Super simple recipe for this delicious tomato salad with croutons. Free from most major allergens!
Read moreAt the Grill with Chef Scott Roberts: Duck
We're switching things up a bit with post 3 of 4 in our series with chef Scott Roberts. You can read his recipe for scallops here, and grilled sea bream here. This time we're taking a break from seafood to learn about duck.
My favorite part about photographing this segment (aside from getting to eat it after) was watching the organization and tidiness of his process which can only be described as military-like cleanliness. Or, the #1 thing that makes an allergic person both relaxed and happy when dining out. I literally had to do nothing here, aside from move the lights around, stand on a floor pouf to get the angle, and click my camera. Everything was either already prepped and in its own container, or washed, dried, and presented nicely on a plate. Just like this:
In Scott's words:
"A good restaurant should operate like a machine. Keeping a clean and organised workspace is the first step cooks can take to improve productivity and quality."
And in my words:
Quebec Duck Breast, Pickled Plum, Rapini, Szechuan Pepper
Free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, egg, soy, mustard, wheat, oats, fish, shellfish
Ingredients
1 duck breast
1 tsp. szechuan peppercorns
salt to taste
a sprinkle of maple sugar
6 morels
a couple sprigs of thyme
olive oil
1 bunch of rapini
For the plums:
3 plums
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt
Method
First, spare yourself any embarrassment and learn how to properly pronounce morels. I've been saying morals for years.
The next thing to do is prep the plums which should be done ahead of time. Slice them into 4 segments, and then into bite sized pieces. Bring vinegar and water to a boil with the sugar, salt, and plum scraps. Let it sit for 10 minutes, covered and off the heat. Strain the warm liquid over the plum segments and then let sit for at least 2 hours.
For the morels, quickly rinse and pat dry as they can be gritty.
Since this is part of our "At The Grill" series, you're probably wondering what was grilled here. And the answer is the rapini. If you haven't grilled rapini, lettuce, or any leafy green, please stop everything and go do that. It's very important that you know how good it tastes. To cook it like Scott did, heat up the charcoal grill, drizzle the greens with a little olive oil, and toss them on until they are tender and have a nice char.
For the duck breast, you'll notice that it's very fatty on the skin side. Rub that side with the cracked peppercorns and salt, and then put it face down into a hot stainless steel pan. Let it fry for 12 - 15 minutes on medium heat. Then take it off the heat and let the flip to let the other side cook for a minute. Sprinkle a little maple sugar on the skin, then transfer it to the charcoal and grill it on the skin side until it's medium to medium rare depending on your preference. Duck is not like other poultry and can safely be eaten rare.
Let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes before plating. Add the morels and thyme to the pan and give them a nice fry until tender and aromatic.
Again, I came over and everything was just arranged like this.
To plate it, cut the duck breast into 1-inch thick slices, slice the morels in half, and pull the nice looking leaves off the rapini. Arrange it around the plate and then add the plums and plum juice as a sauce.
The rapini is smokey, the plums are sweet and tart, the morels are earthy, and the duck breast is rich and tender.
Serves 2
If you would like to contact Scott for catering, events or other opportunities, feel free to send an email to scott7@gmail.com
Mocha Mousse Bowl
Dessert bowls are the new smoothie bowls! Try my recipe for allergy-friendly, vegan chocolate mocha mousse. The best dessert bowl and an easy food allergy hack if you're in a pinch!
Read moreAt the Grill with Chef Scott Roberts: Sea Bream
Chef Scott Roberts shares some inside info on how high-end restaurants cater to food allergies and dietary restrictions, and prepares a recipe for delicious grilled sea bream with green nam jim.
Read moreWatermelon Arnold Palmer
What's got lemonade, iced tea, and crushed watermelon? This delicious, allergen-free Arnold Palmer!
Read morePerfectly Easy Banana Bread
A wonderfully easy recipe for banana bread that's free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, egg, and many other common allergens.
