Butter bean & mustard mash

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

As a ravenous coeliac, I like to have a gluten free 'topper' in the fridge at all times. A 'topper' is something that goes on top of a rice cake, toast or other flat carbohydrate. There are several criteria for a topper.

1) Needs to contain a good amount of protein, to fill you and keep you filled for a while
2) Needs to be tasty enough to deal with the thickest of flavour-sapping rice cakes
3) Ideally, made without cooking
4) Is spreadable

They fill you up and stop that 'there's nothing to eat' panic setting in. I'm always on the lookout for new ones, and here's the latest.

Butter bean and mustard topper

1 400g (13oz) tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp Olive oil (preferably mild tasting unless you're a fiend for the olive)
1 tsp gluten free whole grain or dijon mustard
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leafed parsely
Fresh ground black pepper

Put the beans and mustard into a blender, turn on and add the olive oil. You will probably need to add a little water to get to the desired consistency. Blend until smooth. Add the parsely and black pepper.

That's it! That's is why a good topper recipe is worth its weight in gold. If it's half an hour to bedtime and you think "Crikey pyjamas, I haven't got anything for snacks tomorrow", you can still whip one up.

Welcome to the wonderful world of gluten free toppers, the coeliac's savoury saviour.

Roasted butternut squash with cardamom and orange

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

We had this last Sunday with a roasted shoulder of local lamb - it was superb. The cardamom goes really well with the lamb, and it's a novel twist on the usual roasted veggies. I just love roasts, not least because they're naturally gluten free and you don't have to do any working around or missing out.

This will make enough for 2 people, so double up if you're a foursome.

Roasted butternut squash with cardamom and orange

1 butternut squash, about 750g (1 1/2 lb)
1 large red onion
2 tbsp olive oil

For the glaze
8 cardamom pods
20g (small oz) muscovado sugar
3 tbsp fresh orange juice

Peel the squash, remove the seeds and cut each half into 5 or 6 pieces. Boil the squash in salted water for 3 minutes then drain.

Cut the onion into 6 segments and put in roasting tin with the squash and olive oil, coating well. Roast at 200C (400F) for around 30 minutes until tender and colouring on the edges.

To make the glaze, crush the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar. Extract the seeds, chuck the ods, then crush the seeds until they resemble coarse ground black pepper. Mix the seeds with the orange juice, sugar and adjust for taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the roasted veg gently in the glaze and roast for 15 minutes more, tossing a couple of times.

And that, I promise you, is well worth the effort. Happy roasting! :-)

Steamed monkfish in spinach

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free

Another light summery dish, this is an elegant way to make the most of monkfish (which you really want to do, considering the price of it!)

Serves 4

Steamed monkfish in spinach

175g spinach leaves - stalks removed
3 tbsp white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 monkfish fillets - size them for your diners' appetites
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Vinaigrette
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped herbs, such as parsely, dill or tarragon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp lightly flavoured olive oil

Make the vinaigrette by shaking the ingredients together in a jar, or whisking in a bowl. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Blanch your spinach for 30 seconds only in a pan of boiling water. Cool under cold running water then pat dry on kitchen paper.

Add the wine, shallots and lemon juice to a small pan and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are tender and the liquid has almost all gone.

Arrange your spinach leaves on a board in four portions. Divide the shallot between the four and place a monkfish fillet on top. Wrap the leaves round the monkfish.

Season the parcels lightly then steam for 10-12 minutes in a covered pan. Use a steaming rack that keeps the parcels well clear of the water. You can check for 'doneness' by pressing the fish - it should feel firm, or pushing the tip of a small knife into the middle of a fillet and holding it there for a moment or two. It should feel hot on your lip when you take it out.

Arrange the fish on warmed plates with the vinaigrette spooned round. Naturally gluten free loveliness. :-)

Gluten free coconut squares

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Yeast free

Chewy, moist, sweet and nutty, these gluten free coconut squares are a great treat. The gluten free food freak can't have them at the moment due to the egg intolerance, but our other gluten free friends can't get enough. And neither can I! (Being 7 months pregnant is such a good excuse to indulge ;-)

Gluten free coconut squares

75g (3oz) chopped hazlenuts
75g (3oz) dessicated coconut
4 tbsp apricot or raspberry jam
2 drops vanilla essence
pinch of salt
2 eggs (medium)
175g (6oz) rice flour (should be gluten free, but safest is to get flour that is marked 'gluten free' so you can be sure there's no cross-contamination going on)
200g (7oz) demerera sugar
75g (3oz) butter

Mix the butter and 100g sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in 150g rice flour. Grease a shallow cake tin and spread the mix into the tin. Bake for 15 minutes at 180C (350F), then remove and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Beat the eggs lightly and add the rest of the sugar, salt, vanilla essence, rice flour, coconut and hazlenuts. Mix well. Spread the jam over the baked base, then the egg mixture. Return to the oven for 20 minutes more.

