gluten-free

Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Mushrooms

December 27, 2012 by Veronica Grace 16 Comments

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Sometimes I like to play around with my own recipes and change them up for variety! This is a different spin on my Low Fat Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. This time I’ve left out the panko breadcrumbs so you can see all those lovely vegetables inside!

I’ve added lightly steamed broccolini/brocolette (a milder form of broccoli) and sautéed mushrooms to the mix!

So now not only is this probably the healthiest baked mac and cheese ever (cuz it’s oil free, cheese free and gluten friendly) but it’s packed full of nutritional powerhouse vegetables such as butternut squash, garlic and onions (used in the sauce) and broccoli and mushrooms.

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This is just one of 60 delicious recipes in my Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World recipe ebook.

I’m sure kids would love this recipe too because the veggies are fairly mild tasting and covered in sauce!

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Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Mushrooms

adapted from my Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese in Comfort Foods From Around The World

Note: Because I added vegetables to this recipe, the flavor of the sauce needs to be enhanced so I increased the amounts of seasonings.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ medium butternut squash (or 1 2/3 cups cooked and mashed)
16 oz./454 g package elbow macaroni or spirals (for GF use Tinkyada brown rice pasta for best results)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt (*optional for pasta)
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into little pieces
1 cup mushroom slices, chopped
1/2 – 3/4 cup vegetable broth (for cooking)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 – 4 tsp. brown rice miso (use a lot more if using shiro/white/yellow miso)
3 cups almond milk (unsweetened original)
2 tbsp. flour or cornstarch
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 – 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
3/4 – 1 tsp. salt (*optional for sauce)

Topping:
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

Directions:

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash and bring to a boil and steam just until soft. Alternatively you can cook in a pressure cooker at high pressure for 5-7 minutes. Drain well. (Tip, if your squash is hard to peel or cut, pop it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften the skin to make it easier to slice.) Measure out 1 2/3 cup of mashed squash and set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil and then add salt if desired. Add pasta and cook just before tender (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Generally it’s about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and rinse in cold water. (Do not overcook the pasta.)

3. In a non-stick pan, saute mushrooms in 1/4 cup of water over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and a little more water and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C.

5. In a large saucepan heat vegetable broth over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender adding broth when needed to prevent burning.

6. Add cooked onions and any remaining broth from pan into Vita-Mix or food processor, add mashed squash, 1 cup almond milk and miso and blend until combined. Set aside.

7. In the same large saucepan add 1 cup of the almond milk and sprinkle 1 tbsp. of the flour or cornstarch when hot and whisk in. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and sprinkle in another tbsp. of flour. Whisk this together fast. It’s ok if there are a few small bits of flour still.

8. Cook the sauce for a minute or two until hot and quickly add the squash mixture and whisk in. Heat through another minute or two and then add the nutritional yeast and whisk in. Turn off heat and add remaining seasonings starting with the lower amounts. Taste test and add additional seasonings to your liking.

9. Add drained pasta and mushrooms and broccoli to sauce pot and stir to coat. Spread out in a casserole dish. (If you want to add some vegan cheese like Daiya cheese you would layer some in now and mix it in, but I don’t feel the need to add it personally.)

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes just until pasta is tender. (20 minutes if you slightly overcooked your pasta, 30 minutes if you didn’t)

11. Serve.

Additional Tips:

To save time you can use frozen cubed butternut squash and then cook it and mash it, or use canned butternut squash. Both are sold at health food stores in North America.

Smoked paprika (also called Spanish Paprika) is much more flavourful than traditional paprika, it lends a nice smokey flavor to this cheesy sauce. McCormick makes one, or you can get it at some ethnic or Indian markets.

Brown rice miso paste is the best for this recipe, is has a stronger tangier flavor than the lighter misos. This is what gives the sauce a tangy cheezy flavor. If you don’t use it your sauce will not taste like a cheese sauce.

If you’d like a runnier mac and cheese you can add an extra 1/4 cup of almond milk to the sauce, but you’ll need to add some more seasonings to readjust the flavor.

Have you ever made an oil free, cheese free mac and cheese recipe? What did you use?

