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!

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 in Montreal: Crudessence Restaurant

May 23, 2014May 23, 20142 Comments

With two locations, one in the Plateau and one near Concordia, Crudessence is a great go to for a healthy gluten-free meal or veggie juice. While I am not always in the mood for raw food, Crudessence has a great menu that is 100% gluten-free and all the desserts I have tried have been amazing (actually amazing- vegan or not).

My go to for lunch is the Exceptional wrap with chipotle quinoa wrapped in a nori and a rice sheet with avocado, lettuce, sprouts, red pepper, carrot and onion. To go with my wrap I ordered the Vert-dur juice with kale, parsley, fennel, apple, celery, lemon and ginger.

My other go to is the Lasagna with layers of sliced zucchini, fresh basil, sun dried tomato sauce and macadamia ricotta, served with caesar salad.

This restaurant is not for everyone, but almost everyone. If you don’t like things that taste “too healthy” this might not be the place for you. But if you are open to new things I would definitely try it and make sure to order the brownie with “ice cream” for dessert!

They also sell their own products, offer delivery and host cooking classes.

Crudessense

There are two locations. I always go to the one on Mackay near Sherbrooke.

2157, Mackay St.
Montreal, QC H3G 2J2
514.664.5188

105, Rachel St. West
Montreal, QC H2W 1G4
514.510.9299

http://www.crudessence.com/

Gluten-Free in Montreal: Lola Rosa

May 5, 2014May 5, 2014Leave a comment

I usually order the chili served on brown rice and add avocado.

A good place for a gluten-free friendly vegetarian/vegan lunch or casual dinner in downtown Montreal is Lola Rosa. It’s right near my work, the food is fresh and the menu items that are gluten-free are clearly marked. They also now have a new location on Parc. They deliver which is great for me as there are not many gluten-free lunch options near my work for those days that I forget to pack a lunch and it’s too cold, rainy or busy to leave my desk.

I usually order the chili with avocado on top, the salad or a half order of the nachos. The other day I tried the vegan nachos and had the choco coco tart, which were delicious and vegan. There are several gluten-free main course options, at least one or two desserts and the soup of the day has been gluten-free whenever I have asked.

Lola Rosa

545, Rue Milton Montreal

4581, Avenue du Parc

http://lola-rosa.ca/site/

Choco Coco Vegan Tart

Gluten-Free and Vegan Poutine

Healthy Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

January 29, 2014September 30, 2014Leave a comment

I have been dying to try this simple recipe for baked cookie dough oatmeal that I adapted from one of my favourite healthy baking websites. The original recipe made them look like cakes but because I am inpatient and insist on eating my food hot mine worked out better kept in the ramekin. This recipe tastes like a decadent cookie but is super easy to make, pretty healthy and makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert. It is also really easy to play around with the ingredients and try different combos, baked oatmeal is hard to screw up. In my books anything that is this yummy, easy, comforting and falls into the healthy column is a definitely a winner.

How have I gone my whole life without trying baked oatmeal!?!?

Ingredients

These proportions make 3 to 4 small ramekins full of oatmeal. You could also bake it in one large dish.

1 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats (I like Cream Hill Estates)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3 or 4 TBSPs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (any kind) or water
a few handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Optional: chopped nuts, coconut flakes and cinnamon (pecans and almonds worked well)

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and distribute into 3 or 4 ramekins (depending on their size). It is not necessary but you can coat the ramekins with a little coconut oil or vegetable oil. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until set and then increase the heat to broil for several minutes for a crispy top or just continue cooking them for a few more minutes (the cookie time really depends on your oven and how crispy you would like your top to be).

Enjoy this filling and delicious treat right out of the oven. Perfect for this cold weather we have been having. It can also be made ahead. I kept mine in the fridge for 24 hours before baking and they tasted exactly the same.

Note: If you would like it to come out as a little cake make sure to coat the ramekin with a little oil (I prefer coconut) so it will release once cooled.

Inspired by this great blog Chocolate Covered Katie that features amazing healthy version of almost every dessert imaginable, many being gluten-free.

Post Holiday Detox: Cannellini Bean and Swiss Chard Soup (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

December 30, 2013February 9, 20152 Comments

One of the effects of having so many great GF BFFs is that I get spoiled with gluten-free treats over the holidays. After many gluten-free Birthday and Holiday dinners, sweets and macarons I needed some healthy soup with lots of greens.

This is a basic soup that can be adapted many ways once you find the flavors you like. I would try kale, spinach and gigante beans. It’s super easy to make, has lots of flavor and makes for a great lunch or detox meal.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, thinly diced
1 yellow onion, thinly diced
2 leeks, well cleaned and thinly chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups GF vegetable stock or chicken stock (I used organic GF cubes)
2 TBSPs olive oil
1 bunch swiss chard, stems discarded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy bottomed large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the leeks, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove 2-3 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed soup to the remainder of the soup in the pot. Increase the heat and add the swiss chard, cooking the soup for about 3 minutes until the swiss chard wilts.

Serve immediately. I served mine with a drizzle of olive oil.

Adapted from It’s All Good. I love this cookbook featuring healthy and gluten-free recipes.

The GF BFF

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

Tag: vegetarian gluten-free