Wheatless Breakfasts Not Common

Corduroy–

Our mother (in-law) is coming to visit soon and she’s just been diagnosed as having a wheat allergy.  We’re trying to compose a general menu for what we’ll be eating while she’s here, and are coming to a stumbling block for breakfasts.  Beyond the standard eggs, bacon and fruit, I’m having a hard time coming up with variety for breakfast.

Our sister (in-law) may be coming as well, and she is lactose intolerant.  So, wheat- and dairy-free options would be nice, if you have any suggestions.

Gadzooks!  I’d neve really thought about how few traditional breakfasts don’t have wheat in them!  Nonetheless, you should be able to come up with several possibilities.

Omelettes are basically within the realm of eggs, so you may have thought of them already.  I kind of prefer them to eggs over easy as a way of welcoming guests, as they’re a bit more elegant.

I sometimes make a lasagna-ish dish that substitutes very thinly sliced potatoes for the noodles.  While I usually serve that as dinner, it would make a nice savory breakfast casserole.  Simply slice the potatoes as thinly as possible.  Layer in a greased baking dish, add a filling (I like some fresh baby spinach and some lightly sauteed mushrooms; cheese is optional) and add another layer of potatoes.  Salt and pepper each layer of potatoes as they go in the pan, and finish with a final layer of potatoes on top.  Bake at 350 F for about 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is cooked through.

For a wheat-free quiche, try making a pie crust out of chickpea flour.  It won’t have the same texture as a crust made with wheat flour, but it should be passable.  Of course, this option includes dairy in it.

Rice pudding usually has some milk in it, too; but it would make a nice breakfast dish.  You could also go for oatmeal, I think–oats aren’t wheat, last I checked.

Yet another wheat-free but dairy-inclusive option would be smoothies.

I’m sure other options exist beyond these few, though they aren’t coming to mind immediately.  So, i’m going to throw the question open to the small portion of internet users who read this page: any ideas for tasty dairy- and/or wheat- free breakfasts that would make good food for company?

11 Responses to “Wheatless Breakfasts Not Common”

  1. psn Says:

    jesse, depending on whether the person who posed the original question is talking about a wheat allergy or a gluten intolerance, they should also know that while oats are not wheat, oats, i think, are processed on the same equipment that process gluten-containing products, resulting in possible/probable contamination. there are some gluten-free oats out there that i’ve been told are safe to be consumed by celiacs, but yeah, be careful!

  2. Angel Says:

    You can do rice pudding with soy milk/nut milk to avoid the dairy issue. It doesn’t end up as creamy, but it isn’t bad.

    If you’re just looking for wheat free and not gluten free Frankferd farms has a pretty tasty 7 grain pancake mix. You can sometimes find it at the East End Coop.

  3. Pesto Says:

    One of the great breakfast food, AFAIK, is kasha, also known as buckwheat groats. Buckwheat isn’t wheat — in fact, it’s not a grain at all, and contains no gluten, although it has a good deal of protein as well as minerals.

    So here’s what you do. Go to the ethnic foods section of your grocery store and find the Jewish foods. Get a box of Wolff’s kasha (whole granulation is best, but medium is fine, too — I’ve never had the small granulation). Cooking kasha is a snap:

    Boil 2 cups of water.
    Mix 1 cup kasha with a raw egg. Make sure the egg coats every grain of kasha
    Put the kasha/egg mixture into a hot pan, over medium heat, and stir constantly. When the kasha is dried out (maybe in 1 minute), pour in the boiled water, add some salt, return the water to a boil, turn down the heat to low and cover (just like cooking rice).

    The kasha will be done in 10 to 15 minutes — it cooks much faster than rice. When all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat, remove the cover, and stir a few times. Let it sit 5 minutes or so before serving.

    (This is basically the recipe on the box, except the Wolff people removed the egg from their recipe for some reason. It’s not the same without it. Incidentally, one egg is usually fine for 1.5 or even 2 cups of dry kasha.)

    You can eat it this way as a side to meat dishes, and it’s very good, especially with beef Stroganoff. But it’s at its best as next morning’s leftovers — pop it in a pop-top container in the fridge, and heat it up next morning in a hot, buttered cast iron pan.

    Incidentally, they make flour from buckwheat, as well, and the flour is gluten-free, too. Rye is pretty much gluten-free, as well (wasa brod and butter for breakfast!).

