The secret to refreshing summer wraps?

Shaved cucumber slices (use your veggie peeler).

Seriously.  It's that easy.

The avocado, tomato, yellow pepper, lettuce, mustard seed salami helped too.  All piled on top of a plain corn tortilla.

Add a splash of lemon juice with a dash of hot chili pepper and grind some fresh white pepper corns and it is really an easy masterpiece to pull off when the temperatures outside are hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk and you can't bear the thought of any food being heated.

Cucumber is a 'cooling' vegetable too, did you know that?  That is why Indian food often includes a side dish of cukes, usually with plain yogurt.  So shave away those cucumbers and keep the heat down.

Leek and Potato soup

I bought two turkey legs this week.  I've never done that before.  I thought I'd get creative with a new protein source since I've been pondering protein lately.  I've purchased turkey breasts before but I thought I'd give a go with the richer taste of the leg meat.  I used the leg meat to make 'turkey fingers' which I might get around to posting a recipe for since they were a huge hit with Daughter.  I then threw the rest into a my enameled cast iron pot, filled it with water, and simmered it for a few hours.  Once it cooled down I put the whole pot into the fridge and last night took it out to make some soup.  I am pleased with the result.  I can't wait to share this with my mom when she visits from Newfoundland next week....I popped some directly into the freezer for her.

Leek and Potato Soup
1 Leek, sliced
3 large white potatoes, chopped into large pieces, remove blemished skin
about 6 cups Turkey stock, with leftover meat taken off the bones - about 1/2 cup
1/2 tsp mustard powder and/or prepared mustard (I used some yummy honey tarragon mustard)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
2 tbsp tahini (adjustable and optional)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Fry the leeks in a large stock pot over medium-high in a small bit of oil until lightly browned.  Add remaining ingredients (except the tahini).  Heat until boiling and then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until potatoes are falling apart.  Add the tahini for a creamy taste, I usually wait until it is almost done before adding so I can adjust the amount accordingly (add 1 tbsp or less at time and taste the result).

Gluten/Dairy Free Ginger Hemp Squash Custard Pie

A special diet (and a limited cupboard) leads one to adapt a lot of recipes.

This custard is a hugely adapted version of this recipe and the crew at bridge night last week ate it all up ;) The custard could be used as a side dish for savoury meals too.

Ginger Hemp Squash Custard

1/4 cup pesticide free hemp seed nut $22.00/kg MB ManitobaHarvest
2 organic free range eggs $5.53/dozen ON Karma
1 cup water
1 tsp organic dried ginger $36.17/kg ? Karma
6 pitted dates $3.99/kg IRAN Local grocery

Mix the above in a blender until the dates are thoroughly dessicated.

Add
1/2 cooked organic butternut squash or about 3 cups $2.95/kg ON Karma

Pour this mixture into an ovenproof baking dish and bake for 1 hr at 400F or until a knife comes out clean. The above picture was taken before I put it in the oven.

Hemp/Chia/Sesame Seed Pie Crust

1/4 cup organic unpolished sesame seeds $3.50/kg China Karma
1/8 cup organic hazelnuts $18.95/kg Turkey Karma
Grind the above in a nut grinder in order to obtain a mealy texture.

Add
1/4 cup pesticide free hemp seed nut protein $22.00/kg MB ManitobaHarvest

Add
1/4 cup cup chia gel (add 1/3 cup chia seeds to 2 cups warm water and shake and let sit for about 10 minutes) $7.95/kg Mexico Karma
1/4 cup maple syrup $8.20/kg ON Karma

Mix the above thoroughly and press into a glass pie pan.

Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes or until edges of the crust turn golden - the above picture was taken after I took it out of the oven.

Add the custard to the pie crust and cool completely. This can be served at room temperature or reheated.

The 'custard' has the texture of pumpkin pie and the crust has NO added fat. How kewl is that? ;)

Alexandra's 6 layer Lasagna: Gluten/Dairy/Legume/Tomato Free

One of my core food groups used to be pasta.

Strangely...it has not been something I've really missed although from this blog you might see that I have attempted to recreate a few of my past favourites in accordance with my new food life. There are many varieties of rice pasta available but I don't like to overdo it (a hard task when you are gluten free).

