Food Challenges

Steak Roll

My 90 year old mother, who makes her home with my husband and I, was going through her recipe box the other day and came across this old favourite. The original recipe called for round steak to be braised in one cup of wine for 90 minutes. I wanted to speed up the process, so I opted to use top sirloin steak. Instead of using raw onions and mushrooms, I sauteed them to help with the cooking process. I also added a bit of cognac to the cooking liquid and changed the cooking time to 40 minutes. The results were delicious and we all agreed it was a main meal dish that we would certainly do again. Thanks Mom! Continue Reading…

Potato Thin Crust Pizza #2

As I’ve said recently, I’m constantly updating recipes. I was inspired by the great potato, thin crust pizza that I’ve had a few times at Zola’s in Kanata. If you’re up in the Ottawa area, Zola’s has a good range of gluten free menu items includinbg fresh pasta made from corn and fresh pizza made from potato dough. I already have a recipe for thin crust pizza, but decided to update it when I created the Potato Popovers. The Potato Popover dough is so easy to work with and so great tasting that I decided to see what else I could make with it. My first alternative was thin crust pizza. The only thing that I have changed is I have added a bit of baking soda. Continue Reading…

Potato Popovers

One of the challenges I face is how to incorporate starch into my diet. I have a very limited number of flours I can use and most starchy foods are off the list for me. Fortunately, I can eat potatoes and sweet potatoes. This dough is potato based and very easy to use because of its pliability . You could actually leave out the quinoa flour and just use potato flour and potato starch if you wish to exclude all grain and seed flours.  This recipe makes 2 dozen popovers. Continue Reading…

GF Fish and Chips

One of the foods I miss the most, in my gluten free lifestyle, is fish and chips. There are no restaurants in our area that prepare a gluten free version of traditional, beer battered, deep fried fish. Even French Fries, also known as chips, are very difficult to order. Most restaurants don’t have a deep fat fryer that is dedicated to chips. As a result, anything fried becomes cross contaminated by every gluten bearing item they produce. I’m ultra sensitive to gluten and can’t risk this exposure. So, the only other option is to make it myself. Continue Reading…

Shepherd’s Pie (without starch)

This casserole is so delicious that it left my husband wanting seconds! Don’t be surprised if your family feels the same way about this spin on an old favourite. Continue Reading…

Crown Roast of Lamb

Part of our life style, as a family, includes a commitment to food that is raised and grown in traditional ways. We eat local and organic food products whenever we can. Our meat is raised under humane conditions, antibiotic and hormone free. The few prepared foods we eat are prepared by local or Canadian merchants who share like philosophies. I encourage all my readers to consider this lifestyle for the sake of their own health, the good of our communities and the well being of the Earth.

This Crown roast of lamb was grown locally, under traditional farming conditions. It made a fabulous Christmas dinner. Continue Reading…

Beef Wellington

I have had a craving for Beef Wellington for some time now. I haven’t made it in many, many years and certainly not since I went gluten free. I have never been happy with my pastry recipe, so I decided to try and buy some at one of the two local gluten free bakeries. They were both out, but Sue, of Sue’s Gluten Free Bakery, warned me that she had made several unsuccessful attempts. Not to be deterred, I decided to tackle the project in my own innovative way. Continue Reading…

Scalloped Turkey Casserole

At Thanksgiving, I had the butcher debone the breast and thighs. I used the breast to make the turporko and the thighs in another casserole. I took the carcass, wings and drumsticks and boiled them in a huge soup kettle with bay leaves, carrots, celery, onion, pepper corns and water to cover. I let them simmer for about 4 hours. I removed the meat and bones and reserved the broth. My mother helped me take all the meat off the bones and save it for other meals. I strained the broth, and chilled it in the pot over night. I threw away the mushy vegetables. The next day, I skimmed the fat off the broth and divided it into packages to be frozen for later use. Today, I used some of the turkey and broth to make the following casserole. Continue Reading…

Waste Not,Want Not…

I winced as the butcher tossed me a frozen package and said, “Lamb’s neck. See what you can do with that.” “Sure!” I said in reply, with no idea, whatsoever, of what I would do with this meat. However, always one for a challenge, I was certain something would come to me sooner or later. Continue Reading…

There’s a New Kid on the Block!

I was inspired to create something new for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. Normally, the clan would have arrived and we’d have celebrated with a Turducken. This year however, people were working and only a few family members could get together on the appointed day. I knew a Turducken would be much too large. I wondered what I could serve that would be different and very special, but smaller. Gradually, over a period of weeks, a new vision emerged. Continue Reading…