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Gluten Free Baking 101 with Richard Coppedge

As we mentioned last week, May is Celiac Awareness Month. For folks that live with the disease, gluten-free pulse flours have super powers. And for those who don’t, pulse flours are still an excellent way to add fiber, protein and vitamins to recipes that call for traditional baking flours.

To break down the barriers to gluten-free baking at home, we spoke with Chef Richard Coppedge Jr., a distinguished baker, author and professor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) specializing in gluten-free baking. Here’s what we learned:

 

USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council: When and why did you first start incorporating pulses and pulse flours into your recipes and lessons?

Richard Coppedge Jr.: About 14 years ago, I was charged with teaching a class on baking bread alternatives for people with specialty diets. In learning about gluten-free baking methods, I became interested in how we could improve upon the alternatives that were around at the time.

USADPLC: As a professor working with the next generation of great chefs, you have an inside look at what’s next in culinary and nutrition trends. Do you feel like the use of pulses in baking and cooking is a growing trend?

RC: Definitely. Over the past three years, gluten-free food options have flourished, appearing everywhere from culinary schools to cookbooks to retail products. And as the gluten-free movement and product selection continues to grow, we’re seeing pulses and pulse flours pop up in new places.

USADPLC: Can you give any preparation or baking tips for using pulses or pulse flours?

RC: Keep in mind that flours will maintain some of the characteristics of the pulse they come from, including color, flavor and texture. For example, if you use green pea flour in a sugar cookie recipe, don’t be surprised when your cookies come out a shade of green. Black bean or lentil flour, on the other hand, makes a great wheat flour alternative for gluten-free brownies.

Also, different flours will measure and settle differently, so for best results, invest in a kitchen scale, and use it to replace wheat flour with gluten-free blends by weight. For example, one cup of all-purpose wheat flour weighs about 140 grams. So, to replace ½ cup of the wheat flour in a recipe, you would measure out 70 grams of your alternative flour or gluten-free blend on the scale and use that amount (regardless of where it sits in a measuring cup).

USADPLC: What’s your favorite thing about working with pulses?

RC: I appreciate their versatility, but also their benefits. A lot of gluten-free baking recipes default to soy flour, but if you’re looking for gluten-, dairy- and soy-free protein, pulse products like flours or pea protein concentrates can offer that. Pulses also provide fiber and nutrients where gluten flours or other gluten-free substitutes are lacking.

USADPLC: On that note, do you have any favorite ways to use pulses or pulse flours?

RC: I love a good burger with a pulse flour bun – it’s an easy way to bring up the fiber and nutrient content in an old favorite.

 

Additional FAQs for Baking with Pulse Flours

  1. Where can I buy pulse flours?

You can buy pulse flours from dozens of providers around the U.S. Take a look at a list of providers, or check the bulk bins at your local grocery store!

  1. What are the rules for pulse flour substitutions, specifically? Can I simply swap wheat flour for pulse flours 1:1 in any recipe, or do I need to mix pulse flours with something else?

If replacing only a portion of the wheat flour in a recipe with pulse flours (to boost the nutrient content rather than make an entirely gluten-free version), you can simply swap pulse flours 1:1 for up to half of the wheat flour (remember- 1:1 by weight in grams). For an entirely gluten-free substitution, we recommend mixing even parts pulse flour, white rice flour and tapioca starch to make your gluten-free blend. Then you would replace the wheat flour called for in the recipe 1:1 (by weight) with this gluten-free blend.

  1. Does baking with pulse flours take longer?

No special treatment is required in recipes where you combine pulse flour with wheat flour, but when baking with an entirely gluten-free flour blend, leave at least 30 minutes of extra prep time to ensure workability of the dough.

Chef Richard Coppedge Jr., Certified Master Baker (CMB), is a professor at the CIA, where he teaches students about nutritional and experimental baking concepts, specializing in gluten-free baking. He is also the author of Gluten-Free Baking with the Culinary Institute of America, and has won numerous awards for his culinary contributions.

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Celiac Awareness Month puts a Spotlight on Gluten-Free Pulse Flours

At first glance, the term “gluten-free” might spark associations of the latest trend or fad diet. But for many Americans, gluten-intolerance (Celiac Disease) or gluten-sensitivity can pose a serious health threat (and serious FOMO on an array of baked goods). Fad or not, the growing awareness of gluten-intolerance and gluten-sensitivity has resulted in a broader availability and variety of gluten-free products and recipes.

This is where pulses come in, offering a variety of flour alternatives that can be used to recreate gluten-free (and more nutritious) versions of your favorite meals, breads and other baked goods.

Whether you’re gluten-sensitive, health-conscious or just plain curious, pulse flours can be easily substituted into nearly any recipe to boost the fiber, protein and nutrient content of the dish.