Read moreChef Yzzel on How Allergies are Handled at the Ritz-Carlton Banquet Hall
Junior Chef Yzzel from the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto shares how she manages to accommodate allergies and other dietary restrictions in the the Ritz's busy banquet hall kitchen. She also shares a recipe that's ideal for guests with multiple food allergies or celiac disease. It's a simple, delicious recipe that you can easily make at home.
Read moreAt the Grill with Chef Scott Roberts: Scallops
Guest Chef Scott Roberts weighs in on how high end restaurants handle food allergies and other dietary restrictions, and shares an amazing recipe for grilled scallops in part 1 of this 4-part series.
Read moreMrs. Weasley's Magically Easy Fudge
To celebrate the release of Harry Potter 8, I made Mrs. Weasley's Magically Easy Fudge! Click here for the full, allergen-free recipe.
Read more(La)Forest Feast
Read our food allergy custom-fitting of the Forest Feast cookbook. We're cooking up 3 recipes without the use of common allergens.
Read moreTurmeric & Cinnamon Green Tea
Green tea with turmeric, cinnamon, and honey is the most delicious way to end your evening. Free from the top 8 major allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish.
Read moreGreen Kitchen Smoothies: Sisters Edition
The EAF team had two sisters in the kitchen to help give the Green Kitchen Smoothies cookbook a food allergy custom-fitting!
Read moreSweet Potato Toast
Easy sweet potato toasts that are vegan, gluten-free, and also free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, egg, soy, mustard, fish, shellfish, and oats.
Read moreCinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
5 cups white bread flour + some for dusting
2 tsp quick rise dry yeast
2.5 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
Method
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and mix well.
Make a well in the center and add the oil and water at one time. Begin stirring slowly until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough has come together in a ball.
Dust some flour onto a clean surface and begin kneading the dough for several minutes until it's smooth and elastic.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1.5 hours. It should double in size.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough in the center. Then transfer it onto a clean surface dusted with flour. Cut into 3 equal portions and roll each one into a rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick. Dust the cinnamon over the dough evenly and then roll each one into a loaf.
Place the loaves a few inches apart on a large baking sheet and let stand for a half hour.
Place tray in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 400F and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
The cooked loaves should be light brown on the outside and sound hollow when tapped.
Top the sliced bread with a smear of coconut oil, a dusting of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of raw sugar.
*You can freeze any unbroken bread in a freezer strength plastic bag. It will last for up to 3 weeks.
Celebrate Canada Day with Local Produce
Celebrate Canada Day by making a galette with locally farmed peaches and strawberries. Full recipe and of course it's allergen-free!
Read more20-Minute Salmon and Salad

Free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, oats, mustard, egg, soy, wheat.
In the heat of summer the thought of being behind a hot stove is the last thing you want to do. But who wants to compromise on eating good food? Here's my recipe for crispy Atlantic salmon with a cucumber salad and avocado mayo. My brother and I are eating it right now! And I made it in under 20 minutes. Here's how...
Salmon
You'll need 1 portion of salmon (about the size of your fist) per person. Pat both sides of the fish dry with a paper towel and then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat up 1 tbsp. of good olive oil in a non-stick pan and place the salmon fillet in skin-size down. Cover with a splash guard if you have one because it will sizzle! Sear for about 5 minutes, or until crispy, then flip over and sear on the flesh side for another 7 minutes on medium-high heat.
Salad
Full disclosure here, I didn't come up with this recipe, I got it from Bran's mom. You can prep the salad while the salmon is cooking. Slice up 1 cucumber, mince one clove of garlic, and chop up about 1 tbsp. of dill. Add them all to a bowl and toss with salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a drizzle of red wine vinegar. Mix well and set aside.
Avocado Mayo
Add 1 avocado, the juice of 1 lime, and some more chopped dill (about 1 tsp) to a blender or Magic Bullet and blend until creamy and smooth.
Serve 1 fillet of salmon, a scoop of salad, and a dollop of the mayo per person. Enjoy with a glass of white wine or lemonade. Yum!
Mands.
Behind the Scenes of a Food Photo Shoot {video}
Ever wonder how your favorite food photos are created? In this case it was with the use of an old grocery bag and a freshly prepared sandwich on homemade bread. See the full video below.