  4. Pat Says:

    I thought I had a wheat allergy for several years, so I had this trouble, too. My usual standby was a smoothie. Otherwise:

    (1) Home fries and hashes. Hash browns. Even potato pancakes.

    (2) Huevos rancheros; just be sure to get the corn tortillas. Or roll it up into a breakfast burrito. Or look up Cuban and Puerto Rican breakfast specialties.

    In general I prefer, when avoiding wheat or cooking for celiacs, to go for things that never had wheat rather than try to come up with substitutes. They’re just rarely as good. Substitute foods just remind us, I think, that we’re missing something. I like to provide meals where the guests forget.

    That’s just my own preference, of course. And when it comes down to *daily* eating, I made use of plenty of substitutes. Some favorites:

    (3) In terms of gluten-free breakfast toasterthings, there are actually some decent gluten-free frozen waffles. Van’s and Trader Joe’s brands really aren’t too bad.

    (4) Buckwheat pancakes can be made entirely from buckwheat flour. Waffles, too. If she’s not celiac, I recommend cutting it with half oat flour.

    (5) Gluten-free cereals are usually as good as ones with wheat in them. If she’s celiac, though, check the ingredients closely. Lots of things that seem like they wouldn’t have gluten (like Rice Krispies!), do.

    (6) My mom loooooves Cream of Rice. Can’t say it’s my favorite, though.

    (7) Most gluten-free breads aren’t all that great, but some make a decent french toast.

    Are you a Pittsburgher? I can tell you exactly where to get some of this stuff, including a fantastic millet bread.

  5. homedotmade Says:

    I’m in agreement with Pat, go for non-wheat food rather than trying to make similar ones with substitutes, they’re rarely as good.

    Also a second on the Van’s waffles, we used to eat them regularly as they were the only egg-free option we found.

    I’m a big fan of hashes, potatoes (either shredded or cubed) topped with eggs and veggies, meats. We make them for all different types of ethnic food by varying the toppings.

    A couple favorites:
    Greek-potatoes topped with eggs scrambled with tomatoes, spinach and (goat) feta which will also work for your dairy-free
    Mexican-potatoes topped with eggs scrambled with green chilis or onions and bell peppers, topped with fresh tomato salsa (can also be served in a corn tortilla) can be served with/without cheese or sour cream

  6. Matt Cullen Says:

    A couple options come to mind. Both are quick and easy.

    Yogurt with fresh fruit, obviously not ok for the lactose intolerant person, but should be alright for the mother. And the other, with tons of options, smoothies.

  7. MIL Says:

    While in Ireland this past summer, I had the pleasure of being served Irish Oatmeal with Bailey’s Irish Cream —scrumptious!!!! Not good for the lactose intolerant sister (in-law)..but you should always plan to please your mother’s/mother-in-law’s taste first and subsitute for the sister (in-law)

    MIL

  8. SamChevre Says:

    Potatoes–Hash browns, frittata-type omelets, casseroles.

    Buckwheat–kasha, pancakes, waffles.

    Think about Passover food; obviously, the matzo-based dishes are out, but the others are wheat-free.

    Socca–chick-pea flatbread (chickpea flour, salt, water, seasonings–traditional is black pepper and rosemary, but you can vary them a lot.)

  9. jim Says:

    Grits! (I was waiting for CL to make the obvious (to her) post.)

  10. michelle Says:

    i wish i would have seen this sooner. as a gluten and dairy-free gal I’ve been happy with Bob’s Red Mill line http://www.bobsredmill.com/home.php which includes such things as pancake mix and gluten-free oatmeal. I used to be a “regular” eater and am the first to admit if things are not quite right, but so far I’ve been happy with the line’s taste and texture (haven’t tried the oatmeal yet). I can find in my my regular grocery store and specialty/health food stores should definitely have it.

  11. Boug Beaty Says:

    Pumpernickle breads- sort of flat in flavor- I’d expected a “rye” sandwich flavor! but it’s wheatless and Ifindit filling as it’s pretty solid-heavy inits slcies that I’ve had. .. I’d wonder if some rye and flavorings added would make it better! Say Dill? or Vanilla???What is it that gives “rye” bread that good flavor- rye flour alone doesn’t do it!

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