I cooked some the past two weekends

All 4 chocolate bars are sweetened with coconut sugar. I seem to deal better if I don't mix my chocolate with Cane sugar!

My favourite Quinoa tabouleh

Gluten free spinach veggie 3 cheese lasagna

Eggplant & chickpea curry and spicy lentil dhal made last week-end

My freezer also has a black bean dish. My freezer is full. This is good. It means I eat properly every day instead of only days I have energy to actually cook.

Gluten free pizza

Tried out gluten free pizza from Pizza Pizza last night for dinner.  The price sucks. But that's for everything gluten free. Companies are sucking up the profits.... I can't imagine rice flour is that much more expensive then wheat flour. It's not like rice is very rare.

So far I didn't seem to have digestion issues but I made way too many trips to the bathroom. Not sure why, could be unrelated but will have to try it again another time to make sure it wasn't hte pizza. 

OMG that was a delicious sandwich.

I've blogged about Louise Gluten free before. Today I'm in awe.

We went to pick up bread. Wednesday is baguette day. And I decided since I had no lunch to order a Sandwich. OMG, the veggie sandwich on baguette is out of this world and to die for.

I'm having Louise's sandwiches on a regular basis.

Finally bread fun to eat again!!!

Vegetarian sandwich from Louise Gluten Free.

Louise, Gluten Free!

I've been to LOuise Sans Gluten [Or Louise Gluten free] twice now, two Tuesdays in a row. It's a small shop, bakery & restaurant that caters to gluten free people and diet. It's in Dorval on Dumont street. JUst a bit before the Dorval Circle.

I've bought so far, 1 loaf of their multigrain gluten free bread, and 1 package of gluten free buns. Their bread tastes decently and they don't use refined sugar, they use Honey.

I also found gluten free RAMEN. I can't remember the last time I had ramen soup. This is rice noodles with a Miso soup type mix. Can't wait to try it either camping or at a friends place when I need to bring quick food with me.

They also carry that delicious coconut/chocolate bar too!

I can't wait to try their baguettes. Apparently they make them Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Something tells me we will be going Friday!!!

They are fixed

Both the dishwasher and the washing machine were fixed on Monday finally.

Monday we all used the washing machine.  I even put 4 loads of laundry outside on the line. Was not lucky, it rained buckets several times.  Was going to go home at lunch to put away laundry except there was heavy rainfall.

Instead we went to "Louise Sans Gluten" in Dorval. Picked up a multigrain loaf. So far so good, had a grilled  cheese goat brie sandwich yesterday.  Yum. They apparently make baguettes that are out of this world. 

I cooked and baked this week-end

Other then picking up a canoe in Lanoraie yesterday, I also made 2 dishes.  One is called protein power Goddess bowl, and the other was a middle-eastern inspired beet salad. Both gluten free of course.

Beet salad

I made the protein power Goddess bowl yesterday as opposed to today because the friend that drove with me to pick up the canoe, was going to need lunch before driving.  We both loved the dish and it was quite filling. I had some today for lunch.  I will be posting the recipe sometime this  week.

Protein power Goddess bowl

I also cooked up some gluten free gnocci I picked up at Adonis. Very yummy. This might be good to bring camping/canoe camping, especially if I can manage dehydrated sauce.

Today I started by making chickpea salad. With pomegranate, and onions that sweated.

Chickpea salad

Next I made gluten free banana bread. Today I replaced the corn flour by sorgho or sorghum flour. I also added as extra ingredients: lemon zest, grated unsweetened coconut, raisins, diced black mission figs, and crumbled walnuts.  I also used a container of unsweetened applesauce in lieu of any sugar.Sadly I didn't have plain applesauce, so this one is strawberry-kiwi.   All I can say is that it is delicious. Very addictive.  I want to eat it all in one sitting.  This seems to be a problem with a lot of my cooking.

Gluten Free banana bread

After stuffing my face on banana bread, which is just out of this world I made a vegetable chili. Which I will put on a bed of some form of gluten free noodles.

Vegetable chili

Later I made a curried lentil stew.