Pomegranate Salad with Saffron Dressing
Would you believe that this colorful, fresh salad was the product of a fridge clean-out? Sometimes letting fruit come to its full ripeness on your counter or sitting in the crisper can yield tasty results. See the recipe for this high-fibre side dish below.
Allergen Info
This recipe does not call for any dairy, nuts, peanuts, soy, or shellfish. It can be made gluten-free by excluding the mustard
Ingredients
1 large blood orange (any type of orange will work)
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
A few good handfuls of spring mix or your favorite baby lettuce
1 pinch of saffron
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
the juice of one lemon
the juice of half a lime
1 dollop of organic honey
freshly ground black pepper
good sprinkling of sea salt to taste
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Method
1. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate by scoring the top of the skin with a paring knife and then ripping the fruit into 4 chunks. Fill a bowl with cold water and plunge the fruit, and your hands, into it. Proceed to remove the seeds underwater and then drain and dry.
2. Peel the orange and cut into segments. You can cut the chunks as large or small as you like.
3. Arrange the lettuce, orange, and seeds on a platter and set aside. Dress right before serving.
4. You will need a small mixing bowl for the dressing. Pinch the saffron in your finger tips to break up the strands or grind them down using a mortar and pestle. Add to the bowl along with the salt, pepper, lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, and honey. Beat well. For a thicker dressing you can add some Dijon mustard but it’s not a necessity.
Serves 4
Green Fiend
I'm a fiend for greens.
Yesterday my green-cravings were so intense that I just had to run out and buy as many interesting greens as I could find. The grocery store was closing and they were out of asparagus, the number one veggie I set out to buy. But it was for the best, because instead of throwing together a typical pasta dish I wound up assembling the beautiful soup pictured below.
Crispy pork tenderloin with spinach soup
What did I buy?
1 Bag of Fresh Spinach
1 Bag of Radishes
20 Green Beans
1 Head of Endive
1 Lime
1 Green Finger Pepper
4 Medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 Carton of Rice Dream (Original Enriched)
Pork Tenderloin (pack of 4 slices, not a whole tenderloin)
All of this came to $14 and made enough food to serve 3 people
*I had some fennel in my fridge which I used for adornment but it can easily be left out. I also used The Keg Steak Spice which I already had at home. You can use any steak spice you may have on hand.
How can you recreate this dish?
1. Cut the potatoes into big chunks and boil until fork tender. I like to peel the skins off after they've finished boiling. Once they're boiled drain the water and set aside. Some will be used for the soup and some will be fried.
2. In a nonstick pan heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the pork all at once and fry until crispy. Then remove and cut into chunks. Take about 3/4 of the potatoes and cut into chunks. Toss both the pork and the potatoes back into the still-hot pan and allow them to crisp up together. At this point I like to add steak spice to taste, but this can be substituted for salt and pepper.
3. While that's frying you can assemble the soup. I say 'assemble' because it's a raw soup so no heat is required. Thoroughly wash about 5 huge handfuls of spinach and toss into a blender. Add a good helping of salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, the remaining potatoes (peeled) and the juice of 1 lime. Add about 1 cup of Rice Dream. Make sure it's the original flavor and not vanilla. I like to use the calcium enriched one. Blend until smooth. You can play with the texture of the soup to suit your liking. If you want a thicker soup add more potato and spinach. To thin it out add more rice milk. If you prefer your soup hot it can easily be heated up in a sauce pan. Your call.
4. Now for assembly. Spoon some soup into a large bowl and then dole out a good helping of pork and potatoes in the centre. Garnish with chunks of green beans, diced finger peppers, slices of radishes, leaves of endive, and a squeeze of lime juice.
5. Watch your guests faces as they transition from hunger to amazement.
It’s All Easy (and delicious)
This weekend I invited one of my closest friends, Joella, into my kitchen to test out Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook, It’s All Easy. The book is a collection of simple recipes that will feed a family and can be made quickly on a weeknight. Imagine a book for home cooks who are also busy parents and have a million tasks to accomplish after work.
