Gluten Free Gourmet Pear Pizza (vegan option)

This is my new guilty pleasure. At least, I think I should feel guilty because it's pizza. But since it's healthy, there's really not much to feel bad about, so it's the best of both worlds - I get the thrill of being bad, but I know I'm really being good.

I mean look at it!! It's absolutely smothered in fruit AND vegetables!

Pears AND kale!

It might sound crazy, but it's utterly delicious. Think about these combinations...

Sweet (pears) and salty (feta - optional)
Soft (pears, again) and crunchy (kale & crust).

Oh yeah baby. Pizza night has been revolutionized.

Also, if you happen to be allergic to raw pears - like me - the cooking time can help kill the allergen proteins, so some of you might find this safer to eat than raw pears :) 

What to do with Squash Leaves and Stems: 9 Gluten Free Ways to Use Squash Leaves (Tenerumi)

This post was originally published on August 18, 2013, but it's such a popular post this time of year I'm bumping it up so that those of you looking for ways to use up your squash leaves can find some suggestions.

Don't forget to check the comments section, as tons of people have been kind enough to share their wonderful international recipes!!

Ever wondered if can you eat squash leaves? 

I noticed these big buckets of fuzzy, curly, decorative squash greens for the first time a while back at the farmers market. We eat a ton of greens, but I’ve never grown squash so it just never occurred to me to question if squash leaves are edible.

I asked the older Hmong lady selling them what to do with the squash leaves. She told me to peel the fuzzy skin off and boil them. This was rather vague, so as soon as I got my bunch home I scoured forums and blogs and found squash leaf recipes ranging from Hmong to Thai to Nigerian to Italian.

I’ve shared 9 different ways I found to make use of squash leaves and stems, as well as some tips for prepping and using them. So if you have pumpkins, zucchini or other squash spreading in your back yard, or you see a bunch of them at your farmers market, go buck wild with these ideas!

My Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

Guys, it's finally cool enough that I can turn my oven on!! I know it's sad to see summer on it's way out the door, but damn if I don't miss Pumpkin Pie, and with the leaves changing colours I think it's the perfect time for it :)

Of course, pie isn't the only thing we'll be eating this week. So keep on reading to see what else we're munching on.

Easy, Gluten Free Microwave Lemon Bars

Woah, Nelly!! Did you know it was possible to make a shortbread/pie-like crust in the microwave?? And that it could be gluten free? I just experimented with this last week and made the most amazing dessert in the microwave.

Mind. Blown. 

So many doors have opened in my brain.

But let's start with these lemon bars. These lemon bars are simply divine. And can be whipped up in no time, without even turning on the stove.

They have a buttery, crispy crust, and the lemon filling is tart, sweet, and all things good. My father-in-law said these were the best lemon bars he's ever had, and I have to agree.

My Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

Wheee! The weather is cooling down a little, and I'm sorry for those of you who love summer, but I'm a West Coast girl and I do miss the rain and cooler weather.

The other upside of that is that it means I can turn on my stove again once in a while :)

Regardless, though, this week's meal plan is still pretty quick and easy, and stuff that doesn't require a lot of stove-top or oven time. I'm also going out a couple of times this week with girlfriends so I'm making sure there are leftovers for hubby to snack on (although he does make a pretty mean pasta when he wants to!)

Easy, Gourmet Gluten Free Microwave Macaroni & Cheese (Vegan Option)

Well, it's still hot here in Vancouver, and I very much dislike turning on my oven in this sort of weather.

Recently, I posted 15 Easy, Vegetarian and Gluten Free One-Pot Meals, almost all of which can be made on the stove top in under 30 minutes, and thereby cutting back on time spent slaving in a hot kitchen.

But when the thermometer outside hit 40C / 104F even that 20-30 minutes seemed too much. So I turned to Google and my microwave...

And ended up making this delicious, gourmet gluten free macaroni and cheese in a mug. It's waaay healthier than most packaged stuff, so easy, so delicious, easy clean up, and very flexible. There is a chance I may make pasta in the microwave forever more...

I'm sure somewhere in my neighbourhood there is an old Italian lady crying over her pot of putanesca at that statement, but it's true ;) 

Also, if you have kids that love pasta, but you don't want them turning on the stove just yet, or they can't be bothered to pull out pots and pans, this is a super easy recipe for them to make! 

How to Make and Can Crab Apple Jelly - A Step by Step Guide

I've been helping my mom make crabapple jelly for as long as I can remember. We used to have a big tree in our backyard and every year we'd pick a whole bunch of them and make tons of jelly, some of which was gifted to friends and family throughout the year.

Crabapple jelly is one of the easiest jellies to make, and the colour - depending on your apples - is absolutely stunning! But like all jelly-making and canning, it's just a bit time-consuming.  However, I'm going to show you how I do it (with pictures) as quick and easy as possible!

Also, if you're in the canning mood, you  might want to check out my tut on how to make dill pickle cucumbers, it's another canning recipe I've been doing since a little girl!

My Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

I'm a little behind posting this week's meal plan, but here it is! It's been super hot again, and I've been working on a new series of recipes based around making meals in the microwave because it is waaay too hot to turn on the oven!

So stay tuned, because I have a couple of recipes coming up on the blog, like easy GF lemon bars, mug pasta, and more :)

But for this week, I'm focusing on one-pot and crock-pot meals, to keep the heat out of the kitchen!

Eating Gluten Free in Winnipeg

Last week I spent five days back in my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba visiting with my elderly grandmother in a care home. When there, it's usually up to me to choose where my family and I eat, since I'm the one with the food restrictions.

So I did a bit of research and came up with a few places near our hotel in the Fort Rouge / Osbourne Village area. Here are a few places I came up with, and my thoughts on them:

My Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

Imagine me with a sheepish wave right now. Right after I said I'd be posting more regularly I promptly turned around and didn't post anything for two weeks ago.

I do have a reason this time, though. I ended up in Winnipeg, my hometown, visiting my grandmother who lives in a care home. So the upside of that is that I can now do an updated post on eating gluten free in Winnipeg...

But here I am, back in Vancouver, in the midst of a heat wave, and meal planning.

Needless to say, this week involves one-pot meals, leftovers,  vegetables cooked in the crock pot, and salads!! 

15 Easy, Vegetarian and Gluten Free One Pot Dinners for Hot Summer Nights

Hi all, I know I've been AWOL the last month, and I apologize! Things have been quite hectic, I released The Draughtsman's Daughter early this month, and my brother-in-law just had a fabulous wedding on Friday, at which I was the MC.

But now that the dust has settled, I hope to be back on schedule for regular postings!

Earlier this summer I went through a one-pot meal phase, and I decided for ease of access to put a bunch of my best, gluten free one-pot dinners together in one post. There's nothing worse than slaving over a hot stove in the heat, stirring and frying and boiling and sweating and swearing... oh, wait, that may just be me! 

So here it is! A list of easy, healthy, gluten free one-pot meals (almost ALL of which have vegan options) that can be whipped up in no time - most under 30 minutes - and are perfect to keep the kitchen cool in the summer heat!

Canadian Food 101: In honour of Canada Day!

Yup, that's me exercising my nationalist pride 

July 1, 2016 is Canada's 149th birthday!  

In honour of that, I'm re-posting one of my older Canada Day posts. Here, you'll find a ton of info on Canadian food and a few of our food traditions.

I've also updated it with a Youtube playlist of some of classic Canadian music, stretching across aaalll kinds of genres from the birth of 80's Canadian hip hop to Leonard Cohen, K'naan, A Tribe Called Red, and more!