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To me, food, family and friends are an integral part of everyday living. I look forward to celebrating life every time I sit down to a meal. It’s an opportunity to appreciate my relationships with those around the table, as well as participate in great conversations. Meals are a very social occasion. Continue Reading…
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
My husband and I both love to cook. We designated yesterday as our Valentine’s Day because Paul, my husband, will actually be working on Sunday. We decided to spend our Valentine’s Day together making a gluten free lasagne from scratch. Paul prefers to eat vegetarian, although he does eat meat once in a while, so I suggested we do a lasagne with mushrooms and leeks. I did some research and finally came up with a recipe that promised to be a treat fit for our special, celebratory dinner. Continue Reading…
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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.
SharePerhaps it’s the Fibromyalgia or the damage to my digestive tract caused by gluten and grains, but my body doesn’t like spicy hot food. Other family members seem to tolerate spices that send me, gasping, to the frig looking for something cold and wet. I don’t recall this always being a problem, but in recent years it’s been a huge issue. As I’ve focused more and more on my special dietary needs and cooking, I’ve looked for ways of overcoming this problem by compensating in other ways. Continue Reading…
ShareDairy products taste marvellous! There was nothing I enjoyed more, on a hot day, than an ice cold glass of milk or a bowl of velvety ice cream. What are nachos or baked potatoes without a little sour cream? For me, yoghurt and cereal with fresh fruit were a marvellous way to start a new day. All that disappeared for me a couple of years ago when I learned that my digestive issues were related to gluten and grains. Because of the internal damage done by grains, I had become lactose intolerant. Continue Reading…
ShareStepping into a world that doesn’t contain wheat or gluten is like stepping off a train in some remote, foreign country: nothing is familiar, not the environment, the language or the customs. You feel dazed and uncertain, perhaps even a bit fearful. There are no familiar faces to greet you. Even your luggage has been lost! You feel very alone and vulnerable. You can’t just stand there forever, so you pluck up your courage and start looking around for some place to act as your home base. Continue Reading…
ShareSome women love to have walk in cupboards full of the latest dresses, coats and outfits. I’ve seen a few that were bigger than my master bedroom! Other women must have a closet full of shoes or handbags to compliment every occasion. I love cookbooks. I don’t just collect them. I read them from one cover to another, like other mortals read novels. I squeal with glee when I find a new one. I squint into the wee hours of the night, salivating over each page. I can smell the aromas wafting off the pages as I read the ingredient list. Let’s face it… I’m a cookbook junkie! Continue Reading…
ShareIt always amazes me how each one of us is so unique. In this season of viral infections, it seems that no two people suffer exactly the same. When members of a household come down with a cold or flu virus, each person suffers through the symptoms in their own individual way: some may experience very little discomfort and a quick recovery, while others are down and out for the count. Continue Reading…
ShareTen days ago, for me, taking the Via Rail to Toronto was like taking the Orient Express to Salzburg way back in October, 1968. I couldn’t help but remember that journey forty years ago, as the Via train rumbled down the tracks. Back then, my friend Rosalind Amor and I were taking a few days off work from our jobs at the Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Switzerland. We were headed to Salzburg, Austria to explore this ancient city and see the sites. It was an adventure I’ll never forget. We visited so many of the places that had been featured in the movie, “The Sound of Music”. Now, here I was, all these years later, taking the Via to Toronto to see the stage play “The Sound of Music” and remembering that other voyage so long ago. Continue Reading…
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