Quoda’s Space Blog Rotating Header Image

What the Teff?

A few weeks ago I was at the grocery store and I spotted some teff in the little gluten-free section of Schnucks. It was pretty exciting. At the time I was considering picking up some gluten-free oats. I miss oatmeal, I must admit, but the thought of paying eleventy billion times as much money for oatmeal that *probably* won’t make me sick isn’t the most appealing thing ever. Still, I was thinking I’d pick up some gluten-free Bob’s Red Mill oats and see how it went. I figured I could always give them away to one of my friends if it didn’t end up working out.

Instead of finding oats, though, I found teff. And teff was much, much cheaper than those oats would have been. Hmm, teff. I’d heard of it before, heard it made a tasty cereal and was healthy. I glanced at the back of the package to see that it contained a nice amount of iron and fiber. Well, it was worth a shot!

Reading the back of the package I found a recipe for teff chocolate pudding. I have to say I was intrigued by the concept. At the time, I was feeling a bit ill, feeling rather anemic, and craving chocolate something fierce. So I took the plunge.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup teff
  • 3ish tablespoons cocoa powder
  • A splash of vanilla extract
  • Sugar to taste

To start, I had to bring the water and the teff to a boil. I used a small pot, so I spent some good quality time stirring to keep anything from overcooking. Once I had a boil, I reduced the heat as low as it can go on my stove, which is to “Wm.” I assume this means “Warm.” You never know with my old fashioned high-technology GE stove with the push button burners, the grill attachment, the dual oven (self cleaning!), the rotisserie setting (alas, no spit), and the other features I don’t even begin to understand.

The water was brought down to a simmer. I stirred, then put the lid on. The teff has to cook for 15-20 minutes or so till it thickens and the water is absorbed. Occasional stirring is a good idea to keep it from getting lumpy or sticky.

Once it was done, I took off the lid and removed the pot from heat. Let it cool at room temp for another 15 minutes or so.

Then the fun part! I added the cocoa, vanilla, and sugar. The recipe on the package calls for molasses, I think. I’d have to check it. It says you could use carob powder. I’m sure you can use whatever sweetener.

Then I went at the mixture with my stick blender! This, in retrospect, was a terrible idea. My stick blender met the goopy teff and decided it would rather die than mix. Some little black piece of vital importance broke and the blades wouldn’t even spin. Thankfully, the blender didn’t leave anything behind in my teff.

My second batch went into the regular blender, which I use every morning for smoothies. That batch was smooth and pudding-y. The first batch was a little grainier.

My third batch, the one I just made, didn’t even get blendered. The texture of the grain is just fine anyway. I added a bit of stevia and sugar this time, just to cut the sugar down a little.

All the batches were delicious. They weren’t in-your-face chocolatey, but they were tasty. I think this tastes better fresh from the fridge, so that’s how I eat it in the morning. It’s a true indulgence eating chocolate cereal for breakfast. I sometimes add milk or even heavy cream to make it even better. It would probably taste great with petroleum whipped cream (cool whip). I’ll have to try that at some point.

So the bottom line is if you’re looking for a new breakfast that is not processed and is an actual whole grain instead of a package declaring that it once contained whole grain that has now been pulverized and enriched, give teff a try. It is very tasty and nutritious. It would probably be a tasty hot cereal with nuts and fruit, too (ooo, it would probably play nice with hazelnuts!). Yay teff!

Going Gluten-Free? Get This Mix, Save Breakfast!

I love breakfast. Breakfast is an awesome meal. My typical breakfast before going gluten-free was a hearty bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon, sugar, and raisins. I love pancakes. I love biscuits. Bacon, eggs, sausage, all are delicious. Sometimes I’ll eat some fruit and some yogurt. The bottom line remains: I love breakfast.

Going gluten-free meant serious breakfast adjustment. I haven’t yet taken the plunge into the world of gluten-free oats (though I will soon). My typical breakfast is usually polenta. Sometimes bacon, sometimes fried or baked eggs, sometimes sausage. But polenta is the big standby.

One gluten-free mix has saved breakfast. It’s Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. I bought the product at that link, meaning I got a ridiculous 12 pounds of it. But I have no regrets. Why? Because it’s so versatile and it has made breakfast such a pleasure again!

