Gluten-Free « Skagit Valley Food Co-op

In the Kitchen with Jill…

“Mom…we need a treat.”

“What kind of treat…?”

“A real treat with chocolate and stuff,something that doesn’t resemble health food.”

….head spinning around the kitchen trying to concoct something yummy but won’t send us into straight insulin shock!!!

“Ok I have a plan….let’s get crackin”

“Oh gee Mommy..you’re the best ever!!!” (Ok so I totally made that part up…but in my heart she said it) Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

Did I mention that I was not eating grains? Did I mention that I love toast? Did I mention that on Mothers Day I should be able to have toast? I am not celiac,but I am on an elimination diet to try and find the cause of my tummy troubles. That being said when I was told I needed to give up wheat,I certainly never thought about my beloved toast. This weekend I bought a loaf of bread (nothing we carry at the coop) especially made for the Paleo Diet. This loaf costs me 8 bucks!!! AND IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! For the price I paid for this brick of yuck,I will add it to my food processor and some herbs and make bread crumbs.

Ok so one problem solved…now about that toast. I have found a recipe that I am going to make tonight. Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy”…. what a glorious weekend we had. Family time was bountiful and full of frolicking. Traipsing through the woods,watching the dog chase butterfly shadows,dipping of feet into the still chilly lake. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if this is really the magical life I lead. Sunny days bring out smiles and waves from neighbors,nods of appreciation for sun kissed foreheads and tastes for lighter fare. It also brought to mind an orange cake that I had once tasted. It was not a dense cake,very moist with a honey orange lingering taste. Searching the internet I found many versions of orange cake,none looked just right. So,I adapted Nigella’s cake,using honey instead of sugar and Valencias instead of clementines. Can i just say….WOW!!! Gluten Free too….

Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

I have a yard waste bin….

I don’t have a garbage disposal…

So hence the bucket under my sink that food goes into,then gets deposited into the yard waste bin,which is then made into compost by the city. It’s my own circle of life. This has been leading me to notice just how much food has been wasted. Now,honestly it really is not that much,but I was in the mode of “we need to get a handle on this..RIGHT NOW” So I decided to look at how and what was being wasted.

Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

Often my Mother will call me and say things like “tonight I made French Roasted Chicken…”and I think to myself “Mon Dieu,I fail!! ”Granted,my Mother worked so incredible hard her whole life,and now that she is retired and has this amazing kitchen (and I do mean amazing) I actually wait for the calls to covet her culinary experiments. So,this weekend I had some free time watching it rain,so I thought…. might as well make French Chicken.

Oh Mon Poulet!!! So good!! So tender!! So easy!!

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The quest for health!

“Moderation” is a word that you hear often in the “diet” world. Often it seems shaming and condescending,and as I write this I remember my Grandmother saying “Remember the key is moderation” and shamefully putting the second helping of what ever I had back. My Grandmother meant no harm,but the words tasted sour. As I grew into an adult and was able to make culinary decision on my own,I realized that I had given up on moderation and it was an all or nothing world of eat or no eat. No sugar,no white foods,no fat,full fat,no carb,high carb,no meat,all meat…it was an endless fight.

As I have grown more accustomed to this body I live in,I am painfully aware of how unkind I was to myself,both in gluttony and deprivation. So here is the irony,due to having some “tummy trouble” I have been put on an elimination diet. It seems to be trending of late with a lot of the women that I know. Is it sad that I had just hoped for an ulcer? At least then I wouldn’t have to delve once again into the food battle that I was so sure I won. But the reins are once again tight and I will have to be diligent on the edibles I consume.

In the Kitchen with Jill…

This is another “bear with me” recipe. I know I have led you down a path or two of questionable culinary ideas…. but was I wrong? So,let me wow you once again with grilled avocados. I know it sounds faintly ridiculous and strange,but a grill makes a delicious avocado even better. But a ripe avocado is so delicate it takes little cooking:just touch it to the grill for a moment to bring out its floral aroma. Promise you will not be sad about this at all.

Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

With Easter happenings last week,there was a lot of talk about deviled eggs. I happen to absolutely love love love deviled eggs. I have experimented with a multitude of different eggceptional combinations. Pesto Deviled Eggs,Avocado Deviled Eggs,Cream Cheese and Salmon Deviled Eggs. The addition of bacon,or celery add just enough texture to my dear little orbital friends,to satisfy my need for crunch. The other day I was thinking about flavors that go together well. Combinations that make flavor explosions in my mouth. I was reading a recipe this weekend on Lemon and Dill BBq Salmon and thought “SHAZAM!”(Often my inner voice is that of a Superhero) Dill and Lemon Deviled Eggs!!!

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INDIAN IN THE CUBPOARD:SOUTH INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY

I’m the kind of person who will order the same thing at every restaurant and judge the merit of that establishment based on its ability to satisfy me with this dish. What can I say? I’m a creature of habit. But, for someone with a rather adventurous palate, that is kind of a lame thing to do. I like to think though, that it keeps my criticisms consistent and speaks to my love for those particular dishes. I order something simple. Something that I feel should be a staple. For seafood joints,it’s fish and chips. When there’s burger in the title, I order a plain,unadulterated burger without cheese. With ethnic cuisine, I always go with my first and truest love:chicken curry. Read more INDIAN IN THE CUBPOARD:SOUTH INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY …

Health in a pot….

One of the brilliant things that happen when you work at the Co-op is you become a big family,a great big warm gooey,gluten free,vegan,meat eating,sugar free,non dairy,non nut eating cookie of a family. We are tribe,and when one of our tribe members fall sick,we rally and do what we know to help. Sometimes it takes the form of child care,sometimes it’s a hug,for me it is always food. This week when I heard one of my peeps had fallen ill,I immediately went into action. Her diet for the next three days must consist of basically broth,no fat or meat. Hmmmmmm….ok I can work with this.

After tossing around some ideas,I thought what would be delicious and nutritious? My idea…

In the Kitchen with Jill…

Onions….what can I say,they bring me to tears. Ok that was super lame,but I do adore these pungent bulbs of glory. I agree with the haters that onion are strong,and appear to give you bad breath but it’s a fallacy. Onions don’t actually “cause”bad-breath as such,but due to their high sulphur content the smell from them tends to linger after you’ve eaten them,until they’ve gone through your stomach. Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

Ok lets get down to it…First I would like to say that I am one of the few people in the world that is not in love with the potato. My family and many others find this to be blasphemy,but before the scolding continues I will say that both my husband and daughter do regularly partake in the spud. Just because I do not care for them does not mean I make the others in my life abstain. The usual fare is in the form of hash browns or home fries. There has always been a distinction to me that these were different creature comforts,hash browns being shredded potatoes,fried and crispy. Home fries are usually co-mingled with peppers,onion and other savory items. I make them both,the main Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

I am super into spicy chocolate lately;I like a little heat on my treat. This year I am going to adventure into the land of bark. There are a lot of different stories on how bark came to be,but I am picking the theory I like best…Bark was made with scrapes of leftover chocolate from candy making. Recycled chocolate,no waste. PERFECT!!!

Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

Ever have a Pupusas? These El Salvadorian little treats are magical little stuffed goodies,usually with cheese,meat or beans. The are so popular in their country El Salvador the government has declared the second Sunday of every November “National Pupusa Day.”They have become quite chic here in the states there is even a food truck dedicated just to them. Part of the allure is the simplicity of Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

In the Kitchen with Jill…

Oh the Flu…oh my how you have taken hold this year!! You and your little sickly fingers holding on tight to the ones we love. This year you seem to be quite nasty and relentless and although I have tried you got me where it hurts!!! My house has been layered with sickness. The moaning and aching and chills…WHY OH WHY!!!! Food as medicine seems to be the only thing that may help fight your devilish demeanor. Growing up my grandmother swore by barley water for an upset tummy,have you ever tasted barley water??? Not so delish? But then what to serve if not yuckiness to the ill? ( I may be writing this with a fever so please excuse the Shakespearean cadence) Bring on the broth,I say!! Hearty and full of flavor making sore throats cheer with vigor!! I am a saver of bones and so I will brew you a concoction made to heal the sick,ok well at least stop the Read more In the Kitchen with Jill……

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