Maple Salmon and Quinoa Pilaf

This easy-to-make dinner is an old standby at our house.  It is hearty and filling and the quinoa is a bit like Thanksgiving stuffing.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Baste the salmon fillet with maple syrup and Bragg's liquid aminos or soy sauce.  Bake the fillet for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes easily (basting again about halfway through the cooking time).

Quinoa Pilaf with Apples

1 tablespoon of both butter and olive oil 

1/2 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 apple, peeled and diced

1 cup Quinoa (I like the Quinoa from Costco because it is pre-washed and bitter coating has been removed for you)

2 cups water or broth (I use a gluten-free chicken broth cube in the water)

1/4 teaspoon salt (if you use water and no broth)

dash of dried thyme and sage

ground pepper

In a preheated pan, melt butter and olive oil.  Sauté onion and celery until lightly brown.  Add the quinoa and stir and toast slightly for about 30 seconds.  Add the apple, thyme/sage and broth and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 15 minutes.  Cook for another 5 minutes uncovered.  Fluff with a fork and add ground pepper to taste.  Serve.

Grilled Lamb Chops and Zucchini-Almond Fritters

Lamb has never been one of my favourite meats.  Maybe it was because I had no idea how to cook it.  When we were at La Mediterranee in San Francisco, my husband really enjoyed the grilled lamb kebabs.  I realized lamb was something I should learn to prepare.  Plus, you can barbecue it, which is great this time of year!

In looking at lamb recipes, the key to making lamb taste great is to marinate it.  I made a very simple marinade using lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic and chopped fresh rosemary.  Then I marinated the lamb chops for most of the afternoon.  This is definitely a weekend recipe for me, as it requires time for marinating and preparation.

I got my lamb chops from an organic meat farm in Big Stone, Alberta.  They are called MacPherson Meats, and they deliver their frozen meats right to your house!  Does it get any better then that?  They have provincially inspected beef, lamb and chicken.  I ordered some beef, and only one pack of lamb chops because I was not sure I would like the lamb chops very much.  Now, after marinating the lamb and trying this recipe, I will be ordering more packages of lamb chops!

I had some zucchini and wanted to do something other than just sautéing it to have with the lamb chops.  I came across a recipe for zucchini fritters from an IGA website that looked really amazing, but they were made with wheat flour.  I modified the recipe to make it gluten-free, (inspired by Kelly's Veggie Burger recipe at the Spunky Coconut) and the fritters turned out fabulous!  They are like a potato pancake, but even better!  Without the lamb chops, these would make a wonderful vegetarian dinner as well.

Zucchini-Almond Fritters

600g zucchini, grated (I used 2 small zucchini)

1 sm onion, grated

1 sm clove garlic, crushed

100g goat milk feta (You could use a regular feta cheese or try this recipe with daiya mozzarella, a dairy-free and vegan cheese)

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup mint, finely chopped

zest from a lemon

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 cup almond flour

1 cup quinoa flakes

salt and pepper

coconut oil for frying

Dressing:  I used my Roasted Eggplant Dip instead of this dressing because it is dairy-free.  Hummus is another option for a dip.  If you can have dairy, purchased tzatziki or this dressing would be very quick options as well.)

Greek style yogurt 

1-2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)

1 lemon

Small clove of garlic, minced

Method:
Grate the zucchini (I use my food processor with the grater attachment), place in a colander and sprinkle with salt, toss and set aside for about 1/2 an hour.  Squeeze to extract the remaining liquid, and pat dry with paper towel (key points in preparation).  Grate 1 onion and also pat dry.

Combine onion, zucchini, garlic, feta, eggs, mint, lemon zest, and dry ingredients.

Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan, and use a 1/4 cup to scoop the batter onto the skillet.  Flatten each mound of batter gently with the back of your spatula.  Cook until golden brown on both sides and place on paper towels on a plate to remove some of the oil.  Serve with lamb chops and dressing or dip on the side.

   

Roasted Eggplant Dip

I seem to be on a Mediterranean kick lately.  The more traditional name for this dip is Baba Ganoush.  I first had this dip at my brother Tim's place.  This dip is based on Chef Dava Parr's recipe.  It has no dairy and is a nice change from hummus and other bean dips.  I serve it with raw vegetables for lunch, or as an appetizer before dinner.  It would also be a good accompaniment with grilled lamb chops.

2 medium sized eggplants (or large eggplants if roasting on the barbecue)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
pinch of cayenne and garlic powder

The eggplants could be roasted in the oven or on the barbecue.  I try not to use any charred bits in the dip if the eggplant is roasted on an open flame.  If baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and score the flesh diagonally into diamond shapes (I do not score the flesh if roasting on the barbecue).  Season with oil, salt and pepper, chile powder and cumin.  Roast for 35-45 minutes or until soft and pulpy.  Let cool.

Scrape the flesh into a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.  Serve.