I can use it for pancakes so good my gluten eating sister can’t tell. I can use it for biscuits so good they don’t need gravy, but if I want gravy the mix makes an awesome roux and a delicious gravy in no time. I can use it for quick breads, for cookies, even for pizza crust in a pinch. Though I adore Annalise Roberts’ book Gluten Free Baking Classics and I love her brown rice flour mix for cookies and quick breads and muffins and pizza, Pamela’s mix makes quick, delicious gluten-free goodies.

This morning I had biscuits and gravy for the first time since going gluten-free. I missed it so! My gravy was a bit thick (my own fault for not adding more milk when the time was right!) but so delicious. I fried my bacon and whipped up the biscuit mix. It was so simple. I just cut in some shortening and stirred in some milk, then dropped my biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and sent them on their merry way into the oven. I’ve made gluten-free biscuits before from Whole Foods’ gluten-free biscuit mix, but what I got were entirely too white and entirely too sweet to satisfyingly call “biscuits.” The Pamela’s mix biscuits were full of flavor (like the pancakes!) and so tasty I could have skipped gravy. No weird sweet taste. Just delicious.

After draining my bacon and pouring off some grease, I used the remaining drippings with a couple tablespoons Pamela’s mix to make my roux. It cooked up quickly and I added milk. I’ve had mixed results with roux before, but I hadn’t tried Pamela’s mix until I brought it over to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. There, the mix contributed to delicious turkey gravy. Today I used it to make a fabulous bacon gravy. It thickened up quickly… I should have added more milk but it was still so delicious. My biscuits and gravy longing is satisfied!

I’m so glad that I’m learning how to use gluten-free flours and mixes to keep on cooking. Life is different without wheat, but eating delicious food and feeling better make it all worthwhile!

What’s For Dinner? BBQ Black Bean Tacos

Mmm beans. As I continue to dive into the world of being a gluten-free half vegetarian, I’m finding that beans are quite tasty. I made a huge batch of black beans awhile back in my crock pot. Those beans were eaten in several varieties of black bean taco, but I still had beans left. So I made this recipe I saw on Apartment Therapy and it was scrumptious.  But I still had beans left, and still had the black bean mash from the recipe. They went into the freezer.

But I’m determined not to make the freezer the graveyard for leftovers, so that black bean mash came right back out to be eaten tonight! It was a super easy recipe. Here’s how it works:

1) Make corn tortillas. I used to eat store bought gluten-free corn tortillas, but they are the grossest thing ever. Needless to say I was pleased to learn how to make the tortillas myself at Gluten Free Girl.  I’m sure you think it will be difficult, but it’s NOT. It’s so easy. Two parts masa harina (mine is Maseca, and it’s in the regular grocery store!), one part water. Mix. Grab some dough, roll into a ball. Press. You don’t need a tortilla press, just use a plastic ziploc bag or some wax paper.

2) Cook tortillas. I cooked mine on medium-high heat in a nonstick pan with a little canola oil spray. After the first flip, I sprinkled on a little cheddar cheese and squirted on a little Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce.

3) Meanwhile, I reheated the beans in the microwave. Took about a minute. Easy.

4) After the cheese melted, I slid my cheesy saucy tortilla onto a plate and spooned some beans on top. Then I ate it. It was so good.

You could probably easily add cilantro or some lettuce. They are a bit on the messy side but it’s such a tasty and quick meal that it’s worth it.

I still have a few cups of unseasoned, unmashed black beans in the freezer. I’m going to turn them into soup next week. I’m thinking something along the lines of this black bean soup with cola. I actually have Pepsi in a 2-liter bottle in the fridge right now. I almost never have soda in the house, so this seems like a good time to use it.

Tis the Craft Season: Saving Bath Bombs

I’m making bath bombs again! I had two perfect batches of them under my belt and went to make a third today. If you want to know more about making bath bombs, Not Martha has a great guide and some links. The PDF guide I am learning from is not available right now, but it may come back soon… I hope so!

Anyway, the process is fairly simple but the techniques take a bit of practice. These make great Christmas gifts. Mine are being sold in a workplace holiday craft fair. Hey, I work with creative people! It makes sense!

