Such a simple recipe to put together one I have been making for years. Great for breakfast, served with whipped cream or a splash of cream on top.
With this dish, ideally a soft crumb gluten free bread works best here - use your favourite gluten free bread.
6 cups cubed soft gluten free bread
3 eggs, whisk well
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and ginger
1 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract or vanilla extract
1 cup milk, 1 cup half and half cream - we use lactose free, but use your milk of choice
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup raisins
1/2-2/3 cup pure maple syrup (I was generous and used 2/3 cup)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add the milk and butter to a sauce pan, heat on low until the butter is melted. Lightly grease a glass baking dish with butter. (mine was 8x11.5 in size)
In a large bowl add the cubed 6 cups of soft gluten free bread. In a separate bowl whisk up the eggs, add the cinnamon, ginger, almond extract, and mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes, tossing well to coat then place evenly into a lightly greased casserole dish. Toss in the raisins throughout on top. Pour the milk/butter mixture over top evenly. Then drizzle the maple syrup over the bread pudding - be fairly generous.
Bake for 45 minutes and serve warm with cream.
If you are looking to getting into a healthier lifestyle regime, this immune boosting smoothie is a great way to start.
Believe it or not, this smoothie contains red cabbage, and you would never know it to taste it. If you want to check out the many many health benefits of red cabbage, here is a great article.
We alternate the flavourings of this smoothie - one day we will use a 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger, the next time we use cinnamon and tumeric, all 3 of these flavors provide huge immune boosting properties as well. Here we use frozen, thawed: organic strawberries, organic wild blueberries and pineapple, but any choice of berries, fruit etc. can work nicely.
3/4 cup chopped red cabbage
1/2 tsp. organic tumeric, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or a 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger chopped
1/2 cup frozen thawed organic strawberries
1/2 cup frozen thawed pineapple
1/4 cup frozen thawed organic wild blueberries
1/4 wedge fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4-1 cup water
Put all of the ingredients into a blender:
Blend until nice and smooth - you will not believe how good it tastes, and such a great way to start your day.
This breakfast recipe was surprisingly delicious, hearty, and easy to make. A note about Buckwheat: you will need to use Raw Buckwheat Groats, not Kasha Buckwheat which has been roasted. The Buckwheat Groats need to be soaked over night, then rinsed in the morning and whizzed up in a blender. In terms of flavourings, sweetness, toppings there are many options you can use: any fruit or quality fruit preserve, chopped nuts, seeds: flax, chia, etc. Here is what I used:
1/4 cup raw Buckwheat Groats, place in jar and cover with double amount of filtered water. Put the lid on and let sit on the counter over night. (I actually did mine at noon, and then made breakfast at 6 am being the early riser that I am, but as long as it sits over night that will work. )
1/4 cup milk of choice
1/4 cup plain natural yogurt
1 Tblsp. chopped fresh ginger
1-2 tsp. pure maple syrup - or more to taste
1 small sliced banana
handful of blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen
sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
In the morning strain the buckwheat groats and rinse well. Place into the blender with 1/4 cup milk, maple syrup and chopped ginger. I quick pulsed mine about 30 times.
Pour into a bowl, mix in the yogurt, top with sliced bananas, blueberries and pumpkin seeds.
When you are looking for a hearty breakfast you can not beat Huevos Rancheros. It is a filling, tasty delight with so much going on. You can do fried eggs, braised eggs, poached or scrambled any way you choose it will be mighty delicious.
Finally, after many years of searching, we found the best corn tortillas. They are made by a Canadian company by the name of Casa Bonita. When heated in a dry cast iron pan, they stay soft, pliable and are delicious. No more hard, dry, crumbly corn tortillas!
2 free range eggs, I braised mine but cook any way you prefer
1 corn tortilla
1 small green onion, sliced
2 Tblsp. minced cilantro include the stems
1/2 cup re fried beans, canned or homemade
1/2 an avocado, sliced lengthwise
grated cheddar cheese
salsa
Heat up a cast iron pan on medium high heat. Meanwhile, cook your eggs and keep warm, and heat up the re fried beans on low heat and keep warm.
Place the corn tortilla in the hot cast iron pan and cook about 20 seconds each side, then place on a plate. Slather on the re fried beans with a sprinkling of green onion, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Top with the eggs adding remainder cheese, green onion and cilantro. Top with salsa, and add sliced avocados. Such a hearty, yummy, satisfying, breakfast.
