Recipe: Fall into Bliss Harvest Vegetable & Lentil Salad

This past weekend I went to an annual conference called Blissdom Canada. It's a social media conference that attracts mostly women, and the time is spent in workshops and listening to keynote speakers who provide advice, inspiration, and hands on tools for being a better writer, entrepreneur, networker, etc. I absolutely adore this event, and feel that it's worth every penny.

This year and last one of the sponsors was Canadian Lentils, and they put on a fantastic gluten free lunch for attendees on the second day. They also sent us home with enough lentils for a year, so I immediately had to get in the kitchen and come up with a new recipe. My son loves his lentil soup, and I like lentils in casseroles and salads. I wanted to make something that reminded me of the meal from the conference, but that had my own personal spin on it.

I call it Fall into Bliss Harvest Vegetable & Lentil Salad because it has all the flavours of the fall harvest, and reminds me of Blissdom Canada. I hope you like it as much as I do!

A word on the ingredients- I used the fall vegetables I had on hand, but I think this salad would be wonderful with roasted peppers or asparagus, squash, celery, or any variation of flavours you like. If honey-mustard vinaigrette isn't your thing, use you're favourite dressing instead. This salad was so delicious even the baby liked it!

Ingredients

For the salad

2 cups green lentils
4 cups water or vegetable broth, plus extra if needed
4 golden beets, cut in bite sized wedges (I like golden beets because they have a milder flavour than red beets and don't stain everything in site. They give beautiful colour to the salad.)
1 onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1/2 eggplant, diced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

For the dressing

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey (or agave for vegans)
1 tbsp. apple cider or white vinegar
1 tsp. chopped thyme (or dried)
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil


Directions
Preheat oven to 375F

1- Arrange beets, onion, mushrooms, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. Use just enough oil to lightly coat. Roast vegetables until cooked through, about 30 minutes. I check and give them a stir every 15 minutes.

2- While vegetables are roasting, cook lentils. In a saucepan, bring water or broth to a boil. Pour in clean, washed lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. Lentils are done when they are soft, but not mushy. Add more water in small increments as needed. Remove from heat and drain excess water.

3- To make the dressing, mix mustard, honey or agave, vinegar, thyme, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl or glass jar. Mix briskly with a fork or shake in a closed jar to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

4- When vegetables are cooked, toss with lentils in a serving bowl. Let cool slightly, and add dressing, reserving a little to pour on top when serving. The lentils will soak up some of the dressing, so if serving later, make a bit more dressing to have on hand.

Serve with some chopped herbs on top. Crumbled blue cheese would also go nicely with the honey-mustard dressing. This would make a great alternative side dish for a Thanksgiving dinner. It has all the flavours of fall, but is a bit of a fresh twist on tradition.

October's Cookbook of the Month: Gluten Free Breakfast, Brunch, and Beyond

This month I chose a cookbook that's a little different from all the others. I sometimes run out of breakfast ideas for the munchkins, or I find myself making the same smoothie several days in a row. I'm a big fan of breakfast and brunch foods, so it sounds like this book might be perfect for my family!

Think it might be perfect for your family too? Enter the giveaway below!

Breakfast is the favorite meal of the day for millions of Americans, but those with a gluten intolerance are out of luck, since many breakfast foods and baked items have been banned from their diet. They must find gluten-free alternatives or go without. For the rising number of Americans who are choosing to follow a gluten-free diet as a healthy lifestyle and for parents experimenting with gluten-free recipes for their families, they, too, are having to do without.
That disappointment will no longer be the case. In Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond, home cooks will discover a variety of gluten-free recipes for their family’s favorite breakfast foods. From light quick breads, muffins, biscuits and scones to tasty pancakes, waffles, coffee cakes and sweet rolls, this collection of 100 recipes will bring breakfast back to the gluten-free table. A tantalizing array of frittatas, quiches, and breakfast casseroles are perfect for any meal of the day. The recipes in Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond are quick and easy to make and yield delicious, satisfying results.
Recipes for homemade all-purpose flour, crepe batter, pancake batter, sweet roll dough, and biscuit dough will give every gluten-free cook the basics for creating delicious dishes of their own.
In addition to great recipes, Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond will provide cooks with the information they need about gluten-free ingredients, including ingredients to include—and avoid--in their diet and preparing and measuring ingredients. Each recipe chapter will begin with tips to help home cooks create great-tasting gluten-free breakfast specialties to serve from morning to night.

I love sharing my finds with my readers, and this month's book is no exception! Especially with the colder months settling in, sometimes a fruit cup just doesn't cut it. So, here's your chance to win your very own copy! Good luck. Open to participants in Canada and the United States.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

Did somebody call for a superhero?

Blissdom Canada 2013: A Life Changing Experience

For those who may not know, Blissdom Canada is an annual conference that focuses on social media, entrepreneurship, and change. I attended last year, and was pretty blown away by the whole thing, but this year's conference blew that one out of the water. It felt as though the organizers took into consideration every bit of feedback from that conference and applied it to this one.

More room for the conference events? Check.

Different content streams so attendees can focus on where their interests lie? Check.

Microsessions spread out in different rooms? Check.

