Raising the bar for gluten-free granola

By Casey Knoll

The end result!

Finally, I took the plunge and tried a gluten-free granola bar recipe. I had been eyeing online recipes for some time, but was scared away by often lengthy ingredient lists.

The recipe I snagged was from the University of Calgary’s student newspaper, The Gauntlet. For my first crack at gluten-free granola bars, they turned out pretty well – they were easy to make, with a great taste.

However, I found the liquid settled to the bottom after the granola bars cooled in the fridge, and they were a bit crumbly and overly sweet (all noted in The Gauntlet article). The “sweetness” was probably my fault since I added a bit over a ¼ cup of honey, along with ¼ cup of maple syrup (which isn’t in the recipe...I just like maple syrup).

To keep the bars sticking together, I’d recommend letting them set in the fridge for at least two hours. The recipe called for half an hour, but I found more time to set worked better.

Here’s the original recipe:

1 cup gluten-free oats

1 cup brown rice cereal

½ cup dried fruits (i.e. banana chips)

½ cup nuts (i.e. almonds or walnuts)

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup honey

¼ cup butter

¼ cup white sugar

2 tbsp flax seeds

½ tsp vanilla extract (be sure to read the label – some can contain gluten)

Here’s what I did (along with adjustments to the maple syrup and brown sugar):

1 cup gluten-free oats

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup chopped almonds

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp flax seeds

¼ cup honey

¼ cup butter

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup pure maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Mix the oats, brown rice cereal, fruits, nuts, and flax seeds in a bowl. Set aside.
2.  In a sauce pan, combine the butter, maple syrup, honey, sugar, and vanilla. Continuously stir, and bring to a boil. 
3. Once at a boil, put the dry ingredients into the sauce pan mixture. Stir to coat.
4.  Transfer into an 8’x6’ baking dish covered in parchment or wax paper. Make sure you firmly press down the mixture in the pan.
5. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before putting it in the fridge for at least two hours.

The great thing about these granola bars is they’re easily customized – add whatever dried fruit or cereal you like. Let us know if you give them a try, or if you know of other gluten-free granola bar recipes!

Happy snacking. 

This is how we roll

By Giselle Wedemire

Going out for sushi is one of my favourite things in the world. Funnily enough, going out and spending money is one of my least favourite pastimes ever.

Inspired by my sudden onset of frugality and my boyfriend's recent purchase of the ultimate vegan cookbook (Veganomicon), he and I decided to try out one of the book's more ambitious recipes: Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls. 

Though they have a mean learning curve, these tempeh sushi rolls are worth the time and effort once you get the hang of rolling sushi.

Being our first foray into the recipes found in this cookbook -- which is practically the vegan bible -- we didn't know what to expect. 

Normally I love everything the book's co-author Isa Chandra Moskowitz creates, but I was somewhat skeptical because of how labour-intensive this sushi recipe appeared in print (plus, rolling your own sushi by hand for the first time is pretty darn intimidating).

Would this take forever to make? Will our failed nori rolls cause us to curl up into a fetal position while refusing to carry on cooking? Will this recipe require a million weird ingredients that only hippies know of? These were all questions we were initially asking ourselves.  

However, once we got everything going, it wasn't as tiring a feat as I had anticipated.

The only real trouble we got into was when we attempted to use the recipe's instructions when it came time to assemble the rolls. The instructions weren't nearly demonstrative enough, which led to a bit of huffing, puffing and kitchen-related grumpiness. However, a quick visit to YouTube showed us how to craft the sushi, and we were well on our way to having a fancy dinner at a minimal cost.  

All in all, the sushi turned out amazingly and they were absolutely delicious and filling. Whether you're interested in trying the recipe itself or the book in its entirety, I highly recommend you give these rolls a try. (Though I have one caveat: this recipe is messy. If you're a neat freak, you might be better off sticking to the routine of ordering your sushi from your favourite restaurant).

Looking for a new cook book? Give this one a whirl

By Casey Knoll

When it comes to food, baking is my strong suit – cooking, not so much.

So when I whip up a dish, I like to keep things simple and tasty.

Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking by Carla Kelly checked off both of those boxes.

I found this book when I was in Chapters at Christmas, hunting down a vegetarian cookbook for my mom. A helpful sales associate told me about Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking and handed me a copy.

Contrary to its name, the book has a wide selection of gluten-free recipes. While the lengthy ingredient lists are intimidating (especially when it comes to spices I haven’t heard of), the recipes themselves are simple.

