The trouble with being gluten-free is that gluten sneaks its way into lots of our staple foods (like bread and pasta), unexpected ingredients (like soy sauce and stock cubes) and even some treats (cakes and cookies)!
That means if you’re gluten free you need to make sure you read the packaging of everything, or preferably make it all yourself to be completely sure. That may sound daunting, but we’re here to help. Jamie has had his head down and has come up with lots of lovely new gluten-free recipes. He doesn’t just skip the wheat – he’s found delicious and clever ways to replace them. Here are our favourites.
Here’s a treat you may have thought was off limits. When people make pizza dough or bread in general, they always talk about “releasing the gluten”; well, with this recipe you don’t need to. Jamie’s totally reinvented pizza dough so it acts just like its gluten-free equivalent. It’s still crispy as you like – just top it with some delicious, simple ingredients (like he’s done in this recipe) and you’ll fall in love with Italy’s greatest export all over again.
Lots of people are under the impression that oats are off-limits for gluten-free diet. However, they actually contain a protein called avenin, which is like gluten but usually digestible by coeliacs. Just make sure you buy oats that haven’t gone anywhere near other cereals in the factory – they may be labelled “gluten free” on the shelf. Armed with this lovely cereal you can make some gorgeous cookies that are just dying to be dunked in some milk.
Pastry! Such a sad treat to have to miss. Well no longer, because we’ve got a dynamite gluten-free savoury pastry recipe. For me, no Saturday lunchtime is complete without a quiche and a salad. They’re both great things to share and take time over, although you may find yourself wolfing it down because the sweet leek, cheese and bacon topping is incredible.
Gluten-free pasta is finally becoming readily available in shops, and it’s opened up a whole new world of food to coeliacs. Unfortunately, they still can’t have lasagne, because the white sauce is made with flour – unless you make it yourself with gluten-free flour! Here’s a recipe for a great lasagne with creamy gluten-free white sauce (you won’t notice the difference next to a normal one). With this recipe you’ll need to make the pasta yourself too, but once you get the hang of it you’ll wonder why you’ve never done it before.
Gluten-free bread isn’t quite as simple as subbing in gluten-free flour, but it’s still a super-easy thing to do and tastes simply delicious. Once you start making it yourself you’ll never buy a shop loaf again. Just remember, gluten-free bread doesn’t last as long as normal bread, so bake small or be prepared to have a lot of sandwiches for a few days!
