Gluten Free Recipes

All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into creative and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of July is all about incorporating “The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into a “Fiesta” dish. A fiesta is defined as a festival, a carnival, or an excuse for a big party or gathering. When I think of a Canadian festival, poutine is always on the list of menu items. For this reason, I am sharing a recipe for All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist.

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All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist | urbnspice.com

All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist: Caramelized Pork, Mushroom and Maple Topping and All-Canadian Poutine Gravy

The Caramelized Pork, Mushroom and Maple Topping for the poutine incorporates the ‘blend’ in an All-Canadian way. It includes crispy bacon lardons and maple syrup that is used to deglaze the pan. Of course, the gravy that tops the plate is an important component of this dish, and you will find that recipe below, as well. Poutine gravy has a unique colour that is made from a combination of beef broth and chicken broth. This creates the iconic golden brown colour of poutine gravy.…

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All-Canadian Poutine Gravy

By Denise Pare-Watson Leave a Comment

There are many Poutine Gravy recipes out there, however, everyone needs to be cognizant of the depth of flavour and complexity of many of these recipes. Bearing that in mind, you will find the following All-Canadian Poutine Gravy recipe simple, easy to follow and very tasty.

Poutine gravy has a unique golden brown colour that is the result of a combination of beef broth and chicken broth. The beef broth alone is too dark, and the chicken broth is too light, but a blend of both produces the characteristic colour of poutine gravy. The flavourful gravy that you will create from my recipe can be used on almost anything and is particularly good on my All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist.

All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist

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Homemade Grape Tomato Ketchup

By Denise Pare-Watson 12 Comments

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

One of my most vivid childhood food memories is the aroma in my house when my Mom made ketchup from the bumper crop of tomatoes we always grew in our large backyard garden. The indescribable scent both piquant and zesty wafted throughout the house drawing everyone into the kitchen to peek into the bubbling pot. While I no longer have the large garden of my childhood, I am lucky enough to live in a wonderful part of Canada where fresh produce is easily accessible. The recipe I have provided below for Homemade Grape Tomato Ketchup is easy to make and a great project for you to try when tomatoes are plentiful. Once you have tasted your own homemade ketchup, you may never go back to store-bought again. I have used grape tomatoes in this recipe – their sweetness and flavour lend themselves well to making this popular condiment. Any tomato variety can be used for this recipe (see the proportions below), and even a mixture of fresh and canned tomatoes work well. Give it a try! It is well worth the effort. Skip to Recipe

Homemade Grape Tomato Ketchup

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Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs

By Denise Pare-Watson 12 Comments

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of June is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into brunch dishes. For this reason, I have developed a recipe for Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.

A Thai dish called ‘larb’, which is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand, has inspired this Savoury Brunch Blenditarian Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs dish. The addition of many types of vegetables just adds to the appeal. I enjoy having vegetables cooked in creative ways to produce different textures. I also like the idea that the dish can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.

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Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits & Petite Crunchy Croutons

By Denise Pare-Watson 6 Comments

Cabbage is not commonly associated with cream soups. In this post, I will teach you how to transform this cruciferous vegetable into a silky, tasty bisque-like soup. When you try this recipe for Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon & Petite Croutons, you will find yourself serving it for special occasions. The gluten-free soup base is thickened with potato rather than a roux, which makes it a quick and easy dish that is ready in approximately 30 minutes.

Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits and Petite Crunchy Croutons

Nutritionally, the lowly cabbage is a superfood that is low in calories and packs a powerhouse of nutrition and health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables tend to be high in Vitamin A (plays an important role in bone growth and maintaining the immune system), Vitamin C (which we all know protects our immune system, and benefits eye and skin health) and Vitamin K (regulates normal blood clotting, helpful for bone health by assisting the transport of calcium through the body), as well as being high in dietary fibre, linked to improved heart health, increased weight loss and a reduction in inflammation. After understanding all of the nutritional benefits of cabbage, you need to try this easy-to-make and flavourful soup. You will not be disappointed!

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Pan Roasted Chicken with Creamy Asiago Sauce

By Denise Pare-Watson 10 Comments

This recipe for Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Asiago Sauce has gone through a significant transformation over the years. It is interesting how favourite family recipes experience modifications as a result of ingredient costs, dietary restrictions or simply, a streamlining of the recipe.

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When I read the original recipe provided by the meat department of a major grocery chain a number of years ago, I recall thinking that it would be a rich and indulgent dish for company only. I also noted the recipe used two large frying pans, and since my kitchen equipment was rather meagre at the time, I simplified the recipe so that it could be prepared in one pan.

The original recipe was named “Chicken Breasts with Blue Cheese Sauce”, which called for 550 g of Blue Cheese – that is a lot of Blue Cheese! Since our family was not really a huge fan of Blue Cheese, I modified the recipe to use Asiago Cheese. Asiago Cheese is similar in taste to Parmesan and can be easily melted. A small amount of flavourful Asiago cheese goes a long way. I created a delicious sauce with 120 g (2 cups grated) of Asiago cheese, which is a significant departure from the amount of cheese used and cost associated with the original recipe. Save this dish for company or share it with someone you love – just give it a try – you will not be disappointed!

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Whole Grain Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Mini Muffins

By Denise Pare-Watson 6 Comments

What do you do when you have to bake for a young child who is unable to tolerate wheat or dairy? You can bake these delicious 8-grain or 4-grain mini muffins. This recipe for Whole Grain Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Mini Muffins uses a wheat-free hot cereal as a base. The cereal is soaked in non-dairy milk for 10-30 minutes before you add the remaining ingredients. The mini muffins have a wonderful crunchiness that is very pleasing. I have used either of Bob’s Red Mill 8-Grain Hot Cereal, or Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal (4 wheat-free grains) and both provide a very good result.

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Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze

By Denise Pare-Watson 16 Comments

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

The concept for this recipe originated from a preserve that I have been making for many years. Orange Vanilla Bean Confiture (a cross between a jam and marmalade) was developed at my work because we needed garnishes for a new menu item. The confiture was to accompany a caramelized rice crispy garnish, which was a topping on a classic baked rice pudding. The dessert was very delicious and extremely popular. The confiture became a favourite amongst the other chefs in the kitchen and made its way into a number of other dishes. One of my favourite ways that they used my preserve was on a glazed Duck Breast. The duck breast was served beautifully displayed with seasonal vegetables and puree of celeriac or other similar items. My approach for this Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze is more casual and the dish is served family style on a board or large platter. It is an easy-to-make dish that can be prepared in just a few minutes. In this post, you will learn how to cook a duck breast to perfection, and additionally, I will guide you through how to make the Orange Vanilla Glaze.

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“To begin cooking duck at one in the morning
is one of the finest acts of madness that can be undertaken by a human being who is not mad.”

― Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, La Soledad Del Manager

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Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend

By Denise Pare-Watson 14 Comments

The Blenditarian Challenge Series

I have taken the Blenditarian pledge and for some time now have been experimenting in the Urb’n’Spice kitchen on how to develop a money-saving recipe that incorporates a Blenditarian approach to everyday cooking. As a bonus, the blended base that I have developed is gluten free, preservative free, and dairy free. Just to clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat with finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. I have taken this meat blend process one step further by adding aromatic vegetables to the mushrooms and ground meat to create a nutrient dense Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend.

This blend (or base) can be used in a number of different recipes. In this post, you will learn how to prepare this base and how to utilize it. This Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable base can be used to make dishes such as: Spaghetti Sauce; Sloppy Joes; Chili; Taco Salad; Hamburger Soup; Beef, Cheese and Macaroni Casserole; or Australian Meat Pies, and much more. (Refer to “What Can I Do With This Recipe?” section below to learn more). I will be constantly adding to this Blenditarian Challenge Series. Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge for anyone to incorporate their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun themed dishes. The theme in January was “Healthy Classics”. This month’s Blenditarian Challenge is “Date Night Done Right!” For this post, I have chosen to make a Date Night Spaghetti Sauce using Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. Look for more Urb’n’Spice recipes in this Blenditarian Challenge Series.

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Date Night Spaghetti Sauce | urbnspice.com

Date Night Spaghetti Sauce ready to enjoy with a salad and a glass of red wine

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Silky Strawberry Balsamic Soup with Yogurt Drizzle

By Denise Pare-Watson 10 Comments

One of my most popular culinary teaching classes has consistently been my “Soups, Simplified” course. The students always indicated in their feedback that they were blown away by how much they learned in this class. As well, they pledged that they would never, ever dispose of vegetable scraps or peelings again after completing the course. The class always included several treats for the students. For example, this Silky Strawberry Balsamic Soup with Yogurt Drizzle was a hit! It was served at the beginning of the program as an amuse-bouche prior to starting the class discussion. I thought I would share it this easy-to-make recipe with my readers since it is also very popular for Valentine’s Day, as well as luncheons or bridal and baby showers. This elegant gluten-free soup is served chilled and can be made in minutes with fresh or frozen strawberries.

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Gluten Free Recipes

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

The Blenditarian Challenge Series