DoughNats Gluten-free Donuts!

August 24, 2017Leave a comment

I first had these donuts at a wedding at the beginning of the summer and was blown away by them. Then DougNats was featured on the Seriously Gluten Free Facebook page, which made me feel much better about eating donuts made in the same facility as normal donuts. They are pretty to look at, smell divine and taste even better! They even have 6 different gluten-free flavours so us celiacs can have lots of choice too!

I recently visited DoughNats myself and Nat explained her process for making sure the gluten-free donuts are kept safe for celiacs, which includes making them first thing in the morning before the regular donuts . These mini gluten-free treats are gluten-free, baked, vegan and most importantly so yummy. I highly recommend trying them! They are located on Decarie and it is best to call before hand and your order will be ready to go.

Doughnats

5319 Decarie

514.660.2699

http://doughnats.com/

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The Easiest Homemade Applesauce (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

December 13, 2014February 13, 20151 Comment

I have no idea how I have never made applesauce because it is ridiculously easy and tastes way better homemade than store bought. It was scary easy and the only annoying part for this lazy girl was peeling and coring the apples. I am a lazy cook and I am now converted to making apple sauce. I was getting concerned that I was never going to use all the apples I bought apple picking back in September (I only eat green apples as is) and thought this would make the perfect side to Latkes for my birthday/holiday girl night with one of my favourite ladies (recipe for the Latkes to follow soon).

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Homemade Apple Sauce (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

Makes about 3 cups of apple sauce (I would recommend doubling it)

3 pounds apples peeled and cored (2-3 apples are a pound depending on their size and any kind of apple will do)
1/2 cup apple juice (you can use water if you don’t have any on hand)
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon (can use less or more depending on your preference, I used a full teaspoon this time)

Throw all the ingredients in a medium to large sized pot and cook the apples for 25 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally. Once they are cooled puree them in a food processor or blender (I used my Nutribullet and only pulsed it for a second). That’s it!

Store in an airtight container. It keeps well in the fridge. Can also be frozen.

Amazing as a snack, with latkes or on its own. apple_sauce_gluten_free_compote_pommes_sans_gluten_4

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Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

September 20, 2014February 6, 20155 Comments

You need to try this chocolate chip cookie recipe! They are a great vegan option and no one will know they are gluten-free and vegan. I under bake mine and everyone I know loves a soft cookie. These were a big hit at a recent pot luck BBQ in my backyard. Bonus- the dough is vegan so you don’t have to feel bad about eating it raw!

The recipe from Yammie’s Gluten-Freedom, one of my favourite gluten-free blogs, is perfect as is.

http://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2014/05/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Veggie Bowl with Easy Peanut Sauce (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

August 20, 2014October 5, 2014Leave a comment

This is one of my favourite quick dinners to make after the gym with my girlfriends. With a few of us doing the chopping and cooking it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare a healthy, fresh and delicious dinner. This recipe is also great on work nights because it makes the best lunches. It’s always a combination of rice noodles or rice, veggies and a quick peanut sauce we make with whatever we have on hand. The recipe below is general because these bowls are all about making something delicious and quick with what you have in your kitchen. There are many recipes for the best peanut sauce online but the two methods are super easy and delicious. To me this is the perfect indulgent but healthy gluten-free dinner that is almost too easy to make.

Quick Veggie Bowl

Prepare your rice or noodles (We used these amazing Brown Rice and Wakame Noodles).
Pan fry your tofu or protein of choice. We fried our tofu in sesame oil and added some gf tamari once it was getting crispy.
Prepare your veggies. We usually keep most of our veggies raw (julienning the peppers and grating carrots). We steamed the broccoli. Also great with brussels sprouts, bean sprouts, spinach, bok choy, mushrooms etc.
Prepare your bowls and add the peanut sauce.
Can be served with green onions, chopped peanuts, fresh herbs, sambal olek and limes on the side

Quick Peanut Sauce

In a pot combine about a cup peanut butter with half a can coconut milk (you can add more coconut milk depending or thickness and preference, I usually don’t measure). Bring it to a simmer over medium heat then lower heat. Add gluten-free tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce), sambal olek or hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, a little brown sugar, ginger or garlic to taste. All of these ingredients are optional. An alternative method if you are missing the coconut milk is to combine all the ingredients except for the coconut milk and add boiling water until you reach your desired consistency.

