#foodsensitivities

this week was a little zany. it seems more people than not have some serious food sensitivities/dietary restrictions these days. since all of my meals are made from scratch, by me, in small batches, i can cater to all sorts of special needs...mind you, it gets a little confusing from time to time.

this week was a red meat kind of week.

it started off with some moroccan meatballs. the beef is from getaway farm & it's seasoned with garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander, cumin & curry. it's a chunky tomato sauce with fennel seed, sumac, citrus, olives, zucchini, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes & kale. the side dish is harissa quinoa with toasted almonds & green onions.

small $10  large $20

they're all gluten free & dairy free. i also made up a bunch of paleo versions without the quinoa side - that means they're also nut free.

small $10

next begins the saga of the chipotle lime pulled pork. again the meat is from getaway farm; it's braised, shredded & slathered with homemade chipotle lime sauce. not gonna lie, this batch turned out pretty a-ok.

for the regular version, it's paired with mashed sweet potatoes, black bean & corn succotash, cilantro & cherry tomatoes.

small $10  large $20

then comes the paleo version without the black beans or corn.

small $10

and finally, it's the dairy free version without the sweet potato mash.

small $10

i also made a batch of classic chicken stew. it's full of gluten & dairy.

$7/500mL

tonight i catered a small community meeting, in the middle of baking cupcakes. sort of a silly idea but manageable given its proximity. too bad i can't just walk down the street to do all of my catering gigs!

anyway, roasted vegetable focaccia was on the menu:

i baked off some individual ones for the freezer too. some are already spoken for, but i have 2 left for the market. text, tweet or facebook me if you'd like one set aside. 

$15 for a container the size of a large meal

(again laden with gluten & dairy)

salads this week are:

beet - wheatberry, kale, pear, fennel

i made a few without the cheese so they're dairy free, vegan.

vegan potato salad - radishes, cukes, green beans, dill, dijon, gluten free

broccoli - red onion, red pepper, dried cranberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, gluten free, paleo

this week the dressing is vegan! i figured if i could make vegan mayonnaise for the potato salad, i could for the broccoli salad as well - don't know why it took me so long to figure that one out. anyway a bunch of them have bacon on top like usual because a lot of people like bacon, but if you're looking for a vegan broccoli salad i've got that too.

the baked goods are the same as usual - including some gluten free & paleo options, just ask.

okee dokee sleep time!

see you over the weekend :)

easter weekend

it's only thursday & i'm writing a blog post. 

'what gives?' you might ask.

well i'm heading to the market on friday & saturday this week and taking easter sunday off to eat copious amounts of chocolate & ham. i will be at the market from 10am-3pm tomorrow & 7am-3pm on saturday.

i've been incredibly busy in the kitchen lately, not with caterings but just keeping the freezers stocked, my usual baking & a ridiculous # of special order cakes. i made 3 last week!!!

anyway, that's what i was doing on friday night instead of writing my blog.

last week i made a fresh batch of beef shepherd's pie. it was actually a ginormous batch using 15 pounds of getaway farm beef. there's peas, corn, carrots, herbs, tangy gravy & cheddar-green onion mashed potatoes. it's just classic comfort food & it's gluten free to boot!

small $10  large $20

i also made seafood chowder. this batch has mussels, tilapia & smoked haddock from goldwater seafood. it has a clam broth base, celery, potatoes, fresh dill & a touch of lemon. this is pretty much a staple of my menu; i've been making this since the beginning of little red kitsch'n & i have some customers who buy it EVERY week.

500ml - $7

this week i worked on a massive batch of chicken parmigiana. the chicken is marinated in garlic, herbs & buttermilk. then it's crusted with panko & parmesan and baked (not fried). it's served in a hearty tomato sauce with san marzano tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, spinach & basil, on a bed of fettuccine.

it's also covered in mozzarella cheese!

small $10  large $20

i made up a whole whack of paleo versions as well. i omitted the panko from the breading & replaced the noodles with sauteed peppers, mushrooms & zucchini.

small $10

then it was on to beet, parsnip & pear soup. i like to refer to this one as disco soup - the colour is so vibrant it just looks like a party!

it's vegan & gluten free

500ml - $7

salads this week are:

sweet potato

millet

beet

there are also loads & loads of cupcakes this weekend for all your easter needs. they'll even have a little extra bling...

one last thing - PIES!!! i'll have pumpkin-chai pies this weekend. most are spoken for already but i have a few extra. swing by the market early if you'd like one. they are $15 for a 9-inch pie. 

ok time for sleeping. 

have a lovely easter weekend!

my week in photos

it's late...but the fact that i'm even sitting down to write a blog post, the night before TWO markets, is pretty remarkable. i'm done my prep, the car is partially loaded & i've almost settled on an outfit for tomorrow.

it's been a busy week. lots & lots of food on the menu.

here's what i've been making:

mediterranean vegetable ragout with roasted zucchini, eggplant & peppers. in a hearty tomato sauce with fennel seed, kalamata olives & swiss chard. finished off with parmesan, feta & goat cheeses and served with lightly dressed quinoa.

vegetarian & gluten free

small $9  large $18

smokey mac & cheese featuring foxhill cheese curds & brothers double smoked bacon. there's also roasted tomatoes, corn, green onions, parmesan, cheddar & panko.

small $9  large $18

indian-spiced cauliflower soup - fennel, cumin, cardamom & star anise to name a few. this soup has become the new best seller. 

it's vegetarian (not vegan), gluten free & paleo

500 ml  $7

beet salad with fennel, pears, wheat berries, kale & goat cheese.

sweet potato salad with lime, cilantro, avocado & chipotle.

this one's new: millet salad with roasted zucchini, asparagus, baby arugula, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, basil, lemon, garlic & pine nuts. in case you were wondering, MILLET IS THE NEW QUINOA! it's also gluten free and high in protein.

i also baked 1000 cupcakes today so i'm hoping everyone is hungry.

i'll be at halifax crafters this weekend at the olympic centre - corner of windsor & cunard, sat 10-6, sun 10-5, free admission. leslie will be holding down the fort for me at the seaport both days.

hope to see you all over the weekend :)

goodnight.