Panne Rizo's Rewards Program

I've talked about Panne Rizo on this blog before, and I'm still a huge fan. It's so nice to have a bakery dedicated to gluten-free eating, but one that offers egg-free and dairy-free products as well. My favourite products are still their bread crumbs, Vegan Chia Loaf, and Bird's Nest Cookies, but I will continue to explore and update you on my findings!

Panne Rizo is also fantastic at providing it's customers with new products for the holidays. Last Christmas they had a delicious assortment of traditional Christmas cakes and cookies, of which I ate plenty!

I noticed that they've also got special offerings for this Thanksgiving! Drop by and pick yourself up a pumpkin pie (or try the recipe on my blog!) or some pumpkin loaf. Or save yourself a ton of time by ordering some gluten-free turkey stuffing! This is fantastic for those who will be serving someone with a gluten-free diet and is overwhelmed by the idea of making their own!

A new feature for Panne Rizo is their free Customer Rewards Program. Gain points by spending money (1 point for each dollar spent), and gain extra points by bringing in your own reusable bags!
Panne Rizo will also register you into the Celiac Registry where you can get your Celiac receipts at the end of the year for tax purposes.

If you are diagnosed Celiac- here is the link to the Canadian Revenue Agency's page on Gluten-Free write-offs:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300-350/330/clc-eng.html

Here is the link to the page of Panne Rizo's new Customer Rewards Program:
http://www.pannerizo.com/rewards-celiac-registry/

Creamy Curried Potatoes and Swiss Chard

I am all about the Thai curry. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like I'm tucked underneath the covers with a burning fireplace in the background. I have no idea why this image comes to mind...it's totally not what I'm sure most people think of when they eat Thai food. It's just...comforting!

Tonight I made a wonderful and SUPER EASY side dish that takes very little preparation.

Read what Super Foods Magazine had to say about Swiss Chard!

Ingredients:
Approx 20 baby red potatoes, sliced
2 leaves (and stems!) of swiss chard, roughly chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon green curry paste
1 tablespoon coconut oil


Add the coconut oil to a large pan, and heat for a minute or two on medium heat.
Add the potatoes and onion and stir occasionally for the next 10 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, and continue to stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, or until most of the coconut milk has been absorbed.
Add the curry paste, and swiss chard. Cover.

Once the swiss chard is tender (about 5 minutes), you'll be done! Season with S&P!

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!

Easy Salmon Dinner

Let's talk about butter.

Butter is one of those things that I eat with no problems. I've done some research and while there is casein in butter, it is in very very trace amounts. I've got a casein allergy, but seem to have no issues with it...and margarine is scary stuff. I prefer butter over margarine anyway.

With that in mind...I made a simple, delicious dinner tonight that I wanted to share!

Baked Dill Salmon with Leeks and Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes.....

Ingredients:
20-30 baby red-skinned potatoes
1/2 cup UNSWEETENED Almond Milk
One generous dollop + 2 tbsp of butter
One salmon Filet (mine was approx 1 inch thick)
2 Leeks
Salt
Pepper
Dried Dill

To prepare:

POTATOS:

Boil a large pot of salted water.
Add 20-25 baby red-skinned potatoes.
Boil the hell out of them until they are easily broken apart with a fork.
Strain.
Mash with 1/2 cup UNSWEETENED Almond Milk, and a generous dollop of butter!
Season with salt and pepper


SALMON:
Preheat oven to 450.
Take 2 leeks and slice the dark leaves and end tips off.
Rinse.
Slice the leeks lengthways.
Rinse again.
Slice the leeks one more time lengthways.
Fan out, and rinse.
Place fanned leeks on a large sheet of tin foil.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter- and pour onto leeks and salmon.
Lightly season salmon and leeks with salt.
Lightly sprinkle salmon with dried dill, and place face down on the buttered leeks.
Close up the tin foil to make a neat little package.
Bake for 16 minutes- DO NOT OVERCOOK SALMON. It is so sad when it is overdone.

I also served the meal with some sautéed mushrooms! Yum!


This was so easy peasy and it was absolutely delicious. No gluten ever!

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a good old English dish. I've had it too many times to count and you can customize it by adding or subtracting any veggies you'd like. Add peas, corn, or broccoli if you so desire. This dish can also be made with lamb, but there was no fresh ground lamb available to me- so I went with beef! You can also double up the potatoes if you like a nice, thick layer of potatoes on top.

My family always ate it with ketchup...so I added ketchup on top when I served it. This is up to you...it's also delicious just on it's own!

The trick is to keep sampling till you have the seasonings JUST right :)



Sauce:

1.5 cups Almond Milk
1.5 tablespoons Gluten-Free Flour Mix (use a blend...there are several recipes online)
2 Leeks- chopped into 1/2 cm strips
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 tsp dried Rosemary
1/4 salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup red wine

Filling:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
1 pkg brown mushrooms, quartered (or more if you love mushrooms!)
1 large red bell pepper chopped
30 baby carrots cut in half
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 cup Chicken Stock (look for gluten-free!!!)
1 pkg baby red potatoes (or more!)


FOR SAUCE:

Combine milk and flour in blender. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add leeks, thyme, rosemary, salt, and 2 tbsp water.
Steam-saute until leeks are lightly browned.
Stir in the garlic powder, wine, and reduce liquid by half.
Gradually add milk mixture until sauce is smooth. Don't allow to boil!

FOR POTATOES:
Boil potatoes until soft.
Strain and return to pot.
Add 4 tbsp olive oil.
Mash, with skins.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

FOR FILLING:

Preheat oven to 375. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
Add the vegetables and stock.
Stir.
Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish.
Spoon mashed potatoes evenly over the mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve with any extra topping you'd like:

Ketchup!
Hot Sauce!
Melt some cheese or faux cheese on top!

More wonderful recipes in this book:

Potato Leek Soup

Gluten-free/Dairy Free soup!

Soup is honestly so easy to make and so rewarding. I don't know why I don't make it often enough.

If you're living dairy-free, but not gluten-free, you've GOT to try this one:

http://www.food.com/recipe/cream-of-asparagus-soup-vegan-18803

I've made it several times, never being disappointed. It's amazing. Unfortunately, now that I'm living gluten-free, it's out of my books.

Today's project is Cream of Potato Leek Soup!

And guess what. It was delicious. Even my dairy-eating, gluten-eating, regular type diet man loved it!


The ingredients list is very simple:

1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
3 large Leeks
Dairy-Free Milk Substitute (I used Almond)
Salt
Pepper
Gluten-Free Chicken Broth
Olive Oil
Chives (optional)

Heres the recipe:
TO PREP:
Peel and chop 1.5 pounds of Yukon Gold Potatoes (into 2 inch chunks)
Cut white and light green part of 3 large leeks into 1 inch sections

NEXT:
Fry leeks over low/medium heat with 2 tbsp Olive Oil until semi-soft
Add 1 L of Chicken broth, and put in potatoes.
Cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft.
Add 1 1/4 cup milk substitute
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend in a blender till smooth

Put back on the stove, and cook for an additional 20 minutes over low heat.

Top with chives, and if you're feeling crazy- crunched up tortilla chips!