Gluten Free Vegan (Flourless) Black Bean Brownies

December 19, 2012 by Veronica Grace 66 Comments

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Ooh black bean brownies… Have you ever heard of them before? They’re gaining popularity in the vegan, gluten free and health food movement. It’s a completely flourless brownie and has very few ingredients.

This is my take on the black bean brownie inspired by Dr. Fuhrman’s recipe. If you’re looking for something that is vegan and gluten free and a “better for you” treat, check these out.

I promise you will not taste beans in this recipe! When they are pureed they act as the batter in brownies and plain unsalted black beans have little flavor anyway. This recipe is also sugar free! It gets its sweetness from whole pitted dates, so it has natural fibre and vitamins in it instead of plain old sugar.

The only thing really essential to making this recipe is having a food processor or a high powered blender with a tamper such as a Vita-Mix. You need to get these ingredients pureed into a batter/dough to press into the pan.

If you’re craving brownies you should give these a try!

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Gluten Free Vegan Black Bean Brownies

(Inspired by Dr. Fuhrman’s Black Bean brownies)

Makes 12 brownies

Ingredients:

1 19 oz./793 g can black beans (salt free) or 2 cups fresh cooked black beans, drained
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
12 large medjool dates, pitted (18-24 if using smaller dates)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp ceylon (sweet) cinnamon
2 tbsp quick/instant oats (optional, use only if mixture is too wet)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C.

2. Chop the dates into small pieces. Combine black beans, dates, vanilla and almond butter in a food processor or Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. (Food processor preferred.)

3. Add cocoa and cinnamon and blend again. (Do NOT add cocoa until the previous ingredients are blended or it will be virtually impossible to mix)

4. If mixture is too dry, add another tablespoon of peanut butter. If mixture is too wet, add oats and process again.

5. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper leaving enough to fold up the sides.

6. Spoon mixture into pan and spread out with spatula or hands.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

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8. Allow to cool and then cool in the freezer for 2 hours to set up before slicing.

9. Top with frosting or fruit if desired and serve.

Nutritional Info: 12 Servings Amount Per Serving: Calories 134.0 Total Fat 2.3 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 10.1 mg Potassium 349.4 mg Total Carbohydrate 28.3 g Dietary Fiber 5.8 g Sugars 16.0 g Protein 4.2 g

Have you ever had black bean brownies before? What’s your favorite way to use black beans?

Pomegranate Apple Green Salad With Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

December 10, 2012 by Veronica Grace 5 Comments

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The other day I went to a raw food potluck in Calgary and someone made this delicious salad that had a bunch of mixed vegetables and pomegranate seeds and it was quite delicious. So I thought why not make my own pomegranate salad for the holiday season?

To easily peel a pomegranate, you can cut it in half and fill a large bowl or sink full of water. Start peeling off the outer peel. The seeds will sink and the white parts will float so you can scoop them out and discard them. Once you’re done peeling everything apart you can drain the water and you’re left with pomegranate seeds.

(Or you can go to Costco and buy packages of fresh pre peeled pomegranate seeds in the refrigerated produce section if you don’t want to peel one.)

This is a really lovely salad that I designed to be really simple to make yet seem a little fancier. It’s got antioxidants from the pomegranate and the raspberries and omega 3’s from the walnuts (in the dressing).

I prefer to make all of my own salad dressings and not use any oil in them at all. So I used walnut pieces for healthy fats in this dressing. If you don’t have fresh raspberries right now, you can also use frozen. Just let them sit out for a few minutes to defrost a little first.

So let’s check out the recipe:

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Raw Vegan Pomegranate Apple Green Salad

(With Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette)

Serves 2 side salads or 1 medium/large salad

Salad:

4-6 cups mixed greens
1-2 apples peeled and sliced
1-2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds

Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup mandarin orange juice (2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp broken walnut pieces
2 large medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp Trader Joe’s orange muscat champagne vinegar/other fruit vinegar/apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp Herbamare or salt *optional

Directions:

Arrange the salad ingredients in side salad bowls or a large serving bowl.
Place the salad dressing ingredients into a Vita-Mix or a blender and process until smooth.
Drizzle dressing overtop of salad.
Serve.

