Gluten-Free in Montreal: La Fabrique for Brunch

October 21, 2014February 11, 20152 Comments

I have a new person in my life and they love going out for brunch. I used to love going out for brunch. Pre-celiac disease crepes with raspberry sauce was my go to and brunch with my friends was always a great experience. Post celiac disease brunch became a little scary. Brunch spots can be so busy, have so much bread and so many opportunities for contamination. While on the other hand breakfast at home is pretty easy to make and I make a pretty decent brunch in bed. I have missed plenty of friend brunches eating my eggs and potatoes at home but this new person may have convinced me to attempt brunch out again once in a while. I have always felt comfortable at Aux Vivres which has a gluten-free items marked on their menu but it would be nice to broaden my horizons a bit.

This week we tried La Fabrique on St-Denis, near Sherbrooke Metro. While nothing on the changing menu is marked gluten-free they are very familiar with gluten-free and told me to look at the menu and they would make me something around what I liked. I chose the Gravlax and they served it on a potato base with a yogurt sauce and they added an egg. I would definitely recommend La Fabrique for brunch if you are in the area but wouldn’t say you should go far out of your way. I also tried it once for dinner and it was great but there weren’t a bunch of gluten-free options since I don’t eat red meat. I ended up having two starters as my meal.

I will keep you posted about my future gluten-free brunch experiences.

La Fabrique

3609 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3L6

http://bistrotlafabrique.com/

Accommodates gluten-free: Ok

Price: $$

Gluten-free menu: No

Gluten-Free in Montreal: Le Sain Bol

October 16, 2014February 11, 2015Leave a comment

This little brunch spot near the corner of Laurier and Fabre is great at accommodating gluten-free. I haven’t tried it for brunch yet but will keep you posted. You can reserve a spot for a Friday night table d’hote. Dinner at Le Sain Bol made for a cute date spot that was a refreshing change from your average restaurant. I definitely recommend trying this place out. It’s quiet and feels like you are having dinner in the chefs kitchen. We had 4 delicious light courses, all completely gluten-free. It was the perfect fall meal and at $22.50 a person it was a great price for a 4 course gluten-free meal.

Note: I forgot to take a picture of the smoked salmon appetizer before I ate it!

Le Sain Bol

5095 Rue Fabre, Montréal, QC H2J

(514) 524-2292

You can also check out this review in the gazette: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Casual+Dining+Sain/5616551/story.html

Accommodates gluten-free: Yes

Price: $$

Gluten-free menu: No but almost everything on the menu is gluten-free

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!

Gluten-Free in Montreal: Café Verdure (Currently CLOSED)

July 26, 2014March 20, 2015Leave a comment

Gluten-Free Veggie Burger

Café Verdure is a great little gluten-free vegan cafe on Mackay, right on top of Crudessence. It’s super affordable and everything I have tried so far is delicious. I couldn’t believe a place serving gluten-free veggie burgers was right near my work and I had no idea! I was very happy to have my delicious burger that was so good I had to double check it was gluten-free!

I have tried the bagel and “cream cheese”, the cupcakes and the veggie burger and all has been great so far. I definitely recommend this place for a quick bite if you are downtown.

https://www.facebook.com/CafeVerdure

Café Verdure

2159 Rue Mackay

(514) 842-2212

Accommodates gluten-free: Yes

Price: $

Gluten-free menu: Yes, everything is gluten-free

Delicious Vegan and Gluten-Free Cupcakes

Lots of Celiac Friendly Sweets

Gluten-free bagel with vegan cream cheese

Gluten-Free in Montreal: Baked to Go

July 16, 2014July 28, 20143 Comments

I am no longer buying frozen gluten-free bread. Baked to Go is a 100% gluten-free bakery a few minutes from my house on St Laurent above Rachel. To say it’s amazing to have a gluten-free bakery around the corner is an understatement. It’s even more amazing that all their rolls, bagels, croissants and breads are soft and delicious. The products are fresh enough to eat as is but they also taste great toasted or from the freezer. I much prefer to freeze their bread than buy overpriced freezer burnt bread at the health food store. To add to all this goodness, their products are also affordable considering they are gluten-free.

I personally prefer their bread products. The sweets I tried were good but I can make cookies and brownies at home. It’s bread that I am too lazy to attempt. Their bagels are the best gluten-free made in Montreal bagels I have tried. They were fresh enough that I was able to eat them untoasted two days after buying them, which anyone who is gluten-free would know is a gluten-free miracle. Their croissants are obviously not exactly like the real deal but are pretty close and very delicious. Their fresh rolls (hamburger buns) were amazing with a little butter. I haven’t had a roll that soft and normal since I first went gluten-free over 10 years ago.

I definitely recommend a visit if you are in the downtown area or you can order some of their products online.

http://baked2go.ca

4255 Boul. Saint Laurent
Montreal, Quebec
H2W 1Z4, Canada
Tél: 514-844-3232
info@baked2go.com

Gluten-Free in Montreal: Ottavio’s

July 14, 2014March 19, 2015Leave a comment

Ottavio’s is one of the best options for an affordable family dinner where celiacs and non-celiacs can be equally satisfied and eat safely. It’s also BYOW, which helps keep the cost down if you are dining as a family. While there are no locations in the city, I go the one in St. Laurent several times a year with my family (including my brother who is also celiac).

This past weekend my Nana treated my brother and I to a dinner out which is always a challenge with our dietary restrictions. A picky Nana and two grandkids with severe allergies (my brother also has a long list of food intolerances) definitely narrowed the options down to Ottavio’s. The food is pretty good and they take extra care to keep all gluten-free food separate from the rest of the kitchen. They even serve gluten-free rolls at the beginning of the meal and use special gluten-free plates and utensils.

