THESE CAROB BROWNIES ARE GLUTEN-FREE

 

Brownies with carob flour as well as chocolate are gluten-free.

Instead of brownies, shall we call them “morenitos,” in honor of their Spanish ingredients? I made them with a new-to-me product, gluten-free carob flour. The carob, also known as locust bean or St. John’s bread—algarrobo in Spanish—is the seed-bearing pod or bean of a tree native to Mediterranean lands. Carob is used as a substitute for chocolate, which it somewhat resembles in flavor, and as a thickening agent (carob gum) in processed foods. Powdered carob makes a good substitute for flour in gluten-free cakes and cookies. 

Carob pods dangle from branches. 

The edible pod has a leathery husk enclosing a sweet pulp that surrounds the seeds. The pulp is dried and ground to powder. The seeds contain a substance useful for gelling foods. Historically, carobs were known as famine food, consumed by humans only when other food was scarce. They continue to be valued as animal fodder. 

Split pod shows pulp.

I first tasted carobs as a child at Sunday school at my synagogue (Illinois) when it was distributed on Tu Bishvat, Jewish arbor day, along with other fruits from Israel such as figs and dates. When I came to Spain I discovered the tree with its dangling pods growing on rough hillsides and on small farmsteads. The pods were harvested in the fall, brought to town on burros, and heaped at a collection point where they gave off a strong, not entirely pleasant smell before being trucked away to be used as animal feed. More recently, I went out to dump compost in a bin at the edge of my property and discovered a couple of Moroccan youths up in the algarrobo tree knocking off the pods and bagging them. Still valuable enough to “steal.” 

Powdered carob.

Although this recipe has hardly any of the ingredients of traditional brownies—carob  flour replaces wheat flour; cacao is reduced; sugar eliminated (the sweetness of carob plus dates makes sugar unnecessary), and olive oil takes the place of butter—the result is surprisingly similar. 

I bought the carob powder at a health-foods stall in my local market. It is organic and untoasted. Supposedly raw carob powder is more bitter than the toasted, but I did not find it bitter at all. I have not tested the recipe with toasted carob powder. The non-gluten flour I used was a mixture of rice, potato, and chickpea flours. These brownies are more cakey than fudgy. As with all brownies, they are exceptionally delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, dollop of whipped cream, or, my choice, unsweetened Greek yogurt. 

Deep chocolaty flavor is even better with a dollop of yogurt.

Gluten-Free Carob Brownies

Morenitos sin Gluten de Algarrobo

Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup pitted and chopped dates

3 large or 4 medium eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup carob flour

¼ cup gluten-free flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons water

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare an 8X8-inch cake pan oiled and lined with parchment.

Combine the oil and dates in a blender and blend until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Batter is chocolaty.

Sift together the carob flour, gluten-free flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the oil-egg mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed, adding enough water to lighten the batter. Fold in the walnuts.

Spread the batter in the baking pan. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the brownies completely before cutting into squares.

Carob pods (algarrobos).

More gluten-free baked goods:

Lemon-Scented Tea Cakes (Magdalenas)

Chocolate-Almond Cake

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

 Ask for Flavors of al-Andalus from your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

Order on amazon.es

***   ***   *** 

ALT CARROT CAKE

 

No-gluten, sugar-free carrot cake.

I baked a cake to celebrate other birthdays, but a cake of which I, too, with my various dietary restrictions, could partake. Call it “alternative” carrot cake. 

The carrots were real enough. But the batter was made with no-gluten flour and sugar substitutes. Instead of the original recipe’s bland “vegetable oil,” I used extra virgin olive oil. The sugar-free frosting should have been made with no-lactose cream cheese, but I was unable to find it. 

I’ve lived a sugar-free life for 20 years now, ever since I found I was pre-diabetic. No sugar, no honey, no maple syrup, but, yes to all fruits. I’m not pretending that fruit is  calorie-free, but it allows me a little wiggle room when it comes to dessert. 

