Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Oven "fried" chicken with gluten free cornflakes & baked potato wedges
(This recipe was adapted from the Looney Spoons cookbook to be gluten and dairy free.)














Tuesday: Gluten Free Pasta Carbonara
















Wednesday: Stuffed Chicken Breasts and an Avocado, Tomato & Arugula Salad












Thursday:  Beef & Vegetable Casserole, topped with Goat cheddar













Friday: Red Lentil Soup

Winner of the Oliver's Labels Back to School Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered into the giveaway for the Oliver's Labels Back to School Giveaway. There were over 200 entries, making this contest a huge success.  I appreciate every single one of those entries and all of my readers.

The winner of the giveaway is Michelle G. Check your email! 

Thank you also to Oliver's Labels for sponsoring the giveaway. I've been using their products for over two years, and am still happy with the quality of labels I put on items that long ago.

If you didn't win, no worries. I have a few more exciting giveaways coming up on the blog soon.

Thank you again for entering!

Gluten Free Buzz (10)

Welcome to the weekend! I hope it's a good one. Spend some time catching up on the latest news on Celiac and Gluten Free.

Poor Celiac Control (cheating on a gluten free diet) has been linked to an increased risk of lymphoma. Medscape has the story.

The Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston is initiating a study to explore the link between Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease. Read more about the study at PR Newswire.

So, there's a dating site for people who are gluten free. Presented with no additional commentary. Gluten Free Singles.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are once again offering gluten free beer, cider, and food options to fans. The Florida Times Union details all the options.

Want to know which Campuses in the US ranked in the Top Ten for being gluten free friendly? Of course you do ;) Check out Udi's for the results.

Pilaros Taste of the Danforth & A Recipe!

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, or happen to be in town for the weekend, you know that this weekend is the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth Festival, running from Friday, August 9- Sunday, August 11.  This is Canada's largest street festival, and this year marks the festival's 20 anniversary, so things are going to be bigger and better than ever! 

My husband and I try to make it down for the festival every year. It's a great event for families, with children's activities, as well as great food and wine for the adults. GreekTown on the Danforth boasts one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per kilometer in the world. Closed off to traffic, the Festival route is 2.5 kilometers, where visitors flock to enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavours from over 100 participating restaurants and retailers that do their best to show off their excellent offerings, including special deals and samples. If you're not familiar with how delicious real Greek food can be, this festival is a great way to get acquainted with it. If you're going gluten free, like my son, then it's important to be more cautious about what you try, but there are many dishes that are naturally gluten free, or you can purchase some prepackaged goods from some of the vendors to try at home, and avoid the concern of cross-contamination.  

By the way, I checked, and ouzo is gluten free. Opa!

The Mediterranean diet is widely considered to be one of the healthiest in the world, incorporating many dishes that are naturally gluten free. Olive oil, tomatoes, grapes, fresh cheese (including feta, traditionally made from sheep's milk, not cow), lean meats and fish, beans and legumes, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, Greek yogurt, and moderate wine consumption combine to provide a diet rich in vitamins, lean protein, and healthy, complex carbohydrates.  Despite some misconceptions that pasta makes up most of the diet, that's actually not true. It is consumed, but Mediterranean meals also consist widely of soups, salads, vegetarian and fish dishes, grilled meats and vegetables, and there are plenty of beans thrown in for good measure. 

The Three Greek Sisters have been ambassadors of Greek food since their first cookbook was released a few years ago, and now they're back with a new cookbook featuring traditional Greek recipes. In celebration of the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth, I'm lucky enough to be able to share a recipe with my readers. Halloumi cheese is naturally gluten free, but always check ingredients to be sure. This is a simple recipe that even a novice chef can pull off!

 Grilled Halloumi with Fresh Mint Vinaigrette

A tasty, salty and squeaky cheese that is ideal for grilling or frying.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 halloumi cheese slices, ¼-inch thick

Olive oil for coating

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh mint, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 fresh red chili pepper, deseeded, minced

2 Kalamata olives, chopped

METHOD:

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Lightly brush both sides of the halloumi cheese slices with olive oil. When the skillet is hot, add the cheese.  Cook on both sides for 1-2 minutes per side, or until the cheese is golden-brown in color.  Remove from skillet and transfer to serving platter.

In a separate bowl, mix the vinaigrette ingredients together.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the cheese and serve warm with bread.

Note: Halloumi cheese can also be grilled on a barbecue over high heat.

 

Photo courtesy of Pilaros

Join the 1.3 million others who regularly make their way down to the Danforth in Toronto this weekend and experience all things Greek at one of the most popular street festivals Canada has to offer. Sample some Greek wine, watch some fun performances, and bask in Mediterranean hospitality.

I hope to see you there!

Pilaros provided me with the facts and recipe used in this post, but I was not otherwise compensated in any way. If you are gluten free, be sure to ask questions before purchasing from the multiple booths that will be selling food. A lot of Greek food is naturally gluten free, but it's best to be certain.

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Blueberry Picking

Recipe: Quick Dairy Free Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

This is a Thai-inspired soup that is a cinch to make and tastes great. The curry flavour is mild, but adds so much depth to the soup that it really should be used. I use Thai Kitchen because it's gluten free, but always check labels, as ingredients change.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

1 box vegetable broth (I use Campbell's Vegetable Broth, it's GF)
1 can coconut milk (400ml)
1 chicken breast, sliced thinly or in cubes
1 cup green peas
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. grated ginger
1-2 tbsp. yellow or red curry paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh mint & basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

1- In a soup pot, combine broth, coconut milk, curry paste, and ginger. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

2- Add chicken and peas and lower heat to medium. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 min. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3- Serve with basil and mint leaves to add extra flavour, if desired. For a spicier soup, add some hot pepper sauce when serving.

