Gluten Free Bat Mitzvah; Chef David

I was lucky enough to have Chef David of Akasaka Japanese Restaurant working with me for the Bat Mitzvah. There was an Asian Style Hut set up in the foyer of LeParc where people could help themselves to sushi that was being prepared fresh by Chef David. The sushi was prepared gluten free and served with gluten free soy sauce (tamari). When it was time for the guests to move into the dining room, Chef David moved inside to prepare the Asian Station, one of the four stations for dinner. The Asian Station included pad thai, fried rice, and chicken yakatori. Not only was the food prepared gluten free, but it had to be prepared without nuts and shrimp as well. Chef David did an outstanding job of omitting the things that we couldn’t have in the food, while maintaining the fantastic taste of all the dishes. I love working with Chef David because he always figures out a way to do things necessary for making the food safe and delicious. He runs his restaurant like that as well, which is why it is one of my favourite restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area. They are so accommodating at Akasaka and willing to make changes that are necessary for people to feel safe while dining out. I helped Chef David make his restaurant gluten free friendly over five years ago and they are so good with it. The staff are all well trained on how to manage a gluten free order, they have a gluten free menu that is plentiful and includes many great items to choose from, and while dining at the Teppanyaki tables, you are served a miso soup that is gluten free, a salad with gluten free dressing, and the chefs prepare the meal with gluten free soy sauce (tamari) and teriyaki sauce. We always get a delicious meal when we go to Akasaka and I leave feeling like the gluten free request was taken seriously and that they truly know what they are doing with respect to keeping the food safe. As well, I can’t do an entire blog on Chef David and Akasaka Japanese Restaurant, without mentioning the wonderful gluten free cooking classes we have done together and continue to do together. We have 2 different classes; a sushi class and a pad thai and dumpling class. We do the classes around a Teppanyaki table at the restaurant, the class size is always small so everyone gets to have ample time with both Chef David and myself, and the food we make is delicious. You get to keep the recipes and work with Chef David and it is a great way to spend an afternoon. I am so excited to be offering the classes again this year. We will be announcing the details at the Gluten Free Garage and giving people at the pop up market first dibs at a chance to come to one of the classes. We will have a special price for those who sign up at the GFG. Chef David is an amazing chef who really cares about the gluten free community. I can’t say enough great things about a person willing to take on all the challenges that come with not just a gluten free diet but food allergies in general!

Garden Salad With Maple Balsamic Dressing

For the last two weeks I have been enjoying a salad every day from my "At Home Organic Farm" that is growing in my backyard! I have had romaine lettuce, mixed greens, and delicious radishes while everything else continues to grow nicely. My snow peas, purple and green beans, beets, carrots, and garlic are not ready for harvest, and my onions and leeks were just planted a few days ago. I thought I would share a recipe for Maple Balsamic Dressing that I found in my Norene Gilletz, Norene's Healthy Kitchen Cookbook. I have had to alter it slightly to make it gluten free. I love this recipe and it goes perfectly with the greens from my garden. 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tsp Tamari Sauce, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 Tsp fresh ginger minced. Combine all the ingredients and shake well before using. Keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator. To jazz up the salad a little bit, I added sliced pear and crumbled goat cheese! ENJOY

Gluten Free Cooking At Stir Kitchen Store

I am very excited about my upcoming gluten free cooking class at Stir Kitchen Store in Burlington. The class is being held on Thursday April 19, 2012, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm and the menu will include a hearty minestrone noodle soup, ceasar salad, pizza, pesto pasta, and chocolate chip cookies. Class size is small so that everyone gets to participate and all questions regarding anything gluten free can be answered! We will be eating what we make and enjoying the company of people who are cooking and eating alike. As well, the recipes are yours to take home at the end of the evening. The cost is $69 and there are only a few spots left. If you are interested in joining us in this unique evening of everything gluten free, call Stir Kitchen Store at 905-333-0522.
I look forward to cooking with you!

