How to Make the Garbanzo Bean Flour Pancake

1. First, get to the store and buy yourself some garbanzo bean flour. It’s about $2 to $3 for a 16-ounce bag and all it contains is ground up dried garbanzo beans.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the flour with water, olive oil, salt and spices. Allow the mixture to rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Oil up a medium-sized cast iron skillet and place it over high heat. Pour the garbanzo bean flour mixture into the hot pan so that you can cook the bottom of the pancake for a few minutes.
5. Then, throw that hot pan into the hot oven. Allow the pancake to cook for about 20 minutes, and then remove from the oven.

How to Serve

Cut the garbanzo bean pancake into even 8 slices and serve it warm as a side to your meal. You can also use the whole pancake as a pizza crust and top wit with some marinara sauce and shredded cheese. Use the pancake to dip into garlic sauce or top it with your favorite meats and cheeses.

Garbanzo Bean Flour Pancake

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1½ cups water
• 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Instructions

1. Blend together the water, flour, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and seasonings. Allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a medium cast iron skillet on high heat with ½ tablespoon oil. Allow the skillet to heat up for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Pour the pancake batter into the hot skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, place the skillet into the oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking.
4. Remove from the oven and place the pancake onto a plate. Slice into 8 pieces.

• The 1991 food intolerance hypothesis set forth by Dr. J.O. Hunter
• The 1951 Management of Celiac Disease monograph by Dr. Sidney V. and Dr. Merrill P. Haas
• The 1888 published report On the Celiac Affection by Dr. Samuel Gee

The idea behind the SCD diet is that often those with certain digestive disorders have a damaged intestinal lining and therefore are not able to secrete enough digestive enzymes or have enough healthy absorptive surface area for proper digestion. SCD removes complex carbohydrates from the diet and only allows simple-to-digest carbohydrates, called monosaccharides.  Acceptable foods include fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits, unprocessed meat and fish, homemade 24-hour yogurt and low-lactose cheeses such as dry-curd cottage cheese, healthy oils, honey, eggs, nuts and some legumes. The diet avoids processed meats and fish, starchy vegetables like potatoes, dried and canned fruits, all grains, high-lactose dairy, food preservatives, some legumes and most sweeteners.

The research on SCD is just starting to emerge, and most of the studies that have been done to date have a very small sample size, are prospective, and not placebo-controlled or blinded. More research is necessary to gauge the effectiveness of SCD, but limited research suggests that benefits of this diet may include:

• Bacterial balance
• Improved nutrient absorption
• Reduced intestinal inflammation
• Less intestinal permeability (leaky gut)

As with any dietary approach, those suffering from inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders should consult with their doctor before trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If approved, work with a registered dietitian nutritionist to trial the SCD for at least one month. If there is no improvement, then it probably won’t work for you. Most commit to this diet for at least one year, but the length of the diet is based on speed of recovery.