Additional Tips:

Feel free to double this recipe if you’re entertaining.

What’s your favorite holiday salad? Have you ever used pomegranates in a recipe?

What Exactly is Gluten and What is Celiac Disease?

December 5, 2012 by Veronica Grace 1 Comment

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What Exactly Is Gluten?

Gluten (pronounced gloo-ten) is a protein that is found in wheat (and related grains such as barley, rye, spelt etc) and products containing these ingredients. Gluten is the reason wheat (and other related grain) doughs are elastic and easily stretchable. It holds the dough together, gives shape and produces a chewy texture when cooked. Gluten is also found in many seasonings, cosmetics and hair products and is used as a binder to “hold” ingredients together.

Since gluten is a protein, it is often added to foods low in protein to enhance their level of protein. Seitan (also called “wheat meat” “wheat gluten” or just “gluten” is an imitation meat used as an alternative to soy foods such as tofu. It is turned into a dough and all of the starch (which is water soluble) is washed away and what remains is just the gluten portion, which is pliable and can be formed into mock meats. Seitan is the basis for many vegetarian meat products such as “Tofurky” (which contains wheat gluten and soy).

Because gluten is in so many processed foods today, more and more people are aware that it exists and are researching gluten free diets.

Who is Allergic to Gluten?

Worldwide, about 1 in 100 people have or could develop Celiacs in their lifetime. People with Celiacs or wheat allergies are allergic to wheat and gluten containing products. However many people mistakenly believe they are allergic to wheat because of the increased buzz about wheat allergies and celiac disease in the media and fad diets.

There are many factors that contribute to one being allergic to gluten and having Celiacs (Celiac Disease). It depends on your genetics and most people with Celiacs have European ancestry (often Irish). It also tends to affect more woman than men. Although the initial trigger for Celiacs is unknown, it can trigger during adolescence, sickness or times of great stress. The genes found to affect Celiac disease can increase the levels of zonulin in your intestines and can allow gluten to permeate the intestine. When gluten permeates the intestinal walls, this is what causes the allergic reaction as it hits the blood stream and is dispersed throughout the body.

Gluten is toxic if it reaches your blood stream, but for the majority of people it never permeates the intestinal walls and is passed through the colon along with other waste products. Most people in the world are not allergic to wheat or gluten and do not have to follow a strict gluten free diet.

Should I Consider A Gluten Free Diet For Myself?

A lot of people go on gluten free diets and then feel a little bit better and think that wheat was the cause of their digestive discomfort (bloating, pain, constipation, diarrhoea etc.) but it leaves little clue to actual cause of their digestive disorder. Many people mistakenly believe they are allergic to gluten or have Celiacs when in fact they have another disease such as Crohn’s or Colitis.

There is a possibility of having the root cause of your ailment going undiagnosed and becoming worse. Many people die unnecessarily every year because they are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with digestive disorders and other diseases. If you have Crohn’s disease, eating a gluten free diet will not cure you of your condition, so it is very important to be properly diagnosed before changing your diet as you could do yourself more harm than good by remaining undiagnosed.

Celiac disease has genetic ramifications for your children and grand children and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Saying you have celiac disease when you are not properly diagnosed (undergoing an intestinal biopsy while eating a gluten containing diet to confirm) won’t do you much good in terms of ensuring a long healthy life for you and your family.

Adhering to a whole foods diet as opposed to a strict gluten free diet (when one shows no indication of Celiacs or wheat intolerance) is much more advisable for a healthy lifestyle. Digestion especially can improve when eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods including flour. Do not mistake a sensitivity to eating highly processed foods to having gluten intolerance or Celiacs.

Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

A definitive diagnosis for Celiacs can ONLY be made by biopsy of the small intestine. It is imperative that the biopsy be done BEFORE treatment and avoidance of gluten has started. If you are on a gluten free diet, you cannot be tested for Celiacs. The biopsy needs to show that the intestinal villi is damaged due to ingesting gluten regularly over a several month period.

If you have an immediate family member who is diagnosed with Celiacs oftentimes the government will cover the costs of a blood test to see if you have the genetic predisposition to Celiacs. This is the first step. If you do not have an immediate family member, you may have to pay for this testing yourself. Your gastroenterologist will probably then instruct you to eat a diet containing wheat and other gluten products for several months and then schedule a biopsy for you, to determine if you indeed have Celiacs. Once you are diagnosed and only then, should you adhere to a strict gluten free diet.

Self diagnosing of Celiacs is risky because there are many factors at play, and assuming wheat is the culprit of your illness can make you blind to other foods or circumstances that are negatively affecting your health.

What Foods Contain Gluten?

Avoiding these foods if you have Celiacs is paramount to your wellbeing. ALWAYS read every label and be aware of foods and products that can be cross contaminated with wheat.

Atta (chapatti flour)
Barley (flakes, flour, pearl)
Beer, ale, lager
Breading and bread stuffing
Brewers yeast
Bulgur
Communion wafers
Couscous
Croutons
Dinkel (also known as spelt) *
Durum *
Einkorn *
Emmer *
Farina
Farro or Faro (also known as spelt) *
Fu **
Graham flour
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Kamut *
Malt, malt extract, malt syrup and malt flavouring
Malt vinegar
Malted milk
Matzoh, matzoh meal
Modified wheat starch
Oatmeal, oat bran, oat flour and whole oats ***
Pastas
Rye bread and flour
Seitan ****
Semolina
Spelt (also known as farro or faro, dinkel) *
Triticale
Wheat bran
Wheat flour
Wheat germ
Wheat starch

* These are all types of wheat

** Fu is a dried gluten product derived from wheat that is sold as thin sheets or thick round cakes. Used as a protein supplement in Asian dishes such as soups and vegetables.

*** Oats are contaminated with wheat and barley, unless they are specially grown, harvested and processed. More information.

**** Seitan is a meat-like food derived from wheat gluten used in many vegetarian dishes; sometimes called “wheat meat”.

Source: Adapted from Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide 2008 by Shelley Case, Dietitian.

What Foods are SAFE To Eat And Don’t Contain Gluten?

Most unprocessed whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, beans, legumes, rice, and many sweeteners are gluten free. Basically any item that only has 1 ingredient, and is not derived from wheat or processed in a facility that handles wheat and other gluten containing grains is gluten free.

There are many other grains and baking ingredients that do not contain gluten and can be used instead. It is important to know that all rice, and even glutinous (sticky) rice does not contain gluten.

Always read labels, as there are many ingredients such as the ubiquitous “spices”, “natural flavouring” etc. that can contain wheat, thus making the product NOT gluten free.

Amaranth
Arrowroot flour
Baking soda
Bean flour
Buckwheat
Cassava (Manioc flour)
Chickpea flour
Corn flour
Cornmeal
Cornstarch (Masa farina)
Cream of tartar
Dal or Dahl (Legume from India)
Flax
Gelatin
Green pea flour
Gums:
Acacia (Gum Arabic)
Carob bean gum
Carrageenan
Cellulose
Guaica
Guar
Karaya
Locust bean
Tragacanth
Xanthan
Invert Sugar
Kudzu
Lecithin
Legumes: Seeds of plants which include
Channa
Chick peas
Gram
All lentils
Peanuts
Peas
Soya
Malto dextrin
Maltol (A sweetener not related to malt)
Maltose
Mannitol
Millet
Molasses
Mustard flour (ground mustard)
Oats* (pure uncontaminated with barley or wheat)
Poi
Potato flour
Potato starch
Quinoa
Rice bran
Rice flour
Rice flour (glutinous, sweet)
Rice polishings
Rice starch
Sorghum
Soya flour
Soya starch
Spices
Sweet potato
Tapioca flour
Tapioca starch
Teff
Tofu
Vanilla
White vinegar **
Xanthan gum
Yam
Yeast
* Oats, unless they are specially grown, harvested, and processed, contain barley and wheat. Only pure and uncontaminated oats are acceptable for people with celiac disease. More information.

** Distilled vinegar, including white, apple cider, sherry, fruit, balsamic, palm, cane, and honey vinegars are all gluten free. Malt vinegar is NOT gluten free. Beer vinegar is NOT gluten free. Rice vinegar may or may not be gluten free. It may contain wheat – read the label.

