Taste Testing O’Doughs Bagel Thins!

The Product

Bagels are one of the few things that I really miss. Over the past five years, I’ve tried almost every brand on the market. Udi’s bagels are OK, but the nutritional information is horrific: add peanut butter to your morning bagel and you’re basically consuming a Big Mac. Other brands taste like wet cardboard, or just bread in a weird shape.

Luckily, over a year ago I heard about O’Doughs Bagel Thins. I did see them at Jane’s Gluten Free in Moncton this spring, but I didn’t pick any up and have been kicking myself ever since. Luckily, we spotted them at Pete’s Frootique in Halifax last weekend thanks to a sampling event!

 

The Test

At Pete’s Frootique, we got to try the sprouted whole grain flax and apple cranberry flavours, toasted and with ghee on top. I also purchased a six-pack of the sprouted whole grain flax bagel thins for $6.99. Here’s what my breakfast looked like the next day:

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What’s For Dinner? Parmesan-Lemon Fettuccine with Squash!

Why We Love It

Fresh pasta is such a delicious treat, especially for Celiacs who often are limited to dried pasta. Spinach fettuccine ups the ante by offering something a little bit different. This recipe makes enough pasta for about four people.

Ingredients

• 1 package RP’S Pasta Spinach Fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash, diced
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest (plus a bit extra for garnish)
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¾ cup gluten-free chicken broth
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions.
2. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and return the pasta to the pot.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the yellow squash and sauté until almost tender.
6. Add the lemon zest and continue cooking for 1 more minute.
7. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.
8. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, lemon juice, and reserved cooking liquid.
9. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce is creamy and coats the back of a spoon.
10. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve. Garnish with additional lemon zest and enjoy!

Tips

• In Halifax, you can find RP’s Pasta at Pete’s Frootique and Chops Meat Market. In Moncton, try Jane’s Gluten-Free Foods.

(Source: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/fettuccine-with-yellow-squash-and-parmesan-lemon-cream-sauce.html)

Gluten-Free Pillsbury Products Coming to Canada!

Yesterday, Pillsbury announced that they will start distributing their gluten-free products in Canada in August 2014. Two products will be available to start with: chocolate chip cookie dough and pie/pastry dough. 

 

 

According to their new Canadian website, it looks like distribution will start in Ontario and Quebec with some availability on the East Coast. The website also has recipes and coupons!

If you’re anxious to try this new product out, Jane’s Gluten-Free in Moncton already has stock! We’re hoping to see it in major grocery stores as well, and will post a review once we’ve had a chance to try it out. We’d like to hear your experiences with this product, too!

Taste Testing Bread by Rudi’s!

In May, I picked up some Rudi’s tortilla wraps from Jane’s Gluten Free. They were delicious, so I was excited to see their bread in Sobeys grocery stores a few weeks ago. (Jane’s also carries the bread, but due to travel restrictions, I hadn’t picked it up on our last trip.) I tried a loaf of Rudi’s original bread; multigrain and cinnamon raisin flavours were also available.

At $5.99 a loaf, it seems comparable to other gluten-free breads, including my current favourite (Udi’s white bread). However, there is a real difference in size: Udi’s loaves are 340 grams, while Rudi’s are 510 grams. That means that the slices of Rudi’s bread are much bigger. Below, you can see Udi’s on the right and Rudi’s on the left:

 

 

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Tide & Boar is a Little Bit Boring for Celiacs

Our second place on our U.S.-bound road trip last week was The Tide & Boar, a gastropub in Moncton. Pubs can be tricky for Celiacs to eat at, but I was hopeful that this would actually be a gastropub, which typically focuses on fresh, local food.

We were off to a good start when I asked about gluten-free options and was told that there was a gluten-free menu. Michael ordered one of the craft beers on tap while I stuck with a Diet Pepsi since we still had the drive to Woodstock ahead of us. (They do have Mongozo beer and Magners’ cider, which are both gluten-free. The selection isn’t as nice as their regular beer menu but it’s nice to have some options.)

The waiter quickly came back with the gluten-free menu, which is just a copy of the regular menu with notations as to what can be made gluten-free. The waiter also explained that they do not have a dedicated fryer. This meant that many of the items marked gluten-free aren’t suitable for Celiacs.

