One of the questions I get regularly asked about my Paleo diet is how I can survive in America’s bread basket without bread. This actually has been kind of a challenge for me, but not because I miss the taste of bread.
Actually I don’t crave a lot of carbs—whether complex like pasta or bread, or simple like cookies and pie—not that I don’t miss these on occasion, I just don’t crave them.
There are numerous Paleo friendly bread recipes, but I can tell you right now I have yet to find one with the smooth texture and light taste of wheat bread.  Now, if you are just trying to avoid gluten, there are some decent substitutes. Rice flour and oats work well…still not wheat, but they get the job done.
What I miss about bread is the holding function. For example, it’s hard to eat a “sandwich” without bread. I can tell you flat out that a couple leaves of romaine lettuce to hold your turkey and veggies together don’t really cut it. I even miss crackers—once again, think eating from a cheese and sausage platter and skipping the crackers. You can do it, but it’s not quite the same.
This week I tried a recipe for Paleo flat bread. I was a little disappointed in utilizing it as a flat bread. It tasted a little too “eggy” for that. But, I added a little extra water to the recipe and found that it makes great crepes!
Now, I know crepes really aren’t an American thing, but in October I visited one of my little brothers and his wife in Texas who recently had a baby girl—the first girl in our family in 16 years! The in-laws from Finland are currently on an extended stay with them.
Liilia, the mother-in-law, did quite a bit of the cooking while we were there to introduce us to Russian cooking, and one of the things she made that were absolutely divine, was crepes. Crepes are like a very thin, very light pancake. They are usually stuffed with ingredients that can make it either sweet (like Nutella or fruit and crème) or savory (cheese and meats), or in this case, they were wonderful by themselves.
This recipe isn’t quite European crepes, but is a delicious Paleo/gluten-free substitute. With an underlying coconut taste, I think it would pair well with fruit (just not for me). I hope you give it a try. If you have trouble finding the ingredients, just let Dillion’s or Walmart know. Both places are good about stocking items they don’t currently carry if there is a request. I use Red Mill brand and the big Dillion’s already carries some of their products. This crepe recipe (when made in advance) also makes a quick and delicious breakfast when wrapped around a slice of ham.
Happy eating!

Tribune Publisher Mary Hoisington can be reached at mhoisington@gbtribune.com

PALEO FLATBREAD/CREPES
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 1 cup egg whites (8 large are about 1 cup)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp honey or grade B maple syrup (can use coconut or agave nectar)
• ½+ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cooking fat (butter, olive oil, bacon grease, etc.) for cooking
Directions
Heat shortening on a griddle or flat frying pan on medium heat. Combine dry ingredients. Add liquid ingredients and mix very well.  The batter should be barely thicker than milk. Add about ¼ cup of batter to grill and brown lightly on each side. You can easily flip them with a fork or spoon once they are cooked on one side. Eat or let cool and store in a cool dry place.

Recipe modified from keyingredient.com