That’s what I love about slow cooking. You just throw everything in a pot, and leave it to its own devices.

The dish I made: Peas, Potatoes, and Broccoli.

The recipe I made was called Peas, Potatoes, and Broccoli. Basically, the vegetables are slow cooked in a spice/vegetable stock mixture, which includes cumin, coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon, and black pepper. Chickpeas and potatoes are cooked for three hours on low in the spice mixture, with green peas and broccoli added last.

It was awesome. The slow cooking really brought out the spices. I served it with basmati rice, but this dish can stand by itself. It also passed the left-over test, as it was still yummy after multiple re-heats in the microwave.

So if you’re in a market for a new cook book, this one is worth checking out.

Have a favourite cook book? Let us know!

Peanut Butter Cup-cakes

By Giselle Wedemire

Gluten-free vegan baking is a feat I rarely ever attempt because it generally seems like a gamble.

While I live in a household of mixed culinary influences and dietary needs, I seldom branch out and make baked goods that are both vegan and gluten-free. However, Santa left me a super cool gift in my stocking this Christmas. Enter Ecoideas chocolate cake mix.

Both vegan and gluten-free, this convenient mix combines the best of both picky worlds with packaged goods that are super easy to prepare. The mix was fool-proof, with only three steps in its set of instructions: 1. pour mix into bowl, 2. add two cups of water, 3. bake at 375 for 35 minutes. It really couldn't have been any easier, though I do have one caveat for those interested: don't try the raw batter. The taste is overpoweringly....green, I guess you could say. (Kinda like chlorophyl-filled dirt. I honestly couldn't believe that I was sampling what was soon to be a dessert.)

Funky batter tastes aside, I powered through and made the cake mix into a dozen and a half delicious cupcakes. While they baked to perfection, I thumbed through my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and  whipped up a batch of Peanut Buttercream, since I'd been craving peanut butter and chocolate and Reese's peanut buttercups are no longer a viable snack-time option for me. 

Once out of the oven and left to cool down, I performed pastry surgery by cutting out quarter-sized circles from the tops of each cupcake and filled each doughy depression with a dollop of icing, reassambled the cupcake, and added one last dollop on top for good measure.

Et voila, peanut butter cup-cakes -- the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter for vegans and celiacs alike!

A vegan's POV on Calgary's Celiac Market

By Giselle Wedemire

The Picky Bitchez hit the town on Nov. 17 at the annual Celiac Market. Held at the Parkdale Community Centre, 30 vendors showed off their gluten-free wares to a burgeoning Calgary market.

Picky Bitchez Casey and Giselle hit the town on Nov. 17 when they 
attended the Celiac Market at the Parkdale Community Centre.

As the event’s name implies, the central focus of each culinary offering was wheat- and gluten-free goods -– but I scoped out a whole whack of vegan-friendly goodies. According to Canadian Celiac Association’s Calgary-based program coordinator Kathy Collier, there is some overlap in the Venn diagram of packaged vegan and gluten-free foods  because lactose intolerance and wheat sensitivities often “go hand in hand.”

Celiac Market filled with gluten-free goodies

By Casey Knoll

Picky bitch Casey with a gluten free/vegan
gingerbread cookie from Earth's Oven.
Check out "Bitchez on the loose" for more pics! 

The bitchez joined approximately 600 gluten-free folks at the Celiac Market, hosted by the Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association, on Nov. 17.

It was like being a kid in a candy store – but with tasty no-wheat eats.  

“This is the biggest turnout so far,” said Kathy Collier, program coordinator at the Calgary Celiac Association. 

Enjoy snacking again

By Casey Knoll

Snacking gluten-free can be tough. But take it from celiac Rachel Feddema – things are better.

Picky bitch Casey shows 
some gluten-free muchies including 
Rice Krispies (not the gluten-free brand in the photo), 
dried cranberries, rice cakes, and Lara Bars.

“There are so many more options than there were before,” says Feddema, who explains you need only go down the health food isle of Safeway, or a health food grocer to get munchies.

Here’s a few of Feddema’s snacks:

• Lara Bars - Superstore, Planet Organic. 
• Judy G’s Pizza - Slice Bakery, Planet Organic.
• Mesa Sunrise Cereal - Planet Organic, Superstore.
• Riceworks Chips - Superstore.
• Gluten-free Kellogg’s Rice Krispies – Safeway.
• Home-made trail-mix: dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

Share your favourite gluten-free snacks!