Sunday, April 24, 2011

Parmesan Spinach Bread (GAPS-legal, grain- and nut-free)

I love a good sandwich.  Now that we eat a grain-free and starch-free diet, the bread options are pretty limited.  Sure, lettuce wraps are tasty too, but occasionally I like to have something more substantial to use as a base. 

Parmesan spinach bread is delicious to eat plain, or as the base for a sandwich.  It is superb topped with leftover roasted chicken, cheddar cheese, and homemade mayonnaise (use a toaster oven to melt the cheese on top of the chicken).  Or try it with bacon and homemade ranch dressing 

Parmesan Spinach Bread
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
6 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
2Tb butter, at room temperature

  1. With the exception of the butter, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Use a fork to beat all ingredients together until well-combined. 
  2. Grease a glass pie plate or 8X8 glass dish with 2 Tb butter.  This will make a nice thick layer of butter that will melt into the egg mixture. 
  3. Pour egg mixture into greased dish and bake at 350 degrees F until set.  This will take about 15-20 minutes if you start with a preheated oven, or 20-25 minutes starting with a cold oven.
  4. Cool slightly and serve. 
This post is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet , Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!

    13 comments:

    The Voogts said...

    This sounds good! And a very creative way to make bread.

    Taryn Kae Wilson said...

    Sarah- bless you for posting grain free recipes. Jeff and I are on a grain free, dairy free diet to heal our intestines. I'm patiently (uh sort-of patiently) waiting for our library to order the GAPS book so I can learn more. I read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I have so much more to learn and I need lots of inspirations to keep meals exciting around here!

    Sarah Smith said...

    Taryn, I also rely on our library to get books, but it is tough waiting. In case you are interested, I think the main differences between SCD and GAPS are:
    -GAPS focuses on making sure you consume homemade broth at least once/day
    -On GAPS there is a big focus on fermented foods and therapeutic-strength probiotics
    -ON GAPS, baking soda is not allowed because it has a strong effect on reducing stomach acid

    If you haven't seen it, you might also find this GAPS food list helpful:
    http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GAPS-Diet-Foods.pdf

    And Natasha Campbell McBride's GAPS site is also full of good info:
    http://gaps.me/

    Tyler said...

    Hey great recipe! this looks delicious. I also really like your gardening tips.

    Keep it up!

    Tyler

    Taryn Kae Wilson said...

    Thanks Sarah!
    I really appreciate the info!
    I'm very sad about not eating sweet potatoes... :)

    Mary @ Mary's Nest said...

    I've always wondered about this and so was glad to see how nice it came out for you. I will also pass this on to a friend of mine who has just started the GAPS diet with her family.

    Love,

    Mary

    Ash said...

    You're my hero today...my kids are bread-obsessed, and going grain-free has been tricky. This looks like the perfect thing to serve with soup, or as a snack! :D

    Sarah Smith said...

    Great, Ash! I hope they love it!

    Anonymous said...

    Apple's recipe calls for toasted pine nuts, which would make it breadier. This recipe just looks like a frittata to me.

    Sarah Smith said...

    Yes, I tried it with the nuts but decided to omit them in my recipe because I liked it better without them.

    Jacqueline said...

    Made this tonight with the recommended mayo and leftover roasted chicken...both toddlers and parents gobbled it all up! thanks for posting :)

    In Riann's Kitchen said...

    Hi Sarah, this looks great! Have you tried it as a loaf or in a meatloaf dish?

    Sarah Smith said...

    I have not. If you do, let me know how it turns out!