Category Archives: Wheat-Free (or Wheat-Free Substitution(s)) Recipes

Blogroll Recipe Review: Spring Minestrone by 101 Cookbooks

I was very impressed by how good Heidi Swanson’s (from 101 Cookbooks) Carrot and Fennel Soup was so I decided to try another of her soup recipes for round two yesterday and while this one was definitely not as good, it was far from being a total disappointment…a delightful 3-star worthy spring soup that I wouldn’t hesitate to make again with a few simple alterations next time!  My only real “critiques” of this recipe were: 1) while I realize this recipe was meant to be a vegetarian soup, I couldn’t help but feel it was missing some sort of protein (I’d simply add some cooked lentils or chicken next time!); and 2) as for presentation, while still tasting good, the leftovers aren’t nearly as appetizing looking (as the remnant heat ends up overcooking the vegetables and they become much less vibrant in colour) and in my opinion, this soup needs more colour to wet your appetite and to beef up the presentation points :)

Happy spring everyone!

~ theHONEYhunny

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Slow Cooked Barbeque Ribs

The quintessential perfect weekend could have been this past one!  Celebrating God’s Greatest Sacrifice and spending the weekend with the most incredible friends and family leaves me feeling blessed beyond all words!  My brother (who is in the military) also surprised us by being able to make it home for the weekend last-minute so that was “the icing on the cake”!

After attending the Good Friday service at church on Friday morning a bunch of my dearest friends helped with a move then that evening I had my family over to my house for supper…because I knew that it might be a late start to cooking after helping with the move, I slow cooked these ribs the night before then refrigerated them so that I’d just have to reheat and broil them with the BBQ sauce before everyone arrived.  I also made these Garlic Roasted Potatoes…yum!

I doubled this recipe (yes, that is 9 pounds of meat for just 6 people!) due to my sister insisting that I make an uber-enormous amount for 3 hungry men – while we ate a lot I have a copious amount of leftovers in my freezer if anyone wants to come over for dinner another night!

Happy Easter everyone!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Slow Cooked Barbeque Ribs

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Garlic Roasted Potatoes

This is my go-to recipe for potatoes – everyone always loves them and they are super easy to make!  The reviews on FoodNetwork.ca speak for themselves…I wholeheartedly agree that this recipe is outstanding and very deserving of its’ 5-star rating on the website!  I use extra virgin olive oil and they always turn out soooooo good!

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Garlic Roasted Potatoes

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Homemade [Trail Mix] Chocolates

I invited my sister as well as one of the gals we went to Ukraine with last fall (whom we’ve become good friends with) over for coffee and dessert tonight.  I recently bought a fancy cappuccino/espresso maker as a birthday present to myself (which I must say that I’m absolutely loving…I’ve been wanting one since going to Italy last year and I finally decided to stop being so frugal and actually order it!)…I thought these indulgent homemade chocolates would be the perfect pairing to go with our Italian coffees :)

I put “trail mix” into square brackets in the name of this recipe as you can pair this chocolate with so many different ingredients…I just happened to be in the mood for cranberries and nuts today!  I’ve made various renditions of this recipe on a multitude of occasions both for work gatherings and for family/friend get togethers and they have always been a crowd pleaser no matter who I’ve served them to.  More times than not people comment that they don’t believe that you can make such a decadent and smooth chocolate from scratch that melts in your mouth SO quickly (and might I add without any refined sugars!).

Hope you enjoy this simple and versatile chocolate recipe!

~ theHONEYhunny
theHONEYhunny Blog - Homemade [Trail Mix] Chocolates

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I kind of felt like I won the lottery this week when I spotted some gorgeous fresh organic Brussels sprouts at my local grocery store!

While Brussels sprouts have a crazy-bad reputation and are notoriously stereotyped as being an enemy of children everywhere, I was the unusual kid who actually enjoyed them!  My parents tell me that when I was really young they used to take us to the hospital to visit one of my great aunts and I always would always order Brussels sprouts from the cafeteria!

If you are not a fan or were one of those Brussel sprouts fearing children, I hope this recipe will change your mind as the added richness from the olive oil and sweetness/nuttiness from the caramelizing process makes these worthy of a special occasion!  Sprinkle some freshly grated gouda or parmigiano-reggiano cheese on it and you truly will knock this side dish out of the ballpark!

~ theHONEYhunny

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Creamy Coconut Mango Jello

This very smooth and ultra-creamy jello is dairy-free and is not excessively sweet.  It would be the perfect dessert to cool your mouth down after a spicy Thai or Indian curry supper.  I was inspired to make this dessert after attending a fundraiser for India missions trips at church last year where they served a dessert called “Mango Fruit Cream” (which I’m sure was loaded with sugar and cream but was to die for in taste!).  I used defrosted organic frozen mangos (I buy a big bag of them from Costco as often have trouble finding organic fresh ones when they aren’t in season otherwise), but this recipe can also be made using fresh mangos.  The coconut milk adds a richness to this dish and accentuates the tropical flavour of the mango fruit.

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Creamy Coconut Mango Jello

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Slow Cooker Butterless Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

I consider my Auntie Sandy to be the queen of the slow cooker (every time I stay with her she delights us with her amazing homemade curries and delicious stews)…I’ll admit that I, on the other hand, am not so much of a queen…simply because I can’t seem to get into the habit of remembering to use mine!  Even with the day off from work today it felt like a Crock-Pot (a.k.a. “I’m being lazy”) kind of a cooking day as I felt like prioritizing my spring-cleaning and organizing fever that I’ve caught earlier than usual this year.

