Bitchez on the loose: We were on seven(teen)th Heaven

By Giselle Wedemire and Casey Knoll

After a long time apart, we decided it was time to reconvene for a much-needed Picky Bitchez lunch date. We had seen the signs and had heard the buzz surrounding 17 Avenue's relatively new gluten-free establishment Heaven Artisan GF Cuisine, so naturally we stopped in for an afternoon of tasting, savouring, and gossiping.

Located at 119  1013 17 Ave. SW, Heaven is a cozy and fully-licensed Celiac mecca offering comfort food staples such as mac and cheese and lasagna, and international dishes with a focus on Venezuelan cuisine. The best part? Everything on the menu is 100 per cent gluten-free (and a good portion of the menu is vegan)!

Here's what we both have to say about our experiences at Heaven:

One of the easiest crowd-pleasing desserts ever

By Giselle Wedemire

For family gatherings, I'm usually in charge of making and bringing along dessert. This is often easier said than done considering my family is comprised of two omnivores, one celiac, and three vegans (one of whom is trying to go soy- and gluten-free). Keeping this demographic in mind, the number of fun, tasty, and wallet-friendly desserts I can make dwindles.

Recently, though, I stumbled across a lifesaver of a cake recipe while browsing Finding Vegan, the drool-inducing online recipe gallery. And with popcorn as this easy recipe's main ingredient, you may be a bit dubious, but keep an open mind here. 

Popcorn's not just for the movies anymore! A popcorn-based cake has opened my eyes to its potential for making tasty desserts even more delicious. 

Enter peanut butter popcorn cake.

Valentine's Day plans for the pickiest of eaters

By Giselle Wedemire


Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, and if you haven't made your plans yet, allow us to help. Whether you're hitched or hooked up, there are plenty of ways to show your love for  your significant other (if you're into that kind of thing). 

When it comes to spreading the love this Feb. 14, keep in mind these Picky Bitchez-approved local businesses for your dose of wheat- and meat-free V-Day treats.

Image courtesy of morgueFile

Chocolates
It may be too late to order online from great gluten-free/vegan chocolate suppliers like Chocolate Decadence and Premium Chocolatiers, but you can score chocolates for your picky Valentine at Purdy's. Purdy's carries chocolates fit for a Picky Bitch, though scoring them might mean doing a bit of research by means of consulting the company's online allergen guide. But then again, isn't your Valentine worth the time and effort spent researching these treats? (Hint: yes they are.)

Tasty vegan Timbits that failed horribly

By Giselle Wedemire

Since turning vegan two and a half years ago, I can safely say that there are only three things that I occasionally miss from my omnivorous days: Timbits/doughnut holes, Nutella, and peanut punch. 

I'm always on the lookout for ways to work around these infrequent cravings, so when I came across a recipe for vegan Timbits, I jumped at the chance to work some cruelty-free culinary magic.

The recipe itself was easy to follow and the warm smell of cinnamon and pumpkin that wafted through my house when these treats were baking was drool-inducing. Needless to say, my hopes for these bad boys were high.

Pesto Pasta Perfection

By Casey Knoll

I LOVE pasta. Even though there are gluten-free alternatives, the switch from wheat pasta was an adjustment when I figured out I was gluten intolerant two years ago. 

So I'm always on the lookout for easy, tasty gluten-free pasta recipes.

Here's one recipe I tried from the cookbook Weeknight Gluten Free: Simple, Healthy Meals for Every Night of the Week by Kristine Kidd.

I happened upon this cookbook at Winners, and the title immediately caught my eye. When I think about 'weeknight meals,' two words come to mind: 'quick' and 'easy.' 

The pasta recipe I tried -- Penne with Walnut Pesto and Peas -- ticked both of these boxes and I'm excited to try out more of Kidd's recipes (which says a lot, since i'm not the biggest fan of cooking!).