This is a recipe that happened as a result of a happy accident. We love a simple Saffron Rice with any kind of seafood or simple chicken dish. So having made the Saffron rice the night before, there were some leftovers the next day.
I decided to reheat the rice in a pan with a bit of butter, and threw in a couple of eggs to scramble in the rice. Next, I added a few dollops of salsa. Unbelievable, and out of this world flavor. Who knew Saffron could work so well with a bit of salsa? It was heaven.
Now a word about Saffron. It is considered the most expensive spice in the world, and rightly so given how it is grown and harvested. That said, the quality of Saffron will vary depending on the region it is grown. My two favorites are Persian Saffron, and Indian Saffron. It is worth every penny finding quality Saffron and it certainly makes a huge difference in depth of flavor.
In terms of rice - Basmati Rice is my personal favorite. In this recipe I did something a little bit different. To a 3/4 cup measuring cup, add 1/4 par boiled whole brown rice, then top up with regular Basmati rice. Give a good rinse, and allow to dry in the colander.
If you have Basmati rice alone that will work no problem without the added par boiled brown rice.
Also, in this recipe, I infused oil with garlic and onion first, then removed the garlic and onion to let the Saffron shine, with a hint of the garlic and onion. Saffron in this dish comes first and foremost!
This is a dish we could eat for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, in fact it is going to be our dinner tonite served with a garden salad loaded with veggies. This served 2 for dinner with enough leftover Saffron rice for my breakfast tomorrow...happy days!
Saffron Rice Recipe:
2 Tblsp. Avocado Oil
1/4 onion, any kind, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves cut in half
3/4 cup Basmati Rice (1/4 of it being par boiled brown rice) (make sure to rinse and drain well in a colander and allow to dry - let sit a good hour or so)
good pinch of Saffron - here we used Persian
1 cup chicken stock, plus 1/2 cup water
salt and fresh cracked pepper
Heat the Avocado oil on low heat. Add in the onion and garlic, saute for 5 min. until lightly golden, then remove with a slotted spoon and discard. Add the rice, and Saffron to the oil and stir for 1-2 minutes until there is a slight roasting smell. Pour in the chicken stock and water stirring well, season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a good simmer, then lid on turn down to minimum and simmer 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Saffron Rice Breakfast Bowl:
1 Tblsp. butter
2 rounded 3/4 cups of Saffron rice
4 eggs lightly whisked with a fork
1 green onion chopped (optional)
grated aged white cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa - we used a good quality jarred salsa
Heat up a frying pan with the butter on low heat. Whisk the eggs with a fork and season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the rice, and green onions to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes until heated. Pour in the eggs through out and keep sauteing until the eggs are cooked through. Top with the cheddar cheese, tossing lightly to melt. Plate and serve with dollops of your favorite salsa. Enjoy!
There is something so satisfying about Breakfast for Dinner, and an omelet is the way to go served along side sliced ham and Air Fryer Potatoes. The amounts here work nicely for 2 people. A mid sized non stick frying pan is ideal.
3 large organic eggs
a handful of fresh spinach finely sliced
2 Tblsp. diced red pepper
1 small green onion finely chopped
1 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
a handful of grated extra old cheddar cheese
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
In a bowl whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Heat up a mid sized frying pan on low medium heat with the EVOO. Add in the vegetables and gently saute about 5 minutes. Pour in the eggs and swirl the eggs in the pan to reach the outer edges. Sprinkle in the cheese, and continue to swirl the egg mixture to the outer edges. When the egg starts to firm a bit at the edges, use a spatula to slide under one side of the omelet and then fold over. Cook for about 3 minutes, then gently flip the omelet and cook another 2 minutes until fully cooked.
Having Celiac disease means you have it for LIFE. Yes you can heal, but it never goes away. Once you come to understand what Celiac Disease is (the inability to digest Gluten) you can heal from the devastating affects, but you remain a Celiac for life. You can never resume eating Gluten, and in my opinion who would want to???
This is a post that finally came down to the result of a whole lot of frustration. I would like to show case wonderful, delicious, food that is GLUTEN FREE. Most of it, GLUTEN FREE NATURALLY.
There is so much negative hype/nastiness out there these days about Gluten Free this, Gluten Free that, Gluten Free being a Fad, Gluten Free Nonsense, Gluten Free to loose weight, Gluten Free is not healthy and full of fat and extra carbs and the list goes on and on.
