Olive-Rosemary Bread & A Give-Away

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Welcome to SS&GF! If you love fabulous food made a little bit healthier, subscribe to my RSS or e-mail feed and get new recipes as soon as they’re posted. Hugs! Amy

I  first happened upon Elana’s recipes (from Elana’s Pantry) in a magazine.  I remember being thrilled because I could eat every one of the ingredients.

That doesn’t happen often.

While our cooking styles are different, we both share a love of healthier food. And, I must say I was over-joyed when I read that she shares my philosophy of refusing to give up dessert and sweets all together while steadfastly practicing moderation and choosing to make nutritious, whole foods the dietary cornerstone.

A Gorgeous Loaf of Bread

I’ll be honest…I’m not well versed in almond flour or how it use it.  That’s Elana’s specialty. So when I popped this loaf of Olive-Rosemary Bread in the oven I wasn’t sure it would work.  I nervously looked through my oven window every 5 minutes waiting for the batter in the pan to start looking like bread.

I was so thrilled when I saw a gorgeous brown crust and even happier once it cooled and I could taste it.  The slight sweetness of the almond butter and almond flour is a perfect compliment to the salty olives and savory rosemary.  It’s moist, slices beautifully, and has a texture perfect for topping or eating as is.

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Coookbook

In The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, Elana suggests slicing the bread thin and toasting it in the oven to make crackers.  However you choose to eat it, make sure you have friends and family to share it with because it’s so darn good that it’s hard to eat just a piece or two.

She’s got something for everyone in the pages of her book, including meals for any time of day.  I know you’ll love her classic dishes made healthier, including:

• Herb Crackers
• Chicken Fingers
• Broccoli Pizza with her Pizza Crust Recipe
• Chocolate Velvet Torte
• Fig Newtons

Today, I’m giving away 2 autographed copies of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  I know you’ll love her recipes as much as I do.

And, make sure to check out her new book Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour which will be released on April 26th.

Olive-Rosemary Bread
reprinted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbookwith permission from Elana Amsterdam

makes about 12 slices

3/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a 7 by 3-inch loaf pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, mix the almond butter and olive oil with a handheld mixer until smooth, then blend in the eggs and agave nectar.  In a medium blow, combine the almond flour, arrowrrot powder, salt, and baking soda.  Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then fold in the olives and rosemary.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 45 – 55 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Amy’s note about pan size:

I made this in an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan because I don’t own a 7 by 3-inch pan knowing it would affect the final result.  At first, it might seem like a small change but think about the following:

• a 8 by 4-inch loaf pan as a surface area of 32 square inches  (8 x 4 = 32)
• a 7 by 3-inch loaf pan has a surface area of 21 square inches (7 x 3 = 21)

That’s a difference of 11 square inches of surface area, not counting the difference in volume, – so I knew my final product wouldn’t look the the picture in Elana’s book. Still, it’s a gorgeous loaf of bread and is utterly delicious.  Keep this in mind when baking and making pan size substitutions.

Win Elana’s Book!

• Leave a comment.  I love hearing from you!
• Keep up with Elana’s blog, Elana’s Pantry, via e-mail, RSS, Facebook and/or Twitter.
• Keep up with SS&GF via e-mail, RSS, Facebook, and/or Twitter.
• Share this give-away & Elana’s book on FB, Twitter, or your blog. On Twitter, mention Elana (@ElanasPantry) or me (@Amys_SSGF).
• Visit Elana’s Pantry – find something yummy to make and share it in the comments with a link.

Contest Guidelines: Contest will close on Tuesday, February 2nd at 11:59 pm CST.  Winner will be announced on SS&GF and notified via e-mail.  Open to continental US & Canadian residents only – sorry to my international friends.

Much Love,