Help Send a Gluten Free Child To Summer Camp

In the spirit of the giving season, I want to bring your attention to a fundraiser I’m helping promote this week for a great gluten free cause.
This week through to Sunday December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered with Van's Natural Foods to raise money to send gluten free children to next summer's CDF (Celiac Disease Foundation) sponsored summer camp. Van is matching all donations up to $1000. The goal is to raise $2000.
I speak from personal experience when I tell you what an amazing gift this is for a child, because last summer my daughter had the opportunity to go to a summer camp that was gluten free. It truly is a wonderful experience and an amazing opportunity for these children.
This week, I have seen many blogs just like mine put out this very important information and I think it is great to see the whole gluten free community coming together for such a great cause.
I feel honored to be a part of this special fundraiser.
Happy Holidays!


Gluten-Free Saver

Healthy Gluten Free Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

This recipe is a great combination of chocolate, which I love, and oatmeal, which I want to love because it is so good for my health! It looks like a chocolate muffin, but it is not overly sweet like a piece of cake. The oatmeal, and other healthy ingredients like zucchini, orange juice, and walnuts, help neutralize the richness of the chocolate!

Ingredients
1/2 medium zucchini (approximately 1 cup cut up)
1 cup gluten free rolled oats by ONLY OATS
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
3/8 teaspoon Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts that I put in the food processor

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray the muffin pan with Cooking Spray by Spectrum. I use Grapeseed Oil Spray.
2) Add the walnuts to the processor until they are ground, approximately 15 seconds and set aside.
3) Grate the zucchini in the processor and set aside.
4) Process the rolled oats, gf all purpose flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the egg, orange juice, coconut oil, and vanilla. Process for 20 seconds or until it is completely blended. Add the zucchini that you set aside earlier and process for 10 seconds. Add the ground walnuts and process with a few quick on/off pulses just to combine.
5) Fill each compartment of the muffin tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a few of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins and freezes well.

Gluten Free Asian Style Cooking Class With Marni Wasserman

I am very excited to be working once again with Natural Chef and Holistic Nutritionist Marni Wasserman. This class is Asian Style, using whole foods and all organic, delicious ingredients.
The menu for the Gluten Free Asian Style Cooking Class includes miso soup, brown rice nori rolls, tempeh stir fry with rice noodles, napa cabbage salad, edamame dip with brown rice crackers, and chocolate + green tea bliss balls.
The class is on Wednesday October 19, 2011, 6:30pm to 9:30pm.
It is a hands-on class, in Marni's commercial style kitchen in midtown Toronto. Space is limited to 10 people per class, so reserve a place early if you would like to join us.

Canadian Living Salad Recipes

Every spring, as the weather starts to get nice and the days longer, I get ambitious and decide to plant and grow my own vegetables. However, I don't really know what I am doing in the garden and then I am not very successful. This year, I have decided to have At Home Organic Farms do my garden professionally. They build the garden, plant the vegetables, ones that my family and I get to choose, and come two times a month to fertilize it and take care of it for me. I mentioned that I saw a squirrel in my garden and the next day pest fencing was installed! They weren't kidding when they called this garden, a "just add water" farm. I even got to name my garden; Jo's Best Ever Kitchen Garden, it doesn't get more exciting then that. Well, actually it does. On Mother's Day, I woke up to seedlings in my garden!
Anyways, tonight I tried two new salad recipes that I got from the June Issue of the Canadian Living Magazine that just arrived the other day. I decided on these recipes because they had all the ingredients that I just planted in my new organic garden. Both were delicious and easy to make. The first was Spicy Greens With Maple Soy Vinaigrette and the other one was Roasted Beet and Feta Salad. These recipes are gluten free, assuming you use tamari or gluten free soy sauce.
I can't wait to see what becomes of my beautiful organic farm that is growing right in my very own backyard and, as for my fabulous Canadian Living Magazine, I will be making the Sticky Glazed Grilled Chicken With Cucumber Salad for dinner tomorrow night!
Here's to delicious, healthy, gluten free eating! Cheers!!!!