Mushroom Risotto

Risotto has a reputation of being really challenging to make, its not, its very easy - it just takes a little TLC. Plan on spending about 45 minutes making it and being near the stove the whole time, as it needs to be constantly stirred.

1 1/2 cups hot water

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon soya sauce (some soya sauce contains gluten - Kikkoman does not)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 shallots finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup mushrooms

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

**This will make enough for about 4 people.**

1) Add broth, soy sauce, and water to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.

2) Meanwhile in a large frying pan, heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion, stirring, until just softened, about 5 minutes.

3) Add garlic and fresh mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and any liquid they give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. You can add a little more butter or oil at this stage if you find the pan to be too dry.

4) Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.

5) Stir ½ cup simmering broth into rice and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer, until absorbed. Continue cooking and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy looking but still al dente, 18 to 20 minutes.

6) Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter until butter is melted.

Health Muffins

It snowed today in Toronto - I almost cried. Bill and I were at a coffee shop near our place and I was wearing a short sleeved sweater, three-quarter length pants and no socks. Needless to say, I am unwilling to accept that winter is coming. Anyways, to make myself feel better I made muffins. They are pretty healthy as muffins go - no butter, tiny bit of oil and just a little honey as a sweetener and they are gluten-free (of course)!


These muffins are a bit more "bouncy" (the descriptive word chosen by Bill - he's amazing) than the banana muffins posted a few weeks ago! The cinnamon and apple combo makes them delicious and autumny.


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees


2) Mix together
1 cup rice flour
1 cup gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
3 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon


3) In a separate bowl combine
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
2 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1 cup yoghurt
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup grated apples
1/4 cup grated carrots


4) Combine wet and dry ingredients and add 1/2 cup of raisins or chocolate chips or nuts or all three!


5) Pour into (greased/parchment lined) muffin tins or a loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until tooth-pick comes out clean!


6) If you are in the mood to be a little less health conscious - spice it up. In a small sauce pan combine 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup honey and 1 tsp of cinnamon - heat on low until melted and combined. When muffins/loaf come out of the oven drizzle with honey butter. mmmm!!

Smoked Salmon Stacks

The gas in our condo was out today - so instead of cooking I used the smoked salmon in our freezer to make a little lunch time snack. I figure that it could also be a good appetizer at a cocktail party.

All you need is:

1) Smoked salmon

2) Rice crackers (deep fried wonton wrappers would be great also - though they contain wheat flour and would be more labour intensive)

3) Goats cheese (or cream cheese)

4) Avocado

5) Fresh dill

Spread the goats cheese onto the cracker as the base, then the avocado, then the salmon. Top with dill for presentation purposes and a little extra flavour.

Enjoy!

This smoked salmon is courtesy of "Fisherman Bill - 2010 biggest fish champion (sorry Frank)".. Haiki salmon always makes me feel proud to be a British Columbian!

Organic Foods

Recently I have been reading a bit about organic produce and meat. I found this article and thought that I might post it for those of you who are interested. There have been thousands of studies conducted on various topics surrounding organic foods including: nutrient value/pesticide levels in organics, health and longevity of organic food consumers, attitudes and behaviours of consumers, etc. This article reviews and summarizes the findings of these studies.

I feel very privileged to have access to all of my wonderful and fresh cooking ingredients - both organic and conventional. Organic food is very expensive and inaccessible to many Canadians, so when contemplating this type of debate I feel very thankful that I never go to bed hungry or worry about the expense of the food that I eat.

Autumn Sweet Potato Salad

I LOVE sweet potatoes, so anytime I can incorporate them into a meal I do. This salad was a spur of the moment creation, as I didn't have much else in the kitchen to cook. Some lettuce, nuts, cheese and sweet potato. Voila!

1) Bake, peeled/sliced (slice potatoes into any shape/size you wish - but keep them consistent with each other so they cook evenly) sweet potatoes @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes (15 minutes per side - flip after 15 minutes). They should be brown on the outside and soft on the inside.

Let the sweet potatoes cool and harden a little while you make the rest of the salad.

Salad Dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

** mash salt and pressed garlic together **

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp champagne vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp mayo

** add these four ingredients to the garlic salt mixture and mix**

1/3 cup olive oil

** add olive oil slowly, while whisking dressing, until emulsified.

Salad:

Arugula or spinach

Grated parmesan cheese

Fresh bocconcini

Roasted sunflower seeds

Roasted walnuts

Baked sweet potatoes

Pour dressing over greens and add cheeses, nuts and sunflower seeds. Place sweet potatoes on-top.