For a more substantial soup, add some cooked rice to the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over the rice. Also great served with a mango salad or Vietnamese Style Spring Rolls.

Recipe: Three Ingredient Blueberry Jam

It's blueberry season where I live, and since I love taking the kids out fruit picking, we went to pick blueberries this weekend. They were so fresh that I couldn't help picking more than we probably need, but the kids had fun and I know that I'll make good use out of all those berries. I started by making some blueberry jam. This actually turns out a bit more like a jelly, but it's simple to make, tastes good, and only has three ingredients (I don't count water as an ingredient).


Before starting, make sure you have everything you need.  If you're canning the jam as preserves, make sure you have fresh canning jars that are clean and sterilized.  Follow the instructions for sterilizing provided by the manufacturer.  I put mine in a 200F oven for about 20 minutes.  To seal the cans by boiling, I put the canning pot full of water to boil once my ingredients for the jam are in the saucepot.  Place a ceramic or glass plate in the freezer to check for jelling before you start.



Ingredients
(This recipe makes approx. 6 (250ml) jars of jam)

8 cups clean, ripe blueberries (I don't cut the blueberries because they explode while cooking. I just press down on them while I stir. Feel free to chop them if you prefer.)
2 cups white sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup water

Directions

1- Get all equipment ready. Wash blueberries and put them in a large pot with sugar, lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to mix all ingredients.

2- Cook for about 15 minutes. At this point, I check for doneness by putting a spoonful of the jam on the chilled plate.  Return the plate to the freezer for one minute with jam on it.  Take it out, and run your finger through it.  Jam is ready when the line you made with your finger doesn't immediately get covered again with the jam. Jam will be runnier than the final product, because it will "set" as it cools.  If it's not ready after 15 minutes, check again every 5 minutes.  

3- Remove from heat and ladle into clean canning jars. Place seals and lids on jars and tighten to fingertip tight. If preserving using boiling water method, place jars in boiling water and cover, allowing to boil for 5 full minutes before removing from water using tongs. Allow to cool for 24 hours.  You should hear the lids pop as they cool, creating the vacuum seal. Any jars that don't pop should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks.

 

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

I'm on a little bit of an Asian inspired food kick. None of these recipes would be considered "authentic" but they have the flavour inspiration and feel of some of my favourite Asian dishes.








Monday: Thai Style Coconut Curry Soup

Tuesday: Tofu w/Mushrooms and Green Beans
(From the Gluten Free Asian Kitchen)










Wednesday: Beef & Vegetable Stew 





















Thursday: Peanut & Rice Noodle Stir Fry (RECIPE)  












Friday: Chicken Meatballs w/Chili Dipping Sauce & Vietnamese Style Rice Paper Rolls (RECIPE)

Recipe: Gluten Free Crustless Bacon & Pepper Quiche with Goat Cheese

I haven't been having the best of luck lately with gluten free pie crusts, and although I don't mind making my own from scratch, it's not something I want to do while cooking for the week, especially during the heat of the summer. The best GF crust I've ever used was from the Kawartha Bakery in Lakefield, ON, but since I don't live near there, I don't get to buy it often. So I made a crustless quiche instead. This week was all about clean out the fridge cooking, and this quiche is a great example of that. Feel free to substitute for whatever vegetable you have on hand or like to eat with eggs.

Ingredients
Preheat oven to 375F
** You will need a pie plate or reusable aluminum one to pour in the mix.

10 eggs
6 slices bacon
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced (any colour except green)
1 cup milk or milk substitute (I used Soy milk, it worked fine)
1 cup grated white cheddar (I used goat's milk cheddar)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or other dried herb you like
Grated parmesan or crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Directions

1- Roughly chop the bacon and fry until cooked through. I like my bacon crispy, but it's up to you. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

2- Dice and cook the bell peppers and any other vegetables in the bacon grease until soft. Drain on paper towels as well.

3- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with milk, a bit of salt, pepper, and thyme. Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet.

4- Place the bacon, peppers in the pie plate and pour the egg mixture over top. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top, if using. Place the pie plate in the oven still on the baking sheet. This catches any excess that may boil over.  Cook at 375F for about 30 min. or until the eggs have cooked through. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

The mix might puff when cooking, but it should settle when finished. Eat warm or cold. I like to cut it into little squares for my son to eat with his hands, but it slices nicely like a regular quiche.

Gluten Free Buzz (9)

Hello friends, and Happy Friday! What better time than the present to wrap up the week's Celiac and Gluten Free Headlines? Here's what made the news this week.

The biggest news of today? The FDA has finally defined what exactly gluten free means when it comes to labeling a product as such. Read the Press Release.

Biohit, a Finnish company, introduces a new fingertip test for Celiac disease, and shares rise.  Reuters has the report.

The incidence of diagnosed Celiac disease is riding worldwide. Healio investigates.

Stanford Pediatric Gatroenterologist answer questions about Celiac Disease.

Food Manufacturers are reformulating children's foods to offer more gluten free options, via Food Processing.