Leave in the tin to cool then cut into squares.

I wouldn't necessarily call this the healthiest gluten free option, but it isn't that bad, and boy is it tasty.

Baked red cabbage and walnuts

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free

Now you may find it hard to believe, but here on the West Coast of Scotland, we still get the odd cold and misty day at this time of year. Yes, really. And when they come, you want something warming and hearty.

There's still the odd red cabbage going around in the shops, and here's a great gluten free thing to do with them.

Here's what you need:

Baked red cabbage and walnuts

500g (Just over 1lb) red cabbage, finely shredded
75g (3oz) walnuts
75g (3oz) raisins
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
Grated rind of 1 lemon (take care to leave the bitter pith behind)
2 tbsp lemon juice
50g (1 1/2 oz) dark muscovado sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a casserole dish and fry the onion gently in it until soft. Add the walnuts and cook for a further minute. Add the raisins and cabbage and mix, then add the lemon juice, lemon rind, sugar, vinegar and season.

Bake in a 180C (350F) oven until the cabbage has softened but still has a little bite. Check seasoning and serve.

This recipe is so hearty that you really don't need to serve anything with it, but if you're a die-hard meat fan, a pork chop goes very nicely.

Crab & Cucumber salad

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free

With summer upon us (or just about), fresh tasty gluten free salads at lunchtime are just what the doctor ordered. And with our fresher-than-a-north-easterly seafood, this crab salad is absolutely exquisite.

Crunchy Crab & Cucumber salad

250g (8 oz) white crab meat
1 large head chicory or other bitter salad leaves
Around 350g cucumber, cut into ribbons with a peeler or mandolin
1 cantaloupe melon, quartered
Chives, chopped, to garnish
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
150ml (1/4 pint) olive oil
1 tbsp pickled ginger, finely sliced (this should be gluten free, but just make sure it's not in malt vinegar -it really shouldn't be!)
2.5 cm (1 inch) root ginger, peeled and grated

The fiddly bit here is getting the meat out of the crab claws, but kids can help here if you've got any handy. If not, borrow some from a friend. ;-)

Mix the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and seasoning, then add the pickled and grated ginger. Toss half the dressing with the crab meat.

Put a few chicory leaves on each plate with cucumber strip and a quarter melon then spoon over the crab mix and garnish with the chives.

Tasty, fresh, crunchy, sweet, bitter, gluten free loveliness. You can't say summerier than that!

Gluten test kit update

I've been hunting for a good sensitive gluten test kit for years now, and it looks like I may be closing on my quarry. Here's the latest...

Gluten test kit update

Haddock with olive tapenade with baked fennel

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

We eat a lot of fish here in Oban. It would be rude not to - we can get fish right on the harbourside. The only way to get fresher is to catch it yourself.

This is a nice quick way to liven up some plain white fish. First, make your tapenade.

Gluten free olive tapenade

This will make much more tapenade that you will need for fish for 4, but it will keep in the fridge for a good week, maybe much longer. Rule is, don't eat it if it's furry.

75g pitted olives (we used kalamata, but black is fine)
4 anchovy fillets in oil
25g capers, rinsed
3 garlic cloves
75 ml olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper

Pop the solid stuff into a blender and blitz for a few seconds. Then switch on and add the oil slowly. Continue until smooth.

Then take your fish...

Then spread a thin layer (and I mean thin - if you taste the tapenade you'll see just how punchy it is :) ) on one side of the fish. Set aside.

The Baked Fennel

4 medium fennel bulbs
Splash vermouth
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

Take the fennel bulbs, cut off the tops and bottoms and halve. Then halve each piece again, then again. Put into a baking tray with the vermouth, pepper and olive oil, and add 4 tablespoons of water. Take a piece of baking parchment and soak under the tap, then lay over the fennel and scrunch round it to keep the moisture in so the fennel steams and doesn't dry out.

