About fifteen years ago a friend of mine from Canada came to stay with us for a few nights at our cottage down south. I remember being a bit worried at the time about what I was going to feed her. She actually brought her own bread and cereal with her, so it ended up being not too bad.
People who are gluten free can sometimes find it difficult to eat out at restaurants, and making meals at home often takes a little more work and planning than cooking a normal meal. In the past, there have been certain types of food that gluten free dieters typically had to avoid, and these included pasta, sandwiches and pizza. This can be tough when your family is searching for the cheapest pizza specials and you know you cannot join in.
These days however, more and more places are catering to this gluten free lifestyle. If you are looking for some gluten free alternatives to your favorite foods, it is now becoming much easier to dine out and eat while in a hurry, with a lot more options being available!
Why Some People Are Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein that is found in products such as wheat, rye and barley. People with celiac disease suffer from a disorder in which gluten affects the immune system in a way that it harms the lining of the intestine. These people must avoid gluten, or they can get really sick.
Others may not have celiac disease, but are gluten sensitive. This can cause bloating, constipation and other abdominal issues. Some people stay away from gluten because they are allergic to wheat, while others simply try to avoid it as part of a healthy diet.
Favorite Foods That Now Have Gluten Free Options
Eating gluten free can be difficult, especially if you have always loved to eat foods that contain gluten. You may find yourself occasionally craving your favorites. Thankfully, many companies and restaurants are now using other grains as an alternative to wheat. For example, pasta can be made with quinoa, corn, rice and lentils. You can also find a wide variety of gluten free bread options for sandwiches as well as for your morning toast.
I adore Pizza, its one of my favourite foods. I cannot imagine living in a world where I could not eat pizza! Fortunately, there are now pizza crusts that are gluten free. Some are made with cauliflower while others are made from potato starch, rice flour and ancient grains such as quinoa, sorghum and teff. If you have written off pizza, it is time to start the search for the best tasting gluten free pizza.
Eating Gluten Free While on the Go
Whether you are running errands all day, or you are transporting the children to and from activities, eating healthy and, especially, gluten free can be really tough to manage. However, there are numerous options for keeping you satisfied and on track with your eating plan. Some good gluten free on-the-go items that you can snack on throughout the day include:
• Nuts
• Yogurt
• Dried fruit
• Beef or turkey jerkey
• Hardboiled eggs
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Cheese
Making a trip through a drive thru? Ask for a grilled chicken breast or burger on lettuce leaves instead of the bun, or ask what other gluten free options they might have. You will find that most places are quite accomodating these days and will have at least one gluten-free option available.
Sometimes, on really busy days, the last thing you want to think about when you get home is cooking. What do do when all you want to do is sit down and kick back but you have a ravenous family nipping at your heels??? Those are the perfect times to order in delivery such as a gooey, delicious gluten free pizza. You can even throw in a salad to improve the nutritional benefits. With the best pizza tracking app, you can also keep tabs on your order so you know when it is ready.
Enjoy Gluten Free Anytime
Its really nice to know that people who eat gluten free now have many more feasible options at their behest than they did years ago. The availability of gluten free items in a variety of cuisines make it easy to avoid gluten yet still eat great tasting food. Having to keep to a gluten-free diet need no longer be the landmine that it used to be, and that makes me happy.
Cod Cheeks. Yep you read that right. Cod Cheeks. I adore Cod Cheeks. To me they are every bit as delicious if not more so than scallops or lobster.
Seriously. If you have never tried them, you have no idea what you are missing.
Fish cheeks are a great delicacy. A tiny pocket of meat, found just below the eyes, they are tender and have a wonderful flavour. Little nuggets of deliciousness.
Most Chef's love them as they are boneless, skinless and have a beautiful texture which lends itself to a variety of cooking methods.
My favourite way of cooking them is to coat them in a well flavoured cornmeal crumb and then fry them in hot oil.
They take literally just a few minutes to cook and are so tender and delicious when done.
And it is such a simple way to prepare them. You just mix cornmeal (which is like a fine polenta) together with some simple seasonings . . . cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
Don't freak out at the amount of pepper. Its the perfect amount. Trust me on this.
You simply roll the cod cheeks in the cornmeal mixture and then fry. It only takes 3 to 4 minutes per side for them to be done to perfection.
Perfectly crisp and golden brown on the outside . . . tender and succulent on the inside. You can't ask for much better than that.
Bite sized and filled with flavour. I get mine from The Fish Society. Their Cod Cheeks are sustainably sourced from Norwegian waters.
Fish from the Fish Society
comes straight to your door, with an overnight delivery, and it is
beautifully packaged. It arrives in perfect condition ready to throw right into your own freezer.
All of their fish is frozen shortly after catching and is of a far superior quality than that which you can buy at the shops, which in all likelihood has already been frozen once, thawed and then presented to you on ice. I have never been disappointed in any fish I have received from them and they have a huge range to choose from.
Today I served these lovely cheeks with some chips and homemade coleslaw . . . just like you would be served in a restaurant back home in Nova Scotia.
In the old days, when Cod was plentiful, it would not have been unusual to find Cod Cheeks the size of your fist, but sadly Cod of that size are no longer very common.
They are coming back however, and that is a good thing. Of all the fishes in the sea, Cod is my favourite.
I tried to get a photograph so I could show you how tender and succulent these are inside. Kind of hard because it is so white, so I guess you will have to take my word for it. These bite sized babies are delicious!
Yield: 4
Cornmeal Crusted Cod Cheeks
Cod cheeks are a really delicious part of the cod that is often overlooked. Boneless, skinless and firm, they are meaty and sweet. Coating them with a spiced cornmeal mixture gives them a crisp exterior whilst protecting all that succulence inside.
ingredients:
- 450g of cod cheeks (1 pound)
- 170g fine cornmeal (1 cup)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 TBS finely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- oil for frying (you want to use a flavourless oil, like canola)
instructions:
How to cook Cornmeal Crusted Cod Cheeks
- Mix the cornmeal, cayenne, pepper and salt together in a shallow bowl. Take your cod cheeks out of the refrigerator. Remove them from the packaging and roll them in the cornmeal mixture to coat, setting them aside on a plate while you finish coating them all.
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot enough to brown a cube of bread (between 180/190*C or 350/375*F) add the coated cod nuggets,
- a few at a time. Take care not to crowd the pan, or your oil will cool down too much. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Scoop out to a baking tray lined with paper towelling to drain and keep warm in a slow oven while you cook the rest. Once done serve immediately with your favourite accompaniments. We like chips and coleslaw.
Down East Coast Coleslaw
Yield: 6
Crisp and delicious and lightly flavoured with Maple syrup. Don't knock it until you try it.
ingredients:
- 1 white cabbage (about 2 lb in weight), trimmed and cored
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 2 sticks celery
- 4 spring onions
- 200g of good quality mayonnaise (scant cup)
- 4 TBS buttermilk
- 2 TBS maple syrup (I used a no sugar sub)
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook East Coast Coleslaw
- Using a sharp knife, shred your cabbage very fine and place into a bowl. Grate your carrots on the large holes in a box grated and add them to the bowl with the cabbage. Thinly slice the spring onions and the celery. Add to the bowl as well. Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, maple syrup, and seasoning to taste. Pour this over the vegetables in the bowl and toss all together to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I called this down East Coleslaw because it is lightly sweetened with Maple Syrup. Because I am a Diabetic I used a no sugar one, which isn't really Maple Syrup, but trust me when I tell you that it is very, very good nonetheless. Even better with the real thing.
I really hope you want to try Cod Cheeks! I think you will find that they are really very wonderful, and highly underrated! Give cheeks a chance!
Chicken, herbs and lemon are a wonderful trinity of taste, especially when you throw garlic into the mix! I think you are really going to love this method of preparation I am sharing today!
Not only are the flavours great, but the preparation is dead simple, and if you line your baking sheet with foil, no clean up of a dirty roasting pan either!
Today I have chosen to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which also adds to the succulence and flavours of the end result. You could certainly use skinless and boneless, but the cook time would need to be cut down considerably. I would say no longer than 20 minutes.
You create a basic and simple marinade using fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs and some light olive oil By that I mean light in colour, not extra virgin. You can use EVOO if you want of course, but really I find it a waste to use a good one in cooking when it is better suited to and saved for something like a salad where you can really appreciate its finer qualities.
I have used fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden. You can use any combination of fresh herbs which you enjoy, but thyme and rosemary go particularly well with garlic and lemon. And chicken for that matter!
The chicken pieces are seasoned and marinated in the marinade for at least an hour and up to four hours. Obviously the longer you let it sit the more the marinade flavours will penetrate the meat. You don't want to marinade it for any less than an hour.
After that you put the chicken pieces (I include the marinade) skin side up on a baking sheet and scatter some bruised cloves of garlic in between them . . .