I’m a fan of Gwyneth so before we dive in I’ll admit I’m biased. I loved The Royal Tenenbaums and Shallow Hal, I scroll through Goop from time to time, and I think conscious uncoupling is the most rational way to handle a split.
…And I envy her friendship with Mario Batali who I used to watch on TV all the time as a kid.
Upon opening the book there were some recipes that jumped out at me immediately. The chicken piccata, which we did make, looked stunning. The photographs in this book are top notch and create a whole atmosphere for the reader. I love that she included shots not only of the food but of her home, her interactions – her lifestyle.
I strongly agree with her statement that food doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. Several of her recipes are ones my nonna always makes, or ones I gravitate towards on weeknights. I pretty much never eat out unless I’m so exhausted Bran feels I’m at risk of fainting. And that is a very rare occurrence. I just love to cook, it’s what I do. I look forward to it at the end of the day, I often plan what I’m going to cook the night before, and I feel very satisfied when I hear murmurs of approval when others eat my food. Joella also cooks at home all the time, especially since she’s striving to incorporate more protein into her diet.
So let’s jump right in. We made three recipes from the book: Jessica’s coconut latte, lemon and herb pasta with cherry tomatoes, and chicken piccata.
Coconut Latte
We began with this recipe because we needed a little pick-me-up after work and before we poured the wine. How delicious does a coconut latte sound? I love that this recipe didn’t have to be altered to suit my allergies in any way. Very simply coconut oil, sugar, and espresso, all ingredients I already had on hand. We both loved the rich flavor of this drink and I actually went on to make Bran and myself one on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Once we were woken up we poured some wine and got ready to start cooking. Joella chose the soundtrack for the evening. We listened first to Koop Island and then some early Norah Jones (a favorite of both of ours). Our strategy was to begin the chicken and pasta in unison and hope they also finished cooking at the same time.
Chicken Piccata
Look at your food lovingly
Chicken in a delicate lemon and herb sauce with capers and lemon slices. I’ve had this dish many times before or variations of it using white wine or some broth. We sauteed the chicken breasts after dredging in flour, then added lemon slices and juice, capers, and Earth Balance vegan spread instead of butter. Again it was super easy to use substitutes for allergens, the only allergen being butter. The chicken was tender and saucy and we ate the entire plate. I could easily see myself recreating this meal some other time or especially if I had a group to feed. We served it on a bed of arugula.
Lemon and Herb Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Once again, this recipe was conducive to eating allergen-free. We just left out the parmesan but stuck to the recipe otherwise. It was a lot of food. You could easily serve a whole family with this dish and then have some leftover for lunches. It’s Sunday night and I still have a container full in my fridge. My only negative comment is that I felt like I needed a paella pan to simmer the pasta and tomatoes together. Joella also had a point of criticism as she thought it could have been more flavorful. It’s likely that the parmesan would have made up for that. In future I’ll add more garlic and some lemon.
We created a warm, cosy atmosphere to suit the book and meal. Then Jo got very tired of waiting for me to finish taking photos and we finally sat down to eat.
And we then we dug in! In a big way. It was somehow already 11:30 and we were starving, although we have a habit of talking so much when we’re together that we always lose track of time. Clearly this night was no exception. After scarfing down a huge helping each we settled in to watch the new season of Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.
What we loved
This book really is great for anyone living with food allergies like myself.
There were tons of beautiful photographs that inspired me to cook.
Gwyneth gave us a window into her life which made the book feel very personal.
The recipes really were easy and used accessible ingredients.
Portion sizes were ideal for serving a family.
There are a ton of recipes in this book. A ton!
Our ratings
Accessibility of ingredients: 10/10
Flavor level: 8/10
Stunning photographs: 10/10
Covetable lifestyle and killer interior design skills: 15/10
Jessica Seinfeld’s coconut latte: priceless.
It’s All Easy sells for CAD $42.00. It’s hardcover bound with dust jacket and is available at Indigo in store or Indigo.ca