235 New Gluten-Free Recipe Ideas from Jamie Oliver!

I’m admittedly a bit of a recipe fanatic – I’ve got well over 1100 recipes stored in Paprika, our iPad recipe app. However, it’s always hard to find new and exciting ideas for meals and snacks, especially if we’re looking for something to meet other dietary needs (like our vegetarian and dairy-free friends).

Today we found Jamie Oliver’s gluten-free recipe page, which looks to be just the trick for spicing up our fall menu plan. It offers 235 gluten-free recipes, as well as dairy-free ideas and tons of filtering options which let you view recipes by ingredient, dish type, method, cuisine, difficulty, course, and/or occasion. There’s also an app for iPhone and iPad!

Here are a few of Jamie’s recipes that we’re looking forward to trying:

• Parsnip, Pork, and Apple Stuffing (sounds perfect for Thanksgiving!)
• Strawberry and Raspberry Crumble (great dessert to stretch out that summer feeling)
• Hit N’Run Tray-Baked Chicken (excellent dish for a crowd)
• Gluten-Free Pasta Dough (something we’ve always wanted to make but haven’t yet tried)
• DIY Chocolate Truffles (yummmm!)

We’d love to hear your favourite fall recipes, too!

Going Vegan at Envie

Let’s face it: Michael and I are about as far away from vegetarians as you can imagine. A vegan diet, where cheese is off the menu too, would be completely out of the question. However, we’ve heard great things about enVie and we finally got a chance to check it out.

We arrived at the restaurant early on a Thursday evening and took a seat inside, where we were the only customers. (The patio outside was full.) The atmosphere was very quiet, soothing, and relaxing – perfect for the end of a long week. We started off with drinks (a Boxing Rock Temptation Red ale for Michael and a glass of Blomidon L’Acadie Blanc for me). The enVie menu is very allergen-friendly and easy to understand. Gluten, soy, and nut free options are all marked with either an indicator of no allergen as-is, or an explanation of what modifications need to be made. There is also a handy booklet at the table describing various ingredients and terms as well as a list of the restaurant’s local suppliers.

We decided on an order of buffalo risotto cakes (two for $8) for an appetizer. For the main course, I chose the Filet-o-Fresh (tofu burger with tartar sauce, greens, and a “cheese slice” made from cashews, $13 + $1.50 for a gluten-free bun from Odell’s) and upgraded to a poutine for the side dish (additional $2). Michael ordered the Moroccan Chickpea Bowl ($14) on our server’s recommendation.

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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!

Celiacs are Welcome at Burger Week!

The second annual Halifax Burger Week is upon us! With over 50 restaurants in this year’s lineup, Celiacs have a number of options to choose from.

The first two entries that stand out are from Heartwood and enVie. We haven’t reviewed either restaurant, but both list a gluten-free bun option right in their Burger Week entry!

There are also some amazing places that we’ve reviewed on the list.

• We’ve confirmed that both locations of Finbar’s can make their lamb burger gluten-free.
• The chef at Jamieson’s Irish House & Grill has Celiac disease, and we’ve always found them extremely accommodating.
• Both Relish and Flipburger offer tons of gluten-free options. The French fries at Flipburger are gluten-free, too!
• Rock Bottom Brewpub has one of the best burgers in town, and I’m sure their Burger Week offering will be amazing too.
• 2 Doors Down is one of our favourite spots in the city. We’re not sure if their Burger Week sliders will be gluten-free, but their Old School Cheeseburger (off the regular menu) is fantastic!

Another burger that we’d like to try is the one from Darrell’s. We’ve heard amazing things about their gluten-free options, but we haven’t made it there yet.

Let us know what you’re trying for Burger Week!

Brunch Goes Gluten-Free!

Going out for brunch is one of my favourite weekend treats! However, it can be hard to find gluten-free options amongst all the bread, pancakes, and waffles. In no particular order, here are our top picks for gluten-free brunch around the city.

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Pacific Naturals Comes to Canada!

Last fall, I posted gluten-free alternatives for soups and sauces. I knew about Pacific Natural Foods’ amazing options, but since they hadn’t come to Canada yet, I focused on options that you can make at home, since they give you so much more control over what you’re eating.

Here we are six months later, and I’m happy to announce that… Read more…

One-Ingredient Ice Cream?

A friend sent me this recipe and my head exploded: How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient!. It basically says you can freeze and puree bananas and make ice cream just from that ingredient. Perfect for those with allergies! I haven’t tried it yet but I am curious if others have, and […]

Wooden Monkey Never Fails to Please

The Wooden Monkey is the answer to every prayer uttered by Celiacs, vegans, and slow food aficionados in and around Halifax. Located on Grafton Street, their menu is built around organic, macrobiotic, locally grown, fresh, healthy ingredients. No deep-fried mozzarella sticks or farmed salmon to be found here!

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