Lasagna is one of my daughter's favourites. She regularly moans about not having it at our house and requests it at her dad's a lot (but he buys frozen stuff so it's just not the same she says).

I found gluten free rice lasagna pasta at the local grocery store recently and have been mulling what to do with it (no tomatoes? no dairy? yikes).

Seeing Karina's Uncheese Sauce Fit for a Goddess inspired me to whip up this creamy lasagna (with a slightly altered version of her recipe below). I served it with roasted sweet potatoes.

According to my daughter and a friend that was over for dinner last night....it was a perfect success. I am delighted and so grateful for Karina....she truly is a goddess :)

Karina the Goddess' Uncheese Sauce (my version...mostly the same)

4 tablespoons organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
5 tablespoons sweet rice flour $1.67/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
2 1/2 cups organic plain rice milk (warm or room temperature is best) $2.09/L QC Karma
2 rounded tablespoons nutritional yeast $11.77/kg ? Ambrosia's
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste $1.06/kg ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed or to taste ? ? Karma
1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar or to taste (Filsinger's ) $2.90/L ON Karma
1/4 tsp organic nutmeg ? ? Karma
1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric for color $23.85/kg ? Karma


In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and stir in the rice flour using a whisk. Cook and stir the flour - making a thick paste. Stir for a few minutes to cook the raw flour taste out of it.

Slowly add in the rice milk, whisking to blend the flour paste and rice milk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend.

Continue heating and stirring the sauce over low heat for about five to ten minutes. Adjust seasonings if required (I used the exact measurements above).

This sauce is DELICIOUS and quite versatile and of course, I used it for the below lasagna. I'm looking forward to using it in other ways too.


Alexandra's 6 layer Lasagna

Layer 1:
The above sauce.

Layer 2:
1 cooked package brown rice lasagna noodles about $17.85/kg ON local grocery store health food section

Layer 3:
1 pound organic ground turkey $16.95/kg ON Beretta
1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
3 chopped cloves organic garlic $11.15/kg ON Karma
1/4 cup turkey stock (I make my own and freeze it).
Cook all of the above until turkey is thoroughly cooked.

Layer 4:
2 stalks chopped organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1/4 head of cauliflower florets $3.85/head CA Karma

Layer 5:
10 sliced organic crimini mushrooms $9.90/kg VA Karma

Layer 6:
1 bunch organic large spinach leaves washed with thick ribs removed $1.98/bunch CA Karma


I made two lasagnas with the above ingredients and each lasagna had two layers of all the ingredients (one 9"x13" pan and one smaller casserole pan). I added sauce on the top of both of them and also the leftover mushrooms.

Bake the lasagna at 375 F for approximately 30 minutes and then remove and cool by placing in the dishes in your fridge for at least 1 hour.

Alternatively, you could reduce the temperature to 350F and cook for an additional 20 minutes or so but allow the lasagna to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Reheat a completely cooled lasagna at 350 F for about 40 minutes and roast additional vegetables to serve with this dish.

Quinoa Spinach Pilaf

Quinoa Spinach Pilaf
1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma1/2 cup frozen cranberries - thawed and chopped $2.09/kg ? Karma1 bunch organic spinach washed and loosely chopped $1.98/bunch CA Karma2 stalks lightly chopped organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1 cup organic quinoa (browned or toasted before adding) $3.52/kg MX Karma
2 cups water/vegetable stock/meat stock
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the above for at least 20 minutes. Serve with grilled meat/poultry/fish/nuts.

Mostly Local Goat Millet Curry....Da Bomb

I have loved curry since I was wee thanks to a set of nannies I had as a small child.

I have evolved far beyond my Irish boiled meat and potato roots thanks to being raised in Toronto by two very culturally aware parents. Although they might not know it...they were both the original pioneers of food exploration for me and for that I am most humbly grateful.

Many years ago I acquired an authentic Indian cookbook that was produced in Kitchener by a famed local Chef, Bharti Vibhakar. The cookbook should still be available at her Spice of India store in Kitchener (more contact details are given in the first link...she operates a stall in the weekly Kitchener market downtown too). The recipes in her fabulous cookbook are vegetarian but the mix of spices have enabled me to create many a fine curry over the years. This curry (like most) tastes even better the next day.

And P.S. I'm working on gluten/diary/legume free chapatti ;)

Goat Millet Curry

Lightly brown 1 kg goat meat with bones using a grilling pan or your broiler $10.00/kg ON local grocery store

While the meat is broiling prepare the following:

1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
2 medium lightly chopped organic carrot $2.09/kg ON Karma
1 medium sized lightly chopped organic celeriac $3.95/kg ON Karma
2 tbsp white poppy seed (aka Khuskhus) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
2 cups water
Mix the above ingredients in a blender and set aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan with:
1 tbsp organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
1 tsp cumin seeds widely available in Little India (Toronto)

Heat the cumin seeds until they begin to brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning.

Once the cumin seeds have been browned then add the blender mixture to the pan and then add the following spices:

1 tsp Garam Masala widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Amchur Powder (ground mango, nice sour taste) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Turmeric widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Hot Chili powder (more or less to taste) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

Add the browned goat meat with bones to the above mixture and let this simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours. Add the following at least 30 minutes before you want to serve this dish. Add additional water if you want a more watery texture for the final curry.

1 cup organic millet $1.75/kg ? Karma

I'm craving celery: Warm chicken salad with hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette

I've been trying to eat *mostly* local during this seeming-to-never-end winter (and fyi: winter is due to end at Mar 20 2008, 05:48 UT - phew).

Throughout my life...my nearly 41 years...I have experienced strange cravings for celery. The stranger thing about my current craving is that I've been eating celery regularly for at least 3 years. I like celery but I don't love it - but I love it if I have a craving ;)

So celery was a food item I only incorporated into my regular diet with reluctance before moving to a mostly fresh produce lifestyle completely about 3 years ago after fits and spurts of healthy food phases throughout my late 20s/early 30s. I am now very fond of celery but still don't love it.

Now...for me, eating any item regularly means that it is in my fridge (but not necessarily consumed daily) about 50% of the time.

A bunch of celery, for me and my teenage daughter, lasts about 2 weeks or maybe a bit less. She is not crazy about celery but will eat it...especially when it is hidden in blenderized sauces ;). I wait for at least 2 weeks before buying another bunch of celery and throughout this winter it has been less often due to the locavore diet I am trying to pursue. I also think that the regular rotation of our diet is important for digestive purposes i.e. not only ecological purposes.

So what's with this current craving I'm having for celery?

Methinks it is because my body is crying out for the abundance of fresh produce about to 'spring' from our land...and by fresh I mean LOCAL. Fresh is something that is within days of being harvested. Root vegetables and apples are the closest thing to 'fresh' that is available to us Ontarians at the moment.

So tonight I offer you my California grown organic celery with local hydroponic fresh greens chicken salad.

The hemp oil vinaigrette is quite yummy and I've been putting it on my salads for a few months now - but again, not all the time. I take breaks from all foods regularly so that my body is not constantly processing a limited number of food items. I happen to think that the abundance of a few type of foods in the current modern diet is a large part of the health issues that are arising in our modern world. I am not alone in that thinking either.

I was gonna call this salad: "I've fallen on the ice again so leftovers are a godsend" salad but I thought the celery craving aspect was a worthier title. I am mostly fully recovered from the fall. Nothing broke except maybe a little of my spirit. But, the spirit mends too. Sometimes much more quickly than our bodies.

Warm chicken salad with hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette
2/3 cup reheated previously cooked organic long grain brown rice $4.45/kg USA Karma
2/3 cup reheated previously cooked pieces of diced organic chicken $16.09/kg ON Beretta
1 medium raw organic carrot $2.09/kg ON Karma
2 stalks organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1 cup raw organic baby arugula$2.55/bunch ON Karma
2 tbsp raw organic sunflower seeds$22.66/kg ON Karma
2 tbsp hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
hot chili pepper/hot cayenne and sea salt and pepper to taste

Hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette (this is for a 1 cup batch which can be kept in the refridgerator)
1/2 cup hemp oil $15.00/L MB Manitoba Harvest
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Filsinger's ) $2.90/L ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed ? ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic ginger $36.17/kg ? Karma
1/2 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

and P.S. I took the below pic yesterday at Karma. 33 locally produced items in the fruits and vegetables section of the store on March 14th, 2008. That number will climb very shortly.....YEAH!!

