Category Archives: Recipes

May 2, 2012 · 7:01 pm

Gluten-free – Dairy-Free Blueberry Banana Muffins

These are aweome. I gluten-freed them from the original recipe which I found on http://www.cooks.com.

BANANA-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 med. extra-ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. Earth Bound Spread, melted (or margarine or butter if you prefer)
3/4 c. frozen blueberries, thawed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. Gluten-Free Flour
1 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine bananas, eggs, sugar and butter until well blended. Stir in blueberries and vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Carefully add flour mixture to banana-blueberry mixture. Spoon into muffin cups.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Thanks to the awesome folks at Cooks.com and you can get the standard version (that is wheat and butter) of the recipe right here.

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April 17, 2012 · 4:02 am

Mean Green Juicing Recipe: Road to Wellness

Hi everyone,

This post has been contributed by Leslie Lancaster who left comments on  a post I wrote a while back called Anti-candida, no wheat, no gluten, no dairy no sugar, no nuttin’ diet. I wrote the post when I was having severe stomach problems brought on by candida and as yet undiscovered food intolerances.

Leslie, who has been on her own journey of wellness shared this recipe.

Mean Green

1 bunch of kale (4-6 leaves with stalks)
4 stalks of celery
1 cucumber (peel first unless they’re English cukes)
2 Granny Smith apples (core removed due to pesticide concentration)
1/2 a lemon (peel removed)
ginger root

“I’m now on Day 5 of a juice fast and feel unbelievably good. Sleeping much better without apnea and waking up refreshed with a ton of energy. Am also losing a bunch of weight (almost 20 lbs. already) and my skin is beginning to glow with significant reduction in pore size. Bathroom breaks are more frequent due to drinking eight 8 oz. glasses of water (either plain or with ACV) a day on top of almond milk and six 16 oz. glasses of juice.

I can promise you won’t be hungry simply because your stomach is always full of something and vegetables take up more room than the same quantity protein or fat.

I did transition into this liquid diet for two weeks by eating a diet of primarily vegetables, cutting out caffeine, chocolate and sugar and sticking to the selected carbohydrate diet recommended for SIBO. Since I’m still very determined at this stage, I’m going to set my target for a 10 day juice fast. If all’s well upon reaching that goal, I’ll be going for 30 days. Will keep you apprised.”

Thanks for sharing Leslie and keep us posted on your progress!

I will add my two cents worth  and say that when I cut out dairy, gluten and sugar I never felt so healthy in my life. I no longer eat gluten and eat very little sugar but I love goat cheese and have allowed that to slip back into my life. (I can’t eat cow dairy). So those of you who are going to go for it – trust me the pain of the diet is well worth the effort.

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March 25, 2012 · 3:25 pm

Vikram Vij’s boatman’s curry (Prawn Curry)

This is delicious. As my mom used to say (in Dutch) Vij could make a shit taste good which is the ultimate compliment. This prawn dish is different than any other curry I’ve made because most of the recipes I’ve tried are Northern Indian and this is South Indian. I can’t actually describe it so you’ll have to try it for yourself.

I couldn’t find cokum so I used tamarind instead – neither did I add the 11/2 cups water because I am almost compulsive about not being able to follow a recipe. It was still fantastic. I served this with a rice (roti) – I was planning on making Eggplant Bharta with it but ran out of time. This came by way of the Globe and Mail.
Here goes:

Chef Vikram Vij is the owner of Vij’s in Vancouver.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour
Ingredients

½ kilogram prawns
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon red chili powder
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 cup onions, sliced length-wise
4 shallots
1 teaspoon ginger, sliced long and thin
12 cloves garlic
3 green chilies, split in half, seeds removed
8 curry leaves
4 ¾-inch-round pieces cocum fruit, washed and soaked in water (or substitute 1 tablespoon tamarind paste)
1 cup water
2½ cups good-quality coconut milk
Salt to taste
Method

Wash and devein prawns and set aside. Combine the coriander, chili powder, turmeric and red chili powder.

Heat the oil in the pan over mediumhigh heat. Add mustard seeds.

Add fenugreek seeds, onion, shallots, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves and fry until the onions turn golden.

Add the powdered spice mixture to the pan and fry over low to medium heat until fragrant.

Add the cocum fruit or tamarind paste.
Add prawns and coconut milk and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes on low heat until the prawns are cooked. Add salt to taste.

We ate this roti style with slices of tomato, cucumber and onion with lime juice and salt and pepper. Delish!

The original article is right here

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March 21, 2012 · 1:42 am

Quinoa Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce – Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Dairy-free

I discovered this recipe on the Canadian Living site and I loved them. Super easy to make and quite light. I made some adjustments to account for my diet so if you want the original recipe (for example for the yogurt sauce I used mayonnaise, and substituted corn flour for wheat flour).

