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Testing a Gluten-Free Pie Shell and Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

4 Apr

I was given a Piccola Cucina gluten-free pie shell to test out and decided to make one of my favourite pies – Lemon Meringue! I particularly like to make this pie when it’s cold out, to remind me of warmer times to come. It’s also perfect for the upcoming Easter weekend if you’re having company over for dinner. Give it a try with any type of pie shell.

Lemon Meringue Pie (modified from the Joy of Cooking)

Lemon Curd
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cup Boiling Water (1/2 cup cold, 1 cup boiling)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 eggs
3 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup/~2-6 Lemons, juiced and zested

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A Summary of 6 Gluten-Free Grains

29 Mar

There are many different grains and pseudo-grains out there that support a gluten-free lifestyle and/or add variety to the usual duo of white rice and pasta. New ingredients can be a little daunting, especially when they are meant to replace such beloved (read: regularly consumed) ingredients.

I thought I’d share this list of 6 gluten-free grains/pseudo-grains from Homemakers.com. I’ve had luck with all of these and now use them regularly. I’ll add my own trials and tribulations with other grains as I try them. Keep in mind too I’m talking cooking, not baking…I have yet to delve into the world of gluten-free baking with the exception of this Chocolate Quinoa Cake that is simply amazing!

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Buckwheat & Tuna Salad

29 Mar

Here’s the latest from the Bodhi Tree’s Breathing Room Newsletter.

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I had a student ask me about gluten-free lunch ideas and as it turns out, I’ve been formulating an article to address just such a thing.

One of the most challenging things about going gluten-free is trying to recreate foods – breads, pastries, pastas – exactly how you remember them to be. It doesn’t help that the mind tends to embellish fond memories, especially when it comes to food. This presents the perfect opportunity to practice aprigraha or non-attachment. An exact replica of your favourite gluten-y food may never exist. Practice letting go, accepting what is, and move forward, in this case to other recipes (of which there are many!) that are still delicious, nutritious, and satisfying.  To read the rest of this article and see the recipe for Buckwheat and Tuna Salad, take the leap to Bodhi Tree’s blog…

Click here for my summary of gluten-free grains and how to use them.

Frittata to boost your morning!

6 Mar

Here’s the latest article from the Bodhi Tree’s Breathing Room Newsletter.

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Rise and shine! With the light returning minutes earlier every day, now’s a good time to start getting activity in at the very beginning of the day. Not only does exercise (mental and physical) do great things for your body, but it increases overall productivity, aids with sleep and will help you tidy up other areas of life once you see what you can accomplish.

Whether it’s yoga, the gym, or morning meditation, you may notice a voice inside your head, called the witness, that has a way of talking you out of things – a devil’s advocate, in a sense. I find the witness easiest to ignore if I hop right out of bed, throw on my clothes, and head out the door. If that doesn’t work, visualizing how I’ll feel during my chosen activity usually does the trick.

This month’s recipe is a perfect post-activity breakfast that you can double or triple, then package in smaller containers to have ready at your finger tips. So, make a promise to yourself, pick a day and before you know it, you’ll be catching the early morning Sun every day!

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Eat this! Red Pepper Cashew Paté

28 Feb

I had a hankering for hummus the other day, but only had dried beans on hand. I didn’t feel like waiting for them to soak and then cook, and in the fridge there were about 10 red peppers, so I decided to come up with something that would use some up. I looked up a few nut paté recipes in the original Moosewood Cookbook, made a few modifications, et voilà – delicious paté that I couldn’t stop eating…directly out of the food processor!

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Minestrone Soup You’ll Crave!

17 Feb

Photo by Steve Coutts

This is another of the recipes that I made for a photo shoot with my friend, Steve. It’s the perfect balance of flavours, packed full of vegetables and super yummy! I generally double or triple the recipe,  package in 250 ml containers, then freeze for easy lunch and dinner portions. Add any variety of vegetables, pasta (I actually don’t put it in all the time) and greens (I’ve been using kale). Most of the time I omit the leek and add more onion.