Blueberry Breakfast Bar

Try these for breakfast some morning.  It's my own recipe for a breakfast bar that is not too sweet (unlike most packaged breakfast bars).  The all-fruit jam adds most of the sweetness.  Community Natural Foods is a great store to buy jam or any gluten-free product.  They have stickers on the shelves that say what items are gluten-free.  This Crofter's jam is one of the few jams that also says gluten-free on the label.  You could use raspberry jam or another flavour to suit your taste!

1 cup quinoa flour

1/4 cup arrowroot

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2/3 cup coconut oil (measure after it has been melted)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Optional: 6 drops of vanilla stevia

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 egg

1-235 ml jar of Crofter's Just Fruit Spread: Wild Blueberry Jam

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  In a food processor, combine the quinoa flour, arrowroot, chopped almonds, almond flour, coconut flour, sea salt and coconut sugar.

3.  In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil.  Add the maple syrup and stevia.

4.  Add the coconut oil mixture to the dry ingredients in the food processor.  Add the egg and almond extract to the processor.  Process until combined.  You may need to scrape the sides and process again.

5.  Grease a square baking dish.  Spread two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the dish to form a solid layer.  Pre-bake this layer for 12 minutes.

6.  Spread all of the jam in an even layer on the base.  Crumble the remaining topping mixture over the jam.  Pat it down slightly to form a more solid top layer.
7.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is cooked and the filling is bubbly around the edge.  Allow to cool before slicing into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.  

Pomegranate Chicken

I had Pomegranate Chicken when we dined at La Mediterranee in San Francisco.  It was so good that I wanted to try to recreate this dish at home.  The best recipe I found is from the Pillsbury website.  I find this humorous considering anyone with a gluten intolerance is not able to eat their products!  I changed the chicken breasts to chicken drumsticks (which I had at the restaurant), and the sweetener to maple syrup.

Maple syrup is a versatile natural sweetener, and I find that it works just as well in meat recipes as it does in baking recipes.  I really like it with salmon and chicken recipes for the barbecue.  This recipe is not meant for the barbecue, although maybe the chicken could be grilled and basted on the barbecue.  If you try this, please let me know how it works:)


1/2 cup of POM pomegranate juice
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 sprig (5 inch) fresh rosemary
8 - 10 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a saucepan, heat to simmering the pomegranate juice, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and the rosemary sprig.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until reduced to about 3/4 of a cup (this does not take very long, as I reduced the sauce too much the first time I made this recipe).  Remove from heat and discard the rosemary sprig.  Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar.  Set the glaze aside.

Rub the chicken with the chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.  In a skillet, brown the chicken drumsticks in the oil.  Remove the chicken to a roasting pan or I kept mine in my cast iron skillet (which can go in the oven).  Baste the chicken with 1/2 cup of the glaze.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced to the bone.  Baste once during cooking with 1/4 cup of the glaze (be sure to save some glaze in the pan for the end of the cooking process).  When the chicken is finished cooking, drizzle the chicken with the remaining glaze.  Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and parsley.  I also sprinkled some toasted sliced almonds on top.

Maple Apple Pancake

I like to make this recipe on Saturday mornings.  It reminds me of a breakfast dish called "Sausage Apple Kuchen/Cake" that my mom used to make when I was younger.  It tasted a bit like "Pigs in a Blanket".  Fried sausages and sautéed apples were arranged in a spoke like fashion in the bottom of a pie pan and a thick pancake batter was poured on top.  After it was baked, it was inverted on a plate and served with the syrup that the apples were sautéed in at the start of the recipe.

It is difficult to get gluten-free sausages, so I now usually make it with just apples.  You can get gluten-free breakfast sausages at Spolumbo's  in Calgary.  I have tried this recipe with breakfast sausages, and I think it tastes even better!

I was inspired to try and create this recipe when I saw Kelly's post, from The Spunky Coconut, called German Pancake or Dutch Baby.  I modified Kelly's recipe to make it thicker and cake-like (similar to the Kuchen that I remembered).  Then I added maple syrup to make it sweeter and more Canadian!

Maple Apple Pancake

In a large cast iron frying pan, saute 3 peeled and sliced apples (sometimes I add 1/2 cup of frozen cranberries as well) in 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil until tender.  Add about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 tablespoons of water.  Simmer the mixture on very low heat for 10-15 minutes to reduce the syrup.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor:
1/2 cup almond milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut sugar (now available at Costco)
Optional: 6 drops of vanilla liquid stevia (available at most natural foods stores)
Optional: dash of nutmeg or mace
Puree.

Add:
1 cup almond flour (I use jk gourmet brand almond flour from a natural foods store)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Puree well.

Pour or spoon the batter evenly over the apples in the cast iron frying pan.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  While warm, slide a spatula around the edge to loosen the apples and invert on a plate or bread board.  You may need to put some of the apple slices back on top if they stick!  Cut into 4 wedges and serve.  Enjoy!

