Gluten Free

My Favourite Chili

By in Beef, Fall, GF Mains, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Soup 4 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

favourite chili

This chili has a great robust flavour, a good amount of heat and the perfect meat/bean ratio – winning the spot of my favourite chili.

I have a secret to tell you. I used to not be able to make a good pot of chili to save my life. I’ve tried many five-star recipes with promises of perfection, but nothing tasted right when I made it. It wasn’t flavourful enough, hot enough, was too liquidy.. the list goes on. If I had a delicious chili at someone else’s house and asked for the recipe, when I would make it at home, it would always come up lacking.

I’ve heard that everyone has a nemesis in cooking. Something that should be easy to make, that everyone can do, but for some reason it never turns out for you. Chili was my nemesis. But, no more! And, I’m extremely happy about this fact because it is one of my all time favourite meals.

This chili has a great robust flavour, a good amount of heat, without being too hot, and has the perfect amount of meat/bean ratio (for me). Having a thick and hearty chili is a must for us because we like to scoop it up with a side of corn chips.

If this chili wasn’t so filling I would probably eat the entire pot myself. It is that good.

Do you have a cooking/baking nemesis?

Favourite Chili

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1.2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cans (19 oz each) kidney beans
  • 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
  • 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
  • shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips, to serve

Brown the beef, onion and garlic in a large sauce pot  or Dutch oven over medium heat, until meat is cooked through and onions are tender (drain off fat, if necessary). Add spices, stir to coat. Add beans, tomatoes, broth and chilies. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook until heated or cooked through. Serve with cheese, sour cream and chips, if desired.

Makes: 8 servings

Adapted from KraftCanada.

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

By in Condiments, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Homemade, Sides 29 Comments Tags: , , ,

bread & butter pickles

Pickles. Who would have thought they’d be so easy to make? As long as you know how to chop, stir and pour, you can make them. And, they are way better than the store-bought ones. These ones don’t require canning so they’re even less intimidating.

James has never like Bread and Butter Pickles, so I never buy them. Not that he doesn’t want me to, but I like other kinds of pickles so I don’t feel the need to buy a jar just for me. But honestly, Bread and Butter Pickles have always been one of my favourites.

When I saw these pickles on Recipe Girl, I knew I had to give them a go. As a general rule, store-bought things that James doesn’t like, magically become favourites once I make them at home. And, since this recipe was so darn easy, I knew it wouldn’t be a waste of energy if he didn’t like them. But, true to form, he loved them. And, I loved them. And Max… still doesn’t like pickles… but he likes olives, so that makes up for it. Crazy boy.

If you want to venture into the world of making pickles I encourage you to break in with this recipe. They really are soo good. I’ve never piled so many pickles on my sandwiches before. The hardest part about this recipe is that you’re supposed to wait 24 hours before eating them. Although that didn’t stop me from nabbing a few every time I opened the fridge. ;)

These would also make a great hostess gift for a fall barbecue. I’m pretty sure you would be the star of the show if you brought along a jar of homemade pickles. So if you want to just fade into the background, keep them to yourself. :)


Have you ever made pickles? What are your favourite kinds?

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

  • 5.5 cups sliced pickling cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (I used regular)
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (or 1/8 teaspoon celery salt, in a pinch)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

Combine cucumbers and salt in a bowl. Cover and chill 1.5 hours. Rinse cucumbers in a colander, to remove salt. Drain well. Return cucumbers to the bowl along with sliced onion.

Combine sugars, vinegars, seeds and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over cucumbers and onions. Let sit at room temperature for one hour. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours and up to 2 weeks.

Makes approximately: 4 cups pickles

Adapted from Recipe Girl.

Vegetable Bibimbap

By in Fall, GF Mains, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Meatless 9 Comments Tags: , , ,

vegetable bibimbap

I have a tendency to stay away from foods with weird names that I don’t recognize. I’ve come to the realization that I’ve been doing myself a great disservice. I’ve been missing out on tons of great food just because it doesn’t look like something I would normally eat.

This Vegetable Bibimbap definitely falls into that category. I almost flipped past it on my newest iPad edition of Everyday Food. But then I got after myself and decided to take a look at the ingredient list and found that it actually contained a lot of the foods we love, even if they were in a different format then I was used to. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and give it a try.

I’m so glad I did.

It was a simple meal with a great authentic (Korean) taste. I was a little hesitant about stir-frying cucumber because floppy cucumber didn’t sound great to me, but I was proved wrong and discovered that I like warm, floppy cucumbers. Who would have guessed? I wasn’t too sure about the egg either but everything just worked so well together and had a great Asian flavor.