Enjoy!

Summer Guacamole

Bill says the guacamole in this photo looks slimy.. which it does.. but this recipe is too good to leave off my blog. So here we go:

I have been holding on to summer with all my might - even though its almost Halloween. This appetizer is an amazing treat summer, fall, winter, or spring - but it is the BEST in the summer served with Coronas.

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados (you can detect whether an avocado is ripe by a) its dark colour and b) by pressing its "stem nub" (this is a technical term) and if it depresses inwards - you are ripe!!)

1/2 of a shallot (chopped very finely)

1 clove of garlic (smashed)

1/2 fresh lemon or lime juice (squeezed)

1 tsp salt

1/2 jalapeno - just the exterior shell - no seeds!

1 tomato - just the exterior shell - no seeds or juice - chopped finely

1 tbsp olive oil

Mix all these ingredients together and enjoy with gluten free chips or tortilla chips!!

PS. You can also add some fresh ground black pepper and top with a lemon/lime wedge.

** My cousin Darin uses red onion in his guacamole - I think this is a great idea! I HATE onions so I use shallots (onions for weaklings) **

Sunday Bread

This is my proudest baking accomplishment so far - An easy gluten-free loaf of bread! It's moist, dense, and has great flavor! Im so pleased. The only annoying ingredients are the gluten-free flour blend which you can find at Loblaws or other large supermarkets, and xanthan gum which you have to buy at a health food store or specialty food store. It is pretty much impossible to make a proper bread loaf without xanthan gum or guar gum as they allow for proper texture and rising.

Here we go:

3 cups all purpose gluten-free blend

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

2 teaspoons salt

6 egg yolks

1/3 cup light olive oil

1 3/4 cups sparkling mineral water

1) Grease a bread loaf pan with butter.

2) Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a large whisk to thoroughly blend.

3) Lightly whisk egg yokes. Add olive oil to yolks and add to dry ingredients. Stir until coarsely combined.

4) Slowly add carbonated water to the bowl and mix until blended.

5) Using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat bread batter on high for 3 minutes. Scrape batter down with a spatula and cover bowl with plastic wrap.

6) Place in a warm location to rise (my bread took 2.5 hours to rise – I don’t thinks that this is normal – but it turned out amazing.

7) Pour into prepared loaf pan and even top with a spatula (dip spatula in water so it wont stick.

8) Set the loaf pan, uncovered in a warm, draft-free location to rise.

9) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

10) When batter is about 1 inch above the top rim of the bread pan place it in preheated oven.

11) Bake bread for 50 minutes or until light brown on-top.

12) Remove bread from loaf pan and cool on a rack before slicing.

It is a great day - I can throw away the frozen Ezekiel bread!

Four-Cheese Margherita Pizza

Pizza is a treat that Bill and I have really missed since trying to stay away from gluten. This recipe is a bit of a cheat because I didn't actually make the crust - I bought it at THE BEST gluten free bakery in Toronto, called Haymishe. This place not only carries the most wonderful breads, baked treats and dumplings, but the women who run it are top-notch, vibrant characters. If you live downtown, it is worth the trek to Bathurst and Lawerence.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Pizza Sauce

1 cup fresh tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

handful of fresh basil

1) Blend four ingredients until smooth (in a blender/magic bullet).

2) Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a frying pan then (once the pan has heated to low/med) add the blended sauce.

3) Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Add 1/3 cup red wine and continue to stir until sauce has reduced in half.

5) Remove from heat and set aside.

Top Haymishe pizza crust with sauce and "four cheeses" - mozzerella, goats cheese, feta cheese and parmesan.

Cook for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh basil once out of the oven (the basil looses its nice green colour if you cook it on the pizza).

Enjoy!

Birthday Treat

This dessert is for my dear friend Kendal - It was her 24th birthday yesterday. I wish I had been there to celebrate.

xo

Coconut Shrimp Tower

If you are in the mood for a decadent appetizer - this is it. It is certainly not healthy, but it is really delicious.

Coconut Shrimp

1) Fill three dishes with

a) Corn starch

b) 2 eggs (whisked til frothy)

3) 1/2 Panko, 1/2 Shredded Coconut

2) Coat (raw, de-veined, no shell) shrimp in each of the three dishes - corn starch, then egg wash, then panko/coconut.

