Unless, specifically asked, I don't remark on others' food choices or comment on my own. At a recent family function, I was being offered an appetizer that was heavily breaded. I declined the appetizer and when asked why, I said, "I don't eat bread." The next question was, "don't you ever just want a sandwich?" To be honest, having a sandwich hadn't crossed my mind in some time. Until today......
Turkey, Cheese & Mayo on a Low-Carb Gluten-Free One Minute Muffin
Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Sandwich
Ok, my friends, before I spill the beans on the sandwich making you will need two specialty ingredients; unblanched almond flour & flaxseed meal. Every low-carb kitchen should not be without either. You can make both of these, or buy them, today we will be making our own almond flour and tomorrow we will be making sandwiches (today was just a teaser).
Unblanched Almond Flour
Unblanched almond flour is almonds, ground to a fine flour-like consistency with the skins-on. Per pound it is much less expensive to make your own.
What You Will Need:
Unblanched almond flour is almonds, ground to a fine flour-like consistency with the skins-on. Per pound it is much less expensive to make your own.
What You Will Need:
- A bag of whole almonds, skins-on, NOT ROASTED and NOT SALTED. If you have a Costco or Sam's membership, both sell 3 lb. bags for about $10. Your local grocery store should have these in the natural food section or even bulk bins.
- A coffee grinder, yes, what you grind your coffee beans in, or another high powered blender like a Vitamix or Magic Bullet. (I have had success with all three, although I prefer the Vitamix)
- A flour sifter.
Technique:
The technique is pulse, pulse, pulse, sift, sift, sift. Add almonds to canister, do not overfill, and pulse several times. Pulse too many times and you will end up with Almond Butter, not bad, but not what we are going for. You won't be able to grind every last little bit of almond into flour, don't worry, that's what the sifter is for. So, it's pulse, pulse, pulse, then it's sift, sift, sift. You will have beautiful, fine almond flour and then small pieces of leftover almonds. Set the little fragments of nuts aside and do the whole process over again until you've ground all your almonds. I save the little fragments and use in an almond cookie recipe. Store your freshly ground almond flour in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
For tomorrow's sandwich making you will also need flaxseed meal. Again you can make this or buy it. I happened to have on hand Bob’s Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal. If you want to make your own, you can buy whole flaxseeds and grind as needed. Flaxseed meal has grown in popularity over the years, so chances are your grocery store carries this.
The technique is pulse, pulse, pulse, sift, sift, sift. Add almonds to canister, do not overfill, and pulse several times. Pulse too many times and you will end up with Almond Butter, not bad, but not what we are going for. You won't be able to grind every last little bit of almond into flour, don't worry, that's what the sifter is for. So, it's pulse, pulse, pulse, then it's sift, sift, sift. You will have beautiful, fine almond flour and then small pieces of leftover almonds. Set the little fragments of nuts aside and do the whole process over again until you've ground all your almonds. I save the little fragments and use in an almond cookie recipe. Store your freshly ground almond flour in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
For tomorrow's sandwich making you will also need flaxseed meal. Again you can make this or buy it. I happened to have on hand Bob’s Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal. If you want to make your own, you can buy whole flaxseeds and grind as needed. Flaxseed meal has grown in popularity over the years, so chances are your grocery store carries this.
If you are thinking to yourself, "why doesn't she just go buy a loaf of bread", I leave you with a few different articles to peruse (click on the title to open and read):
Why Grains are Unhealthy
written by Mark Sisson
"Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains. Believe me – I’ve searched far and wide and asked everyone I can for just one good reason to eat cereal grains, but no one can do it."
What does Eat More Whole Grains Really Mean
written by my handsome husband Tom
"There’s no doubt that most Americans eat far too much processed food, especially processed carbohydrates. Refined grains are devoid of their natural fiber and nutrients that help our bodies digest them and help us manage weight. Gluten-free starchy carbohydrates can play a more important part of a healthy diet when they are consumed in moderation, in amounts relative to people’s level of activity."
Why Grains are Unhealthy
written by Mark Sisson
"Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains. Believe me – I’ve searched far and wide and asked everyone I can for just one good reason to eat cereal grains, but no one can do it."
What does Eat More Whole Grains Really Mean
written by my handsome husband Tom
"There’s no doubt that most Americans eat far too much processed food, especially processed carbohydrates. Refined grains are devoid of their natural fiber and nutrients that help our bodies digest them and help us manage weight. Gluten-free starchy carbohydrates can play a more important part of a healthy diet when they are consumed in moderation, in amounts relative to people’s level of activity."