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Not sure how to substitute pulse flours for other common flours? Stay tuned! Next week, we’ll sit down with Richard Coppedge Jr., a Certified Master Baker (CMB), author and professor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Richard specializes in gluten-free baking and instruction, and he’ll share some expert insights and preparation tips for baking with pulse flours.

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Announcing: International Year of Pulses

2016

Big news: 2016 has been declared International Year of Pulses by the United Nations! With past international year observances ranging from quinoa to the ocean to “youth,” what makes pulses a topic of international interest?

 

In addition to being versatile nutritional powerhouses in your kitchen, pulses (which include lentils, chickpeas, dry peas and beans) have the power to provide significant health, economic and environmental benefits worldwide. Check out a few key benefits below:

 

Nutritious*:

Pulses are:

  • Gluten-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free.
  • Excellent source of fiber and good source of protein; Lentils deliver double the protein of quinoa.
  • High in antioxidants; Lentils have 2x the antioxidant content of blueberries, and 3x that of pomegranate juice.
  • Iron-rich; Chickpeas contain more than twice as much iron as chicken.
  • Good source of potassium; One serving of dry peas contains as much potassium as a banana.
  • Excellent source of folate; Chickpeas contain 3x more folate than kale.

 

Sustainable:

  • Pulse crops are drought-tolerant and frost-hardy, able to grow in harsh environments.
  • Pulse crops are water-efficient, requiring little or no irrigation.
    • It takes 43 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of pulses vs. 1,857 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of beef.
  • Pulses are natural fertilizers, pulling nitrogen from the air (where there is too much) and returning it to the soil, removing the need for nitrogen fertilizers.

 

Affordable and Accessible:

  • Pulses are a staple food and primary source of protein for much of the world’s population.
  • Pulse crops can serve as a food crop, cash crop, fodder crop and rotation crop.
  • The cost per serving of lentils in the U.S. is $0.07, vs. $1.07 for beef, $0.71 for pork and $0.67 for chicken.

 

Versatile:

  • It takes roughly the same time to prepare lentils and split peas as it takes to prepare pasta, quinoa or rice (15-30 minutes), and they can be used in an endless array of dishes and forms, including whole cooked pulses, pulse purees and pulse flours.
  • In preparation for International Year of Pulses, we’re working with 10 amazing bloggers to create recipes showcasing pulses’ versatility and value – with one recipe ultimately being selected as the National Pulse Recipe of the U.S.! Head to our Facebook page to get some delicious new recipes and vote for your favorite, or explore more recipes here.

 

More information on IYOP can be found here.

 

*All nutrition information based on one serving of pulses (½ cup cooked)*

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Meat Substitution Tip Sheet

Here at the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council we are focusing on Plant Protein for the month of April. Protein is one of the essential nutrients that all of our bodies need plenty of on a daily basis. And what better way to pack a meal with protein than to include a serving of pulses? One cup of the pulse of your choice on average provides up to 25% of our daily recommended protein! Not to mention that because of their high fiber content they keep us fuller, longer! All the more reason to substitute some plant protein into our regular diet!

Still not convinced? Here are 5 reasons why plant protein is better than animal protein:

  1. Meat is far more expensive than pulses. Chicken tends to be a cheaper option in purchasing meat, but is still 2X as expensive as chickpeas!
  2. Consumption of animal protein is most often related to high levels of cholesterol, a compound that contributes to cardiovascular disease. Not to mention the recent studies verifying dangerous levels of carcinogens in processed red meat!
  3. Pulses are quite versatile in acting as a meat replacement. Recipes like lasagna, burgers, enchiladas, and nachos can all be prepared with pulses, rather than meat! (And we have a recipe for each of these here on our blog!).
  4. Pulses are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Not to mention the minimal to absent levels of saturated fat and cholesterol!
  5. Meat only keeps in the refrigerator and freezer for so long, while pulses can be stored for months in the pantry! That, and once they are cooked they can also be kept in the fridge for use later in the week!

The proof is in the pulses!

Meats_vs_Pulses_Comparison_2013_1203a

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Lentils vs. Grains

 

 

As one of the world’s healthiest foods, lentils lead the way in many categories including being low in sodium, high in dietary fiber, as well as containing 90% of our daily recommended intake of folate. These, among the many other benefits, allow lentils to have a little something to offer people of all ages, especially due to their easy digestion! When cooked, many grains add flavor and texture to meals, but no grain can compare nutritionally to the benefits found in lentils. Take a look at how just 1/2 cup of lentils takes the lead among just a few of the most popular grains consumed in the U.S.

 

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Health Benefits of Pulses

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with us!

Eating healthy and developing a regular exercise routine is important year round, but sometimes we need a little help to get back on track. Let us help you be kind to your body by adding some dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas to your diet! Here are some of the incredible health benefits you’ll sustain by adding pulses into your regular meal plan!

 

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