gluten free hamburgers

photo credit: gluten free vancouver

There has been a noticeable increase in the availability of gluten free hamburger buns at many popular restaurants around Vancouver lately, including the Wallflower Modern Diner, Milestones, and Romer's Burger Bar.

The Wallflower, located in the south Main street neighborhood, is a local favorite of ours and we really love the variety of gluten free menu items including poutine, mac & cheese and even a turkey dinner, all gluten free! The Wallflower is also known for it's vegan menu and there is a Vegan Portobello Burger available as well.

The hamburger at the Wallflower makes our top pick because they are one of the few restaurants that have gluten free french fries that are cooked separately from wheat products, and they also carry New Grist and Bards gluten free beer! It is a real treat to be able to have not only a gluten free bun, but fries and beer too. We also trust that measures are taken to prevent cross-contamination behind the scenes, and staff at the Wallflower are aware of allergies including celiac disease. 

photo credit: gluten free vancouver

Milestone’s also has a great gluten free menu that includes brown rice spaghettini pasta and a ganache torte for dessert. We wrote about Milestone's recently, read our article here. The gluten free hamburger with bun is a relatively new addition to the gluten free section in Milestone's menu, and it is really good. The hamburger bun that both Milestones and Romer's Burger Bar use are supplied by the French Meadow Bakery, an organic bakery from the U.S that specializes in gluten free bread products. The buns are really good, and hold up when well toasted. Andrea and I have been to Romer's Burger Bar twice, and the first time the bun was not toasted quite enough and crumbled easily, but it was perfect the second time.

photo credit: gluten free vancouver

Milestone's and Romer's french fries are not gluten free, since like most restaurants they are not cooked separately from wheat products. Romer's manager mentioned to us that they are considering carrying gluten free beer in the future, which would be great! Romer's Burger Bar is located in Kitsilano on West 4th near Burrard, and also have a location in Steveston. All of the gluten free hamburgers we tried were really good and we highly recommend all three.

Robyn + Andrea

earth day ideas

In recognition of Earth Day, we thought we would let you know about some of the fabulous products we use day to day that are earth friendly. Some them are also products that we use to ensure our foods are safely separated from possible gluten contamination at home and at work. 

top: produce bags from crate & barrel, bottom left: paper straws, bottom right: lunchskins, both from greenmunch. photo credit: gluten free vancouverWe picked up these great produce bags at Crate & Barrel when we were in Los Angeles last year for the Celiac Disease Foundation's annual Education Conference & Food Faire, but you can find them in most grocery stores now. They are great for produce, and so much more! I have used mine as a lunch bag, a toy bag, and even small laundry bags when traveling. They are slightly transparent so it's easy to see what's inside, and the drawstring secures the bag tight. 

The paper straws and Lunchskins are some fun products we picked up from the online eco-friendly retailer Greenmunch. It was so much fun shopping on their website, it was hard to decide what to choose. In the end I bought colorful paper straws and the Lunchskins which are perfect for keeping my gluten free snacks nicely wrapped up and separate from everything else. Instead of my name I simply wrote gluten free in the space provided so there would be no mix up with anyone else's sandwiches. The Lunchskins come in many wonderful colors and patterns, and two sizes: sandwich and snack size. They are also dishwasher-safe! 

mason jars & repurposed jars. photo credit: gluten free vancouverAnother thing we love, good old mason jars, or any jar really! At home I use them to store all my bulk grains, beans, and legumes. This not only keeps them fresh, but they are easy to stack, label, and see what's inside. I also feel better knowing my bulk food is secured under a lid, where no gluten crumbs can find their way in. My kitchen is gluten free for the most part, but occasionally my husband and daughter do have wheat bread and cereals at home. And it's those times I am thankful that I have taken simple measures to keep other foods safe from cross contamination.

We hope you enjoy these simple and fun ways to be eco-friendly, and gluten free in your day to day lives. Let us know what products or steps you take to be more earth-friendly and gluten-safe in your daily routine! Andrea.

we love macarons

photo credit: gluten free vancouverThe Vancouver Sun declared that 2012 is the year of the macaron in Vancouver, and fortunately for all us gluten free people, macarons are made with almond flour, which is gluten free! We've been finding macarons popping up all around Vancouver. You'll find them at Simply French in Point Grey (one of our favorite cafes, it's kid friendly too!), the newly opened Bel Cafe in the Hotel Georgia, Thomas Haas cafes in North Vancouver and Kitsilano, and at the recently opened Soirette in Coal Harbour. 

What makes Soirette unique is that macarons are all they make, and they are very dedicated to these little delicacies. Soirette is also very passionate about tea, and their teas are excellent, and about half of them are organic. The london fog that I ordered was THE best london fog I have ever had. 

Soirette, which means 'little party' in French, is the creation of owner and pastry chef Shobna. Soirette has about twenty different macaron flavours, all carefully handcrafted in-house with top quality ingredients. The macarons are made with a chocolate and cream ganache filling and come in a variety of subtle flavours including lavender, lemon, maple, vanilla, matcha, and cappuccino. We were really impressed by all the macarons we tried, but the lemon and lavender really stood out for us. 

photo credit: gluten free vancouver

The shop interior was designed to let the macarons take center stage by keeping it minimal and and mostly white. Photographer Catherine Chan has produced eye-popping wall photos where the macarons are like models in a fashion shoot. Shobna has also taken great care in the packaging she offers. All package materials have been sourced locally, the materials are all recyclable. You can purchase Soirette macarons individually, or in boxes of 6 and 12.

