Enjoying Gluten Free Brunch

The camera felt too heavy to hold and snap up photos this week, even though I was cooking and experimenting each day in the kitchen, with new ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And despite being busy with a new job, a new schedule, I was still cooking and baking, but neglecting to write down anything, my only records being photos quickly snapped up with my phone and a quick two-line caption for Instagram. I have to say that this past week has given me lots of food for thought... quite literally, and I have more ideas for recipes which I will hopefully have time to make before another round of days where I'll be working.

Here's some of the last week's shots, an incomplete diary of gluten free meal ideas, but definitely some of my favourites, and some of my favourite creativity with breakfast and lunch. Brunch.

Starting last week with training at my new job, a receptionist at one of Sooke's hotels, I spent the last of my lazy weekends stretching mornings out, spending time with family, and hiking up one of the mountains nearby. One Sunday morning was spent in my fuzzy pajamas, a hot almond milk mocha, and some gluten free toast. The bread I use now comes from a local bakery called Little Vienna, where they have an array of speciality foods, from cakes and pastries to cookies and doughnuts, and a whole menu of soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch. Among them, many items are wheat free, so we often stop by for a cup of coffee and a small bite under the sun, leaving with buns of bread for dad, and some gluten free for me. And so, for an autumn breakfast, these buns toasted, one half topped with raw chocolate hazelnut butter, the other with local marmalade, and for a perfect finish, some sliced banana, are delicious any morning.

It was a lazy Sunday morning after all, one complete with a little fog that quickly dissipated as the sun warmed, so I felt little need to cook up eggs, keeping my inner laziness happy for just a little while longer.

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Spin It Around Again

Do you remember when it was enough to spin in constant circles on a grassy field, the open sky extending forever around you, the trees blurring in a deep green and forming a comforting wall around you? Do you remember those afternoons, or under an expansive array of stars, when you would spin around and around to create your own thrill and enjoyment in having everything around you in complete and utter chaos. Remember how exhilarating it was once you stopped spinning, but everything around remained in constant motion?

That was before our minds began to spin on their own. 

Before things around us moved in their own paths, and before we lost the innocence of being completely unaware of this strange force propelling changes. 

As I begin to learn again that these changes, and this constant movement, is something everyone must learn to live with, and instead of trying to rein it in with control (and a lot of struggle), we learn to make the most out of every situation while enjoying the most of the moment. Even if the glass does fall to the ground as you lean to take a sip, the face of your friend as she leant to grab it only too late, was damn funny. 

Even if the dance they held for us here was no fun, with everyone standing in small groups, we can still spin. Spin to change how we see it, and spin to change our perspective of it. 

And then we also played duck, duck, goose, right there in the middle. Really, it wasn't a bad night. 

The kitchen staff have also began to put their own spin on my gluten free meals as well, becoming a little more creative with ingredients and dishes than the staple of gluten free pasta for meal after meal. It makes other students jealous, when they're served corndogs... And I come out of the kitchen with a breakfast sandwich. Complete with an egg and tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and in between two slices of slightly toasted gluten free bread. 

I feel bad that I've recieved a little extra care and attention at meals, especially when it comes to the bad cafeteria meals that are sometimes cooked in mass trays and served without delicacy, but I appreciate it all the more. 

À bientôt mes chers amis!

xx S

There's Something About Breakfast: Pancakes

By mid-week I always miss being awoken by the sweet smell of breakfast cooking on the stove, which  will fill the house, and swirl into each room and tumbling around in a delightful sort of tease under our noses. Pancakes that smell like freshly baked banana bread - and even taste like it - sound wonderful at the moment.

Except my stomach is full from a breakfast date this morning, and I ate more like a mad woman than the delicately put together girl I wanted to portray in these knee high boots and black jacket. Perhaps I'll think of these pancakes again when I am home and feel the need for a pick me up, or a restart to the day after travelling back to the island.

We woke up early with the sound of my friend's little brother laughing and chatting as he began his Saturday morning playing in his pajamas, giggling at being tickled and running around the hall of the apartment. I wasn't mad to be awoken so early, instead, I was glad that the sun was streaming in through the open curtains, and the brightness kept my eyes open as I slowly became more and more conscious to the awakened day.

We must have made pretty good haste to be out of the restaurant where we decided to go for breakfast that morning so early before noon, and left the apartment bundled in coats and scarves to face the wind as joggers ran briskly in full running gear. At least we were spared a nice day free from Vancouver's notorious rain. However as I sit here writing it seems that it was only a short bout of sunlight, and the clouds once again are covering the strong rays.