Sugar is valued in baking for its hygroscopic properties, the ability to attract and hold moisture, as well as for sweetness. I have found that dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, and dates are superb substitutes for sugar. They add volume and keep the cake moist. 

I used dates for my carrot cake and I also added some King Arthur Baking Sugar Alternative, a 0-calorie product from the U.S. (erythritol, corn fiber, cane sugar fiber, monk fruit extract and stevia leaf extract). No-gluten flour is easy to find in supermercados in Spain.  Grated orange or lemon peel complements the fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil. I also like spices such as ginger and cardamom with olive oil cakes. 

Dates give the cake sweetness. 

Extra virgin olive oil makes a moist, soft-crumbed cake.

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake

Bizcocho de Zanahoria sin Azucar

Serves 8. For a two-layered cake, double the recipe and bake in 2 pans.

1 cup no-gluten flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

½- ¾ cup pitted and chopped dates

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Grated orange or lemon peel

2 eggs

¼ cup baking sugar substitute (optional)

1 cup peeled and grated carrots

½ cup chopped walnuts

Frosting, optional (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil an 8-inch cake pan and line it with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt.

Combine the dates, olive oil, and grated peel in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a mixing bowl beat the eggs with sugar substitute if using. Beat in the oil-date mixture until smooth. Fold in the carrots. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until well combined. Add the nuts. Pour into the baking pan. Bake the cake until a skewer comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack. Remove parchment and let the cake cool completely. Place it on a cake platter. Spread frosting, if desired.

For the frosting:

Use lactose-free cream cheese, if available.

Cream cheese (approx. ½ cup)

Grated orange or lemon peel

Liquid stevia sweetener, to taste

Beat the cream cheese with grated peel until smooth. Add sweetener to taste. Spread on cake. 

***   ***   ***

Note: When I am testing recipes for traditional pastries and puddings, such as those that appear in my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, I use real sugar and honey, not substitutes. Yes, I taste, but I give away the rest. Interestingly, many Spanish "sweets" don't require sugar. An example is the dough for buñuelos, or fritters, that are customarily rolled in sugar after frying. 

***   ***   ***

More sugar-free cakes:

Applesauce-Prune Spice Cake.

Apple Cake with Sweet Wine

More gluten-free cakes:

Chocolate-Almond Torte.

Gluten-Free Tea Cakes (Magdalenas)

***   ***   *** 

Did you know? The Arabs introduced sugar cane and the making of sugar to al-Andalus, the Muslim kingdoms of medieval Spain. Read more about sugar in my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus.

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

This new cookbook has lots of recipes for cakes, cookies, and pastries, perfect for upcoming holidays.  Ask for Flavors of al-Andalus from your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS by Janet Mendel is the #1 New Release in Spanish Cooking on Amazon!

Order on amazon.es

***   ***   *** 

A SUMMERTIME DISH, SWEET OR SAVORY

 A basket of ruby-red cherries and a flat of bright cherry tomates were keeping company on my kitchen table. Why not use them in a joint effort, for a dish, either sweet or savory, full of summer’s essence?

Clafoutis is a baked fruit dish, of French origin. It’s dense and eggy, somewhere between quiche and cake. The dessert version, traditionally made with black cherries, can be made with any sweet cherry, such as the cerezas or picotas now in Spanish markets, or other stone fruit such as nectarines, peaches or apricots. The savory version is with cherry tomatoes and diced zucchini. 

Twins, sort of--cherry clafoutis at the top and cherry tomato clafoutis below. Clafoutis is a baked custardy dish, sweet or savory. 

The batter for clafoutis, somewhat like pancake batter, is quickly mixed in a blender. The sweet and savory versions are basically the same. The cherry clafoutis has sugar —but not much—added to the fruit and to the batter. The tomato version has more salt, some chopped onion and fresh herbs (I used oregano). These cherry tomatoes are so sweet that this version could have been prepared with sugar, exactly like the cherry version. 

Just to keep things interesting, I added almond flour to the fruit version and, for the savory recipe, I subbed gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour. 

