So what exactly is gluten and where is it found? A family of proteins found in grains, such as wheat, barley, spelt and rye, it is the glue-like consistency that is formed when flour mixes with water that not only gives it its name, but also causes digestive and other health problems for those with an intolerance. Foods that are high gluten include cakes, cookies, pastries, pasta, cereals and bread, while naturally gluten-free foods include meat, fish and seafood, dairy products, vegetables and nuts.
And yet, if you are celiac, that doesn’t mean you can never enjoy pizza, pasta or pastries ever again. You simply need to make some substitutions. These are the recipes we love which steer clear of gluten.
Main image: BBC
Gluten-Free Pasta
Olive Magazine
For anyone avoiding gluten, pasta is usually one of the first things to be dropped like a hot potato. And yet it need not be that way. You can, of course, buy GF pasta from most supermarkets these days, but there is a great satisfaction (read: smugness) to be gained from making your own – especially since it requires just four ingredients. Sure, you may not have xanthan gum in your store cupboard, but once you do, the only other things you’ll need are eggs, GF flour and water. It’s easy, it looks and tastes impressive – and all you need do once you’ve made it is to explore these tasty sauces to serve. Find the recipe here.
Fresh Topped Pizza
BBC Good Food
There are few more fun dishes to knock up than homemade pizza – especially if you’re cooking with little ones. Having a gluten intolerance need not preclude the fun of rolling out bases and choosing creative toppings; simply choose GF flour and proceed as you would otherwise. We love serving ours with plenty of rocket piled on top. Find the recipe here.
Baked Feta In Fig Leaves
Jamie Oliver
Some recipes call for tweaks to be fully gluten free. Others are just naturally so. This falls into the latter camp and, to our minds, is a dish that should be eaten and enjoyed all summer long – and beyond. Transporting us straight to Greece, you simply place the salty, lemon-drenched and oregano-topped feta onto rinsed fig leaves, wrap it up and bake until it is molten, then serve with extra wedges of lemon with flatbreads. If we can’t get to the Greek isles, they must – in some form`– come to us. Find the recipe here.
Simple Quiche With Sweet Potato Crust
Bon Appetit
What’s nicer than a classic quiche for casual lunch with friends? Happily, for those avoiding gluten, this recipe does away with the usual pastry base and replaces it instead with a sweet potato bottom, thus making it healthier, whether you’re celiac or not. Add in your eggs, Greek yoghurt and kale and it’s a filling feast packed with goodness. Find the recipe here.
Prawn And Black Pepper Curry
Olive Magazine
Curry is a great staple for celiacs, thanks to the fact that very such recipes few call for glutenous ingredients that will prove troublesome for the digestive systems. We love this example, which is fragrant, has a great kick and is healthy, too. The good news is that rice is naturally GF, so as long as you avoid mopping up the delicious sauce with bread, then this should be allergen-free while being one hundred percent mouth-watering. Find the recipe here.
Citrus and Passion Fruit Cheesecake
Delicious Magazine
For anyone who cannot tolerate gluten and yet has a sweet tooth that must sometimes be sated, reassuringly, desserts need not be off the menu; rather they just require a couple of tweaks. Whether you’re celiac or not, this is an absolute stand-out dish. The gluten-free rolled oats, the almond butter, the dates, the Greek yogurt, and – of course – the orange, lime and passion fruit combine to make this a knock-out for high summer. Find the recipe here.
Raspberry And Rhubarb Drizzle Cake With Custard
BBC
Candice Brown, winner of 2016’s Great British Bake Off, is the brains behind this absolute beauty of a cake. Using polenta and ground nuts rather than flour, you’ll need a bundt tin and some fairly proficient baking skills and equipment to make this one work. But if you are a budding GBBO hopeful, we think few creations are as pretty as this. Definitely falling under the occasion cake category, as opposed to one that you might knock up for a quick tea, with its raspberries and rhubarb, it is a thing of sweet joy if you have the time and inclination. Find the recipe here.
By Nancy Alsop
January 2022
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