Paleo Coconut Power Bar Bites

Mmmm! A new recipe is here!

With a little time on my hands and some ripe bananas to use, I created a new bar recipe. This one is Paleo Coconut Power Bar Bites...and since it's Paleo, it's also gluten-free, dairy-free, with only naturally occurring sugars, (and accidentally vegan). These are a sweet treat, not unlike a cookie--so that's why I'm cutting mine into square inch bites.

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large Pyrex baking dish, combine:

• 5 small/medium ripe bananas (mashed)
• 2 cups shredded UNSWEETENED coconut
• 1 cup hemp hearts
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

In a separate bowl combine:

• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1 cup pitted dates (blended *I did mine with a hand blender along with the top two ingredients)

Mash the date blend into the Pyrex dish with the other mixed ingredients. Press evenly into the pan, and smooth edges.

Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into little bite size squares!

Enjoy :)

Perfect Pork Loin Rub

If you haven't already discovered this, Costco sells the BEST pork loins. They come in packs of 5 or 6 in the fresh meat section, so you can pack them up and freeze them, cooking only one at a time.

Tonight I made a perfect pork loin rub, adapted from an online recipe I found to accommodate my allergies. It's sweet, with a hint of heat that can be adjusted by the amount of crushed peppers you add! This recipe is enough for one pork loin.

I rubbed this mixture onto the pork loin only minutes before wrapping in tin foil and baking at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (I measured very loosely, so play a little with this recipe to develop your favourite blend!)

1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp thyme

Shake it up! Rub it on!

Thai Red Curry Paste

A little while ago I posted a recipe for Thai Green Curry Paste. Here's the sequel: Thai Red Curry Paste. The main difference is in the pepper base. This recipe uses hot red Thai chiles which accounts for the red(der) colour!

This is a spicy recipe! Now, everyone rates spicy differently, but I truly think this would sit at the "Medium" scale in a Thai restaurant. Want less spice- use less chiles...more- use more chillies!

Red Curry is fantastic served with yam, cauliflower, yellow bell peppers, and your choice of protein!

As always, this recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free!
This recipe will make enough for 8-10 large curries.

Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste

17 to 20 (2- to 3-inch-long) dried hot red Thai chiles, halved and seeds discarded
4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 lemongrass stalks (tender inside only)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4 teaspoons chopped ginger
6 (4-inch-long) fresh Kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro roots and stems
5 small shallots, chopped
2 green jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons shrimp paste (available at South China Market on Granville Island) (I also read that you can sub this for 1 tsp salt if you're a vegetarian...no guarantees though)

Soak dried red chiles in water about 10 minutes.  Blend all ingredients using a blender or a hand blender (hand blender is more effective).
Once it's all blended together, store in the fridge for up to a week. You can also separate the recipe into individual curry servings- store these in ziplock bags in the freezer and just pop them into the pan when you're ready to use!

To make the curry:
Saute half a yellow onion in coconut oil.
Add diced chicken thighs (or your choice of meat or seafood). Cook until no longer pink inside.
Add diced veggies of your choice....really, whatever you want.
Add a generous dollop of this curry paste along with one can of coconut milk (I use Aroy-D--no binders or thickeners).
Cook until veggies are tender. Voila!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I love tacos. For a long time, I bought those "taco kits" by Old El Paso. They come with the taco shells, some mystery taco spice, and some extra mysterious "taco sauce" (what is that!?). I always threw out the taco sauce...why is it not refrigerated? Something freaky going on there.

In doing some research about the ingredients of taco spice, I learned:

1. One serving size (1/6 of the package), gives you 23% of your daily sodium intake. (woah)
2. Maltodexrin is the number one ingredient. (huh?!)
3. In addition to maltodexrin, there are some extra special ingredients such as: monosodium glutamate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, ethoxyquin (developed by Monsanto, and labelled as 'moderately toxic'), and the ambiguous "natural flavour"

SCARY!

What's all that doing in my spice mix?!!?!

Now, catch your breath...I know that was horrifying. I have the solution

.

Homemade Taco Seasoning. It works the same, it looks the same, it smells the same, but it's MUCH BETTER FOR YOU! (and this version is garlic free)

This recipe will make a lot. Keep it stocked in a jar and add it to your beef, chicken, pork...whatever! It's multi-purpose!

