Gluten-Free on Bruce loves to cook

Butternut squash soup

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a warm, filling soup that pairs nicely with garlic or cheese bread, or grilled cheese.

Mechanic

Roasting the squash and vegetables first concentrates their sugars and develops colour before anything goes in the pot. Straining the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve at the end gives a silky texture you can’t get any other way. Loosen with stock until it pours easily. It’s not a pie filling.

Classic French dressing

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

French dressing is a classic early restaurant memory for us. The emulsified version is a North American twist, but it works just as well as an oil and vinegar dressing.

Baked oatmeal

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I grew up on oatmeal, and love it prepared pretty much any way, but baked is best.

Mechanic

2 cups oats to 1½ cups milk to 2 eggs is the ratio that gives you a result creamy in the middle and firm enough to slice. Less milk makes it denser; more makes it spoonable. The butter matters: without some fat, the texture turns rubbery. Fruit goes on top rather than stirred in so it steams and softens while the oat base sets underneath.

Beetroot and chickpea hummus

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A bright red, earthy hummus. Makes about three grocery-store tubs’ worth.

Ingredients

200 g raw beetroot, cubed (or 200 g already roasted)
400 g tin chickpeas, drained
3–4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
80–100 ml tahini
60 ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
a few ice cubes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting and to drizzle

Method

Toss the beets in a little oil and roast at 200°C (400°F) until a knife slides through easily, about 40 minutes. While they roast, simmer the chickpeas in water until very soft, 15–20 minutes, then drain.

Almond chocolate cake

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a lovely, light, chocolate cake.

Mechanic

The beaten eggs and sugar are the only leavening: no flour, no baking powder. Beat until the mixture has tripled in volume and gone very pale; this is what lifts the cake. Ground almonds give it structure and a dense, fudgy crumb. Don’t overbake: the skewer test fails here. You want the crust firm and the interior still moist.

Beetroot dip

Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a fresh, delicious dip for pita and vegetables.

Ingredients

430 g canned chickpeas, drained
140 g cooked beets
2 teaspoons dried or fresh oregano
30 g extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
Black pepper
Salt

Method

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and garlic.

Lime crema

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A fresh-tasting sauce, perfect for nachos, tacos, or over rice bowls.

Ingredients

125 ml Mexican crema, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
30 ml mayonnaise
30 ml fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
30 g fresh cilantro (½ cup loosely packed), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon onion powder (or dehydrated or minced fresh onion)
1–2 g MSG

Method

Whisk or stir all ingredients together until combined. Taste and adjust salt and lime.