The little place we went to was on Main Street (my favourite street in Vancouver!) amongst little stationary shops, independent clothing stores, and many antique shops. Called the Wallflower, it had black painted designs across the walls and if you looked close enough, you could see little photographs of people's faces that were cut out and then stuck on the wall in the centre of a flower. Even tinier, were sometimes little sayings next to the photo. I wanted to ask them what it would take to get my name on the wall,

"Perhaps I would need to be a frequent customer?" I asked.

Their menu included many gluten-free options, and I was so excited to see the vast choices of items I could actually eat - including Egg's Benedict, something which I haven't had gluten free, and have surely been craving. Underneath the headline, an entire section was devoted to Egg's Benedict, from original to vegetarian, to smoked salmon and cream cheese.

There we sat, the three of us, with our large plates of breakfast in front of us, mine the smoked salmon Egg's Benedict, and forks and knives in hand. It seems amazing now that I was able to eat as slow as I did, knowing now how delicious it was. And I'm sure the bun used was made from tapioca flour, something that I'll be sure to try soon.

Since I haven't yet formed the perfect breakfast bun, similar to the Brazilian Breakfast tapioca bun that came with my lunch from the Ethical Kitchen and now similar to this gluten free English muffin, to make my own Egg's Benedict, I'll give you a breakfast recipe that will surely satisfy that craving for something sweet, and healthy, on your lazy weekend mornings. (Or anytime you wish, really. Because when aren't pancakes perfect!)

I might even make them for lunch today, they really were that good. Have you heard of a second breakfast?

Dad is always my pancake man - he always gets the temperature just right,
resulting in delicious and perfectly cooked pancakes each and every time.
Of course, the recipe needs to be sound or our pancakes won't turn out so
finely tuned.

Gluten-Free Banana Oat Pancakes
Print recipe here.

Since we've always been drawn into cooking crêpes on the weekends, reminiscent of dad's "famous" breakfast crêpes, I decided this morning to venture into something new - real pancakes, made with banana and oats.

Fluffy and golden brown when cooked, these gluten-free banana pancakes have a sweet, creamy middle to be cut into. A healthy and delicious, naturally sweetened breakfast for those lazy mornings. It's the perfect comfort food thats enjoyed around the world, incarnated with sweet flavours when paired with maple syrup, or savoury when served with cooked vegetables and cheese. The modern day pancake even dates back from Roman times, and the earliest known recipe for pancakes was found in a 16th century Dutch cookbook. So delve into history with a hearty plate of pancakes this morning.

Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients

2 small bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 small lemon, juiced)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 eggs

1 cup oat flour or ground oats (I used a blender to grind regular baking oats until fine)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, lemon juice and maple syrup.

Beat in the eggs. If your coconut oil goes back to its solid state like mine did at this point, just warm the mixture for short 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, until it is melted again.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With a big spoon, stir just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Do not overmix or you’ll run the risk of getting tough pancakes!

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. The book notes that you may want to thin out the batter a bit with a touch of milk or water, I did not.

Heat a heavy cast iron skillet (or nonstick griddle) over medium-low heat. If necessary, lightly oil the surface with vegetable oil or cooking spray.

Once the surface of the pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles on it, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. Let the pancake cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the cake.

When the pan is just beginning to set, flip it with a spatula and cook for another 90 seconds or so, until golden brown on both sides. You may need to adjust the heat up or down at this point.
Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.

These pancakes freeze well.

Enjoy! xx S

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Pumpkin Waffles

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

A Thought of Eggs; A New Cookie

My neighbors got chickens this winter. At first there were only two, dark brown little things that chased each other around the yard and squawked little. I remember hearing something about chicken-sitting for a friend, a test of the brand new coop just they had just built amongst a cluster of trees, and a trial at taking care of such delicate little creatures.

I had no idea how sensitive chickens were to stresses around them, and the changes to the mundane patterns in their lifestyles. However, when these two were moved into the little patch of land beside us, they trembled with fright and refused to lay any eggs for at least a couple of weeks.

Suddenly, I've noticed that the number of chickens running freely around on the other side of our fence dividing the properties only in appearance, has doubled. I see four chickens now, and they make twice the amount of noise. I just tell myself that it won't matter when I find the perfect day to wake up before everyone else, a warm day in the summer when the sun rises early, and I'll sneak my way past the end of the line of fencing, and find a perfect, fresh, egg awaiting.

Imagine the possibilities for breakfast with a real egg in my hand, still warm, with an inside glowing and golden. I know my neighbors feed their chickens vegan feed only, and with the exercise around the yard they're guaranteed free range. So much better than any store bought eggs.

I'm not condoning stealing, especially from an innocent animal, no way, but rather describing my need for wholesome, fresh food right from the source of where it's produced. I'd much rather eat food which is limited by the season it's produced in, but be intoxicated with the violent bursts of flavour in each bite, the cacophonous colours of purple carrots, the deep dark forest green of kale, and brilliant orange of egg yolks.

Every time I crack an egg I think to myself as if it were a mantra, and as if the willing tone in my voice could cause it to be true,

"Farm fresh eggs... Farm fresh eggs... Farm fresh eggs..."

Until the dull yellow of the yolk breaks, splashing into the bowl and being pulled apart, I've suddenly forgotten for a moment the thrill of having a fresh egg. We try our best at purchasing organic and free range eggs, only supporting local BC farms and ethical practices, but oftentimes, especially on a small island, we forget the impact in buying something which had travelled across the province, or even the country, to look at the cheapest price. Living in such a vast country it's easy to forget how many boundaries really do divide either side, from the coast of British Columbia to where my sister bundles herself up to face the Montreal storm, and the cost of travelling from one side to the other.

So instead of plotting revenge on the chickens, I think I'll just relax with a warm cookie from the oven, full of tasty goodness and made with whole and healthy ingredients, and save those fresh eggs for breakfast when they've settled down into their new home, and forgotten the trials of travelling in the back of a truck, being bumped up and down over uneven roads of Bowen.

Almond Cookies with Coconut and Chocolate
Print recipe here.

I was so excited about these cookies that I began pinching chunks of chocolate and coconut while gathering my ingredients, and eating the dough when everything was mixed together. There are two things which are absolutely fabulous about this recipe: It is very quick and simple to make (I quickly had to whip up another batch the next day after making these, everyone just kept eating them!), and they are filled with healthy ingredients; I won't forget the fact that the cookies made were completely wonderful, the perfect blend of chocolate chip and coconut, and possibly the best version of chocolate chip cookies that anyone - gluten free or not - would be thrilled to be presented with a plate of. Because even after one day, a plate of twelve cookies had vanished between three of us.

Makes between 12 and 16 cookies

Ingredients

1¼ cups almond meal
¼ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ tsp baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup brown sugar

1 egg
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, combine almond meal, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Mix, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg before whisking in the melted coconut oil and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are evenly blended.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Using your hands, roll the dough into small balls, approximately 1 - 1 ½ inch wide, and place on the baking sheet with 1 inch between each cookie. Press down with the palm of your hand to flatten a bit.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown.

Enjoy! xx S.

Bakin' Eggs All Right, Uh-huh!

I didn't think it would happen, however today as I gathered ingredients to bake Chocolate Snowball Cookies for dad's Christmas party tonight, I was actually nervous to use a substitution of wheat flour in place of my usual gluten-free flour mix. I was careful not to get any flour into the bags of sugar and in my mouth, which I imagined would be hard, however, as I mixed and brought ingredients together, I was not pleased by the look of the concoction forming in the bowl.

A sticky, gooey, stretchy, elastic...

That's not how those little cutie cookies were meant to look!

They didn't even hold their form as well as the cookies baked with coconut and sorghum flours, a surprise to me, and instead, as soon as I placed the little ball forms on the baking sheet, they melted down, oozing outward and flattening out. I had to add more flour a couple of times just to bring them back to a kind-of-desirable shape.

It's interesting to look back on this cooking "adventure" today, because as I mixed with a big wooden spoon, my arm slowly aching from the sticky dough pulling and grasping at each tug from my end, I had to add more and more flour just to get it back to the perfect moisture - it was eating away at the dough.

And yes, I do mean to personify it like it were a beast, but it shouldn't be really, it can be overcome like anything, it's not scary, just look at all the recipes I've been so lucky to try!

So each day, I take enjoyment with every meal, cooked or eaten, and love when I find something new, as if it were buried beneath the layers of an onion's skin, or inside the shell of a recently cracked egg. Perhaps even buried so deep, it remains locked up in the seed of a mango. It's an exciting and endless search, one that I hope to continue, and with a thirst for knowledge in the same manner that my hunger for irresistibly delicious and healthy food grows.

I trust the simple flavours in my food, those rich delicacies of home baking, as well as the subtle taste of raw ingredients carefully paired to complement each other.

Just like friendships, the best pairs are born from a base of truth, and only then can you really know the person. I'd like to know what really is in my vegetables as well, why can't we have that truth as well? I'd like to be aware of other products that may be in my eggs, and the past of the fish, even if its history consists of only a statement of its diet. Although even that's hard now.