Use a round, oval or square baking dish or oven-safe skillet to bake the clafoutis. They will puff up in baking, but deflate as they cool. Serve clafoutis warm or chilled, scooped or sliced. Cream is a nice accompaniment to the cherry clafoutis; Greek yogurt goes well with both the fruit and the savory one.

Cherries bake suspended in a dense custard. 

This fruit dessert is not overly sweet. Whipped cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt goes nicely with it.

The savory version, with cherry tomatoes and zucchini, is flavored with snippets of fresh oregano.

These cherry tomatoes really pop with flavor!

Clafoutis with Cherries

Flan de Cerezas

18 ounces fresh cherries, pitted (3 cups)

Olive oil for the baking dish

4 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ cups whole milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup almond flour (unsweetened)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup flour

Powdered sugar (optional)

Pit the cherries. (18 ounces whole cherries made about 15 ounces, 3 cups,  pitted.) 

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cherries in baking dish.

Lightly oil a 5-cup baking dish. Spread the cherries in the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a blender container with the milk, eggs, vanilla, almond flour and salt. Blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. Add the flour and mix at low speed until blended. Pour the batter over the cherries in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on the top.

Bake the clafoutis until browned on top and set in the center (test with a thin skewer), about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve the clafoutis, warm or chilled, dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.

Clafoutis will puff up while baking, deflate as it cools. 

Clafoutis of Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes

Pastel de Calabacín y Tomates Peras

Use gluten-free crumbs and flour for this recipe, if desired. 

1 cup diced zucchini

Salt

Oil for the baking dish

4 tablespoons grated aged cheese

2 tablespoons fine dry (gluten-free) breadcrumbs

8 ounces cherry tomatoes

Chopped fresh herbs

1 ½ cups whole milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ cup (gluten-free) flour

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the diced zucchini in a colander and sprinkle it generously with salt. Let it drain 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Spread zucchini, tomatoes in baking dish.

Oil a 5-cup baking dish. Combine 3 tablespoons of the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs. Spread the cheese-crumb mixture in the baking dish.

Spread the tomatoes in a single layer in the baking dish. Pat the zucchini dry and tuck it around the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little chopped herbs.

In a blender container, combine the milk, eggs, onion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Blend until smooth. On low speed, blend in the flour and pepper.

Pour the batter over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden-brown, about 45 minutes. Serve, hot, warm or cold.

More recipes with cherries:

Cherry Gazpacho.

Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Ketchup.

Sangría with Cherries.

More recipes with cherry tomatoes:

Sauté of Beans and Cherry Tomatoes.

Pear Gazpacho with Cherry Tomatoes.

Cucumber Gazpacho with Cherry Tomatoes.

MENU FOR SUMMERTIME EASY LIVING

Keep it cool, keep it simple. That’s my advice to self in planning summertime menus.  Even with the “new normal” easing of restrictions, I keep my shopping to a minimum. I’m looking to the garden, the pantry and the freezer for meal-planning inspiration. 

A few zucchini from the garden (before searing terral winds left the plants stripped and desiccated) inspired me to plan a vegetarian menu starring this summer vegetable. Zucchini pancakes are the main course. Add a sauce, some baba ghanoush (dip made with roasted eggplant), pita crisps, couscous taboulleh salad and fresh tomatoes to create a complete meal.

Made with chickpea flour, the zucchini pancakes are gluten-free. I’ve also got a recipe for a vegan alternative, zucchini fritters with no egg, no cheese.

Zucchini pancakes are the main dish for a vegetarian menu that includes eggplant dip with pita crisps, sliced tomatoes, taboulleh salad with couscous and a sauce of cilantro and yogurt. Cool. Simple. Summer.

A garlicky, lemony eggplant dip made with char-roasted eggplant from the previous night's grill meal. Pita crisps are perfect for dipping.

Eggplant was roasted on the grill the previous day. The flesh scooped out and mixed with tahina (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice and garlic makes tasty baba ghanoush dip.

Couscous needs no cooking. With olive oil, lemon, chopped cucumber and tomatoes and lots of fresh mint, it makes an easy taboulleh salad.

Zucchini pancakes are fried in olive oil. They can be served room temperature or reheated in the oven.

A splendid summer meal--zucchini pancakes with yogurt sauce, pita crisps with eggplant dip, couscous salad and tomatoes. 

A bit of grated cheese gives the pancakes a creamy texture. I used chopped basil for a summery flavor.

These fritters (vegan) are similar to the pancakes. Without the egg, they fry up very crisp.

Zucchini Pancakes

Tortitas de Calabacín

Your choice of fresh herbs to mix into the batter—parsley, basil, cilantro, mint or dill are all good.

Add the batter to the pan by tablespoons and flatten them to about 3 inches.

Makes 8-10 small pancakes.

Instead of wheat flour.

1 pound zucchini (1 medium-large)
¼ medium onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated cheese (such as cured Manchego)
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Pinch of hot pimentón (paprika) or cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
3-4 tablespoons chickpea flour
Olive oil for frying
Yogurt sauce to serve (optional)

Drain grated zucchini.

Use a box grater or food processor to grate the zucchini and onion. Place them in a colander and mix with the salt. Allow to drain 30 minutes. Squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the cheese, pepper, cumin and hot pimentón. Stir in the chopped herbs and chickpea flour. Mix in the drained zucchini and onion. Batter should be about the consistency of pancake batter. (The batter can be prepared up to this point and allowed to stand up to 3 hours.)

Add ¼ inch of oil to a heavy skillet. Heat over moderately high heat. Scoop up zucchini batter with a tablespoon and drop into the oil. Pat it out to a thin disk. Regulate heat so the pancakes don’t brown too fast, allowing the zucchini to cook. Turn the pancakes once and brown reverse sides. (Fry them in two batches so as not to crowd the pan.) Remove and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot or room temperature, accompanied by sauce, if desired. (The pancakes can be prepared in advance and reheated in a moderate oven.)

Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce

Aliño de Yogur con Cilantro

Chopped fresh cilantro adds pungency to the creamy yogurt. Spoon it on the pancakes.

½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
Chopped guindillas or jalapeños (optional)

Mix together the yogurt, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt and guindillas, if using.

Zucchini Fritters

Tortitas de Calabacín

A thin batter makes a lacy, crisp fritter.

These crisp fritters make a great snack or tapa with drinks. Serve them with the same sauce as the pancakes or with sliced lemon.

Don’t squeeze the moisture out of the grated zucchini. Add enough water to make a loose batter that spreads into a lacy disc in the skillet.

The fritters are best served shortly after frying.

Add water to make a loose batter.

1 cut grated zucchini (6 ounces, about ½ zucchini)
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ cup chickpea flour
2 tablespoons cold water
Olive oil for frying
Salt

Combine the grated zucchini, onion and parsley in a bowl. Add the chickpea flour and use a fork to combine it. Add the water and mix to make a loose batter. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes and mix it again.

Fry the batter in olive oil.

Heat oil to a depth of ¼ inch in a heavy skillet. Scoop up batter with a fork and drop into the oil. Fry until well browned and turn the fritter to brown on the reverse side. Remove the fritters as they are cooked and drain them on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.

Serve the fritters hot or room temperature.

Fritters are best served right after they're fried.

Tomatoes from the garden. Must be summertime.

Accompaniments:
Pita Crisps.
Couscous Taboulleh.

Another vegetable pancake/fritter: Spinach Fritters.

More recipes with zucchini:
Fried Zucchini "Fish."
Zucchini Tubs Stuffed with Shrimp.
Zucchini Boats Stuffed with Vegetables and Quinoa.
Batter-Fried Zucchini.
Zucchini Timbale.
Zucchini Flan.
Zucchini Noodles with Pesto.
Tortilla with Zucchini and Potatoes.
Quickie Zucchini (microwave).
Zucchini-Chocolate Cake.