Curried lentil stew

Lastly I made a potato & chickpea curry, mostly because I had a cauliflower that really needed to be used like today. And I know I won't cook for days after this blitz.

potato & chickpea curry

 My freezer once I was done:

Freezer filled with food

Eggplant & Chickpea Curry

This recipe comes from a blog called "Two blue lemons" that I printed years ago.

Eggplant Chickpea Curry

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion  diced
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated or minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp whole corriander seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspon hot madras curry powder
red pepper flakes, cayenne, or jalapenos to taste
1 large eggplant, diced
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can [14 oz] diced tomatoes
3 gloves garlic minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp salt
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped.

Preperation:

1 - In a large bottom heavy skillet, saute the onions, ginger, garlic and carrots in olive oil until the onions are transluscent and the carrots are soft

2 -  Add the spices {coriander seeds through red pepper flakes) and saute for a few more minutes so the spices can toast and release their flavour.

3 - Add the eggplant, chickpeas, tomatoes and garlic

4 - Cover and simmer on medium-low for about 20-30 minutes or until the eggplant is barely recognizable and everything has become a thick dark curry.

5 - Add the peas and cilantro, season with salt, and continue to cook for a few minutes just until the peas are hot.

Coconut vegetable curry

This recipe I found in "The complete book of Vegetarian cooking" ISBN 0-7525-2060--1

Coconut vegetable curry

Ingredients:

I large eggplant cut into 1inch cubes
2 tbsp of salt
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh green chili deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger root
i onion, chopped finely
2 tsp of garam masala
8 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground tumeric
t tbsp of tomato paste
3 cups of fresh vegetable stock
1 tbsp of lemon juice
8 oz   potatoes, diced
8 oz okra, trimmed
8 oz frozen peas
2/3 cups of coconut milk
salt & pepper
flaked coconut to garnish
Naan bread to serve


1- Layer eggplant in a bowl, sprinkling with salt as you go. Set aside for 30 minutes

2 - Rinse well under water to remove all the salt. Drain and pat dry with paper towels, set aside

3 - Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the garlic, chili, ginger, onion, and spices for 4-5 minutes until browned

4 - Stir in the tomato paste, stock, lemon juice, potatoes, and cauliflower, and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes

5 - Stir in the eggplant, okra, peas and coconut milk. Adjust the seasoning. Return to a boil, and continue to simmer uncovered, for a further 10 minutes until tender. Discard the cardamom pods. 

6 - Pile onto a warm serving platter, garnish with flaked coconut and serve with Naan Bread.

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I ended making a few modifications. First   I didn't use tomato paste, instead I used a bottle of tomato coulis. Also used it to replace some of the vegetable stock. As well I put 1 can of coconut milk.  I substituted the Okra for zucchini. For oil I used coconut oil. I did put 1-2 tbsp of "cock sauce" or Huy Fong Chili garlic sauce.

Once it was cooked, I put it on a bed of bean vermicelli. I put 1/3 noodles, 2/3 Coconut curry.

Jennies Carob Macaroons

These are decadent.

Gluten free bagels, 2nd try

My first attempt at Gluten free bagels.

Gluten free Bagels

I took this bagel recipe I'd once made before and switched ingredients to make it gluten free and sugar free. They look a little overdone. I have to admit they were crispy, but yummy. I have to change a few things next time I make some,.

Vegetarian Moussaka

This was a dish I'd never had the patience or the balls to make. Today I decided I was going to make Moussaka and it turned out delicious.

Vegetarian Moussaka

I followed this recipe with a few substitutions.  I swapped the Parmesan for Kashkaval cheese, I used almond milk instead of dairy milk, I used coconut oil instead of butter and I used bobs gluten free flour instead of white wheat flour. Also I used 2 Lebanese cucumbers instead of the zucchini.

Potato Salad

Made potato salad tonight, with potatoes that had big big eyes. 

HI! HI! HI! HI! HI!, I can see you with all my eyes!!!!!

I dunno if I should call it potato salad, it also had grated radishes and carrots. It had tiny cut pieces of celery,  red pepper and orange pepper. It had half a cup of chopped parsley and a bit of chopped cilantro. It had an entire red onion in tiny little pieces.  It was seasoned with ground dried garlic and onions and black pepper and lots of mayonaise.