Soirette's main macaron flavours are all gluten free, and the staff are very aware of gluten and celiac disease. However, Soirette likes to introduce special macaron flavors for holidays, therefore we recommend to always ask if a specific macaron is gluten free. To see what Shobna came up with for Easter, follow this link to their facebook page. Soirette is located at 1433 West Pender Street, in Coal Harbour.

Gastown Shop Hop 

photo credit: örling & wu

You can also get a chance to win some Soirette macarons this week during Gastown's Shop Hop event, which takes place April 12th from 5-9pm. Örling & Wu, one of Gastown's best home decor stores, is sponsoring a Soirette giveaway, the first forty customers to make a purchase of $50 or more will receive a Soirette macaron in a signature giftbox. Soirette will also be in store demonstrating how to decorate macarons that you can take home! While you are there, as part of the Shop Hop event, Örling & Wu is offering 15% off their regluarly priced merchandise. 

If you are also a fan of handmade gelato, Bella Gelateria will have their gelato stand out front of Örling & Wu, and will be offering a free gelato tasting! 

Enjoy your macarons (and gelato)!  Andrea & Robyn

gluten free supper club at Whole Foods Market

photo credit: gluten free vancouverYou are cordially invited to a gluten free dinner party hosted by Whole Foods Market Cambie!

The Whole Foods Supper Club is a monthly event that highlights recipes from the Health Starts Here Program, a healthy eating initiative at Whole Foods. Andrea and I are excited that this month's Supper Club will be gluten free and it will be held on Thursday March 29th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. This will be the second gluten free Supper Club organized by Whole Foods, and it is a fun evening to eat and talk gluten free! 

The Whole Foods Supper Club includes an appetizer, main course and a dessert and the menu has been specially created by Whole Foods Healthy Eating Specialist, Chad Fastelin. The gluten free dinner will begin with a garlic herb spread appetizer, followed by bison and red quinoa meatballs with tomato sauce and grilled vegetables. The dessert will be an almond and date crusted apple pie!

Andrea and I will also be there to talk about living gluten free in Vancouver, and we will be highlighting some of our favorite gluten free products.

• Date: Thursday March 29th
• Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
• Location: Whole Foods Market Cambie (dinner will be held in a section of the eating area)
• Cost: $15 + tax
• Registration: Contact Whole Foods Customer Service at 778.370.4210

We hope to see you there!  Robyn + Andrea

winter holiday

photo credit: gluten free vancouverHello Gluten Free Vancouver readers!

We wanted to let you know that we will be taking a short break from the blog over the next few weeks while we are on vacation in sunny Palm Springs, California! We promise we won't be gone for long, and we will continue to engage with you all through our Facebook and Twitter pages. We will be checking into our email account from time to time as well, but be patient if we don't respond to you right away!

See you in a few weeks!

Robyn + Andrea

gluten free rice krispies

photo credit: gluten free vancouver

Since learning that Kellogg’s was planning to make gluten free Rice Krispies last year, we couldn’t wait to try it! The gluten free version of Rice Krispies, made with brown rice and without malt flavor, recently arrived in Canada so we were also eager to make rice krispie squares using this classic ingredient. 

We have made gluten free rice krispie squares before, using Enjoy Life’s Crunchy Rice cereal with Dandies gluten free and vegan marshmallows, and they turned out well, so we were curious to see how this new variety of Rice Krispies would stack up to it’s other gluten free cereal counterparts.

Admittedly, we don’t quite remember what the classic Rice Krispies cereal tastes like anymore since we have both been living gluten free for well over six years now. However, we do remember how our Rice Krispies would ‘snap, crackle and pop!’ and loved the fact that the gluten free version didn’t skip a beat.

Here is the traditional rice krispie square recipe we used:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of butter (or dairy free alternative such as Earth Balance)
• 1 package of marshmallows (we recommend Dandies)
• 6 cups of gluten free Rice Krispies

 Directions: 

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
• Add in marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Add gluten free Rice Krispies and stir until well coated with marshmallow mixture.
• Evenly press the mixture into a 13x9x2 pan and leave to cool.
• Done!

The result? They tasted just as we remembered them! Although we still think that Enjoy Life’s Crunchy Rice or even Nature’s Path Organic Crispy Rice cereals are just as good for making tasty gluten free rice krispie squares. We also like how these trusted gluten free cereals are also free of food additives and preservatives, and this is really important to us.

Enjoy!

Robyn + Andrea

gluten free valentine's day

photo credit: gluten free vancouverI hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! I was lucky enough to leave work early today to come home and bake with my favorite little person, my daughter Pilar. I decided a few days ago to try making something different this year instead of cookies or cake, and was excited to try a great recipe I found for making gluten free Nutella Buckeyes! 

I love Nutella, and thought this would be a fun recipe to make with Pilar. We enjoyed dipping the buckeyes into the chocolate, and within moments, there was chocolate everywhere! The only thing I did not add to our recipe was the Frangelico, but even without it, these little buckeyes were so delicious! Nutella is a naturally gluten free product, made with hazelnuts, cocoa, and skim milk, and it contains no preseratives or artificial colours. If you want to make your own Nutella spread, I found an excellent recipe from the Gluten Free Mom that is also dairy free as well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Andrea + Pilar (and Robyn)