3) Heat a sauce pan filled with oil (I use corn oil) to 375 degrees (you can use a candy thermometer for this)

4) Drop the shrimp into the sauce pan - three at a time - and cook until they are nice and brown on the outside... Shrimp cook quite quickly, so you don't have to worry too much about under-cooking them. You can do a tester and cut it open if you are worried.

5) Have a plate with paper towel ready and scoop the shrimp onto the paper towel once they have finished cooking.. Coat immediately with a pinch of salt.

Dill Aioli

1/3 cup mayo

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 clove of garlic - (through a garlic press)

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together and serve along side the coconut shrimp!

I like to stack the shrimp into a tower like structure.. My mum always said "presentation is nine-tenths of the meal"

Strawberry Summer Salad

This recipe is courtesy of my Aunt Alison - she is a fantastic cook. I used to stay at her house when I was little, competing in gymnastics competitions, and she would make the most satisfying meals. I remember wishing that the medal ceremonies would end already, so I could get back to her house for dinner.

This is a slight adaptation on her poppy seed, strawberry salad! Delicious.

Dressing:

1/2 clove of garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp champagne vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 cup oil

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1) Mash pressed garlic and salt together with a fork or whisk

2) Add honey, vinegar and mayo

3) Whisk in oil until emulsified

4) Add poppy seeds

Salad:

I used mixed greens, fresh strawberries, goats cheese, walnuts and avocado. Then I pan fried a chicken breast and threw it on top!

This salad is phenomenal with dried blueberries/cherries/cranberries too!

Asian Slaw Salad

This salad is very easy to make and can be adapted in lots of healthy, creative and delicious ways.

Dressing:

1/2 clove garlic

1/3 cup soya sauce

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp sesame seeds

2/3 cup canola oil

1) Mash garlic with a garlic press or chop finely.

2) Add soya sauce, apple cider vinegar, tahini, water and sesame seeds.

3) Whisk canola oil into mixture until dressing emulsifies.

Salad:

This salad can be made with all sorts of ingredients -this is my favorite combo:

-finely chopped red cabbage

-grated carrots

-chopped cucumbers

-chick peas

-snow peas

-avocado

-goats cheese

-slivered almonds

-mixed greens

Other possible additions are:

-spinach

-peas

-red/yellow/green peppers

-fried wontons

-feta cheese

**Any vegetables that you enjoy can be added!**

Tonight I had some wonderful smoked salmon (my fiance caught it himself in BC) that I threw on-top, but this salad is so delicious with chicken, or steak or tofu also.!

When I was growing up there was a restaurant down the street, The Laughing Moon, that served asian salads with warm rice on the side. This has become one of my favorite things to do. It makes the salad a satisfying meal!

Morning Smoothie

This is a great option when you are in a rush in the morning. It has some good carbs, protein and a little fat to wake your body up and fuel it for a few hours!

1 small, ripe banana

1/3 cup frozen fruit (mixed berry is my go-to)

1/3 cup yoghurt (greek yoghurt is great)

1/2 cup milk (2%) - I think a little fat is good, it will help you metabolize some of the fat-soluble vitamins

4 ice cube

1 scoop of "North Coast Naturals" unflavoured protein

Mix it up in a blender/magic bullet!

Chewy Granola Bars

Dear Health-conscious friends. These granola bars are NOT healthy... But they are so delicious.. and gluten free!

They are perfect for an afternoon outdoors in the fall or winter... or a pre/post workout snack - wash them down with some biosteel - (the best sports supplement on the market) (www.biosteel.com)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a frying pan add:

1/2 cup of sesame seeds

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of coconut

1/2 cup of slivered/flaked almonds

3) On medium, stir these four ingredients until browned and fragrant.

4) In a separate mixing bowl (large mixing bowl) add and cream together:

1/2 cup butter (room temp makes mixing easier)

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

5) Add three cups of oats (large flakes) and the frying pan mixture or seeds, nuts and almonds.

6) Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of raisins...

or 1 cup chocolate chips.. or 1 cup of raisins.. or walnuts.. or hazelnuts.. etc.

7) Press into a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes (or until slightly brown around the edges).

ENJOY!

