Making Sense Series

How to Caramelize Onions

The Confident Kitchen Series

Well, it was a sad day in the UrbnSpice kitchen when I realized I had developed a sensitivity to onions – not eating them, thank goodness – only for cutting and chopping them! There was a time when I wore contact lenses for years and years and didn’t have to give cutting onions a second thought. I would smugly chuckle at my teary-eyed colleagues as they prepared their daily mise-en-place. After having laser eye surgery, I now stand before you, adorned in goggles – teary eyed from all the cutting and slicing and dicing. However, this has not stopped me from one of the most important flavour booster processes in the world of cooking – caramelizing onions. So, in this post, I will share with you How to Caramelize Onions.

Caramelized Onions

The result of caramelizing onions is so worth the time it takes to make them – the tears are an added bonus – or so I am told. It takes very little effort to make them – it is a great technique for the novice or seasoned cooks. For those cooks who ‘love to hover’ over their speciality dishes, making caramelized onions is intensely gratifying.

The process of caramelization of bacon and onions will have people coming into your kitchen to see what’s cooking!

The versatility of caramelized onions or shallots alone makes it one of the best flavour enhancers to any dish. It is definitely worth your time to make enough to have on hand for other recipes and uses. Take a lamb burger to epic heights with the addition of caramelized onions. French Onion Soup would not be French Onion Soup without this important ingredient in the process. A bowl of plain onion soup just doesn’t have the same appeal.

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Roast Your Nuts!

By Denise Pare-Watson 1 Comment

The Confident Kitchen Series

If you want to “step it up a notch” in your kitchen, whether a professional kitchen or a home kitchen, Roast Your Nuts before using them in your recipe. It is a surefire way to elevate the taste of your food in both cooking and baking from flavourless to outstanding.

Why bother? You would not consider having a cup of coffee with un-roasted beans, would you? Have you ever eaten a cookie, cake or bread that has the addition of nuts that really did not deliver the taste you were expecting?

Roast Your Nuts: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

For example:

A chocolate chip pecan cookie
Hazelnut Raisin Bread
Granola Bars or granola
German Chocolate Cake with traditional coconut & pecan filling
Bar nuts, candied nuts, spiced nuts, etc.

As well, other food-related items that are not baked but have nuts added, such as:

A spinach salad with goat cheese, cranberries, sliced pears and candied pecans (that were not roasted beforehand)
A pesto with pine nuts or walnuts that were not roasted

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Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers

By Denise Pare-Watson 8 Comments

Here is the story behind these Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers: one of my daughters recently discovered that she had to temporarily adopt a gluten-free lifestyle due to some serious digestive and blood sugar issues. That can be quite challenging for some people to deal with. My work as a chef often touches on developing gluten-free recipes; however, concentrating on adapting familiar recipes that our family frequently made together became paramount to help our girl. She was getting tired of eating salads.

: Rock Star Veggie Burgers made for Kid of a Chef – Gluten Free Rock Star

One of the first recipes she wanted to adapt was Dad’s famous hamburger into a vegetarian version that would provide the protein and vegetables she required yet still give her the same satisfying feeling of satiety that his burgers gave her. And so, our family came up with these Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers.

I have to say that this is by far the best vegetarian burger I have ever had. They are a delicious and flavourful burger. I needed something that would hold the burgers together as a binding agent. Moistened gluten-free bread is always an option; however, why not step up the flavour component if you can?

In this gluten-free version of veggie burgers, I used rehydrated dried vegetable flakes. After rehydrating the vegetable flakes, I pureed them to make a paste and folded them into the vegetable burger mixture. As a flavour booster, it was amazing! So much so that we have used this technique in other gluten-free dishes. After trying them in the vegetarian version we now used them in regular hamburger mixture, meatloaf and meatball mixtures.

: Vegetable Flakes: dried and reconstituted

NOTE: Dried vegetable flakes can be found in your grocer’s bulk food section. They usually contain a mixture of carrots, onions, celery, leeks and garlic, and occasionally bell peppers, potatoes, and cabbage. They are useful for many recipes, such as soups, stews, and these veggie burgers.

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers

CHEF TALK: The combination of beans in this recipe is a favourite of mine due to the firmness of the chickpeas and the creaminess of the white beans, making a great texture for the burger mixture. Try making them slider size for a light meal with salad greens. For small plate sharing, or for an appetizer, make them Toonie size. The veggie burgers are gluten free, grain free, sugar-free, nut-free and dairy free. Note: for egg-free veggie burgers (if you cannot tolerate eggs or do not want to use the egg), substitute for 3 tablespoons of aquafaba liquid.

Yield: Approximately 24 slider-sized burgers, or 10 to 12 large burger sized portion.

INGREDIENTS:

Dried Vegetable Flakes	½ cup
White beans (white kidney, Cannellini bean)	1 can (19 oz., rinsed and drained)
Chick Peas (Garbanzo beans)	1 can (19 oz., rinsed and drained)
Vegetable Oil	1 – 2 Tbsp.
Green pepper	1 medium, diced fine
Onion, cooking	1 medium, diced fine
Mushrooms	½ cup, chopped fine
Garlic cloves	6 cloves, peeled, mashed finely
Tomato paste	1 Tbsp.
Chili Powder	1 Tbsp.
Ground Cumin	1 teaspoon
Coriander	1 teaspoon
Garlic salt	1 Tbsp.
Sea salt, fine	To taste
Pepper, ground	To Taste
Eggs (optional, if required)	1
Hot sauce (Tabasco or similar)	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	1 Tbsp.
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon
Parsley, flat leaf	1/3 cup, chopped

Optional: Gluten Free Panko Crumbs to coat the burgers

METHOD:

Rehydrate vegetable flakes in 1 cup boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. The vegetable flakes will soften and absorb the water. Drain and mash or puree the vegetable flakes to a paste.
Mash the beans in a large bowl with a fork (or food processor) until thick and pasty. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, sauté the diced vegetables (pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic) in vegetable oil. (Alternatively, place all of the vegetables in a food processor and process until finely chopped).
Cook the vegetables over medium-low heat until caramelized. Add the rehydrated vegetable paste.
Add seasonings and tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes.
Add this mixture to the mashed beans.
Combine together hot sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. Stir into the bean-vegetable mixture. If required for binding purposes, you may use an egg, beaten, if desired to achieve the texture you want for shaping the burgers – not too moist or too dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Using an ice cream scoop or another measuring tool, portion the mixture into large patties, or smaller slider burger portions, and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I used gluten-free panko crumbs to coat the burgers. CHEF TIP: The burgers benefit from a quick chill of 30 minutes or so in the refrigerator. You can also make them ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to complete the recipe.

Vegetable Flakes: dried and reconstituted

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burger Mix

: Rock Star Veggie Burgers are scooped and coated with gluten-free panko crumbs

To cook the Rock Star Veggie Burgers:

Fry the burgers in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil until golden, or.
Alternatively, in a preheated 350oF oven, bake the prepared veggie burgers on a baking tray until golden, or.
Freeze the uncooked or cooked burgers until firm and store in an airtight container in between layers of parchment paper.

Serve in lettuce cups with slices of avocado and tomato, and cheese (if it is not a dietary restriction). The photo of the burger uses tiny gluten-free buns.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Gluten-Free Flour Blends
Folding
Tweaking
__________

You Might Also Enjoy These Gluten Free Posts:

Gluten Free Rock Star (written by “Kid of a Chef”)

My Inspiration of the Day – Stuffed Whole Cabbage

Gluten-Free Tips and Techniques

Going Gluten Free

Gluten for Punishment

Gluten for Punishment, Too!

“It’s easy to impress me.

I don’t need a fancy party to be happy.

Just good friends, good food, and good laughs.

I’m happy.

I’m satisfied.

I’m content.”

Maria Sharapova

Happy Veggie Burger Making, Rock Stars!

If you give this recipe for Gluten Free Veggie Burgers a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

And lastly, my cookbook called, Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious

Volume Four: Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts,

recipes created using some of my favourite and cherished recipes from my pastry chef career

and transformed them into gluten-free recipes just for you!

Thanks for your support!

This post is linked to Gluten Free and DIY Tuesday

TWEAKING; A STUDY IN FLAVOUR AMENDMENT

By Denise Pare-Watson Leave a Comment

The Confident Kitchen Series

Are you familiar with the word tweaking? The term “tweaking” is sometimes used in technological communication, but chefs have used the expression as part of their kitchen terminology for years to describe the path they take to perfect flavours. This is called a Tweaking: A Study in Flavour Amendment.

Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast

During a recent cooking class, one of the students asked the question, “What do I do to flavour my food if it needs a little ‘something-something’? I don’t know where to start to fix it and what would I use to fix it?” The other students joined the conversation by asking, “what do I do if my dish is too salty, too sweet, or ends up being too bland?”

The focus of this article is to address these questions in a number of practical ways; for example, the proper use of seasonings such as salt and pepper and more sophisticated ones such as smoked paprika or reductions. I will discuss how to “tweak” a dish until it is pleasing to your taste.

The three most important steps in developing flavours are:

“taste,
taste and then,
taste again”.

This process is often ignored until the dish is finished and on the table. In professional kitchens, the tasting ritual is encouraged by having containers of fresh spoons available for the cooks and executive chef for continual tastings while food is being prepared. It is an important element in cooking and one that is stressed in good kitchens.

My husband is the tweaker in our family. He has the refined palate of a ‘saucier’ – one of the most important and coveted roles in a professional kitchen. When tasting, they can readily identify what the dish needs in order to balance the flavours. They understand what sour, sweet, or acidic addition would correct, enhance or brighten the flavour of a dish. If the balances of sour, sweet and acid in the dish are not in harmony, it is difficult to bring the flavours of the dish together….

Rooting for Rutabaga

By Denise Pare-Watson Leave a Comment

As a culinary instructor, I hear this again and again, “I have never really liked turnip or rutabaga”. My goal is to change that comment – I am going to root for rutabaga. Actually, the term turnip and rutabaga are often used simultaneously. In this post, I will focus on the lowly rutabaga.

The Lowly Rutabaga

First, I will explore what a rutabaga actually is, then explain how to properly cut a rutabaga, and then share a recipe with you on how to prepare a delicious braised rutabaga side dish that will change anyone’s mind when it comes to eating rutabaga. My grandchildren love this recipe!

Rutabaga is certainly an underrated root vegetable and one of my favourite, actually. It is a root vegetable that is, surprisingly, a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. It is sometimes called a turnip, or a Swede, or even a ‘neep’. Whatever it is called, it is worthwhile knowing how to prepare it properly.

There is no waste when it comes to using a rutabaga. The leafy tops of the rutabaga are edible, and I remember harvesting a few of the younger leaves of the plant when I was gathering produce for dinner from my Dad’s large garden. The young leaves are zesty in taste if used raw in a salad mix, however, try sautéing them. They are delicious and all that is needed is a bit of butter, minced garlic, salt and pepper for a change in your vegetable repertoire. They are quite mild in taste – much like spinach.

Nutritionally speaking, the edible greens are an excellent source high in vitamins K, A and C, along with manganese and fibre. The root of the rutabaga provides Vitamin A, C, B-12, B-6, D, Iron and Magnesium. The underrated Rutabaga is not so lowly after all, is it?

So, let’s get to the peeling and eating part. One of the first steps is peeling the rutabaga. This is often where the problem lies. When I teach my vegetable classes (Veggin’ It – A Fresh Approach), students are surprised when I teach them how to properly peel and cut a rutabaga. They are even more surprised when I had them taste it raw, and then again after it was cooked. Each and every time, I had them hooked!

Honey Glazed Rutabaga

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Your Work

By Denise Pare-Watson Leave a Comment

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

—Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple

Make sure your work, whatever it is, gives an indication of your passion, your creativity, and your spirit.

Be proud of your work!

If you are mentoring someone or teaching someone new skills, make sure that you take the time to teach them to stand back and look at their work accomplishments with pride.

This was something I started with my very young children when they started assisting with simple chores, like making their beds.

They were so pleased with their accomplishments.

I often watched them in their play (I am a play geek), concentrating so hard on what they were doing.

It was fascinating watching them attain skills purely by trying over and over again.

Playing is their work. Their work is playing.

This is their work.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper,

he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,

or Beethoven composed music,

or Shakespeare wrote poetry.

He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,

‘Here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well.”

This was their work.

Our journeys through life take us down many paths.

You will have many opportunities to share your passion through your work, even if the path does not always seem clear.

Take any opportunity to share your knowledge, your passion, your skills, and your thoughts.

Pay it forward.

This is your work.

More Like This:

The Wonder of a Child’s Mind

About Urbnspice

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Convection versus Conventional Ovens Tips and Techniques

By Denise Pare-Watson 3 Comments

The Confident Kitchen Series

Convection ovens are a source of confusion for many folks. It is one of the questions that I am often asked to explain how a convection oven works compared to a conventional oven. Some of the same folks who have asked me this question have high-end ovens in amazing kitchens. They rarely use their ovens because they really don’t know where to start. Trust me on this – cooking with convection ovens is NOT scary. This post is all about Convection versus Conventional Ovens Tips and Techniques.

Convection versus Conventional Ovens Tips and Techniques

To simplify, the convection is a forced air oven which makes your food preparation, cooking and baking more effective, efficient and versatile. The food cooks more evenly, browns beautifully (approximately 25 % less time), and at a lower temperature (typically 25°F less/15°C).

A good conventional oven has its place as well. My Mom has always had a conventional gas oven, and as much as I enjoy cooking and baking with a conventional oven, they do have a few drawbacks, such as: hot and cool spots in the oven, lengthy cooking and baking times, and lack of air circulation resulting in uneven browning. After using both types of ovens, it reinforces why I love using a convection oven.

Let’s start with an example: Upon visiting a friend just prior to her opening a new restaurant, she was stating in frustration…………….., “I hate this oven!” She asked me to take a look at the oven and give her some advice. Apparently, she was testing a recipe for the second and third time because her lovely lunch buns were not baking properly. After investigating, I noticed that the oven had some amazing features that would impress any chef, such as: convection bake, convection roast, no-fan, low-fan, high-fan options and the “convection-convert” choice (which is absolutely brilliant). She was a little hesitant to try any of these new features. After a few demonstrations of how these features worked and which feature worked best for which recipe, the once under-appreciated oven soon gained significantly higher status.

You can probably tell that I am an enthusiastic advocate of convection ovens. My first opportunity using a convection oven was in a very busy private golf club where I worked as a pastry chef. I soon learned the many benefits of baking, roasting or drying foods with a convection oven. I was hooked!

Convection versus Conventional Ovens Tips and Techniques

Here are a few convection oven features that I use and what I use them for:

To caramelize root vegetables or bake croissants and scones, I turn the fan on high. I want the tips of the vegetables to turn golden in the caramelization of the roasted vegetables and I want the quick rise of the scones and similar baked goods.
To bake a more delicate item such as a cheesecake or angel food cake, I turn the fan off.
I use the convection oven as a food dehydrator by turning the temperature and fan on low to dry apple or tomato slices, make jerky or dried citrus peel.
To bake cookies to golden perfection, I turn the fan on low.

As a chef, one of the features that I am delighted with is the capability to bake not one – not two – but three sheets of cookies at the same time with excellent results. The daily task list at work is lengthy, so this is a great feature. At home, this feature also works well on Grey Cup or Super Bowl Day when multiple trays of chicken wings and appetizers are a must. I also use all three racks at the same time for what we call “oven meals” – for example, roasting chicken legs on one tray, roasting diced butternut squash on another tray, as well as roasting seasoned potato wedges on the third rack. Take advantage of this feature to catch up on mise-en-place. Just yesterday, a tray of raw pecans halves went into the oven for roasting while the rest of dinner was cooking. I keep a variety of roasted nuts at the ready in my freezer for my marathon baking days or for sprinkling on morning breakfast bowls.

My convection oven tips:

As with any recipe that you make for the first time, remember that every oven is different! CHEF TIP: You will notice in the photo above that I have an internal oven thermometer hanging on one of the racks in my oven. If I am testing a recipe, particularly if it is a dessert or pastry item, I double check the temperature internally and make adjustments, if necessary before I put my food into the oven. And, I have found that different settings on ovens (bake, convection bake, roast or convection roast) fluctuate the internal temperature of the oven.
I tend not to depend precisely on the instructions for cooking times on most recipes and this is why: err on the side of caution and set the time for 30% less time than indicated in the recipe and keep checking until done. Adjust your recipe notes accordingly. I have a habit of keeping scrupulous notes regarding the correct cooking times and temperatures. Perhaps it is my competition background that has established this practice so clearly in my day-to-day routines. Our coaches told us to try, try and try yet again when working on a competition recipe. You made sure to keep very, very precise notes as to what you did, how you did it, at what temperature, in which oven, and how long it took. I would not expect that you would need to go to these lengths, however, I would encourage you to get into the habit of at least writing down adjustments to your recipes, with your particular oven as you go through the learning curve of using your convection oven.

Generally, when you are using the convection oven to bake, you can assume that you will bake 25 degrees F lower and it will take the same time as stated in your recipe. (See note above)
Keep in mind that roasting pans, cookie sheets and cake pans for convection ovens should be shallow in order for the fan to be the most effective and efficient. I use shallow cookie sheets to roast chicken as often as I use them for cookies with excellent results. There are also racks available to lift the items to be roasted from the bottom of the baking sheets or roasting pans to ensure fan effectiveness.
Pans that are lighter in colour (stainless steel, aluminum) yield the best results in a convection oven. Darker pans tend to make foods over-brown, so you will have to be diligent in checking on the cooking process. You might find it useful to keep this tip in mind: line these pans (as well as any other type of pan for easy cleanup) with parchment paper to avoid over-browning.
Typically, when you are using the convection oven to roast, assume that you will roast the item at the same temperature and that it will take 25% less time.

Using a convection oven need not be scary. There is a lot of information available to help you get started and I have listed several under the heading: Additional Resources below. You can now try some of your favourite recipes once again and I am confident that you will be pleased with the final product. Let me know how it is going? I am happy to offer more tips if you need them.

And as an extra incentive to get you started using a convection oven, here is a very handy convection converter that will help calculate convection temperature and convection time.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Learning Tips – Cutting the Cake

Fun with Pomegranates – Tips, Techniques and Recipes

Additional Resources:

Better Cooking Through Convection

What is a Convection Oven, and How does it Work?

How to get the Best Results with your Convection Oven

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

By Denise Pare-Watson 2 Comments

The Confident Kitchen Series

Today’s post will concentrate on, what exactly is the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder? In my day-to-day life as a chef, I am presented a lot of interesting questions regarding all kinds of stuff, such as:

1. What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

2. What does it actually mean when the recipe calls for “creaming” ingredients?

3. What is the difference between a conventional oven and a convection oven?

But first, I need to start with a story or two. Growing up in a family of five girls, there were lots of learning “incidents” in the kitchen. For example, there was the time that one of my sisters decided to make a cake. Her cooking experience up to that point was limited to scrambling eggs. That was exactly what she did when the cake recipe called for eggs! The addition of a leavening agent in this cake would have been helpful. None-the-less, the end result would still have been the same – the cake did have an “interesting” texture with all the yellow particles.

Recently, I was presented with a few recipes that had been used for quite some time in a bakery with a loyal clientele. One of the recipes was a bran muffin. While it was not a particularly extra-ordinary muffin, it was a regular on the list of items offered. I set to organizing the ingredients for the batter. The verbal instructions were: “you will have to overfill the muffin cups because these muffins do not rise at all”. My inquisitive nature kicked in, so, I asked myself these questions, “Why is this muffin not rising to the occasion?” What is preventing it from becoming a star attraction?

One of my mentor culinary instructors, Chef Maxwell, always ingrained into our heads that we should first read any recipe for balance and accuracy. He was the first to say, “just because a recipe is printed in a book does not mean that it is correct, in balance, or makes sense. So true, Chef, so true!

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

My Chef Mentor gave us very good advice. Checking a recipe for balance and accuracy is now something I do with every recipe before I start. When analyzing this particular recipe, I noted a few things:

a. There was baking soda listed as the only leavening agent in the recipe which had a lot of “heavy” ingredients (wheat bran, etc.)

b. The recipe had a good balance of acid (molasses and buttermilk) to counter the bitter effect of the baking soda. This balance is necessary to prevent the batter from tasting “soapy”.

c. When using baking soda, keep in mind that as soon as a liquid is added to the batter, the reaction is immediate (this reaction is caused by the acid); meaning, you should get the muffin in the oven quickly or it loses its effectiveness.

d. Baking powder is often used in addition to baking soda in a muffin recipe to give the muffin batter “lift” and tenderness. Baking powder is actually a combination of three ingredients and they all play an important role in the result.

e. You need to be careful when adjusting leavening products because if you use too much, you have a batter that will likely taste bitter – not very pleasant.

Here is a leavening formula that I use when assessing recipes similar to this one. It depends on the ingredients used, but as a general rule of thumb:

For every two cups of flour in a recipe, use:

a. 2 1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder, or

b. 1/2 teaspoon soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

There are a few things that could affect the overall result of your recipes:

1. Was an error made in the preparation of the recipe? In other words, even though you may be diligent about gathering all of your ingredients before you actually start the recipe, did all the ingredients listed actually end up in the prepared item? (i.e. were you distracted by phone calls, doorbells, children tugging at your jeans or chocolate in the pantry? They can affect the overall result.

2. Was there an error made in writing the recipe? Many recipes are not triple-tested or edited for accuracy of ingredients and method. I have a recipe from a professional reference book for a spectacular lemon mousse recipe that completely omitted the sugar in the list of ingredients!

3. Is it inexperience or over-exuberance that affected the overall result of your recipe? I remember when my daughters (youngsters at the time) and I made “The Best Ever Muffin Recipe” together, as we had done many times in the past. This particular time, the muffins were quite inedible. We discovered that the baking soda had been “helpfully” added twice and the baking powder had been inadvertently omitted.

4. Is your oven temperature accurate? A simple and inexpensive internal oven thermometer ($ 5 – $ 10 in a hardware store) can help determine if your oven temperature is accurate. If your oven is set to 350^oF and the internal oven temperature is 50^oF higher or lower, it can be detrimental to the result of your recipe. Adjust the oven temperature accordingly, and you will be pleased with the results. Money well spent for peace of mind.

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda: Best Ever Banana Muffins | urbnspice.com

This is an example of a perfectly baked muffin

As for the problematic bran muffin recipe – it went through a transformation with the addition of baking powder which made a big difference to the end result. The muffin was no longer dense and flat, but tender and light with a nicely rounded top when baked, as it should be. (Go to Muffin tips and Techniques)

In summary, baking soda and baking powder are powerful leavening agents, and when used properly and accurately, will result in excellent baked goods. The “cooked egg” method of making a cake is not recommended! No amount of leavening agent could improve that particular cake. However, it is interesting how this one particular baking misadventure has developed into an over-blown/inflated tale even after all those years ago! Fun in the Kitchen – what are your baking stories?

You Might Also Like These Urb’n’Spice Posts:

The Best Ever Banana Muffins

Convection vs Conventional Ovens – What is the Difference?

Baking Dilemmas & the Fix – See this Post

Additional resources:

David Lebovitz wrote recently about how to tell if your baking powder still works in this post

If you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Gluten for Punishment – The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

By Denise Pare-Watson Leave a Comment

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

I love my daughter to pieces – one might say that I am seriously addicted to her. When she first started to experience the challenges of having to adopt a completely gluten-free, grain-free diet, I welcomed her challenges of cooking as mine. We called it the summer of Gluten for Punishment.

We spent the better part of her summer holiday experimenting with recipes that she could easily reproduce at home and would be able to tolerate with her dietary restriction challenges. It was a challenging time for her, as well, trying to adapt to approaching food in an entirely different way so that her body would not punish her in the end with discomfort and reactions.

As a chef, I found this to be an exceptional challenge due to labelling inadequacies and a lack of viable recipes to build upon at the time. As her Mom, I felt empathy towards her as she experienced difficulties when invited to dinner or on restaurant outings. She wrote “Gluten Free Rock Star” which discusses, from her point of view, some of the anguish and perceived punishment that she and others like her, face on a daily basis. As a chef and her Mom, I was inspired and determined to pursue the task of making her life just a little bit easier by providing nutritious and delicious recipe options – she was growing weary of salads!

Gluten Free, Grain Free chicken & vegetable dinner

I am happy that we were able to create a few dishes that have worked for her. We have also experienced a few pleasant surprises in the process. For example, when creating a recipe for a gluten-free veggie burger, I rehydrated and pureed vegetable flakes to use as a binder for the burger mixture rather than using breadcrumbs. The complex flavour that this technique introduced into the mixture was wonderful and provided a much-improved texture when compared to the typically utilized bread crumbs. We have been using this technique ever since. Furthermore, we have adopted this technique with our meatloaves, regular hamburgers, and meatballs.

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burger Mix

We sure have come a long way since that initial cooking spree that my daughter and I shared that summer. There are so many products available now that make the choices for gluten free and grain free dietary restrictive shoppers so much easier.

You will also find many recipes on my blog that address gluten free, grain free and dairy free dishes, and I have listed a few below. Try making my recipe for Rock Star Veggie Burgers whether or not you are restricted to a gluten-free diet. They are delicious, flavorful, wholesome and healthy. Make tiny bite-sized versions of this burger to use for small plate events. Gluten-free buns are now available for sliders and burger sized versions. Even grain free diets can be accommodated by serving the Rock Star Veggie Burgers in lettuce cups or grain-free buns.

Rock Star Veggie Burgers | urbnspice.com

Rock Star Veggie Burgers made for Kid of a Chef – Gluten Free Rock Star

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

There are many things to consider when cooking for someone with dietary restrictions or food intolerances.

Expect that some experiments will be successful and others that may prove to be disastrous!
Expect that some experiments may not be tolerated despite the fact that ingredients used were on the “okay” list.
Expect that some unique ingredients may be difficult to source in some areas.
One thing that will become readily apparent is label reading. There are many hidden sources of food intolerant ingredients and one must be ever vigilant in the “learn and determine” stages of sourcing, buying and preparing food for anyone with food restrictions (allergies) or intolerances.

Some links that I have found proved useful in my research for these particular food intolerances are:

Grain Free Living: http://www.grainfreeliving.com/home

Canadian Celiac Association: http://www.celiac.ca/

There are many books now available that focus entirely on eating gluten free and grain free. Many of these books are written by someone who has personally had to either cook for someone with dietary restrictions or they themselves have had to adopt this way of eating. They also understand the challenges faced by their patients, clients, family and friends. They are also passionate about providing clear and concise information and recipes to help those needing to adopt a similar dietary lifestyle.

The challenges of cooking or baking gluten-free does not have to be a punishment. With so many people adopting a gluten-free lifestyle, it is a dietary challenge that many of us will encounter in one way or another. Think of it as your life’s next learning adventure. You, too, will become a gluten-free rock star.

You might also Enjoy:

Gluten-Free Tips & Techniques

Gluten Free Rock Star

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers

Potato Crusted Quiche

Smashed Potato Pizza

Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts by UrbnSpice

You can find me on social media (see links below) – be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

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Gluten Free Rock Star

By "Kid of a Chef" Leave a Comment

KID OF A CHEF SERIES

Written by “Kid of a Chef”

The Gluten-Free Rock Star

Living your life Gluten-Free, whether by design or by requirement, forces you to become the most demanding person alive (aside from other Gluten-Free harridans) when eating a meal away from home.

Whenever I make dinner plans, I am immediately perceived as a mix between the infamous character Sally in the film “When Harry Met Sally” and a slightly deranged Rock Star who has a list of requirements to play at your stadium. Except that instead of a stadium, I am in your kitchen, and instead of a film, it is real life.

I dread going out for dinner or being invited to a friend’s house because I show up with a list of demands longer than the intended menu. First, I can’t have anything with ANY grains or gluten. Secondly, I can’t have anything that THINKS its a grain. Next, I want to check each-and-every ingredient you are cooking with to make sure it is not bound to any sort of gluten or grain-type product. Anything that quacks like a grain probably is one and will send me into fits of reaction for days on end. If you don’t have a completely gluten and grain-free kitchen, I will have nothing at all. Oh, and don’t forget, I want you to pick all of the BLUE M&M’s out of the candy jar (not red, just blue), put them on a silver platter and sing falsetto while balancing on your head juggling pickle jars.

Gluten Free Rock Star: Gluten Free, Grain Free Chicken & Veggie Dinner | urbnspice.com

Gluten Free, Grain Free chicken & vegetable dinner

Sometimes I think juggling is easier than cooking an entire meal to accommodate one measly little person. What right do I have, I think to myself, to make such impossible demands on people? I am often asked by a nervous dinner host how they could possibly know if they have made a truly gluten-free/grain-free dinner. I have gotten out of the habit of answering in a comedic tone as that does not seem to go over well and respond by simply saying: “A salad will be fine. In fact, I can even bring my own.”

…

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The Gluten-Free Rock Star