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Healing is no joke when it comes to altering diet to accommodate restrictions. It can be overwhelming to adhere to any restrictions, especially when it comes to eating with friends and family. Though I don't enjoy spending so much time in the kitchen (maybe as other people do), I do enjoy creating something healthy and delicious that I can substitute when eating alone or with company. When I started my healing journey I was eating a Low Fodmap diet due to SIBO. No fun! And I was making a rutabaga bread as a substitution (that's a separate post). It wasn't that bad! But then moving on to a low mold. grain free diet, I started making this homemade cassava bread by MomFoodie, Robin Ga gnon and really enjoyed it! I's not as big as a modern day glutenous loaf, so sandwich making is probably out. Unless you channel the British and make tiny sammies for teatime :)
Cassava is an nutty flavored starchy root tuber native to South America and grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a major source of calories and carbs, so definitely not a low carb choice when it comes to making breads. It can come in sweet or bitter varieties, and also by the name yuca, manioc, or Brazilian arrowroot. It is a form of resistant starch which feeds the gut flora. The root is eaten whole, made into flour, grated, or used to produce tapioca or garri. It must be cooked because raw it can be poisonous.
Photo by Daniel Dan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cassava-root-crops-in-close-up-photography-7543161/
Plus, it’s rich in copper, a mineral necessary for neurotransmitter synthesis, energy production, and iron metabolism.
Pros:
This gluten free, grain free bread is easy and customizable. Cassava feeds friendly gut flora. Cassava is rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant and copper, a mineral necessary for neurotransmitter synthesis, energy production, iron metabolism, and more.
Cons:
Smaller pieces than conventional store bought bread. Takes many eggs unless you substitute flax eggs or similar. Can be very dense. High in calories, eat in moderation.
How to make Cassava Bread
Here are the ingredients you will need with variations I use and added suggestions:
6 large eggs (or 4-5 eggs and 1-2 flax egg substitutes)
2 cups cassava flour (or a little less and add a few spoonfuls of buckwheat flour to give it a more robust flavor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (I opt for no sweetener, plus honey may be toxic cooked at high levels for long periods of time according to Ayurveda)
1/2 cup avocado oil (I use only 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil)
1/2 cup room temp filtered water
1 handful of pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeds (if not using flax eggs)
1 tbsp chia and/or hemp seeds
1-2 tbsp fresh or dried rosemary
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prep 1-2 9x5 baking dishes and line with unbleached parchment paper or grease the pans with oil, butter, or ghee if you don't have or want to use parchment paper. I bake two at a time to save time and freeze them at the end.
You will need two mixing bowls. In a large bowl combine the eggs and beat incorporating plenty of air into the mixture. Add the oil, apple cider vinegar, and water without mixing.
In a medium mixing bowl combine and mix the dry ingredients: cassava flour, baking powder, salt, nuts, seeds, and herbs. (Save some rosemary for the top).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly, creating the batter for the loaf. Pour the batter into the pan lined with parchment paper or greased and smooth the top. Spread the remaining rosemary on the top.
Place in the oven for 70 minutes. (The original recipe called for 60 minutes but I never found it ready by then, too gooey in middle.)
Once ready, let cool for an hour or more. Preferably more.
Using a serrated knife, cut the loaf into slices. If still hot, let cool further to room temperature before storing. Place small pieces of parchment paper between each slice and freeze for future use. You can save a few slices and place in the fridge for a few days. Also wonderful to have a fresh-out-of-the-oven slice with butter or homemade ghee.
Links to ingredients:
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