This time I had muscles and fries, my brother had pasta with meat sauce and my Nana had her glutenny pizza. Everyone was happy! I definitely recommend Ottavio’s for a celiac safe group dinner.

http://www.ottavio.ca/

1134 Boulevard Marcel-Laurin
Montréal, QC
(514) 335-7966

6880 Rue Jean-Talon Est
Montréal, QC
(514) 257-7966

Easy Cauliflower Pizza Crusts (Gluten-Free & Dairy Free)

June 27, 2014March 19, 20152 Comments

I love cauliflower pizza crusts and breadsticks. When I get a major carb craving this pizza is always my go to recipe. What makes this version of cauliflower pizza great is the almond flour (it acts as a binder) and that there is no cheese in the crust (so you can put more on top). The crust really stays together and while it won’t be mistaken for real pizza, it’s just as delicious. Also, it’s fun to eat your veggies in pizza form. I love being able to eat too much “pizza” or a big serving of “breadsticks” and have it be healthy.

Cauliflower + Almond Flour Crusts

2 cups grated cauliflower florets (one small head will do)
3/4 cup almond flour
3 eggs
a little salt
a little pepper
1/2 tsp italian seasoning (I used fresh chives instead and any herbs will do)
1 tsp fresh garlic grated or finely chopped
2 tbsps nutritional yeast (this gives the pizza a cheesy flavour)

Heat oven to 450 F and line two baking trays with parchment.

I don’t have a food processor so I grated the whole head of cauliflower (I did this outside to avoid a mess). You want your cauliflower to look like grains of rice.

Beat the eggs and add all the other crust ingredients and combine, you can add more almond flour if it looks too liquidy.

Make four crusts on the baking sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and add you desired toppings and throw it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Rotating the pans is a good idea.

I topped mine with marinara sauce, mozzarella, basil, pine nuts and veggies. These crusts hold sauce quite well and would be amazing with pesto.

For Breadsticks: I make them the same way and bake the cauliflower mixture on one baking sheet lined with parchment. I add cheese to the top and bake it the same way, cutting it in half to turn it. When it’s done I cut it into sticks and serve it with my favourite marinara sauce. I often add more herbs and spices to the sticks for extra flavour.

This recipe is inspired by Beard + Bonnet.

Gluten-Free Product Review: Udi’s Tortillas

June 27, 2014June 27, 20142 Comments

Udi’s gluten-free tortillas are by one of my favourite Udi’s products. I have had enough dry gluten-free wraps to last a life time and these wraps are super soft and sturdy. They heat up quick in a pan and are just as good as a soft wheat tortilla (my non-gf friends says even better than the real deal). I love to use mine for veggie or turkey wraps and they make for a great late night breakfast burrito. There is something satisfying about eating something that tastes just like something you normally can’t eat. I love corn tortillas but I missed gluten filled tortillas. I definitely recommend these tortillas for anyone who has had enough of dry brown rice wraps!

http://udisglutenfree.com/product-category/tortillas/

I have been poisoned! How to cope after a glutening

June 12, 2014June 12, 2014Leave a comment

Egg Drop Soup and movies in bed is a pretty good cure!

It sounds dramatic but it’s my term “I have been poisoned”. I even say it at work when someone asks why I haven’t been in the office for a few days. While at first people don’t get it, those who matter know what it means. It means I am exhausted, have been feeling terrible and all around I am not having a good time. A bad gluten-poisoning can have me in bed for a few days and not feeling right for up to 2 weeks.

Post gluten-poisoning it is easy to see the whole world as a gluten-filled nightmare full of wheat and cross contamination. Getting sick definitely reminds me to be careful but it sometimes happens when you are careful and that’s just a reality.

My simple non-scientific tips to making a gluten poisoning better:

Don’t stress. I used to panic and get so upset that it definitely lengthened my symptoms. Severe stress about the pain and missing work etc. will just make the symptoms worse. Try your best to rest and not think the worst. Since I have worked on not catastrophizing when I’m feeling sick from gluten my symptoms have been easier to control and do not last as long. Even though it can be terrible it is not the end of the world. You will feel better soon!
Everyone has different trigger foods; gluten-free foods that you are sensitive to and that you should avoid when you are feeling glutened. Mine are dairy, alcohol and heavy foods. So figure out your triggers and try to eat smaller amounts of easy to digest food until you feel better. I also take gluten-free and dairy free probiotics.
While it may be hard to eat make sure you get enough liquids and water.
Sleep as much as you can.

This egg drop soup is my favorite recipe to make when I’m sick with gluten-poisoning or a cold. This recipe for simple and easy egg drop soup from Gimme Some Oven is perfect. This soup is super simple and easy enough to make when I’m feeling weak. All you need is some gluten-free broth, eggs, gluten-free cornstarch and green onions for a basic soup.

This soup is super easy to make and easy on the tummy.

Gluten-Free Product Review: Udi’s Pizza

June 4, 2014Leave a comment

I always forget how exhausting moving can be and this proved to be a good excuse to try Udi’s Frozen Pizza. While I try to eat healthy and stay away from overly processed foods I thought it deserved a try. I chose the Pepperoni Pizza, which was surprising for this an almost vegetarian, but I guess if you’re going to eat processed food you might as well go all the way. Easy pizza in my new backyard with good company was just what I needed and this pizza was great for frozen pizza. My non-gluten-free dinner partner said it was just as good as the best “normal” frozen. While it doesn’t compare my healthier cauliflower pizza if you’re looking for a quick meal I definitely recommend this pizza. It has a thin crust, just enough cheese and lots of flavor. One pizza has two servings.

The GF BFF

Your guide to gluten-free living in Montreal: because everyone needs a gluten-free BFF

Tag: Special Diets