In a large jar, mix together:
1/2 cup chili powder
6 tbsp paprika
1/8 cup onion powder
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp red pepper flakes

Ta-da! Easy peasy.

Thai Green Curry Paste

Have you ever made homemade Thai curry?

Have you ever made homemade Thai curry with your own homemade Thai curry paste?! Now this picture below looks a little like just a bunch of green mush- but it's GLORIOUS when it's made into a beautiful Thai Green Curry.

Well, this was something that I'd wanted to do since I discovered Thai food. My boyfriend and I love our Thai food and have a favourite place we often frequent (It's called Khunnai Chang Thai Cuisine and I HIGHLY recommend it). We fell so in love with Thai food that we started making it regularly at home. Before I made my own batch of curry paste- we used to use Thai Kitchen. Now, that is good...but it is in no way close to the fresh stuff. This curry paste is amazing. It's easy to make (once you have the ingredients...), but now that I'm here to help you- it will be as simple as reciting the alphabet.

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it is gluten-free and without preservatives or additives!

The hardest things to find are the Kaffir Lime Leaves and Limes. They are essential for this recipe- so don't substitute. These limes are heavenly. I found them at the South China Seas Trading Co. on Granville Island. I couldn't find them at Whole Foods, Safeway, or No Frills. You could probably also find them at a large Asian Grocery Store. The rest of the ingredients I found at No Frills.

If you've never worked with lemongrass before: here's a video on how to do it!

This recipe will make roughly 8-10 large curries.

Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste
2 stalks lemongrass, minced 
5 green jalapeños
3 shallots, sliced
1/4 cup ginger, sliced
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves & stems
1/3 cup dried basil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander
6 tbsp. gluten-free tamari
2 tsp. shrimp paste (available at South China Market on Granville Island) (I also read that you can sub this for 1 tsp salt if you're a vegetarian...no guarantees though)
2 Kaffir lime leaves

The zest of 2 kaffir limes

I blended all ingredients together using my new handy hand blender. I've also made a batch using a regular blender, but it takes a bit more time. Since the paste is thick, you have to stop and hand mix the stuff in the blender often. A hand blender took me 3 minutes at most. 
Once it's all blended together: stuff it in a jar, and put it in the fridge! It lasts up to a week in there. Another option is to put it into Zip-lock bags in single uses, and put that in the freezer! Then, when you're making curry, just pop your single serving amount out of the freezer, and drop it into your pan!

To make the curry:
Saute half a yellow onion in coconut oil.
Add diced chicken thighs (or your choice of meat or seafood)
Add diced bell pepper, bamboo, green beans, eggplant....really, whatever you want.
Add a generous dollop of this curry paste along with one can of coconut milk (I use Aroy-D--no binders or thickeners).
Cook until veggies are tender. Voila!

This curry paste is spicier the more you add! It's honestly amazing. SO worth it. I made a batch for my Dad for his birthday!

Cinnamon Maple Candied Walnuts

Tonight I was hit by a major sweets craving. Chocolate was what I was looking for- but there is none in the house...

Instead, I whipped up some ammmmmaaaaazzzzzzzing cinnamon maple candied walnuts- courtesy of Martha Stewart (I mean, it's her recipe!) Ever had a mad cinnamon bun craving? This will seriously satisfy it. It takes like the gooey goodness of the cinnamon bun...the stuff you lick off your fingers. Oh my!

I've discussed my obsession with maple syrup before. It's partly the Canadian in me...but it's also SO GOOD. I lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove maple syrup. If it's not something you keep in your kitchen- please- do yourself a favour and go buy a bottle of pure goodness! It'll sweeten your soul!

Here's the original link: "Maple-Candied Walnuts"

Mentos...

This is a sad post.

To be honest, I don't know anyone other than me that buys Mentos, but they are one of my favourite candies to indulge in.

Until now.

Mentos have gluten, guys.
"Wheat glucose syrup"

What the heck, Mentos? Why do you need wheat? Change this! It can't be that difficult.

Superfood Superpower Oat Bars

Tonight I created a recipe for an oat bar filled with healthy seeds, needs, and superfoods! Think protein,  healthy fats, and the added benefits of raw cacao, chia, and goji. Your body will love you.

Absolutely delicious- I hope you enjoy!

