Toronto Stay-cation: Body Blitz Water Spa and Arepa Cafe

Yesterday a girlfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a spa date. We went to the highly recommended Body Blitz Spa (http://bodyblitzspa.com/). I've been meaning to head there ever since I received a lovely Amex gift card for my birthday and I'm so glad I did.

Body Blitz offers a range of services from scrubs to massages but their signature facility is their "waters". There is a circuit featuring a sea salt pool, eucalyptus steam room, sauna, cold plunge pool and green tea pool. If you get any treatments, access to the waters is included but you can also experience the waters on their own. Their treatments are quite expensive (i.e. $90 for a 30 minute massage) so my girlfriend and I decided to try the waters on their own. On Tuesdays, access to the waters is discounted by $10. Bonus!

I paid around $45 for access to the waters and a soothing ginger tea drink (that the staff deliver to you while you bathe). This is definitely not something I would do all the time, but once in a while it is a lovely experience. At Body Blitz, they think of everything! You are provided with towels, a robe, flip flops, hair ties, spray deodorant and hair dryers! The products in their showers and vanity are all made in the spa and from quality ingredients. They even have plastic bags for you to put your bathing suit in after so you don't get your purse wet!

Not only relaxing, the waters have various therapeutic benefits. The steam room, sauna and green tea pool flush out your toxins. The cold plunge pool closes your pores and stimulates your thyroid (only if you go up to your neck- which I couldn't but I splashed water onto my face and neck). The sea salt pool relaxes your muscles with lovely waterfalls and jets, easing tension.

Sorry gentlemen, but Body Blitz is ladies only (and clothing optional).

After Body Blitz, my friend suggested we grab a snack at nearby Arepa Cafe (http://arepacafe.blogspot.com/). I had never had arepas (a Venezuelan breakfast/ snack muffin) before but she described them to me as a gluten-free (cornmeal based) English muffin with a variety of fillings. I ordered a pork and tomato arepa and my friend ordered something with steak, avocado, cheese and tomato. My arepa came with three thick pieces of tender pork and a juicy slice of tomato. My friend's arepa looked equally delicious and filling.

The server assured me that the pork was not spicy and my friend warned me against using the sauces you get (white= garlic mayo, green= spicy, red= super spicy). It would have been nice to have non-garlic mayo as an option but my arepa was delicious nonetheless. The arepa dough is cooked perfectly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Prices are fair ($7-9/ arepa) considering how much food you get. Many of the items have cheese but I'm sure you can ask for none. They also offer delicious looking deserts (some of which are gluten free). I was tempted to try the fried plantains with honey and pistachios but decided to save room for dinner instead.

In addition to arepas and desserts, you can also find salads, finger foods, fancy coffee drinks and a bar offering beer, wine and Venezuelan rum.

Arepa Cafe also sells the P.A.N. flour so you can make your own arepas at home! P.A.N flour is considerably cheaper and easier to prepare than other gluten-free starches I've encountered; all you do is add warm water and and salt!

I'm excited to make some "mock McMuffins" at home and visit Arepa Cafe again.

Hockey Game Food: Lentil- Beef Burgers

I'm writing this as I watch the home opener for the Toronto Maple Leafs (home-team in my adopted city). Later tonight, Vancouver Canucks (who are in my humble opinion as a lifelong Canucks fan, the best team in the NHL) will play their home opener.

Hockey in Canada is like American football in the States, or football in Europe- a must see event.

Hockey means pub food and beer- both of which are very food-allergy unfriendly. Recently, I got cable at home! Now not only can I waste hours watching TV instead of doing schoolwork, I can watch hockey at home and make my own pub food.

My original plan was to make chicken wings. Usually pub chicken wings (even those pre-made in grocery stores) are coated in flour before frying. However, I saw my favourite gluten-free burger buns (O'doughs Flax Buns) on sale this week and decided to make burgers instead.

To accompany the burgers, I made a broccoli coleslaw (recipe to come) and heated up some Cavendish Farms From the Farm Potato Wedges that I bought at Shopper's Drug Mart (2 bags for $5). These potato wedges are labelled gluten-free and are simply seasoned (no garlic salt). I would make my own potato wedges but the sale price and convenience was just too good to turn down.

I also stopped by the liquor store for some gluten-free beer but they were sold out. Instead I picked up a regular beer for my boyfriend and a Strongbow cider (gluten-free!) for me. In reality, I drank maybe 1/5th of the Strongbow. Knowing your limit with alcohol is one of the best things you can do for your health, whether you have colitis or not.

As I've mentioned, I love a good burger. Chicken burgers and veggie burgers are alright but I like my burgers best when they are beefy. Ready-made frozen burgers are often (but not always) thickened up with breadcrumbs, and in general (especially "lean" varieties) are quite pricey ($10.99 for 6 burgers). Lentils are a vegetarian staple and often found in veggie burgers. I decided to mix lentils and lean ground beef for a more budget-friendly and low-fat burger.

I cooked my burgers on a George Foreman Grill and it didn't turn out as well as I hoped- the burgers fell apart a bit on the grill. Perhaps it would be wise to try this recipe next time with one more egg or to cook the burgers on a pan or using the oven broiler.

I read a little bit on the web about how to shape the burger patties. Some people like to use just their hands, other have expensive burger patty making gadgets. I used a very low-tech, low cost tool: a sour-cream container lid.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

540mL can of lentils (rinsed and drained)

1 egg

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

What you need:

1 sour-cream container lid (yogurt lids, takeout container lids would also work)

1 large bowl

1 spoon or fork

1 George Foreman Grill or non-stick frying pan

18 burger-sized pieces of parchment paper

1 large plate or cookie sheet

Directions:

1) In the large bowl, thoroughly combine ground beef, lentils, egg, turmeric, mustard, gluten-free tamari sauce and pepper using a spoon or fork.

2) Using the container lid and the spoon or fork, shape hamburger patties individually and place flat on a plate with parchment paper on both sides. Make a small indent in the middle of the burger so it cooks evenly.

3) For burgers you are eating immediately, refrigerate for at least 30 mins to let the burger patties set.

For burgers you are freezing, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 2 hours before stacking and storing in ziplock bags. The double layer of parchment paper between each patty will prevent sticking.

Recipe makes 9 burgers.

4) Cook the burgers on the grill or pan. I cooked mine from the fridge for about 5 minutes on the grill. Cook time will vary depending on cooking method.

Advice from the internet tells me to thaw my frozen burgers before serving.

5) Serve on gluten-free buns with toppings and condiments of choice.

Enjoy!

Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes... one of my favorite comfort foods ever. Naturally gluten-free, this dish can be easily made dairy-free as well.

Before I went dairy-free, I made my mashed potatoes with full-fat sour cream AND cream cheese. That may not have been so heart healthy.

Now I make mashed potatoes with rice milk and olive oil- better on both the gut and the heart. (Of course, they are not as creamy, but still delicious and comforting on a cold fall day.)

Ingredients:

5 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes

3/4 cup of plain rice milk

1/8 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

What you need:

1 medium pot

1 potato masher

1 strainer

Directions:

1) Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

2) Wash, peel and dice potatoes into small cubes.

3) Add potatoes to the water and cook until soft but not falling apart.

4) Drain potatoes in strainer and add back to the pot.

5) Combine potatoes with rice milk and olive oil, then mash with the potato masher.

Serves 2 immediately with leftovers for lunch.

Simple Lemon Salmon

Tonight I made one of my "go-to" meals. It looks and tastes delicious but requires very little prep-time or work. Also, it is a great source of protein, vitamin-D and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s assist with immune function and may reduce inflammation.

I always use High Liner Wild Pacific Salmon- which has 4 individually frozen salmon filets in a 1lb bag. Sometimes "wild" fish (as opposed to farmed fish) is seen as expensive, but I buy my salmon from... you guessed it... Shoppers Drug Mart. The pack of 4 filets is usually $7.99, but I got mine on sale for $5.99. Sometimes when Shoppers is giving away bonus points for their rewards program, I like to stock up. The wonders of frozen food!

The package says it is not necessary to defrost the salmon before use but I do it anyways. I place the filets I will be using in a ziplock bag and place the bag in a bowl of cold water. If I remember to defrost the salmon at least 8 hours before serving, I keep it in the fridge. If I don't remember to defrost until a few hours before serving, I just keep the salmon in its bowl of cold water on the kitchen counter. Never defrost your salmon with warm water. "Soaking" the filets using a ziplock bag and water allows the cold water and frozen salmon to come to the same temperature. (I learned this in grade 12 math class- thermal equilibrium).

This meal can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook (and eat)!

Ingredients:

2 filets of salmon (defrosted)

1 lemon

1 tsp each of dried parsley and thyme

2 tsp of olive oil (optional- salmon has its own oils too!)

Salt and pepper

What you need:

Oven-safe dish, large enough for the salmon (I usually use a brownie pan or a glass dish)

Parchment paper

Spatula (to handle the cooked fish)

Directions:

*** Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit ***
1) Cut lemon in half. Slice one half of the lemon into 6-8 slices and reserve the other half for juicing.

