Costco Eliminating Gluten-Free Products from Nova Scotian Shelves

I’ve posted a few times about the great gluten-free options at our Costco stores in Dartmouth and Halifax, including pizza, pastas, crackers, deli meats, and pretzels. Last year, we visited Costco stores in Calgary and Edmonton and saw even more gluten-free options. We were excited, thinking that this meant more gluten-free options were coming our way.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The Bayers Lake and Dartmouth Costco stores have stopped selling Breton gluten-free crackers, gluten-free pasta, and even some types of quinoa. Who knows what products will get the axe next. It’s hard to believe that last fall people were told that there would be a gluten-free section in the Bayers Lake Costco!

This is even more disappointing considering that posts that I’ve seen recently on Facebook and Twitter indicate this is not part of Costco’s overall strategy. Some Costco stores in the United States now carry supersized loaves of Udi’s bread. The Costco in Quebec carries Glutenberg beer.

If you’re disappointed in Costco’s decision too, please fill out a comment card the next time you’re at the store and put it in their suggestion box. We’ve been told that this box is emptied and read daily and that the store does listen to suggestions. We’ll keep you up to date with any developments!

What’s For Dinner? Barbeque Chicken Pizza!

Why We Love It

This takeout-style pizza has tons of flavour, taking you way beyond pepperoni and cheese.

Ingredients

• One gluten-free pizza crust (fresh or frozen – we love Udi’s pizza crusts!)
• 2 tablespoons of real butter
• ½ small onion, sliced
• ½ cup pizza sauce
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free barbeque sauce (like Bull’s-Eye Original)
• One or two garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 cup cooked, diced chicken
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (we like using a combination of mozzarella and old cheddar)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley, oregano, or Italian seasoning

Method

1. Preheat oven as directed on crust package.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on medium heat in a small skillet as you are slicing the onions. Add onions and cook for about 15 minutes, until they are soft and brown. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter about halfway through cooking time.
3. Meanwhile, mix the pizza sauce, barbeque sauce, and garlic. Spread on pizza.
4. Top with caramelized onions, chicken, and cheese. Sprinkle herbs over top.
5. Cook pizza as directed on crust package.

Tips

• Adjust the amount of sauce and toppings based on the size of your pizza crust.
• Mix things up by adding green onions, or using a flavoured barbeque sauce.
• For a takeout-style treat, pair this pizza with focaccia bread from Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet!

Filling Your Gluten-Free Easter Basket

Holidays can be a tricky time for Celiacs and anyone with food allergies or intolerances. Holiday treats are often manufactured in bulk, meaning that your favourite chocolate treat is no longer gluten-free. Or, well-meaning friends and family might fill an Easter basket for you and unwittingly include gluten-containing treats.

Here are some of our favourite gluten-free Easter treats. (Remember, always check the label!)

• Skittles
• Jelly Belly jellybeans
• Kinder Surprise eggs
• Peeps marshmallow bunnies
• Cadbury mini eggs
• PEZ candy dispensers
• Dare marshmallow eggs

The Canadian Celiac Association also recently shared this gluten-free candy list from My Gluten Facts. It is a few years out of date but it might give you a good starting point for your Easter shopping.

Here are some items to specifically be aware of:

• Most Lindt chocolates contain barley.
• Licorice usually contains wheat flour as its main ingredient.
• Watch for “May contain wheat” on store brands.

Happy Easter!

Easter Dinner Made Easy!

Easter weekend is fast approaching. My favourite part about any holiday is sharing a great meal with family and friends. However, any meal can be stressful when food allergies or intolerances are involved, especially when it’s something as serious as Celiac disease. To help you out, we’ve compiled some of our favourite gluten-free recipes that are both easy and tasty. If you’ve got ideas to add to the list, please share them with us!

Brunch Ideas

Ultimate Brunch Casserole has become a staple in our house since discovering this recipe last summer. You can’t go wrong with chocolate-banana pancakes, either! Round the meal out with a fruit tray and some gluten-free toast.

Read more…

Happy National Poutine Day!

I have two pieces of exciting news! One, today is National Poutine Day. Two, Celiacs don’t have to miss out on this delicious dish.

