Published on June 26, 2019
Clifton, NJ : When it comes to flour alternatives, there are a lot of products out there and a lot of information to “sift” through. Pereg Natural Foods wants to acquaint consumers with the newest additions to its growing line of gluten-free flour alternatives: Cassava Flour and Corn Flour.
Both of these 100% all-natural newcomers, available in easy-to-use re-sealable packages, are GMO-free, vegan, and kosher-parve. They are versatile enough to stand in for many recipes calling for wheat flour, and each brings its own unique properties to the party. Here’s the low-down.
Pereg Cassava Flour
How do I use it? Some bakers say cassava flour is the closest substitute to wheat flour available in terms of taste (neutral) and texture (powdery). Best of all, it can be measured exactly like wheat flour in most recipes.
What can I make with it? Pretty much anything that calls for regular flour. Bonus: not only is cassava flour free of gluten, it also makes any dish Paleo-friendly. Try it in breads and cakes or make your own cassava tortillas, crepes, or tempura batter. Pereg gets you started with their decadent Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Brownies (recipe below).
What the heck is a cassava, anyway? The South American native is a plant with potato-like, tuberous roots. Both cassava flour and tapioca flour are extracted from cassava. Unlike tapioca, which is a starch extract, Pereg’s Cassava Flour is pure, whole flour from the plant. Prized for its starchy, carb-rich properties, cassava is one of the major food staples in the developing world.
Pereg Organic Corn Flour
What can I make with corn flour? So many things! Versatile corn flour makes for a soft crumb in baked goods and gives a slightly earthy note to batters for fish, chicken, and veggies. Use Pereg’s organic corn flour in pancakes, polenta, and of course, corn muffins, or to thicken sauces and soups. It is often combined with other flours in pie crusts. Try your hand at homemade gluten-free pasta dough, or make the most of blueberry season with Blueberry Corn Muffins (recipe below).
Is corn flour the same as corn meal? No. Corn flour is more finely ground than corn meal. Unlike coarse, grainy corn meal, corn flour’s powdery consistency is better suited to dishes that call for regular flour.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Brownies with Cassava Flour
Ingredients
1/3 cup unsalted butter or coconut oil, cut into chunks, plus more for greasing
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼cup Pereg Natural Food’s Cassava Flour
½cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
Blueberry Corn Muffins
Ingredients
2 cups Pereg Natural Yellow Corn Flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
2 eggs
1½ cups milk (dairy free works too)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried well
Directions