Here's the recipe:

Penne with Walnut Pesto and Peas

Ingredients:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 shallots or 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. gluten-free penne pasta
10 oz. sugar snap peas, strings removed
10 oz. shelled English peas, or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the basil, shallots, walnuts, lemon zest and the 1/2 tsp. salt. Process until finely ground. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Mix in the 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Set the pesto aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (or 4 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package). Add the sugar snap peas and English peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes more.

3. Remove 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta and peas. Put the pesto in a large bowl. Whisk in enough of the reserved cooking water to thin to a sauce. Add the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Thin with more cooking liquid and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately and pass additional cheese alongside. 

Serves 4.


Have a favourite gluten-free pasta recipe? Let us know!

Accidentally gluten-free

By Giselle Wedemire

I cook a lot in my daily life, and I find that browsing for recipes often takes up a sizeable portion of my down time. This isn't a bad thing at all -- in fact, I'd be willing to file this admission under the 'first world problems' category of personal issues -- and it means that I have food ready and waiting for me in the fridge.

Lately, however, I've noticed that about 85 per cent of the recipes made in my house have not only been vegan (as is to be expected, what with my veganism and all), but accidentally gluten-free as well.

If you were to draw a venn diagram of what diets most of the dishes recently cooked in my home have been catering to, it would look a little something like this:

A 'happy medium' is no longer a saying -- I'm living the dream by regularly eating dishes that are both vegan AND gluten-free.

The best part of it all is that this pleasant surprise has showed me that eating vegan and gluten-free does not automatically limit anyone's dining options to rice cakes and salads (although there's nothing wrong with eating copious amounts of those two items. I won't judge you). 

What do some of these vegan/gluten-free meals look like, you ask? Let me show you!*

Roasted brussels sprouts with rice and cranberries from Thug Kitchen (swapped the recipe's quinoa with rice because why not?)

African sweet potato and peanut stew from The Vegan Table (recipe available here)

Edamame succotash adapted from Food Network. Check out my veganized version of this recipe here.

Fresh herb potato salad from Thug Kitchen.

*Sometimes, in my haste to dig into whatever I've just cooked, I forget to snap some food photos. While I deeply regret the fact that you won't be able to get your dose of food porn for some of the glorious gluten-free/vegan foods I've recently made, you can at least try them out yourself. Here are some of the scrumptious recipes that were so good, their end results never got a chance to be photographed:

Tofu scramble
Pumpkin pie cookies
Black bean brownies

So there you have it: it's completely possible to make your own drool-worthy vegan and gluten-free food without having to resort to basic, uninspired meals.

What are your favourite vegan and gluten-free recipes? Please feel free to tweet us with your recipe suggestions at @PickyBitchez.

Suffering succotash!

By Giselle Wedemire

Sometimes I just need a really quick, reliable, and healthy dinner option that takes no time at all to prepare. It sounds like a tall order, but I think I've found something that works as a great side dish in any time-pressed, last-minute dinner menu.

With Looney Tunes on the brain one day, I decided to research succotash, the source of Sylvester's infamous catchphrase. 

That night, I learnt four things:

1. Succotash was popular in the Depression because its core ingredients are fairly inexpensive.
2. Succotash is incredibly easy to make and comes together in no time.
3. Succotash is amazingly delicious and I constantly wish I had more of it in my tummy.
4. 'Succotash' is ridiculously fun to say (and to type).

While I had to adapt an online recipe to suit both my vegan needs and the contents of my pantry/freezer, my veganized version turned out well so I figured I'd brag share it with you.

*Note: this recipe was inspired by Food Network's online recipe for a similar edamame succotash. The recipe I've concocted (below) is both vegan and gluten-free.

Edamame succotash

What you'll need:

2 tbsp sesame oil
2 stalks finely chopped green onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen edamame
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen is fine)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp black pepper

What you'll need to do:

In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic. 
Add the edamame, corn and green peas and cook until heated through. 
Once cooked, sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy.