Don’t Do Without – A Celiac’s Guide to Safe Takeout!

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned since being diagnosed with Celiac disease is that if I am craving a food, I can either make it at home or find a reasonable take-out solution with a little bit of research. This is really valuable at busy times of the year, like in the weeks leading up to Christmas!

Here are our top ideas so that you can satisfy your cravings with some gluten-free goodies.

Read more…

Great Deals at Chops Meat Market!

A reader recently tipped us off to the great gluten-free options at the new Chops Meat Market in Burnside. (They’re located at the very bottom of Wright Avenue in the black and red building behind the Ultramar on Windmill Road.) One look at the recent deals on their Facebook page and we knew we had to pay them a visit!

Although you could tell that they are still getting organized and getting stock in, we were pretty impressed at the selection of meats and gluten-free items. Things that caught our eye included:

Read more…

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:

 

 

Read more…

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!

10 Fast, Easy, Gluten-Free Meal Ideas

As the days get longer and warmer, who wants to spend a ton of time in the kitchen? Luckily, we’ve got 10 easy, fast, gluten-free meal ideas that are sure to please the whole family.

Quinoa Salad

This quinoa recipe is ready in about half an hour. To speed things up, make a batch of quinoa on the weekend and then just mix in your veggies and dressing. You can also add grilled fish to this recipe, which usually takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

Grilled Fish

In fact, grilled fish is one of our favourite fast meals! For something a little fancier, try these Garlic-Ginger Salmon Packets.

Read more…

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!

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.

M & M Meats Now Offers Gluten-Free Products!

It seems like convenience options for Celiacs are growing every day! The latest company to offer a gluten-free line of products is M & M Meats. Items include:

• Boneless pork chunks
• Homestyle chicken burgers (not breaded)
• Country style chicken breasts (breaded)
• Breaded chicken fillets
• Homestyle beef burgers

You can see the list of products here. These products are labeled gluten-free but not certified, which means that they have tested the product to ensure that there is less than 20 parts per million of gluten, but their processes and testing have not been audited by an outside agency. Their prices for gluten-free items are the same as their regular items and comparable to grocery store prices.

Read more…

Gluten Zero Bread Hits the Shelves

Several weeks ago, a friend and blog reader told us that they found gluten-free Dempster’s bread (called Gluten Zero) in the bakery section of their local Sobeys! Last week, we found some in the Downsview Mall Sobeys, so we picked up a loaf of white bread to try. (It also comes in multigrain.) At $5.99, the price is comparable to brands like Udi’s and Glutino, although the loaf is slightly smaller. (We did get a coupon that brought the price down to $4.99). One of the nice things about this bread is that it is not supposed to be frozen by the retailer: it’s baked and delivered fresh within a few days.

Here’s what the bag looks like:

Read more…