Coconut Cinnamon Buckwheat... bread?

Ever since going Gluten-Free, one of the things I've missed most is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Over at the edible perspective, I found a recipe for the perfect vehicle for peanut butter and jelly! 

I had never heard of socca (aka farinata) before, but apparently it is a popular culinary delight in Italy and France. Socca is typically made with chickpea/garbanzo bean flour (or besan) and baked in a skillet. However, this recipe calls for some buckwheat flour, plump raisins, cinnamon, and shredded coconut! Whooaaa!!

This "bread" is awesome topped with some pumpkin butter (see photo below)!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I used Arrowhead mills, but in all honesty I don't like the taste of it much)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sucanat
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. cinnamon (or more, if desired)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup raisins (dried cherries would be good too!)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Mmmm... pumpkin butter.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well.
3. Grease a 9x9 square pan (I just greased it with some coconut oil)
4. Bake for about 35 minutes.

Classic Carrot Ginger Soup

This soup has just a few simple ingredients, but don't let that fool you! I love the ginger zesty-ness of this soup paired with the slight sweetness of carrots! This is a very warming and stimulating soup brimming with vitamin A for glowing skin. Yum!

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ginger root, peeled and sliced thin
• 1.5 bunches of carrots (I use about 10-11 medium carrots), or roughly 3 cups of chopped carrots
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey (although I know honey isn't considered "vegan")
• 1 tsp. black pepper

1. Heat olive oil, onion, ginger and garlic in large soup pot on stove. Sautee for about 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups broth, soymilk, pepper, honey(or maple syrup), and carrots. 
3. Bring mixture to a simmer. Heat this until carrots are soft.
4. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes (maybe 10-20 minutes). You will be blending this hot mixture next.
5. Blending 1 cup at a time, in batches, blend the soup to a puree.
6. Return the blended soup back to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Serve. 

* I topped mine with some pumpkin seeds (for some added zinc and protein). *

* You could also serve this with some brown rice for extra fiber *

* Try it with some brown rice and half an avocado *

* The variations are endless. Have fun being creative! *