That’s it!

Too Easy Candied Maple Pecans (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

June 24, 2014March 19, 20151 Comment

Never buy candied pecans, they are too easy to make! I am scared to share this recipe because now all my friends will really know just how easy they really are. I bring these pecans to get-togethers and no matter how much I make they usually disappear before everyone gets to try them. I love to snack on them but if I can manage to save some they are perfect on salads or desserts. I love easy “recipes” like this. More like little tricks to make delicious add-ons that happen to be gluten-free!

Maple Pecans

4 TBSPs Pure Maple Syrup (only the real stuff will do)
3 cups Pecans

Preheat the oven the 300 F. Combine maple syrup and pecans in a bowl to coat (the measurements do not need to be exact). Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet lined with parchment. The cooking time really depends on the oven. I usually put them in for about 15-20 minutes. You want to make sure they caramelize but don’t burn, so check them often. Let them cool and store in an airtight container. These pecans are perfect as a snack and are also great added to: salads with beets and goat cheese, yogurt, ice cream…

Easy BBQ Tofu (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

May 29, 2014Leave a comment

This is a quick snack/meal you can throw together super easily. It is basically tofu crisped up in a pan and covered in BBQ sauce. You can’t get much easier than that. I served mine with “cheesy” kale chips made with nutritional yeast and potato wedges. I made this for a recent girls night with my two favorite vegans with what I had already in the house. I always love a fast and easy dinner you can make without running to the store. The tofu would be great with any veggies or quinoa. It would also make a perfect vegetarian option to serve on the side of a meat based meal.

This certified gluten-free BBQ sauce was great and comes in several flavors. I found it at Le Marquis Sans Gluten for $2.95, which is a great price for a certified gluten-free product. Bonus that it’s delicious and will be great for BBQ season.

BBQ Tofu

1 package firm tofu- cut into thin triangles (about 20-25 pieces)
BBQ sauce (gluten-free)- I used Simply Naturals Organic BBQ Sauce in Honey Flavor
1-2 TBSPs grapeseed oil

Dry the tofu well. Works even better if you can press the tofu to release the water.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden on each side. Taking the time to turn each piece individually with tongs or a fork.

Once cooked cover with BBQ sauce and serve with veggies, rice or as a snack on its own.

You can also put your tofu on the BBQ and then cover it with BBQ sauce.

It’s that easy!

For the oven baked kale (kinda like kale chips): Heat your oven to 325F. Wash and dry your kale well. Tear into bite sized pieces (removing the stem). Place on a single layer on a baking sheet (I usually use 2 baking sheets for a large head of kale). Drizzle the kale with a little olive oil and rub the oil into the leaves. I like to sprinkle the kale with a generous amount of nutritional yeast and a little salt and pepper. Let your kale bake until it has reached your desired level of crispyness. I cook mine for about 10-15 minutes (cooking times vary depending on the freshness of the kale and heat of the oven).

For the potato wedges: Heat your oven to 425F. Slice your potatoes into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. I like to top mine with some chili powder, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 30-40 minutes.

One block of tofu, one head of kale and 4 medium potatoes made lots of food for 3 girls.

The Easiest & Best Baked Beans Recipe (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

May 23, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

This recipe has all the essential attributes of a GFBFF favorite. It’s super easy, calls for basic ingredients, doesn’t require any real measurement, feeds a crowd, always leaves you with plenty of leftovers and is shockingly delicious. What else could you ask for? Oh yeah, it’s gluten free 😉 I will now allow my friend Neil to take over as he is a control freak and wants his moment in the GFBFF Sun.

Hello Glutenless Glutonesses, I am Neil. The following is a detailed account of how to make my moms Lima Beans. It is a Greek recipe and probably fueled the fire of the warriors at Thermopylae. This is a hearty dish of comfort food that can accompany any meal, from meat and poultry to fish/seafood and or vegetables. Kris likes to serve it over rice…a starch on a starch…why not! These beans are so simple and take such standard ingredients you won’t believe what will come of them. What I also love about this dish is its versatility. You can add bacon or parmesan cheese. I added the chilli flakes to the recipe but they should always be included in my opinion. Feel free to take them out if you can’t take the heat. Try them with different herbs. Have fun with these beans!