For a "healthier" adaptation, use almond butter rather than peanut butter and 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of corn syrup (instead of the brown sugar and corn syrup)... Or enjoy as is, and go for a jog. :)

Thanks to "Whitewater Cooks" from Nelson, BC, for the original to this adapted recipe. Buy their cookbook if you ever have the chance. It is filled with healthy, creative and colourful meal ideas.

To-DIe-For Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is an adaptation from a 'flour-full' chocolate chip cookie recipe. I find that I can often substitute almond meal and rice flour for wheat flour. I like this version even better than the original!

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

½ cup rice flour

½ cup almond meal

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2) In a mixing bowl add flour, almond meal, salt and baking soda

1/3 cup butter, melted

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

½ tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

3) In a separate bowl combine butter and sugars. Cream them together, then add the vanilla and egg

4) Mix dry and wet ingredients together and add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, skor bar bits or whatever else you please.

5) Make small balls of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet

6) Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

ENJOY!

"Smashed" Chicken

This is my mum's recipe, it is such an easy and delicious meal. Bill and I have put it in our regular dinner time rotation. Enjoy!

Dressing:

1 clove of garlic (can be excluded)

1 tsp of salt

*mash garlic and salt together*

Squeeze half a lemon worth of juice

Add 1 tbsp of mayo

Add 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

*mix all ingredients*

Whisk in ½ cup of olive oil until emulsified

Chicken:

1) Defrost frozen chicken breasts/or use fresh

2) Place them, one at a time, in a Ziplock and smash them until they are about ½-1 inch thick (evenly flattened)

3) Coat them in a flour/salt/pepper mixture (you can also add other herbs or cayenne if you like)

4) Coat them in egg (whisk eggs for a few seconds until frothy)

5) Coat them in panko/freshly grated parmesan mixture

6) Heat a frying pan med-high heat

7) Add olive oil and a little butter (enough to brown the chicken)

8) When hot, add chicken and leave in pan until thoroughly browned, then flip (you can add a little more butter/oil if you think that it is necessary at this point)

9) Reduce temperature if pan really starts to smoke

Salad:

1) Toss arugula with parmesan and dressing until nicely coated

2) Pile on-top of chicken while its still warm from the frying pan

3) If you have ripe avocado, almonds, or bocconcini - they are a delicious addition to the salad.

Enjoy!!

Crispy Potato Delights

This is one of fiances favorite treats.. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and perfectly salty.

The "Food Thesaurus" told me that it is best to use Russet Potatoes (regular baking potatoes) because they crisp up and brown best.

FYI. The "Food Thesaurus" is one of my favorite tools for exploring different cooking methods and food substitutions:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Potatoes.html

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


All you need is four ingredients:

1) 2 potatoes - this will easily serve 4 people

2) Kosher salt

3) 1/8 cup rice flour

4) 3 tbsp oil (canola, olive, corn - whatever you please)


Peel the skins off of the potatoes. Once you have reached the white flesh start peeling the potato flesh into a mixing bowl. FYI - this takes a little bit of time and this process can be expedited if you have a mandolin.. Once you have two potatoes "peeled" pat the potatoes with paper towel or dish towels until they are quite dry.


Add 1/8 cup of rice flour and oil and add salt.


Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and make little stacks of shaved potatoes about the size of a small fist.


Sprinkle a little salt on top and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes!


PS. No need to be a slave to the recipe - if you have a roast, chicken, lamb etc. in the oven (at lets say 350) put the potatoes in with it! no worries!)

Gluten-free Oatmeal Banana Muffins

1) Preheat oven: 400 degrees.

1 1/4 cup oats (large flakes - lower on GI)
1/2 cup yogurt (I used peach 'source' yogurt because that is what I had in the fridge - any yogurt will do)
1/2 cup milk

2) Combine oats, yogurt and milk - and let soak for 20 minutes.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 large, mashed bananas (ripe=sweeter=better)
1 egg (beat it by hand for 30 sec)

3) Mix brown sugar, apple sauce, mashed bananas and egg and add to oat mixture.

1 cup ground oats

1/2 cup ground almonds

(I use my favorite kitchen tool, the 'magic bullet', to grind large oats and almonds into a fine meal)

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

5) If you are in the mood add some chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to spice it up!

6) Pour batter into prepared (parchment or oiled) muffin tins or loaf pan and pop in the oven.

For muffins: 20 minutes

For loaf: 30-40 minutes