Well, I have had enough of the negative hype. Hopefully through this post, people will gain some understanding. Being a Celiac or Gluten sensitive in today's world is so much easier than it used to be - finally! Twenty years ago there was nothing available or virtually nothing available for a Celiac. One could certainly never go out to a Restaurant to eat that is for sure.
When one has lived a life - 30 plus years miss-diagnosed only to discover they are in fact a Celiac - let me tell you, the world opens up once you become Gluten Free.
How does this happen? Well here we go:
- once going gluten free, eventually your guts will heal. Each person is different so it may take time. My body took 3 years to fully heal.
- eventually the pain, lethargy, brain fog will disappear. Yes you will actually be able to think clearly once again, because your brain is no longer sending signals that the body has been poisoned.
- eventually your stomach, large intestine, and small intestine will physically heal.
- you will gradually put on the many pounds you have lost, and the mall absorption will disappear and turn your body into a healthy, vital, strong body. All this said, I have discovered, while my body did heal, it will always have sensitivities. I believe this is due to the Vili being destroyed in the small intestine as a result of too many years eating gluten/poison to a Celiac. Never the less, I can still eat lots and lots of healthy nutritious food!
Here is another bonus: Because there are so many people out there that are finally diagnosed correctly: whether a Celiac or Gluten Sensitive: Restaurants have finally learned - yes learned and their chefs and staff have been educated on serving REAL, HEALTHY GLUTEN FREE FOOD NATURALLY.
- But best of all? There is much more information available now for people that need to eat Gluten Free. With all this information, awareness, plus great food blogs, you will be able to find beautiful, delicious, nutritious food that once you were terrified to eat. (for those of you that do not understand what Celiac disease is please read the bottom of the post, this is probably more important than anything when a family member is diagnosed with Celiac disease)
Here are just a few dishes that are healthy, nutritious, and delicious:
Italian Meatballs served over gluten free pasta...what is not to love.
How about fresh, wild Baked Salmon:
Here is a lovely Roasted Tomato Vegan/Vegetarian Soup:
Here is a good one: Remember Rice A Roni? Loaded in Gluten. Well, here is a gluten free version of Rice a Roni....and it is damn tasty!
Here is a delicious Chicken dish...can't do without chicken for dinner, can we? Chicken and Leeks recipe:
How about Gluten Free Beef Bourguignon?
Need more convincing that Gluten Free food can be delicious?
How about Gluten Free French Bread? Yes you did read it correctly...delicious Gluten Free French Bread that tastes like the yesteryear French Bread I remember:
Now for a few Pasta dishes....lord have mercy we soooo can not forget gluten free pasta dishes. Here are a few to tempt your taste buds:
Gluten Free Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna:
Then we have: Shrimp and Scallop Pasta:
Can't forget about the nourishing, health giving nutrients of bone broth: Chicken Bone Broth and Wild Rice Vegetable Soup:
Lets move on to baking/deserts. (By the way if you want more healthy delicious meals - check out my side bar - there are almost 600 recipes - so lots to choose from.
Here is a great breakfast muffin or snack: Rhubarb Walnut Muffins:
Or a delicious and nutritious cookie: West Coast Trail Cookies - these pack a punch of wholesome goodness.
How about something decadent? Yes, we all need a few of these recipes in our world once in a while:
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake With Sticky Toffee Date Sauce:
Or how about good old fashioned great tasting Chocolate Cake - yes Gluten Free.
At the side bar on this blog under desserts you will see gluten free puddings, pies and more cakes and muffins - as a Celiac in today's world - the world is your oyster - please help yourselves!
AND FINALLY - people - please do not negate other people for eating gluten free....sometimes it truly is a matter of life or death. Do your research to help support your friends and family that are dealing with Celiac Disease....they will love you for it!
Wow...wow...wow is what I say to Air Fryer Bacon! You know how tasty bacon cooked in the oven is? Well using an Air Fryer is even better. The bacon cooks more evenly than any other method we have tried and as a result this creates even better flavor and texture.
In terms of temperature my Air Fryer recommends 400 degrees. I thought that might be too high causing the bacon to smoke. So I set the temperature to 370. In terms of time, it will depend on how thick your bacon is. Ours was regular cut bacon so in total it took about 11 minutes, adjusting the pieces half way through.
Preheat the Air Fryer at 370 for 5 minutes. Place the bacon slices into the basket - it is ok to over lap a wee bit as it will be adjusted half way through cooking.
At the half way mark adjust the bacon to create more space. Once cooked place on a paper towel lined plate and serve hot.