Curiosity, Courage, and Chicken Pot Pies

Wrapped up in a cosy green, a colour which covers all the walls in this house, and symbolises the growth and rejuvenation it once stood for, and perhaps brings to us as well, I sipped a hot ginger and lemon tea and read a book beside the trails of rain streaming down the windows. Through a storm we spent huddled on our big couch or behind a pair of binoculars trying to spot the first white caps thundering into the harbour. Behind thick lenses we could see a brave fisherman in the wind, and the train of seagulls behind the boat as his crab traps were pulled up from under the waves. It was wonderful to feel so at home behind the front of a big storm rolling in, and the cups of tea held between our hands, or hot plates for dinner, kept us feeling comforted and warm. 

Perhaps it's just the cold left behind from a busy weekend of showing my friends some of my favourite places here while they visited, including a full bakery breakfast and some gluten free French toast for me, as well as a trip to Victoria in the pouring rain, but I've found having so much time difficult at the moment. Maybe it's also that we've been here a month now, and we really are settling in, I mean mum's getting movie suggestions from ladies at the grocery store checkout and we actually recognise people on our daily walks ("he was here yesterday," mum will whisper to me, or I'll wonder where the tall guy was as we come back around the beach). Especially underneath the patter of the continuous and comforting sounds of rain, and left dependant on ginger teas and Tylenol, as well as warming dinners such as home made chilli and steaming chicken pot pies, I almost feel restless to get out and explore, and finally find a foothold in this new town, among new people, and to step there to begin a climb into the unknown.

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Little Bit of Home's Fresh Carrots

While trying to explain a gluten allergy in French, and asking ma monatrice for help when a pizza dinner was planned on Canada day, I've had some practice with speaking French here. It seems I am the only one who doesn't eat wheat here, and so until the pizza had arrived one evening, the director had forgotten completely. I have been lucky to be able to communicate enough with the kitchen staff who are both kind and helpful in showing me the plates I can eat, although their long descriptions of ingredients can fly right by me at times. 

It was chicken stirfry without the noodles for dinner the first evening, with Greek salad on the side. The next night I waited a few moments to be served a delicious plate of gluten free pasta, which was cooked specially pour moi by my personal chef (or what I'd like to think of him as!) The chef has been extremely kind, and immediately after I arrive in the cafeteria, they recognise me and begin to prepare my meal. 

Which has frequently been a plate of gluten free penne for dinner these past few days, mixed with vegetables and a sauce or seasoning. 

My first breakfast I was glad to have a plate of baked scrambled eggs and hashbrowns with some fruit, and even more thrilled when I found the tea just around the corner from where food was served. A little oasis I like to think, and almost a little comfort from home. 

I think I've missed having a cup of tea in the afternoon most, those times during the day when we all sit down together with a hot cup, and slowly begin unwinding without much else to worry about. And we could stretch our legs out onto another chair without worrying about taking up space which one of the other 126 students could use. 

It's very easy here, and when the pressure of speaking clearly and quickly enough for others to pay attention isn't on my mind, I can focus on today, the moments maintenant, or meeting new people while introducing myself in French. It helps that everyone in small town Rivère-du-Loup is so friendly, some holler out car windows as they pass groups of us trying to find our way through a scavenger hunt of the town, or kids on their bikes wave as we pass on opposite sides of the street. They must be used to having a new group of students each spring and summer, and I'm just glad that instead of showing an annoyance at our misspoken and mispronounced French, they instead take the time to welcome us into this little town on the banks of the Saint Laurence. 

This morning, I awoke early in excitement   for an morning run, and when I was the only one who could make it out of bed, took the opportunity to explore the streets around where we've been staying for the past week. Set in a grid system with one main street running perpendicular to the river, the town is divided into an older part, which runs along the Rue Lafontaine and where many of the restaurants and amenities are. To the other side of the cégep are the large box stores, including a Wal-Mart where many students make frequent trips for things which have been forgotten at home.

Roasted Carrots with Thyme

A little reminder of home, fresh carrots grown right on Bowen, I really couldn't resist posting this recipe that I absolutely love. And there's something about cafeteria food that makes you really miss raw vegetables, both local and fresh, and without the need for too much sauce or seasoning. Carrots taken right from the ground have all the right flavours, which is why this recipe is so perfect with just a few, simple ingredients. 

Roasted until the sweetness of these carrots is developed, they're almost addicting, and a perfect appetizer or accompaniment to any meal with their delicate taste and bright colours. Who could resist something as interesting as a purple carrot? Or one that is white like a ghost-able!?

{Ingredients:}

2 - 3 bunches of whole carrots, with tops, preferably in different colours

1 tablespoon grape seed oil 

2 - 3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

{Directions:}

Preheat the ovent to 400°F.

Trim the green stalk of each carrot to leave only 2 inches or so, and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and fresh thyme leaves.

Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, the carrots should be tender.

A delicious side to any meal, or to top a favourite salad. 

Eggplant Fries with a Side of Delight

I was reminded of the post I wrote a few weeks ago, and my desire for fresh eggs, with the sound of our neighbors' chickens outside, and the brown blur speeding by the windows as a little hen raced back to the nest she had made beside our house in a little box filled with hay. They've got surprising speed those little chickens; I would never have placed a chicken on the same level of agility as my dog for example, given their tiny legs underneath such a comparatively large and rounded body.

As dad worked outside (it sounded like he chopped wood all afternoon, but we never really checked) he noticed a small indent in the hay shed. And amidst the pieces of straw bent round as if part of a large bird's nest, he noticed a perfectly oval egg in the centre, lightly spotted brown and still warm when he held it.

Our neighbors didn't seem to mind that we had been given an egg by one of their chickens, so after showing them our treasure we brought it inside to replace the depleted stock of store bought eggs from all of my baking. Instead, our neighbors laughed, and the chickens continued to have free range of both their yard and ours.

My luck didn't stop there.

As the morning rose, I sat by the windows and watched the chickens scurry past the fence and onto our driveway. Picking their way through the shrubs and trees, they explored the expanse of grass and hills that makes up our lawn. One little brown chicken scampered through the ferns and low trees, pausing beneath the branches for a few moments, hidden, and then returning to the open lawn.

I wish the little chickens would still give us their deliciously golden eggs, but sadly, I think they've been trained to lay only in the neighbours yard as of that weekend, since I haven't found anymore eggs, depositing checking quite regularly. I have still loved the taste of freshly poached eggs in the morning, or on particular week nights when breakfast for dinner sounds perfect, mum and I have a plate of poached eggs over cooked tomatoes and mushrooms.

When I found out that it was National Egg Benedict Day last Tuesday, I couldn't help but yearn for poach my eggs for lunch when I came home from school early, and drizzle a little bit of honey mustard dressing over top them with avocado, fried onions and tomatoes. Sure, it wasn't exactly an eggs Benny, but I really didn't want to stand over a stove top stirring the buttery Hollandaise sauce, and this version of mum's made a long day seem suddenly insignificant, a delicious plate of good food to brighten my mood. There really wasn't anything more comforting in the drizzling rain, and I was refueled moments after.

If there's one thing I've learnt being gluten free, if it isn't that I absolutely adore avocados, and will eat them with almost anything, it's that getting creative with ingredients, especially a wild array of vegetables and homemade sauces, is the best thing when in a pinch. Sometimes the best meals come from the food tossed together in a large saucepan and served with a tomato and basil sauce. Or when there's no gluten free bread? Eggs are wonderful baked in an avocado, topped with salsa or honey mustard dressing (it's my new favourite!) or quickly fry some rounds of sweet potato for a fancy-style beans on toast (or tuna melt). Anything made gluten free is jazzed up anyway, and even more so in flavour, and I've got proof (well, from mum and dad) who both exclaimed an undying enthusiasm with the plate of aubergine fries I served for dinner.

"This is our new thing! Mum exclaimed, and dipped another fry into the honey which had drizzled down to the bottom of the bowl.

I served a simple dinner of fries and salad, but as I said before, spruced up and gluten free. Both plates had the combination of sweet and savoury flavours, and from what I could tell, went very well with an entire bottle of red wine. I don't usually post two recipes, but since everything went so well together, with room for dessert (to come later), I'll post them both.

Eggplant Fries with Honey
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A new twist on the generic fries, and made gluten free! These eggplant fries are more tender than potatoes, and have their own unique, and subtly sweet flavour that will keep your hand reaching back to the dish of fries. And when drizzled with warm honey, there really aren't too many things that'll compare, and I don't think I'm going back to potato fries. 

I also tried frying a few slices of carrot, which also tasted delicious, although very different to the sweetness of the eggplant. I might whip up this easy seasoning recipe again, just to try my hand at some other vegetables... the pickle jar was beckoning this time, but hungry family members stopped me this time. A healthier version than the fairground fried pickles, its something I'll have to try!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
1 large eggplant

Grape seed oil for frying
salt for seasoning

honey

Directions:

Peel the eggplant, and slice into approximately three inch long and 3/4 inch thick fingers. Set aside.

In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the potato and tapioca flours, dried oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.

Toss the eggplant slices a few at a time in the seasoned flour until well coated.

In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, heat at least two inches of grape seed oil. When the oil is ready, drop a few sticks of eggplant into the oil – they should begin sizzling immediately. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or have the oil temperature drop too much.

When the eggplant fries begin to brown, about a minute later, flip them over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Remove the eggplant fries from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve hot with a shake of salt and a drizzle of warm honey.

A great snack or appetizer for 2-3 people.

