Ezekiel Flour

I mentioned this in a much earlier post, but I've been doing some more experimenting, so I'll share more now. Ezekiel, in the Old Testament, was told to make a flour out of a combination of beans and grains and to make a cake with it. He lived on this cake, along with water, for nearly a year before other foods were again available to him. Here's a recipe that includes all the grains and beans mentioned in the bible verse, Ezekiel 4:9:

2 1/2 cups hard red wheat berries
1 1/2 cups spelt berries
1/2 cup barley
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup lentils
3/4 cups mixed beans

mix all of this together and then run it through a grain mill.

Spelt is very similar to wheat but more expensive. I use all wheat, and I use hard white instead of hard red. Barley and millet are gluten-free grains. You can substitute other gluten-free grains like brown rice, quinoa, or amaranth if you prefer. As for the beans and lentils, use whatever dry beans you have. I have a bucket of pinto beans so I often use just those.

You can replace the flour in any recipe with Ezekiel flour to make it more nutritious. It will change the texture and flavor. In yeast breads, I've replaced 1/4 of the flour with desireable results. I've made pancakes with Ezekiel flour only, and they are a favorite around here. I told the kids the story about Ezekiel and they latched right onto it. They make for a very filling meal.