You will need:

½ cup roasted pecans, finely chopped

¼ cup goji berries

½ cup raw hemp hearts

2 tbsp raw cacao bits

2 tbsp black chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cup rolled oats

1 small mashed banana

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup maple syrup

Roast chopped pecans in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.

Add all ingredients into a bowl, and stir thoroughly.

Line a glass roasting dish with tin foil, pressing into the edges of the pan.

Press mixture into pan--trying to keep even throughout.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan.

Gluten Free at an All-Inclusive (Mexico)

The past 10 days I spent on vacation in Mexico. It was glorious...the sunshine was a well needed break from the rainy winter of Vancouver. This post isn't about my vacation, though, it's about being gluten-free on vacation.

Gluten-free living is hard enough at home. Going out to restaurants can be scary, disappointing, or just awkward. But at least the menus are in english, and you can negotiate with the servers/chefs about your meal.

My boyfriend and I stayed at an All-Inclusive resort (the GR Solaris in Cancun to be exact), and although I didn't completely miss getting hit by gluten, I think I did pretty well, and have lived to tell the tale (and give some advice to others about to do the same!)

Fortunately, the wheat-obsessed diet is pretty much restricted to Canada, USA, and Europe, as far as I've discovered. Mexico is a very corn-heavy diet...and although it's not necessarily the healthiest, it's generally pretty safe for us who are gluten-free! Problem is, the all-inclusives tend to cater to their clients...mostly, Americans. This means there are tons of pasta and bread options at the buffets.

What you CAN count on though, is that authentic mexican tortilla chips, and tortilla shells are made of corn masa. MOST sauces are based in beans or tomatoes, and authentic sauces do not contain wheat.

What I quickly discovered at my resort was that I could eat, and eat well, by making the best educated guesses/decisions about the food I was eating. I have a wide variety of allergies, so as always, breakfast was very limited (no eggs for me...), but that's totally normal back home, too.

Here are some tips for people heading out on vacation:

1. Don't stress. If you're staying at a resort, there is usually PLENTY of options. If you're eating authentic Mexican food, make sure the tortillas are made of corn (HINT: the flour ones stretch if you pull at them...corn ones won't). Mexican food is generally wheat-free anyways.

2. Make SMART choices about what you eat at the buffet.
          For me, breakfast consisted of a TONNE of fresh fruit. and bacon. Fruit and bacon. If they had fresh tortilla chips out I would also have some of those with some refried beans. Load up on that delicious fruit though...it's not often you can get all those delicious melons fresh. They had a fresh omelette station, as they do at many of the hotels. If you can eat eggs, load up! Protein :)

          Lunch. TACOS! Gotta love the authentic Mexican tacos. Corn tortillas with salsa verte (green tomato salsa), lots of cilantro and guacamole. Tacos are a wonderful way to enjoy your lunch while staying safe. Again, just make sure you're eating corn tortillas! I had a slip up when I decided to venture into the "American food" category for lunch...just eat the real Mexican food and you'll be fine!

          Dinner. Start with a big salad. Find what's being grilled, and make sure there's no sauce. Our hotel offered some amazing salmon, prawns, chicken, and other grilled meats every night.

I pretty much stayed away from the soups offered, just in case...but twice I got some wonderful soup that I'm glad I didn't miss out on.

Lime Soup: This is traditional, and absolutely delicious.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup: One day my hotel made a delicious chicken and veggie soup that made me feel right at home. It was very obviously homemade, slow cooked, and delicious. It looked like it was fresh out of my Crock Pot!


I think you just really have to be smart about what you choose to put into your body. Take a look at what you're eating and make smart choices. You know your reactions. Take that into consideration everytime you're tempted to take a risk. It may not be worth it. Stick to the authentic Mexican food, and what you know to be gluten-free.

       

Chicken Soup for the Soul With a Cold

Last Tuesday I came down with a horrendous cold. They're just so inconvenient, you know? It's putting a serious hamper on my daily activities and production levels!

Since I've been sick, I've been eating Campbell's Chicken and Rice soup like it's going out of style- but I knew there was nothing better for me than homemade.

So tonight- that was my project!
I adapted a recipe from Canadian Living- but it didn't have an essential "get better" ingredient that I wanted to throw in there- GINGER!

