Do you have gluten-free pizza?” Questions such as these have become common in restaurants across the country.
Nowadays, a growing number of diners with dietary concerns are hungry for food that feeds their needs. Some are looking for gluten-free dishes, others want lower fat options or less sodium on their plate. Making these changes and appeasing diners doesn’t have to be difficult. To help bridge the gap, F&H’s new “Analyze This” column offers dietitian-approved dietary recipe variations. In this first installment, chef Jamie Kennedy’s Corn and Potato Pancakes with Tomato Relish recipe is put under the microscope. To submit your recipes for analysis, send an email to [email protected].
Potential Allergens: Eggs, wheat, sulphites
Cost: $0.35 per pancake
This field-fresh late summer/early autumn recipe can be adapted for winter menus — as a side or vegetarian entrée — and it can be easily altered to accommodate gluten intolerances. The pancakes are cost effective, too; they ring in at $0.33 each if you use frozen corn and canned diced tomatoes and factor in typical Toronto foodservice food costs. By contrast, a recipe comprised of in-season ingredients would cost $0.35 per pancake.
Flexible Variations
Winter Service: Substitute 1½ cups (375 mL) of drained diced tomatoes for two ripe tomatoes. Look for tomatoes marked Product of Canada; this means they are likely from Leamington, Ont. Frozen Canadian corn can easily replace fresh corn kernels.
Low Fat: Reduce the canola oil to 25 mL, and the pancakes will still taste terrific. Two pancakes with less oil, served as an entrée, will have less than 10g of fat and could be identified as low fat.
Gluten-Free: Substitute the pastry flour with an equal amount of All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. For savoury recipes, it’s best to use flours that include bean or quinoa in the blend for texture and flavour; Bob’s Red Mill and Kinnikinnick All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour are two good choices. Alternately, create a gluten-free mix by following the recipe below.
Gluten-Free Mix
2 ½ cups (625 mL) white rice flour
1 cup (250 mL) potato starch
1 cup (250 mL) tapioca flour
¼ cup (60 mL) cornstarch
¼ cup (60 mL) quinoa flour
2 tbsp (30 mL) xanthum gum
Sift together and store in plastic freezer bags or containers. Refrigerate and use within one week or freeze until needed. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. Makes 5 cups.
For nutrition facts breakdown, view Digital Version.
Recipe by Jamie Kennedy
Image courtesy of Reena Newman
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