Put in a 200C (400F) oven for about 30 minutes. Check it so it doesn't dry out.

When the fennel is ready, just fry the fish for 3 minutes each side in a little olive oil and serve with a salad. Oh, gluten free summer heaven.

Gluten free mayonnaise recipe

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free

Have you noticed how much stuff they stick in mayonnaise? Working out if what you're getting is gluten fre mayonnaise or gluten-laden artifical paste can be tricky. That's why we tend to make our own mayo - and this recipe is really quick and easy. None of us have half an hour to spend separating eggs and hand whisking. We want gluten free mayonnaise and we want it now!

Gluten free mayonnaise recipe

1 whole egg
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
300ml sunflower oil (you can use olive oil if you like, but you might want to try a mild flavoured one unless you really, really love the taste of olive oil)

Here's the tricky bit. ;)

Put the egg, vinegar and salt into a food processor and turn on. Slowly pour in the oil. The longer you leave the machine on the thicker the mayo will get.

And that's it. Gluten free mayonnaise at the drop of a hat.

Gluten free beef stew

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

This is a great way to make a tasty gluten free beef stew when you haven't got any stock to hand. The powerful flavours of the anchovies and capers more than make up for any missing meat flavours.

Gluten free beef stew

Serves 4 with some veggies

800g stewing steak cut into 1-2 inch chunks (you can use a cheap cut as it will be slow-cooked to tender perfection :-)
400g onion, thickly sliced
25g tin anchovies in oil
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped. You can get capers in salted water which should be gluten free, but do check of course
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp mustard - English or French will do. Again, check for gluten-free-ness

The tart flavours of the anchovies and capers made sweet potato mash a perfect accompaniment to the beef stew. The easy way is to 'roast' some sweet potatoes in the microwave, scoop out the flesh and mash up with a nice big lump of butter or gluten free dairy free spread in our case :-)

Spicy Beans with Squash and Spinach

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

Who said veggie food was boring and bland? Not in our house it's not. Although we love a bit of flesh now and again, this gluten free recipe for Spicy Beans with Squash and Spinach is a welcome bit of veggie heaven. Serve with rice, preferably brown, for a tasty dinner. Don't be put off by the long ingredient list in this gluten free recipe - most of them are spices or things you've probably got lurking in the fridge.

Spicy Beans with Squash and Spinach
5cm ginger root, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
juice of 1 lime
150ml vegetable stock (use a gluten free brand such as Kallo)
500g peeled pumpkin or squash
Seasoning
400g mixed beans, rinsed and drained
225g fresh spinach, rinsed and drained
Big handful fresh coriander, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped.

Put the ginger, garlic and 4tbsp water into a small blender and blend until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large pan and sweat the onions and chilli for 5 minutes or so. Add the dry spices and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the ginger and garlic paste and cook for another minute.
Add the lime juice, veg stock and pumpkin/squash. Season lightly, bring to the boil then simmer gently for 15 - 20 minutes until the squash is tender.
Add the beans to the pan and heat through for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach, stir it in and cook until it's wilted - this will only take 2 minutes or so. Stir in the coriander, season to taste and serve.

Although fresh spinach is best, frozen chopped spinach is a good alternative. A lot of the goodness of fresh spinach is preserved by the freezing process, so it's better than leaving it out altogether.

This was also nice the next day, reheated in the microwave. I had mine on toast (sorry I'm a gluten eater), and the gluten free food freak had his with some leftover rice and pork burgers. I reckon it would freeze okay too.

Gluten Free Recipes - Salsa Verde

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

The olive tapenade recipe reminded me of another great gluten free recipe for fish - salsa verde. It's another taste dynamite, packing a lot of flavour into a tiny amount of sauce, perfect for fish, shellfish or over green veggies.

Gluten Free Recipe - Salsa Verde
big handful flat leaf parsley, washed and dried
small handful mint leaves, washed and dried
3 tablespoons of capers, drained
6 anchovy fillets, in oil, drained
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon gluten free Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
120ml olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

Either roughly chop the fresh herbs, capers, anchovies and garlic on a board, or put into a blender and lightly pulse. If you're using a blender, try not to make it too smooth. Then add your mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and mix (with a spoon, not with the blender). Add some salt to taste.

This mixture will keep in the fridge for a few days, but it's better to make a small amount and use it up immediately. Delicious.