However in our best effort, and in our best interest, mum and I opt for the freshest vegetables and eggs from chickens that are free-range and organically fed. At least that way we have a small indication of how the chicken lived, but I still hope that some day I'll raise my own little coop of chickens, with the benefit of farm fresh eggs each morning. A perfect start; protein; nutrients; truth; knowledge.

Baked Eggs with Tuscan Roasted Vegetables
Print recipe here.

The flavours of this oven baked dish are warm and fresh, a beautiful and colourful array of tastes and vegetables in the serving platter. No spices or herbs are needed with the fresh, organic vegetables used in this recipe, as their flavours are strong enough to be enjoyed as they are. It can be served on its own, a perfect dose of protein, or accompanying a few roasted potatoes or spiced couscous at dinner. However, enjoy this to start the morning, to keep you going at lunch time, or as a healthy and satisfying dinner.

The vegetables can also be roasted beforehand, sealed and then stored in the fridge until you're nearly ready to eat. Baking the eggs only takes a few minutes, so this can be prepared very quickly this way.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp grape seed oil, or other oil suitable for frying
1/2 white onion, sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced

2.5 oz (70 g) fresh baby spinach leaves, whole

4 fresh, organic eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the onions until they soften, then add the peppers until they too begin to soften and the onions to brown.

Transfer to a wide baking dish, and add the sliced tomatoes and baby spinach. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

Crack the whole eggs over top the vegetables and return the dish to the oven. At this point you may wish to increase the heat to 400°F for a faster cooking time. At 375°F the eggs should bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 2 - 3 minutes, this will also allow the eggs to harden slightly.

Serve and enjoy!

As The Leaves Dropped, She Said "Wha-Fell?"

"Wha-Fell?"

"What fell?"

Leaves, fluttering like feathers, rhythmical swayed back and forth as they descended from the trees this morning -

"Waffle!"

"Waffles for breakfast?"

The leftover pumpkin purée in the fridge has been my topping for everything since Thanksgiving, I've especially enjoyed it with plain yogurt in the mornings as the subtle, indulgent flavours complement added fruits such as apples or bananas. Oh, and don't forget the added serving of vegetables at the same time!

I've been admiring all the pumpkin baked goods at Starbucks, which I don't grab anymore, as I reluctantly pull my eyes away,

Focus on the hot drinks instead.

Except even those drinks don't maintain the true pumpkin taste I crave when the leaves begin to float through the air on their way to the ground, a complement to the cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and delicately embodying what I think fall is about. Comfort. Familiarity. Cherishing the moments.

This morning, my friend and I in oversized university sweaters from our sisters, slippers, and pyjamas, made tea to warm up with as mum and dad woke up and we decided about breakfast.

Fittingly, for the house was chilly when we awoke, I received a text from a friend that read,

'Hey its snowing!'

And in the grogginess of sleep I thought it was from a friend who lived nearby, and the possibility of it never crossed my mind. So, my friend and I leant far out the window with arms outstretched trying to find droplets, rain or snow, and wondering where she had gotten the notion of snow. To our dismay the air was clear of falling crystals, despite grey clouds above, and bundling back inside, tripping over one another to reach our sweaters, I realised the snow was falling much farther north, home to one friend and the source of the text.

It must be around -30° C where she lives, a temperature intolerable for me, as I find myself in sweaters, scarves, a big coat and mittens in the current 10° C and the thought of the inevitable -5° C of our winters frightening. But I will embrace it with a mug of tea in the morning and some gluten-free hot cereal, which I'm working on at the moment. Preparations for winter.

Saturday mornings are the perfect day for a cooked breakfast with family, as are Sundays, when everyone's home and all are ready to relax into a long morning that stretches into an afternoon filled with the repetition of pouring teapots and the flow of chatter at the table. Idle chatter about the week's events, and the island gossip; laughter as we poke fun, but also chatter about what might really be going on underneath the surface of those around us, and why things are always changing pace.

I've learnt time and time again that its best to open up, and never to let things simmer on high as they're bottled. The pot will boil over eventually. And breakfast, even if things aren't said directly, is the perfect time for the presence of those around to become the net to catch words, whether they be good, grieving, or ambiguously embedded and tied up in the need for others to decipher them.