2) Line your baking dish with parchment paper.

3) Place salmon filets on top of parchment paper.

4) Sprinkle parsley and thyme on top of salmon filets. Add oil and salt and pepper as desired.

5) Juice the reserved half-lemon on top of salmon filets.

6) Place lemon slices on top of salmon filets.

7) If there is excess parchment paper in the baking dish, try your best to fold it into the pan (using a heavy spoon to hold the paper in place is efficient). This is not necessary but prevents the parchment paper from burning.

8) Bake your salmon at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. Salmon is ready when it can be flaked apart with a fork. Plate using a spatula. Serve with rice and a simple salad.

Cranberry Roast with Roasted Root Vegetables

I was always intimidated by roast beef until I had the most delicious homemade pot roast (made by my boyfriend's mom). Of course, I asked for the recipe! People usually think of cranberries as an accompaniment to turkey (and the rest of thanksgiving dinner), but in this recipe it gives a delicious sweet/tart flavor to beef.

Loblaws was having a huge sale this week on sirloin tip roast ($2.99/lb) so it was time to try out the recipe. I think I'm going back for more to put in the freezer.

The original recipe required a few substitutions. It had garlic, dry onion powder and beef broth (which usually contains gluten and/or onion). I replaced the garlic and dry onion powder with coriander powder and dried herbs and the beef broth with water and gluten-free tamari sauce.

As you can see, the roast came out great! I paired it with oven-roasted carrots and nugget potatoes. The roast and veggies were able to cook in the same oven at the same temperature- double bonus!

One thing I learned from this cooking experience- do not buy aluminum foil from the dollar store! (Unless it is a brand name). Dollar store supplies are hit-and-miss but the aluminum foil I used yesterday was paper-thin! Fortunately, it didn't affect the food so much- it was just frustrating to work with.

Cranberry Roast

Ingredients:

1 two-pound roast (adjust recipe accordingly with roast weight)

1/2 can cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp coriander

2 tbsp gluten-free tamari

1/2 cup of water

salt (approximately 1 tsp)

freshly ground pepper (approximately 2 tsp)

2 tbsp olive oil

What you need:

- nonstick pot or pan (large enough to hold the roast)

- aluminum foil

- oven-safe pan with edges (large and deep enough to hold the roast and pan drippings), I used a brownie pan

- tongs (to handle the roast)

- can opener

- fork/ whisk

Directions:

*Heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

1) Remove the roast from the fridge and wait 30 mins. Allowing the roast to come to room temperature before cooking will let it cook more evenly.

2) Make the basis of your pan sauce by whisking together cranberry sauce, dijon mustard, ketchup, parsley, thyme, coriander, tamari, water, and freshly ground pepper.

3) Salt the roast on all sides.

4) Use the olive oil to brown the roast on all sides using your nonstick pot/pan.

5) Line the oven-safe pan with aluminum foil.

6) Place the roast in the oven-safe pan and cover/coat with the pan sauce mixture. (Artfully arranging the whole cranberries on top of the meat makes for lovely presentation later on).

7) Cover the roast gently with more aluminum foil and place in the oven.

8) Cook 25-30 min for each pound of beef, removing top foil cover about halfway through cooking process.

I cooked my two-pound roast for about 50 minutes, the edges were medium but the middle was closer to rare. The majority of the meat was medium-rare (which is how I prefer my beef). After serving a first-serving, the roast went back in the oven for about 5 minutes. At this point, the edge was closer to well-done and the thickest part of the meat was medium-rare. I microwaved leftovers the next day and still did not find the meat too well-done.

Serve with dijon mustard, pan drippings and horseradish.

Roasted Root Vegetables

This takes about 25-30 minutes of cook time in a 375-degree oven. Basically, once your roast is in the oven, start preparing the vegetables. Around the time you will remove the top aluminum foil cover from the roast is when the veggies are ready for the oven.

You can roast almost any root vegetable like this. Carrots and potatoes are crowd-pleasers but sweet potatoes and beets work well too. The key is oil, seasoning, and surface-area. The smaller you cut the vegetables up, the more of that crunchy texture you will get. I try to think bite-size.

The vegetables also pair well with salmon and chicken. Cooking the "vitamin" component and "starch" component of a meal in one pan eliminates dishes and worry about meeting gluten-free requirements!

Ingredients:

1 small bag of baby carrots (no washing or cutting required- but if you prefer to save money, cut the carrots into snack-size sticks).