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White Bean and Oregano Bruschetta on Sautéed Swiss Chard

7 Feb

My friend Steve is an excellent photographer and offered to come try out some food photography with me. We discovered it’s a lot more complicated than it looks, between garnish, cutlery placement, layering of textures, lighting, other accessories…the list is endless!

photo by Steve Coutts

I cooked a few simple dishes to experiment with. This is the first dish we shot, which I think turned out pretty well and it  was delicious! I modified this recipe from Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal and Local Ingredients. It called for mustard greens but I used swiss chard because I had lots on-hand. I think any greens that sauté well would work.

Stephanie over at Clockwork Lemon, our friend Rachele, and I had had a baking date a few days earlier where we made this Whole-Wheat and Rye Swirl Loaf. I cut a bunch of slices into triangles, drizzled with grapeseed oil and toasted them in the oven. The hint of caraway every few bites added another touch of deliciousness too!

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Spiced Maple Pecans

4 Feb

I forgot to post my Om Cooking article from the Bodhi Tree’s December 2011 Breathing Room Newsletter. Even though it was aimed at Christmas giving, the same principals can be applied throughout the year!

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Gift giving is something I like to do all year round, but of course, more so around the holidays. However, I’m not your typical gift-giver. My attitude around gifts changed the year I started making my own Christmas cards, writing a message to each of about 50 friends. The process was special to me, methodical and meditative. I was proud of what I made and the time I put into them; what I gave and to whom didn’t matter so much anymore – I was happy knowing that each person who received a card would be beaming with joy when they got something in the mail besides a bill.

What can you make that will bring you joy first? What skill can you showcase? Contemplate these questions this year and you might find that it brings a renewed excitement to what can be a stressful and frantic time-of-year. Anything you make yourself that brings you joy will bring others joy.

If you need an idea to get started, try this month’s recipe. Packaged in mason jars or bags tied with ribbon, this is one gift that will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

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Baked Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce or Shakshuka

23 Jan

This egg dish is so simple to make and would be great for a big brunch where you didn’t want to spend a lot of time slaving over the oven. After posting this picture to Twitter/Instagram, I was informed that it’s called Shakshuka. I did a little research, and though this recipe isn’t the traditional form of the dish, it’s definitely along the same lines.

You can add whatever herbs and spices catch your fancy. Also, add any type of sausage, bacon or ham you like. I made a vegetarian version just by omitting the sausage and adding a few more whole tomatoes.

This was on the menu for the Interactive Monday Night dinner at Market 17 I hosted last week. Read about the Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cheese Biscuits I made for it too. So. Yummy.

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Chia Smoothies

2 Jan

Here’s the latest article from the Bodhi Tree’s Breathing Room Newsletter.

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A few months ago I wrote about incorporating a new ingredient into your repertoire. What better time to revisit this concept than January, I say!

In the last few months I’ve been experimenting with chia and at the same time experimenting with bringing headstand and forearm stand back into my yoga practice – a little sprinkle here and there. You may have a yoga pose that you tried once, twice or many times, that has fallen out of your regular practice. Or perhaps you have a pose that you’ve always wanted to try but aren’t quite sure you’re able to. Well, this month it’s time to take the plunge!

Take a moment to think of that elusive pose you’d like to work on, then make a commitment to yourself to make slight modifications in your practice to accommodate that pose. Every little opening of the body is reaching that goal, no matter how long it takes to actually get into the shape.

I’ve been making an effort to do dolphin pose instead of downward dog and warrior pose with cactus arms to gradually ready my body for my goal pose of forearm stand. In the kitchen, I’ve been adding a tablespoon of chia into my baked oatmeal or a smoothie, experimenting with the texture and flavor of chia.

To help you along your way, try this Chia Smoothie recipe. One thing to note about chia is that it raises energy levels, which makes it a good substitute for coffee and not so great to ingest at night.

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