MEATBALLS, REJIGGERED

I’m crazy for meatballs. But I don’t relish the process of making them. I don’t mind rolling them, but flouring and frying a few dozen balls is a pain. I started out intending to try the oven-roasting method to cook the meatballs and wound up giving my favorite meatball recipe a complete re-make. 

Besides doing away with the frying, I eliminated the carbs (bread) from both the meatballs and the traditional almond sauce. And, I used ground chicken thighs instead of the usual pork-beef ground meat. I must say, I’m delighted with the results.

A remake of a traditional Spanish meatball recipe. The meatballs are made with ground chicken, there's no bread and they're not fried. The sauce is classic, though, with almonds and saffron.

Bread in meatball mix is not just filler. It actually keeps the meat from compacting, preventing dense, hard, dry balls.  So, I needed to replace the bread with something. Ground almonds were the perfect solution. They contributed moistness, richness and flavor. (Other gluten-free additions—although not low-carb—are chickpea flour, oat flakes, cooked rice or cornmeal.) Finely chopped mushrooms added meatiness and juiciness to the ground chicken.

In 10 minutes of roasting, the meatballs were done (no longer pink in the center), but they were browned only on the bottom. I tried turning some of them and placing them under the broiler for a few minutes, but I decided I liked the meatballs best juicy and pale, the better to show off the golden saffron sauce.

For the sauce, I eliminated the bread that usually thickens the sauce and increased the quantity of almonds.

Meatballs in almond sauce are favorite tapa bar fare.

A tapa-sized portion. In a tapas bar, meatballs are served with a few patatas fritas (fries) and chunks of bread. In keeping with the low-carb theme, I served them with neither potatoes nor bread.

Meatballs for dinner, with "zoodles"--low-carb zucchini noodles.

Meatballs in Almond-Saffron Sauce
Albóndigas en Salsa de Almendras

Makes 30 meatballs.

For the meatballs:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces mushrooms (1 cup finely chopped)
1 egg
½ cup ground almonds (unsweetened)
¼ cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grating of fresh nutmeg
1 ½ pounds ground chicken thighs

Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the chopped mushrooms until they have lost their moisture and begin to sizzle in the oil (4 minutes). Remove from heat and let them cool slightly.

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Mix in the almonds, onions, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms and oil from the skillet. 

Mix meat in very lightly.

Use a fork to fold the ground chicken into the mixture in the bowl.

Cook one meatball to taste.

(Fry one meatball in a small skillet to taste for seasoning.)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment. 

Form the chicken mixture into walnut-sized balls. (If you like precision, that’s about 1 ounce per ball.) Place them as they are shaped on the baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. 

Roast the meatballs until just done, 10-12 minutes. (If you want them to brown on two sides, turn them after 6 minutes.)

Roasted meatballs are browned only on the bottoms.

For the almond-saffron sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup blanched and skinned almonds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon saffron
10 peppercorns
1 clove
¼ cup hot water
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Fry almonds till golden and crisp.

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the almonds and garlic until golden. Skim out the almonds and garlic and place them in a blender. Leave the oil in the skillet.

Crush the saffron, peppercorns and clove in a mortar. Add hot water and let the saffron infuse. 

Add the wine to the blender with almonds and garlic. Add the spices and water. Blend the mixture to make a smooth paste. 

Pour the almond mixture into the oil in the skillet. Stir in the chicken stock. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon). Simmer the sauce, stirring, until it is smooth and thickened, about 8 minutes.

To serve, add the roasted meatballs to the sauce and reheat them. Serve the meatballs garnished with chopped parsley.

Ground almonds help to keep oven-roasted meatballs juicy and tender. The dark flecks in the meatballs are chopped mushrooms, which add to the meatiness.

More meatball recipes:

Traditional Meatballs in Almond Sauce.

Piquant Cocktail Meatballs.

Middle Eastern Meatball Soup.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine.

More recipes with almond-saffron sauce:

Chicken with Almond Sauce (Pepitoria).

Cauliflower with Almond Sauce.

Seafood Bisque with Almonds.

More low-carb recipes:

Low-Carb Paella.