Say hello to...garbanzo chocolate cake.

When I saw this recipe on All Recipes I instantly wanted to try it. I couldn't imagine the combination of chocolate and garbanzo beans tasting well together. So I gave it a try and was absolutely amazed at the results.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3 eggs + 1 egg white

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp guar gum/xanthan gum

1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease and flour cake pan.

3. Melt chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds.

4. Combine beans and eggs in a blender and blend until smooth. Add sugar and baking powder, and guar gum, blending again. Finally, add melted chocolate and blend once more. Pour cake batter into cake pan.

5. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick or fork comes out smooth when inserted. Cool 10-15 minutes.

6. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Say hello to...Gravox gravy.

When I was in Australia in January, my sister-in-law asked me if there was a meal I wanted to eat that I couldn't get in Korea. I thought about it and decided that I wanted roast beef, potatoes, and gravy! While I was making my gf gravy, my sister-in-law was making her favorite Gravox gravy. Hers looked and smelled MUCH better than mine. After the meal I looked at the Gravox container to find that it was labelled gluten-free! Gravox, an Australian company, has 2 gluten-free flavors; Roast Meat and Traditional. It tastes great, is easy to make, and is nice to have in the cupboards for a quick gravy fix :)

Say goodbye to...Orgran pizza multimix and gravy mix.

When I initially bought Orgran Pizza & Pastry multimix, I was very excited to make homemade pizza. Although I was content in the fact that I was actually eating gluten-free pizza, I definitely would not recommend this product. The same goes for the gravy mix; nothing special here, and a bit tasteless. If you're from North America and not familiar with Orgran products, it's probably because it's an Australian product. There are still a few Orgran products remaining in my cupboards that I have yet to try. But for now, it's time to say goodbye to these products :(

Say hello to...tomato bean soup.

My father is a great chef and makes the tastiest soups. Since we come from German heritage, a lot of his classic recipes are German. This is one of my favorite soups that he makes. I always make a huge batch and eat it all week! All the chopping is worth it :)

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed beans*
1 lb of sausage, thawed, peeled, and chopped**
2 onions, diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups cabbage, sliced
2 potatoes, chopped
1 carrot, diced
handful of fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Rinse and drain before using.

2. Cook sausage on medium heat until brown. Set aside.

3. Bring 2 cups of bean mix to a boil. Simmer for 25 min.

4. Puree the diced tomatoes and add to the soup.

5. Add cooked sausage, garlic, onions, celery, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots.

6. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few hours. Add salt and pepper and stir every 25 min.

7. Add dill before serving.

*I like to buy an already prepared bag of beans that has many varieties. If you do this, make sure it does not include barley (some bean mixtures do include barley). You can also make your own mixture.
**Make sure the sausage is gluten-free. I prefer the taste of pork sausage with this soup since the juices from it add great flavor.

Say hello to...home grown herbs.

There's nothing like using fresh herbs in a home cooked meal. The difference in taste can't even be compared to dried herbs. But, since it's difficult to find fresh herbs in Seoul (atleast the kinds that westerners use), I've been using a lot of McCormick Home Gourmet spices. That is, up until I decided to grow my very own herbs. I'm starting with a few; rosemary, basil, lemon verbana, lemon thyme and peppermint, but hope to expand them once I get my hands on some more seeds! I highly recommend trying this for yourself if you haven't already :)

Say hello to...gluten-free oats.

You may be wondering if people with celiacs can have oats, and if so, which ones? Since my last post included a recipe that had oats, I decided that I should talk more about this subject. It took me a while before I really understood that I couldn't eat just any kind of oats. There are several companies who sell 'certified gluten-free oats,' which are oats that are farmed, harvested, processed and packed using special methods to avoid cross-contamination with gluten to make the purest of oats. Since I'm originally from Saskatchewan, I'll have to recommend Only Oats from Saskatchewan, Canada first :) But of course there are other great companies like,
Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats, Gluten Free Oats from Wyoming, Cream Hill Estates in Quebec, Canada, and Gifts of Nature in Montana. Click here to read more on oats.

Say hello to...ranger cookies.

