She discusses the origin of these grains, cooking methods, and recipe ideas for each one. I found this section extremely interesting, and I learned a good bit about each grain….” Here is the link to read the whole review along with photograph and recipe of the ”Tomato Lentil Stew with Kale” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: http://veggielady4life.com/2010/10/08/tomato-lentil-stew-with-kale/
Well, all this talk about cooking and eating is making me hungry… so I am going to cook. Hope you have a great time feasting on your local harvest, too!
For more great recipes, and for upcoming cooking classes, please go to my website:
Do it like the Clintons. Chelsea Clinton had a gluten-free wedding cake. Why gluten-free? Because millions of people are over eating gluten (wheat, rye and barley) causing migraines, indigestion, fatigue, depression among other chronic ailments. Not only people with gluten-intolerances will benefit from diversifying their diet and including a new variety of gluten-free grains. They are nutritious, delicious and fun to cook with. In fact, I am not gluten intolerant but for over twenty years have been enjoying gluten-free cooking and baking because it has given my family and me increased energy, stamina and variety in our daily meals.
Within my experimentation with gluten-free grains, I ended up creating a wealth of new combinations but I never intended to write a book about gluten-free grains. It wasn’t until I learned about all the nutritional value of my style of cooking that I realized I had something to offer on cooking for health and vitality that everyone can enjoy, gluten-intolerant or not. Gluten-free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook, includes recipes that I created because they are delicious. After eating and serving them for years, I learned that there were many people searching for alternatives to gluten (wheat, rye and barley). The search is up. I wrote a book that features ten gluten-free grains and flours. Using corn, millet, oats, teff, rice, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa along with nut, seed and coconut flour, you’ll never feel deprived. With recipes like Hazelnut Brownies with Chocolate Chips, Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, Banana Cinnamon Pancakes, Corn Muffins, quinoa casseroles, lasagnas, your cooking repertoire will explode and your body will thank you for it.
Eating a gluten-free diet is good for you and the planet. The majority of the wheat grown is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with toxic pesticides that are hard for humans to digest. Our diets have been built around these wheat varieties that yield the highest quantities instead of the highest nutritional content. This book celebrates the earth’s bounty in the kitchen. Being adaptive, creative and conscientious is part of our recipe for reducing our carbon footprint.
You don’t have to be the Clintons to enjoy gluten-free deserts. Here is a hazelnut- chocolate chip brownie that will become one of your favorite recipes whether you’re gluten-free or not:
Hazelnut Brownies with Chocolate Chips
Serves 6 to 8
This is the best brownie recipe I know of—gluten free or otherwise. Enjoy them warm out of the oven. Or, in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, rest assured that they get better every day.
2 eggs
1 cup apple or pear juice
1/4 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely ground raw hazelnuts (skins on) or hazelnut flour (see page 00)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a 9-inch round pan or a standard loaf pan.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients, holding back 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping the bowl to get every last speck of chocolaty goodness. Decorate the top with the remaining chocolate chips.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with only melted chocolate on it). Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating—if you can wait that long!
“Leslie Cerier, author and food industry consultant, also pointed out these ancient grains are also generally organic and GMO-free.”
Read all about ancient grains:
ANCIENT GRAINS
Full Circle
What’s old is new again as artisan bakers and consumers of gluten-free and wellness foods find modern uses for nutrient-packed ancient grains.
BY JENNIFER BARNETT FOX
As consumers grow more versed in the language of whole grains, ancient grains are shaping up as the newest grain frontier. Ancient grains are finding new roles among consumers looking to add variety to their whole-grain consumption or supplement nutrition in gluten-free foods.
But what’s an ancient grain? While no offi cial categorization exists, ancient grains generally include amaranth, teff, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, Kamut and sorghum — all part of the whole-grain family.
Cynthia Harriman of the Whole Grains Council (WGC) joked that ancient grains are, “all the grains that have been so unpopular that no one has bred any new versions over the eons.” In a more serious manner, Ms. Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies for WGC said ancient grains could be defined as, “all grains that are so marginal they’re not included in the US Department of Agriculture consumption statistics, which would mean anything other than wheat, rye, corn, oats and barley.” WGC’s Web site highlights a new whole grain each month.
For the past two decades, celiac home bakers and gluten-free cookbook authors have used the glutenfree ancient grains to add nutrition and texture to their foods. More recently, restaurateurs and adventurous foodies have embraced ancient grains as replacements for traditional rice and pasta side dishes. But familiarity with the unique attributes of ancient grains has been tenuous and interest in the grains lukewarm. That humdrum opinion is waning with predictions that ancient grains could be the “next big thing.” FIT THE PROFILE. Whole grain, ethnically exotic and nutrient-rich, ancient grains hit all the current food trends, and mainstream consumers are taking notice. Ms. Harriman remarked that the fact consumers are asking for quinoa and other ancient grains by name shows they’re on the consumer radar.
WGC member ConAgra Mills is working to revitalize ancient grains for mainstream manufacturers and artisan consumers with its Ancient Grain flour blends. The company offers amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum and teff in gluten-free single-grain flours, standardized or customized multigrain blends or coarse grain and seed inclusions. The company also offers Eagle Mills gluten-free allpurpose multigrain flour.
“Ancient grains aren’t as well known as other whole grains, so many bakers don’t know how to use them. But the knowledge base surrounding these innovative grains is growing,” said Mike Veil, vice-president of marketing, ConAgra Mills, Omaha, NE. “We’re also working to change the perception of ancient grains so that they’re not simply viewed as grains, but flours and, furthermore, blends that can work in any operation or application, particularly mainstream applications.”