More food options (including gluten free)? Check.

Places where introverts like me can have a few minutes in peace? Check.

Seriously. This conference hit all the right notes, from the venue and sponsors to the speakers and sessions.

There was a lot going on this year. Last year I signed up for Blissdom because I had just had a baby, and I was ready to focus more on my blog. It was my way of giving myself permission to admit that I actually took it seriously, rather than just waving it off as something frivolous. I wasn't ready to monetize yet, and the thought of contacting brands freaked me out, but I was ready to get serious.

How unprepared was I last year? I didn't even have business cards. Nope. I took everyone else's cards and then communicated with them later. I introduced myself and my blog almost apologetically, as though what I had to say on my blog was nowhere near as deserving of attention as everyone else's blogs. Still, last year's conference gave me connections. My Twitter following grew, my blog hits went up (doubled, actually), and brands started contacting me. Nothing major, but it seemed like the moment I began to take myself and my blog seriously, others started taking me seriously too.  That's why I knew I had to attend this year's conference, with new goals in mind.

For those who don't know me, let me clear something up from the start. I am not a great networker. Last year I didn't attend any of the night events. I met people only because they approached me. This year a few of my goals were to attend the meet and greet Thursday night, to meet some of the people I interact with on Twitter in person, to communicate with the sponsors, and to talk to a few new people. I also wanted to get professional head shots taken. Mission accomplished.

I still wasn't the girl squealing and hugging and jumping up and down with the huge group of friends I had made the year before, but I met people. I had interesting conversations. I exchanged my business cards with others. To me, these are all successes. I lucked out with the head shots because when I went to sign up, there was a free spot available right then. No room to chicken out. Anna Epp was amazing. She put me at ease, made me laugh, and took great shots. I could have justified the price of the ticket the first night.

The keynote speakers were unbelievable. I knew I was in for something special when Eric Alper talked about embracing your voice. Be controversial if what makes you controversial is something you actually believe in and stand for. Let that authenticity be what separates you from the crowd. That message of owning your voice set the tone for the rest of the conference. The sessions were fantastic that day, and I learned about creating great content, building a better blog, and how to keep going even when times are tough. 

Then the Social Etiquette panel happened. Neil Hedley moderated a panel of fantastic guests, including Glennon Doyle Melton and Glen Canning, an anti-bullying advocate, and father of Rehtaeh Parsons. If you're wondering if that session was intense, let's just say that most people were crying before the guests even took the stage. They talked about kindness online. About the importance of not engaging with those who are nasty, even when it's hard. Glenn Canning talked about Anonymous finding out the identities of the person running an awful Facebook page about his daughter, and how he declined their offer to make that person's identity public. Glennon talked about feeling afraid every day, and about moving forward anyway. Seriously powerful.

On the last day of the conference, I had a chance to work on the rest of my goals. I'm blogging and freelancing now, yet had no idea how to actually run my business life like a business. The session with Angèle LaFond from Shoe Box Be Gone taught me so much about record keeping, taxes, and essentially how to stop pretending that all I do is write a little blog and start recognizing that this is my career. The food blogger session with Dana Jackson from Hot Pink Apron taught me about food photography, the importance of storytelling, and helped me connect with others in my niche. Finally, the session with Tracy Chapell from Today's Parent gave me the tools and the confidence I need to start pitching magazines. The hands on session with the women from Mom Biz helped me get started on a business plan, and also helped me define who I am as a blogger and what my blog stands for.

Turns out I'm not a food blogger. Well, I'm not ONLY a food blogger. I'm not interested in being the best chef out there with the most gourmet dishes and the most drool-worthy photos. I want to be the go to place for gluten free newbies or parents with gluten free kids to find some simple, practical information and resources to make the transition to gluten free a little bit easier. I want to help them put fast dinners on the table, pack fun lunches and shop at the grocery store with confidence. I want them to have strategies for dealing with birthday parties and other social events. I want to help them dine out in public, find places to travel, choose the right cookbook. I had some inkling of what I wanted to achieve with my blog before this conference, but now it's much clearer and more focused.

The Power Hour was full of advice, stories, and lessons, from some of the coolest people around. Elan Morgan taught me that it's ok to be in the middle of my story, Shannon Fisher talked about pigs, Chris Read of Canadian Dad blog discussed his road back to depression, and there were so many more that I can't list them all. Erica Ehm's opening stayed with me. She asked "Do you get what you want? Because I do. I get what I want." She was strong, all business, and unapologetic about it. I loved it. The conference ended with Drew Dudley reminding us that leadership is something everyone can embody every day, by recognizing and celebrating the leadership of others, the small moments that have big impact, and the ways in which we are good to ourselves and each other.

This conference was full of strong women and a few strong men. I can't vouch for every conversation, but the ones I heard were positive, empowering, and focused on praising how good the presenters were. We learned from each other. The speakers didn't apologize for their success, or shy away from their accomplishments, or insist that there's only one way to do things. I made new friends, met Twitter friends like Lisa from Pocketfuls, in real life, and learned a lot. It was fun, and professional, and inspirational, and I can't wait to do it all over again next year.

Who knows what my goals will look like then?

