Gluten-Free Archives - BELGIAN FOODIE

English Toffee Made at Home

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What’s the Difference between English Toffee and Almond Roca?
English toffee and Almond Roca are pretty much the same thing. While English toffee describes a hardened caramel topped with chopped nuts and chocolate, Almond Roca refers to a brand name for the same treat.

Brown & Haley Co. from Tacoma, Washington has been making Almond Roca since 1914. In the United States, Almond Roca has become synonymous for English toffee. Almost everyone grew up eating toffee wrapped in gold foil out of their instantly-recognizable pink tins. In our home, we offered either Almo…

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Why Should You Make Granola Bars?
Choices on the Market
It’s amazing how large the choice is for nutritious food bars in the United States. Almost any grocery store, drugstore, hotel lobby, fitness center, or other establishment selling snacks will have a variety of food bars for sale. For instance, there are fruit bars, nut bars, protein bars, granola bars, fitness bars, and many other types of bars carrying different names available to purchase.

Well-known and newer brands compete strongly for this high-end market dedicated to people active in sports, craving a nut…

Beet Dandelion Pesto – Nutritious and Tasty Greens

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What Inspired this Beet Dandelion Pesto Recipe?
Recently I shared with you my recipe for Dandelion Pesto, prepared primarily with dandelion greens. My trusty Dandelion Pesto recipe inspired me to make this new Beet Dandelion Pesto. Yesterday I purchased some lovely organic beets and needed a way to use the beet greens.

How to use Beet and Dandelion Greens
I often have high hopes for beet greens. When I purchase beets, which is quite frequently, I try to select beets with lovely greens still attached. Beet greens are very nutritious. It would be such a sha…

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Is there such a thing as a heart-healthy dessert?
Surprisingly there is. Sweets and treats need not always focus on large contents of sugar. If you choose the ingredients carefully, you can prepare healthy desserts for your entire family.

Ingredients with high fat content, such as heavy dollops of cream and butter, contain saturated fats, which can increase cholesterol levels in the body. High cholesterol can lead to heart diseases, kidney problems, and many other diseases caused generally by having a bad diet.

Popular media influence on our diet
While popul…

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Memories of French Onion Soup Past
I tasted my first real French Onion Soup at Cafe Figaro on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood as a teen. My friends and I thought Cafe Figaro with its French bistro-style cuisine was so cool. It had a good menu, reasonable prices and a European atmosphere. Taking a date here helped gave me an air of sophistication. Or at least I thought.

I must have tried French Onion Soup before hanging out at Cafe Figaro with my friends, yet do not have any earlier memory. Unfortunately Cafe Figaro disappeared almost 20 years ago. Its French Oni…

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Vegan vs. Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna
Recently I prepared two eggplant lasagnas side by side. A Vegan Eggplant Lasagna and a Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna, as I wanted to compare their tastes.

In both eggplant lasagnas I used my Vegan Tomato Sauce for All Occasions as well as a single large eggplant sliced thinly. You can of course use your own tomato sauce if you prefer. The only difference between the two lasagnas was the type of cheese used.

In order to avoid duplication, I recommend your reading my post on Vegan Eggplant Lasagna. You will learn there more about…

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How to make a Quick Tasty Tomato Fish Soup
Tomato Fish Soup is one of my favorite soups at home and in restaurants. There are so many ways to make fish soup, some simple, others a little more complicated. This recipe is super easy to make in less than an hour.

You can make this Tomato Fish Soup in a single pot, making your clean up afterwards much easier. All you need to do is put a casserole on the stove over a medium heat. Add an onion, a few garlic cloves and spices. Then pour in a can of whole tomatoes, mix and let simmer until tomatoes break down. Finally thro…

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The Vegan Eggplant Lasagna Challenge
I have made vegetarian lasagne countless times. Yet, I’ve always added cheese to each layer. Sometimes I reduce the amount of cheese I use by mixing ricotta cheese with eggplant puree together. I’ll have to share my vegetarian lasagna some time, as it’s my son’s favorite.

What is Vegan Eggplant Lasagna?
Last week I seemed destined to make Vegan Eggplant Lasagna. Well, eggplant lasagna is perhaps a misnomer because it had absolutely no pasta of any kind inside. Yet, the term lasagna seems to fit because three layers of t…

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A Versatile Vegan Tomato Sauce
I usually try to feature here recipes for tasty healthy versions of otherwise ordinary dishes. Or recipes for extraordinary dishes that will wow your family and guests.

Most people already know how to make an Italian-style tomato sauce to use on pasta. However, here is a tasty healthy version of a tomato sauce that can be used in many of your favorite dishes. Several friends have asked me to share this recipe for Vegan Tomato Sauce, as it is as yummy as it is nourishing.

I often use this Vegan Tomato Sauce in my vegetarian lasagna as…

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Why make Dandelion Pesto?
Dandelion pesto has brightened up many springtime dishes in past years. In Belgium, I sometimes gathered the leaves of this wildflower from my backyard lawn to add to salads, soups and other dishes.

Dandelion greens grow wild
Picking dandelion greens are an annual tradition that marks the arrival of spring. Although you can find dandelions all year long, the peak of their growth is during springtime. Most dandelion greens go unnoticed, except to gardeners who get annoyed by the stubborn growth of this weed as it spreads across their…

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How My Groceries Inspired this Tantalizing Tomatillo Jalapeño Jam

Shopping Late at Night
Last night on my way home around 1 am, I passed a Food 4 Less, a huge discount supermarket. It’s not my ordinary place to shop, but I figured it was an ideal time to check it out.

I love how many supermarkets in Los Angeles stay open 24/7 so shoppers can stop in whenever they want. I often go late at night to beat the crowds and enjoy the easier parking situation. After midnight workers restock shelves while shoppers roam leisurely around the store looking for goods. Pe…