Yet the perception of whole grains still remains a challenge, especially among young consumers, according to Project Educate, Act, Thrive at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. The research group’s data found that palatability barriers continue to hold consumption of whole grains down, with children eating around 0.6 to 0.7 servings per day, much less than the recommended three servings.
ARTISAN ENHANCED. If bakers like Michel Suas have anything to say about the matter, ancient grains will have a much larger audience in the next evolution of artisan breads. Like many bakers, Mr. Suas, president and founder of San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI), South San Francisco, CA, previously categorized ancient grains as bad tasting and difficult to work with. On second look, he discovered ancient grains can be used and enjoyed without limitation. “I think ancient grains are coming back to the marketplace because we have more knowledge about the grains,” Mr. Suas said. “Now we are able to produce more consistency, and bakers are seeing the value of the flavor and texture provided by ancient grains.”
This year, SBFI again offered classes on ancient grains for use in both artisan and gluten-free baking. Mr. Suas admitted most of SFBI students arrive with the assumption these grains will only produce bread lacking in flavor and texture. “Forget everything you’ve learned about ancient grains or anything you’ve tasted before,” he continued. “You’ve got to relearn what you know about these grains and reinvent yourself as a baker in order to produce new products.”
STORIED GRAINS. Manufacturers such as Bob’s Red Mill have built their success on a backbone of hearty, wholegrain organic products. The grain purveyor focuses on hard-core enthusiasts, providing grains in whole, flour or blended forms, as well as developing recipes that help consumers get the most from the whole grain’s flavor and nutrition. The company’s heirloom (ancient) grain offerings include quinoa, teff, Kamut grains and amaranth flour.
In addition to the heirloom grains’ hearty nutritional profiles, the company also promotes their storied history. “The culinary crowds are already savvy about grains, and they want new grains, textures and flavors,” said Matt Cox, marketing manager, Bob’s Red Mill. “The heirloom grains have a great narrative that can be traced back to a region, and I think consumers of these grains enjoy a more enlightened, meaningful eating experience because it contains a back-story and narrative.”
Mr. Cox recounted a story about how amaranth, a Mesoamerican grain used ritually by the Aztecs, was banned by the invading Spanish. Viewed as pauper’s food, consumption declined and many South Americans suffered nutritionally. As the US market for amaranth emerged, the stigma attached to the grain was shed and nutrition increased among South Americans who began to eat amaranth again.
NEEDED NUTRITION. Beyond a great story, ancient/heirloom grains have long provided a reliable nutrition option for celiacs and consumers of gluten-free foods. “The beauty of the ancient grains is that you receive all the benefits of whole grains — the germ, bran and endosperm,” said Carol Fenster, who develops gluten-free mixes for Bob’s Red Mill. “All the nutrients are still there, and they are going to digest more slowly as a complex carbohydrate.”
An Italian study in Minerva Med cited the palatability and health benefits from fermenting ancient grains into sourdough-like bread. Researchers found this processing method results in the creation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),•a substance that, according to the National Institutes of Health, can be important in brain health, especially in guarding against seizures. Leslie Cerier, author and food industry consultant, also pointed out these ancient grains are also generally organic and GMO-free.
Ms. Fenster, a life-long celiac, has relied on the use of sorghum as the main protein flour in recipes. The sorghum flour replaces white rice flour. Once grown primarily as animal feed, food-grade or sweet sorghum is now also bred for use as both a grain and flour. The white sorghum eliminates the bitter tannins of the animal-grade red sorghum. Because of the stronger flavors associated with ancient grains, Ms. Fenster recommended that these flours are always blended with starchier flours to provide lift, aeration and a more mild flavor.
Montina, created from a wild Native American rice grass, is another go-to flour for many gluten-free bakers. The high-protein, high-calcium flour is available flaked and gives foods the appearance of a product made with whole wheat. Mesquite flour is another ancient grain option, although its use is less prevalent. The mesquite pod has strong, cocoa-like properties that make it a good match for spiced products but not for bread.
According to Beth Hillson, president, American Celiac Disease Alliance, the nutritional qualities of ancient grains are especially important for gluten-free consumers who already may be nutrient deficient. “All of the ancient grains have a lot of protein and fiber and are nutritionally balanced,” said Ms. Hillson, editor of Living Without magazine. “Traditionally many flours such as the white rice flour used in the production of gluten-free products have only had carbohydrates. Because the gluten is missing, these ancient grains add back needed protein.” These nutritional qualities become all the more important with a growing prevalence of obesity among gluten-free consumers, according to Ms. Fenster.
This year, Kamut International, a producer of Khorasan wheat, a form of Triticum turanicum, will publish research reporting individuals with wheat-sensitivities can tolerate the Kamut brand of grain. The research funded by the Great Falls, MT, company outlines the differences between ancient and modern wheat at a biochemical and nutritional level. The company is also working with SFBI to develop a line of bread mixes made with the grain.
“We try to keep the old grains message new by reporting the results of research, making more people aware of it and by providing additional ways to use the products,” said Bob Quinn, founder, Kamut International.
INCREASING VISIBILITY. As with any unknown, it pays to do your research. Ancient grain applications will continue to grow, but education about the product, processing differences and their nutritional attributes remains an important consideration. “Take all your knowledge of processing, fermentation and technology and apply it to these ancient grains,” Mr. Suas said. “By understanding the grains and their characteristics, we can create something that’s a pleasure to eat.” •
by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review:
