Vegan AND Gluten-free

I used to silently scoff at people who had food allergies, who couldn't eat this or that. "Get over it," I'd silently judge. "Just eat the food." So of course, I developed health challenges that resulted in all kinds of limitations on what I can and cannot eat.

Somewhat instant karma.

First, I went dairy-free, and felt immensely better. After a few years I went gluten-free and felt better. Then I started eating gluten again and felt pretty good. Then I went vegan and started avoiding nightshades. . . There've been so many permutations that I've definitely lost track of most of them.

Many of the diet-based strategies for improving health have made a difference, so I keep monkeying with it. It's easy to follow specific guidelines when cooking at home, but restaurants or dinners at friends' houses are always a compromise with crossed fingers and optimistic cheerfulness as standard strategies.

Right now I'm concentrating on being vegan and gluten-free. And, I love bread. It's hard to combine those two facts and end up successful. And yet! Success has been achieved!

I grew tired of the crumbly, stale, gluten-free breads I was able to find at grocery stores, and never found a brand that was also vegan. So I ordered a bread maker, a gluten-free cookbook, and probably 20 various ingredients to be able to use the bread-maker and the cookbook.

Adapting the recipes to also be vegan remained a challenge. I tried several egg and dairy substitutes, and the loaves consistently came out dense and gummy. Good flavor, though, which was encouraging. And then I found this recipe online that unlocked the door to success.

Fluffy, soft, vegan, gluten-free, delicious, homemade bread.

The secret, egg-substituting ingredient? Garbanzo bean brine. You know; that thick, unappealing liquid that spills out when you open a can of garbanzo beans. Well. Turns out, it's a great protein for helping gluten-free flours rise into a fluffy, soft bread. Plus, it adds a nice yet subtle flavor to the bread.

So, the world has become even more wonderful, with yummy bread in the morning or for lunch; for avocado toast, or sandwiches, or bread pudding, or all of those other things that are delicious and comforting.

It's another slice of heaven on earth.