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 :)

Roasted Chestnuts

It's that time of year (in Vancouver anyways...) that the roasted chestnut vendors scatter the streets downtown. Those difficult to peel, but delightful and filling bites are such a treat when you're doing your Christmas shopping, but have you ever considered making them at home? I sure hadn't...until I saw raw chestnuts on display at my local No Frills.

This is a super easy recipe that takes about 40 minutes. When shopping at the grocery store, pick the large round chestnuts with a smooth glossy shell. Keep them in the fridge until you're ready for them. From my research, they should last in the fridge about 2 weeks...but I wouldn't keep them that long.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Hold the pointy end of the chestnut from your forefinger to the flatter end with your thumb. Make a thin slice across the rounded part of the chestnut shell, making sure you cut through the shell part (but don't go too deep). Use a serrated knife, versus a smooth blade.

3. Toss the chestnuts into a pie pan, making sure there's only one layer (don't stack them)

4. Bake for 35 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Product Review: Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Gourmet Olives

I never used to be an olive person. I believe it's one of those acquired tastes, like blue cheese, or wine. It took me an incredibly long time to warm up to them, but if I had these olives before, circumstances might have been different.

Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Gourmet Olives are heavenly. They are marinated in wine...that's right...Napa Valley merlot or chardonnay, depending on the variety.

I have never had an olive that beats out these guys.
If you have no problem with garlic, I highly recommend the Garlic Stuffed Olives, because that's what got me hooked on this brand. My belly no longer likes garlic, but go grab yourself a jar, eat 1 (or five!), and then go give your love a big garlic-y kiss!

If you're not into the garlic (or the garlic-y kisses), I also discovered that they've got Jalapeno Stuffed Olives, which are marinated in the Napa Valley Chardonnay!

Also delicious! They're not that spicy, if you are sensitive to that kind of thing. The jalapeños add just enough kick to that already perfect base of spices.

Find them at your local Safeway, and serve them at your next dinner party.

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/

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!

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix- FAIL

To my lovely readers:

Please do not make the same mistake I did. I know it may be easy to do, and some of you may have already done it, but for those who haven't: Stay away from Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix.

Egh!

I've had some bad gluten-free products- and this is definitely a contender for one of the worst. On my transition to a more Paleo style of eating, I've been "cleaning" my cupboards- or, eating all the grains that are sitting around in order to rid my pantry of them.


One of these products was an unopened bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix- so I thought, wouldn't it be nice to serve pancakes in bed to my honey! It was my special weekend plan, and I was up early to make them.


Their description of the product is "Produces perfect, very light, and fluffy pancakes everyone will enjoy". Well...

I followed the recipe exactly- 1 1/2 cups mix with one egg, coconut milk as my choice of milk, and avocado oil. I whipped it vigorously, and oiled my pan.

What happened next was pretty mundane- the batter turned into pancakes....they were INCREDIBLY thick if you just poured as you would "normal" pancake mix (completed pancakes about an inch thick), so I started thinning them out by smoothing the tops over as they hit the pan.

They definitely looked like pancakes, so I topped them with banana chunks, and maple syrup...

In I went to the bedroom, and presented breakfast in bed!

Unfortunately, the story doesn't end well.

As soon as I bit into my first pancake, I felt an overwhelming sense to drink every liquid I have in my fridge.
DRY AS DUST.

Egh. They were so dry, so dense, and so...blegh that I couldn't do it. I have a really hard time wasting stuff- including food- so I'm not one to throw out food. I normally just deal, and eat it and never make it again.
Not these.

These were awful. I can't say it enough- SO dry. In fact, a piece of this dusty pancake landed somewhere in the back of my throat and got stuck so I spent the next 20 minutes trying to dislodge it from where it had landed.

I told my boyfriend he didn't have to eat it, and he was thankful. Out of the bedroom came the plates, and into the garbage went the pancakes, and the remainder of the mix.

Sorry, Bob's Red Mill---this one's a failure.

Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Devil's Food Cupcakes.

OH
MY
GOD.


I made these cupcakes for a celebration I'm attending tomorrow, and I don't know if they will make it.
I bought a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake Mix a while back and never ended up using it for its intended purpose. Tonight I pulled it out, hesitantly (as I always am with new GF products). Wow

These cupcakes make me cheat a little on other allergies--it requires 3 eggs to bake---but since my egg reactions are so minor, I cheated on this one. Make your own decisions on whether or not you can do this. You know your body!

I followed the recipe on the back, with the following exception:

Instead of 1 cup WATER- I used unsweetened almond milk!

That's the only difference I made! I baked them at 325F(+) for 23 minutes exactly.

I topped them with a classic buttercream icing- again substituting almond milk for milk/cream. Delish!

I'm not kidding when I say this mix is amazing. Pretty sure I (unintentially) closed my eyes the entire time I ate my cupcake. I was that happy.

PS. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of my completed work for you all to see. I decorated the cupcakes with a tiffany blue icing and they were beautiful AND delicious. I served them to people at this celebration, and one woman came up to me and said "Is this ACTUALLY gluten-free? Because, gluten-free stuff is not this good".

Others, who had no idea the cupcake was gluten-free, complimented me on how delicious they were.

Product Review: Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread

So the time may have passed for shortbread...if you only eat cookies during Christmas! I say, cookies all year round!

In my stocking this year I found a box of Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread. Boxed gluten-free goods, you say? I'm always skeptical. I waited to open the box for a week or so before one night my sugar craving was so intense I tore open the box hoping to find greatness on the inside.

Sooooooooo yummmmmmmmmy........

