Food Challenges

Spanish Rice with Lamb Kabobs

2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup green pepper, finely diced
½ cup red pepper, finely diced
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 beef bouillon cube
28 fl oz can (796 ml) diced tomatoes, drained – reserve the tomato liquid
1 ¾ cups tomato juice (reserved tomato juice + extra to make 1 ¾ cups)
¼ cup red wine
Sea salt and fresh cracked mixed pepper corns


Use a large frying pan that has a lid. Sauté the onions and peppers in the oil until the onions are almost translucent. Add the rice and continue to sauté until the rice becomes aromatic. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and the crumbled bouillon cube. Continue to stir constantly. Add the drained tomatoes, the tomato juice and red wine. Mix well. Bring to a gentle simmer, add the mushrooms, stir one last time and cover. Continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (15 to 20 minutes). Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.


Add your favourite lamb kabob. I use lamb steak that has been marinated in oil, garlic and Herb de Provence. I add mushrooms, sweet peppers and purple onion to the skewer with the lamb. Brush the kebob with olive oil. Grill it about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare lamb.


Serve over the Spanish rice.

Quinoa Tabouleh

This is a classic hot weather salad that has been adapted for the gluten free diet. Quinoa is a great grain and comes in several varieties: regular, whole grain. Royal Red and Royal Black. This particular recipe was made with whole grain quinoa, but it’s very attractive if you use Royal Red, which has a nuttier flavour. You could also try a combination of quinoa varieties. In this recipe I have used the herb lemon balm because I’m allergic to mint. Although these two herbs are in the same plant family, I can tolerate the lemon balm whereas I can’t eat mint at all. You can use the mint for a more traditional flavour or the lemon balm, which adds a more delicate note to the overall taste.

3 cups flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped lemon balm (or mint)
4 – 5 spring onions (green onions, scallions), finely sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup organic quinoa (regular, whole grain, Royal Red or Royal Black)
1/2 cup lemon juice
½ tsp allspice
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
Salt & pepper

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the quinoa and bring it back to the boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes. When the quinoa has absorbed all the water, remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork. Set aside. Allow it to cool completely and chill, covered in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, lemon juice, allspice and extra virgin olive oil. Whisk until completely incorporated. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chopped parsley, chopped lemon balm, sliced spring onions, and finely diced tomato. Toss to mix thoroughly.

Just before serving, add the lemon and olive oil dressing. Toss well. Serve cold with the heart leaves of a romaine head as scoops.

Seafood Salad

2 raw lobster tails, deveined and cut into pieces
12 shrimp, medium to large, cooked – deveined and shelled
1 Tbsp butter
½ cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped and crushed
1 Tbsp lemon juice + 2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp vermouth or white wine
¼ cup celery, finely sliced
1 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped (1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
Sea salt and pepper to taste


In a skillet, melt the butter and add the chopped onion. Cook the onion until it is translucent. Add the garlic. Sauté the lobster meat in the butter with the onions and garlic until it begins to turn white/red. Add the cooked shrimp, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and vermouth/white wine. Cook briefly (1 to 2 minutes) to blend the flavours and cook off the alcohol. Strain the seafood and onion, reserving the liquids in a bowl. Place the seafood in the refrigerator, uncovered, to cool. Return the liquid to the pan and reduce it by half over medium heat. Pour it into a small bowl and set it aside in the refrigerator to cool.


When the seafood and liquid have cooled, you can combine the ingredients to make the seafood salad.
Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, chives and liquid from the pan which has now solidified. Stir well to make the dressing. In a bowl, combine the cold, cooked seafood, celery and mayonnaise dressing. Toss well to blend the flavours. Return to the refrigerator, covered, until you are ready to serve the seafood salad.


Serve the salad cold over a bed of greens, grilled romaine leaves, in a GF wrap or cheese bowl.


Makes 2, main meal, servings

Lobster Salad

My favourite summer vacation is to head for the East Coast and feast on seafood. Lobster is on sale, in our area, at the moment, so I couldn’t resist taking this opportunity to create a luxurious treat. It’s rich and decedent!





2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp capers, diced
4 oz lobster meat, 1 cup
30 g smoked salmon, 1/4 cup diced


Combine all the ingredients and stir well. Chill. Serve over a bed of baby romaine lettuce and thinly sliced tomato. Garnish with a twist of smoked salmon stuffed with a single caper.


Nutritional Information: approximate values per serving.


Calories: 270
Fibre: .4 g
Fat: 11.9 g


High in Selenium and Vitamin B12

Squash Tart

3 cups cooked squash, mashed
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tomato, sliced
50 g cooked back bacon, finely diced (2 thick slices)
2 oz cheddar cheese, grated
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp water


Sauté the onion in a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of water until it is translucent. In a medium sized bowl, combine the cooked bacon, cooked onion, cooked squash and oregano. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.


