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Contents Discover the secrets of healthy and nutritious gluten-free living
22
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
83
GF Gluten free SF Sugar free DF Dairy free EF Egg free MF Meat free V Vegan
We have adopted the nutritional criteria used by the British Food Standards Agency (FSA), who define the colours in its traffic light labels based on comprehensive scientific studies and consultations.This system uses a reference value of 100 grams for food products and 100 millilitres for drinks and classifies levels of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt as low (green), medium (amber) or high (red). We have added protein.
Daily GDAs Calories . . .2,000 kcal Protein . . . . . . . . . 50g Carbohydrates . . 300g Sugars . . . . . . . . . . 25g Fat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70g Saturated . . . . . . . 20g Salt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6g Low
Medium
High
F E AT U R E S
The benefits of bone broth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Best & worst foods for digestion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Pineapple and health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Vitamin and mineral deficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Food and travel in Cambodia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 In season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 What the media has fed you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Gut food friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Celebrating strawberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
119
52 4 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Essential information
Breakfast pg.27
Lunch pg.37
Weekend pg.87
We use standard UK measurements, where 1tbsp is 15ml and 1tsp is 5ml. Our vegetarian recipes often include cheese. Some may contain animal rennet, so check the label and use a vegetarian substitute if you prefer. Where we use a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, egg-free, meat-free or vegan symbol, we recommend you check the ingredents list of any manufactured products you use – even if you use them regularly, as manufacturers change their recipes.
Midweek pg.57
Sweet Treats pg.99 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 5
I N D E X
RECIPE FINDER
Breakfast
28 Eggs florentine 29 Raspberry banana smoothie bowl
Lunch
38 Goat’s cheese, broad bean pea & strawberry salad 39 Cauliflower & asparagus quiche 40 Spinach & ricotta tartlets 41 Tomato & chilli jam 44 Sweet chilli beetroot muffins 45 Beetroot falafels 46 Balsamic beetroot & carrot fritters 49 Sundried tomato focaccia 50 Mozzarella sticks with tomato & herb dip 51 Caprese tortilla flatbread 55 Cambodian green mango salad 80 Spicy frittata muffins 81 Blueberry & chilli cheese toastie
Midweek
56 Khmer fish curry noodle soup 58 Spiced lamb skewers with blackberry quinoa salad 59 Griddled halloumi & Pink Lady apple wedges 60 Quinoa & kale patties 61 The ultimate homemade falafel pittas 62 Herby rack of lamb & blackberry salad 64 Vegan cauliflower, chickpea & coconut milk curry 65 Crab, chilli & rocket pasta 66 Thai larb 68 Crispy squid with Thai sweet & sour salad 70 Chicken jalfrezi 71 Gorgonzola, mushroom & crème fraîche potato skins 72 Creamy caulimash 73 Deep-fried squid & sweet potato fries 74 Rice noodles with seafood & pickled cucumber 75 Panzanella 76 King prawn & broad bean curry 84 Blackberry cured cod
6 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Weekend
88 Slow cooker turkey, pumpkin & prune tagine 89 Turmeric, lemongrass & noodle broth 90 Meat & leek pies with an eggplant casing 92 Chinese pulled brisket 93 High protein spinach quiche
Sweet Treats
26 Luxury jaffa cakes 46 Chocolate beetroot energy bites 54 Akor rice dessert 82 Chocolate-chilli ice cream 85 Blackberry & pistachio meringues 100 Mango coconut & carrot bliss balls 101 Strawberry chia jam & almond muffins 102 Matcha bites 103 Fluffy raspberry muffins 104 Choc-chip cookies 105 Aussie mango coconut bars 106 Raw energy bites 107 Peach & rosemary crumble 108 Cashew& peanut butter bars 109 Chunky chocolate chip cookies 110 Cardomom, treacle & coconut panna cotta 111 Lemon polenta cake 120 Halloumi, zucchini & strawberry skewers 121 Ice strawberry & coconut smoothie
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 7
E D I TO R I A L
AUSTRALIAN EDITION
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Silvio Morelli CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Stefania Minuti MANAGING EDITOR: Ben Stone EDITORIAL TEAM: Danae Dimitropoulou, Luke Dodemaide, Molly Morelli ART DIRECTOR: Javie D’Souza DESIGNERS: Diep Nguyen, Henry Lee, James Steer, Zeenia Bhikha COVER RECIPE: Magdalena Roze COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Palmer SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER & CUSTOMER SERVICE: Angelina Modica
ANOTHER SLICE OF
Heaven!
Welcome to another issue of Gluten-Free Heaven, your coeliac-friendly bimonthly magazine with recipes that cover breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and everything in-between. This issue, we put the spotlight on beetroot, a diverse superfood that serves as the cornerstone ingredient in our beetroot sweet chilli muffins, beetroot falafels, balsamic beetroot and carrot fritters, and chocolate beetroot energy bites. The immense nutritional values of beetroot are well documented, and are especially beneficial to athletes and those taking part in physical endeavours. Also, transport your tastebuds to South-East Asia with our bevvy of spicy Cambodian recipes, which have been prepared by renowned Italianborn food and travel writer Ambra Torelli. From a Khmer fish curry noodle soup to an akor rice dessert, this exotic gluten-free fare doesn’t sacrifice flavour. And for those that know no day or night is complete without something sweet, we’ve got a range of choc-chip cookies, mango coconut bars, and walnut and cocoa energy bites that are (relatively!) healthy and (very!) tasty. As always, happy cooking, eating and entertaining, and we’d love to hear your feedback by emailing ben@blitzmag.com.au.
Bon appetit!
From the team 8 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jon Bickley jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com DISCLAIMER Opinions and viewpoints expressed in Gluten-Free Heaven do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. The acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of services or products. Please see blitzpublications.com.au/privacy-policy for location of our privacy policy.
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Free-from advice
Ask the experts Do you need help with your free-from cooking, or do you have a nutritional query? Our experts have the answers.
Q
I’ve been advised to incorporate more wholefoods in my diet – what does this mean? A Wholefoods are foods that are as close to their natural state, which gives us more nutrients that packaged foods just don’t. Eating foods that have not been processed ensures that you consume the right amount of nutrients in the correct proportions. The key is to introduce plant-based foods and, instead of buying cakes or muffins, try making your own raw treats with plant-based ingredients. LR
Q
I cannot stop eating snacks while watching netflix – help! A If you really are into your late-night snacking, try choosing slightly healthier snacks such as nuts or crackers and place them on a
10 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
small plate so you can see how much you’re eating. My personal favourite is apple slices with cashew butter. Just make sure to stay away from the cookies and the crisps! LR
Q
Is sourdough okay to eat if I’m gluten free? A In short, no! Sourdough is often seen as the healthy option and for many people this is true; however, this is little to do with gluten. What makes sourdough a favoured choice is the fact that it is typically more easily digested than other breads. During the fermentation process, enzymes act to break down phytic acids in the wheat bran before baking – essentially doing part of the job of digestion for us and helping to ease digestive discomfort commonly experienced with regular
wheat-containing breads. If you are gluten free because you have coeliac disease, sourdough is a definite no as the gluten will still have the same blunting effect on your delicate intestinal lining. If you have an inflammatory condition like psoriasis or arthritis, then sensitivity to gluten may contribute to flare-ups. However, if you suffer with IBS or simply experience bloating after eating bread, then you should find that you are better able to tolerate sourdough. BG
Q
I’m travelling long haul this summer and am wondering what snacks to take? A Most major airports now stock some great food and snacks covering different dietary requirements, but it’s always a good idea to
stock up beforehand so you’ll never go hungry. My go-to snacks for travel are nuts (unsalted are best), spicy seeds, biltong (and other drycured meat), dried fruit, homemade protein flapjack and cereal bars. I’ll always take some good quality dark chocolate too. Just check out the travel laws of importing foods before you go – you may have to declare meat and nut products in certain countries. JHS
Q
I’ve just started a new job that means I’m eating out all the time at meetings. How can I stick to my healthy eating goals? A Firstly, know your motivation. If you have a specific reason for following a diet, check in with yourself when the menu comes round, or keep a photo or note handy. Secondly, take your time! It takes our brain up to 20 minutes to register we’re full, so go slow. Thirdly, try to think how your food choices can nourish your body. Wholefoods that are easily recognised
and utilised by your body will provide valuable nutrition that a burger simply cannot. Fourthly, if you really fancy something sweet, see if a colleague wants to share a dessert. Finally, don’t stress. If you’re eating out all the time, why not earmark one of these occasions each week as a cheat meal and enjoy yourself, then get back on track next time safe in the knowledge there’s another one next week! BG
Q
Which foods can help to improve my mood? A When we talk about ‘feel good’ foods we don’t mean processed junk food. Serotonin is a chemical regarded by some researchers
as vital for lifting mood and encouraging feelings of wellbeing and vitality. Foods high in tryptophan are essential to convert serotonin in your cells. Tryptophan-rich foods are nuts and seeds, soy, cheese, meat and fish. In fact, a 28g serving of chia seeds contains nearly half of your recommended daily intake of this essential amino acid. JHS
Q
I find that eating wheat makes my acne worse. Should I try to cut out dairy too? A Both dairy and wheat are known as ‘typical allergens’, meaning that it is not unusual to have an immune reaction to certain proteins
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 11
they contain. For an inflammatory skin condition, many people see an improvement when reducing dairy. Anything that puts an extra strain on your immune system can encourage inflammation. The best way to find out if dairy is a problem for you is to replace dairy for 4 weeks and monitor your symptoms. If you notice an improvement, which worsens as you reintroduce dairy products, you will know the answer. BG
Q
Since I started avoiding dairy I miss my hot chocolate treat. What are the alternatives? A Fear not, you can still enjoy a yummy hot chocolate treat that is natural, dairy free and has some major health benefits! Heat a mug of unsweetened nut or coconut milk, stir in a small handful of dark chocolate chips (min 70% cocoa solids) and top with whipped coconut cream (you’ll find this in a tin). Sprinkle with some raw cocoa powder and if you need to sweeten add an unrefined sugar to taste. Simples! JHS
Q
I’m confused about salad dressings – is olive oil bad for me? A The answer to this lies in what you use your oils for. We have all heard the benefits of a Mediterranean diet and olive oil plays a big part in that. It’s only when oils are exposed to heavy processing or heat that they become bad for us. All fats are composed of interconnected hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms which form double or single bonds, known as saturated or unsaturated fats. Saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature; this is because bonds are tightly packed together making them more stable – this is why it is better to cook with butter or coconut oil. The bonds in unsaturated fats are looser and are liquid at room temperature, making them less stable. Using heat on these oils can lead to oxidation and free radical damage, which may have an inflammatory effect on the body. Olive oil is fine to use in slow cooking like roasting vegetables, but only use cold extra-virgin olive oil for dressings, as the refining process makes it even more delicate. BG
Q
I am recovering from an eating disorder, but I lose my confidence, what do you suggest? A If you feel like you focus too intensely on restricting your diet, stop and think about the repercussions, because the further you go the harder it is to heal. There is one relationship that you will always have full control over and that’s with your food, so make it a positive one. No matter what shape your body is, stand proud and let people around you love you for who you are and not what you imagine you should be. LR
Q
Are there any low-carb bread alternatives for my lunchtime sandwiches out there? A Many store-bought loaves can be high in sugars and carb heavy. For a more natural alternative, why not try cloud bread which, as you would imagine from it’s name, has a super light texture and is gluten-free, flour-free, nutfree and sugar-free (can be adapted to be dairy
12 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
free too). It’s so versatile, you can use it as a bread replacement, pizza base, wrap or dessert. Whip up a double batch and freeze between layers of baking paper to use later on. Add flavour by incorporating herbs, garlic or seeds into the mix. JHS
Q
I find it so hard to eat the healthy option when I go out to a restaurant. A I think it’s helpful to remember that when eating out, you don’t have to feel pressured into eating something you don’t want to, as you can always ask the waiter/waitress for an alternative. Fish is always a great option, grilled or cooked without it swimming in too much oil. Having this with a side salad or some steamed vegetables is truly delicious. LR
OUR EXPERTS JODIE HORTON-STANLEY, COFOUNDER EAT CLEAN PLAN Jodie teaches Zumba classes and supports people to take charge of their own health. As a sufferer from an underactive thyroid, she discovered that eating a specially developed diet that was naturally gluten free, combined with exercise, sleep and wellbeing got her back on track to a fulfilled and healthy life. www.eatcleanplan.com
LISA ROUKIN, CHEF, TEACHER AND WRITER Lisa, author of My Relationship with Food, has as her main focus the desire to develop gluten- and wheat-free recipes. She runs her own private cookery lessons and demonstrations. She has cooked live on BBC Radio, and was a finalist on Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word. She is also a blogger for the Huffington Post and provides gluten-free recipes to Ocado. www.myrelationshipwithfood.com
BECKY GRAHAM Becky is a nutritional therapist based at the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Richmond, London. As well as working with clients on an individual basis, Becky works with large companies to support health and wellbeing initiatives. www.healthyhedonist.co.uk
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I Imove it because don’t want to lose it
Charlotte Willis shows us how keeping on top of our bodies can keep our minds in great shape...
14 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
W
E’RE ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE benefits of physical exercise for our physical health. But curing depression, taming anxiety and helping us cope with bereavement? These are the perhaps lesser-known advantages for those of us that choose the weight bench over the counsellor’s chaise lounge. Charlotte Willis invites us into her world of fitness-therapy. I’m midway through a brutal squat sequence at the start of my hamstring and glute workout. Ten reps for a total of 10 sets with a little over my body weight in kgs resting across an Olympic bar, positioned just below my shoulders on the upper area of my back. I’m fatigued. I’m breathless. Oh, and did I mention, I’ve just finished an 8-hour shift at work? But here I stand, in a weights room, pushing out my personal best. Welcome to my therapy suite, the doctor will see you now.
Beyond Physical Health
For myself and many others who share the same mentality, the feeling of getting hot and heavy in a room full of people and heavy objects is the ultimate way to, urm, relax and unwind. In fact, the most relaxing part of my day is totally exhausting myself at the gym. I wholly endorse those all-important physical benefits to increased activity and movement. You’ll improve the health of your body and cardiovascular system, boost your energy levels and support your body’s skeletal system. With regular visits, you’ll feel fitter, and if you’re eating the right foods your body will reflect and reward your efforts with those allimportant physical definitions (aka gains) we all strive to achieve (gigantic glutes anyone..? Just me then). But the reason why many people become hooked on exercise is due to the varied non-physical advantages that a gym membership brings.
Sweat the Small Stuff. Literally.
I first turned to exercise when I became increasingly stressed during my first year at university. The freedom of being but a short walk away from a well-equipped gym paired with pressure, stress and anxiety resulted in a 6-day-a-week relationship with the gym. And it’s been love at first lift ever since. I’m not alone. Anxiety UK, alongside the Mental Health Foundation, launched a campaign in 2013 aimed at encouraging us to incorporate regular physical exercise into our daily routines in order to safeguard our minds. The Lets Get Physical campaign explains how ‘Physical exercise can be very effective in relieving stress and research has shown that physically fit individuals have a reduced stress response.’ When we exercise, we produce smaller amounts of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This is an adaptive response to our exercise and helps us to push ourselves through mental barriers, and it is believed that these smaller bursts at controlled intervals act to prime our bodies for future stress. Working out before going off to work is the optimum opportunity to set your mental health up for a busy schedule. Even as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise is enough to engage your brain, aiding mental clarity and helping ease you into your day.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 15
Resistance is not so futile
Heal Yourself
According to research by Oxford University, regular participation in exercise whereby the heart rate is elevated for an extended period of time can be as effective at helping control and diminish the symptoms of mild anxiety and depression as commonly prescribed medications. Ranging from insomnia, racing thoughts and low mood – exercise has been shown time and time again to aid in recovery from mental illness. Even recovery from more severe disorders such as schizophrenia have been proven to be aided by exercise. Participants took part in an intervention study whereby a course of regular exercise was incorporated into their treatment programme. Their symptoms were compared to those of a control group who were given medication only. The results showed the exercise intervention group to have reduced social withdrawal, reduced mental and physical lethargy and a heightened self-esteem. To me, it makes sense. Get people moving and their bodies respond positively over time. Including a structured exercise programme into mental health treatment is something that I believe is grossly overlooked by regular medicine.
Exercise Those Demons
A revolutionary new therapy of self-healing:
16 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Dynamic running therapy involves a session with a qualified therapist or counsellor, where you will be guided on a route through not only the chosen running area, but also through your own thoughts and feelings. Dynamic running therapy (DRT) is designed to help aid mental clarity, by allowing more oxygen to be pumped around the body and encourage you to use mental frustration to fuel your workout further. The feeling of running forwards allows you to associate talking therapy with making (quite literal) positive steps forward. The result? You’re more likely to open up and feel a sense of release, relief and contentment with your therapy. DRT has been anecdotally shown to aid in stress, anxiety and bereavement relief.
No Pain. No Mental Gain.
There’s nothing I hate more than the gym selfie. This being said, no one can deny the immense feeling of accomplishment you achieve by sticking to a regular exercise programme. Seeing yourself grow stronger, fitter, faster and more muscular – it gives you a sense of pride in what you are doing and how far you will be able to go. Self-esteem is enhanced by regular exercise, and when we feel better about ourselves, we approach our lives with more positivity. It’s not just about looking better – the physical or shape-enhancing benefit of training is an afterthought for most of my regular gym-going friends!
In my opinion, the most complete and health-promoting programmes will be inclusive of both strength/weight-based training with aerobic exercise. Below are some of my top tips for utilising your workouts to aid your mental health. Get up. Get out. Sweat on. Let it out!
Focus
Allow yourself to focus on your body. Making mind-to-muscle connections will help you grow and develop your body, and help ward off those wandering thoughts.
Work out early
Get up early and get a workout in before you start your working day. Take it from me, there’s nothing better than feeling fired up for the rest of the day, pumped full of endorphins and adrenaline! You’ll awaken your mind and body, and stimulate your brain early in the day – reaping creative benefits later on.
Find a plan. Stick to it
Write yourself an exercise plan which incorporates one or two restful days, with a few days of weight training and a few including cardiovascular exercises. But the golden rule? You have to stick to it. No excuses. Showing self-efficacy and commitment to your fitness will heighten your self-esteem and sense of accomplishment more than hitting that snooze button. Just remember to be realistic in your goals.
DETOX YOUR LifE, naTURaLLY The Detox special is a beauTiful collaTion of some of The besT ways To deTox youR dieT, body, mind and home. bRouGhT To you by The Team fRom AustrAliAn nAturAl HeAltH
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10
The Benefits of Bone Broth
Reasons Why You Should Make Your Own Right Now
We are always looking for healthier and cheaper ways to improve our nutritional profile – Robert James gets to the bones of the matter...
18 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
T
he benefits of bone broth may seem odd and can be easily surpassed by more popular superfoods. Despite its apparent disadvantage, it has definitely earned the trust of many people, starting with early civilisation. But is there room for bone broth in today’s day and age? With the advent of all the crazy new foods that promote health and wellness, it seems the whole world is fixated on the latest food fads. People are more concerned about why a new food is suddenly good for you than they are about food that has withstood the test of time. While all these crazes are with good intent and are aiming for a healthier approach to our diets, nothing beats traditional food that nourishes the body and soul. Bone broth has been effectively doing both for the past few thousand years – and science can’t help but agree.
Sympathy for bones
What’s in a bone? Looking at it, it seems it has nothing good to offer your body; the texture is uncharacteristic of ordinary food, and biting it can sometimes result in a broken tooth. When you think about it, a bone doesn’t seem to represent what health and wellness looks like, but looks can be deceiving. Bones may not look like a source of life, but deep inside that hard shell are essential nutrients, gut-healing and anti-inflammatory proteins, plenty of minerals and healthy fats. Going straight for the bone is the fastest way to get at nutrients, but unfortunately humans are
not capable of simply treating bones like they were chewable tablets.
Bone marrow nutrients
The benefits of bone broth come mainly from the bone marrow. Bone marrow is a fatty, jelly-like substance found in the centre of bones. Bone marrow is nutrient dense, which explains why animals love to gnaw on bones as much as they do with flesh. If anything, you can say bone broth wouldn’t be healthy at all without the bone marrow. Bone marrow contains plenty of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and lipids, while it also helps improve our immune system by assisting in oxygen transport. The best way to get the health benefits of bone marrow is to make a bone broth.
How to make bone broth
The simplest bone broth recipe consists of two ingredients: bone and water. You only need to cook the bones in a slow cooker and switch the heat to low for approximately 8-10 hours and that’s it. You can get bones from your local market, sometimes for free from butchers and farmers, and even your leftovers can be used as the main ingredient. The stock will have a clear, rich colour, which can be anywhere from translucent (fish bones) to golden-yellow (chicken bones) to a deep brown hue (ruminant bones). If your taste buds want more flavour, there are literally hundreds of bone broth recipes, each one made healthier than the last. Healthy bone broth recipes include a variety of spices and other ingredients, each with their own health benefits and their own specific function.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 19
The Benefits
HERE ARE GOOD REASONS WHY BONE BROTH IS STILL AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU... 1. Gut repair •
•
•
The gelatine in bone broth appears to protect and heal our digestive tract lining that helps support proper nutrient digestion. Eating bone broth may even prevent heartburn. Heartburn occurs when partially digested food sits in the stomach too long due to stomach acid deficiency. Bone broth also contains glycine, which helps prevent heartburn by stimulating production of stomach acid, which ensures food is efficiently digested and its nutrients absorbed.
2. Reduce joint pain and inflammation • About the author: Food Scientist. Fitness and Health Aficionado. Investor. Writer. Robert James likes to help people naturally lose body fat. He runs Fit And Write, a website catered to his passion to write about health and fitness. His main weapon against weakness is the kettlebell. www.fitandwrite.com
The glucosamine content found in bone broth helps stimulate growth of new collagen. This new collagen assists in joint repair and helps reduce inflammation and pain.
3. Promotes bone health •
High amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients in bone broth display bonestrengthening properties. Calcium and magnesium both improve bone density, a factor that helps prevent common and age-related bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
4. Look younger •
Collagen is the main component of connective tissue and commonly found in the skin and bones – aging naturally causes collagen deficiency.
20 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
•
Bone broth can help act as your collagen supplement, providing structure to the skin. It is also the major component of hair and is known to prevent hair loss by increasing blood circulation.
7. Natural and practical •
5. Better sleep •
•
•
The glycine in bone broth is known to improve sleep and even memory in people via vasodilation – the widening of the blood vessels. This allows blood, the primary transporter of nutrients and oxygen to the brain, to pass easily. Exogenous glycine promotes sleep via peripheral vasodilatation through the activation of NMDA receptors in the SCN shell. Coincidentally, glycine is also a known inhibitory neurotransmitter, which makes it easier to put the body in a relaxed state.
6. Boosts immune system •
•
Bone broth served as chicken soup has been shown to exhibit antiinflammatory properties which result in a reduction of certain infections. Another study noted its protective effects against influenza and colds. This data is consistent with the hypothesis that natural products, such as chicken soup and chicken breast extracts rich in carnosine and its derivative anserine, could contribute to the pathogenesis and prevention of influenza virus infections and colds.
Homemade bone broth can save you money due to its relatively cost-effective ingredients and preparations. Making your own bone broth will ensure it doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients, unlike its commercially available counterparts.
8. Easy to make healthier •
The main ingredients in bone broth are bones and water. Because of the simple nature of its recipe, adding other ingredients to make it tastier and healthier won’t pose a threat to the overall quality of the soup.
9. Detoxification •
•
The glycine content in bone broth assists the body’s detoxification process by helping the liver remove toxins in the body. These results indicate that a glycine-containing diet expedites the process of recovery from ethanol-induced liver injury and may lead to its clinical application in alcoholic hepatitis.
10. Wound healing •
Arginine and glutamine are familiar amino acids to bodybuilders, as these are known as ‘recovery’ supplements. More than their athletic function, these two amino acids are also known to support collagen formation, which helps increase wound healing rate.
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Best & Worst
foods for your digestion Digestion is something we tend to take for granted and assume it just does its thing; however, there are ways and means of making it work a lot more smoothly...
22 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
A
RE YOU BLAMING STRESS, food intolerance or even your monthly cycle for bloating and discomfort? Around 40% of people have at least one digestive symptom at any one time, so what should and shouldn’t we be eating to help support our digestive system? Nutrition experts Shona Wilkinson (www.superfood. com) and Cassandra Burns are here to help...
will ensure the correct metabolism and detoxification of hormones. Leeks, garlic and onions are sulphur-containing foods. Sulphur is required by the liver for the detoxification process. Dr Marilyn Glenville, nutritionist and author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar (www.marilynglenville.com) reveals the foods that can be hard to digest…
GOOD FOR YOUR GUT!
Try and avoid the following foodstuffs that can prove a hurdle for your digestive system.
Keep on top of your digestive system with foodstuffs that keep the baddies at bay. Cinnamon Cinnamon is a lovely spice to add to your food. Not only does it improve digestion, but it also helps to balance blood sugar levels. Activated charcoal Activated charcoal contributes to reducing excessive flatulence after eating. Taken after each meal, charcoal is able to absorb a hundred times of its own weight in toxins. Bone broth Bone broth is important for healing the gut and aiding healthy digestion. The gelatine found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid, which means it attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby enhancing digestion. Bone broths are also rich in glycine, an amino acid (protein) found in collagen, which is important in maintaining a healthy gut lining. Live cultures The micro-organisms in our gut play an important role. They especially help with the digestion of lactose. Try taking a daily culture supplement. Mint Mint has been shown to help soothe the abdomen and relax digestive discomfort. Why not enjoy a lovely warming cup of herbal tea this evening after dinner? Turmeric Turmeric is rich in curcumin, which has antiinflammatory properties and is particularly useful for inflammation in the gut. Turmeric also helps with fat digestion along with supporting the liver. Fermented foods The likes of sauerkraut, pickled vegetables in brine, yoghurt, buttermilk and kefir help feed the friendly bacteria which reside in our gut, helping them to multiply in a healthy environment. Oats Including oats in your diet provides you with fibre and an increase in faecal bulk. Having extra faecal bulk will aid in regular bowel movement. Make sure that you are consuming 7-9 portions of vegetables and fruit too! Try porridge for breakfast with flaxseeds and berries. Leeks, garlic and onions! Water retention is a common digestion problem, and is often due to hormonal issues. Ensuring that your liver is working efficiently
WORST FOR TUMMY WOES!
Coffee Coffee stimulates peristalsis, the wavelike muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. So with IBS, coffee should be avoided in order to reduce these contractions. Chewing gum Chewing gum makes you swallow too much air, which gets trapped in your digestive system, causing pressure, bloating and gas. The same thing can happen if you gulp air when snacking on the run, eating too quickly, talking while eating or drinking from a straw. Cruciferous vegetables Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage may cause bloating and excess wind. For some people these vegetables are not digested completely in the small intestine due to a lack of enzymes, so when they reach the large intestine, bacteria in that part of the gut can cause gas and bloating when breaking down those foods. Plums Stone fruits like plums are packed with sugar alcohols, which can ferment, causing bloating and gas. Legumes Beans like soy, lentils and chickpeas contain oligosaccharides, a type of naturally occurring sugar in the beans, which are normally digested by bacteria in the large intestine. The digestion of these beans can cause bloating and flatulence. Sparkling water Air bubbles from sparkling water or fizzy drinks can you make you bloat and cause excess wind. Sugar substitutes Sugar alcohols, known a polyols, such as xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol, can cause bloating and flatulence and IBS symptoms in people who are sensitive to them. Dairy Some people don’t produce the enzyme lactase, which helps them break down lactose, a sugar found in milk. You need the enzyme lactase in your body in order to break down the lactose, otherwise it ferments in the gut, causing pain, gas and bloating. Spices Some spicy foods can stimulate the release of stomach acid, which can cause irritation, while others can ferment in the digestive system, causing bloating.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 23
Gluten free advice
Ask the experts
Do you need help with your gluten-free cooking, or do you have a nutritional query? Our experts have the answers.
Q
What can I do to stop snacking at night? A Often, the reason people snack at night is for many other reasons rather than hunger, such as boredom or stress. I know, I can be a sucker for boredom eating and often cannot distinguish boredom from hunger. Try drinking a glass of water infused with fruit or mint if you feel hungry. If after half an hour you no longer feel that hungry feeling, you were not hungry, you were bored! LR
Q
Why do I always feel bloated after lunch? A Gluten is hidden in a number
24 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
of foods, many of which may surprise you. You might have ditched the lunchtime sandwich and now opt for sushi as a healthy alternative, but every time you dip that California roll into a dish of soy sauce, you’re eating wheat. Try tamari soy sauce, which is naturally gluten free. LR
Q
What can I eat to help improve my concentration levels? A Any foods high in omega 3, such as oily fish (salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines), flaxseeds and walnuts are great for improving concentration and motivation as they improve cognitive
function, which means they help with the brain’s ability to think and process. They are also anti-inflammatory, so they keep cells functioning optimally, which help the brain function well also. LR
Q
I am gluten free but my wife isn’t and she loves pasta. Any ideas? A The quality and choice of naturally gluten-free ingredients has improved to such an extent that I’m pretty sure, in a blindfolded taste test, you would not know the difference between standard wheat pasta and gluten-free pasta with a delicious sauce. LR
OUR EXPERTS ALI WALSH Ali Walsh has been a coeliac for 20 years. She started her award-winning business The Local Bakehouse to provide delicious gluten-free cakes and cake decorating courses. A regular on BBC radio, Ali also writes a blog giving factual advice, recipes and videos to make life a little bit easier. Find out more at www.thelocalbakehouse.com
LISA ROUKIN Chef, teacher and writer Lisa, author of My Relationship with Food has as her main focus the desire to develop gluten- and wheat-free recipes. She runs her own business teaching private cookery lessons and demonstrations, based around her healthy way of eating. She has cooked live on BBC Radio, and was a finalist on Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word. She is also a blogger for the Huffington Post and provides gluten-free recipes to Ocado. www.myrelationshipwithfood.com
Q
I’d like to bake with my young newly diagnosed coeliac daughter. Can you recommend something safe? A The great thing about young children in the kitchen is they’re often eager to help out. Of course, this leads to its own problems such as preventing them from burning themselves on the oven and handling sharp knives. There aren’t many recipes where small children can do everything (and you probably wouldn’t wish to leave them alone in the kitchen regardless), so the best things to make are ones where
they can be in charge of a particular part of the process. If you look at my jaffa cake recipe you’ll see there’s quite a bit they can do themselves. This includes breaking up the jelly pieces, pouring the jelly into its mould, cutting out the orange jelly discs, pouring melted chocolate over the cakes and so on. Good luck and enjoy! AW
Q
I was ‘glutened’ the other day, but I’m positive I’ve not eaten gluten. What could have happened? A If you really didn’t come into contact with any gluten (such as cross-contamination, the wrong food being given to you in a restaurant or misreading the ingredients on a food packet), then it may be you’ve handled gluten through non-edibles. If you have small children it’s worth checking items you all play with to ensure they don’t contain gluten (like play-doh and certain types of glue). Look at bathroom products that contain wheatgerm oil or oats. If you’re using a hand moisturiser and then eating finger food (e.g a sandwich),
the product might transfer. If you’re still suffering after thoroughly checking everything, it’s worth going back to your doctor to check you’re not reacting to something else (like lactose). AW
Q
What did I do to get coeliac disease? A Don’t assume it’s your fault as there’s no evidence to suggest this. Firstly, coeliac disease is hereditary and therefore may be in your genes. There’s a 10% chance one of your parents passed it on to you. However, there’s also the possibility an external factor is to blame. It’s believed certain experiences can trigger coeliac disease, including childbirth, a stressful event, an accident (e.g a bone fracture) and so on. More research is needed, though, so until more information is available it’s probably best not to think about why you’re coeliac. Your energies would be better placed getting on with things that make you feel a lot more cheerful (like making some yummy gluten-free treats in the kitchen!). AW
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 25
Luxury jaffa cakes By Ali Walsh (www.thelocalbakehouse.com) GF Makes 12 | Prep 25 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 171 (per cake)
The reason I call these luxury will become apparent when you make them. Rather than the tiny little discs of cake you get when you buy them in the shop, these cakes are comparatively large and will satisfy the biggest of cravings. They’re particularly good to make if you have small children as there are plenty of tasks they can do by themselves (like cutting out jelly discs). Do be sure to have an adult in charge of the boiling water and oven, though!
2 large free-range eggs 50g (1¾oz) caster sugar 50g (1¾oz) plain gluten-free flour 125ml (4½fl oz) boiling water 1 packet of orange jelly, cut into pieces 1 tbsp marmalade 200g (7oz) dark chocolate butter, for greasing
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a 12-hole muffin/cupcake tin. 2 Break the eggs into a metal bowl and whisk in the sugar. 3 Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick and glossy (the ribbon stage – see tip).
4.4g Saturated
0.05g Salt
26 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
14.1g Sugar
8g Protein
11 Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely. Turn out onto a wire tray.
4 Take the bowl off the heat and fold in the flour.
12 When the jelly is ready, take a round cutter that’s slightly smaller than the cake discs and cut out 12 discs of jelly.
5 Pour a tiny amount of mixture into each hole of the muffin tin. There should be an even amount between the 12 holes.
14 Pour over the melted chocolate until each jelly disc is completely covered.
13 Place a disc of jelly on top of each cake.
6 Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture goes golden and springs back when touched.
15 Allow time for the chocolate to set, then enjoy!
7 Meanwhile, pour the boiling water over the jelly pieces and stir until thoroughly dissolved.
TIP The ribbon stage is when the cake batter should hold in ribbon-like shapes for a few seconds when you lift the whisk.
8 Add the marmalade and stir again. Pour into a shallow 20x15cm (8x6in) tin and allow to set in the fridge.
6.8g Total fat
10 Stir with a spatula until all the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to the stage where the chocolate is still liquid, but not piping hot.
9 Break the chocolate into pieces in another metal bowl and place over a pan of simmering water.
Breakfast Get a taste for the new day with these delightful starters
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 27
Breakfast R E C I P E S
Eggs Florentine By Genius Gluten-Free (www.geniusglutenfree.com) GF SF V Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 265 (per serving) a knob of butter 1 bag of baby spinach leaves, washed
FOR THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE 2 free-range egg yolks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vinegar 2 large free-range eggs
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
2 crumpets, toasted
juice of ½ a lemon
1 tbsp wine vinegar
chives
1 For the hollandaise sauce, beat the egg yolks with the salt in a heatproof bowl, place the bowl over (but not in!) a pan of water (you need heat, but not too much) and beat the egg yolks until they thicken slightly. 2 Add the vinegar and continue beating as the yolks thicken a little. 3 Add the melted butter a little at a time and whisk the mixture continuously – the mix should continue to thicken until it coats the back of a spoon. 4 When the butter is all added and the sauce is light and thick, remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk for another minute. Check the seasoning and add a little lemon juice. 5 Keep the sauce warm until you need it (stand the bowl in warm water). The sauce will curdle if overheated, and go too hard if allowed to go cold, so be careful. 6 For the spinach, melt the butter in a medium pan until it froths. Tip in the spinach and keep stirring on a low heat until it has all wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 7 For the poached eggs, bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to help the egg white to set. Crack one of the eggs into a teacup and gently tip the egg into the middle of the pan of water. If the eggs are fresh the egg white should come together around the yolk very quickly. You can gently encourage the white to move towards the yolk with a slotted metal spoon. Leave the egg to poach for 3-4 minutes, then scoop it out and keep it warm. Repeat with the second egg. 8 To assemble, toast the crumpets, load them up with spinach, pop the egg on top and spoon on the hollandaise. Finish with a grind of black pepper and some snipped chives.
10.7g Total fat
3.6g Saturated
0.5g Salt
28 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
2.1g Sugar
16.6g Protein
Raspberry banana smoothie bowl Refined GF DF EF V By Diana Boneva (www.cleanfoodspirit.com) Serves 1-2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none | Calories 395 (per serving)
1 banana, peeled
TO DECORATE
250g (9oz) frozen raspberries
1 tsp buckwheat
sugar-free
1 In a food processor, blend all the ingredients together for 30 seconds. Pour into a bowl, decorate, then enjoy!
2 tsp chia seeds
225ml (8fl oz) plant-based milk
1 tsp sesame seeds ½ a banana, peeled, chopped 1 tsp coconut flakes a few blueberries and raspberries
14.9g Total fat
2.9g Saturated
0.1g Salt
22.3g Sugar
13.2g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 29
8 ways pineapple will
improve your health & well-being today Found in a wide variety of cuisines and in a selection of sweet and savoury dishes, the pineapple could well be one of the most underrated fruits, until now...
U
NAPPEALING TO THE EYE AND MORE difficult than peeling a banana or orange, the pineapple is considered by some to be the black sheep of the fruit family. Like Vegemite, there are those who love it and others who simply loathe it. You just have to take a look at the great pineapple pizza debate that still continues to hit the headlines to see what we mean. While many find it a perfect accompaniment to ham and mushroom on their pizza, the president of Iceland would wholeheartedly disagree. No matter your opinion on this foreboding yet super tasty fruit, there are a whole host of benefits of making it part of your 5 (or 10 if you believe what you read) a day, many of them health related. In this article, we will give you the 8 ways that pineapple will improve your health
30 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
and well-being, not just today, but for many years to come. However, before we launch in, first we’ll cover the fundamentals to help you get a better understanding of this much maligned and misunderstood fruit.
How does the pineapple grow?
There’s a misconception among many people that pineapples grow on trees, but they do in fact grow out of the ground. The pineapple grows when dozens of individual fruit-producing flowers fuse into a single fruit, which is capped with a ‘crown’ sporting numerous short leaves. A healthy pineapple can sprout up to around a whopping 5 feet (or 1.5 metres) in height. The pineapple fruit grows out of the top of the central stem. However, growth is at a snail’s pace, with some taking up to 2 years to reach full size.
Pineapple nutrition
Next, let’s look at the key nutritional facts of pineapple and consider something that most of us really like to talk about – and that’s carbs. Pineapple is made up of mostly water (86%) and carbohydrates (13%), with almost no fat or protein. A fresh pineapple contains 50 calories per 100 grams, while it is also a good source of several vitamins and minerals. One single cup of pineapple provides 132% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C and 76% for manganese. For an age now, teachers and governments have stressed the benefits of eating vegetables and fruits to tackle many lifestyle-related health conditions, and pineapple is no exception. What gives pineapple its power is a little thing called bromelain.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PINEAPPLE...
Pineapples are the only source of the plant compound bromelain, a unique protein-digesting enzyme, which is linked with many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cancer, reduced inflammation, enhanced immune function and better gut health. The pineapple is also packed full of other good stuff that helps with general well-being:
1
It improves gut health
Studies have indicated that pineapple, namely bromelain, can be effective in treating digestive diseases by reducing gut inflammation. Like most fruits and vegetables, pineapple is a rich source of fibre. Consuming the recommended amount of pineapple can protect you from a wide range of health conditions, including but not limited to, diarrhoea, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
2
It lowers cancer risk
Diets that are high in deep-yellow vegetables and fruit are believed to lessen the risk of contracting colon cancer. Some studies have also shown that bromelain has even prevented the growth of cancer cell growth.
3
It strengthens bones
Pineapple season lasts from June to February and this is when you’ll find a pineapple at it’s peak condition. Indicators that a fruit may be past it’s prime are soft spots, mould and bruises, so if you see any of the aforementioned, then it’s best left on the shelf. You can judge freshness, ripeness and quality simply by giving a pineapple a soft tap on the side. What you want to hear is a dull, solid sound. If you hear a hollow sound, then this is a sure sign the pineapple either needs maturing or is of a poor quality. It should also have a fragrant sweet smell at the stem end and should not smell sour, musty or fermented. If left at room temperature your pineapple will lose quality quite quickly, so the best way to preserve the fruit is to wrap up cut sections inside a thin plastic cover and store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
pineapple facts DID YOU KNOW?
1. Pineapple juice mixed with sand is said to be effective for cleaning stubborn surfaces. 2. In Australian slang, ‘to get the wrong (or rough) end of the pineapple’ means to get a bad deal. In the 1930s in Britain, ‘being on the pineapple’ became a slang phrase for being unemployed. 3. Pineapple juice is one of the best foods for constipation. Unprocessed plant foods generally have a lot of fibre. Pineapple juice is a natural laxative that can also help bowel movements. 4. Eating pineapple hurts your tongue because the enzyme bromelain attacks your tongue, cheeks and lips on contact. However, both saliva and stomach acids overpower the sensation once you swallow or chew the pineapple.
Pineapple is positively loaded with a mineral called manganese. Manganese is a mineral your body needs to build bone and connective tissue, that also aids in growth and repair.
5. It’s a myth that you will face serious health problems if you drink milk after eating pineapple.
4
6. Pineapple is commonly used as a material in men’s Barong Tagalog and women’s baro’t saya formal wear in the Phillippines.
It improves eye health
Pineapple is rich in vitamin C, which is known to boost eye health. Based on research findings, vitamin C intake is important to prevent the onset of cataracts in the elderly.
HOW TO SELECT AND SERVE A PINEAPPLE...
9 QUICK
5
It’s good for your skin
This fruit will help keep your skin flexible and firm because it increases collagen formation. Bromelain helps towards the treatment and prevention of acne, fine lines, sun damage and uneven skin toning.
6
It strengthens gums
Eating a good dose of pineapple strengthens your gums and keeps your teeth healthy and strong. Pineapple is often prescribed as a natural remedy to fix the loosening of teeth or retraction of the gums.
7
It reduces blood pressure levels and improves blood circulation
Eat your pineapple for a healthy heart! Pineapple is a valuable source of many minerals, including potassium. Potassium can help ease the tension and stress of the blood vessels and promote blood circulation to various parts of the body. This can help towards preventing health conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
8
7. The fibre within a pineapple is used as a component for wallpaper. 8. The popular fictional children’s character Spongebob Squarepants lives in a pineapple house with his pets Gary the Snail and his scallop Shelley. 9. When you cut up your pineapple, you normally chuck the skin, core it, then it ends in the bin. The pineapple canning industry doesn’t though – these bits are used for making alcohol, vinegar and animal feed. Visit www.gogofruitbasket.com for more information.
It’s good for weight management
Pineapple is a great fruit for those trying to lose weight because it makes you feel full and provides energy without adding too many calories. One half cup of fresh pineapple contains fewer than 60 calories. Pineapple has high water content and is rich in fibre, which is what keeps you feel fuller for longer.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 31
Vitamin or mineral
Deficiency
We all know that we should be consuming vitamins in the foods we eat, but which are the right ones to take and where do we get them?
E
XPERTS HAVE REVEALED THE EVERYDAY symptoms which could show you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, including cracked lips, headaches and bad breath. Persistent dandruff, itchy or dry skin, low mood and even stress could also be signs you need more of a certain vitamin or mineral in your diet. Other issues which could point to a deficiency include thinning hair, a low libido, white spots on your nails and tiredness.
Spotting the signs
One in 20, based on a recent survey where over 2,000 adults were polled, believe they need to be eating krill oil and vegetable oil for a healthy body, while some even said they thought kryptonite and kerosene are essential vitamins and minerals! And almost 6 in 10 admit they are clueless about the signs which could show they are suffering from a mineral deficiency. Worryingly, almost half of Brits are unaware that taking medications, antibiotics and even drinking tea and coffee can all affect how you absorb vitamins and minerals. Healthspan’s head of nutrition Rob Hobson said: “Many of these symptoms are things
32 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
people put up with every day, thinking they are just par for the course. “But often they could be a sign that you are suffering a vitamin or mineral deficiency and simply eating foods which contain the item you are lacking could ease your symptoms. “For example, a headache could be an indicator that you need more magnesium, vitamin B12 and B6 – something you can get from eating pumpkin seeds, prunes, banana or fortified soy milk. “And even bad breath, while a possible sign of poor oral hygiene, could also be linked to your gut health and an iron deficiency. “It’s important to bear in mind that your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals can also be affected by medications you are taking, such as antibiotics or the oral contraceptive pill, as well as aspects of your diet such as whether you drink tea or coffee.” Cracking lips can be a sign of a vitamin C or iron deficiency, with eating more red meat, red capiscums, kale and tofu a way of boosting levels of the vitamins and minerals in your diet. Persistent dandruff could be an indicator you need more biotin or vitamin B7, while feeling stressed could be a sign you need to
consume more magnesium, zinc or essential fatty acids. A magnesium deficiency could also be indicated by insomnia, PMS or PMT and restless legs. Thinning hair could be a result of a mild iron and vitamin C deficiency and white spots on the nails could signal a lack of zinc and iron. The research found 36% of people have made a conscious effort to boost their intake of certain vitamins and minerals because they felt they were lacking in them, while 28% have even sought professional help. And 1 in 5 have suffered from a symptom or health condition which was caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
Supplements v vitamins?
It also emerged that 41% are currently taking a supplement, with 68% of those saying they do so to improve their health. But almost 1 in 5 have the supplement as an insurance policy and one in 10 take it for a ‘quick boost.’ British-based Healthspan’s Dr Sarah Brewer added: “An estimated 40% of UK adults take at least one dietary supplement,
What is your body telling you?
Physical signs and symptoms
What could it be?
Foods that can help
Cracking lips
Iron and/or vitamin C deficiency
Red meat, red capsicums, kale, tofu, fresh salmon
Persistent dandruff
Biotin or vitamin B7 plus deficient in essential fatty acids
Almonds, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, lemons
Thinning hair
Could be mild iron and vitamin C deficiency
Kiwi fruit, strawberries, red kidney beans, eggs
Psoriasis
Vitamin D deficiency plus mixed vitamin B, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiency
Prawns, fresh tuna, mushrooms, sunflower seeds
Itchy/dry skin
Omega-6 essential fatty acid deficiency
Pine nuts, sesame seeds, turkey mince, crab
Acne
Possible zinc deficiency
Spinach, cashew nuts, cocoa powder, lean pork
White spots on nails
Could be lack of zinc or iron
Mushrooms, chickpeas, dried apricots, flaxseed
Split brittle nails
Iron deficiency
Chicken liver, pistachio nuts, lentils, feta cheese
Red greasy skin at side of nose
Sign of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and or vitamin B6 and/or zinc deficiency
Almonds, mackerel, asparagus, black beans
Recurrent mouth ulcers, sore tongue
Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, B3 deficiency
Pak choi, avocado,trout, raisins
Bad breath
Poor oral hygiene but can be linked to gut health as well as iron deficient
Peas, fortified breakfast cereals, adzuki beans, pumpkin seeds
Headaches
Magnesium, plus could be vitamin B12 and B6 as well dietary factors
Prunes, banana, fortified soy milk, eggs
Lost sense of taste
Possible zinc deficiency
Red meat, yoghurt, red kidney beans, cashew nuts
Depression
Low in vitamin B, vitamin D, magnesium deficient as well as low in essential fatty acids
Kale, mushrooms, barley, quinoa
Low mood
Vitamin D as well as the B vitamins and magnesium
Salmon, avocado, French beans, mushrooms
Low libido
Can be vitamin D
Fortified breakfast cereals, mackerel, eggs, tofu
Anxiety
A whole raft of deficiencies from vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins and even calcium
Milk, bananas, dates, fresh tuna
Stress
Magnesium, zinc, essential fatty acids
Cocoa powder, prawns, sunflower seeds, dried apricots
Tired all time
B vitamins, iron and magnesium deficiencies but also underactive thyroid
Brazil nuts, soya beans, chickpeas, avocado
Can’t sleep/Insomnia
Could be deficient in magnesium
Pine nuts, sesame seeds, turkey mince, crab
Restless legs
Lack of magnesium / iron or folate
Dried oregano, dark chocolate, trout
Aching joints
Low levels of magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin B1 and vitamin D if there is hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels)
Pork, chia seeds, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts
PMS/PMT
Low levels of magnesium and levels of oestrogen
Pumpkin seeds, mackerel, wild rice, red meat
Cold hands and feet
Could be due to anaemia, so lack of iron
Cracking lips
Iron and/or vitamin C deficiency
Acne
Possible zinc deficiency
Recurrent mouth ulcers, sore tongue
Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, B3 deficiency, B, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiency
Psoriasis
Vitamin D deficiency plus mixed vitamin B, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiency
Tired all the time
B vitamins, iron and magnesium deficiencies but also underactive thyroid
Headaches
Magnesium, plus could be vitamin B12 and B6 as well dietary factors
Bad breath
Poor oral hygiene, but can be linked to gut health as well as iron deficiency
White spots on nails Could be lack of zinc or iron
Red greasy skin at side of nose
Sign of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and or vitamin B6 and/or zinc deficiency
Aching joints
Low levels of magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin B1 and vitamin D if there is hypocalcaemia whether vitamins, minerals, fish oils, glucosamine, isoflavones or herbal remedies. “Many people taking a food supplement or herbal remedy are also taking at least one prescribed drug. “In fact, the popularity of complementary medicine has now increased to the extent that 30% of people use them at the same time as conventional medications. “Although the risk of serious interactions between vitamins, minerals and prescribed drugs is low, many drugs appear to deplete body stores of vitamins and minerals and, in these cases, a replenishing supplement is desirable – but are you taking the right one? “Many popular dietary ingredients also deplete levels of certain vitamins and minerals and can interfere with the absorption of food supplements.”
Kale, tofu, cumin
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 33
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Lunch
Because the meal in the middle of your day is one you shouldn't forget
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 37
Lunch R E C I P E S
K ING TIP CO O
INGREDIENTS PEEL FROZEN BROAD BEANS AFTER COOKING AS THEY CAN BE TOUGH
Goat's cheese, broad bean, pea & strawberry salad By Driscoll Jubilee Strawberries (www.jubileestrawberries.co.uk) GF EF V Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 5 mins | Calories 433 (per serving) 225g (8oz) fresh broad beans, podded, or use frozen, defrosted 225g (8oz) fresh peas, podded (reserve some opened in pod for garnish) or use frozen baby peas, defrosted a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil a handful of fresh mint leaves, half finely chopped, half left whole
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g (14oz) punnet of Jubilee strawberries, hulled, quartered (reserve a few with the leaf intact for topping) 120g (4Âźoz) soft goat's cheese, cut or broken into small pieces a handful of fresh basil a handful of fresh mixed edible flowers such as nasturtiums, borage and pansy flowers (optional) lime wedges, to serve (optional)
16.1g 5.2g Total fat
0.6g 7.1g Saturated
0.02g 0.3g Salt
38 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
10.2g Sugar
21.6g Protein
1 Add the fresh or frozen broad beans to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes, drain well and leave to cool. 2 Add the olive oil and chopped mint to the peas and broad beans and season with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper and toss well to coat. 3 Add the quartered strawberries and gently toss together. Transfer to a large wide salad bowl or individual plates, then top with the goat's cheese, basil leaves and remaining mint leaves. Top with the remaining strawberries. Sprinkle over edible flowers and serve with lime wedges, if using.
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Cauliflower & asparagus quiche By Lisa Roukin (www.myrelationshipwithfood.com) GF SF DF V Serves 4 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 45 mins | Calories 307 (per serving) FOR THE THE BASE
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
400g (14oz) cauliflower, washed, broken into florets
2 Line the base and sides of a 23cm (9in) round cake tin with baking paper.
100g (3½oz) ground almonds 1 large free-range egg yolk (reserve the white for the filling) sea salt and freshly ground white pepper FOR THE FILLING 450g (1lb) asparagus, remove 5cm (2in) from the stalk and discard 5 large free-range eggs and the white saved from the base
4 Place the mixture into the base of the tart tin and, with the back of a spoon, push it out to the sides to create a 2.5cm (1in) thick pie crust that will hold the filling. Use a spoon to create a smooth base, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
2 tsp honey mustard a handful of chopped chives
20.3g Total fat
3.4g Saturated
0.3g Salt
6.8g Sugar
3 Blend the cauliflower in a food processor until finely chopped (don’t overprocess). Add the ground almonds and egg yolk, season with sea salt and white pepper, then blend together until combined and a loose dough texture is formed. It should bind together well.
5 Peel the asparagus to take off the fibrous green from the stalk, keeping the tips unpeeled. 6 Remove the base from the oven and gently smooth out again. Lay the asparagus in a criss-cross pattern on top of the cauliflower pie crust. 7 In a mixing bowl, add the egg white and the 5 eggs, season, then beat together. Add the honey mustard and carry on beating, then add the chopped chives and mix together. Gently pour over the asparagus. 8 Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. 9 Remove from the oven and allow to cool before taking it out of the tin.
20g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 39
Lunch R E C I P E S
Spinach & ricotta tartlets By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF SF V Makes 4 | Prep 25 mins plus chilling | Cook 30-35 mins | Calories 521 (per tartlet) 200g (7oz) plain gluten-free flour 1 tsp xanthan gum a pinch of salt 100g (4oz) butter, cut into small pieces 2-4 tbsp cold water FOR THE FILLING 100g (4oz) frozen chopped spinach – defrosted and thoroughly drained of all excess liquid 250g (10oz) ricotta 2 pinches of ground nutmeg 2 large free-range eggs, beaten 4 tbsp single cream 1 tsp green pesto salt and freshly ground black pepper
31.2g Total fat
18.4g Saturated
0.5g Salt
40 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
0.8g Sugar
17g Protein
1 Put the flour, xanthan gum and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time until the mixture comes together to form a firm dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2 Divide the pastry into four equal pieces. Roll out each piece so it’s big enough to line a tartlet case. Push the pastry carefully into the base and sides of the case, taking care as gluten-free pastry does have a tendency to be very short and tear easily. Place the pastry cases on a baking tray and prick the pastry with a fork. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 3 Put all the filling ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pour into the pastry cases and return to the oven for 2025 minutes until firm to the touch. Serve warm or cold with a salad.
Tomato & chilli jam By Adam Woolven, Head Chef at Island Grill (www.lancasterlondon.com) GF DF EF Serves 15-20 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 134 (per serving) 1kg (2lb 2oz) very ripe plum tomatoes 5 red chilli peppers 8 garlic cloves, peeled 60ml (2fl oz) gluten-free fish sauce 10cm (4in) piece of ginger 550g (1lb 3oz) Demerara sugar 200ml (7fl oz) red wine vinegar a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the plum tomatoes to the water and boil for 10-15 seconds. Run the tomatoes under cold water, then peel and quarter them. 2 Peel the ginger (easiest done with a teaspoon), then finely chop it, along with the garlic cloves and chilli. 3 In a large pan, cook the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies on a low heat until the mixture becomes a pulp-like consistency. Pour the fish sauce, red wine vinegar and sugar into the mix. Stir well and season with a little salt and pepper. 4 Don’t wait for the jam to cool - store the jam in a sterilised jar while still hot. 5 Scoop a generous spoonful of jam onto your freshly barbecued burger and enjoy!
0.3g Total fat
0.1g Saturated
0.3g Salt
29.5g Sugar
1.3g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 41
Don’t skip a BEET
How to fuel sporting success
As superfoods go, the humble beetroot seems to tick all the boxes when it comes to fuelling up...
N
EW RESEARCH HAS IDENTIFIED A closer link between beetroot and fitness performance than previously thought. Scientific evidence reveals that: • Beetroot increases our capacity for short bursts of intense activity. • Beetroot minimises muscle soreness after exercise. • Its unique combination of nutrients gives the greatest lift to those who need it most.
Training principles
Alongside emerging evidence that high-impact interval training, or HIIT, reverses ageing at a cellular level, the new findings have potentially life-changing implications for anyone seeking to improve their fitness. Dr Tom Clifford, a scientist at Newcastle University, is one of the experts and authors unravelling the mechanisms and plant chemicals which make beetroot so beneficial, and he explains: “The nitrate in beetroot seems to be particularly beneficial for the fast-
42 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
twitch muscle fibres we use for short bursts of rapid movement, as we do during HIIT (high intensity interval training) and competitive team sports. What’s also interesting is that recreational athletes see bigger benefits from consuming beetroot than those who are at elite levels. In other words, beetroot seem to give the biggest boost to those who need it most.” His research shows beetroot also enhances recovery and minimises muscle soreness. “Potentially this could also be helpful to people returning to sport after an injury, or trying to improve their fitness levels.” Personal trainer and founder of Pop Up Fitness, Olivia Cooney, says: “When you are starting a new workout regime, or stepping up to something more strenuous like HIIT, it’s really important to stay motivated, and make the most of anything which lifts performance and reduces muscle soreness afterwards. That’s why beetroot is brilliant. Adding beetroot to your diet makes sense if you want to get the most out of your workout and support post-
exercise muscle recovery. You can even buy pre-cooked beetroot infused with fabulous flavours like chilli, balsamic honey and ginger, and juniper and berry — so you don’t have to be a celebrity chef or serious foodie to come up with scrumptious ways of using them.” Dr Clifford says: “It is likely that we are seeing some synergistic effects — where a variety of nutrients in beetroot work together and become more beneficial in combination.” They include: Nitrate, which our bodies convert into nitric oxide, is just one of a number of nutrients in beetroot which is likely to fuel fitness. It has a regulatory role in respiration, immune function, blood pressure, and muscle contraction and nitrate supplementation has been shown to enhance oxygen uptake, exercise efficiency and stamina and stalls muscle depletion of phosphocreatine, a body chemical which fuels short bursts of activity. Betalains, the pigments which give beetroot its distinctive colour, have potent
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemoprotective properties. Iron is the building block for the oxygen transporter, haemoglobin, but low levels are common and women who work out are at greatest risk of deficiency. Antioxidants may be a factor. High intensity exercise increases levels of free radicals known as reactive oxygen species. Dr Clifford says: “This is probably a factor in subsequent muscle damage.” Polyphenols are health-enhancing plant compounds which often have antiinflammatory activity. One of a number found in beetroot is quercetin, which is also a potent antioxidant. Dr Clifford says: “The amount of quercetin in beetroot is tiny, but as is often the case, quercetin is more bioavailable when it is found in combination with other antioxidants, such as vitamin C — and beetroot is also a good source of vitamin C.” Magnesium fuels more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including
Adding beetroot to your diet makes sense if you want to get the most out of your workout... many which regulate blood pressure, muscle and nerve function. Higher blood levels have been linked to better muscle performance, flexibility and strength. Potassium is important for muscle cell function and potassium depletion is a factor in muscle fatigue and is likely to be a driver for pain and degenerative changes associated with prolonged exercise. So, whether you workout regularly, want to do more, or want a simple dietary tweak that can deliver real health benefits, you can’t beat beetroot.
Dr Clifford says: “We still have a lot to learn about the way the different nutrients in beetroot work together, and why this humble vegetable seems to deliver so many health benefits, but in the meantime it makes sense to make sure beetroot is on the menu. If someone who isn’t at peak fitness combines exercise and an increased intake of beetroot, the evidence suggests they might be able to work-out for longer, and suffer less muscle strain afterwards.” And Cooney says: “That really is a winning double, because increasing activity levels builds stamina and strength, and releases all sorts of feel-good body chemicals like endorphins — and anything which reduces the risk of muscle soreness and supports muscle repair will help maintain momentum. “With beetroots becoming more widely available, and so many great beetroot recipes, there is really no excuse for not hitting the beet.”
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 43
Lunch R E C I P E S
Sweet chilli beetroot muffins By Olivia Cooney in association with Love Beetroot (www.lovebeetroot.co.uk) GF SF V Makes 12 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 119 (per frittata) 600g (1lb 4oz) butternut pumpkin, cubed 1 tbsp coconut oil 8 large free-range eggs 100g (3½oz) goat’s cheese
3.4g Saturated
0.2g Salt
44 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
3.2g Sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
2 Peel and cut the butternut pumpkin into 3cm (1¼in) cubes. Roast in the oven with coconut oil for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
salt and freshly ground black pepper 250g (9oz) precooked sweet chilli beetroot, diced
2 spring onions, chopped
7g Total fat
a large handful of parsley, chopped
7g Protein
3 Mix the eggs, goat’s cheese, spring onions, chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Leave the beetroot until last to avoid everything turning pink. 4 Roughly mash the roasted pumpkin with a fork, keeping it chunky and add to the egg mix. Pour into your prepared muffin cases, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Beetroot falafels By Olivia Cooney in association with Love Beetroot (www.lovebeetroot.co.uk) GF SF DF V Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 20-25 mins | Calories 175 (per serving) 250g (9oz) pre-cooked sweet chilli beetroot 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing 1 onion, peeled, chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 400g (14oz) tinned chickpeas, drained
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
1 large free-range egg
3 Heat the oil in a frying pan and soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and paprika, and cook for another minute.
mixed leaf salad, to serve FOR THE GARLIC TAHINI DRESSING 1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped 100ml (3½fl oz) tahini
6 tbsp buckwheat flour
70ml (2½fl oz) water
a handful of fresh coriander
juice of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh parsley
7.8g Total fat
a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.2g Saturated
0.1g Salt
4.7g Sugar
2 Grate the beetroot into a sieve over a bowl or the sink, and squeeze out any excess liquid.
4 Using a food processor, whizz the beetroot, onion mix, chickpeas, flour, herbs, spices and egg into a smooth paste. Roll into 20 even-sized balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp. Mix the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Serve the falafels with the salad and tahini dressing. They’re also great in a wrap.
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7.3g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 45
Lunch R E C I P E S
Balsamic beetroot & carrot fritters By Olivia Cooney in association with Love Beetroot (www.lovebeetroot.co.uk) GF SF V Makes 6 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 159 (per fritter) GARLIC & MINT YOGHURT
250g (9oz) balsamic infused pre-cooked beetroot, grated
150g (5½oz) natural yoghurt
2 large carrots, peeled, grated
4 fresh mint sprigs, finely chopped
2 large free-range eggs
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g (3½oz) feta 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 4 tbsp buckwheat flour a little mint, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, grated salt
salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp coconut oil
8.1g Total fat
5.6g Saturated
0.5g Salt
46 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
7.7g Sugar
7.9g Protein
1 Place the beetroot and carrot in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze out the liquid. Mix together the beetroot, carrot, eggs, spring onions, feta, flour, mint, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 6 fritters. 2 Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the fritters for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden and crispy. Mix all the yoghurt ingredients together, then serve with the fritters.
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Lunch R E C I P E S
Coat your bites in a mixture of toppings Chocolate beetroot energy bites By Olivia Cooney in association with Love Beetroot (www.lovebeetroot.co.uk) GF SF DF EF V Makes 25 | Prep 15 mins | Cook none | Calories 45 (per bite) COATING OPTIONS
75g (2¾oz) precooked beetroot 100g (3½oz) pitted dates,
mixed seeds, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder
2 tbsp nut butter 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup 75g (2¾oz) glutenfree rolled oats 3 tbsp cocoa or protein powder 1 tsp vanilla extract a pinch of salt
1.6g Total fat
0.7g Saturated
0.05g Salt
48 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
3.7g Sugar
1.1g Protein
1 Grate the beetroot into a sieve and leave for a few minutes to drain. 2 Whizz the dates, nut butter and honey into a smooth paste in a food processor. Add the oats, cocoa or protein powder, vanilla extract and salt and blend until smooth and thick. Shape into teaspoon-sized balls and roll in your desired coating. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
s e g d e w l l a Cut intogsumlate your intake! to re Sundried tomato focaccia By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF DF Serves 6 | Prep 20 mins plus proving | Cook 20-25 mins | Calories 400 (per serving) 225ml (8fl oz) warm water
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
¼ tsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp active dried yeast 2 large free-range eggs 60ml (2fl oz) extravirgin olive oil 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 1 tsp rice vinegar 2 tsp salt
15.3g Total fat
2.5g Saturated
1.2g Salt
360g (12½oz) white gluten-free flour 1½ tsp xanthan gum 75g (3oz) sundried tomatoes 1 tbsp extravirgin olive oil
8g Sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve. 2 Place the warm water in a medium bowl with the sugar and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir gently to dissolve, then let it stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy. 3 In a bowl, mix the eggs, olive oil, honey, dried herbs, rice vinegar, salt, garlic and pepper. Add the yeast and mix until combined. Add the flour and xanthan gum and mix together on low speed, until the
dough is sticky. Turn off the mixer and scrape the dough from the sides. Add the sundried tomatoes and increase the speed to medium for about 3 minutes. Turn off and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes. 4 Put a little olive oil in a 23cm (9in) round cake tin and grease the base and sides. Transfer the dough to the tin and turn it over to coat the other side with oil. Using your hands, gently pat the dough into an even layer in the tin. Pour the olive oil evenly over the top, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.
10.6g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 49
Lunch R E C I P E S
Mozzarella sticks with a tomato & herb dip By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF SF V Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 5-8 mins | Calories 308 (per serving) 400g (114oz) mozzarella cheese
FOR THE DIP
4-6 tbsp glutenfree breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ a red onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 free-range eggs, whisked
2 tbsp passata ½ tsp dried basil ½ dried oregano
50g (2oz) hazelnuts, finely crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 For the dip, mix together all the ingredients until nicely smooth. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. 2 Cut the cheese into strips about 4cm (1¾in) long and 1cm (½in) wide. In a dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt and pepper. 3 Take half of the cheese strips, dip into the egg, coat with the breadcrumb mixture, then place on the baking tray. 4 In another dish, mix together the crushed nuts and parsley. Dip the other half of the cheese strips in the egg, coat with the nut mixture, then place on the baking tray. 5 Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes, taking care they do not overcook. Serve alongside the tomato dip.
19.2g Total fat
5g Saturated
0.5g Salt
50 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
5.5g Sugar
15.2g Protein
Caprese tortilla flatbread By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF SF EF V Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 5 mins | 245 calories (per serving) 4 gluten-free wraps
1 In a large griddle pan, toast each side of the four wraps.
2 tbsp green pesto
2 Top each wrap with the pesto, mozzarella and tomato. Sprinkle over some torn basil leaves, then drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic.
2 balls of mozzarella, sliced 2 beef tomatoes, sliced a handful of fresh basil leaves
3 Cut into thick slices or wedges and serve.
a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
19.2g Total fat
5g Saturated
0.5g Salt
5.5g Sugar
15.2g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 51
Cambodia
Where wheat doesn’t grow and cows don’t make milk Ambra Torelli travels the globe and discovers that, in some cuisines, being intolerant is just not an issue...
52 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
A
S WE STOP ON THE SIDE OF the road to buy a fresh young coconut from a colourful fruit stand, a darling little girl (she must be five or six) comes up to me. She hands me a bag of homemade cookies and asks me where I’m from. We are in the middle of the Cambodian jungle, and I am impressed she can speak English so well. “Eeet-a-ly, – she mumbles – is that where London is?” Her eyes shine with lively curiosity, making up for the dullness of her creased sleeveless dress. She lives in a stilt house, with no electricity and a post-WWII TV activated by a battery, but she’s already eager to discover the world outside of Asia, and in a second language too! I buy her baked treats, thin crispy florentines scattered with sesame seeds and, while sitting on my knees right next to her, I list the main cities of Italy on the tip of my fingers.
Allergen-free
She listens carefully, and as I give her a hug before getting back in my car, she starts counting cheerfully on her little hand: “Rome, Venice, London, Milan!” I wave from the window. “You know you are totally fine eating those cookies, right?” Pisith Theam, the Executive Chef of the Park Hyatt in Siem Reap, revives in me that approach to eating that’s usually lost for all those dealing with food allergies. “People in the villages have no access to wheat or dairy – all they have here is rice, coconut and palm sugar. Remember what I told you?” Little did I know about Cambodia (and Cambodian food) before I got there to visit Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world. But during my very first breakfast in Siem Reap, Chef Pisith, who was already aware of my food restrictions, surprised me with a feast of local gluten and dairy-free rice
desserts, and I pleasantly discovered that traditional Khmer food is naturally free-from two of the most common allergens, gluten and dairy. I grabbed a couple of akors (spongy steamed rice balls) and, while dunking them in a pandan leaf and coconut milk dipping sauce, I chatted with the chef. “It’s really easy for Cambodian food to be gluten and dairyfree as here we don’t grow any wheat and mostly, when we talk about flour, we refer to rice flour,” he says. Also, as one might expect in a tropical country scattered with palm trees, coconut milk here is a staple. “Our cows are too skinny to produce milk. They are mainly used to work in the rice fields and the only dairy you can find in Cambodia is imported from other countries. You’ll never find butter, milk or cheese in a traditional Khmer recipe, as those ingredients are simply not our staples.”
School day
I am fascinated by learning about how the different climate and local traditions can affect the entire culinary fashion of a country. “All of the families in our villages make their own coconut milk just by grating and straining coconut pulp. And many of them make their own palm fruit sugar too, simply by boiling the sap they collect from the palm fruit trees in their backyard.” As a result, most of the Cambodian baked goods are absolutely fine for those with gluten and dairy issues, like their ‘ginger cookies’, the ‘akors’, the ‘num poum’ (typical rice and coconut waffles that are sold in every school), or their ‘root puddings’ made with taro, cassava, pumpkin or banana. In the past few days, I already had a chance to try them all. And now, as we are driving
towards one of the villages around Siem Reap to visit a family that hand-make rice noodles, I even get to taste the homemade ‘Num Tong Morn’ that the little girl gave me, a delicious crunchy treat made of rice, eggs, coconut and sesame.
Sticking to tradition
A few cookies later, we arrive at our destination: a muddy backyard, with plucked chickens running around and three generation of women tirelessly turning ears of rice into noodles, through a process that probably hasn’t changed in the last 200 years. Forget about the fancy prices of our store-bought gluten-free pasta. All these seven women make from selling their daily production of naturally gluten-free noodles (30kg) is $12.50. After 9 hours of grinding and pounding fermented rice, they shape their freshly-made noodles into a beautiful, flower-like spiral, place it in a large basket and deliver it to their nearby food stands, where they serve Nom Ban Chok to half of the village.
Food journey
This typical Cambodian breakfast consists of a delectable curry noodle soup topped with shredded banana leaf, beansprouts, diced cucumber, long beans, holy basil and lemongrass, and Chef Pisith shared his authentic recipe with me, together with that for his green mango salad and the sweet Akor, (see the following pages). Rather than establishing a polished cooking class at the Park Hyatt, Chef Pisith wanted to organise an authentic food journey in the villages, not only to show the staples on which
the locals thrive, but also to raise awareness on the conditions in which Cambodian families live, showing all the efforts they make to produce local ingredients that often keep kids away from school, especially girls, as boys are believed to have ‘more chances’ to find a better job. I am blown away when I am told that it costs 20 cents an hour in Cambodia to learn maths and English with a private teacher. Simply by buying some of their gluten-free noodles for the price we are used to paying in the Western world would allow these girls to get an education and break free from the rice mill. I stock up on local products that most likely won’t fit in my luggage, but buying gluten-free has never felt so good.
Internships
LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN TO UNDERPRIVILEGED THROUGH THE POWER OF FOOD Aiming to give Cambodian kids the possibility to build a better future for themselves, the Park Hyatt Siem Reap Hotel is training future hospitality leaders as a contribution to the program – Everything’s Gonna Be OK (EGBOK) www.egbokmission.org. To date, the hotel has trained and hired 10 students in full-time roles, giving fulfilling career opportunities to the next generation. The hotel’s internship program also supports at least 10 locals annually, who learn about the hospitality industry by working in the Food & Beverage and Housekeeping departments and then go on to work in full-time roles in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and other cities in Cambodia. “EGBOK identifies and trains underprivileged young adults, enabling them to become self-supporting,” says Sigrid Baldinger, Executive Director. “Our partnership with Park Hyatt gives these individuals life-changing opportunities, which impacts not only them, but their families and their communities.”
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 53
Akor rice dessert By Ambra Torelli (www.littlebitesofbeauty.com) GF SF DF EF V Makes 30 | Prep 10 mins plus rising | Cook 30 mins | Calories 113 (per akor) FOR THE AKORS 250g (9oz) fine rice flour
FOR THE PANDAN DIPPING SAUCE 300g (10½oz) fresh Pandan Leaves or 5g matcha green tea powder
5g yeast powder 400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk 150g (5½oz) brown palm sugar 150g (5½oz) palm fruit juice (swap with blended apricot)
300ml (10½fl oz) coconut milk 50g (1¾oz) palm sugar or coconut sugar a pinch of salt
a pinch of salt
5.8g Total fat
5g Saturated
0.05g Salt
54 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
6.2g Sugar
2.5g Protein
1 For the akor, mix together the fine rice flour, yeast, coconut milk and palm fruit juice/blended apricot. Allow to rise for 35 minutes, then add the sugar and salt. 2 Pour the dough mixture into individual mini muffin moulds (or espresso cups) and steam for 30 minutes in a regular steamer. 3 For the pandan dipping sauce, blend the coconut milk and pandan leaves/matcha tea powder until completely smooth. Strain, add the sugar and salt, bring to a boil, then allow to cool. If you are using matcha, you don’t need to strain.
Cambodian green mango salad By Ambra Torelli (www.littlebitesofbeauty.com) GF DF EF Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 395 (per serving) FOR THE GREEN MANGO SALAD
FOR THE KHMER DRESSING
1 Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then grill until cooked. Slice the fish.
160g (5¾oz) grilled white fish fillet of choice
50g (1¾oz) palm sugar
2 Clean, peel and julienne the carrot and mango. Thinly cut the basil.
a pinch of salt
20ml (¾fl oz) glutenfree fish sauce
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice
160g (5¾oz) green mango, julienned
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
40ml (1½fl oz) water
60g (2oz) carrot, peeled, julienned
3 Prepare the Khmer dressing by bringing the palm sugar and water to a boil. Take off the stove and mix with fish sauce, salt, pepper and lime juice. 4 To assemble the salad, combine the fish, mango and carrot in bowl. Toss it well with the seasoning, dressing, herbs and roasted peanuts. 5 Serve in a bowl and enjoy!
20g (¾oz) crushed roasted peanuts 80ml (2¾fl oz) Khmer dressing (see below) 10g (¼oz) basil
6g Total fat
0.9g Saturated
2g Salt
63g Sugar
18.8g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 55
Khmer fish curry noodle soup By Ambra Torelli (www.littlebitesofbeauty.com) GF DF EF Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 50 mins | Calories 513 (per serving) FOR THE FISH GREEN CURRY BROTH
TO GARNISH
1 Clean and cut the vegetables, herbs and flowers.
a few green beans
2 Boil the fish in water with the lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots and kaffir lime leaves for 30 minutes.
100g (3½oz) sea bass fillet
a few bean sprouts
10g (¼oz) lemongrass
a few slithers of cucumber
½ tsp galangal
a few basil leaves
1 tsp garlic, peeled
watercress
1 tsp shallots
parsley
a few kaffir lime leaves
edible flowers
10g (¼oz) turmeric 20ml (¾fl oz) gluten-free fish sauce
red chilli, sliced, to garnish and to serve
10g (¼oz) palm sugar
lime, sliced
100ml (3½fl oz) glutenfree fish stock 130g (4½oz) rice vermicelli
11.9g Saturated
1.3g Salt
56 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
10.9g Sugar
4 Add this mixture to the stock you set aside and bring it to a boil. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, fish stock and coconut milk and boil for 20 more minutes. 5 Boil water in a small pot, add the noodles and cook for about 5 minutes. When ready, place them in a bowl. 6 Pour the fish green curry onto the noodle bowl and top it with the vegetables, fresh herbs and flowers. 7 Serve with red chilli and lime.
100ml (3½fl oz) coconut milk
18.5g Total fat
3 Separate the fish from the stock left after cooking. Blend the lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots and Kaffir lime leaves with the turmeric, then add the cooked fish and blend again.
22.7g Protein
Midweek
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GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 57
Midweek R E C I P E S
Spiced lamb skewers with blackberry quinoa salad By British Summer Fruits (www.britishsummerfruits.co.uk) GF DF SF EF Serves 4 | Prep 25 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 637 (per serving) FOR THE LAMB SKEWERS
FOR THE QUINOA SALAD
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
750ml (1Âźpts) vegetable stock
1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed 1 tsp peppercorns, roughly crushed, plus a little extra
200g (7oz) mixed red and white quinoa with amaranth, or bulgur wheat if not intolerant to gluten
juice of 1 lemon
1 red onion, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
2 tsp runny honey
200g (7oz) blackberries 100g (4oz) sun-blushed tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tbsp olive oil a few salt flakes
a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
700g (1lb 9oz) lean lamb leg steaks, cubed
a small handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
125g (4½oz) fine asparagus
salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 lemons, halved, for serving
23.6g Total fat
6.1g Saturated
0.5g Salt
58 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
8.2g Sugar
59g Protein
1 Place the garlic, crushed cumin and peppercorns in a shallow dish. Add the lemon juice, honey, 1 tbsp oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and fork together to mix. Add the cubed lamb and toss in the garlic mixture, then thread onto eight small metal skewers. Toss the asparagus with the remaining oil and a little extra salt and pepper. 2 For the quinoa salad, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa mix and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the grains are just beginning to separate. 3 Pour off any excess stock, leaving just enough in the pan to keep the quinoa moist.Tip into a bowl, then add the remaining salad ingredients and toss together with two spoons. 4 Preheat a griddle pan or barbecue and cook the lamb skewers for 10-12 minutes, turning several times until browned. Take out of the pan, add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender. 5 Add the asparagus to the salad, then serve with the lamb skewers. Squeeze over lemon juice to taste.
Griddled halloumi & Pink Lady apple wedges By Pink Lady (www.pinkladyapples.co.uk) GF EF V Serves 8 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 404 (per serving) FOR THE DRESSING
FOR THE HALLOUMI
juice of ½ a lemon
3x 250g (9oz) blocks of halloumi, drained
½ tsp Dijon mustard a pinch of salt freshly ground black pepper a pinch of sugar 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper 1½ Pink Lady apples 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
50g (1¾oz) anchovy fillets, finely chopped plus the oil
1 Put the lemon juice in a bowl and mix in the mustard, salt, pepper and sugar. Whisk in the oil a little at a time followed by 1 tsp water. Mix in the anchovies, capers and herbs, then set aside. 2 Cut each halloumi into 8 slices and lay on an oiled tray. Scatter both sides with black pepper. Cut each apple quarter into 4 wedges and toss with the oil. 3 Heat the oven to warm/10w heat. Heat a ridged grill pan over a barbecue rack. Lay the apple wedges on the rack, then flip them over after 1 minute. Put them back into the oil and place in the oven to keep warm. Cook the halloumi in the same way on both sides. As each batch is cooked put back on the tray and place in the oven. 4 Spoon the dressing over the halloumi and apples, then sprinkle over the herbs.
3 tbsp small capers, drained 1 tbsp mint, chopped 2 tbsp parsley, chopped, plus small whole leaves, to serve
29.2g Total fat
13.1g Saturated
1.3g Salt
16.1g Sugar
15.6g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 59
Midweek R E C I P E S
Quinoa & kale patties By Miss Physique Geek (www.missphysiquegeek.com) GF SF V Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 40 mins | Calories 291 (per patty) 140g (5oz) quinoa 500g (18fl oz) hot gluten-free vegetable stock 100g (3½oz) kale, stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped 1 tbsp olive oil ½ an onion, peeled, chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed 75g (2¾oz) fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs 1 free-range egg, beaten 50g (1¾oz) sundried tomatoes, chopped 100g (3½oz) goat’s or feta cheese green salad, to serve
1 Put the quinoa in a saucepan and pour over the hot stock. Simmer for 18-20 minutes until the grains have fluffed up and the liquid has disappeared. Remove from the heat and cool. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the kale and simmer for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Drain, squeeze out any excess water and set aside. 2 Put the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Tip the quinoa into a bowl and add the kale, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg and tomatoes. Season well and mix to combine. Set aside. 3 Using your hands, form the quinoa mixture into 8 round patties. Place on the barbecue and cook for 4-5 minutes each side until crisp and golden. 4 Put a slice of goat’s or feta cheese on top of each patty and melt the cheese slightly. Serve warm with the green salad.
60 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
The ultimate homemade falafel pittas By Mob Kitchen (www.facebook.com/mobkitchen) GF DF EF V Makes 4 | Prep 30 mins plus soaking and chilling | Cook 20-30 mins | Calories 758 (per serving) FOR THE FALAFEL 500g (1lb 1oz) dried chickpeas a bunch of fresh parsley a bunch of fresh coriander
FOR THE SALAD 4 tomatoes
1 Pour the dried chickpeas into a bowl, cover with warm water and soak overnight. Drain.
1 cucumber
2 Preheat oven to 180°C.
a handful of mint, chopped
3 Add all the falafel ingredients to a blender and pulse 3-4 times for 5 seconds.You want the mixture to be rough rather than smooth, so don't overdo it. Check the mixture can stick in a ball – if it is too loose, just add a little more flour.
To assemble
2 tsp cumin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
a handful of parsley, chopped
1 brown onion, peeled, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp plain glutenfree flour
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pot of hummus
4 gluten-free pittas pickled green chillies
4 Make little discs with the mixture, about 4cm (1½in) wide and 3cm (1¼in) deep. Line the discs on a sheet of baking paper, then chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. The mixture should make about 20 discs. 5 For the salad, finely chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl. Peel the cucumber and chop into chunks, then add to the bowl. Add the mint, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil and mix everything together. Set aside. 6 To cook the falafels there are two options – baked or fried. The baked have less crunch but are more healthy. For the baked version, line a baking tray with baking paper and place the falafel on the paper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil on one side, then turn over and drizzle more on the other side. Pat in the oil with your fingers, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the falafel after 20 minutes. 7 For the fried option, pour sunflower oil 1.5cm (¾in) deep into a frying pan. Heat the oil. Place the falafels in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until each side is brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and place on kitchen paper to pat off the oil. 8 Warm the pittas and layer one side with a generous helping of hummus. Spoon in some salad. Then break the falafels into the pittas. Lay some green chillies on top, then spoon over a final layer of hummus.
16.1g Total fat
2g Saturated
0.4g Salt
17g Sugar
35.2g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 61
Midweek R E C I P E S
Herby rack of lamb & blackberry salad By British Summer Fruits (www.britishsummerfruits.co.uk) GF DF EF Serves 4 | Prep 25 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 764 (per serving) 1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil
2 x 300g (10oz) French trimmed racks of lamb
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g (5oz) blackberries
40g (1½oz) dairy-free spread 50g (2oz) rocket leaves
2 tsp runny honey 15g (½oz) fresh dill, chopped 25g (1oz) fresh parsley, chopped
FOR THE BLACKBERRY GRAVY 150g (5oz) blackberries
25g (1oz) fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp blackberry or red wine vinegar
FOR THE SALAD
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
500g (1lb 2oz) small fingering potatoes, scrubbed, halved or thickly sliced depending on size 150g (5oz) frozen peas, or shelled weight of fresh peas
2 tsp runny honey 250ml (8fl oz) glutenfree lamb stock
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a frying pan, season the fat on the lamb with salt and pepper then fry, fat side down in the pan for 4-5 minutes until golden. 2 Add the lamb and pan juices to a roasting tin and spread the fat with the honey. Roast for 15 minutes. Mix the herbs together, then spoon 2 tablespoons into a bowl for the sauce. Sprinkle half the remaining herbs over the lamb and keep the rest for the salad. Roast the lamb for 5 more minutes. 3 Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes until just tender, adding the peas for the last 5 minutes. 4 Transfer the lamb to a serving plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. To make the gravy, add the blackberries, vinegar, mustard, honey and stock to the roasting tin. Bring to the boil, scraping up the pan juices and mashing some of the blackberries to release their juice. Boil for 2 minutes, then add the reserved 2 tbsp chopped herbs and a little extra salt and pepper to taste. . 5 Drain the potatoes and peas, dry the pan and heat the oil, then gently fry the fennel for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Add the spread, the cooked potatoes and peas, and toss together. Add the blackberries and rocket with extra salt and pepper and toss together. 6 Spoon the salad into a serving bowl. Reheat the gravy if needed and pour into a jug. Transfer the lamb to a chopping board and cut into cutlets, then serve with the salad and gravy.
26.2g Total fat
6.6g Saturated
2g Salt
62 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
13g Sugar
75g Protein
K ING TIP CO O
WELL DONE? ROAST THE LAMB FOR 5-10 MORE MINUTES, THEN ADD THE HERBS
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 63
Midweek R E C I P E S
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Vegan cauliflower, chickpea & coconut milk curry By Mob Kitchen (www.facebook.com/mobkitchen) GF DF EF V Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 40 mins | Calories 863 (per serving) 2 brown onions, peeled, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped a large chunk of ginger, grated 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp ground coriander seeds 2½ tsp garam masala 1 cauliflower, broken into florets 4 tomatoes salt and freshly ground black pepper 600g (1lb 1oz) tinned chickpeas, drained weight 400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk 1 red chilli, grated a bunch of coriander juice of 1 lime 1 lime, quartered
34.2g Total fat
22g Saturated
0.4g Salt
64 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
24g Sugar
35g Protein
1 Soften the onions, garlic and ginger in a pan over a medium heat. 2 Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander seeds and garam masala. Mix it all in. 3 Add the cauliflower to the pan and coat in the spices. Add a bit of water from the chickpea tin to loosen the curry. 4 Finely chop the tomatoes and add to the pan. Season everything with salt and pepper, then add the chickpeas. Add the coconut milk and mix everything together, then add the red chilli. 5 Allow the curry to putter away on a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened. 6 Add a large handful of chopped coriander at the end, then squeeze over the juice of a lime. Garnish with lime segments.
Crab, chilli & rocket pasta By Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne (www.geniusglutenfree.com) GF SF DF EF Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 513 (per serving)
1 Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per the pack instructions or until tender. Drain, then stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and cover while you prepare the crab sauce.
400g (14oz) dried gluten-free fusilli or penne pasta 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped 250g (9oz) cooked white crab meat grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 large handfuls of rocket leaves a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 lemon wedges, to garnish
21.1g Total fat
3.1g Saturated
0.4g Salt
0.7g Sugar
2 Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and gently fry for 30 seconds, then stir in the crab meat, lemon zest and juice and rocket. Season with salt and pepper and gently heat through for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe taken from The Genius GlutenFree Cookbook by Lucinda BruceGardyne
3 Pour the sauce into the pasta and stir well. Serve immediately with more olive oil for drizzling and lemon wedges to garnish.
24.6g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 65
Midweek R E C I P E S
66 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Thai larb By Thai Taste (www.thaitaste.co.uk) GF DF EF Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 25 mins | Calories 256 (per serving)
25g (1oz) uncooked sticky rice 500g (1lb 1oz) lean pork mince 3 shallots, peeled, sliced 1½ tbsp fish sauce 2 tsp chilli paste 1 tsp palm sugar juice of 2 limes 6 spring onions, sliced a few mint leaves, Thai basil and coriander leaves sticky rice or crisp lettuce leaves, to serve
1 Place the uncooked rice grains into a small pan and cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often until golden brown and toasted. 2 Meanwhile, dry fry the mince and shallots in a deep frying pan for 15 minutes, until the meat is browned all over and beginning to turn golden and caramelised. Add 4 tbsp water, the fish sauce, chilli paste and palm sugar and stir well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. 3 Meanwhile, crush the toasted rice in a pestle and mortar to make a coarse powder. Add to the mince with the lime juice and spring onions. 4 Serve topped with mint, Thai basil and coriander and serve either in lettuce leaves or with sticky rice.
11.3g Total fat
4.4g Saturated
1g Salt
3.3g Sugar
26g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 67
Midweek R E C I P E S
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doub r o r e a starntportion! s a s u Delicioup for a mai
Crispy squid with Thai sweet & sour salad By Thai Taste (www.thaitaste.co.uk) GF DF EF Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 302 (per serving) 1 carrot, peeled ½ a red onion, peeled 50ml (1¾fl oz) rice vinegar 1 tbsp palm sugar 50ml (1¾fl oz) sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce juice of ½ a lime 2 tbsp gluten-free flour salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g (14oz) squid rings vegetable oil 10g (¼oz) fresh basil 10g (¼oz) coriander leaves 10g (¼oz) mint leaves
14g Total fat
2.8g Saturated
0.6g Salt
68 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
5.4g Sugar
17.4g Protein
1 Cut the carrot and onion into wafer thin slices and place in a bowl. 2 In a small pan, boil the rice vinegar with 50ml (1¾fl oz) water and the palm sugar for 1 minute, then pour over the onions and carrots and leave for 30 minutes. 3 Mix the sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and lime juice together and set aside. 4 Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a plate and toss the squid rings in it. 5 Fill a deep-sided frying pan with oil about 2cm (¾in) deep and heat until a piece of squid sizzles immediately. Add half the squid and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and fry the remaining squid. 6 Pick the leaves from the stalks of the herbs. Drain the carrots and red onion and toss with the herbs. Arrange on four plates, top with the squid and drizzle with the sweet and sour sauce.
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Midweek R E C I P E S
Chicken jalfrezi By Paleo Britain (www.paleo-britain.co.uk) GF SF DF EF Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 50-60 mins | Calories 511 (per serving) 2 tbsp coconut oil 3 large onions, peeled, finely chopped 1 tsp salt 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed 750g (1lb 10oz) boneless chicken thighs, halved 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1 tsp hot chilli powder 400g (14oz) tinned chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds 10cm (4in) piece of fresh root ginger, grated fresh coriander, chopped freshly ground black pepper 1 green capsicum, finely sliced broccoli or cauliflower rice, to serve
14.8g
8.1g
1g
9.1g
59g
Total fat
Saturated
Salt
Sugar
Protein
70 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
1 Heat half of the coconut oil in a heavy pan or wok to a medium heat. Add the onions and salt and allow to gently cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be deeply coloured and almost paste-like. 2 Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. 3 Add the chicken, followed by the turmeric and chilli powder. Being careful to control the pan heat, fry gently to cook out the spices, turning the chicken frequently and scraping any residue from the bottom of the pan. 4 Add the tomatoes, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to allow the excess liquid to evaporate. 5 Add the cumin, coriander seeds, ginger, fresh coriander and a few turns of black pepper. Simmer for a further 5-7 minutes. 6 Before serving, fry the sliced green pepper in the remaining coconut oil in a hot pan until coloured and softened. Add to the jalfrezi and season to taste. Serve with broccoli or cauliflower rice.
Gorgonzola, mushroom & crème fraîche potato skins By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF SF EF Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr 15 mins | Calories 345 (per serving) 6 small potatoes, washed olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper 75g (3oz) chestnut mushrooms, washed, sliced and fried until soft 4 tbsp crème fraîche 2 tbsp chives, chopped, plus extra to serve 150g (6oz) Gorgonzola, crumbled 50g (2oz) hazelnuts, roughly chopped 2 tbsp rocket, chopped, to serve
26g Total fat
10.7g Saturated
0.7g Salt
1.9g Sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prick the potatoes, then toss them with the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour until cooked through. Leave to cool slightly. 2 Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a 5mm (¼in) rim. 3 Mash the potato in a bowl with 1 tbsp crème fraîche. Add the remaining ingredients and mix carefully so you don’t overmix. 4 Fill each potato skin with a spoonful of the Gorgonzola mash. Bake in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve with rocket.
12.3g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 71
Midweek R E C I P E S
Creamy caulimash By Donna Crous (www.eighty20nutrition.com) GF EF V Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 20-25 mins | Calories 250 (per serving) 1½-2 kg (3lb 3oz-4lb 4oz) fresh cauliflower
1 Chop the cauliflower, removing the thick core, then transfer to a large pot.
water
2 Add enough water to cover the top of the cauliflower and bring to the boil on the stove.
80g (2žoz) grass-fed butter, coconut oil or ghee 2 tsp sea salt rosemary, to garnish
16.7g
10.3g
Total fat
Saturated
1.5g Salt
72 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
10.2g Sugar
8.6g Protein
3 Boil for about 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is a baby-food-like consistency, then strain off the water. 4 Add the butter and sea salt and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more salt if needed.
Deep-fried squid & sweet potato fries By Anisha Mistry (www.anishamistry.co.uk) GF SF DF EF Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 623 (per serving) FOR THE FRIES
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
1 large sweet potato, cut into thick straight cut fries
2 Place the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and season with sea salt, paprika, pepper and garlic salt. Toss to coat and spread out in a single layer on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.
30ml (1fl oz) chilli olive oil ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp garlic salt FOR THE SQUID
3 Hold the top of the squid with one hand and hold the tentacles with the other and gently pull out the head, intestines, ink sac and clear skeleton; discard the innards.
500g (1lb 1oz) baby calamari/squid mild olive oil, for deep frying cornflour, for dredging sea salt
4 Remove the transparent quill and run your finger through the tube and remove any excess gelatinous liquid.
dill for seasoning lemon wedges, to serve
5 Grasp the thin, purplish membrane on the outside of the tube and carefully peel back towards the tip of the tube.
32.9g Total fat
5.1g Saturated
1.3g Salt
6.1g
43g
Sugar
Protein
6 Rinse the tubes and tentacles in warm water and set aside in a colander before cooking. (Slice the tubes and tentacles, if desired).
7 Reduce the oven temperature to 100°C. 8 Heat the olive oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan. 9 In a large bowl, season the flour with the sea salt and dill and mix until combined. 10 Once the olive oil is hot, working in small batches, flour about a quarter of the calamari at a time, shaking off any excess flour. Gently lower the calamari into the olive oil with a slotted spoon or tongs. Fry for 1-2 minutes depending on thickness until golden and crispy. Repeat with the next batch of squid. 11 Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Transfer to an oven dish and place in the oven to keep warm until all the calamari has been fried. 12 Serve hot with sweet potato fries and lemon wedges on the side.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 73
Midweek R E C I P E S
Rice noodles with seafood & pickled cucumber By Anisha Mistry (www.anishamistry.co.uk) GF DF EF Serves 2-3 | Prep 15 mins plus marinating | Cook 15 mins | Calories 534 (per serving) 400g (14oz) uncooked prawns, heads removed, tails left intact, deveined 1 tbsp basil oil mixed with 1 tbsp water 200g (7oz) clams, soaked, cleaned 150g (5½oz) vermicelli rice noodles 1 long red chilli, sliced fresh basil, to garnish FOR THE MARINADE 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp mirin ½ tsp gluten-free fish sauce 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp finely grated ginger 1 tbsp Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino spice mix, or other spicy mix FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER ½ a cucumber, finely grated ¼ tsp sea salt 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar ½ tbsp caster sugar ½ tsp gluten-free soy sauce
7.3g Total fat
1.4g Saturated
1.8g Salt
74 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
7.7g
41g
Sugar
Protein
1 Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a large dish and add the prawns. Cover with clingfilm and marinate in the fridge for about an hour. 2 Meanwhile, prepare the pickled cucumber (see below). 3 Remove the prawns from the fridge. Heat a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, then carefully add the basil oil and water. As it begins to vigorously sputter, add the clams, cover and steam until the clams start to open. Add the prawns and the marinade and cook for about 3 minutes until the sauce has reduced by a third. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. 4 Cook the rice noodles in a saucepan of simmering water as per the packet instructions, then drain and rinse under cold running water. 5 Place the noodles, prawns, clams, pickled cucumber and fresh chilli in a bowl and toss gently to combine.Turn out onto serving dishes and sprinkle with freshly torn basil leaves. FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER 1 Place the cucumber in a bowl and stir in the sea salt. Set aside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the water and squeeze out the excess liquid from the cucumber. 2 In a small bowl, mix together the rice wine vinegar, sugar and soy sauce, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the mixture to the cucumber, mix well and set aside.
Panzanella By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF DF EF V Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins plus marinating | Cook 10 mins |Calories 591 (per serving) 1 gluten-free ciabatta loaf or 4 individual glutenfree ciabatta rolls, torn into bite-sized chunks 460g (1lb) sweet vine ripened tomatoes, halved 230g (8oz) orange cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 small red onion, peeled, thinly sliced 3 tbsp capers, drained 2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves FOR THE DRESSING 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 130°C. Put the ciabatta pieces on a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes to dry out. Allow to cool. 2 Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and thyme. Season to taste. 3 Toss the tomatoes, onion, capers, basil and ciabatta in a serving dish. Drizzle over the dressing and toss again until evenly mixed through. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to infuse and the ciabatta to soak up the dressing.
1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed a handful of fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
20.1g Total fat
3.4g Saturated
1.6g Salt
12.7g Sugar
14.8g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 75
Midweek R E C I P E S
King prawn & broad bean curry By Anisha Mistry (www.anishamistry.co.uk) GF SF DF EF Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 938 (per serving) 400g (14oz) king prawns, heads removed, shelled, deveined
50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 bay leaves
100g (3½oz) broad beans
3 cardamom pods
2 tbsp almond oil
1 cinnamon stick
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves
1½ tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ a red onion, peeled, finely diced
300ml (10fl oz) coconut water
2.5cm (1in) piece of ginger, grated
a small handful of fresh dill or coriander, roughly torn
1 tsp red chilli powder
rice, to serve
52g Total fat
20.9g Saturated
1.4g Salt
76 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
8.7g Sugar
65g Protein
1 Heat the coconut oil over a medium heat in a large heavybased frying pan. 2 Once hot, add the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. After about 1 minute, add the onion. 3 Slowly fry the onion for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4 Once the onion is softened and lightly brown, add the ginger, red chilli powder, ground almonds, coconut water and sea salt. Slowly bring to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the broad beans, almond oil and prawns, then simmer for 5 minutes until the prawns are just cooked through and the sauce has thickened. 5 Finish with the zest and juice of the lemon and a little fresh dill. Spoon into bowls and serve with rice.
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Heat in the kitchen with CAPSICUMS CHILLIES
&
Found in curries, stews, salads and even in some puddings, capsicums and chillies seem to have more than just a volcanic blast of heat to offer us...
B
OTH CAPSICUMS AND CHILLIES are loaded with good stuff. In fact, red capsicums were recently ranked the most antioxidant rich of the 10 most commonly consumed veg in the Western diet – beating other nutritional heavyweights such as broccoli and spinach. A single 80g (3oz) serving of capsicums is packed with more than twice the amount of vitamin C you need a day, plus a good helping of fibre, vitamin A and carotenoids. Add to this the growing stack of evidence behind the biological effects of the spicy chemical called capsaicin in chillies and you have a pretty potent nutritional cocktail on your hands.
MANAGEMENT
A growing range of studies is beginning to point to the idea that eating chillies may not only be an effective way to control appetite, but also boost the number of calories you burn, while slowing the impact of carbs on your blood sugar. Too good to be true? Well, let’s take a look at the evidence we have so far. One small study published in the International Journal of Obesity decided to put the theory to the test
by giving people just under 1g of dried chilli (about ½ tsp) half an hour before presenting them with giant, all-youcan-eat buffets at both lunch and dinner. Compared to those consuming a placebo, the chilli group slashed their total calorie consumption by about 15 per cent, while simultaneously reporting greater feelings of fullness. This sort of reduction is the equivalent to cutting out an impressive 240 calories per day – about the amount found in a chocolate bar – all without going hungry! This trial echoed the findings of a series of Japanese studies, which found that chilli consumption not only reduces appetite, but also significantly increases the rate our bodies burn calories by raising our body temperature, especially after high-fat meals. Add this to the two small trials in Australia and South Africa that found supplementing chilli to a meal reduced the impact of that meal on blood sugar and I for one will be reaching for the hot sauce. Is eating chillies the magic bullet to weight loss? Of course not. Could it be a tasty, nutritious way to potentially help manage weight in the context of a healthy diet? It seems it just might be!
As with pretty much all fruit and veg, the evidence shows that the brighter their colour, the more photonutrients capsicums contain... 78 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Dried chilli flakes have the capsaicin trapped within their fibrous structures, meaning it can take a while for these to leach out and become detectable on your tongue... REACH FOR THE RED
As with pretty much all fruit and veg, the evidence shows that the brighter their colour, the more phytonutrients capsicums contain. This means that ripe red capsicums can boast as much as five times the polyphenols and carotenes of the immature green kind, with the fruit also accumulating tasty sugars and aroma compounds as they redden. What a deal. What about yellow and orange ones? These are just cultivars that naturally accumulate fewer carotene pigments, meaning they never turn quite as red (or nutrient dense) as the others.
ROAST BEETS RAW
Good news! As with other crops rich in carotenes (think tomatoes and carrots), most studies suggest that cooking improves the polyphenol content of capsicums by as much as twice their raw content. And the food science geeks have gone one step further, investigating the impact of different cooking techniques on the nutritional content of chillies and capsicums, from boiling (who on earth boils capsicums?), to steaming, grilling, roasting, stir-frying and microwaving. As usual, dry-heat cooking methods retain most nutrients by not only preventing the leaching of nutrients into cooking water, but also concentrating levels of the good stuff in the veg as it cooks down. When you concentrate phytonutrients, you conveniently also concentrate sugars, acids and aroma compounds, making for tastier results, so go for baked, roasted and grilled every time.
DON’T BIN THE WHITE STUFF
You know that white spongy tissue on the inside of chillies and capsicums? The stuff around the seeds that’s a fiddle to remove? Well don’t! Not only will you instantly dispense with a chore, but you just might get more nutrition as a result. In one Mexican study, scientists found that this white stuff in capsicums, which us plant geeks call the ‘placenta’, contains the highest concentrations of antioxidants and polyphenols – as much as four times that of the flesh itself. I love when being lazy pays off.
BE A JAR HEAD
There are a few great brands of jarred roasted capsicums out there that contain nothing other than capsicums, a little salt and a dose of antioxidants as a natural preservative, meaning you get super-convenient nutrition at the twist of a lid. These can seem pricey when compared to other jarred veg, however, and because I am a terrible cheapskate, I carried out a price comparison. I bought and roasted a whole bunch of fresh supermarket ‘value’ red capsicums and compared the results weight-for-weight with the contents of a jar. And guess what? Even the fanciest jars of smoky Spanish capsicums are half the price of roasting your own and – if you get a good brand – have a flavour that’s surprisingly just as good. Go for the brightest red ones you can find.
HANDLING THE HEAT
Interested in the benefits of chillies, but don’t like your food volcano-strength? Fortunately, there are things you can do about this. A fat-loving protein in milk called casein works essentially like detergent to stop the capsaicin binding with the pain receptors on your tongue – thereby reducing their burn. What has even more casein than milk? Well, cheese, which in many ways is essentially milk with some of the water removed. Paired with some cooling cottage cheese or even Greek yoghurt, even the super-strength chillies can taste surprisingly mild. Dried chilli flakes have the capsaicin trapped within their fibrous structures, meaning it can take a while for these to leach out and become detectable on your tongue. I have found you can sprinkle on a surprising amount of these at the table without noticing a huge difference, yet take an identical quantity and add it to the same dish as it simmers on the stove and it’ll blow your head off. The moral of the story? Sprinkle, don’t simmer. Finally, it is worth noting that scientific trials have demonstrated that tolerance to capsaicin can be acquired extremely rapidly. In as little as 5 days, what was once an excruciating burn can be barely noticeable with a daily exposure. So try upping your dose a little each day and see how you go.
The extract and recipes on pages 80-82 are taken from How to Eat Better by James Wong, published by Mitchell Beazley.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 79
Spicy frittata muffins By James Wong GF SF Makes 12 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 120 (per muffin) olive oil, for greasing 6 free-range eggs, beaten 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt 1 tsp mixed spice 6 tbsp polenta or cornmeal 4 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling 1 tsp red chilli flakes 50g (1¾oz) carrot, grated
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease the holes of a 12hole muffin tray with oil, or line with paper cases. 2 Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season generously with salt and pepper and mix together until combined. 3 Pour the mixture into the muffin holes, then sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tray immediately to prevent them from going soggy and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 4 Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with extra Parmesan, sliced chillies and dill.
100g (3½oz) frozen sweetcorn 3 spring onions, cut into small rounds
WEAPONS-GRADE SPICE
100g (3½oz) zucchini, cut into small cubes
Chillies evolved the ability to produce spicy capsaicin as a defence against mammals to deter them from coming along and scoffing the fruit and destroying the plant’s all-important seeds as they pass through their digestive tracts.
150g (5½oz) sweet potato, grated 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder salt and freshly ground black pepper TO GARNISH 1 red chilli, thinly sliced 1 tsp chopped dill
So why do the plants spend all that energy making a fleshy, eye-catching, otherwise tasty fruit? Well, the answer is that in the wild, chillies use birds to disperse their seeds. Avian digestive tracts are harmless to chilli seeds, allowing them to pass through unscathed and spread far and wide. You see, capsaicin does not affect birds at all, it’s a selective deterrent that puts off foes, but is undetectable to friends. Plants are endlessly fascinating. FACT
5.7g Total fat
2.3g Saturated
0.25g Salt
80 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
2.3g Sugar
7.4g
Protein
You’d have to eat nearly 5 green capsicums to get as many phytonutrients as just 1 red one.
Blueberry & chilli cheese toastie By James Wong GF SF Serves 1 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 4 mins | Calories 378 (per serving) 1 tbsp 5-minute blueberry compote (see below) 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp red chilli flakes 2 slices of gluten-free sourdough bread a few slices of red onion 50g (1žoz) mature Cheddar cheese, sliced a small handful of spinach leaves olive oil, for frying FOR THE COMPOTE 300g (10½oz) fresh blueberries 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornflour 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp granulated stevia finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
23.2g Total fat
11.5g Saturated
0.6g Salt
5.6g Sugar
1 For the compote, put all the ingredients into a microwaveable bowl and mix well. 2 Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Leave to cool slightly. 3 Mix the blueberry compote, balsamic vinegar and chilli flakes together in a small bowl. 4 Fill the sourdough slices with the onion, cheese, spinach and blueberry mixture. 5 Heat a little oil in a frying pan, carefully add the sandwich and toast over a low heat for 2 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden. FACT Capsaicin is fat soluble and tempered by the effect of a protein called casein in milk.
17g
Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 81
Chocolate-chilli ice cream By James Wong GF SF EF Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook none | Calories 288 (per serving) 2 very ripe bananas, peeled, sliced in half lengthways, frozen
1 Blitz all the ingredients together, except the banana, in a food processor to make the ice cream until smooth.
1 tsp granulated stevia
2 Remove the banana from the freezer and create a sandwich with the halves. Fill with the ice cream and decorate with the chopped nuts, fresh fruit, chocolate chips and whipped cream.
½ tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp peanut butter ½ tsp red chilli flakes 1 tbsp natural cocoa powder TO GARNISH chopped nuts (pistachios work well) fresh fruit (cherries work well) dark chocolate chips 2 tsp whipped cream
12.9g Total fat
4.4g Saturated
0.1g Salt
82 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
21g Sugar
5.9g
Protein
In Season There aren't many fruits that you can just BLACKBERRIES The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the Rubus pop out to the side of the road and pick genus in the Rosaceae family. What until your heart’s (stomach’s) content. distinguishes the blackberry from its relatives is whether or not the Fortunately, the blackberry is one of such raspberry torus (receptacle or stem) ‘picks with’ stays with) the fruit. When picking fruits, and thousands of us take a trip out (i.e. a blackberry fruit, the torus does stay with the fruit. With a raspberry, the every year to stock our bags full of the torus remains on the plant, leaving a tasty little berries, with the good intention hollow core in the raspberry fruit. of creating a pie or crumble. Mostly though, they get eaten long before they've had time to fill a baking dish! GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 83
Blackberry cured cod By Rosie Birkett for Driscoll’s Sweet Blackberries (www.driscolls.com.au) GF Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook 15 mins | Calories 662 (per serving) 2 cod or hake fillets
FOR THE REMOULADE
a knob of butter
80ml (3fl oz) white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled, lightly crushed
a pinch of salt
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
FOR THE CURE
100g (3½oz) Driscoll’s sweet blackberries
150g (5½oz) Driscoll’s sweet blackberries
1 beetroot, thinly sliced
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 apple, peeled, sliced
4 juniper berries, crushed
½ a fennel bulb, sliced
25ml (1fl oz) gin
½ a red onion, peeled, finely sliced
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp capers 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp soft herbs, dill and chervil, roughly chopped
33.2g Total fat
13g Saturated
1.8g Salt
84 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
29.8g Sugar
37g Protein
1 Blitz the cure ingredients in a food processor into a paste. Cover the fish with the paste. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 2 hours. Bring the vinegar to the boil with the salt and bay leaf. Add the blackberries. Dry the fish with kitchen roll. 2 For the remoulade, combine the sliced produce and season. Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, 1 tbsp blackberry vinegar and olive oil and dress the remoulade. Add the capers, seeds and herbs. Drain and add the blackberries. 3 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the butter, garlic and thyme. Add the fish and cook, without moving it, for 3 minutes. Baste with the butter. When it comes away from the pan naturally, flip it over and cook for 2 more minutes, continuing to baste. Serve with the remoulade, season with more vinegar and garnish with herbs.
Blackberry & pistachio meringues By Dr. Oetker (www.oetker.co.uk) GF V Serves 6 | Prep 15-20 mins | Cook 2 hours | Calories 309 (per serving) 150g (5½oz) blackberries 4 tbsp icing sugar 4 large free-range egg whites 150g (5½oz) caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 25g (1oz) shelled pistachios, finely chopped 300g (10½oz) whipping cream
1 Using the back of a wooden spoon, press 100g (4oz) blackberries through a sieve into a bowl, discarding the seeds. Add 2 tbsp icing sugar and mix until smooth. Preheat the oven to 150°C. 2 Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, whisking for 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Swirl in 1 tbsp blackberry mixture, reserving the rest for later. 3 Heap the mixture onto a greased baking tray into 6 evenly-sized dollops, spaced apart. Scatter over some pistachios, reserving a little to garnish. 4 Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C. Cook on the middle shelf for 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove the tray and drizzle a little of the blackberry juice over each meringue and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. They should be crisp and sound hollow when the bottoms are tapped. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar, leaving the meringues inside to cool.
17.6g Total fat
9.9g Saturated
0.1g Salt
21g Sugar
4.7g Protein
5 Whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold in the remaining icing sugar and vanilla. Serve the meringues with a dollop of cream, a drizzle of blackberry juice and a sprinkle of pistachios. Garnish with the remaining blackberries.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 85
gourmet HEALTH YOUR
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Raw : 150 Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes by Omid Jaffari
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The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey
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Weekeend These fun, healthy meals will get your weekend going
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 87
Weekend R E C I P E S
Slow cooker turkey, pumpkin & prune tagine By Debbie Gibson (www.properfoodie.com) GF DF EF Serves 6 | Prep 25 mins | Cook 9-11 hrs | Calories 423 (per serving) 430g (15oz) turkey breast, sliced into chunks 2 tbsp glutenfree plain flour 1 tsp cinnamon powder
290g (10oz) tinned prunes, pitted, drained
2 tbsp tomato purèe
375g (13oz) pumpkin, diced
1½ tsp Ras el hanout paste
400g (14oz) tinned chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp olive oil
TO SERVE
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1.9g Saturated
450ml (¾pt) glutenfree chicken stock 1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp ground ginger
9.1g Total fat
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
0.5g Salt
88 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
18.6g Sugar
rice and gf pitta bread
32.1g Protein
1 Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon powder and paprika in a bowl. Add the turkey and toss until coated. Add the tomato purèe and Ras el hanout and use your hands to mix and coat the turkey. 2 If using a slow cooker, use the slow cooker bowl for the next step. If not use a large pan or wok. Heat the oil in the dish and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the turkey. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. 3 Gradually add and stir in the stock, then add the cinnamon, prunes, pumpkin and chickpeas. Mix well before placing into the slow cooker. 4 Cook on a low setting for 9-11 hours. If you would like a faster cooking time; set to medium for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice, pitta and parsley.
Turmeric, lemongrass & noodle broth By Debbie Gibson (www.properfoodie.com) GF SF DF V Serves 2 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 342 (per serving) 800ml (1½pt) cold water 1 carrot, peeled, finely grated 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped 1 rosemary sprig 2 kaffir lime leaves 1 bay leaf 1 lemongrass stem (bashed with a rolling pin to release flavours) 1 star anise 2cm (¾in) fresh ginger, finely grated grated zest of ½ a lime juice of 1 lime
6.4g Total fat
0.7g Saturated
0.5g Salt
9.6g Sugar
100g (3½oz) baby corn, halved lengthways 1 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) 1 red chilli, seeds left in, sliced into circles ½ tsp turmeric 150g (5½oz) straight to wok gluten-free noodles 75g (2¾oz) edamame beans 1 tsp light gf soy sauce sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 20g (¾oz) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 Pour the water into a large pan or wok and place on a medium heat. Add the carrot, onion and rosemary and bring to the boil. Add the lime leaves, bay leaf, lemongrass and star anise, then simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the ginger, including any juices that leak out during grating. Add the lime zest, lime juice, and baby corn. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, then add the mirin, three-quarters of the red chilli, turmeric, noodles, edamame beans and soy. Mix well and simmer for 3-5 minutes. 2 Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle over the coriander and remaining chilli.
14.8g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 89
Weekend R E C I P E S Meat & leek pies with an eggplant casing By Abi Purrington (www.gdfree.org) GF Makes 4 | Prep 40 mins plus resting | Cook 30 mins | Calories 346 (per pie) FOR THE FILLING
FOR TOPPING AND GARNISHING
3 medium aeggplants
3 small pieces of raw beetroot, peeled (use gloves)
½ tbsp olive oil 300g (10½oz) onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
100g (3½oz) leeks, finely chopped
a squeeze of runny honey
400g (14oz) extra lean mincemeat
200g (7oz) passata
1 bay leaf
20g (¾oz) grated Parmesan
½ tsp oregano
4 tbsp Greek-style fat-free yoghurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
For the casing
½ tsp horseradish sauce
a good amount of sea salt, for dehydrating the eggplants
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper chopped chives and lettuce leaves (optional)
olive oil
1 For the pie, slice the eggplants lengthways into thin strips, lay on a wire rack, place over a tray, then scatter a pinch of sea salt over the top. Cover with kitchen towel, and place a couple of heavy books over the top. After 2 hours, remove the books and kitchen towel. Briefly rinse the eggplant slices to remove the salt, then pat dry. 2 Separate the slices into sets of four, trying to ensure different-sized slices are spread evenly between groups. Each set of 4 is used to line a round 8cm (3in) tin mould. Drizzle olive oil inside each mould before adding the eggplant; this will prevent sticking during baking. Use one slice to line the base of the mould, then the other slices to line the sides. 3 Preheat the oven to 180ºC 4 For the filling, heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and leek, then gently fry until soft. Add the mince meat, bay leaf and oregano and fry until browned throughout. Season to taste. 5 Drain the filling into a sieve, lined with kitchen towels. It’s important to ensure that the filling is well drained to prevent the pies from being too soggy. Remove the bay leaf. 6 Add the filling to the lined moulds. Push down with a spoon in order to fit in as much as possible. 7 Fold the eggplant slices over the top of the filling, trimming where necessary with scissors. Secure with cocktail sticks. 8 Place the pies onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
16.5g Total fat
3g Saturated
0.2g Salt
90 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
24.9g Sugar
8.9g Protein
9 While the pies are baking, cut each piece of beetroot into 1-2cm (½-1in) chunks. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and honey, then pop in the oven for 20 minutes – both the beetroot and pies should be ready at a similar time. 10 Place the passata in a small saucepan and gently heat. Once boiled, set aside to cool. 11 For the horseradish sauce, add the yoghurt, olive oil, horseradish and salt and pepper to a bowl and mix well. Add more horseradish, seasoning or yoghurt if required. Set aside. 12 Once the pies and beetroot are cooked, remove from the oven. Set the pies to one side to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tins. 13 Arrange the lettuce leaves and beetroot on the serving plates. Carefully spoon blobs of the horseradish and yoghurt sauce on or next to the beetroot and sprinkle over the chives. 14 Run a knife around the egde of the pie moulds. Place a spatula over the top of the mould, then turn upside down and gently allow the pie to slide out. 15 Transfer the pie to a serving plate and repeat this process for each pie. Spoon passata over each pie and finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 91
Weekend R E C I P E S
Chinese pulled brisket By Lisa Roukin (www.myrelationshipwithfood.com) GF DF EF Serves 6-8 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 3 hrs 20 mins | Calories 354 (per serving) 1kg (2lb 2oz) beef brisket (not pickled) 1 tbsp ground nut or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C.
4 tbsp agave nectar, honey or maple syrup
2 In a large non-stick frying pan, add the ground nut and sesame oil. Seal the meat in a frying pan until browned on both sides, then remove from the frying pan and let it rest on a plate. Season both sides with Chinese 5 spice, black pepper and sea salt or herbamare.
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce (gluten-free)
Chinese 5 spice
1 tbsp tomato purèe
freshly ground black pepper
150ml (5fl oz) boiling water
sea salt or Herbamare
3 red onions, peeled, sliced in half
125g (4½oz) shiitake mushrooms
FOR THE GRAVY
3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
the sauce from the cooked brisket, strained
4 canned plums, destoned, sliced
1½ tbsp agave nectar, honey or maple syrup
1cm (½in) piece of fresh ginger, grated
TO SERVE gluten-free tacos
3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
avocado salsa
11.7g 3.4g Total fat Saturated
shredded lettuce
0.5g Salt
92 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
14.8g Sugar
40g Protein
3 Place the frying pan (using the oil that was previously in the pan) back on a low heat and add the shiitake mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until soft, then add the minced garlic and plums and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, vinegar, agave, tamari and tomato paste, stirring until thoroughly incorporated, then pour in the boiling water and season with salt and pepper. 4 In a large 30cm (12in) casserole dish, place the red onions on the base, then add the brisket
5 Pour the sauce over the brisket and place in the oven, covered for 3 hours; turn the meat over every hour and baste with the juices. 6 For the last hour, increase the oven to 180°C. Baste the meat with the juices after 40 minutes, then turn the meat over, baste and cook uncovered for the last 20 minutes. 7 Remove from the oven, lift the meat out and leave to rest on a board. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve into a saucepan, add 1½ tbsp of agave nectar, honey or maple syrup and reduce the sauce until thick and syrupy. 8 When ready to serve, break apart lightly with two forks, then drizzle over the sauce and serve in buns or tacos with vavoccardofvvlettuce leaves and avocado salsa!
Perfect for pi cn i cs , l unche
s & di
n n er
High protein spinach quiche By Good Hemp (www.goodhempfood.com) GF SF V Serves 4-6 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 55 mins | Calories 515 (per serving)
and cook until the water has evaporated.
1 small onion, peeled, chopped
1 For the pastry, preheat the oven to 190ºC.
30g (1¼oz) Good Hemp High Protein Flour
275g (9½oz) frozen spinach, thawed, drained
2 Combine the coconut flour, Good Hemp High Protein Flour, salt and ground almonds.
7 Add the feta cheese and half the cheddar cheese, then season with salt and pepper.
a pinch of salt
200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled
3 Melt the butter and wait for it to cool down.
8 Pour the mixture into the pastrylined tin.
200g (7oz) mild Cheddar, grated
4 Make a well in the middle of the dry mix and add the eggs, melted butter and crème fraîche. Mix together until a dough is formed.
9 In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and Good Hemp Milk Original. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Press the dough into a greased 20cm (8in) pastry tin. Prick the dough base with a fork a few times, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes until set and golden brown.
10 Pour the egg mixture into the pastry base, allowing it to fully blend in with the spinach mixture.
FOR THE PASTRY 12g (½oz) coconut flour
25g (1oz) ground almonds 15g (½oz) butter 2 small free-range eggs 1½ tbsp crème fraîche FOR THE FILLING 100g (3½oz) butter
25g Saturated
4 medium freerange eggs 250ml (9fl oz) Good Hemp Milk Original
3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
43.6g Total fat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large tomato
1g Salt
3.8g Sugar
6 For the filling, in a medium-sized frying pan, melt the butter on a medium heat and gently cook the garlic and onion until lightly browned. Stir in the spinach,
11 Cut the tomato in half, then lay each piece on top of the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar on top, then bake in the oven for 3540 minutes, until set in the centre. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
23.1g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 93
s
Fattening Foods
WHAT THE MEDIA HAS FED YOU As we look for the ideal ‘beach body’, Michelle Kickham dispels a few myths about what we can and can’t eat to reach our target weight...
94 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
A
S MOST OF US KNOW BY now, the media is powerful. However, with this power comes a great responsibility to supply the public with the full facts rather than concentrating just on what will sell – something that many media sources are not taking seriously. Considering the time of year, it’s understandable why the topic of ‘fattening foods’ is yet again rearing its ugly head, and it’s all too easy to be bought over by the misinformation and ‘fake facts’. It’s important to consider what property must a specific type of food have to be considered ‘fattening’? Is it foods that are high in sugar, fat or
carbohydrates? Well, I did a quick survey before writing this article to find out what people thought about ‘fattening foods’ and the general consensus was…
COMMON PERCEPTIONS
1. Eating food that contains fat will make you gain fat. 2. Sugary foods, cakes, fast food and so called ‘unhealthy foods’ result in fat gain. 3. Carbohydrates, gluten and wheat promote fat gain. I’ll begin by stating straight off the bat that none of this is true in and of itself. Naturally, these foods can cause you to gain fat if you eat enough of them, but they won’t cause fat gain
If we consume more calories than we burn, we store the excess energy as either fat or muscle...
just by including them in your diet! However, I believe that in order for you to believe me, you’ll want a more detailed explanation. Yes, we’re going to get science-y on this one. Don’t worry, there are no calculations (I was never too fond of maths, anyway).
HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY GAIN FAT?
Before we talk about calories and gaining fat, let’s briefly explain what keeps our bodies ticking over every day. Your body requires energy to perform its daily tasks such as breathing, walking, talking and even concentrating. The more work you do, the more energy (calories) your body requires. This is referred to as the ‘energy balance’ and basically means you need to provide your body with the
same amount of calories that you burn in order to just maintain your weight. This energy (aka. calories) is obtained from the food we eat and is used to provide the energy for all the work the body carries out. Calories are to your body as petrol is to a car. If you don’t give it the fuel that it needs – it just won’t move! The first law of thermodynamics states that ‘energy can neither be created nor destroyed’ – and this holds true for your body’s energy, too! If you consume more calories than your body needs, the energy contained within it must go somewhere! Simply put, if we consume more calories than we burn, we store the excess energy as either fat or muscle. The first law of thermodynamics has been obeyed.
DO ANY FOODS PROMOTE FAT GAIN, OR PREVENT IT?
YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU EAT
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
Calories in versus calories out; this is what dictates fat gain. Not by eating fat, sugar or the media’s new favourite enemy: gluten. Gluten doesn’t promote fat gain any more than rice or any other grain (gluten free or not). The issue with gluten is that it’s usually found in foods higher in calories such as cakes, biscuits and easily overconsumed food items. Remember, it’s calories that cause fat gain, not the food itself. Eating protein-rich foods won’t put pure protein into your body (someone please tell the bros at the gym this fact) and the same rule applies for fat. The human body is far more complex than that.
WHY DO WE BLAME THE DOUGHNUTS THEN?
Certain foods or food groups are mistakenly labelled as so called ‘fattening foods’ not because they have this magical ability to add some more to those love handles, but because they are so easy to consume in high quantities. Needless to say, higher quantities of food equals higher calories and we know now that it’s calories that cause fat gain – not the delicious tub of ice cream. It’s just a hell of a lot easier to eat 2000 calories worth of cookie dough ice cream than it is to eat 2000 calories worth of spinach. That’s a lot of spinach, even for Popeye.
There are studies showing that those that consume high quantities of sugar are more likely to store excess calories as fat as opposed to lean muscle tissue, although this may be due to underlying issues such as diabetes and other metabolic disorders, not the sugar itself. As for fat-burning foods, don’t believe the hype; because that’s all it is. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there isn’t a green tea in the world that will shed the pounds and boost your metabolism. This is a myth that the media and unfortunately many businesses have exploited, costing you not only your time but also your money ($50 for a box of ‘slimming tea’ – are you kidding me?!) If every food was classified as fattening based purely on its ability to cause you to gain weight, then technically anything can be fattening. A tablespoon of oil contains 135 calories and two bananas contains 200 calories. Does this mean that a banana is fattening? Think about this. It’s important, because once you understand how your body actually gains fat you’ll find that you’ll never have to diet again. Remember, it’s all about those calories, not the food from which they came from. So yes, you can have your cake and eat it too...
Fact File •
•
•
Calories count! – If you define fattening foods as those that cause weight gain, any food can be fattening! Two bananas contain more calories than a large chocolate bar, so by that definition, is a banana fattening? Fat gain cannot be attributed to a particular food. An excess of calories in the diet encourages weight gain; not the food group itself. No food groups ‘promote’ fat gain or prevent it. Trust me, if there actually was a fat burning food, we would all be runway models by now.
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Saving Dough & Going
Gluten Free
Whether you are coeliac, gluten intolerant or have gone gluten free as a lifestyle choice, Charlotte Willis explains that it doesn’t have to be the wallet-emptier many believe it to be...
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S
O YOU’VE MADE THE DECISION to eliminate gluten from your diet. That was the easy part! What follows, for many of us, is the uncertainty of rediscovering and redeveloping our once simple relationship with the humble weekly grocery shop. Faced with the new task of full food label allergen analysis, combined with frustration at not being able to eat or drink previously favoured foodstuffs, and being bombarded by a choice of often more expensive free-from items that sees your receipt subtotal skyrocketing – it’s enough to leave you with a sense of anxiety and aggravation with your new diet! But take it from a seasoned expert, your gluten-free transition doesn’t need to be this way. Going gluten free can help you improve your health drastically, and with a few handy tips, it won’t end up breaking the bank.
Don’t believe all you hear
The first frustrating thing that I’m asked by the majority of my friends and family members when I talk about my free-from lifestyle is: ‘Isn’t that really expensive, though?’ This is made even more frustrating given that it’s based on incorrect assumptions. People assume a free-from diet means you start shopping at the most exclusive shops and using fanciful ingredients. This isn’t helped by the expensive glutenfree foods on the market and, with a large number of companies choosing to create gluten-free ranges at a premium price, its easy to see how the public can be fooled into thinking going gluten free will result in a hefty shopping bill. REALITY CHECK
Gluten free & hassle free
Let’s get a few things straight! When making the choice to become gluten free, the best advice I can give to you is to re-think your diet as a whole, and
this is where most new gluten-free converts go wrong. Instead of viewing your diet as (now) limited and your choice of food items being reduced to a certain section of the supermarkets or shops, see this change in eating habits as a healthy and refreshing chance to transition your diet towards a heightened level of nutrition. Simple gluten-free substitutions and a few clever buying tricks will help your new gluten-free diet save you some serious dough (pun fully intended), while avoiding compromise on nutrition and enable you to discover a new and delicious range of new and exciting free-from flavours. ISSUE
1
The great gluten-free product trap
While it fills my heart with joy to see a new-fangled gluten-free product pop up on the market, it also makes me increasingly aware that many of us will become accustomed to simply reaching for easily identifiable, pricier, branded products. In fact, the average specialised labelled gluten-free product can be between 20-200% more expensive than it’s gluten-containing cousin. By relying on convenience, branded, gluten-free products, you could receive a nasty shock at the checkout! THE ANSWER: Wherever you can, try to get creative in the kitchen and make your own versions of your favourite products. Gluten-free breads are common branded money drainers. You can batch-bake your own loaves of bread or bread rolls from naturally gluten-free ingredients using easy recipes (such as those found in this magazine) from online recipes and gluten-free baking books. Also, instead of reaching for a pre-made brownie or cake from the shelf, why not make your own sweet treats? Not only will you be able to
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 97
get acquainted with the art of glutenfree baking, but you’ll often produce healthier, larger portions that can be frozen for a later date. When it comes to gluten-free meals, step away from the ready-meal aisle. You’ll save yourself a fortune by prepping your own packed lunches and dinners, with any leftovers popped in a Tupperware for a later date. Try batchcooking pies, soups and curries for easy freezing. This way, you’ll be sure to have a quick meal in preparation for busier days. ISSUE
2
Not knowing your carbohydrates
If you’re anything like me before I chose to live a free-from lifestyle, your main sources of carbohydrate might be white, beige and brown all over. Staples of the typical British diet rarely vary from refined wheat pastas, wheat-based breads, white potatoes and white rice. Yawn. THE ANSWER: When selecting your carbohydrates as part of your nutritious and low-cost gluten-free lifestyle, opt for buying a range of different grains. Quinoa, polenta, buckwheat and coloured rice are extremely nutritious and diverse, costing very little when bought online and in bulk. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins and beetroot are healthier swaps for conventional white potatoes, and are often cheaper when bought in season. Try them as pie toppers, or add a tin of white beans to your mash to get an extra protein hit that’ll keep you fuller for longer. Some of my favourite substitutes for wheat-based pastas include buckwheat, corn or rice pasta. Rice noodles work as a fabulous spaghetti alternative, or use raw veggies such as zucchini and carrot to make a veg-based, lighter pasta alternative. Personally, I have completely eliminated bread from my diet. But if you still crave the favourite staple carbohydrate, then try making your own! Short on time? Flatbreads made with buckwheat and quinoa flour can be knocked up in less than 30 minutes, or try making Indian dosa breads and chapatis. ISSUE
3
Buying little and often
This is one of the most pivotal lessons I have learned from my free-from cupboard stocking over the years. Buying smaller quantities of grains, nuts, seeds and pulses will initially make economic sense. After all, why buy a huge 5kg bag of brown rice for $20 when I can buy a 500g bag for $3? Many of us will fall into this trap, making the mistake of adopting a little and often buying pattern. The average
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The average family will visit the supermarket as often as three times per week just to restock on staples that have run out by the middle of the week... family will visit the supermarket as often as three times per week just to restock on staples that have run out by the middle of the week. The answer: Buy non-perishable and longer-life items in bulk. Buying directly from wholesalers online, you’ll find that the cost per kg will decrease when you purchase a higher weight of produce. This goes for grains, flours, legumes, pulses, seeds, nuts and dried fruits – all of which can last for months! Added bonus? You’ll save time by not making those extra trips to the supermarkets and save on packaging too. ISSUE
4
Not getting enough veg
If you’ve already decided to give up gluten, the idea of reducing the amount of meat that you consume might seem like a step too far! But I would not be giving you the most honest advice if I wasn’t to mention the fact that an overreliance on meat and meat products in your diet can actually end up costing you more than, say, being a flexitarian or vegetarian. THE ANSWER: By increasing the amount of fresh vegetables and legumes/pulses in your diet as a substitute for meat, you’ll find both your health and bank balance will improve significantly. Gram for gram, plant-based protein is undoubtedly cheaper and easier to store and keep fresh than animal sources. What’s more, plant-based protein contains no cholesterol, little saturated fat and more often than not will provide you with higher levels of fibre and vitamins. Why not try incorporating a couple
of meat-free days into your regular routine too? Simple and yet extremely cost effective. ISSUE
5
Wasting your food
One of my pet hates – food waste. The average household throws away $100 worth of food every month. That equates to around 24 main meals worth of food, simply thrown in the bin! While this attitude is not exclusive to those of us who are gluten intolerant, it’s an issue that is definitely worth everyone’s consideration. THE ANSWER: Before you do your shopping, do a mini household food review – a conscious stocktake of your fridge, freezer and cupboards that will ensure you utilise all your ingredients to their full potential. Ingredients that are going out of date can be paired with fresh products that will turn them into cheap and sustainable meals. By structuring your weekly shopping in this way, you’ll minimise food waste and save yourself money at the same time. Win win. When you go grocery shopping, make a list and endeavour to stick to it. Avoid the multi-buy options or buy one get one half price, especially when it comes to fresh produce (unless you are certain you will use them well) as these offers lend themselves towards wastefulness. Another waste-reduction tip is to use your freezer wisely. Far from a storage of ice cube trays and peas, your freezer can become a storage unit of leftovers, over-ripe fruits and veggies, herbs and ingredients that may be going slightly out of date. A perfect way of preserving nutrients and helping keep your costs low at the same time.
CHARLOTTE WILLIS Charlotte is a student researcher of nutrition and human disease. Studying to become a doctor of human nutrition, she is particularly interested in wholefood, plantbased nutrition and healthful lifestyle intervention in the prevention and reversal of chronic human diseases.
Sweet Treats Indulge with these sweet sensations
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Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
Mango coconut & carrot bliss balls By Angela Warren (www.imperfectly-paleo.blogspot.co.uk) GF SF DF EF V Makes 15 | Prep 15 mins plus chilling | Cook none | Calories 79 (per ball)
100g (3½oz) dried unsweetened mango 125g (4½oz) unsweetened dessicated coconut, plus extra for rolling 1 small carrot, peeled 2.5cm (1in) piece of lemongrass, woody layer removed grated zest of 1 lime Ÿ tsp turmeric a pinch pink salt matcha powder, for colouring (optional)
5.6g Total fat
5g Saturated
0.1g Salt
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2.8g Sugar
0.1g Protein
1 Soak the mango in filtered water for 10-15 minutes, until soft but not soggy and disintegrating. Drain well and pat dry on kitchen paper. 2 Add all the ingredients, except the extra coconut, to a food processor and process until a sticky dough is formed. 3 Roll into tablespoon-sized balls, then roll each ball in the extra coconut. Mix some of the balls in the matcha powder for a green colour, if desired. 4 Pop the balls in the freezer on a tray for 30 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge, or freeze and defrost when you want to eat them.
Refined sugar-free
Strawberry chia jam & almond muffins By British Summer Fruits (www.britishsummerfruits.co.uk) GF DF V Makes 12 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 259 (per serving)
FOR THE CHIA JAM
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C
200g (7oz) strawberries
2 For the muffins, mix the almonds, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the coconut milk, eggs, honey and the scraped vanilla pod. Combine the two mixtures together and pour into 12 muffin paper cases, but only fill them two-thirds full as they will rise.
2 tbsp honey 1 vanilla pod 3 tbsp chia seeds FOR THE MUFFINS 300g (10½oz) ground almonds a pinch of sea salt ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 300ml (10fl oz) full fat coconut milk 2 free-range eggs 4 tbsp honey 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
20g Total fat
6.6g Saturated
0.1g Salt
11.4g Sugar
3 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until just cooked through and golden on top. 4 While the muffins are baking, put the strawberries, honey and vanilla bean pod in a blender and purèe until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until it thickens into a jam. Top the muffins with the jam before serving.
7.3g Protein
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Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
Matcha bites By Diana Boneva (www.cleanfoodspirit.com) GF SF DF EF V Makes 10 | Prep 10 mins plus soaking | Cook none | Calories 108 (per bite) 2 tbsp raw coconut butter (organic) 140g (5oz) raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight 2 tbsp of agave or maple syrup 1½ tsp matcha powder raw cacao powder (optional)
7.8g Total fat
2.5g Saturated
0g Salt
102 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
1g Sugar
2.3g Protein
1 Melt the coconut butter. 2 In a food processor, mix together the cashew nuts, syrup and coconut butter until you get a smooth paste. Add the matcha and continue to mix. 3 Form the mixture into about 10 small balls, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up, then cover with matcha or raw cacao powder (optional).
Fluffy raspberry muffins By Sarah Wilson GF SF V Makes 12 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 25-30 mins | Calories 194 (per muffin) 250g (9oz) gluten-free flour, sifted 2½ tsp gluten-free baking powder ½ tsp salt 250ml (9fl oz) unsweetened almond milk (use regular milk or coconut milk to make recipe nut free) 125g (4½oz) butter, melted 2 free-range eggs, whisked 75ml (2¾fl oz) rice malt syrup 180g (6oz) frozen or fresh raspberries
9.8g Total fat
5.6g Saturated
0.25g Salt
0.8g Sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line a muffin or cupcake tray with 12 patty cases. 2 Combine the sifted flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the milk, butter, eggs and rice malt syrup. Mix until a batter forms. Gently stir through the raspberries. 3 Spoon the mixture into the prepared patty cases, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. 4 Remove from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
3.4g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 103
Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
out Enjoy war, omr cold if of the ovepnrefer you
Choc-chip cookies By Sarah Wilson GF SF V Makes 12 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 193 (per cookie) 175g (6oz) buckwheat flour 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder 1 tsp vanilla powder ½ tsp sea salt 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter, softened 75ml (2¾fl oz) rice malt syrup 1 free-range egg 100g (3½oz) 85% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (you can add a pinch of stevia to counteract the dark chocolate for younger kids) or good-quality dark chocolate chips
11.7g 7.3g Total fat Saturated
0.2g Salt
104 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
4.8g Sugar
3g Protein
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. 2 Combine the flour, baking powder, vanilla powder and salt in a large bowl. 3 In a separate bowl, beat the butter and rice malt syrup with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and beat until combined. 4 Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon. Fold through the chocolate (and stevia if using). 5 Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place them 4cm (2½in) apart on the lined trays. Press down slightly. 6 Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 7 Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FOR EXTRA CRUNCH ad d a sprinkle of chopped macad amia nuts after pouring in the mixt ure
Aussie mango coconut bars By Sarah Wilson GF DF EF V Makes 4-6 | Prep 10 mins plus freezing | Cook none | Calories 267 (per bar)
40g (1½oz) desiccated coconut 400ml (14fl oz) tinned coconut cream 1 tbsp rice malt syrup 175g (6oz) frozen mango, diced
20.8g Total fat
18.2g Saturated
0.1g Salt
18.3g Sugar
1 Blend the desiccated coconut, coconut cream and rice malt syrup in a blender, or using a hand-held blender until well combined. Pour into 4-6 popsicle moulds until one-third full. You will have coconut mixture remaining for the next step. 2 Freeze for one hour until just set. Add the mango to the remaining coconut mixture and blend until smooth. 3 Top up the popsicle moulds with the mango mixture, insert the sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours.
2.9g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 105
Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
Refined
sugar-free
Raw energy bites By Miss physique Geek (www.missphysiquegeek.com) GF DF EF V Serves 10 | Prep 15 mins plus chilling | Cook none | Calories 184 (per bite)
60g (2oz) walnuts 15 Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped 30g (1oz) desiccated coconut 1 tbsp coconut oil 1½ tsp cocoa powder ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp almond milk or water 1½ tbsp honey 30g (1oz) chopped nuts, for rolling
9.1g Total fat
3.9g Saturated
0.2g Salt
106 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
22.7g Sugar
3g Protein
1 Add the walnuts to a food processor and blend until chopped. Add the remaining ingredients, exept the nuts for rolling, and blend until well combined. 2 Using a tablespoon, spoon out the mixture and roll into 10 balls. Roll each ball in the chopped nuts until coated. 3 Place in a tub or plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes until they harden. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Peach & rosemary crumble
Refined
sugar-free
By Julie Montagu GF DF EF V Serves 6-8 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 238 (per serving)
6 large ripe peaches, stoned, cut into small chunks or thinly sliced
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a 24x16cm (9½x6in) baking dish.
90g (3oz) wheat-free oats
2 In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until well combined and crumbly. Spoon into the baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. The crumble will come out hot, bubbly and absolutely delicious!
60g (2oz) buckwheat flour 5 rosemary sprigs, leaves separated 75ml (2¾fl oz) coconut oil, melted 55g (1¾oz) coconut palm sugar 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup 2 tbsp arrowroot powder 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp sea salt
9.9g 7.6g Total fat Saturated
0.15g Salt
22.1g Sugar
3.5g Protein
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Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
a Great aftrera nut workout ftoreat! butter
Cashew & peanut butter bars By Lisa Roukin (www.myrelationshipwithfood.com) GF SF DF EF V Makes 16 | Prep 25 mins plus chilling | Cook none | Calories 435 (per bar)
FOR THE BASE 100g (3½oz) gluten-free rolled oats 100g (3½oz) ground almonds 170g (6oz) cashew butter 5 tbsp agave nectar 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 pinches of sea salt FOR THE FILLING 50g (1¾oz) peanuts, roasted, split in half 350g (12oz) crunchy peanut butter 2 pinches of sea salt FOR THE TOPPING 180g (6fl oz) coconut oil, melted 120g (4oz) agave nectar or maple syrup 2 pinches of sea salt 80g (2¾oz) raw cacao powder or cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla extract
17.4g Saturated
0.25g Salt
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9.3g Sugar
2 In a food processor, process the oats and ground almonds until a fine sandy consistency. Add the cashew butter, agave nectar, coconut oil and salt and blend for 20 seconds. Scrape around the sides of the food processor, then process until the mixture is combined. Remove the mixture from the food processor and knead into a ball. 3 Press the ball into the tin, ensuring that the mixture is evenly spread. Press the roasted peanut halves into the base and flatten out.
2 tbsp agave nectar
37g Total fat
1 Line a 23cm (9in) square baking tin with baking paper.
11.9g Protein
4 For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, add the crunchy peanut butter, agave nectar and sea salt, mixing until combined, smooth and thick.
5 Spread the mixture on top of the base until smooth and evenly spread. Place in the freezer while you make the topping 6 For the chocolate topping, pour the coconut oil into a mixing bowl and add the agave nectar, salt and vanilla. Whisk in the cacao powder until combined and smooth. 7 Remove the base from the freezer, pour over the chocolate topping and spread out evenly. Give the pan a little tap to get the air bubbles out. 8 Carefully transfer the tin to the freezer on a flat even surface and chill for 2-4 hours (preferably overnight), or until the topping is firm enough to slice. 9 Remove from the freezer and wait 20 minutes before cutting.
Chunky chocolate chip cookies By Donna Crous (www.eighty20nutrition.com) GF SF DF V Makes 12 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 18-20 mins | Calories 178 (per cookie) 115ml (4fl oz) coconut oil, melted 50g (1¾oz) coconut sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 free-range eggs 300g (10½oz) almond flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp raw apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp Himalayan salt 100g (3½oz) dark chocolate chips
1 Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Line a baking tray with baking paper 2 In a bowl, mix together the coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and whisk using a blender until it looks like a gooey caramel. 3 Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, apple cider vinegar and salt and stir well. Mix in half the chocolate chips. 4 Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, dish up cookie-sized servings onto the baking parchment. 5 Gently press each cookie with a fork, leaving a slight indentation (don't press them flat). Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top of each cookie, then bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. 6 Remove from the oven and leave to cool and crisp before serving.
15.9g Total fat
5.5g Saturated
0.15g Salt
8.9g Sugar
3.1g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 109
Sweet Treats R E C I P E S
Cardomom, treacle & coconut panna cotta Refined
By Debbie Gibson (www.properfoodie.com) GF DF EF Makes 5-6 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook 5 mins | Calories 144 (per panna cotta)
sugar-free
5g (2½ sheets) gelatine leaf 200ml (7fl oz) soy milk 240ml (8½fl oz) coconut milk 1 cardamom pod, crushed, seeds removed, ground in pestle and mortar seeds from ½ a vanilla pod 50g (1¾oz) honey 10g (½oz) molasses
1 Place the gelatine in a small container and pour over cold water. Leave for 5-10 minutes to soften. 2 In a small pan, whisk together the soy milk, coconut milk, ground cardamom seeds, vanilla seeds, honey and treacle. Place on a medium heat and gently warm. Do not boil. 3 Check the gelatine has softened and remove from the water, squeezing out any excess water. Make sure no gelatine is left behind in the water. 4 Just before the soy mixture begins to boil; remove from the heat and add the gelatine. Stir well until the gelatine has fully dissolved. 5 Pour the panna cotta into moulds or small glasses. Leave to cool for 20 minutes before transferring to the fridge. The mixture usually takes around 4 hours to set, but is best left overnight.
10.3g Total fat
8.7g Saturated
0.05g Salt
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10.6g Sugar
2.1g Protein
Lemon polenta cake By Dr Oetker (www.pizzaristorante.co.uk) GF V Serves 8-10 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hour 15 minutes | Calories 617 (per serving) 300g (12oz) butter, softened 300g (12oz) caster sugar finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons 4 large free-range eggs, beaten 300g (12oz) ground almonds 150g (6oz) polenta 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder FOR THE GLAZE finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 75g (3oz) granulated sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 23cm (9in) springform tin and line with greaseproof paper. 2 Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs, then add the ground almonds, polenta, lemon juice and baking powder and carefully fold in until mixed thoroughly. 3 Spoon into the tin and smooth until evenly spread. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown and springy to touch. If the top starts to get too brown before it is cooked through, then cover with foil. 4 While the cake is cooking, make the glaze by mixing together the rind and juice and the sugar to make a thick sugary mixture. Once the cake is cooked, pour the sugary mixture over the top straight away and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, transfer to a plate and serve.
41.6g Total fat
17.3g Saturated
0.25g Salt
39.4g Sugar
10.4g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 111
Keep your ull of cupboard f tuff the good s
Gutfood friends
112 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
Liz Earle reveals a brand-new plan to detox, cleanse and nourish the digestive system to improve your inner health and outer beauty...
S
OME OF THE BEST NATURAL GUT-HEALING ingredients can be found in the aisles of our supermarket or natural health stores. Be sure to load up on the following:
Cranberries
infection, reducing the risk of having to resort to antibiotics. High-strength garlic supplements, combined with a tablespoonful of crushed pumpkin seeds, are an effective natural remedy for intestinal threadworms.
Fresh cranberries are packed with phenolic compounds, which help prevent bacterial overgrowth in the body. I like to sprinkle the fresh berries over a tray of oiled root vegetables, then roast for 30-40 minutes. Mixing with roasted veggies, especially if they include a few garlic bulbs, helps balance out the tartness of the berries.
Pineapple
Pumpkin seeds
Beetroot is a potent blood booster and re-energiser, as well as a good support for overall liver health, which in turn supports our digestion. But if eating beets every day doesn’t appeal, you can juice it and add other veg and fruit, or try making thin beetroot crisps by finely slicing and roasting.
These dark-green seeds are a nutritional powerhouse containing plant protein, antioxidants called phytosterols, and a range of minerals including copper, magnesium and zinc. The large amount of zinc they contain makes them a helpful anti-parasitic, reputed to kill off intestinal parasites.
Garlic
Garlic contains the natural sulphur compound allicin, which gets to work killing parasites and the bad bugs in our GI tract after about two hours of eating it. Raw or ‘aged’ garlic is the best. You can also take garlic capsules or tablets. Garlic is powerfully antibacterial and I always take a couple of highstrength capsules at the first sign of an
This is also a good digestive fruit thanks to its enzyme bromelain, mostly found in the stalk, which is useful for breaking down proteins. It also enhances the effects of our body’s own digestive enzymes trypsin and pepsin, aiding the smooth digestion of fatty foods.
Beetroot
Cinnamon
The spice has been used for thousands of years and has been found to fight off some pathogenic microbes. As a warming medicinal spice, cinnamon offers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Try sprinkling it over cut-up root vegetables before you roast them, or add a teaspoonful to smoothies, yoghurt, milk, kefir and nut milks to naturally sweeten.
If eating beets every day doesn't appeal, you can juice it and add other veg or fruit...
Good Gut Checklist ✓ Cleanse your system
Consider a gut cleanse with either bentonite clay or psyllium husk, to remove waste matter and any build-up of bad bacteria from your intestines. ✓ Try antimicrobial and antiparasitic herbs Consider using bitter herbs such as oregano or wormwood, or grapefruit seed extract, to kill off any overgrowths of bad bacteria in your gut. Always read the labels and follow the directions carefully. It’s often advised to seek advice from a naturopath or medical herbalist, who may prescribe you higher doses than is normally recommended. If you do take these intestinal cleansers, use only for a week or two as their effects can be powerful. As the bad bugs die off, you may experience unpleasant symptoms. This course of action is most often for those with diagnosed digestive and gut issues. ✓ Try intermittent fasting Something we can all benefit from. Fasting for a minimum of 12 hours while drinking plenty of water, herbal teas and fermented drinks can give your gut a rest while promoting more enzymatic activity. Consider a 24-hour fast (with plenty of fluids) on a quiet day at home. ✓ Love your pantry. Stock up on goodgut foods. ✓ Cut out known gut irritants What we don’t eat is as important as what we do. Refined carbs in the form of pastries, pizzas, cakes and biscuits are off the menu.
The extract and recipes on pages 114-117 are taken from The Good Gut Guide: Delicious Recipes & a Simple 6-Week Plan for Inner Health & Outer Beauty by Liz Earle, published by Orion Spring.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 113
Carrot burgers with apple pickle By Liz Earle GF DF V Makes 10 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 275 (per serving) 1 tsp caraway seeds 1kg (2lb 2oz) carrots, peeled, half roughly grated, half chopped 400g (14oz) tinned butterbeans, drained, rinsed 2 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped 1 apple, roughly chopped 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, for frying toasted gluten-free bread rolls, to serve FOR THE APPLE PICKLE 2 eating apples, finely sliced 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 5cm (2in) piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 Put the caraway seeds into a food processor and blitz until crushed, then add the chopped carrots, butterbeans, garlic, apple and flaxseeds and season well. Whizz until well mixed, add the egg and mix again, then tip out into a bowl and mix in the grated carrot. 2 Divide into 10 large balls, roll and then sit them on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Put in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. 3 To make the apple pickle, put the apple, vinegar and ginger into a bowl, season well and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then stir in the parsley and put to one side. 4 Remove the carrot balls from the fridge, pat them down with the flat of your hand to make the burgers. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and put in a few burgers at a time. Cook on a low heat until the undersides are golden – this will take about 10 minutes, so don’t cook on a high heat or they’ll burn. When they feel a bit more stable, with a spatula carefully turn them over and cook the other side for about the same time. Continue cooking all the burgers (you can freeze any leftover ones). 5 Serve sandwiched in toasted rolls with some apple pickle.
2.8g Total fat
0.5g Saturated
0.5g Salt
114 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
12.7g Sugar
9g Protein
Mixed berry crumble By Liz Earle GF EF V Serves 4-6 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30-40 mins | Calories 504 (per serving) 500g (1lb 1oz) fresh or frozen (defrosted) mixed berries: e.g. raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, red currants – add a drizzle of honey if the fruit is really tart
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C. Tip the fruit into a large shallow ovenproof dish and set aside. Drizzle with raw honey if the fruit tastes sharp (especially if using plums or red currants).
FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING
2 For the crumble topping, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz on the pulse setting until mixed, but don’t overmix – you still need some lumps.
100g (3½oz) flaked almonds, lightly toasted 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds a pinch of ground ginger a pinch of cinnamon 100g (3½oz) wheat-free oats 30g (1¼oz) pumpkin seeds
3 Spoon the crumble topping on top of the fruit to cover, and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Remove from the oven, spoon into serving dishes and serve with plain live yoghurt or milk kefir – or double cream if it’s a special occasion.
30g (1¼oz) sunflower seeds 100g (3½oz) rice flour 100g (3½oz) grass-fed butter 1 tbsp muscovado sugar plain live yoghurt, milk kefir or double cream, to serve
33.7g Total fat
10.7g Saturated
0.15g Salt
9g Sugar
13.1g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 115
Spiced apple crisps By Liz Earle GF DF EF SF V Serves 4-6 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 45 mins | Calories 118 (per serving) 6 firm eating apples (leave the peel on), individually sliced very finely a fine sprinkle of ground ginger or cinnamon
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C. 2 Sit the apples on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, leaving space between. Lightly dust with the ground ginger and put in the oven. 3 Bake for 45 minutes, but keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t overcolour. They should be pale golden and will start to curl up around the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then carefully slide them away with a palette knife. When cool, store in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
0.4g Total fat
0g Saturated
0g Salt
116 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
23.2g Sugar
0.7g Protein
Chocolate mini-bites By Liz Earle GF EF V Makes 32 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook none | Calories 151 (per bite) 200g (7oz) plain chocolate (85% cocoa), broken into pieces 300g (10½oz) pecan nuts, soaked overnight 150g (5½oz) pitted dates, soaked 150g (5½oz) pitted prunes FOR THE TOPPING 100g (3½oz) plain chocolate (85% cocoa) 1 avocado, halved, stoned 1 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt 1-2 tsp honey (optional)
1 Put the chocolate pieces into a heat-proof bowl, sit it over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. Remove and put to one side (keep the bowl and the pan for when you make the topping). 2 While the chocolate is melting, put the nuts into a food processor and blitz until chopped small, then add the dates and prunes and whizz again. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined. Spoon into a shallow 30×18cm (12x 8in) rectangular tin lined with greaseproof paper and flatten until it’s even. Put in the fridge to chill while you prepare the topping. 3 For the topping, put the chocolate into the same bowl and sit it over the pan, the water simmering, and heat until melted. Set aside. 4 Put the avocado, yoghurt and honey, if using, into the food processor, then add the melted chocolate and whizz until combined. Spread the mixture over the chocolate and nut slab and put back in the fridge to chill for a few hours or overnight. Lift the slab from the tin and slice into 32 small squares.
10.9g Total fat
1.4g Saturated
0g Salt
6.9g Sugar
1.9g Protein
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 117
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Celebrating Is there anything more delightful than strawberries and cream in the summer? There is a good reason why that may well be the case...
W
ITH THE WARMER SEASONS UPON US, we thought we’d pay homage to the garden delicacy that is a favourite among foodies: the wonderful strawberry.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Strawberries are available in abundance throughout the year in Australia, and are a healthy and sweet snack option. Some facts you may not know about the humble strawberry are: • Boffins at Harvard University recommend we eat blueberries and strawberries at least 3 times a week. • Fibre slows glucose entering the body, helping reduce sugar intake – and guess what’s high in fibre and low in sugar? Tasty strawberries! • Did you know strawberries are powerful teeth whiteners? They contain vitamin c which helps fight plaque. • Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• I n the 16th Century, strawberries were sold in cone-shaped straw baskets, thus becoming one of the earliest packaged foods. • Strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac in medieval times and a soup with the berries, borage and soured cream was traditionally served to newlyweds at their wedding. • 17th Century English writer Dr. William Butler originated the famous quotation about strawberries “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did”. • Legend has it that if you break a strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall in love with each other.
THEY’RE ALSO PACKED FULL OF VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS STRAWBERRIES 80G CaLorIES (kCaL)
22
FaT (G)
0.1
SaTUraTED (G)
0
SUGarS (G)
4.8
SaLT (G)
0
FIBrE (G)
0.9
FoLaTE (G)
16 (8% rDa)
VITamIn C (mG)
62 (77% rDa)
VITamIn E (mG)
0.16 (1% rDa)
manGanESE (mG)
0.24 (12% rDa)
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 119
K ING tIp CO O
serving THESE arE BEaUTIFUL SErVED WITH a CoLD GLaSS oF roSÉ!
Halloumi, zucchini & strawberry skewers By Driscoll’s® Jubilee Strawberries (www.jubileestrawberries.co.uk) GF SF EF V Makes 12 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 126 (per skewer) 400g (14oz) punnet of strawberries, hulled 2 zucchinis, trimmed, peeled 250g (9oz) halloumi, cut into bite-sized cubes a generous drizzle of olive oil FOR THE DRESSING 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar a small handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped (leave some to garnish) salt and freshly ground black pepper NB: You will need medium length wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes, or use metal ones
120 GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN
1 For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together, season well, taste and adjust as needed. Put to one side. 2 Thread a strawberry, zucchini and halloumi onto a skewer then repeat, continuing to thread the skewers until all ingredients are used. Sit the skewers in a shallow dish and drizzle over the olive oil, turning the skewers so everything is coated. Season well. 3 Heat a griddle pan until hot, then add a few skewers at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 1 minute, or until the halloumi starts to turn golden. Turn and cook the other side. When everything is cooked, arrange on a platter and drizzle over the mint dressing. TIP These are best eaten hot from the griddle.
Iced strawberry & coconut smoothie By Driscoll’s® Jubilee Strawberries (www.jubileestrawberries.co.uk) GF DF SF EF V Serves 6-8 | Prep 10 mins plus freezing | Cook none | Calories 322 (per serving) 600g (1lb 4oz) strawberries, hulled 500ml (18fl oz) coconut water 1 ltr (1¾pt) coconut milk or soy milk a handful of basil, to garish
1 Quarter or chop 200g (7oz) strawberries and sit them in two ice cube trays, then pour over the coconut water to cover each strawberry. Sit the tray in the freezer and leave for about 2-3 hours or until frozen. 2 Add the remaining strawberries to a food processor, pour in the coconut milk and blitz until smooth. Pour into a large serving jug and chill if desired. Serve in cold glasses with a couple of strawberry ice cubes and garnish with basil leaves. Top up a jug or glasses with more strawberry ice cubes as needed. TIP You can drink this as soon as it is made or chill it first. As it sits in the fridge it will naturally separate, so give it a good stir before serving.
GLUTEN-FREE HEAVEN 121
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