Baked Lima Beans

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: around 1 hour

Preheat your oven to 375 F

1 can whole tomatoes -roughly chopped up with kitchen shears
3 cans large lima beans- drained and rinsed
1 red onion roughly chopped
4-6 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
Approximately 2 cups extra virgin olive oil (this may seem excessive but the original recipe calls for 4. I make sure that my beans are almost covered by the oil with just the tops poking out, when they are done you can drain the excess oil into a jar and cook with the most delicious oil you can imagine afterwards). You can put less oil but they may dry out and get hard.
a few pinches of chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large baking dish (the wider the dish the better, around 1 inch will leave you with a nice crispy crust on top). Bake for about an hour, longer if they look like they need to get a little crispier on top.

If you are baking for a big crowd these beans can easily be adapted to sate the hunger of even the most populated of pot lucks. Add another can of beans and you will need at least a half cup more oil, maybe a bit more of everything else. these beans are versatile, flavor packed, buttery magic for your mouth. And they’re Vegan. Almost unbelievable, I know.

The Best Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

April 21, 2014March 19, 20152 Comments

At first I would tell people these cookies are made with only almond flour, sweetened with agave and vegan, but now I just put them out and watch them disappear. While not a traditional chocolate chip cookie, these are a favorite amongst my friends and I often get asked why I didn’t make these when I bring another type of cookie to a get together (I won’t name any names but you know who you are!).

These cookies are super easy to make and no one will ever know they are gluten-free or vegan. You may not have all the ingredients in your kitchen, but once you get stocked up they practically make themselves. Many gluten-free recipes call for weighing flours and making your own flour blends. While I sometimes wish I had the patience and dedication, that is just not me. I want to make the best cookie with minimal effort.

I have adapted the recipe from the Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. For the flour I usually use JK gourmet which you can find in most health food stores (it is a good idea to keep your almond flour refrigerated). Almond flour is a bit pricey but these cookies are worth it. Must I remind you that the majority of store bought gluten-free cookies cost a fortune and are mediocre at best.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt (I used fine grain, but these are best with flaked sea salt)
1/2 tsp gf baking soda
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tbsp gf vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (you can use less- I like a lot of chocolate)

Makes about 24 cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. In a smaller bowl combine the vanilla, oil and agave with a whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes (I often skip this step and find it works out fine).

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and spoon out the dough in tbsps. Put the cookies in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until they are lightly golden. Watch them carefully as almond flour burns easily.

Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes, they are soft so let them sit.

These are amazing on their own but they also make an amazing ice cream sandwich (I keep mine vegan by using a coconut based ice cream).

Avocado Cream Sauce- Perfect with Gluten-Free Pasta

April 4, 2014March 19, 20151 Comment

This vegan/raw “cream” sauce is super easy to make, ridiculously fresh tasting and will be your best friend if you are a big fan of avocados and lemon. This is one of those recipes that I can see people being very divided over. If you like the simple ingredients listed I guarantee this will become a go to recipe. If you aren’t crazy about avocados you might want to stay away. It tastes like a light and lemony creamy pasta without the dairy. Since it is basically just avocado you will have to eat it up right away, I can only imagine it will be an ugly colored mess the next day.

You will need:

one ripe avocado
juice of approximately half a lemon
handful of fresh basil (other herbs should work)
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine it all in a blender (I used my magic bullet) and served it on your favorite gluten-free pasta. I served mine on my go to gluten-free fettuccine. It’s almost too easy!

This recipe feeds two. Or one, if you are like me and eat the remainder on gf toast immediately.

Original Recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/31/15-minute-creamy-avocado-pasta/

Coconut Sugar Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

March 30, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

These sugar cookies are amazing, simple and not missing a thing. No one will ever know these cookies are gluten-free and vegan. They are great with or without the icing and would make great Christmas cookies. They are perfect for anyone who has a sweet tooth, as the cookie itself is on the sweet side and the icing is basically pure sugar. While gf and vegan, be warned these are decadent little sugar bombs (I think my sugar tolerance has been lowered by all the healthy baking). Also, this icing recipe is a great go to. I had no idea you could make icing with coconut oil, vanilla and icing sugar and no mixer.

Since this recipe is perfectly explained and I made no changes I decided to just share a link. Make sure to try this recipe.

http://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2013/12/chewy-coconut-sugar-cookies-gluten-free.html