Breakfast loaf - gluten, nut and dairy free

After fasting for 10 or so hours, our body is craving fuel, and what better way to satisfy that craving than by a nutrient packed brekky?!  It is not only beneficial physically, but emotionally, having a good breakfast tends to pave the way for better food choices throughout the day. 

I have raved before about the base of this recipe in a previous post where I made it into a cheese and herb loaf, although you may notice a slight colour difference this time around??!!!  Cyndi O'Mearas Gluten Free Bread recipe, featured in the Thermomix GF recipe book, is the recipe I use exclusively now to make my weekly loaf of bread.  It is so easy and I love that a large percentage of the ingredients are freshly milled at the time of making the loaf.



So back to this recipe.  I was looking for a bit of a change for this weeks loaf, and came up with this, my take on a fruit loaf, although with a lot of nutrition packed in for a great start to the day!

The black and red rice that I used (and obviously the reason for the striking purple colour) contains high levels of anthocyanins, antioxidants found in blue and purple fruits and vegetables such as blueberries.

The spices used were cinnamon and ground ginger, although you may have a preference for nutmeg, cloves, or even raw cacao powder or Crio Bru granules for a chocolately, antioxidant burst!

I also added sunflower kernels, which could be substituted with pepitas, sesame seeds, crushed nuts of choice, or even puffed amaranth/millet.

In terms of the fruit, I had raisins in the cupboard and lovely crisp fresh apples from the orchard to be used, however the dried and fresh fruits you could use in place of these are endless.  Try cranberries and fresh peaches, dried apricots and fresh pears, banana chips and fresh dates.....

Now if you don't have a Thermomix, don't despair, I will include a list of ingredients and method for you too!  Although I must say I have not yet stumbled across black or red rice flour so you may need to use brown rice flour instead.

So if you aren't satisfied after eating a couple of slices of this dense, moist, flavour and nutrient packed loaf, I'll be surprised!!  But just to make sure you are totally satisfied (and ticking all of the boxes in the Healthy Diet Pyramid in one go), toast a slice and spread with smooth ricotta, top with some fresh berries and a drizzle of raw honey!!

Enjoy....

Breakfast Loaf - gluten, nut and dairy free

Thermomix method

Ingredients

220g rice (I used red and black glutinous but basmati and brown would work just as well if you didn't want the purple colour!!)
80g quinoa
40g dried chickpeas and raw buckwheat kernels
140g cornflour/arrowroot flour
40g mixed seeds of choice (I used linseeds and chia seeds)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum/guar gum
2 tsp dried yeast
a pinch or two of ground sea salt
30g rapadura/raw sugar (honey could also be used here)
400g luke warm water
30g olive oil (or any vegetable or nut oil)
1 tbs vinegar (white or apple cider)
2 eggs
150g raisins
1 handful of sunflower seeds
1 tsp spice of your choice (I used cinnamon and ground ginger)
1 apple, cored and sliced relatively finely

cinnamon and extra sugar to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Place rice, quinoa, chickpeas and buckwheat in TM bowl and mill on speed 9 for 1 minute to make flour.
2. Add cornflour, seeds, xanthan gum, yeast, salt, sugar (if using honey add in the next step) and spices and mix on speed 4 for 15 seconds.
3. Add honey (if using), water, oil, vinegar and eggs and mix for approx 30 seconds on speed 5-6, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.  You may need slightly more water if the mixture isn't looking like a 'tornado'!!  
4. Add raisins and sunflower kernels and mix on REVERSE for a further 20 seconds on speed 4-5 or until thoroughly combined.
5. Pour half the mixture into a greased deep loaf pan.  Line the top with sliced apple.  Cover with remaining mixture and top with ground cinnamon and sugar.
6. Leave for 30 minutes to rise and turn oven on 180 degrees to preheat while the loaf is rising.
7. Place loaf in oven and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked.  Turn out onto a cooling rack immediately.

Conventional method

Ingredients

220g rice flour (preferably brown rice flour - available from some supermarket health food sections, otherwise health food shops)
120g mix of quinoa flour, chickpea flour and buckwheat flour (or alternative gluten free flours you prefer)
140g cornflour/arrowroot flour
40g mixed seeds of choice (I used linseeds and chia seeds)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum/guar gum
2 tsp dried yeast
a pinch or two of ground sea salt
30g rapadura/raw sugar (honey could also be used here)
1 tsp spice of your choice (I used cinnamon and ground ginger)
400g luke warm water
30g olive oil (or any vegetable or nut oil)

1 tbs vinegar (white or apple cider)

2 eggs
150g raisins
1 handful of sunflower seeds

1 apple, cored and sliced relatively finely
cinnamon and extra sugar to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Place the first 9 ingredients in your food processor or electric mixer with a paddle.  Mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Add water, olive oil, vinegar and eggs and mix on medium until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, possibly needing more water to get a more pliable mix.
3. Add raisins and sunflower seeds.  Mix gently until thoroughly combined.
4. Follow steps 5, 6 and 7 above.