New Gluten free choices at Milanos and Pizza Express!

GLUTEN-FREE

CHOICES

We’ve listened to our customers, talked to the experts and have launched a gluten-free range we’re really proud of. Try our new gluten-free pizza bases (Classic for adults and Piccolo for kids), our Risotto d’Oro, and a gluten-free Chocolate Brownie for dessert. And for the adults, there’s even a gluten-free beer.

"our nearest beach!"

today I made gluten free salmon fish cakes for dinner...really delicious! I used more fish less potatoes but if you prefer it the other way round then that works too....I followed this recipe and used rice flour and gf breadcrumbs...perfect served with asparagus and soya beans for a well balanced meal or a big green leafy salad is good too...makes enough to freeze or to have the next day.

 

 

Ingredients

• 450g floury potatoes , cut into chunks
• 350g salmon (about 3 fillets)
• 2 tsp tomato ketchup - (chef ketchup is gf)                                                                                              
• 1 tsp English mustard - (I use dijon mustard again check the labeling for no gluten ingredients.) 
• zest ½ lemon , plus wedges to serve
• 1 heaped tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 heaped tbsp chopped dill
• 3 tbsp plain flour - doves farm rice flour or doves farm gluten free plain flour.                                                                                              
• 1 egg , beaten
• 100g dried breadcrumbs - any gf bread blended to breadcrumbs.. 
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• salad , to serve

1. Heat the grill. Place the potatoes in a pan of water, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 12-15 mins until tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry, then mash. Meanwhile, season the salmon and grill for 5-6 mins until just cooked. Cool for a few mins, then break into large flakes.
2. Mix the potato, ketchup, mustard, zest, herbs and some seasoning. Lightly mix in the salmon, taking care not to break it up too much. Shape into 4 large fish cakes.
3. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 shallow dishes. Dip the cakes into the flour, dust off any excess, then dip in the egg, and finally coat in breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the cakes over a medium-low heat for 3-4 mins each side until deep golden and heated through. Serve with salad and lemon wedges. 

 

 

 

 NB. Next Receipe to put on here will be toffee apple crumble made with ground almonds and oats as the crumble... have tried and tested this dish and it is yum!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Polenta Cake

 

 

******************************************************************************* 

Hotel Europe
http://www.theeurope.com/

Hotel Europe in Killarney is a lovely place to dine for gluten free dishes, and the staff are great, in other words you get what you pay for, good quality food and good service is worth every penny.

*******************************************************************************

This is my receipe of the week - Orange Polenta Cake



A rich moist cake with a dark spiced caramel..

Serves 8-10

Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 5 oranges: 2 peeled and thinly sliced, 2 chopped and 1 juiced
• 120g unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing tin
• 280g sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 30g plain gf flour, sieved
• 140g polenta
• 120g ground almonds
• Crème fraiche or yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Butter a 20cm (8in) round cake tin and line with baking paper. Lay the orange slices over the base of the tin.
2. Place the chopped oranges in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes, then drain. Transfer for a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until almost smooth.
3. In a bowl cream the butter and 180g sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, combining well between each addition. Mix in the blended oranges, then fold in two-thirds of the ground cloves, followed by the baking powder, flour, polenta and ground almonds. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in its tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.
4. To the make the clove and orange caramel, heat 100g sugar and the orange juice in a heavy-based pan, until the sugar and the orange juice in a heavy-based pan, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has thickened. When it turns golden brown, immediately take it off the heat and stir in the remaining ground cloves. Add a splash of water if the caramel is too thick to drizzle – it should be the consistency of honey.
5. Drizzle the syrup all over the cake and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Nice places to eat gluten free

watching the sun go down at our local beach...

*********************************************************************************

Living in Kerry, I find it a challenge to eat somewhere that serves gluten free food and staff who actually know what they are talking about, not only that but to get both good food and good service can be a challenge.  However I found it here at the Chowder Cafe in Dingle.  I had mussels with a garlic and white wine sauce and the most delicious gluten free bread, homemade.  I was so impressed, what a great find and I have been going back there ever since.  They can do gluten free fish and chips too on request which I have not had yet but it is really good to know.

Chowder Cafe/Restaurant

Strand Street, Dingle, Ireland

*********************************************************************************

***The Boatyard restaurant in Dingle is really good too for gluten free dishes.

*********************************************************************************

Brighton Pub..

***Earth and Stars

26 Windsor Street, Brighton BN1 1RJ, England

+44 (0)01273 722879

A great place to go for a gluten free Sunday Roast in Brighton :)

********************************************************************************

Another tried and tested Gluten free recipe that I can recommend..enjoy:)

Gluten free buckwheat & buttermilk pancakes

I tried these and they were really good especially cold and served with some smoked salmon and rocket :)

Ingredients

70g buckwheat flour
70g rice flour
1 tsp gf baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp bread soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
15g brown sugar
120ml natural yoghurt
1 large egg
150ml  buttermilk
1 tbsp melted butter

Method:

• Sieve all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Whisk wet ingredients together and add to flour mix.
• Stir into dry ingredients and mix to a smooth, thick, creamy batter.
• Heat pan, add a little butter or oil and spoon mixture onto pan.  allow bubbles to appear before turning over.
• Add berries, fruit purees, nuts, sliced banana, apples and other fruits. 

NB...make a savoury pancake by leaving out cinnamon and sugar.

Coeliac self-diagnosis warning

The gluten-free fad that is taking hold could be dangerous and lead to serious diseases being missed, says Coeliac Australia.

Coeliac Australia's dietitian Penny Dellsperger said it was important for people to be diagnosed with coeliac disease before they embarked on a gluten-free diet.

"The symptoms are non-specific and can be quite vague and mimic those of other conditions, so it is important to make sure you are treating the right condition," she said. "If someone goes on a gluten-free diet without proper investigation, they could in fact have ovarian cancer or something else, so it can be quite dangerous to health."

People with coeliac disease have a permanent intolerance to gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, oats and barley that can damage the lining of the small bowel and result in nutritional deficiencies if untreated.

Although one in 100 Australians has coeliac disease, 75 per cent of them are not aware of it. Common symptoms are unexplained extreme fatigue, bloating or other gut symptoms, headaches and joint pains. Ms Dellsperger said people should not fiddle with their diet or self-diagnose but should see their GP.

People were born with a genetic predisposition to the disease. It could set in from the day gluten was introduced into their diet, usually at 6-12 months, but could develop at any age and sometimes was not diagnosed until people were 50 or even 80. It was important for people with the disease to stick strictly to a gluten-free diet or they could place their health at long-term risk of bowel cancer and osteoporosis.
"But if you have got to pick something to have, then at least with this one we know that as long as you stick to the right diet, then you are going to be fine," Ms Dellsperger said.
Information: coeliac.org.au.

Could you go without gluten for a week???

Coeliac UK challenges nation to go without gluten for a week

Coeliac UK, the national charity for coeliac disease is challenging the nation to go gluten-free from 14-20 May to raise awareness of the daily food frustrations encountered by the 1 in 100 people in the UK who have coeliac disease.

The idea of the Gluten-free Challenge is for people to shop, cook or eat out completely gluten-free for a week in order to experience what it is like to be diagnosed with coeliac disease and have to check every ingredient on every packet to ensure it doesn't contain any gluten.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerence to gluten. There is no cure and no medication and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is found in bread, pasta, pizza, cakes and beer etc. However, it is also often used in a wide range of products including mayonnaise, soy sauce, sauces, sausages and many processed goods.

There are a range of activities that people can get involved with including:

• Encourage your office to go gluten-free for work lunches or the office biscuits
• Invite friends to take part in Come Dine With Me Gluten-free, taking it in turns to shop for and cook gluten-free meals throughout the week
• Go out for dinner and ask about and only order gluten-free options to ensure that eating establishments know about the demand for gluten-free food
• Schools can hold a gluten-free cake stall or cook a gluten-free recipe in food technology classes
• Talk to local restaurants and ask them to provide gluten-free options on their menu
• When shopping check the back of packets to see how many items include gluten and choose the gluten-free options
• Get sponsored for the week if you're taking on the Gluten-free Challenge.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK said: "After struggling for years to get diagnosed with coeliac disease many people are then faced with a complete change in diet and lifestyle. People may be surprised by how good some gluten-free products are and how many naturally gluten-free dishes there are on a restaurant menu.
"However there may also be frustrations by the unnecessary limitations on your diet, such as sauces made with wheat flour or fruit salad being the only suitable dessert on offer. But by taking the Challenge you will be doing your bit to help educate and to get the changes needed.

"Popping into your local restaurant and asking what they have which is gluten-free is spreading awareness and will hopefully encourage caterers to offer more gluten-free options for all customers."