Add 2 tsp of oil to an oven safe frying pan. Form the squash mixture into a large patty. Add the squash patty to the frying pan and cook over medium heat until the bottom begins to brown (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes, until it begins to form a light crust. Remove from under the broiler and sprinkle half of the grated cheese on top of the squash patty. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the cheese and cover with the remaining cheese. Return to the broiler and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.


Remove from the oven and cut into 4 pieces. Serve hot with apple pear chutney or additional diced, cooked bacon.


Nutritional Information: Approximate values per serving


Calories: 131
Fibre: 2.6 gm
Fat: 8.3 gm
High in calcium, phosphorus , vitamin B6 and vitamin C

Apple Pear Chutney

2 cups apple (2 organic Fuji apples)
2 cups pear (2 organic D’Angou pears)
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup purple onion
1 clove garlic
¾ cup tequila gold
1/2 cup honey
2 limes
¼ cup pistachio nuts, without the shell
6 pieces candied ginger

Peel, core and dice the apples and the pears. Place in a large bowl. Peel and dice the red onion. Add to the bowl. Peel and crush the garlic. Add it to the bowl. Toss well. In a medium sized pot, combine the diced, pear, apple, onion, dried cherries, tequila gold and honey. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

In a shallow pan, dry roast the pistachio nuts. Watch them constantly and move them around the dry pan, so as not to burn them. Set them aside to cool. Dice the candied ginger into small pieces and set aside. Peel the limes and cut them into segments. Set aside.

When you are ready to serve your meat, toss the pistachio nuts, lime segments and candied ginger into the chutney.

Makes 10 servings. Suggested servings: with pork, lamb or chicken and over frozen vanilla yoghurt.

Nutritional Information: approximations only

Calories 95      Fibre 1.8 gm      Fat 0.1 gm

Low in sodium (2 mg), High in Vitamin C and sugar (21.7 gm)

Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

6 medium sized potatoes
1 sweet onion, diced
½ cup or more wild smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 Tbsp capers, crushed
2 Tbsp GF mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Sea salt
Mixed crushed peppercorns

Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes. Boil the cubes until they are just tender, in salted water. Drain the water off and set the potato pieces on a tray in a single layer to cool. If I’m in a hurry, I pop them into the freezer. When the potatoes are cooled, add the remaining ingredients, mix well and chill. Just before serving, taste the chilled salad and adjust the seasoning.

This salad has a very rich, complex flavour and pairs well with grilled steak.

Smoked Salmon Devilled Eggs

This is my own variation of a summer classic. It has become a family favourite and often appears at special occasion dinners, both in the winter and summer.





¼ cup wild smoked salmon, diced finely
6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1 Tbsp capers, crushed and minced
1 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped tarragon (1 tsp dried tarragon)
1 shallot, finely chopped (1 Tbsp chopped green onion or chives)
1 Tbsp gluten free mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper


Cut the hard boiled eggs in half length wise. Remove the cooked yolks and place them in a small mixing bowl. Mash the egg yolks. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Arrange the egg white portion of the hard boiled eggs on a serving platter. Fill each egg’s cavity with a generous spoonful of the egg yolk and smoked salmon mixture. Top each with a sliver of smoked salmon and a single caper for decoration or sprinkle the top with a dash of paprika.


Serve cold. Makes 12 portions

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head organic cauliflower leaves and woody stems removed
½ cup finely grated cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground mixed peppercorns
Grated nutmeg* optional
Chopped parsley* optional
Sautéed shallots, chives or onions* optional

Steam the cauliflower until the florets are very tender. Allow it to cool slightly and mash it well, until all the lumps are gone. Take multiple layers of strong paper towel or a clean tea towel. Place the mashed cauliflower in the towel and wrap it up tightly. Over a bowl or the sink, wring the towel tightly to remove as much of the liquid as you can. Open the towel and scoop the mashed cauliflower into a bowl. It will have a very similar texture and appearance to mashed potatoes.

Add the finely grated cheese and mix well. Salt and Pepper to taste. At this point you can add herbs and spices to compliment your meal or a specific dish.

I use it to top shepherd’s pie, stews and other casseroles on those days when I’m avoiding starch in my diet. I also use it as a side dish. Pictured here, I have used it as a side for grilled steak. I made a hole in the middle of the mashed cauliflower and filled it with mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter. It was delicious. I have also compressed it into a patty and used it instead of a bun. You can refer to my recipe called Bison Stacks  in “Main Meals” to see an example.