There are probably 101 different versions of salsa verde, but this is the gluten free recipe that I like. The dijon mustard is optional if you're not sure of it's gluten free status.

Gluten Free Tapenade - Olive, Caper and Anchovy

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

The husband aka the gluten free food freak has been excelling himself in the kitchen lately. Tonight's offering of fish with a intense olive tapenade, greens and potatoes was scoffed down by one and all, including toddler.

Let's cut to the chase...

Gluten Free Tapenade
75g pitted black olives
4 anchovy fillets (in oil, not the salted ones. If you can only get the salted ones, rinse them a few times and soak them in milk to get rid of the saltiness)
25g capers
3 garlic cloves
75ml olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Put the olives, anchovies, capers and garlic in a blender and pulse a few times. Turn the blender on constant, and slowly add the oil. Stir in the the freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spoon into a clean glass jar and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Smear a little tapenade onto your white fish (we used haddock), and fry as normal. I won't teach you to suck eggs and go into how to prepare greens or potatoes, so use this tapenade wantonly because it's jolly tasty.

I reckon the tapenade would go with many other dishes... Perhaps with some cold roast lamb and lettuce on a sandwich. Or you could bulk it out with some mayonaise or yoghurt and have a tasty dip for veggie dippers (carrot sticks, cucumber, peppers etc).

Here's hoping the gluten free food hubby keeps up the good work in the kitchen!

Chocolate sorbet recipe - so good

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

We're having a right splurge of gluten free recipes just now aren't we? That's because the crazy onslaught of visitors we had through April and early May has subsided a little and we're catching up on the recipes we made for them. And this gluten free chocolate sorbet recipe caused more than a few mmmmmm...'s among the hordes.

Gluten free chocolate sorbet recipe

If you have an ice cream maker, this will be super-easy. If you don't, get one. ;) No, of course you can make sorbet by hand, just like you can make bread by hand. It's just much easier with a machine.

Here's the ingredients:

100g gluten free chocolate - 70% is best, broken/chopped into smallish bits
60g cocoa powder - this should be gluten free, but check of course
125g of caster sugar
550ml water

Heat the water with the caster sugar and cocoa until just boiling, then let simmer for 5 minutes. Throw in your gluten free chocolate and stir until melted. Leave to cool. Pop it in your ice cream maker and press go. If you need to put it into your freezer to firm it up (most ice cream makers need this) then take it out 10-15 minutes before you want to eat it otherwise it will be a bit solid.

To make the chocolate sorbet without an ice cream maker, see Delia's page on the subject.

And no chocolate sorbet recipe would be complete without a plug for our gorgeous local gluten free chocolate emporium, the Oban Chocolate Factory. They not only know all about gluten free chocolate, they also happen to make the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted. Order online today :)

Wild rice & bean pilaff

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

When I make a risotto, I sometimes feel a little guilty about the, well, whiteness of it all. You could hardly call a risotto low-GL (glycaemic load) food, and I tend to feel better if I keep the GLs down. But then I love (love) risotto.

So I went looking for a gluten free rice dish that used brown or other unprocessed rice, and this is what I found. It's hearty, filling and vegetarian (if you use vege stock), and although it's not quite as sexy as a glistening risotto, it's a decent alternative.

Wild rice & bean pilaff

Serves 4-6 depending on the ravenousness levels

Preheat oven to 200C (400F)

450ml gluten free stock - chicken or vege
75g brown rice
75g wild rice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
400g tin mixed beans - like chick peas, pinto beans, kidney beans - you know the sort of thing
200g spinach
200g onions, chopped
Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Gently fry the onions in the oil in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish. Add the garlic and all the rice and stir for another minute or two. Add the seasoned stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Put in the oven for 50 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the beans and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes, then stir in the spinach. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This is a really filling vegetarian gluten free meal, and really healthy too. What's more, it's great the next day for lunch, with a salad or in a plastic box at work. :)

Gluten free spaghetti with lemon and nut butter

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

When your food allergies include tomato, the quest for gluten free, tomato free pasta recipes can lead you into some pretty tough territory. Which is how we found ourselves in pasta-and-nuts land.

Willing to give anything a try once though, we strode forth into one of the stranger gluten free recipes we've tried. Here's how it went...

