Maple Polenta Cake w/Chamomile Hominy (Steam Baked)

[ Equipment: steam oven, steamer or low-temperature-capable convection oven, an 6-inch (2-cup) round cake pan. For more information about the terminology in this recipe, see Low Temperature Baking: A Journey of 3 Paths. ]

The flour in this cake is a blend of cornmeal, coconut and mochi (sweet rice) flours. A polenta batter with only the cornmeal makes a rubbery cake. Starch from the rice flour softens the texture for a pleasant mouth feel. Coconut flour adds flavor, richness and restores a bit of the structure. Like all my cakes without a chemical or organic raising agent, I mixed in a solid leavener – chamomile infused hominy, a fine complement to the cornmeal. This is whole kernel hominy from a can, which has been soaked in an alkaline solution and partially cooked. Some brands have cooked the kernels longer than others. I recommend tasting the hominy before adding it to the batter. If the kernels are too crunchy, try steaming or boiling them for a few minutes, because the baking process may not soften them enough.

Makes 4 servings
– 250 calories per serving
– Oven Temperature: effective 250°F/121°C steam baked

• 1 tablespoon chamomile flowers or 1 chamomile teabag
• 1-1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup canned hominy kernals (see text)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon mochi (glutinous rice) flour
• 1-1/2 cup milk (low fat or fat free)
• 3/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 cup raisins

1. Brew chamomile tea by seeping chamomile flowers in hot water for 30 minutes. Filter tea. Reserve 1/4 cup of chamomile tea for later.

2. Rinse 1 cup hominy. Reheat remaining cup of chamomile tea. Soak hominy in chamomile tea for 1 to 2 hours. Drain, reserving hominy and 1/4 cup chamomile tea.

3. In a saucepan, stirring constantly, heat milk, 1/4 cup chamomile tea, syrup, water, sugar, cinnamon and salt to simmering.

4. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and mochi flour. Whisk cornmeal into milk. Continue whisking over medium heat until thickened and batter begins pulling away from side of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Mix in vanilla. Mix in hominy.

6. Mix in coconut and raisins.

7. Scoop dough into a greased, 2-cup baking dish.

8. If necessary, prepare the oven for steam baking. Steam bake for 50 mins.

9. Cool until warm for serving.

10. Slice and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Chicken Stuffing Bread (Dehydrated)

The flavors and texture remind me of bread stuffing for chicken. To convert the recipe to 100% raw, omit the bouillon and crushed cereal. I only had tomato-chicken bouillon powder in my food bin. The cereal serves as a solid leavener, and is optional. It’s best made with fresh celery; week-old celery is almost no better than cardboard. Any commercial oat flour should be fine, but it’s just as easy to grind oatmeal in a food processor. The coconut flour keeps the bread pliable; otherwise the texture turns a little hard and brittle after a long period in the dehydrator. I finely ground unsweetened shredded coconut in a food processor to make coconut flour. The 1-1/2 hour dehydration time is at a temperature of 150°F/65.6°C. A lower temperature of 125°F/51.7°C will preserve enzymes and vitamins better, but increase the time to between 2 and 2-1/2 hours.

Makes 6 servings
– 92 calories per serving
– 125-150°F/51.7-65.6°C

• 1 cup oat flour, coarsely ground (see text)
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour or finely ground dried coconut (see text)
• 1/2 cup very finely chopped or pureed celery (about 2 stalks)
• 2 teaspoons tomato-chicken or other bouillon or 1 tablespoon soy sauce or 3/4 teaspoon salt (see text)
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered chili peppers
• 3/4 cup puffed wheat or puffed rice squares cereal – optional
• 2 egg whites

1. Put puffed wheat or rice squares into a small plastic bag and crush with fingers or pulse a few times in the small bowl of a food processor.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the oat flour and coconut flour until well combined.

3. In a food processor, blend the egg whites and chopped celery until mixture is thick and foamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add bouillon powder and chili powder to celery foam to flour and pulse a few times until combined.

5. Pour celery mixture into the flour and stir until combined. Add the crushed puffed wheat or rice squares and stir until combined.

6. Scoop dough into a greased 8-inch square pan. With the back of a spoon, press dough into bottom of pan.

7. Perforate dough every 1/2 inch with a 1/8 inch skewer. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

8. Dehydrate at 150°F/65.6°C for about 60 minutes. Slice into 6 rectanges. Lift and transfer upside down to baking sheet covered with a non-stick mat. Slices should be at least 1/4-inch apart.

9. Continue dehydrating for another 30 minutes at 150°F/65.6°C.

10. Serve or store in an airtight container. The last picture below is the bread without a solid leavener (cereal). It’s a bit more than half as thick as the leavened bread.

Rooibos Hazelnut Spread Cookies (Dehydrated)

A semi-raw cookie with 5-ingredients with a nice balance of flavors. The powdered Rooibos tea comes from a Rooibos teabag. Bosc pears tend to be drier than other pears. Pureeing the Bosc pear adds just enough moisture to bind the dough, but is mild in taste and doesn’t overpower the tea. I tried doubling the amount of Rooibos to 2 teaspoons (the entire teabag), but felt the acidic balance tipped against the chocolate. If increasing the amount of tea for stronger Rooibos flavor, I would add a bit of sugar in the pear mixture to blunt the sharpness.

The store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella or equivalent) isn’t raw, but I’ve seen recipes for a raw version that could probably work as a substitute. I shaped the cookies by pressing the dough level into a tablespoon measure and gently prying them loose with same skewer for perforating the cookies (the perforations speed drying time). At the given dehydration temperature and drying times, the cookies bake up soft on the inside.

Makes 16 cookies
– 50 calories per cookie
– Oven Temperature: 125ºF/51.7ºC

• 1 cup oat flour (coarsely ground – see text)
• 1 teaspoon powdered Rooibos tea
• 1/4 cup hazelnut chocolate spread
• 1 medium bosc pear (3.5 oz)
• pinch salt

1. In a small bowl of a food processor, finely chop 1 Bosc pear.

2. Add the Rooibos tea, hazelnut spread and salt. Process until smooth.

3. Add wet ingredients to oat flour. Mix to form a dough. Let dough rest for 5 minutes to solidify to consistency of wet clay. If dough is too soft to hold its shape, mix in 1 or 2 tablespoons of oat flour and let rest another 5 minutes.

4. Form cookies from 1 level tablespoon of dough and place on lined dehydrator tray or a nonstick baking sheet for oven dehydration. Perforate each cookie with a 1/8-inch skewer 4 times.

5. Dehydrate at 125ºF/51.7ºC for 2 hours. Top surface of cookies should feel dry and crisp.

6. Turn cookies over. Dehydrate for another 2 hours.

7. Cool and serve.