Baking is a lot like watching the formation of secrets, the spices become buried underneath the complex configuration of other ingredients, masked in colour by the whiteness of flours, and hidden by the thickness of the batter. However, underneath each crust, muffin top or pastry shell, we know whats been added, although unknown to the baker are the chemical processes that undergo when heat is applied. The baker's apprentice, the bystander, can't yet understand the effect each ingredient, each addition, every cause, will have on the outcome, and the consequence triggered eventually. And like hurt that's been smothered as if a thick smog blanketed it once before, feelings eventually reveal themselves, all those hidden secrets, and all those forgotten spices come out again.

They give the cake it's name, make the muffin flavourful, desirable, as the secrets reveal themselves from under the shell.

So within these waffles I've added spices and pumpkin, a complementary pair, working heroes together, that make these waffles, and this breakfast, special. Memorable. They've made it what it is.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Print recipe.

The moist and tender waffles can be altered to sport your favourite dried or fresh fruit, such as blueberries or peeled and diced apple, or even chocolate chips. Be happy with your creation.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

250 g Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 pumpkin puree
4 tbsp grape seed oil
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

2 - 2 1/2 c rice or almond milk

Directions

Heat up waffle iron and preheat oven to 180° F with a large plate inside. Combine all flour mix, baking powder and soda, and spices in a large bowl, set aside.

In another bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Make and well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredient, stir until mixed.

Slowly pour in rice or almond milk and stir constantly, add enough for batter to become thick and runny.

Spoon mixture into waffle iron and close, following cooking instructions specific to your waffle iron.

Transfer cooked waffles to a plate in the oven until all waffles are cooked.

Serve with maple syrup and slices of fresh apple or banana.

Egg-specting Today

The morning was cold but awash with sun from the cloudless sky. Down in the Cove I would expect to see swarms of tourists embarking the ferry dock, expectant of markets, shopping, restaurants and many different hikes to await them on the island.

However, to their surprise, it's an even more low-key island than the guide books suggest.

Especially in the fall, when crimson and bronze coloured leaves fall from the towering maple trees, who's trunks take more than five people, arms stretched wide and finger just touching, to wrap around the base. The tourists march their way up to the nearest local, upon being greeted by the few shops at the entrance of the dock, and express their need for another attraction which is generally met with,

"Well you could walk up that hill there..."

Or,

"There happens to be a bus in an hour and half..."

And so, turned away by the thought of walking up, wander around and snap pictures of the picturesque marina, filled with boats that bob like rubber ducks in the bath tub. The prickly wind rustles the leaves of the trees above, and hats fly across the green as surprised victims turn around in wonder.

In time, they'll venture up, rested by the tranquillity and serene atmosphere of this place. No one shouts at one another. People stop their cars in the middle of the street, forcing others behind to carefully manoeuvre around, to have chats with friends and neighbours. Kids and dogs run in the grass, chasing the thrown ball, laughing and barking with excitement.

The walk up to more shops is not long, nor is it strenuous, however it is not what visitors expect to be faced with when they arrive. The core of the island should be located along the beautiful ocean front, where waves lap lazily against the shore, and where most people want to spend their time, looking out from a spot on a bench.

Fall is the season tourists also yearn for a hot drink, coffee and hot chocolate sales rise while the ice cream shops slowly shorten their hours. They ask around, in hope of a place where they can warm up after exploring the well-known and well-worn trails.

Walking into the kitchen this morning, with my hair pulled back into a pony-tail and a sweater snuggling me in, I had stepped into a typical fall day, alight in a warm glow characteristic to this season alone.

Like pumpkins and squash that dot the valley fields in preparation for harvest, warm colours were cast out around the scene from our large windows out front, and leaves rippled on the alders.

Breakfast Eggs
Print recipe. 

Full of vegetables and protein, Breakfast Eggs are a great way to the start the morning right, giving you the energy and nutrients needed for a full day.
I added some chili spice to my eggs for added flavour, which revive the taste buds after sleep, and awaken the senses as well. And since this recipe does not take too long, it can be made before any big day quickly!

I served these with hash browns (recipe soon!), and I bet they would also be yummy on gluten-free toast.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp cooking oil, such as grape seed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 white onion, diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

5 free-range eggs
1/4 c rice milk
1 tbsp butter, or alternative such as Earth Balance
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of chili powder (depending on how spicy you prefer it)
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the onions and red pepper. Cook until softened, and slightly browned.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the rice milk, butter and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.

Lower the stove temperature to medium-low, and pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle the cilantro.

Stirring constantly, cook until the eggs come together. This may take longer than you expect, but do not raise the temperature. The eggs will turn out better without such strong heat, resulting in a softer, smoother texture without the rubbery consistency that results from eggs being cooked over high heat.