Potato Salad

Chickpea Casserole Recipe

By demand for my eldest daughter, here is my : 

Chickpea casserole recipe 

1 tbsp of vegetable oil or water
1/2 - 1 cup of chopped onions
2 garlic cloves finely chopped or minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup cooked brown or white rice
1 cup canned cream style corn
1  x 19 ounce cup of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 tbsp of curry
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 cup of water

Preheat oven to 375F

• lightly oil 1 1/2 quart baking dish
• heat oil or water in a large frying pan on medium heat
• cook onions garlic and bay leaf until onions are tender (5 minutes)
• remove pan from heat, discard bay leaf
• add remaining ingredients and mix well
• Throw into baking dish
• Bake covered with aluminum for 30 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Gluten free fruit square - another variation

The first variation I did of the fruit nut squares was using just one bag of  of the president's choice  frozen mixed fruit blends.  The 4-fruit blend that contains peaches, strawberries, pineapple and mango.  It was what inspired me to mix berries and mangoes to make the  "Hawaiian punch" version. The recipe is here.  Just substitute the 3 half bags of frozen fruit & berries for this one bag shown on the left.

I get bored so I'm going to keep experimenting with various mixes. I tend to buy frozen fruit when there are sales. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a bag of frozen strawberries then fresh ones!  And for baking it does not matter if it has been frozen.

Also learning to toss in my freezer any ripe banana no one will eat because it's too ripe.   They are perfect for cooking.

Pan-fried Haloumi is good

Pan-fried Haloumi served with onions and peppers

But if you like heat, try slathering  frank's hot sauce on top of the cheese, while the other side is cooking. When you turn it over, you turn over cheese covered in hot sauce.   It grills nicely and develops a really nice tang.  Most people say to dip the cheese in flour but I like it just pan fried in coconut oil.

I used a Haloumi that is a mix of cow, sheep and goats milk and is a product of Cyprus.  I  prefer it to the Haloum cheese that I can also find at Mourelatos but is more  salty and is made only of cow's milk.

Gluten Free Fruit Squares or bars

These are the fruits and berries I used in the fruit squares

Gluten free fruit squares or bars  "Hawaiian punch flavour" 

1/2 bag of a 600g mango cubes
1/2 bag of a 600g cherry medley
1/2 bag of a 600g berry blend with pomegranate 
2/3 cups of coconut oil
1 mushy banana
1/2 cup of almond milk
3/4 cup of walnut flour or crushed flax seeds
3/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/4 cup of peanut pieces or walnut pieces. [optional]
1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
1 teaspoon of chinese 5 spice [Could also be allspice, or cinnamon  or whatever you enjoy]

1 - preheat oven to 350F. Put all the frozen fruit in a pot and warm up. Drain all excess liquid after the majority of the fruit has thawed out, and then cook mixture until mango is mushy. 

2 - Lightly coat an 8 1/2 x 8 1/2" dish baking pan with coconut oil. In a small bowl, mix almond milk, banana, coconut oil. TIP: If your coconut oil is hard, put in microwave to liquefy it before mixing with other two ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine flours, rolled oats, coconut flakes,  nuts &spices [if using] and salt. Add wet ingredients, then mix well.

3 -  Place fruit in a blender or food processor.  Turn into even texture. Should be thick.

4 - Place half of the oat mixture in the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom. I use a spoon to tap it down evenly. Spread fruit mix evenly on top. Add the remaining mixing on top of the fruit layer. Pat with a spoon to flatten.

5 - Bake for 25-30 minutes [Depending on your oven]. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool cut into 16 squares.

Alternatively instead of laying fruit in middle, I've mixed everything together and put it in the dish. I bake for same amount of time but cut into 8 bars.  If my 8 1/2 x 8 1/2" square glass dish isn't available I use my 7 1/2 x 11 1/2" oblong glass dish instead.