Anyway, the basic process is like this:

  • 2 parts baking soda
  • 1 part citric acid
  • Sift the above together
  • Add color and scent
  • Spray a little witch hazel on mix, work mix with hands (gloves are a good idea. I use the thin disposable kind)
  • Add enough moisture that the mix just barely holds its shape when squeezed. This is the hardest part! Too wet and your bombs will stick and “grow” (form yucky lumps as the chemical reaction takes place). Too dry and they will crack. This will take practice. Err on the dry side!
  • Put mix in molds
  • Unmold bath bombs and allow to dry for a few hours

The tricky step, the moisture step, got me today. A good bath bomb should stick together just right and slip effortlessly out of its mold. A bad bath bomb will stick or crack or generally be a pain. I got four good bath bombs and two that stuck terribly to their molds. I was going to just pitch them when it dawned on me… these bath bombs can be saved!

I put the failed bath bombs back in the mixing bowl. I washed the molds and thoroughly dried them. Over the top of the bad bath bombs I sifted just a little baking soda/citric acid mix (I used 1/4 cup citric acid and 1/2 cup baking soda). Then I used my gloved hands to crumble the bad bath bombs in with the new mix. It’s not necessary to add more color or scent when working with so little base mix. Anyway, after that I added witch hazel again, this time getting the right consistency. When my test bomb fell effortlessly out of the mold and held its shape, I knew I had it!

Now I have 7 good bath bombs, 1 okay bath bomb (kinda misshapen), and 1 half bomb. Much better than throwing away the bad!

I’m experimenting with additions to my bath bombs… I’m using a little Epsom salt in my current batches. Sometimes I put the scent in with dendritic salt, which is just regular salt with a different crystal shape (sort of). I’m going to make a few batches of foaming bath bombs, which use a sulfate to make a slow foaming bath bomb. If you like Lush products, this is like what Haagenbath used to do. I’m going to try it with my vanilla spice bombs this year.

Anyway, bath bombs are a nice beginning foray into the world of bath product making. I’m selling lip balms this year and trying my hand at melt and pour soaps for Christmas gifts. It’s lots of fun and I always end up with bath products I can use. You can probably bet that misshapen bath bombs and half bombs will be staying in my possession.

Thankful Time!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Christmas has a lot of hype, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Thanksgiving. Christmas seems like such a hectic holiday, running around to get gifts and go to holiday parties. Thanksgiving requires some food prep (okay, a lot), but it’s overall a cozier holiday to spend with family. It’s a time of reflection and joy.

I’m thankful I have a good job. My coworkers are awesome people. My boss is great. I spend every day talking to kids about science and amazing kids and adults with science demonstrations. I work a flexible schedule and although I work some crazy days (like Black Friday!!), I also get to actually use vacation days to relax. I don’t take work home with me and I don’t have to.

I’m thankful I have a nice apartment. It doesn’t leak in the rain, my landlord is helpful and responsive (even proactive). It’s just the right size and it doesn’t get exceptionally hot or cold. It has a nice kitchen and a big bathroom. The neighbors are mostly nice and quiet. Even at their noisiest, the neighbors don’t wake me up the way my old ones did.

I’m thankful I have a great boyfriend. He loves me for who I am, tells me every day that I’m beautiful, has handsome eyes and a dashing smile, and has a great sense of humor. He’s someone I can talk to anytime. He is truly a blessing in my life!

I’m thankful for a wonderful family. I’m close to my family and I know that they support me. I learned so many important life lessons from my parents and as a result can live on my own, as an adult, without excessive spending or destructive habits. I don’t know if my parents really realize what a great job they did raising me. They taught me to be responsible, to be respectful, to care about others, and to keep learning and growing for the rest of my life. My sister is the smartest kid ever and is going to be an awesome scientist someday. My family is awesome.

I’m thankful for a great church. It’s a place where people are real, sermons are thought-provoking, and worship is genuine. I have true friends in my church. We pray for each other and expect God to do great things.

There is a lot to be thankful for. I’m glad that Thanksgiving is almost here. What a fantastic holiday!