Here's my recipe:

Chicken Soup for the Soul With a Cold
*this recipe makes a whole lot of soup- so be ready to put some in the fridge or freezer if you can't finish it all.

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium yellow onion
4 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 small yukon gold potatoes- peeled and diced
1/2 yam, peeled and diced
1 tbsp dried thyme (use fresh if you have it!)
3 sprigs fresh parsley, diced (I had some in my garden-- use dried if you only have that)
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 cups reduced sodium gluten-free chicken broth
1/2 cup rinsed jasmine rice
1.5 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into very small pieces

Heat olive oil in your largest pot--you will use only this pot for the soup.
Brown chicken thighs over medium heat.
Once browned, remove from pot- chop into small pieces and set aside for later.

Add onion and celery to the pot.
Saute for 2 minutes.
Add carrots, potato, yam, thyme, parsley, ginger, salt, and pepper.
Saute for 3 minutes.
Return chicken to pot.
Stir in broth and 4 cups water.
Bring to a boil- simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in rice.
Cover, and cook until rice is soft- approximately 15 minutes.

YUMMY!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

Get excited.
Right now.

I'm serious.

I made a BRILLIANT gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie that I'm so excited to share. It's nearly Thanksgiving, and you could easily serve this to your guests without them knowing there is anything different about it. I wanted to be able to make a great pie for this occasion, and thought that I'd have to try a few different recipes to find a good one. 

With a few adjustments according to what I had in the fridge- this pie came out absolutely delicious. It might take a few tries to get it cosmetically perfect, because pies can be tricky this way...but I will absolutely be keeping this recipe in my collection.

This is an OVERNIGHT recipe- so plan to start in the evening, and continue the next day.
If you have the chance to chill your flours- this apparently helps, too. I didn't do it, but will try next time to see if it makes a difference.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch

3 tablespoons millet flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup COLD butter (keep it in the freezer)
1 egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ice-cold water (get a cup of water, throw some ice cubes in it, and put it in the freezer. ICE COLD. Bam!)

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter in. When you are finished, the whole mix should look grainy. Butter should be no larger than pea-sized pieces.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the egg and apple cider vinegar. 
Gently stir, and then slowly add the ice cold water. Mixture should not be too wet, but should be able to be pressed into a ball of dough.

Take the dough, and press it onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Place another large piece of parchment on top, and roll the dough outward into a round shape. Dough should extend at least 4 inches past the edges of your pie plate.

Refrigerate this dough (ideally) overnight. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you want to work with it. 

Peel off the top layer of parchment and lay your pie plate on top. This is the scariest part...FLIP it over! Lightly peel the last layer of parchment off.
DON'T WORRY if you butcher your dough at this point. I did, and ended up pressing it all back together- and it still turned out great!

Trim the edges of the pie, and if you'd like, you can crimp the pieces or press a fork into the edges to create a cute little design.  

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (Mine took 15...watch for it until it's golden brown)

Cool COMPLETELY. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Filling:

 2/3 cup coconut milk
(Just less than) 1/2 cup sugar
 2 eggs
 1 (14-ounce) can organic pumpkin puree
 3 tablespoons millet flour
 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the mix, and combine well. 
Pour into the cooled pie crust, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes (again, mine took 55...wait until the middle of the pie is fairly firm.) It's always a good idea to put some tin foil over the edges of the pie- so they don't get burnt during baking! 

Update to OMG Bread

Hello!

It's been a while since I posted my OMG Bread recipe- and I've used it plenty of times now. I thought I'd give an update to the recipe, and also just how I make it!

It's gluten-free bread. It's vegan. It's delicious. It's great for toasting. It's great for freezing.

Here is the original posting for OMG Bread.

If you haven't used this recipe yet, you should do it today.
I've tried a number of gluten-free breads from different bakeries...and mine is still one of the best. It's the best for toasting for sure. I don't eat a large amount of bread, so I keep mine frozen and toast a piece or two now and then for a toasty sandwich, or toast spread with maple butter, or natural peanut butter.

I haven't changed anything to the recipe, but added to the most recent loaf I did.

I added:

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1 tbsp dried rosemary

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

This added a little herby hint to the bread- but it's still the same, delicious stuff!

You can make 2 smaller loafs with the recipe, or one large loaf, as pictured above. Up to you! The larger is best for sandwiches, but the smaller loafs are better for just small pieces of toast, and limiting your carb intake.

