gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

Gluten free gnocchi

What on earth do you eat if you are gluten free and vegetarian?

Someone wrote in with this very question a few months ago and it gave me real pause for thought.

Once upon a time I was vegetarian and I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to eat meat free meals while also trying to avoid almost every carbohydrate (aside from potato and rice) that are generally on offer at cafes and restaurants.

And I’m not even going to venture  a guess at what the dining options would be if you also had to give up yeast, soy or dairy – so for the moment lets just stick with gluten-free vegetarianism.

At least we live in a multicultural country. Mexican, Asian and Indian food are good options with their emphasis on corn, chickpea and rice-based foods. Read the rest of this entry »

Eveleigh farmers market

I think I tasted the best gluten free cupcakes ever on the weekend at the Eveleigh farmers market near Redfern in Sydney.

I was having gluten free expo withdrawals so I headed into town to check out what was on offer at this gathering of boutique growers, makers and bakers.

Most of those in the baker category seemed to have something gluten free in their product line-up and the kids and I had a great time sampling their wares.

But lots of other products were also trading on their gluten free credentials – good to see!

So, back to those cupcakes.

I wanted to take a picture because they were also very pretty but they kind of got eaten. However I managed to grab a business card. They were made by The Cupcake Princess.

Healthy Feast also had a stall so I got to try a few more of their products including a couple of fruit pies and sausage rolls. Yum!

And I couldn’t resist a couple of gluten free chocolate and raspberry brownies from Fare Gourmet of Castle Hill. Read the rest of this entry »

I spend so much time fussing over my 3-year-old’s diet, it only stands to reason that now I have two new kittens I must fuss over their diet too.

I lost my last cat to kidney problems, and co-blogger Mandy also said goodbye too soon to a furry friend this year.

One of the questions she asked at the time was whether gluten was afflicting our beloved pets in the same way it does some of our children.

She discovered that some vets are saying that cats shouldn’t be eating the carbohyrdrates that make up the bulk of many pet foods, leaving her to wonder whether this might be the cause of so many chronic illnesses and degenerative diseases in our pets.

With this in mind, I have had my eagle eyes on everything I buy for my cats. Read the rest of this entry »

Anaphylaxis Australia recently asked restaurants in this country to move beyond their ‘fear’ of people with food allergies and “address the risk it posed to a growing number of Australians”.

It says six per cent of children, and four per cent of adults, live with a lethal allergy to common foods or ingredients such as shellfish and nuts, and most fatalities occur while they are dining out.

The organisation said the key was to incorporate food preparation processes that would not enable cross-contamination, and to train staff to ensure they were aware of the risks and transparency in the menu, and be familiar with procedures for dealing with allergic customers.

It struck me that while anaphylaxis prevention must undoubtedly be at the very top of a restrateurs priority list – many of these sorts of measures could also help coeliac sufferers who can also experience very severe responses to cross contamination of common cooking ingredients.

Read the rest of this entry »

gluten free travel

I am jetting off to the UK this very weekend, so it seems timely that I should talk about travel for the gluten free.

The first time we flew long haul we naively booked a gluten free meal for me and my son. We were treated to a fruit platter at every single meal. Guess what was for pudding? Yes – more fruit!

It was starvation provoking torture. Fortunately for us – we can bend a little on occasions such as these – and now we just have the normal meal, and just eat around the gluten (eating only the rice on the plate and salads, just to get a bit of savoury on the palate).

Those needing to manage allergies and coeliac disease do not have this luxury owing to the every present threat of cross contamination. So what can you do?

My advice is to book the gluten free meal, and ask the airline what that meal will comprise. (Don’t forget to reconfirm your dietary needs just before the flight and if you are coeliac ensure treatment is included in your travel insurance). Read the rest of this entry »

Melinda's Risotto cakes

My British heritage makes me partial to bit of stodge – but when you have to dodge wheat it’s not always so easy to get your hands on.

That is why I have taken note of a few new products that might find a warm welcome in my pantry.

Melinda’s – the packet mixes with the funky pink packaging in Woolworths Naytura section – have launched a couple of new products that we tried out over the weekend.

The first were Tuscan-style risotto cakes, and the other was lemon curd cupcakes.

My co-blogger Mandy sent some of her caramel cupcakes off to school for a cake day.

What we liked about these products was that they were very simple to put together. Instead of sacrificing flavour for simplicity, Melinda has put little sachets of yummy stuff that you add to the mixture at the last moment.

The risotto cakes have a lovely rich vege sauce that gives them the kick that that kind of food needs. Likewise the lemon curd cakes have a luscious lemon curd sachet and the caramel cupcakes came with a pouch of yummy caramel.

It’s a clever way of giving home made food a bit of extra zest without asking busy cooks to go stock up on obscure ingredients or spend precious time grating lemon rind. Read the rest of this entry »

Sydney gluten free expo

Is gluten intolerance a real condition?

This was one of the topics debated at the gluten free expo in Sydney, and Dr Robert Anderson, the man leading development of the coeliac vaccine, took to the stage to address this sensitive issue.

The gluten intolerant now far outnumber those with coeliac disease, but according to Dr Anderson finding a true diagnosis for either condition is far from straightforward.

I won’t go into too much of the science here, suffice it to say that he believes coeliac disease is being underdiagnosed by the medical communiy owing to over-reliance on things like preliminary blood tests which may give false negatives – as well as the less common issue of biopsies that can miss damage in the small intestines.

He says a gene, blood test and biopsy (where evidence of coeliac disease exists) are all required to build up an accurate diagnosis. (The coeliac society now has a diagnostic flow chart that is designed to steer prospective sufferers on a path of investigation that will prevent such misdiagnoses and I will write more on this at a later date).

This brings us to the other side of the equation – gluten intolerance. Dr Anderson believes that most cases of gluten intolerance in the wider society have been confused with fructose malabsorbtion. Read the rest of this entry »

You’re probably realising by now that when it comes to your child’s diet there are a whole load of experts out there – and none of them is your paediatrician.

Schools, daycare centres, well meaning relatives, family friends – they all have strong opinions about what you should be feeding your child. Add food intolerances or coeliac disease into the equation and you will suddenly find that the whole world knows better than you (and your dietician/doctor) about what is good for your child.

Part of the problem is the perception that food intolerances are just a growing fad. You can almost see those start eyes rolling when you mention gluten intolerance to some carers/educators, and some relatives can take the whole issue even more personally. They may either try to tackle you on head on and talk you out of your foolishness – or subtely undermine your efforts by slipping prohibited foods to your child.

This of course can jeopardise the health of your child – and with severe intolerance or coeliac disease – this is really a dangerous situation. Its also very hard to deal with if the very person or organisation you are relying on, is letting down you and your child when you are not around to prevent it. Read the rest of this entry »

gluten free lunch

Its lunchtime, you’ve a hundred and one jobs to do, and the kids are divebombing the fridge and tap-dancing on the dining table.

We’ve all been there, and I will be the first to stand up and say that gluten free toast and baked beans have been my saviour on many an occasion.  But I have also learned a few other tricks for getting healthy meals on the table quickly and I’d like to share them with you here.

Frozen failsafes

My first line of defence is the freezer.  In it I keep little pots of mashed potato, boiled or fried rice and noodles, home-made sausage rolls, balls of home-made pizza dough, frozen home-made bread for sandwiches (we use shop bought for toast), and two types of pasta sauce – one based on bolognaise and the other tuna – which I freeze in icecube trays and then put into freezer bags.

I also keep a range of shop bought convenience foods like gluten free chicken nuggets and fish bites in there too as well as left over sausages, and cold chicken meat chopped and pressed flat in freezer wrap so I can break off little pieces easily to add to meals.

You will also find frozen gluten free cupcakes, soy icecream and ready made pastry in my freezer so you can just imagine how crowded its getting in there. If I had another gluten free child I have no doubt that I would need to move house just to sqeeze in a larger freezer.

Cupboard cuisine

My next line of defence is the kitchen cupboard, and mine is stuffed to the brim with every conceivable type of  gluten free cracker and savoury snack on the market (we rotate so we don’t get sick of having the same thing over and over). We also have vacuum packed commercial bread and rolls (from Schar which you can buy at Harris Farm and some IGAs) for travelling and emergencies.

We also stock lots of little tins of beans, corn and tuna, which make great additions to our dietary arsenal, and lots of fruit and jelly pots for taking out and about with us. GF marshmallows and lollypops are favourite treats but handed out sparingly.

Time to cook up (serve any of the following with as complete meal or accompaniement to favourite meats, veges, toast or crackers)

There is no limit to what I can put together quickly from the above ingredients, which means we can always have a balance of different food groups in any given meal. If you are wondering where the fresh vegies and fruit are – well we have those too – the fruit is handed out as a snack and the veg is generally included in fairly small pieces to our pasta sauces, noodle and rice meals or in the form of  raw vege sticks on the side of the plate.

So here are some of our lunchtime favourites:

Noodles (rice vermicelli) and veg

Cook noodles according to packet instructions and spread them flat in a drainer to dry out for a while. Chop your veges up fine (we use a cupful of combined leek, celery & carrot) and stir fry – keeping them nice and dry not stodgy and wet. You can also add a little chopped chicken or ham. Cut up the cooked noodles (we use scissors) and then start frying with some soy sauce and golden syrup (golden syrup or a little sugar can make it yummier but its optional). Make a double portion and freeze the rest. You can also add chicken or ham – or serve as sidedish to sausages or chicken breast nuggets.

Pasta

Cook up gluten free pasta from supermarket and add 5 ice tray cubes of sauce per cup of pasta. This is quite dry but kids seem to like it best this way. Sauce may be bolognaise left over from another meal (and frozen) or you can also make up a white sauce from gluten free flour, stock and milk (or alternatives) and add finely chopped veg, tuna or chicken.

Eeeesy fried rice

This is really simple and quick. Take out some leftover rice, put into frypan, add some soy sauce (and a little golden syrup or sugar for extra flavour) some grated carrot, a few frozen peas or small pieces of celery, and chopped chicken, ham or sausage. Simple and delicious. Can be a main meal – or served as sidedish to sausages or chicken breast nuggets.

Simple sausage rolls

Take cooked or partially cooked leftover sausages and roll carefully in gluten free puff pastry (which is better if it has been rolled out a little thinner than it comes in the packet).

If the sausage has a tough outer skin I slice the length and circumference  in several places  to make it easier for younger children to chew. (Puff pastry from Pastry Pantry used to be available from Coles in the gluten free freezer section – but they have stopped stocking it at least for the time being, so you may need to check their website for another supplier).

[UPDATE 01/04/11 - Have spotted it in my local Harris Farm]

I cook the entire roll as one as the pastry has a tendency to dry out as it cooks – and only chop them  once I take them out of the oven. These can be easily stored and reheated for a quick and easy lunch. Pies can be made with the shortcrust version of pastry using a slightly oiled muffin tray. Fillings could range from mince and gravy to the chicken/tuna and veg pasta sauce recipe above.

Gluten free pizza

Make a thin pizza base from a commercial mix (or use generic brand gluten free burritos from Woolies) and cover with anything you like (soy cheese like cheezly can replace dairy if required). Bake in oven till it looks cooked and base is not too hard. Slice and store in freezer for a later date.

Tuna beans/sweetcorn mash

I dont think I even need to write a description for this one as the title is self explanatory.  Same combo works nicely in a baked potato, and if tuna is unpopular you might like to draft in some of that ubiquitous bolognaise sauce instead!

But what of those days when you don’t have the time or the energy to get out those saucepans? Well there is always the bread in the freezer for making sandwiches or toast, and baked beans in the cupboard. Easy.

LH

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I’m into cafes. I like the coffee, the cake, the background chatter… but add gluten free kids to the equation and they quickly lose their zing. This is usually how it goes:

Me: “No those delicious looking cupcakes with the irresistible pink icing and fairy dust sprinkles are not gluten free.”

Them: (indescribable animal noise)

Me: “What about that yummy orange and almond cake?”

Actually, I don’t say that last part aloud anymore. Though I personally quite like the ubiquitous orange and almond cake, I’m not sure why it, together with a few large, dense, pre-packaged cookies, has become the stock, standard gluten free offering of many cafe chains.

So last Saturday morning I steeled myself for the usual onslaught as I sought out a caffeine hit at Coffee Fest, a cafe near the cinemas at Macquarie Centre in Sydney’s North Ryde.

The kids noses were firmly pressed to the counter glass so I asked – as I always do – if they had anything gluten free.

Imagine my surprise when they pointed out almost a whole shelf of pastry treats including tarts, slices, cakes and about eight different cookies. (In my enthusiasm I spent way too much.)

So it looks like there is a move by cafes to boost their gluten free selections.

At the more upmarket end of the cafe spectrum, for instance, there is The Tea Room in the Queen Victoria Building in the Sydney CBD. It now serves a gluten free high tea including a selection of cakes and pastries made from buckwheat, quinoa, chickpea flour and almond meal.

Feel free to post a comment if you know of any other coffee shops that have a really great gluten free range.

MB

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