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken and Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

When was your last cooking experience with cast iron cookware?

Never? What?

It is amazing to think that many people in our modern world are so removed from basic cookware that served generations upon generations of humans.

Yes, it's heavy.

And no, it's not dishwasher safe.

If you have glazed over then you probably aren't interested in what I'm going to write next.

Cast iron cookware provides nutritional opportunities that other cookware can not. More specifically:

Researchers found that cooking in an iron skillet greatly increases the iron content of many foods. Acidic foods that have a higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorbed the most iron. (via which is an excellent summary of the 1986 research publication)

Yup, you read that correctly. Go to the source for a complete list of the foods tested by the researchers. More iron? 'Naturally'? Yup. Most women of child bearing age could use a tad more iron.

And another thing about cast iron cookware. It gets very very very hot. Don't say I didn't warn you (the next time you burn yourself you'll remember this warning...as will I....lol).

And oh yeah - cleaning? Elbow grease. Heat the pan with a bit of salt water if the going gets tough (no soap). Invest in some bbq/copper bristle brushes (I have a collection). And thoroughly dry the cast iron pan after washing - I always heat mine to dry either on the stove top or in the oven. Some people lightly grease their cast iron pans before storing...I only do that with my bakeware since I do not use it as often. I use most of my cast iron cookware at least once or more a week.

I have a ceramic glass top stove so if that's an excuse you've used then you'll be happy to hear that I've not had any problems using cast iron on top of my glass topped stove. Mind you, the times I've forgotten that cast iron gets hot hot hot have not involved the dropping of the cast iron onto my stove top and I hope that is a scenario I haven't invited upon myself now that I've written it - YIKES! Perhaps the good karma intended by sharing operational issues surrounding the use of cast iron will follow me on this one ;)

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken

2 - 4 organic bone-in chicken breasts $16.09/kg ON Beretta

Stuffing
1/2 cup buckwheat grits - I have used buckwheat flakes for this too $5.44/kg QC Karma
1/2 cup chopped cranberries $6.43/kg ? Karma
1 medium chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed ? ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried thyme $39.86/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried sage $27.38/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried rosemary $23.40/kg ON Karma
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 strips chopped uncooked organic bacon $17.24/kg ON Beretta


Mix the stuffing ingredients thoroughly. Stuff each breast by carefully separating the skin from the flesh on each breast and gently packing in the above mixture. Any leftover stuffing can be baked for about 30 minutes. Bake the stuffed chicken in a heavy covered pan at 350F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Keeping the lid on during the entire cooking time will help the chicken retain the moisture of the stuffing. Serve each breast drizzled with the pan drippings and the below stuffed squash ;)

Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

1 organic squash $2.53/kg ON Karma
200 g organic variety mushrooms $11.74/kg ON Loblaws
1 bunch black kale $2.25/bunch CA Karma
3-5 cloves organic garlic $11.15/kg CA Karma

Clean and halve squash and bake for 40-50 minutes face down in an oven proof pan (don't forget to roast the seeds for about 15 minutes for a pre-dinner snack ;).

In another pan - preferably cast iron with a well fitting lid to use after roasting - add the mushrooms and garlic and roast in the oven alongside the squash for about 20 minutes . Take this mixture out when there is still about 10 minutes left for the squash. Add the prepared chopped kale to the roasted garlic/mushroom pan and cover but do not return this to the oven. The heat of the cast iron pan will soften the kale just enough without overcooking it. Add this mixture to the cooked squash and serve open faced as pictured. Each serving size is approximately 1/4 squash.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Sugar Free Buckwheat Waffles

This is my front yard today. Toronto has been the recipient of about 15 cm of snow in the last 24 hours and it is still coming down (but is expected to end tonight).

So most of us in the city are nesting. I chose to nest by creating waffles for brunch. They took the edge off the cold by warming up our insides!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Sugar Free Buckwheat Waffles

Wet Ingredients
1 organic free range egg $5.53/dozen ON Karma
4 pitted dates $3.99/kg IRAN Local grocery
1/2 - 3/4 cup organic rice milk $2.09/L QC Karma
1 tbsp organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
additional oil is required to oil the griddle

Dry Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour $2.46/kg MB Karma
1/4 cup tapioca flour $1.25/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
1/4 cup sweet rice flour $1.67/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
2.5 tsp aluminum/gluten free baking powder $2.99/kg ON Karma
1 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

Use a blender to mix the wet ingredients thoroughly (mincing the dates). Use less milk for drier waffles (and a more solid batter). Add the dry ingredients and blend well.

Pre-heat the cast iron griddle (both sides) in the oven at 450 F. Oil both sides of the griddle before adding 1/4 of the battter to one side. Cover with the other half and return griddle to the oven. Bake about 5 minutes or until steam starts escaping out of the griddle. Remove from oven and use a metal spatula to lift out of the pan. Repeat until batter is done - oiling both sides each time. Keep waffles in warming oven or freeze for future use.

Serve with warmed fruit or maple syrup (or both!).

Waitress Soufflé with Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes 2.0

The movie Waitress is one of the best movies of the century so far - imho. If you have seen it then you know why it is appearing on a food blog. The main character's obsession is with creating pies as her form of therapy. If you haven't seen it and you are a foodie then you really must ;)

Last night, whilst literally whipping up the following, I pondered that movie. I had a moment of complete simpatico with the main character and I felt a relief wash through me.

My obsession is not with pies but with creating foods that I can enjoy within the parameters of my diet restrictions.

I must say that the following inspirations turned out quite divine.

Waitress Soufflé

I used my blender to beat the following ingredients:

4 organic free range eggs $5.53/dozen ON Karma
3 organic mushrooms: one crimini, one oyster and one shitake $11.74/kg ON Loblaws
1/8 cup corn meal $1.23/kg ? Karma
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

I poured this into a preheated lightly oiled 10" cast iron skillet. I added 2 cooked and chopped pieces of organic bacon ($17.24/kg ON Beretta) directly on top of the mixture. I covered the skillet on the stove top and cooked at med-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the sides started coming away. I then put this into a 275 F oven for about 15 minutes.

I served the soufflé with an organic baby spinach ($27.96/kg CA Dominion) and sliced cucumber ($1.95/each ON Karma) salad and my second effort at dairy free mashed potatoes i.e. 2.0 using internet vernacular. There were no left over mashed potatoes....they were quite good.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes 2.0

4 medium organic red potatoes $1.98/kg ON Karma
1/8 cup pesticide free hemp seed nut $22.00/kg MB ManitobaHarvest
1/4 lightly chopped organic white onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
1 tsp nutritional yeast $12.30/kg ? Ambrosia
1/8 cup organic sesame seed oil $16.38/L QC Karma

Peel and boil the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling use a nut blender and grind the hemp seed nut (using a regular blender will make the 'milk' a little more textured). Using the same blender add the onion, nutritional yeast, sesame oil and about 1/4 - 1/2 cup water.

After mashing the potatoes mix in the blenderized 'milk'. I then placed this in the oven with the soufflé at 275 F for 15 minutes. The low heat softened the onions and reheated the mashed potatoes.

Cod Fish Soup Garnished with Cranberries

I have taken a liking to cranberries of late. They are loaded with lots of good stuff and available frozen at my food co-op. They add a tangy taste to everything and I'm thinking I could ditch lemon juice since the cranberries are local and lemons don't grow in Ontario.

Cod Fish Soup Garnished with Cranberries

0.5 kg Wild Caught Cod (add this directly to the prepared stock - do not worry about chopping because it will break up in the soup)

2 organic peppers..I used 1 yellow and 1 red..I wouldn't use green because they are too bitter
1 medium organic onion
Lightly grill the above in chopped pieces in order to bring out their taste.

4 cups water
2 stalks organic celery
3 medium organic potatoes (washed and peel if necessary)
1/8 cup Bonito flakes (mackerel fish flakes - these are good for fish stock)
1 tsp kelp (or use any ground chopped sea vegetables)

Use a food processor to puree the all of the above ingredients (except the cod).

Bring the above ingredients to a boil and then add the cod. Simmer for at least 45 minutes on low heat.

When serving, add pureed pure cranberries, dill, salt and pepper to taste.


This soup is wonderful due to the savoury rich taste of the cod and the sweetness of the peppers and cranberry. I served this with a salad of organic greens and chopped hot hungarian finger peppers and toasted gluten free corn bread (premade) with pure black olive tapenade (Minasso brand from Italy: GM, additive and preservative free).

I purchased the tapenade at Highland Farms grocery store. The rest were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

This ain't the chipper: Organic Yams, Broccoli and Wild Caught Pacific Halibut

I lived briefly in Ireland by completing a co-operative work term there as part of my undergraduate mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo.

I packed in a lot in those 3.5 months including getting out a few times to the discos and rugby club parties with a childhood friend/penpal I had made from my grandparent's neighbourhood.

At that time, a big part of a night out was to visit to the local chipper on the way home after a night in the pubs. You picked the local chipper so you could get the taxi to drop you off at the chipper and you could walk home from there...sometimes with neighbours that were performing similar Saturday night rituals. The greasy 'food' would soak up the mess caused by the 'drink'. Today's chippers in Ireland seem to have revised their menu offerings (grilled meat and fresh salad? wow).

The passing of over twenty years sure has also revised my idea of an enjoyable Saturday night outing. I was at a moving performance of Tosca this past Saturday. Soul food like opera, shared with loved ones, is now a staple in my spiritual larder.

This Ain't the Chipper

1. Organic yams peeled and chopped: 1 hour of baking at 350 F lightly coat these with organic sunflower oil if desired $2.57/kg California
   
2. Wild caught pacific halibut rubbed with organic dried dill (pictured above is a 166 g steak): 45 minutes at 350F on a grilling pan. $33.05/kg BC
   
3. Organic broccoli - lightly steamed. $2.99/bunch California
   
4. Pure black olive tapenade (Minasso brand from Italy: GM, additive and preservative free). $16.61/kg Italy
   

The yams were of the Beauregard variety - these retain shape/texture quite well. Mercury levels in the pacific wild caught halibut are reasonable enough to allow me to recreate my own version of the ole' chipper a few times a year - even if it is a guilty indulgence.....sigh.....

I purchased the tapenade at Highland Farms grocery store. The rest of the above items were purchased at Loblaws at Bathurst and St. Clair. The turnover of fresh seafood is quite high there.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes? I'm trying!

This is what I hauled out to make the mashed potatoes. I figured that with my blender, all things are possible.

A plain accompaniment allows the comfort of the mashed potatoes to seep in thoroughly.

I cooked wild caught cod (for me) and a naturally raised pork chop (for my daughter, the "ew fish are creepy" kid...sigh...but we both take fish oil daily).

I covered the cod with dill and pork bits trimmed from the chop that is in the top pan (newfie style ;). I usually feed my dog these raw pork bones (raw is good for dogs, cooked is bad). I used a salt free greek seasoning for the chop. I added a chopped onion to both the cod and the pork chop and baked these, covered, for 40 minutes at 350F.

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes (enough for three generous servings)
4 medium peeled organic potatoes (I used red) - chop these into at least 8 pieces each for boiling
1 stalk organic celery
3 cloves organic garlic
1 cup spring water

Cook potatoes until soft. Puree the celery, garlic and water in a blender and put this in the oven (in an ovenproof container) and bake at 350 F for as long as your meat (about 40 minutes using covered cast iron). Mash the drained potatoes and add this cooked stock.

Garnish with hemp seed nut and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh organic greens and grilled meat/fish (cod is in the above picture).

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Caribbean Lunch with Hemp Slaw

I live in an area that has about an equal ratio of late night barber shops and jerk chicken outlets (and money cashing outlets....). I have yet to determine if any of the jerk chickens are suitable for my tomato free/gluten free diet so, in the past year or so, I've missed the quick and easy take out jerk chicken meals of some of the finer establishments close to me.

I was also imprinted as an infant/toddler by exposure to a couple of foreign born housekeeping nannies that expanded my parent's irish born food palate - think boiled and bland - considerably. One of my dearest memories was of my paternal grandfather gobbling up the spaghetti I'd made for him when I visited Ireland when I was 12 years old. I remember the quest I had to make through the irish markets to find suitable ingredients. That was in 1979 and Ireland, especially Cork city, had yet to be penetrated by global food influences. I remember also my grandmother telling me that it was called spaghetti bolognese, thank you very much. I wonder now what all of my grandparents would think of the global food plate. I don't think any of them would have stopped gardening and that's a legacy I hold onto.


This simple lunch used a couple of locally pre-made products that I enjoy.





Open Faced HOT(!) Turkey Sandwich
Little Stream produces an amazing gluten free buckwheat sourdough loaf (no yeast added) and Mado's Caribbean(mentioned in this thread but it is available at Karma co-op) produces yummy tomato free hot pepper sauce. I topped the bread with pre-cooked ground organic turkey(with thyme and sage added) from Beretta farms. I warmed this up in the toaster oven and note how little of the sauce I used. The sauce is quite hot yet very tasty.


Hemp Slaw
Chopped Organic Red Cabbage
Chopped Organic Carrots
Organic Greens
Dressing
2 tbsp pure pureed cranberries (available frozen)
1 tsp hemp oil
1 tsp Filsinger's raw un-filtered organic apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp ground mustard seed

All of the above were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Organic Soup with Roots

Roots. We all have 'em and we all should eat more of 'em. Blend 'em up and you get a medley. A melting pot if you will.

Canada has lots of roots.

I love that about her.

Organic Soup with Roots

The ingredients are in the picture on the top right and are listed (roughly) clockwise from the top:
6 cups chicken/turkey stock (I make my own whenever I cook any meat with bones). You could also use just water.
1 organic onion
1/8 head organic red cabbage
4 stalks organic purple kale
1 large organic carrot
1/2 cooked squash (I find it easier to peel when it is cooked)
3 small organic beets, peeled
3 organic jerusalem artichokes (well scrubbed)
1/2 organic burdock root (well scrubbed)
1 medium organic rutabaga
Use a blender and the stock to puree the above. Add to a large pan (I've used my cast iron dutch oven)
Sea salt, sage, rosemary and thyme to taste
Once this is boiled simmer for at least 1 hour.

This freezes well.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Root Vegetables, Gingered Goat and Lightly Spiced Millet

This is a cornucopia of the selection of local root vegetables available in Ontario at this time of year. I roasted all of the following and prepared two different soups with the considerable amount of leftovers.

This endeavour took me the whole evening but I have a few mason jars full of yummy soup in my freezer too (just blend the leftovers with stock!).

Roasted Root Vegetables (bake at 350F for 45 minutes or so)
organic squash (in white dish)
organic beet (in glass dish - peel beets after baking to retain sweetness)
The following items are on a lightly oiled cast iron baking tray - items are listed left thru right:
organic sweet potato
organic jerusalem artichoke
purple sweet potato (a close up of this is provided in the top photo...so sweet and yummy!)
organic carrot
organic parsnip
organic onion (chopped on top)
Sprinkle with rosemary, sage, thyme and salt.

Serve with:

Lightly Spice Millet
Simmer preroasted millet for 20 minutes with available stock..I created a goat stock with the bones from the goat chops I purchased and deboned before preparing
Garnish this with chopped green mustard leaves for a slightly spicy flavour (and amazing nutrition).

Ginger Mustard Goat
Cubed goat meat (I used goat chops see above for the use of the bones)
Garlic
Ginger
Ground Mustard Seed
Bake the above with a small amount of sunflower oil for 30 minutes at 350F.

All of the above items except the goat and purple sweet potatoes were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Maple Sesame Hemp Bars (Candy Making 101)

If you are going to make candy then you should have candy equipment.

Or an adventurous spirit and a perfect cast iron pan for cooling. And fond memories of Laura Ingalls making molasses and maple sugar candy in the Little House in the Big Woods book.