Coconut Flour Bread

My brother, Dr. Tim Wood, told me about this coconut bread that his family has been eating.  His exact words were, "It will change your life!"  He was so impressed by how good it tastes and it only has 4 ingredients!   The bread is called "Cocolithic", and is made at "Just Pies" which is in Penticton, B.C.

My brother and his wife are both chiropractors.  They follow what they call the innate diet, which is similar to a primal or paleo diet. It generally means trying to eat like our hunting and gathering ancestors.  This means limiting or eliminating grain, milk and sugar consumption.  They believe this way of eating promotes optimum health and longevity.  You can also check out his website for tips and recipes.  If you would like more information about the Primal diet, see the website Mark's Daily Apple.

This coconut flour bread fits well into their lifestyle and is not full of all of the starches and gums that are contained in most gluten-free breads.  I have tried it and I find it tastes best toasted like most gluten-free breads.  I also like how it has a chewy texture similar to breads made with wheat flour.

I have not been able to completely follow a Paleo diet, but I am trying to eat less grains.  In the last year or so,  I have been experimenting with cooking with coconut flour and almond flour.  It has helped my cooking and baking taste better, and made it easier to digest.  I have also read that these flours are low in carbohydrates, and high in fiber.  Almond flour is very high in protein as well.  Two of my favourite blogs for recipes using coconut flour and almond flour are Elana's Pantry and The Spunky Coconut.  They are innovators in creating recipes for the Paleo lifestyle.

Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup

This is a butternut squash soup recipe with a bit of zip!  It tastes even better the next day after you make it.  It was inspired by another recipe in Great Food Fast.  

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

3 cups peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash

4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup bottled roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced

2 tbsp bottled jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Sea Salt and black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1.  In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for a few minutes until softened but not browned.  Add butternut squash and cook for a few minutes more.

2.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until squash is tender.

3.  Using a hand blender, puree squash mixture (or puree in batches in a blender).  Add corn, red pepper, jalapeño pepper and lemon juice.  Cook for about 5 minutes more, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve soup garnished with cilantro.

Gluten-Free in San Francisco

   Travelling while following a gluten-free diet can be a challenge.  It has become easier over the past couple of years with a few restaurants offering gluten-free options.  We now google gluten-free restaurants before we travel.  We recently went to San Francisco and were pleasantly surprised by how well I could eat there.  

   We stayed at a charming place called Hotel Drisco which was away from the downtown and near the Golden Gate Bridge.  It had a continental breakfast buffet that was complimentary.  There were many items I could eat like eggs, fruit and cheese.  They will also provide other gluten-free options if you request them.  They had teas, coffee and will even make specialty coffees as well.

   We were also within walking distance of Filmore Street, which had two restaurants with gluten-free options.  We loved the restaurant La Mediterranee, and never made it to Dosa, the second restaurant with gluten-free options.  La Mediterranee had a large gluten-free menu with most of their Mediterranean dishes.  Dosa is also highly recommended and has south indian food cuisine.

  One day we drove to Twin Peaks and went to an italian restaurant called Bacco in Noe Valley.  They make their own gluten-free bread and pasta daily.  The service was very professional and the owner came out to welcome us and assure us about the gluten-free options.  He was originally from Italy, but now eats gluten-free for health reasons.  He brought in consultants to help make a gluten-free place in his kitchen that was free from cross-contamination.  I enjoyed my meal and the knowledge that it would not make me ill.  My husband also enjoyed the homemade bread and pasta that was not gluten-free.  What a treat! 

   When we went to the Giants opening game, they also had gluten-free hot dogs as well as gluten-free beer.  I was so surprised when my husband came back to our seats with them.  I kept asking him if he was kidding me!

   My husband ran in the Headlands half-marathon on the weekend.  At the finish, they handed out a whole bunch of gluten-free snacks such as Larabars, Udi's Snickerdoodle Cookies and Earth Balance White Cheddar Puffs.  What a great way to end our trip!  Thanks San Francisco!

Pineapple-Mango Salsa!

It may not quite feel like spring here, but it is barbecue season anyway!  If you ask my husband, the bonus is less dishes to wash!  This salsa is a versatile recipe that can be used in so many ways.  It goes well with barbecued chicken, whitefish and pork chops.  It can also go in leftover chicken salad or fish tacos the next day.  It could even be vegetarian if served with cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese in a pita or on gluten-free bread.  This salsa is my mother's recipe that she got from the cookbook "Great Food Fast: Dietitians of Canada".  She serves this salsa with the gluten-free ham for Easter every year.  She has many variations of this recipe, so I will add them at the bottom.

1 cup diced fresh mango
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Chill until ready to serve.

Variations:

• add 1/2 cup peeled and chopped english cucumber (great in sandwiches).  You may need to add some more lemon or lime juice as well.
• add 1/4 cup diced red pepper (works well on omelettes).