Along with a quartered lemon. The lemon roasts along side and imparts more flavour as does the garlic.
This really is lovely . . . tender, juicy, delicious . . .
I served Todd's with a Roasted New Potato Salad that I had created for another site and some vegetables.
Mine I served with some mashed swede and carrot, and cooked cabbage. I also squeezed the juice from the roasted lemons over top.
Roasting takes away from the harshness of the lemon flesh, it really mellows out and it is truly delicious squeezed over top . . .
Todd was happy. I was happy. Goals were kept.
We were both in "Finger Lickin' Chicken" Heaven!
Yield: 2
Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs
Herb infused marinated chicken thighs that you can either cook in the oven or on the BBQ. Deliciously simple!
ingredients:
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh portions
- 2 lemons
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
- 1 TBS fresh rosemary leaves
- coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, bruised and bashed
instructions:
How to cook Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl. Add the salt and pepper, olive oil and herbs. Put the chicken thighs into the bowl, turning them to coat them well with the marinade. Cover and marinate for at one hour or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with foil. Dump the chicken pieces, skin side up, onto the baking tray. Scatter the garlic between them. Quarter the remaining lemon and place it on the baking tray with the chicken.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender, cooked through, and golden brown. The juices should run clear. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad and your favourite vegetables. I like to squeeze the roasted lemons over top for additional flavour. Delicious!
To cook the swede/carrot, I just boiled them together until tender, and then I mashed them up. For the cabbage I melted a small knob of butter in a skillet and cooked it over a moderate heat, covered, adding a ladle full of the water from the cooking swede/carrot so that it didn't burn. Oh boy was this ever good!
Enjoy!
I know, I got rather fanciful with the lavender which is blooming in the garden right now. It smells so nice and lavender and lemon go very well together . . . but there is no lavender in this recipe, just lemon.
To be honest I am not quite sure how I feel about eating lavender. I have done . . . and I made lavender sugar every year, but the jury is still out as to whether we love it or not.
As a decoration, absolutely . . . in my underwear drawer, pour surement . . . actually flavouring my food, not so in love . . .
We were having all of the missionaries over for our annual Summer BBQ that we love do for them, and that they love to come to and I wanted to make a dessert that was not only easy, but that the girls would love . . .
Girls are always watching their waistlines, young men, not so much . . . so I decided to bake a Lemon Drizzle Loaf and serve it with fresh berries and squirty cream.
They were free to put it together as they wanted to . . . with or without cake or cream. More berries, less berries . . .
This is a simple loaf with lovely lemon flavours and a deliciously tart lemon glaze. You can use either confectioners sugar in the glaze or granulated sugar. On a lemon drizzle cake, I like the granulated best . . . but you go with whatever floats YOUR boat!
Moist, delicious, lemony . . . proper lemony . . . with a sweet/tart crunchy crust on top . . .
What's not to love about that???
You apply the drizzle while the loaf is still quite warm . . . some gets absorbed, some doesn't. Some pools in the corners . . .
There was none left at the end of the BBQ. NONE! It went down a real treat! Go figure.
Yield: 1 largish loaf
Proper Lemon Drizzle Loaf
A moist and delicious loaf filled with lovely lemon flavours. You can either top it with an icing sugar glaze or a granulated sugar glaze. I prefer the granulated sugar one as it adds a bit of interest and crunch. Its your choice. Goes wonderfully with a hot cuppa or a bowl of berries and some whipped cream.
ingredients:
For the cake:
- 3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
- 170g self raising flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 170g caster sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tsp)
- 170g butter, at room temperature (3/4 cup)
- the finely grated zest of 2 lemons
For the Lemon Drizzle Glaze:
- the juice of 2 lemons
- 130g icing sugar (1 cup) (You can also use 190g/1 cup granulated sugar for a grittier finish and crunch, which I prefer)
instructions:
How to cook Proper Lemon Drizzle Loaf
- Preheat your oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter your loaf tin and line with some baking paper. Set aside.
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until quite fragrant. Beat in the butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a third at a time, until smooth. If it starts to curdle add a bit of the flour and continue. Fold in the flour until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and risen and the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Prick the top all over with a toothpick.
- Whisk together the sugar and juice of the lemons until smooth. Spoon over the warm cake allowing it to be absorbed. Let cool in the tin. Once cold lift out and cut into slices to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
If you are looking for a superdy-duperdy lemon loaf to bake for your family, you can't really go wrong with this one!! Oh I do so love it when people gobble up what I bake. Don't you?
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