I could easily eat 5 of these cookies if I didn't hold myself back. So deliciously buttery, and a texture just like traditional shortbread. They DO contain dairy, so if you're exceptionally allergic to dairy, unfortunately you can't eat them. I'm not sure how much--- I really don't find myself reacting to them at all.

I haven't seen them anywhere except London Drugs. They were sold out at one location, so it appears that others may have discovered the greatness of these cookies. They come in at $4.50 a box. London Drugs carries a fantastic amount of gluten-free goods--from cookies and crackers, to cereal, to flours! It's an awesome place to check out for a little bit of grocery shopping! The London Drugs on Georgia/Granville has a much larger grocery section than the one on Davie/Cardero. I haven't been to others in town.

Thank you Campbell's!

I discovered today, while opening a can of my body-tested gluten-free soup, that Campbell's has now changed their labeling to identify gluten-free!

This is so exciting because it seems that more companies are taking charge with informing customers about what is in their product. Gluten-free can be a dietary choice, or a dietary necessity, and proper labeling helps all people understand better what they are putting in their bodies.

I believe this is new, so it may not apply to all soups, yet. Take a look next time you're in the grocery store!

 

 

Check it out! Top right corner in the red box!

Yummy Product Review: Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

Alright people. We are talking about a serious topic here. Ice Cream.

More importantly, we are talking about Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan (aka. Dairy-Free) Ice Cream.

I had heard about this product through the grapevine, and had been dying to try it. A little while ago at my local Whole Foods, this product was on sale, and I grabbed the VERY LAST carton of it.

The one that was left was called "Naked Coconut"- and even though I'm not a crazy coconut fan, I decided I had to try it.

This stuff is unreal. Although pricey, it is so rich in flavour that you'll find yourself only eating a little at a time (and still being entirely satisfied).

This Naked Coconut flavour was rich in coconut flavour, with little pieces of actual coconut mixed around inside. This is something you'll eat right out of the carton.

I'm looking forward to trying some of their other flavours, including Naked Almond Fudge, Vanilla Island, and Cappuccino. Based on their website, it looks like they have 10 flavours of ice cream, and 2 flavours of ice cream bars available in Canada.

I've seen this product sold at Whole Foods, and Choices Markets so far.
If you love your ice cream, like I do, go out and try this! I highly recommend it!

West End Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market season has arrived! Vancouver offers a variety of Farmer's Markets, and there is sure to be one in your area!

My local area- the West End- is lucky to have a great Farmer's Market on Saturdays. It has been open for the past 2 Saturdays, but I finally got to go pay a visit yesterday!

I was surprised to see a bunch of familiar vendors from the Kitsilano Market- Paul's Produce, bluecometseafoods (mmm sashimi tuna loin!), Flippers Organic Acres, and many others!

Today's Farmer's Market purchases included:

Beets and tops
Cherry Tomatoes (absolutely unreal!)
Strawberry Spinach
Long English Cucumbers (some nice and solid ones this weekend!)
Radishes
New Potatoes (the teeny weeniest you've ever seen! so cute!)
Red Kale
Zucchini

Beautiful produce! 

The West End Farmer's Market is located between Bute and Thurlow on Comox St.
It's open Saturdays, from 9am- 2pm

Get there early to pick out the best stuff! Lots of vendors sell out of some of their goodies!
Go grab breakfast- there is always a food truck and coffee vendors for you to eat while you shop.

Also- don't forget cash, or if you do- you can get Market Money through your debit. It's a $2 charge per transaction.

Next week I'm looking forward to seeing a whole bunch of new vendors.
Check out the Interactive Market Map to see who will be there each weekend!

I love snacks.

Who doesn't love the crunch of a potato chip? I have spent many years training on how to eat entire bags of chips in one sitting.

Potato chips are risky if you've got allergies though.

Watch out for MALT vinegar- GLUTEN

Watch out for all sorts of dairy ingredients. I used to ignore dairy if it was in chips...but it really isn't something you should do.

Watch out for WHEAT. It's sneaky and can show up in the chip, or in the seasoning.

I went out to Whole Foods, and under recommendation from a friend, bought Pop Chips. They are always gluten-free, and some of their flavours are vegan.
My verdict:
Disappointing...They're "popped" so they have the consistency of more of a rice cake than a potato chip. I wasn't crazy about the Salt and Vinegar flavour either. Probably won't buy them again.

There are so many wonderful brands of gluten-free snacks. Mostly made of corn or rice, they are sure to satisfy.

Buy some blue corn chips and dip them in some fresh salsa.
Buy some Kettle Brand chips- but watch out for dairy and malt in a few of their flavours.
Buy some rice crisps...my favourite are Lundberg Rice Chips- try the Sesame and Seaweed flavour.


HOWEVER: If you like to avoid chips in general- there is a solution....

KALE CHIPS!

I've found that Black Kale is the best type of kale to go with if you're going to use this recipe. The leaves are thicker and make for a better "chip". Look for darker, denser kale at the grocery store that looks like this...





LAURA'S KALE CHIP RECIPE:

Heat oven to 275 degrees F.

In a bowl, separate the leaves of kale from their thick stems. (A trick for this is to pinch the stem between two fingers, and slide up towards the top of the leaf. It separates the tough stem from the leaf. Any stem that comes with the leaf is fine enough to eat)

Drip a SMALL amount of olive oil over the leaves, and massage in with your hands.

Add some freshly cracked sea salt...or if you don't have a garlic allergy like me, sprinkle some garlic powder over the leaves.

Arrange leaves (leave spaces between each....this is very important!!) on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes- leaves should be crispy, but NOT brown.

And finally...

CONSUME!