Here goes:

Ingredients

    • 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) quinoa
    • 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) vegetable broth
    • 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil
    • 1/2 onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
    • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
    • 3 cups (750 mL) trimmed fresh spinach
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated parmesan cheese (I did not add the cheese)
    • 4 tbsp  corn flour (substituted for flour)
    • 1/2 cup corn meal
    • 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) grated lemon rind (I used the rind of a whole lemon and it was fantastic)
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame seeds or pine nuts or slicedalmonds
    • Lemon Yogurt Sauce:
    • 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) Balkan-style plain yogurt (I used 3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise)
    • 1/3 cup (75 mL) thinly sliced green onions
    • 3 tbsp finely minced dill
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice (juice of 1 whole lemon)
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 1 pinch pepper

Preparation

 Rinse quinoa under cold water and drain. In saucepan, bring quinoa, broth and 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) water to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain in fine sieve; let cool.Meanwhile, in skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium heat; fry onion, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add spinach; cook, stirring, until wilted and no liquid remains, about 3 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, (Parmesan cheese), flour, baking powder and lemon rind; fold in quinoa and spinach mixture. With wet hands, form into 16 cakes; transfer to waxed paper–lined tray. Lightly sprinkle with corn meal on each side. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In nonstick skillet, heat half of the remaining oil over medium-high heat; fry half of the cakes, turning once with 2 spatulas, until golden, about 8 minutes. Keep warm on baking sheet in 200°F (100°C) oven. Repeat with remaining oil and cakes. Serve drizzled with Lemon Yogurt Sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Lemon Yogurt or Mayo Dill Sauce: Stir together yogurt (or mayo), onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside in refrigerator.
I served this with a nice green salad and voila! Delicious.

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January 16, 2012 · 6:47 am

Garlic Roasted Tomatoes with Quinoa Pasta – Arugula Salad and a Glass of Zinfatuation

The longer I live the simpler my dinners are becoming. Unfortunately for me, I’m enough of a food snob that almost everything I eat has to be fresh and this recipe meets both requirements. Thanks to my sister I’ve also discovered a great new pasta – quinoa pasta. It’s expensive but it definitely gives Tinkyada rice noodles a good run for its money. So this is what I do.

I heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice  8 campari tomatoes in half. Drizzle with olive oil, place a thin slice of fresh garlic on each piece, salt and pepper to taste and then roast for 45 minutes.  Boil the pasta and rinse. Serve pasta with fresh roasted tomatoes, add grated parmesan or asiago and enjoy. Serve with salad. I actually made an arugula salad with fresh avocado, and goat cheese.  Serve with a nice glass of Zinfatuation and you’re done. It’s so good and so easy!

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January 8, 2012 · 5:18 pm

Easiest, Fastest Thai Green Curry Fish (with yam and asparagus) known to humankind

This is great to prepare, especially after work when you don’t have much time. It literally takes 20 minutes to make and is fantastic.

This recipe is for two people but you can go ahead and double it.

2  tbsp oil

1 tbsp thai green curry paste

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

Bunch of asparagus (cut into pieces)

1/2 large  yam cut into small pieces

1 lb cod or white fish (you could even use salmon, scallops or prawns or a combination of them)

1 lime

Heat oil in frying pan to medium high.  Saute green curry for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar. Add yam and asparagus and cook for 8 minutes. De-bone fish and cut in pieces. Then add fish and cook until done. Serve over top of rice, quinoa or with wraps. Garnish with lime. Ta da! Close to instant deliciousness.

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December 3, 2011 · 12:40 am

Best Rum Balls Ever

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Here they are  in all their glory! This year’s batch is ready to be shared! Dangerous Rum Ball Recipe here.

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November 6, 2011 · 5:45 pm

Almond and Lemon-Crusted Fish with Spinach from Eating Well – gluten-free – dairy-free

Coming out of retirement has definitely put a dent in my search for great recipes but now that I’m in more of a work routine Saturday’s have become my day for trying something new. Last week was gluten-free lasagna (to be posted later) and this week Almond and Lemon-Crusted Fish from Eating Well. My new rule of thumb is that recipes have to be relatively simple and easy to make. For now, anyways, Vij’s has to take a back seat!
Fresh Alaska Cod was available from the Crab Shop on Dollarton Highway so I used that. Continue reading →

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June 27, 2011 · 2:39 am

Banana Bread: using Kamut flour (gluten-free also available)

I’ve made this banana bread a few times now and it’s delicious. I’ve used both gluten-free flour (equal qty) + one tsp xanthum gum and Kamut and they both work out well. The original recipe was posted by the good folks over at allrecipes.com. For further details check them out.

Ingredients

2 cups kamut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
I added 1/2 cup chopped up dates.
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

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April 3, 2011 · 4:43 pm

Mango Avocado Salsa

Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peel and cut into small pieces
1 ripe avocado, same as above
1 tomato, and ditto
1/4 red onion thinly diced
1/4 cilantro finely chopped (or slightly less)
3 cloves garlic finely minced
juice of one lime
1 tsp chili pepper
salt n’ peppa to taste
Stir it all up and set aside.

* if I have fresh basil and mint, I chop those up and add them as well.

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