Source: Adapted from Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide 2008 by Shelley Case, Dietitian.

For a list of other questionable foods check out: http://www.celiac.ca/index.php/about-celiac-disease/what-to-question

Resources For Celiac Disease

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

The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research http://www.celiaccenter.org

Vegan Quinoa Chickpea Pilaff

November 26, 2012 by Veronica Grace 18 Comments

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Quinoa is all the rage now, and so are quinoa salads and pilaffs. There are hundreds of ways to season quinoa and you don’t have to just eat it plain on the side. If you find cooking quinoa properly still a challenge, check out my post How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly to make sure your next batch turns out amazing.

This time I decided to mix things up and make my quinoa a little different. A heartier side filled with chickpeas, carrots, onions and celery. This would work as a warm side dish, a cold salad, or you can make it a meal by adding some sautéed tofu, tempeh or soy curls on top as well.

To get those pretty colours I used both white and red quinoa in this dish. Feel free to use either, I just like the look of multicoloured quinoa for some variety. This recipe makes a lot so it’s great for leftovers you can keep in the fridge or freezer for a quick meal or snack later on as well.

Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (I used 1 cup white and 1/2 cup red)
3 cups/709.76 ml low sodium vegetable broth
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 15 oz./425g can of chickpeas
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or GF tamari)
2 tsp roasted cumin (ground)
1/2 tsp roasted coriander (ground)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or other salt free seasoning mix) *optional

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in 1/2 cup of broth for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute and add the chickpeas.

2. Add remaining broth to a medium pot, quinoa, seasonings and saucepan ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low (about 3 on the burner) and cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes until quinoa is cooked. (If you put it on very low, or 1, it probably won’t have enough heat to cook the quinoa because of the other ingredients.)

3. Stir as required to prevent sticking at the bottom.

4. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Have you ever had a quinoa pilaff? What’s your favorite way to season quinoa?

Fat Free Vegan Spaghetti Marinara With Chickpeas

November 25, 2012 by Veronica Grace 9 Comments

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So this is a recipe I made one day when I wasn’t sure what to throw into the spaghetti… I thought why not try a bit of chickpea for something to chew on. The results were not bad, but you definitely need a lot of sauce to add some flavour.

I used whole wheat pasta in this recipe, you can use gluten free or another variety if desired as well. Feel free to add some chopped steamed veggies to your marinara sauce as well if desired.

I just thought this vegan spaghetti recipe was too pretty not to share!

Low Fat Vegan Chef's Fat Free Vegan Spaghetti With Chickpeas

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Spaghetti and Chickpeas With Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce:

Yields 50 oz/1.5 L of sauce

1 large onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups canned tomatoes, diced whole or crushed (about 3 14 oz/396 g cans)
1 6 oz./170 g can tomato paste
3 tbsp sugar or sweetener (or as desired)
2 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp dried basil

Spaghetti:

1/2 box whole wheat or gluten free spaghetti
1/2 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with cool water and bring to a boil. Add salt if desired and then add pasta and cook until desired tenderness.

2. Meanwhile prepare the pasta sauce. In a large non-stick skillet or saucepan add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and seasonings and cook for 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes break down a little. Add sauce to a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender and then blend until smooth. Return to pan to keep warm.

3. When pasta is cooked, drain and then combine with the pasta sauce. Use whatever pot is bigger and toss the pasta with the sauce.

4. Plate and then garnish with chickpeas and additional basil if desired.

What’s your favorite addition to vegan spaghetti?

Lebanese Tahini Sauce For Falafels

November 21, 2012 by Veronica Grace 5 Comments

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I love making homemade dips and sauces! I find them SO much more flavorful than the store bought ones. The other day I made some baked falafels I bought from Trader Joe’s and I wanted some tasty tahini sauce to serve them with. This is the dip I came up with. It would also be delicious to serve some taboulli salad with your tahini dip and falafels as well.

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photo from WhatsGoodAtTraderJoes

You can also use this as a spread for pita wraps/sandwiches, to dip pita in, crackers, veggies, chips, etc. It tastes a little like hummus but without the chickpeas.