Buckwheat Pancakes

I have had a couple of people ask me about breakfast foods that are wheat and dairy free. Breakfast can get a little repetitive...I usually eat wheat free toast, eggs, fruit, tomato and even tuna on some days. But, on weekends it's always nice to have a special brekky treat! I LOVE pancakes and to be honest, up until today, I have used a buckwheat pancake mix. I decided to go online to find a good recipe to make from scratch and I found a great one on http://www.cdkitchen.com/. Here's the recipe, even better if served with really Canadian maple syrup! You could also serve it with fresh pureed fruit, honey, jam/jelly or apple sauce.

Buckwheat Pancakes:

2 cups buckwheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. white sugar

a sprinkle of salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups rice milk (the original recipe called for regular milk, but I used rice milk and they turned out fine)

4 tablespoons melted butter (I used dairy free margarine and again they turned out great)

Preheat pan. I cooked the pancakes in rice bran oil because it's sweeter but any oil would work. Mix dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk and butter, mixing well. Pour enough batter for each pancake into pan and flip when it starts to bubble. Cook to a nice brown on each side. Enjoy!:)

Salmon Soup

I found this recipe online and was able to make it as is, to suit my diet. The only thing I did do that was a little different was add some rice noodles (the kind that you let sit in hot water for a couple of minutes and then they're good to go...usually found in the Asian food section of the grocery store) during the last couple minutes of cooking. I found it helped to make the soup a little heartier and more filling for a dinner meal. It makes a great leftover lunch as well, or works well as just a planned couple of lunches. My husband and I often make this and then just divide it into containers for a couple of easy and healthy lunches at work. My nutritionist said I should be be eating fish daily, so this is an easy and yummy way to do that!

Salmon Soup

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups chicken broth (be sure to check ingredients and choose one that is wheat free)
1 lb fresh salmon, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh spinach, julienned
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
rice noodles (optional)

Saute onion in olive oil until caramelized. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add sliced salmon and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Add pepper, stir and check if you need to add salt. It will depend on the kind of broth you use and your personal taste. Add rice noodles for a couple of minutes, if using (follow the directions for preparing the rice noodles on the package, before adding). Stir in spinach. Turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy! This is seriously SO easy to make!!!

Humous

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it was given to me by a friend, Jeff who happens to be a great cook, so I'm sure it's yummy! It doesn't sound like it's hard to make and humous is always a great way to spice up a veggie tray or a nice little appetizer with rice crackers or wheat free crackers. I can't wait to try it! Here's the recipe, taken directly from Jeff...



Humous

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic
Big pinch of salt, maybe a half teaspoon.
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
1 400g can Chickpeas, drained, rinsed in cold water.
3 or 4 Tbsp of tahini (sesame paste – normally near the mayonnaise or oils section of the supermarket)
Olive oil, extra virgin if possible.

Method:

Mash, crush or otherwise pulverise the garlic into a pulp. Use the salt as an abrasive if using a pestle and mortar.

Add the lemon juice, mix well.

Either in a pestle and mortar or in a food processor, blitz the garlic, lemon juice and the chickpeas until roughly churned up.

Add the tahini and blitz a little more until you get a desired consistency. I like the chickpeas a little coarse but you can make it super smooth like the supermarket stuff. It’ll still be pretty thick but you’re gonna thin it with the oil.

Move it to a bowl and pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil, mix well. Repeat until you have a consistency that you like, should kinda stick to the spoon but “dollop off” pretty easily. I used maybe seven or eight tablespoons of oil in total, maybe more.

Give it a taste and see where you’re at, add a little more tahini or lemon juice if you think it needs to be a bit more punchy. If you add tahini then make sure to really mix it in as it’s super thick. This is one of those things where you just have to mess around with the quantities ‘til it suits your taste. Check the seasoning and adjust if required. Sprinkle a little paprika over the top if you want it to look nice for serving.

BEWARE OF THE GARLIC BREATH. You could boil the garlic cloves for five mins or roast them for ten if you want the garlic to be less pungent.

Thanks Jeff! Sounds great!!

Beef Stew

I have learned that it's much easier to stick with a restricted diet if you plan ahead and have easy meals ready to go for those busy days. My husband and I eat a lot of leftovers, especially for lunches at work! We often make a big batch of something that we know re-heats well and divide out lunches for a few days at a time. It's an even bigger bonus if a dish freezes well! Stews and soups are some of my favorite lunch ideas, as they are usually just the right amount of food for the middle of the day and easy to pop in the microwave at work!
Here's a very easy stew recipe that I found online ages ago and have made many, many times since! I usually stick pretty close to the recipe with this one, but when my husband makes it, he tends to throw in just about anything, including mushrooms and green (spring) onion. It's also a very comforting dish, especially in the chillier weather (which is on it's way here in Australia!) and considered the perfect dish in Chinese Medicine, as it's hearty and warm on the tummy! I also like this dish because it's an easy way to get red meat in my diet, as I'm supposed to be eating red meat 5 times a week due to low iron. Hope you enjoy!

Beef Stew

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I usually use olive oil)
2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes (lean, heart smart beef is obviously the best!)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (tomato puree for you Aussies!)
4 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves (or 1 sprig fresh)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb peeled carrots, cut in large pieces
3 potatoes, diced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas

Cornstarch slurry (optional...depends on if you prefer a thicker stew or more of a soup broth)

1/4 cup cornstarch (corn flour in Australia!)
1/2 cup cold water

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add meat; brown well. Add onion and garlic; saute until transparent. Add 4 cups water and tomato sauce. Add bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes and peas. Cover and cook approximately 30 minutes on medium low or until vegetables are tender.
On the side, whisk cornstarch (corn flour) in cold water and add to stew, if you find the liquid too runny. Allow stew to then come to a boil, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is reached (approximately a couple of minutes). Remove bay leaves, serve and enjoy:)

A few great dinner ideas to come, so stay tuned! :)

Shaking up fruit salad!

This is what I've started eating as a yummy treat or even as just a little something different occasionally at breakfast. It's just basically fruit cut up in a bowl (whatever you like or have to use up in your fridge...my favorite combo includes, apple, pear, orange, fresh berries of some kind, and peach), then you sprinkle it with cinnamon, a little wheat free granola (if you like) and lastly, you drizzle it with chilled coconut cream (you put the can of coconut cream directly in the fridge, then shake it up before putting it over your fruit). You can even drizzle a little honey on it, for extra sweetness, if you've got a sweet tooth! This is sooooo yummy and a good sweet alternative to junk food, when you're craving something yummy. According to my nutritionist, coconut cream is a good fat, in moderation. Give it a try...it's a nice tasty, yet healthy snack! And, dairy and wheat free, of course! I love it!

More cookies...

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. Nuttelex (or another brand of dairy free margarine)
2 large egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla
15 oz. can of chick peas (rinsed and drained)
~ 1 c. dark chocolate. (I bought a Lindt 70% cocoa bar and chopped it up in very small pieces).
2 c. Orgran Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (luckily, I can eat gluten, just not wheat!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees or 176 degrees Celsius for those of you baking in Australia!
Beat sugar and margarine until smooth.
Beat in egg whites and vanilla, then chick peas and chocolate.
Sift in flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
Mix until a dough forms.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Drop by tablespoon on cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes. Do not overbake. I don't know if it was because I changed the recipe but I found that they don't really spread out, so it's hard to tell when they are cooked, but exactly 13 minutes in my oven left them golden brown on the bottom and on the peaks of each cookie.
And that's it! Enjoy everyone!