Different Flours--WTH are they used for???

I would like to know as well. Have you tried the shirataki noodles? i have heard good and bad things about them.

I've had this pancake recipe bookmarked for a while to try, could be a starting point?

http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/recipes/almond-flour-extra-fluffy-pancakes/

A lot of those flours are used in gluten free breads/muffins since almond flour is gluten free.

glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com <her recipes use all of these flours & more.

I went "paleo" a couple of months ago, so i've been cooking with almond and coconut flour. I make pancakes, waffles, muffins, pizza crust, fried chicken. You name it and it can be made with those flours. most of my recipes i just google "paleo....(whatever i want)". I don't have any specific site that i like more than another.

i've found i prefer the almond flour over the coconut flour. I haven't used the garbanzo flour or rice flour because my diet is based around not eating grains or legumes, so i can't attest to those flours. But i do love the almond flour!


also, instead of noodles, i use spaghetti squash. i love it even more than having noodles in my spaghetti!

For those of us trying to eliminate gluten, those flours are our life line to pizza! Most gluten free recipe sites recommend a blend of the different types of flours. If you don't have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, I can't think of any added benefit to using them.

I haven't seen as much about the non-wheat flours, but I would assume those can more or less be used the same as "regular" flour and were created with those with wheat/gluten allergies in mind.

Regarding other types of flour, most of them are used for various specific purposes. Bread flour, for example, has more wheat gluten mixed in, which helps the dough to rise and create the proper texture. There are also texture and color differences between different types of flour. For example, in non-colored foods (bread, blondies, angel food cake, etc), unbleached flour may make the dough/batter darker than bleached.

The textures, especially, will change the texture of the final product. Finer flours will generally make the product smoother, whereas grittier flours will make the product grittier or more coarse. (On a side note, sugar textures can have the same effect. It's amazing the number of different things you can make with just flour, yeast, sugar, and water, and how different they are simply by changing the type of the flour or sugar.)

Note that if you buy a bunch of these special flours, they go bad much quicker than white flour, so read the package or google the type you buy and store it properly... some are better in fridge or freezer.

if you don't want to commit to a whole bag of alternative flour but want a delicious non white flour pancake, try the link below. I am so happy I found that recipe, I use it all the time for both sweet and savory pancakes. I usually use steel cut oats (which arent gluten free) and brown rice for thinner pancakes, or millet and oats for thicker savory pancakes. You don't need flour, just the whole grains and a blender. You can use the batter for waffles, too.

they are awesome, and very nutritious! I also opt to make them dairy free with almond milk and vinegar but that's up to you. If you have a blender, definitely try these.

http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/breakfasts/blenderbatterwaffles/blenderbatterwafflesA.htm

The very BEST thing to do with Almond Flour is make a raw food torte!

Flax or Chia seeds make a great binder. Grind them in a coffee grinder. Mix in a two or three tablespoons of water for every tablespoon of ground seeds. Add a little agave for sweetness. Then use the back of a spoon to press it into your pie plate.

Dates work well too, then don't use agave.

Then slice a bunch of fruit into the "crust" and chill.

It's fabulous!

I use garbanzo flour for making fake cheez sauces. Seriously delicious. You can have 1 tablespoon of butter, or you can have half a cup of vegan cheez sauce - for about the same calories.

1/2 cup garbanzo flour, 1/2 nutritional yeast flakes, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt. After it thickens up, remove it from the heat and add a teaspoon of miso and a teaspoon of prepared mustard. I like Dijon.

Never cook Miso. It kills all the good nutrients.

It cooks up quickly. Instant yummy sauce!

If you've never used nutritional yeast - it's bright yellow. NOT Brewer's Yeast or active dry yeast. You should be able to find it in just about any grocery store in the baking section where they carry all the Bob's Red Mill items. If not, Whole Foods.

Miso comes in quite a variety. Soy, Brown Rice, Garbanzo, mild or pungent, red, white or yellow. I use mild red if I want a cheddar type sauce. Mild white if I want an alfredo type sauce. Add any sort of spices you want.

Last night I grilled a portobello mushroom with some sauted shallot. I made half portion of cheez sauce and flavored it with a tablespoon of dill. Fantastic! Low calorie and a nice B vitamin boost from the nutritional yeast. Black salt, which you can get at Trader Joe's for just $3, gives it a subtle smokey flavor.

I just started using soy flour that you can buy at Wal-mart. I use it to "fry" with.....let me explain! I have chicken breast cutlets and i dip them in egg whites (doesn't take much) and then season with non-salt seasoning and then put in the rice flour to fry in thin layer of canola oil (just enough to wet). My husband hasn't noticed a difference! You can read the back of the bag and see the nutrition difference. I looked online for other cooking uses and they basically say to sub half and half with regular flour for some recipes. I have also tried rice noodles one time and they were a little sticky but I need to practice more. I think we can substitute a lot of things we just have to learn to cook them a little differently to get the best out of them and feel like we aren't depriving ourselves. Oh and I'm working on googling a healthy pancake mix. We just ran out of the bad stuff and I'm determined to find a healthy alternative my husband will eat. I'll let you know!

Either go online, the library or bookstore...I have a cookbook that talks about the different flours and how to cook with them. Clean Eating magazine last year even did a story on the different flours...just research and you will find bountiful healthy ideas! Great and happy cooking to ya!!!