Easy Meals

Supper tonight with Johnny D! Delicious sweet kale vegetable salad mix
from costco, steamed Brussel sprouts, and Butter butter-fried Scallop!
Simple and delicious! 

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Rylan and I have made these a few times for canoeing, ski trips, and even before heading to the gym (I would assume, since I can only seem to get there once every couple of weeks).  Hope you enjoy!

1 cup natural peanut butter
5 tablespoons maca powder
1/2 cup whole grain oat flakes
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
4 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons currants
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons flax seed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
5 tablespoons shredded coconut

Toast the coconut in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes, being sure to stir every few minutes.
Roll the balls into tablespoon-sized balls, and then roll in shredded coconut.
Place in a freezer container, separating layers with parchment paper or wax.
Recipe makes about 27 balls.

Mango/Pear, Coconut, and Walnut Bread

So one of the biggest troubles with gluten-free baking are the complicated recipes.  Most recipes just have "add 2 cups of flour."  When you're celiac, though, you get "add 1 1/4 cups of our gluten-free flour mix," which then leads to another recipe, 3 more mixing bowls, ARGH!!!!!  This is complicated, but if you take your time the result is deliscious.  We've also made the recipe big enough to make the work worthwhile.

This recipe was adapted from Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly.

You will need:

• Equipment:
• Digital Kitchen Scale - They are $10 and COMPLETELY WORTH the purchase!!  Check out Ebay or most WalMart/Superstore-type places.
• large mixing bowl, two medium mixing bowls
• whisk or fork
• 2 - '9x5' bread pans or 2 - '8x8' cake pans
• parchment paper, silicon bread pans, dusted with rice flour, or buttered pans
• spatula
• PREHEATED OVEN - 350°F 
• A digital timer set to one hour
• A friend or loved one to help measure and do dishes

•  Ingredients:
• 1 cup (250mL) chickpea (garfava) flour - don't measure this out yet!
• 1 cup (250mL) brown rice flour - same as above
• 2/3 cup (160mL) Potato Starch - same
• 1/3 (80mL) cup Tapioca Starch - same
• 2 mangoes or 1 mango and 2 pears
• 1 cup (250mL) walnuts
• 1 cup (250mL) of dried, shredded coconut
• 4 eggs 
• 1 cup (125mL) oil 
• 3/4 cup (180mL) applesauce
• 1/4 cup (60mL) brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons (15 mL) baking soda
• 2 teaspoons (10mL) vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon (5mL) cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5mL) cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5mL) salt
• 1/8 teaspoon (1mL) nutmeg

Making the Basic Flour Recipe:

• Using the digital kitchen scale:
• Rather than messing up a bunch of measuring cups, you can add it by weight, making it much quicker!  All you need is a digital kitchen scale and one mixing bowl to make the flour mixture.  Place the medium mixing bowl on the scale, THEN turn it on so the scale will read 0g even with the bowl.
• Measure 78g of chickpea (garfava) flour
• Add 103g brown rice flour (brings it to 181g)
• Add 95g of potato starch (brings it to 276g)
• Add 37g of tapioca starch (brings it to 313g)
• Using measuring cups:
• This method works perfectly, but makes 3 cups of flour, instead of 2 1/2 cups required for the original recipe.  It works fine if you want a little extra for gravy or stew.  Make the recipe, then put aside the extra 1/2 cup.  Remember to use the medium mixing bowl.
• 1 cup (250mL) chickpea (garfava) flour
• 1 cup (250mL) brown rice flour
• 2/3 cup (160mL) potato starch
• 1/3 cup (80mL) tapioca starch

Making the bread:

• Line the pans with parchment paper - I find this is the easiest way to get the gluten-free bread out without breaking it.  Fold the corners in and get someone to hold down the parchment paper while you pour.  Gluten-free doughs need to cool completely so they crumble less.  You can cut it early for some warm cake and frozen yogurt, but don't be worried that it's not going to hold together later - LET IT COOL after you cook it!
• Use a medium mixing bowl for this part.  Cut the two mangoes into 1/4" (0.5cm) pieces (or use one mango and two pears).  Add 1 cup (250mL) of dried, shredded coconut, and 1 cup (250mL) of walnuts.
• To the flour mixture in the medium mixing bowl, add 3 teaspoons (15 mL) baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) xanthan gum, 1 teaspoon (5mL) cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon (1.5mL) cloves, 1/4 teaspoon (1.5mL) salt, and 2 pinches of nutmeg
• In the large mixing bowl, mix the 4 eggs, 1 cup (125mL) oil, 3/4 (180mL) cup of applesauce, 1/4 cup (60mL) of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons (10mL) of vanilla
• Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and whisk it until it's combined.  Then fold in mangoes/pears, shredded coconut, and walnuts.  A few folds with the spatula until it is combined is good enough.
• Split the mixture between the two '9x5' bread pans or two '8x8' baking pans.  Put in the oven for one hour.  Set the timer - you'll forget!
• Now go do the mountain of dishes so you can enjoy the cake when you're done!!

  

This was one of Jay's finest fall suppers. I fondly remember how different the coleslaw tasted, in a great way, compared to any other coleslaw I have had. I am not the biggest cabbage/coleslaw fan, but this coleslaw changed my opinion about red cabbage.
Jay made this supper following a day of golf at Pike Lake. We stopped in @ Robertson Valley Farm to pick up pumpkin's for Halloween. The Robertson had an amazing selection of pumpkins and lots of other fresh produce from their farm. Along with pumpkins, we picked up  Brussels sprouts and red cabbage. Jay prepared these delicious recipes to go with the steamed buttered Brussels sprouts. Enjoy!

