Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Italian Seasoned "Bread" Crumbs (aka almond flour)

It's no secret that almond flour/meal is our substitute for bread crumbs in most all recipes. Before Paleo, I always purchased the big tub of Italian style breadcrumbs and used it for everything from chicken cutlets to stuffed mushrooms. It's actually very easy to spice up your almond flour to be a very close substitute. The below recipe will yield one cup of seasoned almond flour and you can double, triple, quadruple to your heart's desire. I typically use the almond meal from Trader Joe's. It's cost effective and they don't blanch the almonds which gives the meal more of the look of breadcrumbs and helps trick the mind even more.

You might want to get started making a batch of these now. Or two. I'm not saying my next post could include these as a main ingredient... but I'm not not saying it either.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl with a mini-whisk or fork until thoroughly combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.


14 comments:

  1. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of breadcrumbs, do you use this substitute 1:1?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Alisha,

      Good question! In most recipes, 1:1 would probably suffice, however the almond flour is a little more absorbent than traditional bread crumbs, so I would recommend you mix it into a "wetter" recipe gradually to judge if the consistency is right. You could also try toasting them lightly mixed with a bit of oil to give them a little crunch as a topping.

      Best,
      Jamie

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  2. LOVE this recipe! Recently ventured into the paleo lifestyle, and feel great! I have used these in stuffed mushrooms, stuffed zucchini, and will use them in my meatballs for my Italian Wedding Soup for Thanksgiving!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Diane,

      Welcome to the Paleo lifestyle! Glad you find the recipe helpful.ALL OF THOSE THINGS sound delicious. Happy cooking!

      Best,
      Jamie

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    2. Diane, where do I find those recipes???

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    3. Hi Tara,

      I'm not sure where Diane found her recipes, but I have a recipe for Italian Meatballs here on Mmmm Paleo.

      http://www.mmmmpaleo.com/2014/10/grandmas-paleo-meatballs.html

      Happy ballin'!

      xx-
      Jamie

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  3. so happy I came across this, been dying for my oven fried pork chops :)

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    Replies
    1. Mmmm... oven fried pork chops. Don't threaten me with a good time!

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  4. So excited to try this. Daughter is almost 1 yr. gluten free and the whole house is missing those breadcrumb recipes! Thanks so much!

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    Replies
    1. Glad to help. You're a nice family for going gluten free with her. It's always easier when you have that kind of support at home.

      Enjoy!

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  5. do these 'bread crumbs' deep fry the same as traditional?

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    Replies
    1. Good question - I haven't tried deep frying but maybe someone else out there has given this a whirl???

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  6. Thanks! Just found a low-to-zero-carb stuffed chicken parm, calls for "bread crumbs." Going to use this instead! :O)

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  7. Deep frying you want to mix in tapioca or cassava starch with almond or coconut flour.

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