1 small bag of nugget potatoes (approximately 20 nugget potatoes)

5 tbsp olive oil (approximate, I never measure but just try to make sure everything has a thin coat of olive oil)

salt and pepper

1 tsp each of parsley and thyme

What you need:

- aluminum foil

- cookie sheet

- spatula

Directions:

***heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

1) Wash potatoes and cut each potato into thirds.

2) Place potatoes and carrots in pan.

3) Add olive oil and mix thoroughly until each bite-size piece is lightly coated in oil.

4) Sprinkle on salt, pepper and herbs and mix again thoroughly.

5) Cook vegetables for 25-30 mins, remove cookie sheet from oven after about 15 mins and turn over the vegetables with your spatula. Vegetables are done when you see browned edges but the middles are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.

Ask for what you want! (Gourmet Burger Company)

I love a good burger. Thankfully several burger joints in Toronto have gluten-free bun options. (For example: Hero Burger). Skip the cheese, onions, garlic-laden sauces, make sure the fries are not dredged in flour... And you're good!

One of my favorite burger joints is Gourmet Burger Company (GBC). Unfortunately they don't have a gluten-free bun option. So I emailed them! And this was their response:

Hi Jessica,

Thank you for contacting us with your feedback re. carrying a gluten-free bun.

Currently, we offer a lettuce wrap for customers who request gluten-free meals. However, we will definitely look into a gluten-free bun option.

Have a wonderful week,

Jacqueline

-----
Jacqueline Grisé
Gourmet Burger Co.www.thegourmetburgerco.com

The very next day (today), I went to GBC. Excuse: I was in the neighbourhood! In fact, I'm sitting there right now.

I'm so glad I emailed them. Now they know there is a demand for gluten-free options and I know what they have now!

I got their lettuce-wrap beef burger with tomato, pickles, avocado, ketchup, mustard and mayo. I also got an order of their delicious hand-cut homemade fries. And a coke. (Caffeine quota done for the week). A little messy but so yummy! Remember to ask for a fork and knife! Then sit back, relax and enjoy your meal and the classic rock.

Salmon Croquettes with Lemon-Mayo

Today I had an appointment with my gastroenterologist. Everything went well but he asked me to get some blood tests to check my white blood cell counts. There was a long lineup at the outpatient lab so I made good use of my time and did some recipe planning on my blackberry.

A while ago, canned salmon was on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart. Naturally, I stocked up. I tried to have the canned salmon for lunch in a cold salad but was put off by the fishy taste.

Using Google to look up "canned salmon recipes", I came across this Lemon Salmon Burger recipe.

Obviously I had to make some adjustments to suit my dietary restrictions (substitute bread crumbs, omit red pepper flakes and onion), but I was determined to have some yummy salmon for lunch.

When I got home, I considered defrosting the gluten-free bread I had in the freezer for bread crumbs. Then, I realized what I could use instead: stale potato chips!

There aren't many snacks I can have that are cheap and readily available but plain potato chips are often made with just potatoes, oil and salt. I usually buy the Lay's brand "lightly salted" variety. My bag of potato chips has been going stale for a week. I was ready to throw them out but thought "people use stale bread in recipes all the time, why not use stale potato chips?"

Ingredients:
For the croquettes:

1 can salmon (I used Clover Leaf brand Wild Red Pacific Sockeye Salmon).
If you see salmon skin and bones, try to remove these as best as possible. In a croquette, these are just not appetizing.

1 small ziplock bag full of potato chips (about 30 chips), crushed in bag.

Handful of parsley, washed and chopped.

2 eggs (beaten)

Salt (about 1 tsp) and pepper (about 8 grinds of the pepper mill)

2-5 tbsp Cooking oil (I used leftover bacon grease)

For the lemon-mayo:

2 tbsp mayo

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Pinch of dried basil

Directions:

1) In a medium bowl, combine salmon, potato chips, parsley, egg, salt and pepper.

2) Heat a non-stick pan to medium (6) and add cooking oil.

3) Form the croquettes using a fork and the palm of your hand. Place each croquette in the pan as it is formed.

4) Cook croquettes on first side until bottom is slightly browned (approximately 5 mins). Flip the croquette and brown the other side (approximately 3 mins). Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to repeat this process a few times. Give the croquettes at least a 1/2 inch "breathing space" on each side.

5) While croquettes are cooking, mix mayo, lemon juice and basil in a small bowl.

6) Serve immediately. Makes about 8 palm-sized croquettes.

I have a few croquettes left over- these would be delicious with a salad for dinner tonight. You can also make the croquettes smaller and serve with a variety of flavored mayos as an appetizer or finger food.