"Hawaiian Punch" gluten free fruit bar

Gluten Free Fig Squares - Revised

Gluten free Fig Squares

1 bag of dried black mission figs [it was 375g]
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 mushy banana
1/2 cup of almond milk
3/4 cup of almond flour
3/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
1 tsp of chinese 5 spice [ or it could be allspice, or cinnamon - whatever floats your boat]

1 - preheat oven to 350F. Put figs in small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn of heat and let figs soften for 5-7 minutes. Do not drain.

2 - Lightly coat an 8 1/2 x8 1/2" dish baking pan with coconut oil. In a small bowl, mix almond milk, banana, coconut  oil.  TIP: If your coconut oil is hard, put in microwave to liquefy it before mixing with other two ingredients.  In a medium bowl, combine flours, rolled oats, coconut flakes, baking soda spices, and salt. Add wet ingredients, then mix well.

3 - Remove softened figs from water and place in a blender or food processor. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the re-hydrating water and puree until smooth

4 - Place half of the oat mixture in the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom. I use a spoon to tap it down evenly. Spread figs evenly on top. Add the remaining mixing on top of the fig layer. Pat with a spoon to flatten.

5 - Bake for 25-30 minutes [Depending on your oven]. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool cut into 16 squares.

Gluten free fig squares

Grape seed oil & black mission figs

I am a Larabar addict and it is a costly addiction.  So I decided to try to find a homemade alternative that would be as delicious, as healthy, and a mix of nuts and fruit. This is my first creation. It's still not perfect but quite edible.

This recipe is high in protein and the only sugar is the sugar found in the figs and the banana. The recipe I modified to make these used honey instead of the banana. 



Gluten free Fig Squares

1 bag of dried black mission figs [it was 375g]
1/4 cup of grape seed oil
1/4 cup of Nuvel margarine
1 mushy banana
1/4 cup of almond milk
3/4 cup of almond flour
3/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt.

1 - preheat oven to 350F. Put figs in small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn of head and let figs soften for 5-7 minutes. Do not drain.

2 - Lightly coat an 8x8 dish baking pan with coconut oil. In a small bowl, mix almond milk, banana, margerine and oil. In a medium bowl, combine flours, rolled oats, coconut flakes, baking soda and salt. Add wet ingredients, then mix well.

3 - Remove softened figs from water and place in a blender or food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of the re-hydrating water and puree until smooth

4 - Place half of the oat mixture in the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom. I use a spoon to tap it down evenly. Spread figs evenly on top. Add teh remaining mixing on top of the fig layer. Pat with a spoon to flatten.

5 - Bake for 20-25 minutes [Depending on your oven]. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool cut into 16 squares.

Vegan, gluten free fig squares

NOTE: You can substitute 1/2 cup of coconut oil instead of grapeseed/canola mix. That worked fine, though may try with 2/3 cup coconut oil for the perfect texture.

See updated recipe for better crust.

Quinoa is my new friend.

I'm enjoying quinoa as a substitute for Bulgar wheat in tabbouleh. I found that there are different colours of quinoa. Until today I had only made it with golden quinoa. Last week-end I picked up white, red and black quinoa too. This tabbouleh was made with a mixture, 3/4 white quinoa, 1/4 black quinoa. Gives the salad an interesting look.

 Gluten free tabbouleh with 2 colour quinoa

I also made some potato salad. That's going to be my lunch for this week at work. One cup of tabbouleh, one cup of potato salad.  In the potato salad, I put one large red onion cut finely, 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped, and 1 grated carrot.  I seasoned with all sorts of herbs and spices to give it some taste.

The last thing I made yesterday, was suggested by an Irish friend as a substitution for my aspartame sweetened ricola cough drops.  I used 1 ruby red grapefruit, 2 clementines and 2 lemons. I cooked them unpeeled in water with lots of cloves for an hour or two, to really cook it down. The resulting pulpy water was quite bitter, but tasted almost like marmalade. He had suggested to sweeten it with honey and use on my raw throat.  I liked the bitter taste of the mixture as is so much, just added a few tablespoons in Perrier and oh wow how awesome was that. Loved the taste and it was good on my throat. The high content of vitamin C in this should keep me from having to take vitamin C this winter, if I make some to use daily.

Grapefruit, clementine and lemons cooking with some cloves.