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Jane’s Gluten-Free Foods is Worth the Drive

I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge fan of health and natural food stores. Sure, they might have some gluten-free stuff, but it’s often super expensive and so health-ified that no normal person would want to consume it. Because of this, I haven’t made too much of an effort to get to Moncton to visit Jane’s Gluten-Free Foods.

However, we passed through Moncton on our way to the United States last week, and I finally decided to stop in. Am I ever sorry that I didn’t make it up sooner! The entire store is gluten-free with lots of vegan, vegetarian, organic, and dairy-free options. You’ll find brands that you recognize as well as lots of unique items. I’ve never seen a bigger selection of Udi’s products in one place! As well, the store is extremely clean and well-organized, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

I wished that we were going right home so that I could really stock up. However, I eventually decided on the following items:

• Schar’s cheese puffs
• Cup 4 Cup flour
• Bakery on Main granola bars
• Rudi’s plain tortillas

Most of these brands are very hard to find in Canada – I usually drive to Bangor for Schar’s products, for example.

The best place to get information about what Jane’s is currently carrying is on Facebook or Twitter. They have a new website, too, that’s just getting set up. If you make the trip, we’d love to hear what kind of goodies you bring back!

Gluten-Free Finds On the Road!

Last week, Michael and I went on a road trip to Toronto, and we stopped at a ton of cool places on the way! Although the language barrier was a bit of a challenge in Québec, I didn’t get sick at all and actually enjoyed the opportunity to try some different places.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the places we visited and what I ate.

Pump House Brewery (Moncton, New Brunswick)
Not a ton of gluten-free options, but they have the most amazing locally-made gluten-free pizza crust. The $4 upcharge is totally worth it.

La Captive (Amqui, Québec)
We had an amazing spread of local cheeses for about $12. Just ask for no bread!

Saint-Alexandre Pub (Québec City, Québec)
Their sole gluten-free option (Toulouse-style sausage with salad) is incredible, and they have Glutenberg Blonde by the bottle (although it is pricey).

Les Salons d’Edgar (Québec City, Québec)
We loved the old-style French feel of this restaurant, and the spontaneous ballroom dancing by guests! Although we didn’t eat here, the menu looked quite gluten-friendly, with items like grilled steak and quinoa salad.

Le Saint Bock (Montréal, Québec)
This pub has Glutenberg Red, American Pale Ale, and Blonde by the bottle. Extremely cool spot, especially during a Canadiens game!

Zero8 (Montréal, Québec)
This place is a must-visit for anyone with Celiac disease or food allergens. Their restaurant is 100% free of the eight major allergens: gluten, fish and seafood, all nuts, sesame, soya, dairy, and eggs. They also mark items with mustard and sulphites on their menu, and are happy to accomodate any other allergens. Watch for a review coming soon!

Shoeless Joe’s (Toronto, Ontario)
We were surprised by how gluten-friendly this sports bar chain is, with gluten-free pizza and burgers. There is a small upcharge for gluten-free pizza ($1.99) and no upcharge for burgers.

Il Fornello (Toronto, Ontario)
This Italian restaurant serves gluten-free pasta, pizza, and the most amazing chocolate souffle I’ve ever had.

The Old Triangle Welcomes Celiacs, Too

One of my first (and worst) gluten-free eating experiences was at The Old Triangle in Moncton, where they basically refused to serve me so I ate martinis for lunch. Subsequent visits to the Halifax, Charlottetown, and Glen Arbour locations, however, went much better, so I decided that it was time to review their flagship Halifax pub.

We arrived at suppertime on a busy Saturday night and were lucky enough to snag a table in the dining room where a local band was playing. A server greeted us right away and suggested Clancy’s beer for a beverage. I said that although that sounded like a great idea, I am gluten intolerant so it wouldn’t be my choice of beverage! She quickly pointed out their other gluten-free beverage options: Propeller sodas, several local ciders (including Bulwark and Tideview), and La Messagere beer. (They usually carry Glutenberg but are out of stock right now due to the trade dispute. It should be back by the end of the month, though!) I opted for a sparkling raspberry Tideview cider while Mike had a Propeller IPA.

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