Mexican Hummus Recipe!

Hello!

So I created a delicious recipe I wanted to share with you all!

I named it Mexican Hummus because of it's delicious lime flavour, and cayenne and cilantro tones.

This hummus is dairy-free, and gluten-free, but most importantly GARLIC-FREE, so you can eat as much as you want without the embarrassing post-hummus bad breath!

Not only is making your own hummus easy, but it's incredibly healthy! Choose to use canned chickpeas or make your own from dried chickpeas! (The trick is to add a touch of baking soda when soaking the chickpeas- this will help keep their skins on!)

Mexican Hummus

You will need:

2 cups Chickpeas

4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Organic Tahini

1/4 cup Lime Juice

1 Jalapeño (I used a White Jalapeño)

1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Blend on a low speed until mixed. You may have to stop and stir- this could be too thick for some blenders.

Garnish with a cilantro sprig, and serve with chopped vegetables, or corn tortilla chips!

A Gluten-Free Kitchen

Starting up a gluten-free, dairy-free kitchen can be a bit of a commitment. You want to have yourself set up to be successful, with many opportunities to create the most wonderful, delicious meals, and treats for yourself and your family.

Basics to have around the cupboards:

• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Honey
• Maple Syrup (The real stuff. Don't buy the poison. Keep it in the fridge or it will go moldy!)
• Sorghum Flour
• Rice Flour (brown or white, whichever you prefer)
• Tapioca Flour
• Corn Flour
• Millet Flour
• Buckwheat Flour
• Potato Starch
• Corn Starch
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Yeast (Both rapid-rising, and not)

All flours I have found at Whole Foods. Most of them are made by Bob's Red Mill- Whole Foods does have some in bulk (rice and buckwheat).

Great spices to have on hand:

• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Turmeric
• Curry Powder (check the ingredients labels before buying!)

For the fridge/freezer:

• Fruits and Veggies. I cannot stress the importance of having these around to snack on!
• Fresh salsa! Grab some at your local farmer's market or deli! Fresh is best!
• Kale!!!! Kale chips....so good. Try using red or black kale for a bigger crunch!
• Frozen berries for smoothies!
• Unsweetened Almond Milk (The Silk brand is just terrible. Try Almond Fresh)
• Gluten-free Soy Sauce (Kikkomen makes it! Available at Safeway!)
• Chef's Natural Sausages (Available at the Vancouver Farmer's Market! Try Apple and Pork)
• Soy Good Frozen Dessert (ICE CREAM!!!!)
• So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (AKA YOGURT! This is BETTER than the real stuff. Available in Strawberry, Blueberry, and Vanilla. Just try not to get addicted)

For the cupboards:

• Vegetable Oil
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (Get both your Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar from an international market or deli! You'll absolutely find the best quality there.)
• Natural Peanut Butter (Try Adam's 100% Natural Crunchy! A little tip out there...next time you're buying peanut butter, check out the ingredients label on Skippy brand- one ingredient in there you probably didn't expect...)
• Rice pasta- vermicelli, as well as your standard penne, rotini...find a variety of brands at your local Whole Foods!
• Rice! Lots of it! Those who know me know that rice is my absolute favourite food.

Canned Foods:

• Black Beans
• Corn
• Campbells Chicken and Rice Soup. Great for a quick lunch.
• Young Sweet Corn (Stir Fries, and Curries)
• Bamboo Shoots (Thai Curries)
• Coconut Milk
• Dalla Terra Roasted Pepper Antipasto (Put on grilled chicken, mix into your thai curries...so versatile...so delicious)

Just a note: don't buy canned tomatoes. If you're going to: find them in glass jars. The acid in tomatoes leeches the metal out of the cans and creates an unhealthy metallic balance for you to consume. Google it.

Snacks

• Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
• Annie Chun's Seaweed Snacks (Try the sesame flavour)
• Rice Cakes
• Rice Crackers
• Make some of my OMG Bread and keep it on hand for sandwiches and toast!

I'll continue to add to this list as I discover new products! As of right now I've got most of this on hand. The baking ingredients may seem like a bit excessive- but all gluten-free baking uses a variety of flours versus just one to create a great product. Different flours for different recipes for different baked ingredients!