Butter chicken is one of the most well known Indian food dishes and is now popular all over the world…if you haven’t tried it before, what are you waiting for?!!!  It is my absolute favourite and it most definitely induces my inner-foodie happiness!  Even without using butter and gobs of heavy whipping cream, which are both common in traditional butter chicken recipes (making them not so healthy for you!), my recipe’s sauce is still so satisfying with its ultra rich and velvety sauce.  And, oh my goodness…the smell!!!  The fragrance that escapes from the slow cooker will literally make your mouth water and your stomach growl!  I had my family over for supper tonight and the first thing my parents both said when they walked in the door (I think it was even before they said hi to me) was “It smells SO good in here!”…my sister arrived a while later and she literally echoed my parents’ comments!

All I had to do once everyone was over was cook some brown basmati rice to accompany the butter chicken…could not be any simpler my friends and even without all the fuss of having to spend much of the afternoon in the kitchen, it still felt like a gourmet dinner and was a massive hit!  Mmmmm, it was so good that I’ve started thinking that while I will never been the queen of the slow cooker like my aunt is, maybe I can strive to be a princess ;)

Hope you enjoy this simple but perfect at-home taste of India!

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Slow Cooker Butterless Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

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Chocolate Dipped Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

While “healthy” and “cookie” are not usually synonymous, this recipe would lead you to believe that they are since they are refined sugar free and are full of fibre.  I took my recipe for Chewy Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies and did a very simple modification by replacing the cocoa powder for coconut flour and “voila”…another (grain) flour- and gluten-free cookie with a whole different flavour but with the same great texture!  I also decided to add a homemade chocolate for dipping the cookies into which took this cookie from delicious-but-ordinary to deliciously-extraordinary!

My favourite part of this cookie, besides its chewiness, is the coconut!  Have I mentioned or can you tell from this blog that I like coconut?  A LOT.  Would it be wrong to admit that I maybe even actually love coconut?!!!  Yes, I am crazy for almost anything coconut!  After travelling to Hawai’i a few years ago I gained a whole new respect for this amazing food…between the health benefits and how many products can be derived from it, I was in awe! I now stock my pantry with organic coconut milk, pure and extra-virgin coconut oils, coconut sugar, coconut flour, and shredded coconut.  I also love cracking open a fresh coconut and enjoying the meat for a snack every once in a while!

This recipe has a combination of several coconut products, including coconut sugar.  The jury is still out if coconut sugar is actually good for you but it is unrefined (yes, ‘theHONEYhunny’ loves that word!) and has so many more nutrients (amino acids, many of the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc) than white or brown sugar.  It is low on the glycemic index (at 35) but calorie-wise it is no less than regular sugar so the key is consumption in moderation.  If you’ve never tried it, the taste profile is similar to that of brown sugar but with an under note of caramel flavour and it can be used in a ratio of 1:1 to replace white or brown sugar in recipes.

I confess, I also used a small amount of coconut flour in this recipe even though I technically gave up flour for Lent…my bad but, in my own defence, I only even intended to sacrifice all grain flours so I justified my decision ;)  Coconut flour is derived from finely ground coconut meat once most of the oil has been extracted.  It is low in digestible carbohydrates and a rich source of both protein and fibre.

Anyway, sorry to bore you with the nutritional details…I should stop rambling and simply give you the recipe so you can start baking a batch of these cookies that will be sure to make you weak in the knees!

~ theHONEYhunny   

theHONEYhunny Blog - Chocolate Dipped Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

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Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

Not many foods are acceptable or considered kosher for serving at breakfast, brunch, lunch, or supper (or for an indulgent snack!), but quiche is one of those delightfully versatile foods.  I’m thinking that my leftovers will be the ideal refuelling food for after my runs or workouts over the next couple of days!

I found this recipe online and was immediately intrigued by the unique crispy brown rice crust for this quiche and knew it was the perfect time to try it while I’m temporarily off wheat (excellent for any of you who are gluten-free too!).  Anyone who believes that quiche needs fibre-less and artery-clogging buttery puff pastry as a crust, I hope this recipe can sway your opinion and egg-cite you too!

WARNING(S): I urge you, do not attempt to use a springform pan!!!  I tried this (as I thought it would make a “pretty” quiche!) but failed miserably when the egg and milk mixture started seeping through the rice followed by through the base from the sides of the springform pan :(  Thankfully, I was able to salvage it by quickly dumping the filling back into the bowl then transferring the crust to a glass pie plate and refilling but it could have been disastrous I tell you!  I also encourage you to put a pan under the pie plate to catch the overflowing egg if you don’t have a deep dish pie plate (that was one thing I did right and saved a ginormous mess to clean up in the oven as it did spill over a bit!).

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

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Chewy Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy? Doesn’t its name prove it?   Buttery? A BIG check-mark.   Sinful? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely!!!     Gluten-Free?  I guess we can do that!  (For gluten-free cookies, simply ensure the rolled oats are not contaminated with any wheat and use 100% cocoa powder.)

Week one of Lent complete with absolutely no flour and all is going very well I must say but my pesky sweet tooth has been in a bit of withdrawal and nagging me constantly over the past few days so I whipped up a batch of these cookies…just to appease the tooth ;)

I wasn’t thinking but I should have added a handful of of cacao nibs to the dough for a bit of crunch-factor…oh well, there is always next time!

~ theHONEYhunny

theHONEYhunny Blog - Chewy Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

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