Candied Pecan and Goats Cheese Salad
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A delicious array of fresh flavours, with the sweet crunch of candied pecans, and the creamy taste of goats cheese, this salad is perfect for the summer alongside something straight off the barbecue, or bring it to a dinner party and you'll for sure get the approval of all the guests - even if they just pick off the pecans as if they were candy.

Ingredients:

3 large handfuls baby spinach mix
1/2 cup candied pecans, recipe here
2 - 3 tablespoons of soft goats cheese
1/2 - 3/4 pear, sliced thinly

Directions:

When candied pecans are roasted and cooled, toss spinach together in a wide bowl.

Add over top pecans, goats cheese, and sliced pear, and you're almost to perfection!

I served this salad with my new obsession, Brianna's honey mustard dressing, and it tasted absolutely delicious.

Enjoy! xx S

Homemade Soup? So Easy!

I could barely pull out the Pumpkin Maple Dinner Rolls we had put in the freezer as containers and plastic bags of gluten-free baking tumbled over what I really wanted to eat with my soup today. I guess just having three of us in the house (two during the week) makes it a little difficult to get through all the cookies and brownies, muffins and then dinners, which we always seem to make excess of.

And then just last week, with the mid-January blues getting to us and forcing us to get out of the house, somehow, any way, we stepped off the ferry and drove to Vancouver for the Gluten Free Expo. Needless to say, we brought home an even greater selection of baked goods, gluten-free protein bars, chips and crackers, but proving to be just too much to be consumed in one or two evenings - into the freezer they went as well.

It was amazing how busy the convention was; tickets were sold out as soon as we got there, and there was a two hour wait for those who had already bought tickets. People who excitedly rushed up to the front desk with tickets bought online were greeted with an offer for a rebate, cash back for their purchase and time spent. However no one seemed to grumble unhappily, perhaps their bellies were content with the aversion to wheat - no upsets there: happy bodies, happy minds.

With the promise of different food options, and new substitutes for a gluten free girl, just behind those closed doors, we decided to head off for lunch before gathering a new sense of purpose to peruse the aisles of the expo - bag in one hand to be filled with samples.

Everyone eagerly approached tables, some pushing to be handed a gluten-free brownie cut and placed into a paper muffin cup first, while others grabbed at pamphlets before stopping in their tracks to read the small information printed on it. One woman, as I passed by her table with watchful eyes and just as I glanced at the selection of products lined neatly along the front of the table, caught me with a quick smile and leaned forward,

"Let me tell you about this product," she enticed,

"You're a growing girl, and you need fibre in your diet,"

How did she know? I wondered to myself, How does she already seem to know me so well, as she continued, labelling things which applied to me.

"You have a craving for protein," She also offered, and held up the product, a protein bar with 25 g of fibre.

"Come back and buy some with your mum," She whispered.

How did she do that? How was she able to get so personal in such a small amount of time, luring me in, connecting with me, and undoubtedly making me feel as if I had to return. I hurried past her table as I tried to return back to where mum was, head down and avoiding eye contact.

Later on, as the end of the expo neared, one aisle was increasingly filling up with more people, the promise of free gluten-free goods a certain lure. One table stood out as one man handed out whole loaves of bread and packages containing four large muffins, a very generous offer compared to the thumb-sized cookies given by neighbouring tables. Another popular table was serving gluten free noodles with the customer's choice of sauces, either sweet, spicy, or peanut, however as we passed by, their stocks were empty and they had already begun to pack up. It must have been the only table which we saw as completely empty by the time we got there - the popular demand for something savoury had overwhelmed them.

I felt like that today, overwhelmed by the sweetness of so many baked goods, especially after a Berry Cheesecake which mum made for supper last night - using gluten free granola ground with butter and walnuts for the base. Then, after hot chocolates with mum and dad this morning, I was craving vegetables and spices, and the bright colours of fresh produce.

Sweet Cumin Carrot Soup
Print recipe here.

A touch of honey added to the warmth and richness of cumin seeds with the smooth carrot elements create a soup that is both hearty (just the right ingredients for an energy boosting soup) and comforting for those rainy, cold days - or any day really.

This ultimate comfort dinner soup can be chased down with a Pumpkin Maple Dinner Roll, buttered and topped with a chunk of cheese.

I love the rich colour of this soup, which just screams out as being healthy and full of vital nutrients and antioxidants. These carrots are high in carotenoids, which is also found to reduce the risk of diabetes - and increase how much you can see at night!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, diced finely
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

approximately 3 cups coarsely chopped carrots, or baby carrots
1 tbsp honey
6 cups vegetable stock

4 spoonfuls sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, cumin, and salt. Stir until softened, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the carrots and honey.

Pour in stock and bring stovetop to a boil. Reduce heat slightly; cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, this should take approximately 25 minutes.

In batches of 2 or 3, purée the soup mixture in a blender until smooth. Careful, the heat may make the mixture bubble while blending, so hold the lid on tight.

For a thinner soup, strain before adding more water, or just spoon the soup into bowls as is.

Garnish with sour cream and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.