I wasn’t too nit-picky about cutting the vegetables julienne since I was just serving it to my family. That’s definitely the most time-consuming part of the recipe. But, if you’re not too picky it really doesn’t take too long (or if you’ve got mad knife skills. I do not.).

This recipe has reconfirmed the fact that I need to take a step back from my American food rut and enjoy making something different.

Do you skip by recipes with names you don’t recognize or do they pique your interest?

Vegetable Bibimbap

This recipe uses toasted sesame oil, which I think is a worthwhile ingredient to keep in your pantry if you enjoy making Asian food. It adds much more authentic flavour to many dishes, and since you don’t use much in one recipe it lasts a long time.

  • 3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
  • 3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
  • 5 cups (5 oz) baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • hot cooked rice, for serving
  • Sriracha sauce, for serving (optional)

Add a small bit of oil to a large nonstick skillet, heat over medium-high. Add carrots and cook until crisp-tender (3 minutes). Add garlic and white part of the green onion; cook just until fragrant (1 minute). Add mushrooms; cook for 4 minutes. Add cucumber and baby spinach; cook until softened (3 minutes). Stir in soy sauce; toss to coat. Remove vegetables to serving platter; wipe out skillet.

Add a small amount of oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add eggs and cook, without flipping, until whites are set but yolks are still runny (5 minutes).

To serve: Place rice in a bowl. Top with vegetables and an egg. Drizzle with a little bit of toasted sesame oil, sprinkle with green parts of green onions. Serve with Sriracha sauce, if desired.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Fruit-Bottom Yogurt

By in Breakfast, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Homemade, Snacks 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

When it comes to packing lunches I”m no great authority on the subject. My husband gets fed lunch every day at work and my son”s barnehage makes him fresh snacks and meals every day. I”m a lucky woman. But, it also means I”m stumped for tips on packing meals to take away. At least for now.

One thing I am getting better at though, is snacks. I eat all day long, especially now that I”m nursing, so snacks is something I”m well acquainted with. And since snacks are usually something thrown into lunch boxes to help round out the meal, I thought I”d share our current favourite – yogurt. And, not just any yogurt, but homemade Fruit-Bottom Yogurt.

“These fruit-bottom yogurts stay good for a week in the fridge, so you can make a batch on Sunday to last the whole week. Throw them into lunch boxes, sprinkle them with granola for breakfast or save them for an afternoon snack that the kids can grab for themselves after school.”

I took a hiatus after my daughter was born but am now back at Simple Bites as a regular contributor. Head on over to find out how you can make your own fruit-bottom yogurt.

Quick Mexican Rice with Beans

By in GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 13 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

mexican rice

My husband has often talked about a side dish of rice and beans that he had growing up in Bolivia. Of course he had no idea what was in it so I’ve never had much to go on. I’ve tried many recipes in an effort to recreate the dish but none of them were quite right.

Last week we were out of groceries, it was killer hot and I didn’t feel like running to the grocery store with both kids in tow. So, while the kids played outside I soaked up the sun and thought about what kind of meal I could make out of our pantry staples. It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. ;P

This was the recipe I came up with based on what we had on hand and what sounded good to me at the time. And you know what? I nailed it. I’m sure It’s not exactly the same as the original but my husband loved it and said it tasted just like he imagined. And now I know why he talked about it so much; it’s delicious in its simplicity. Forget all those involved recipes I tried before, simple is almost always best.

This is one of those recipes that tastes great served warm or at room temperature so it’s perfect for those lazy BBQ dinners. But, I also plan on serving it often alongside our favourite Mexican meals.

Mexican Rice with Beans

  • 3.5 cups hot cooked rice
  • 1 can black beans (1 cup)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, warmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Stir all ingredients together until evenly mixed and cheese is melted.

Serves: 4-6

Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

By in Condiments, Featured, GF Sides, Sides, Simple Bites 5 Comments Tags: , , , ,

strawberry salad

Every year I get more and more excited about cooking with the seasons and enjoying fruits and vegetables at their peak. We’ve been buying strawberries almost every week since they started showing up in the grocery stores. I’m sooo ready to stop buying apples and pears for a while.

My husband usually doesn’t like strawberry salads but we’ve had this one quite a few times already and he loves it. As do I. The flavours meld so wonderfully together and just sing of spring.

I created this recipe for my friend Aimée from Simple Bites who’s having a Salute Spring! series on her blog this week. Make sure to check it out for more yummy ways to celebrate spring.

“I have an early childhood memory of stumbling upon some wild strawberries on the top of a hill. They were so teeny tiny but I remember them being the best strawberries I had ever tasted. I’m sure in the mind of a four year old discovering wild strawberries and picking them on your own automatically qualifies them as tasting The Best!”

You can read more and get the recipe on Simple Bites. I’d love to see you there!

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