P. S.: The organizing team did a fantastic job, and kudos to the sponsors, including big hitters like Tim's, Microsoft, and Canadian Lentils to name but a few, who understand that investing in women is a great business decision.

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

This weekend was kind of crazy since I was away at a conference since Thursday night, but my husband stepped up to cook most of the food for the week, so this is kind of his weekly menu plan!






Monday: Stir Fried Orange Beef & Vegetable on a Bed of Rice Noodles



















Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan with Rapini


















Wednesday: Chicken & Vegetable Soup














Thursday: Albondigas Dinner (from Gluten Free on a Shoestring)

















Friday: Chana Masala on a Bed of Rice

 

Gluten Free Buzz (15)

Hi everyone! A little late on the Buzz this week, but I swear it's for a good reason. I've been at a conference that started yesterday and won't be over until tomorrow night. It's all great stuff that will help make the blog a better place, and I'll tell you all about it soon. 

For now, some weekend reading.

25 Gluten Free Friendly Colleges. Full List at Celiac.com.

What it's like for a kid with Celiac Disease, via The Washington Post.

Montana support group for Celiac and Gluten Intolerance Sufferers. Read more at The Laurel Outlook.

Putting Celiac Screening to the Test via Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News.

Fibromyalgia & Celiac Disease, at ProHealth.

Wordless Wednesday

The reason I do what I do on this blog

September Cookbook Review: Naturally Sweet & Gluten Free & A Winner!

Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free
Allergy-Friendly Vegan Desserts

Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free will prove that you can have your cake and great health too! The desserts and other baked goods found in this book were inspired by the author’s decision, after decades of baking and indulging in unhealthy sweets, to radically heed her body’s wake-up call and radically alter her diet.
The book features:
- 100 dessert recipes all free of gluten, eggs, and dairy; many are also soy-free (or offer a soy-free option), corn-free (all but one!), and nut-free (or offer a nut-free option)
- Comprehensive introductory matter, including helpful information on: ingredients, tips & techniques, tools & bake ware, and an at-a glance pantry list
- The author’s first book, Sweet Freedom, is listed on Ellen
DeGeneres’s Web site as one of her top vegan cookbook picks

PURCHASE

REVIEW

This cookbook is different from almost any other book I've used before. The desserts are familiar, with items such as cupcakes, muffins, brownies, pies, but they are all made with non-traditional ingredients. It's not a low-fat dessert book, or a book that substitutes a few ingredients here and there- it truly calls for ingredients that are much healthier than regular dessert ingredients. I'll be honest, some of these ingredients might not be familiar to the average baker, particularly if you're a novice. I've been baking for many years, but I tend to stick to the usual ingredients; some of these were brand new and unfamiliar to me. The final products, however, were really, really, good.

I stuck to the simpler recipes to start, using shorter ingredient lists and more familiar flavours, and had a lot of success. I probably shouldn't admit this, but if you're not avoiding ALL of the items that are excluded, some ingredients could be substituted back in. SSSHHHH, don't tell anyone, but I **may** have occasionally used an egg or two. Maybe. You can't prove it. The muffins, cupcakes, and cookies in particular are easy to bake and have pretty short ingredient lists.

In all seriousness, though, these recipes are fantastic for anyone who either has multiple allergies or food restrictions, or who is just looking to eat cleaner but isn't ready to give up dessert. With these recipes, you don't have to. These desserts aren't lacking in flavour or texture, and they look exactly (or at least pretty close) to the traditional versions. It did take a while to adjust to the ingredient list since I'm used to baking with all those things that are left out, like white sugar & eggs, but the recipes were easy to follow. The cookbook is beautifully laid out, with gorgeous photography and straightforward instructions. Now you can have your gluten-free (and sugar free and egg free and nut free and dairy free) cake and eat it too!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

One lucky reader has been chosen to receive her very own copy of Ricki's book. Lisa S., check your email, and congratulations!

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Monday: Baked Tacos
(Prepare filling for your favourite taco recipe and fill. Line tacos in a baking dish, top with grated cheese and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.)














Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash with Sundried Tomatoes
(Cut squash in half, boil for about 5 minutes. Remove and release strands with a fork. Toss with olive oil, parmesan, salt, pepper, basil, and sundried tomatoes.)














Wednesday: Portobello Risotto















Thursday: Baked Potato Soup


















Friday: Sausage Bake

Gluten Free Buzz (14)

The weekend is upon us once again, and with it come the latest edition of Gluten Free Buzz! Here are some of the headlines from the week, all focused on the latest research into Celiac Disease. Happy reading!

Doctors weigh in on the theory that changes in wheat have contributed to a rise in the incidence of Celiac disease. Article on WCAI.

Study finds a link between anti-secretory medications and an increased risk for Celiac disease. Read more at Healio.

An Australian study reveals some interesting information about the frequency of Celiac disease, over at Private MD Labs.

A new study for the treatment of Celiac disease. Info at News_Medical.

A new study claims there's no link between Autism & an increased risk for Celiac disease, but didn't study the effects of removing gluten from the diet of someone with Autism. The findings leave room for more questions and more room for further studies. Read more at The Globe and Mail.