Gluten free spaghetti with lemon and nut butter

Serves 4

50 ml olive oil
75g roughly chopped hazlenuts
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
2 tbsp single cream (optional)
salt & fresh ground back pepper
250g gluten free spaghetti - my faves are Schar or Rizopia brown spaghetti
2 lemons

Grate and juice the lemons. Gently fry the garlic and hazlenuts in the oil for about a minute, add the lemon rind and set aside. Cook the gluten free spaghetti then add to oil mixture. Stir in lemon juice and herbs and season to taste.

And if you're of a dairy persuasion, wallop a great load of grated parmesan on the top. You lucky thing.

So as far as tomato-free, gluten-free pasta sauces go, this wasn't the most memorable, but it ain't too bad for a week night.

Nutritionist progress - 1 month in

I thought it was about time to update you on my progress with my nutritionist, who I'm seeing for help with my food allergies.

The first appointment was around a month ago, at which I was put on a regime of Omega 6 oil and heavy duty probiotics.

About 5 days in, I started getting Dermatitis Herpatiformis on my hand, which I normally only get when poisoned with gluten. My knuckle on my right hand also broke out in eczema-ish, itchy bumps, my sleep got disrupted and poo quality went down the toilet (!) I let the nutritionist know and he told me to stop taking them.

About a week later, once the symptoms had settled down, I started taking just the oil to see if that was OK on its own. 4 days in and I was getting disrupted sleep and dodgy stools, so I stopped again.

Next was the turn of the probiotics on their own, and again, 4 days in and it was knuckle, sleep and poo again. Arg. So I've stopped taking them again, and I'm awaiting the next word from the nutritionist. I'm wondering if the fact that part of the probiotic regime is a yeast is causing problems - my original allergy test showed yeast as a problem.

Anyway, we'll wait and see. Other than the disrupted sleep I'm feeling fine, so not to worry :)

Pork & coconut patties

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

Everyone loves a burger right? And we coeliacs love a gluten free burger even more. Here's a twist on the burger front using pork instead. Which I guess makes it a hamburger doesn't it? Except it's all thai, and I don't think they do hamburgers... Hmmm... anyway...

Gluten free pork & coconut patties

50g fresh gluten free breadcrumbs (If you haven't got any gluten free bread to hand, you could use our gluten free food glue instead)
50 ml coconut milk (if you use a coconut block they're always gluten free - at least I've never seen one that isn't - and you don't have to open a tin to use this little bit)
450g minced pork
2 tsp gluten free thai green curry paste
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp sugar
grated rind and juice of 1 lime

Soak the gluten free breadcrumbs in the coconut milk for 5-10 minutes, then mix with the pork and other ingredients.

Form into 15-20 small patties. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry in batches for about 5 minutes on each side until nice and brown and cooked through.

(To get your flavouring just right, fry a little mix and taste before making your patties so you can adjust).

We served the gluten free pork and coconut patties with a little plain rice and a salad (just because the pak choi from the garden is ready for the first time this year :) )

Moroccan Beetroot & Chickpea Soup

This recipe is:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Yeast free

Due to a nifty bit of packaging by Tesco's, I thought the beetroot was local. (The trick was they were in a bundle with no packaging at all, looking all dead 'farmy'). But whether from Spain or Southend, the beetroots needed cooking, and in a gluten free style.

On a lazy Sunday, Gluten Free Food Wifie leapt into the fray, gripped the beetroots by their stalks and announced that a beetroot soup was to be made.

An hour or so later, we enjoyed the most delicious gluten free beetroot soup, a soup so red the baby called it ice cream, and so tasty that I called it nectar. Here's how she did it...

Gluten free beetroot & chickpea soup

1 clove garlic, chopped
2 red onions, roughly chopped
4 sweet potatoes (small/medium), peeled & chopped
5 beetroots, peeled & chopped
100g red lentils
2 pints chicken stock (veg will do)
1 * 400g tin chickpeas
Tbsp cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Finely chopped chives (optional)

Saute garlic and onions in the olive oil until clear, then add cumin sweet potatoes and beetroots. Fry gently for another 5 minutes, stirring. Add chicken stock and lentils, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. Blend until smooth. Add chickpeas and lemon juice and heat through. Serve with chives and a swirl of cream or yoghurt.

This beetroot soup was so good, baby and I had to have another bowl half way through the afternoon, and we had it cold. Beautiful. Previous beetroot soups I have had have been too earthy tasting, or relied on sharpness to cut through the earthiness of the beetroot. This gorgeous gluten free soup is sweet, filling and the flavours are just amazing. I really, really recommend you give it a go.