Gluten and Dairy Free Crepes

Amaranth: An Old World Grain

Amaranth is technically not a cereal but is part of the Amaranthaceae family which includes vegetables such as spinach, beet, swiss chard, and quinoa. Along with quinoa, it is included as a consideration to be a cereal because of the similarities. Amaranth was originally a staple food of the Aztecs and was so important it was used in religious ceremonies where amaranth cakes were made in the form of deities and then later eaten. Because of Amaranth’s religious importance, it was outlawed by the Spanish Conquistidors and fields of Amaranth were burned as part of their brutalization of the native people. But some survived in the wild, hidden away from the hearts of men…until it was rediscovered in Mexico the 1970’s and brought as a food to the Americas.

Amaranth is relatively sticky to cook with as a flour so it does not function to make a 1 to 1 substitution, but it’s high nutrient composition makes it high value to include in food products. Like teff, amaranth is high in protein for a grain (10%). For 1/2 cup of amaranth you will get a good amount of Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc. Most astounding of all is the amount of Selenium is about 12% DV which would not be anything to talk about except for it’s rare mineral status considering the soil depletion of Selenium. Amaranth also contributes to your daily folate intake and has small amounts of B vitamins. Like teff it is higher in Vitamin B6 than other grains. Amaranth is also full of phytochemicals such as tannins, saponins, indoles, polyphenols, oxalates, and saponins. Science is just beginning to understand how these contribute to health but previously considered some of these to be anti-nutritive. Science is discovering that phytochemicals can be consumed in much smaller quantities than vitamins or minerals and still elicit strong effects on the body.

Amaranth Crepes

Take a deep breath of relief because hopefully you made this batter the night before so you can simple pour it in a hot pan and throw a few raspberries on top with three drops of maple syup to feed your kiddos or your inner child. Or fill with a mixture of sautéed vegetables such as patty pan squash, colored peppers, asparagus, or mushrooms. Pick your blessing! Any quick saute of fruit or vegetables becomes spectacular when put in a crepe that took you 20 seconds to pour and 4 minutes to cook. Amaranth is a lovely grain for it’s thick mouth feel and for it’s high iron content. It is difficult to cook with in pure quantities because it is a weighty and sticky grain. Amaranth as a lovely sweet flavor and is lacking some of the bitterness found in other bean and grain flours. Crepes typically do not have baking soda which is what differentiates crepes from pancakes, along with a change in liquid content. But it is difficult to work with gluten-free grains, and especially with more nutritionally rich ones that tend to be heavier. So steps have to be taking to change the alkalinity of the flour in a different way so that it reacts in a way that gives you good performance and a product that you desire.
You can make these dairy free, but trying to make a crepe egg free will not give the same texture of a genuine crepe which mostly have a batter that is the result of eggs. If you are vegan substitute a pita bread or make your own thick blue corn tortillas to go under your fillings. You can also substitute for the milks thick homemade rice milk. Crepe filling needs to sit for at least one hour in the fridge, but the baking soda in these helps with a faster reaction time so you can get away with a sit of 10-15 minutes. Make the batter, then wake, clean and dress your little one, and by then the batter will be ready to fry. The batter is good for 4 days so only make what you will eat in a sitting then let the rest of the batter sit in a glass jar in the fridge. Shake the jar well before pouring into your hot oil.
I find I get the best result with this recipe using 1 cup sheep’s milk. This is perfect if you are feeding a little one who is not yet weaned, but if you are making this for adults or half adults, use a total of 1/2 c coconut milk and 1 cup water total. Below is the recipe I use most often because it is what I typically have on hand in the fridge and I like to save the coconut milk for mommy :).

Batter Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes per a side of crepe

1/3 c amaranth flour
2/3 c GF flour blend
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c water
1/2 t guar gum
1/2 c goat milk or a thinned coconut milk
1/2 c coconut milk (fresh, or dilute in a ratio of 1:1 with water for canned coconut milk)
2 eggs

1. The gluten-free flour blend is a mix of 2 Tapioca:1garbanzo:1 sorghum: 1 brown rice flour.
2. Whip eggs real quick. Add milks. Stir in the flour, salt, and soda rapidly to prevent clumping. You can make everything in the blender or use an electric mixer.
3. You can premix the dry ingredients, or you can get away with not doing this by sprinkling the baking soda and salt on top, and mixing quickly after each go.
4. Wisk in the water.
5. When cured, pour into super hot shiny coconut oil that you have not let smoke. If it smokes pour it out and wipe the pan, but do not use water to wash. This actually is a method to prevent sticking to a pan such as copper or stainless steel.

Cherry Chia Compote

The perfect complement to Amaranth Crepes and a good way to sneak in more Omega-3 fatty acids for better brain function and lower inflammation.

11.5 oz frozen strawberries (about 2 cups)
2.8 oz water
1 oz or 2 T organic vegan sugar
Dash vanilla
0.1 oz or 1 t chia seeds

Simmer all the ingredients except for the chia seeds for 20 minutes on very low heat. Add the chia seeds and mix well. Turn off the heat and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes in order to thicken. You can easily guesstimate the quantities in this recipe or change them around a bit. Simply reduce the mixture by half on the stove top, then add the chia seeds at the end of cooking.

Steps: