Gluten Free Expo Toronto

On Sunday we made our way to the Gluten Free Expo held in Toronto.  There were literally thousands of people there; so many people that many vendors had already run out of product to sell, only two hours after the expo opened.  I was thrilled to see so many people and products, and I made an effort to pick up business cards and information from every vendor that called my attention. 

We made this visit a family affair, and my three year old was in heaven.  For the first time, he was able to eat everything that crossed his path!  This happens so rarely that I didn't ration his intake, and I let him try anything that looked good.  He was on a sugar high for the rest of the day, but it was completely worth it to see him happily munching away on the types of treats that are usually off limits.

 For me personally, I was excited to learn about new products and meet the people behind them, particularly the smaller bakeries who dedicate themselves to filling a void in the marketplace.  I can't wait to check out some of the businesses in person and share my experiences here.  I know that for many gluten free is a fad, but for people like my son, this will be his reality even once the fad has passed.  Knowing that there are increasingly delicious and affordable options out there for him and others to enjoy makes me happy.

If you missed the Expo this year, I highly recommend trying to catch it the next time around.  It was well worth it.

Display at the Gluten Free Expo

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Coconut Lime Chicken Soup 










Tuesday: Pork Chops with Apple Sauce and Green Beans  

Wednesday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup 

Thursday: Chicken Mole (chocolate sauce) with Rice and Yucca 

Friday: Beef, Rice and Vegetable Soup 






This week's menu is a bit soup heavy, but I wanted simple, quick meals this week before the heavy cooking that will be Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Awesome baby gift from my friends in Quebec...handmade soaps, and a handknit baby sweater.

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Gluten Free Pasta with Homemade Sun Dried Tomato Pesto 






Tuesday: White Bean, Kale and Sausage Soup

Wednesday: Rice Noodle, Vegetable and Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce 

Thursday: Pulled Pork Tacos with Curtido (Vinager Coleslaw) 

Friday: Spanish Rice and Black Beans with Homemade Salsa 

Recipe: Gluten Free Apple Crumble

I currently have a giant bag of apples sitting in my kitchen, thanks to our apple picking trip last weekend.  I've been craving one of my favourite fall desserts, so tonight I threw together the most basic apple crumble recipe I've ever made, and even without all the extra bells and whistles, it was delicious.  Most recipes call for flour, but I generally don't bother, not even with gluten free flour.  The recipe is below.

Oven at 350F
Baking dish I use is a 1.4L dish

Ingredients

Bottom:
4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (8-12 wedges per apple)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
cinnamon to taste
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Topping:
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (I use dairy free Becel)
cinnamon to taste

Directions

1- Peel, core and slice apples and place in baking dish.  Pour lemon juice over and toss to coat to prevent browning.  Spread apple slices evenly on bottom of baking dish.

2- Sprinkle white sugar evenly over apples.  If using cornstarch, which will thicken the mixture, mix it with water before pouring over apple mixture.  Sprinkle desired amount of cinnamon evenly over apples.

3- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. 

4- Melt butter and pour over oat mixture.  Combine until all dry ingredients are moistened from the butter.  Spread evenly over the apple mixture.

5- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with ice cream or whipped topping!

Wordless Wednesday

A last view of green before the leaves begin to change

Recipe: Meatloaf "Muffins"

I used to make meatloaf occasionally.  It's easy to freeze, easy to serve, and my kid likes it.  Not to mention my husband.  The problem was that I found myself either shoving leftovers down their throats until the whole thing was done, or throwing out a chunk of the loaf at the end. 

I don't like throwing out food.  Call me cheap. 

Instead, I started baking my meatloaf in muffin tins.  I know, I'm a regular Martha.  I can hear everyone I know laughing their faces off already. 

This is not a more complicated way to do things.  It's easy, and it lets me freeze individual serving sizes that are easy to pop into lunches or defrost when only my son wants one. 

I've convinced him that they're actually muffins.  And muffins are a treat! 

Here's my recipe, but really any meatloaf recipe would work. 

Oven at 375F

Ingredients
1 package lean ground beef (around 450-500g)
1/2 cup GF oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 egg
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup ketchup (or BBQ sauce)
season with S & P, herbs of choice (I use 1 tsp. thyme and 1 tsp. parsley)

For top of muffins: 1/2 cup ketchup (or BBQ sauce) mixed with 1/4 cup of mustard

Directions:

1- In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly, reserving the topping. 

2- In a non-stick muffin tin, distribute the mixture evenly among the 12 moulds.  Shape to look like muffins, rounded at the top.  Brush ketchup and mustard mixture over the tops. 

3- Cook for approx. 45-55 minutes.  I check after 45 and they're usually done.  Let cool and remove.  I freeze them in freezer bags, removing the air from the bags before freezing. 

* I like to double or even triple the recipe and bake 24 or 36 at a time.  It's easy to mix a big batch together, and they freeze well for up to 6 months.  

** If you don't like of can't tolerate GF oats, substitute GF breadcrumbs instead.

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Shepherd's Pie (freezer meal!  It's still defrosting)

Tuesday: Gluten Free Basil Pesto Pasta










Wednesday: Beef and Bean Chili Nachos (another freezer meal)





Thursday:  Leek and Potato Soup (Recipe & Photo Here) 

Friday: Tamales with Beans and Vegetables 

Apple Picking (Again)

It's that time of year again...apple picking time!  We started this tradition last year with our son, and I looked forward to returning all year.  This year, we returned with a new baby in tow!  The apple harvest in Ontario wasn't as good this  year as in years' past, but there were still enough apples to satisfy our needs. 

Getting ready to apple pick!

We like to go to Pine Farms Orchard in King City, Ontario, because they have dwarf trees that only grow to about 6 feet, meaning that many apples grow low enough for children to pick without assistance.  I wrote a full review last year, so if you're interested, click HERE to read it. 

In the orchard, getting ready to pick some apples

We were as happy this year as last.  My son enjoyed picking his own apples, playing on the small playground equipment, and munching a candy apple at the end of it all.

Posing for daddy "in the forest"

Gluten Free Candy Apple!

 Like last year, it was a nice way to pass a few hours on a fall day.  Last year, I made apple sauce.  The recipe is HERE.  I used some of the apple sauce to serve with a pork roast.  It's also great mixed with Dijon mustard and used as a sauce over pork chops. 

This year, I'm making apple crumble....check back soon for the recipe!

Wordless Wednesday

This was supposed to be a simple stamping activity...