Creamy Dill Carrot Coleslaw
3 cups shredded carrot
1 red cabbage, finely chopped (save about 1/2 cup for bottom recipe)
1 bunch of dill, chopped
1/2 cup dried apples (crispy)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup red onion chopped finely
1 cup of mayo OR 3/4 cup mayo;1/4 cup creamy dill sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Prepare carrots, cabbage, dill, apples and put in large bowl. Mix liquid ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add sauce to large bowl and mix til coated. Refrigerate before serving.

Ground Turkey Rice Casserole 
1 tbsp veg oil
1 lb ground turkey (or tofu)
left over red cabbage
italian seasoning
1/4 cup red onion
garlic powder
1 can tomato soup  or tomato dill soup (recipe to come)
sweet chili paste
1 cup red colasauri rice (cooked seperatly) which can be purchased at Bulk Barn . Direction card on how to cook rice provide @ Bulk Barn. Extra starchy water from cooking the rice can be saved and used, to thicken and add flavor, in soups and casseroles.

Directions: Brown ground turkey on med-high heat. Add onion, cabbage and seasoning and cook for another 5-10 min. Add the tomato dill soup, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked rice and simmer til most of the liquid has cooked off. Let stand a couple minutes to cool before serving.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

So here I was, preparing a meal of Roasted Apple Cider Beer-Can Chicken and Spaghetti Squash, with Wild Rice when it hit me... Can you roast Spaghetti Squash Seeds?  I LOVE pumpkin seeds, but it seems I only eat them once a year (twice if you include the Christmas Pumpkins Rylan carved this year!)

So here it is - how to roast spaghetti squash seeds:

• Spaghetti squash seeds
• olive oil
• kosher salt

Heat the overn to 275F.  Pick out all of the squash seeds, wash them, and remove all the little squash threads.  Pat them dry with some paper towel then place them in a small bowl.  Pour in a small amount of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt (you don't need much here, just enough to coat a tiny amount on each one).  Mix everything around so you get a small coating of olive oil and salt on everything. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour the spread the seeds evenly.  Cook the seeds for about 15 minutes at 275F, or until they start to split.  I like to toast mine a bit, but they burn very easily, so once you see a HINT of brown, take them out immediately.

Wait a few minutes to let them cool, then enjoy!

My Favourite Tabouleh!!

This is, by far, my absolutely favourite recipe.  It takes forever to make (about an hour), needs a freshly sharpened knife (I LOVE my Maestro Wu knifes!), and makes a mess on the floor - ALL WORTH IT!  This recipe is adapted from a recipe I learned while at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga.  To help pay for the cost of the yoga retreat, I found myself learning to cook incredible vegan meals decorated with freshly grown flowers.  Salt Spring was an important milestone in my life, and this recipe reminds me of how much I have grown spiritually since that trip.  Whenever making for dinner parties or family gatherings, I always double the recipe to make sure there's leftovers when I get home!

Salt Spring Tabouleh

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
1 bunch of parsley
1 leek
15-20 fresh mint leaves
2 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa. We frequently use a mix of black and white quinoa for some variety.  Rinse it well, then add the 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and set aside for another fifteen minutes - DO NOT PEAK or you will have crunchy quinoa!  After fifteen minutes put in the fridge to cool (or outside if it's December in Saskatchewan).

The key to a good tabouleh is the small pieces of finely chopped bits that mingle in your mouth for some amazing flavour! When you think you've chopped everything small enough, you're probably half done. A sharp blade will help, but tiny pieces are worth the effort in the end.  Cut the bunch of parsley (it will make about 2 cups of finely chopped bits).

Cut the leek into piece the same size as the parsley. Cut the bottom of the leak off, trim the dark green leaves off and throw those in the compost.  Cut the cylinder in half, then into quarters, lengthwise. Chop into large bits, then rinse these off.  Leeks are grown by building up the soil between layers of growth which can leave dirt on the inside of the leek.  Cutting them into large pieces allows for easy cleaning, drying off using a salad spinner, then you're free to chop the leek into tiny bits ROCK FREE!

Chop the mint and tomatoes into tiny pieces as well and toss everything into a big mixing bowl. Add the cooled quinoa, lemon juice, oil, and salt, then toss until everything is mixed.

The tabouleh will be good, but it will get even better over the next couple of days.  You can eat it in a romaine lettuce leaf wrap, on crackers, cooked on chicken breasts, or even stuffed into cabbage rolls!  We've found so many delicious uses for this tabouleh.  It's worth all of the cutting!

We are busy making food for the Christmas weekend. Taking lemon grass Thai Ribs, Tabouleh and a Spinach pesto to our friends Christmas Eve party. Taking Tabouleh and making the GF carrot cake... again :)......to Jay's parents for Christmas Day supper. Afterwards (9ish) friends are welcome to come over to finish off left overs and relax!

Here is the recipe for the easy to make pesto! I adapted the recipe from my monthly Nutrition Action Magazine. It is a great magazine that has great research based nutritional information, delicious healthy recipes, and good tips for living a healthier lifestyle.

Spinach Pesto
1/4 cup roasted cashews ( I used 1/2 of blanched almonds)
1 clove of garlic or 8 if you like garlic
 1/3- 2/3 cup of Parmesan Cheese
about 4-6 cups of spinach or 1:1 spinach/arugula
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 cup of boiling water


Combine nuts, garlic, parmesan in a food processor. Pulse a few times to mince. Add the spinach/arugula and oil. Pulse until the ingredients are blend well. Season to taste with salt and plenty of pepper. Stir in enough boiling water to a desired consistency. Enjoy!

While I quickly made the pesto, Jay has been chopping up ingredients for Tabouleh. Recipe to come. Looking forward to the next couple days with friends and family.  Sharing the holiday spirit and giving/receieving great eats!