My sister adapted this recipe from an old cookbook she had laying around. She surprised me with these cookies the last time that I went to visit her. Although they can be a tad crumbly, they have such a unique taste from other typical cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp gf vanilla extract

1/2 tsp gf baking powder

1 tsp gf baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups gf flour

2 cups gf rice krispy cereal

2 cups gf oats

1 cup coconut

1 cup raisins

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 F.

2. Cream together first 5 ingredients. Mix and add the remaining ingredients.

3. Form mixture into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. Cook 12-15 minutes.

For a tasty dessert, serve cookies fresh out of the oven with a scoop of gf vanilla ice cream/ soy ice cream :)

*If you don't have access to gluten-free oats, the recipe should still stay together without them.

Say hello to...Kitchen 88 Tom Yum Soup.

Tom Yum soup is a Thai hot and sour soup that people either love or hate. It's quiet an acquired taste. I love to order this soup at Thai restaurants with prawns. I was surprised to find this soup at Costco here in Seoul, labeled gluten-free on the box. I tend not to buy pre-packaged foods or ready-made meals, but this soup tastes better than some Thai restaurants I've been to! It's filled my tummy and saved me from cooking during hectic schedules. Add shrimp and rice noodles for a more filling meal. While this Thai company does have many other products, I've only tried the soup. If you happen to see it, try it out!

Say hello to...almond & raisin mix.

You've probably heard the buzz about almonds and how healthy they are for you. I particularly like to snack on raw almonds mixed with raisins. It's so tasty and gives you a nice energy boost. Mix in other nuts and dried fruits for a tasty trail mix. If you have a sweet tooth like me, mix in your favorite sweets; chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, yogurt chips, etc. It's great for a snack at home, at work, or on the go in your car. Be creative ;)

Say hello to...mustard lime chicken.

If you like tangy and sour, you'll sure like this flavourful chicken! I found this recipe at Elana's Pantry. Her website is filled with delicious recipes. The mustard-lime sauce is very strong tasting, so be sure not to put too much all over the chicken!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Combine lime juice, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are combined well.

2. Place chicken in a pyrex baking dish.

3. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hrs.

4. Place chicken in pre-heated oven or grill.

5. Serve with brown rice and broccoli.

Say hello to...D'Lush chocolate biscuits.

When I went to Australia in January I was overwhelmed by the amount and variety of gluten-free options. There were so many fresh baked goods that I could purchase, or packaged goods in local grocery stores. On my last day in Australia I discovered D'Lush chocolate biscuits, a heavenly treat :) Last week I received a surprise gluten-free package in the mail from my Australian friends and they had included these precious cookies- not knowing how much I liked them ;) As far as I know they can only be purchased in Australia. Check them out online at the Gluten Free Beaut E Spot.

Say hello to...Christie's rice thins.

Last month my parents sent me a gluten-free care package. Not only was I excited to get some gluten-free treats, but I also wanted to see what they included. This time they included Christie's rice thins, which I had never tried before since they aren't listed as gluten-free. Although they aren't labeled gluten-free, there is no gluten included in the ingredients list. I checked them out online and everything seemed fine. Aside from being pretty salty, I was suprised at how tasty these baked crisps were. I tried Sesame, Cheddar, and Multigrain. Very tasty!

Say hello to...chickpea spinach curry.

After boiling too many chickpeas, I wondered what to make with them all. I looked in my fridge and decided that I needed to make something with spinach. I didn't have any curry powder in my cupboards, so I decided to use the Asian Home Gourmet Korma Curry spice packet. It worked wonderfully. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
1 pack of Korma Curry/masala curry mix/blend of curry and cumin
1 can of crushed tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups of fresh sliced tomatoes
1 cup of mushrooms
1 can of chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas (soaked overnight and boiled)
1 cup of fresh baby spinach
2 tsp of fresh coriander

1. Heat the oil in a large pan or medium pot. Add onions, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.

2. Stir in spices until fragrant. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms and chickpeas, and cook for 20-25 minutes.

3. Stir in baby spinach and cook until completely wilted. Sprinkle coriander all over.

4. Serve with warm brown rice.

* You can add red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.