Poached egg over Daiya cheese, quinoa pasta, and BPA-free tomato sauce!

I was alright with eating only veggies and Sunworks meat for a couple days, but by Day 3 I needed to make something a bit more substantial and exciting. My boss Matt, who has the good fortune to have a wife who is a fantastic cook, described a recipe to me that is really simple: pasta with tomato sauce, with cheese and a poached egg on top. He walked the store with me, and we selected items that my new diet would accommodate. I was a little hesitant to follow a recipe once-removed (as in, if it didn’t turn out I would be blaming Matt and getting it straight from Erin next time!).

THE INGREDIENTS:

Ingredient #1: Eden Organic Tomatoes in Amber Glass Jar

Crushed Roma Tomatoes: No Salt Added, Unpeeled

Ingredients: Organic Roma Tomatoes

This is a new item in the store, the unique thing being that the tomatoes come in an amber glass jar. The good thing about this is (1) the glass jar means they are BPA-free, and (2) the amber-coloured glass prevents premature spoiling (As an example, anyone who has ever had a “skunky” Corona can attest to the benefits of amber glass!). There are also pasta sauces in this line, but I prefer to start with crushed tomatoes, add a bit of balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic and basil, and salt and pepper to make my own—that way I know exactly what is in my sauce. There is no need to add any sugar, as the tomatoes were nice and sweet all by themselves. And they were a really great, silky-smooth texture, something that isn’t always the case with crushed tomatoes.

And, a side note about BPA (Bisphenol A). I remember years ago first hearing about this chemical in the news, in relation to its use in baby bottles and the concerns of parents, and also it’s use in plastic water bottles. It is identified as an endocrine disruptor, and “(e)xposure to BPA has been associated with effects on the developing brain, and mammary and prostate glands in laboratory studies” (Silentspring.org). I did further reading about it in the book “Slow Death by Rubber Duck”, and learned about its use in the epoxy resin coating on the inside of food cans, especially with acidic food items like tomatoes. The possibility for leaching increases when food containers are heated, so think twice before microwaving your plastic container full of leftovers! Many companies (including Eden Foods) are now making BPA-free cans, but unfortunately it's a matter of seeking the cans that are specifically labelled BPA-free, as the contents of the material the container is made of are not required to be included on the ingredient listing of canned food, even in organics. It remains that a foolproof way to avoid BPA in canned food is to buy food in glass jars, like the Eden Organic tomatoes.

Ingredient #2: GoGo Quinoa Pasta

Ingredients: Organic rice four, organic quinoa flour.

After already trying the GoGo Quinoa cookies, I had high expectations for their line of pastas. I wasn’t disappointed! Though he knew before eating the meal, Derek said he wouldn’t have been able to tell it wasn’t wheat pasta. I thought it was much better than rice pasta, which I always seem to overcook and it gets soggy/rubbery. Another thing with using rice noodles (even the ones in conventional pasta shapes), is that I always feel like I have to have Asian inspiration… Traditional spaghetti and tomato sauce just doesn’t taste the same. With the GoGo Quinoa pasta, we tasted the appropriate Italian-ness of spaghetti and tomato sauce. It had a relatively long cooking time of 13-15 minutes (for spaghetti noodles), but was the perfect al dente after 13 minutes, so it was worth it.

Ingredient #3: Daiya Pepperjack Style Shreds

Ingredients: Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, vegan natural flavours, lactic acid (vegan, for flavour), spices, garlic, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

This ingredient to my meal was truly something I wouldn’t have touched unless on a restrictive diet, but I went with the logic that it sells really well at the store, and since they have just introduced a new flavour, it must be good! Since I am staying away from dairy and alwasy try to eat as little soy as possible, Daiya cheese was the obvious choice. “Daiya products do not contain many of the common allergens including; soy, dairy (casein or lactose) gluten, egg, peanuts, and tree nuts” (Daiya Foods.com http://www.daiyafoods.com/products/index.asp).

The cheerful package joyfully proclaims “Melts and Stretches!”, which I laugh at, but I know it is an issue with non-dairy cheeses. (After all, there’s that image burned in everyone’s mind of picking up the slice of pizza and having the cheese stretch back into the box… It wouldn’t be so appetizing if it flaked off in big gross chunks!). So, for all the vegan and dairy-free out there, Daiya is a true breakthrough. The ingredient list is quite a read, but very specific and detailed, which in my mind means that it is thoughtfully prepared. Companies are not yet legally obligated in Canada to include the GMO status of ingredients, so the fact that this product includes that the oils are non-GMO is a bonus, as well as the bracketed explanations of a couple of its ingredients.

Overall, the Daiya cheese was better than no cheese, and a great addition to the recipe. The pepperjack flavour was really nice, a good amount of kick to it, and went surprisingly well with the tomato sauce on the pasta. And anyone who likes hot sauce on their eggs (me!) would know that it also livened up the eggs. Derek, who is not following my eating restrictions, chose to go with plain ol’ cow milk parmesan on his dish, and I think I ended up with the better dish out of the two of us, so go figure!

Ingredient #4: Sunworks Farm Fresh Farm Eggs

The Certified Organic, Free-Range Eggs you love from the Farmer’s Market are now government inspected and for sale at Blush Lane! These are some serious eggs. Not only do they taste great, but they require serious commitment to crack. I’m not sure, but I always think that a healthier chicken would produce a strong eggshell: That must be the case, as you’d be hard-pressed to find healthier hens anywhere!

I have a serious love-affair going with these eggs, so when Matt described poaching an egg and adding it on top of the pasta, I could imagine how good it would be pretty easily. And who says eggs are just for breakfast?

THE MEAL:

Here’s the grand finale: My delicious gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free meal, prepared in about 40 minutes from scratch, totally delicious and easy and something I would definitely make again!

Thanks for reading! -T