If you’re dining out, there are a few fast food chains that do not use gluten in the preparation of their poutine. (That also means that French fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer.)

• McDonald’s
• New York Fries
• Smoke’s Poutinerie (peppercorn gravy only)

Remember that the possibility of cross-contamination always exists, and to make sure that you inform the restaurant of any intolerances or allergies when ordering.

A safer bet is to make poutine at home. You just need three ingredients:

• French fries (we usually make our own by chopping up potatoes and deep-frying them)
• Leftover roast gravy (from our Market-Fresh Pot Roast or Easy Gluten-Free Roast recipes)
• Fresh cheese curds (we love Fox Hill cheese!)

If we don’t have leftover gravy, it’s easy to mix some up using a gluten-free mix from Maxwell’s Kitchen or Club House! (If you’re using Club House, make sure that you get the package that specifically says gluten-free and has the logo from the Gluten-Free Certification Program on it.)

Happy National Poutine Day!

 

Slow Cooking in the Summertime

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, you might be thinking of lighter fare and considering tucking your slow cooker away for the season. However, the slow cooker still has its place in your kitchen in the summertime. It can provide hearty meals on rainy days, as well as quick suppers during busy weeks. Here are our top picks for slow cooker recipes during the coming months.

Wine and Tomato Braised Chicken

This slow cooker meal requires a bit more preparation than others in our list, but the hearty flavour is well worth it. The light sauce is perfect for a summer meal as well as chilly spring days.

Sticky Chicken Wings

Throw this chicken wings in the slow cooker in the morning, and when you come home all you have to do is roast some potatoes mix together a salad, and you’ve got yourself a summertime picnic!

Market-Fresh Pot Roast

This roast recipe is lighter than most, and it makes great leftovers. Perfect for rainy summer days.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

We promise that this Chinese dish is just as good as takeout! Throw together some gluten-free chicken fried rice for a quick side dish.

Orange Chicken

For a different Asian-inspired meal, try this delicious orange chicken recipe. Just substitute gluten-free flour for the plain flour called for in the recipe.

Chili

Here’s another rainy-day option. Serve with gluten-free dinner rolls (like Udi’s whole grain seeded rolls) and you’re all set!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This recipe is a total cheat, using a Clubhouse spice mix, but we haven’t yet found a restaurant dish that tops these pulled pork sandwiches. We’ve found that Udi’s French bread baguette or hamburger buns work the best with this recipe.

Ribs

What a treat to have ribs during the middle of the week! The night before, I follow the preparation and roasting steps from Put Pork on Your Fork. Then, the next morning, I put the ribs in the slow cooker with onions and a homemade barbeque sauce (like this one). When it’s suppertime, I prepare a salad and some baked potatoes, and voila! A Southern-style feast.

What’s For Dinner? Classic Fish and Chips!

Why We Love It

There’s nothing more Maritime than a good feast of fish and chips. Plus, preparing it at home means no concerns about cross-contamination. This recipe makes enough for four people and can easily be scaled back or doubled.

Ingredients

• Four medium-sized russet potatoes
• Eight haddock fillets
• ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• ½ cup gluten-free Bisquick
• One can of 7-Up or gluten-free beer (like Glutenberg Blonde)
• Sea salt
• Oil for frying

Method

1. Heat deep fat fryer to 374 degrees.
2. While fryer is heating up, cut potatoes into sticks.
3. Once fryer is hot, place fries in basket and place in fryer for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on how big the fries are).
4. Heat oven to about 200 degrees. When the French fries are cooked, place them on a cookie sheet, season with salt, and keep them warm in the oven.
5. Turn fryer down to about 320 degrees.
6. Mix the gluten-free flour and Bisquick together. Then, stir in the liquid until a thick batter is formed. If you need more liquid, add a little bit of water.
7. Dip the haddock fillets in the batter and then carefully drop directly into the oil.
8. After five minutes, use a large, flat spoon to remove the fish.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• Using a fresh can or bottle of 7-Up is important! The carbonation keeps the batter light.
• You can also use this batter for onion rings or chicken wings. Check your deep fryer’s manual for cooking time.
• Round out this meal with homemade tartar sauce.