Back in my early twenties I use to make peanut brittle with the microwave. I felt a bit let down because it was so easy.

Well...I'm now microwave free and peanut/dairy free so I am free to pursue this challenge.

This is my first venture and it was challenging mostly due to the small serving size I made.

Gluten Free Maple Sesame Hemp Bars

3/4 - 1 cup maple syrup (use less if it is a thicker grade of syrup)
3/4 cup toasted organic sesame seeds

Bring the above to a slow boil in a 3 Quart heavy bottomed pot (I used a cast iron pot). This should be stirred constantly. The temperature of the boiling mixture should be 284 F (140 C)for at least 5 minutes. Do not let the mix dry out (the time will depend on the grade of maple syrup you have used). The mix should still be quite runny.

Before pouring the candy onto a lightly oiled jelly roll sheet (or cast iron pans ;) add

1/4 cup hemp nut

These are scrumptious even if they didn't all harden properly. The unhardened mix is a great addition to cereal or fruit.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers

I found out two things tonight.

Firstly...making crackers is not that difficult. And - they are amazing!!

And secondly...I need a pastry cutter. I was never much of a pie person but if I'm gonna continue with any more cracker adventures then I'd be better off with one!

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers
2 cups organic dark buckwheat flour
2 tbsp hemp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup organic brown rice milk
white rice flour for rolling dough
garnish with additional sea salt if desired (up to 1 tsp)


Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Use ungreased cast iron cookie sheets for best heat distribution.

Combine all ingredients except the rice milk with a pastry cutter (or cut with a wooden spoon or your fingers). Mix this until the mixture looks a bit crumby.

Slowly stir in the rice milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be soft and you should be able to form a ball with the dough easily (it should not be runny or sticky).

Divide the dough into balls (2-4 depending on the size of your sheets). Lightly dust a dry surface with rice flour and roll the dough into a sheet 1/8" or thinner.

Trim the uneven edges (if desired) and use a spatula to lift the dough onto the sheets. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to score the dough into desired cracker shapes.

Sprinkle the top with salt if desired and press into dough. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges start turning up. Take sheets out of oven and turn over the crackers using tongs or gently with a spatula.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the edges are well browned. Remove from oven and cool crackers completely on racks.

Break crackers apart (if needed) and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Ginger Drops (Sugar Free and Dairy Free too!)

I adapted this recipe from the recipe I used 30 years ago for the first time.

I mixed all of the following using my food processor. I added the flours slowly at the end.

1/4 cup organic sunflower oil
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup ground sesame seed
1/2 cup pitted dates (about 10)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 free range egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp gluten free aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp organic ground ginger (I did not have fresh on hand...I'd triple this for fresh)
1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1 cup organic sorghum flour
1 cup organic buckwheat flour

Lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Form balls, garnish with lemon zest and place on lightly greased pans. I used some of my cast iron pans. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

All of the above items except for the sorghum flour were purchased at Karma Co-op ;) I purchased the sorghum flour at Fiesta Farms.

Tomato Free Rice!

Here is a link to a company that sells an excellent but expensive tomato sauce substitute. I purchased this at a Toronto area health food store...but it is from the states and I think they ship it but maybe not outside of the U.S.

The ingredients are carrots, beets, celery, onions, lemon juice, citric acid and various spices.

I have tried to imitate this sauce with moderate success (my 13 y.o. daughter loved it so that is a good sign).

I used my food processor and ground up 1 med organic beet, 1 med organic carrot, 2 organic celery stalks, 1/2 large organic onion and about 2 cups water. I added salt and oregeno. I cooked 1 cup of organic brown long grain rice with this mixture for 40 minutes in a cast iron pan with a tight fitting lid...but quinoa or millet would work too (or amaranth...).

I served this with 125 g wild caught atlantic cod (baked for 20 minutes at 350 F with organic dried dill and organic lardons - ground ends from belly bacon - this is in imitation of the newfie method of serving cod) and baby organic spinach and a hemp oil/apple cider vinegar/cayenne dressing.

All of the above items except for the spinach were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)