Accidently consuming gluten as a coeliac is not a pleasant experience. However, once the gastro symptoms and the horrible 'hungover' feeling have gone, for me one of the most distressing symptoms is craving foods that contain gluten. This symptom seems to linger after the episode has almost been forgotten.
I ate a meal at a chinese restaurant at the weekend and was probably less careful than I should have been. Since then I have been craving pies and pizza and all the things I can't have.
To counteract these cravings I made gluten free pizza and defrosted a gluten free coffee cake I had in the freezer.
Still, sometimes gluten free alternatives don't quite hit the spot.
I would never deliberately consume gluten so why does my body crave something that makes it so so ill?
That's a question I wish I knew the answer to.
Does anyone else experience gluten cravings?
What do you do to counteract them?
Leave your ideas in the comments section :)
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Saturday, 12 January 2008
JML Handy Seal
I often buy on impulse! I'm attracted by pretty things and money off deals and usually end up buying things I will never use.
It was with my impulsive head that I picked up the JML Handy Seal when it was reduced to £3.99 from £4.99 in my local Holland and Barrett.
But this is far from useless! I find that, in an attempt to make the best gluten free foods possible, I try lots of different types of flour, sugar, GF cereals etc. These things mainly come in plastic bags that need sealing after I have opened them. I've tried lots of different fiddly methods but still often find spills of these ingredients in my cupboards.
This is the best little machine! OK so really its just a basic mini heat sealer but its so easy to use, effective and quick, that I've quickly become one of its biggest fan. It's AA battery operated, has a guard to prevent it switching itself on and is magnetic backed so it sticks to the fridge.
Such a simple idea and yet so useful for all those half-used bags of flour!
It was with my impulsive head that I picked up the JML Handy Seal when it was reduced to £3.99 from £4.99 in my local Holland and Barrett.
But this is far from useless! I find that, in an attempt to make the best gluten free foods possible, I try lots of different types of flour, sugar, GF cereals etc. These things mainly come in plastic bags that need sealing after I have opened them. I've tried lots of different fiddly methods but still often find spills of these ingredients in my cupboards.
This is the best little machine! OK so really its just a basic mini heat sealer but its so easy to use, effective and quick, that I've quickly become one of its biggest fan. It's AA battery operated, has a guard to prevent it switching itself on and is magnetic backed so it sticks to the fridge.
Such a simple idea and yet so useful for all those half-used bags of flour!
Friday, 4 January 2008
Choosing Dry Pasta and Fresh GF Pasta Recipe
I used to hate gluten free pasta! I found it sticky and awful! I soon realised that rice pasta (for me) was a poor replacement. My mum bought me some Orgran Corn and Vegetable Pasta when I went to visit and I loved it. It was more tasty than wheat pasta and the texture was similar to that of 'normal' pasta.
I then discovered Sainsburys Free From Corn Pasta. Again the texture was less sticky and closer to what I was used to. I find this better for pasta bakes as it has a less distinctive flavour than the Orgran one.
So for me corn pasta was definitely the way forward!
I was then bought a pasta machine for Christmas last year. This enabled me to make fresh pasta with eggs and also opened up the possibilities of making filled pasta. (like ravioli.) I used the recipe from my pasta machine with an extra egg and a mix of cornflour and Doves Farm GF plain flour. I later added the Xanthan Gum as the first batch was too crumbly to put through the machine.
(This was the first successful pasta I made with my machine, drying)
You can freeze this as dough or as pre-made pasta shaped as long as you use it within a month of freezing.
Splitting the mixture into 8 should make it manageable sized to put it through the pasta maker - it stretches a lot during the process and can get quite difficult to handle if the pieces are too big.
Just a word of warning - making pasta this way is reasonably time consuming as each section is put through the machine up to 10 times to get the desired thickness and shape.
This pasta can be kept in a sealed tub in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Cook it by placing in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins. Spaghetti shaped pieces also make a good replacement for egg noodles with oriental meals.
Try making filled pasta parcels by leaving the stretched pasta as long strips (like lasagne) and cutting into squares. In the past I have made mixes of mascapone and cooked spinach (gorgeous) and soft cheese, salami and smoked ham. Seal them with any left over egg. These need cooking for a bit longer to ensure the filling is heated through.
I then discovered Sainsburys Free From Corn Pasta. Again the texture was less sticky and closer to what I was used to. I find this better for pasta bakes as it has a less distinctive flavour than the Orgran one.
So for me corn pasta was definitely the way forward!
I was then bought a pasta machine for Christmas last year. This enabled me to make fresh pasta with eggs and also opened up the possibilities of making filled pasta. (like ravioli.) I used the recipe from my pasta machine with an extra egg and a mix of cornflour and Doves Farm GF plain flour. I later added the Xanthan Gum as the first batch was too crumbly to put through the machine.
(This was the first successful pasta I made with my machine, drying)
Fresh GF Pasta
350g Plain GF Flour
150g Cornflour
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
4-5 eggs
2 tablespoons of oil
- Mix the flours together in a big bowl
- Add Xanthan Gum
- Beat 3 of the eggs in with the oil
- Add the liquid to the flour bit by bit, mixing in between
- Add more egg as required to make the mixture come together into a ball of dough
- Wrap dough in cling film and place in fridge for 30 mins
- Remove cling film and split dough into 8 similar size pieces
- Take a piece at a time and follow the pasta maker instructions to make pasta shapes of your choice!
You can freeze this as dough or as pre-made pasta shaped as long as you use it within a month of freezing.
Splitting the mixture into 8 should make it manageable sized to put it through the pasta maker - it stretches a lot during the process and can get quite difficult to handle if the pieces are too big.
Just a word of warning - making pasta this way is reasonably time consuming as each section is put through the machine up to 10 times to get the desired thickness and shape.
This pasta can be kept in a sealed tub in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Cook it by placing in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins. Spaghetti shaped pieces also make a good replacement for egg noodles with oriental meals.
Try making filled pasta parcels by leaving the stretched pasta as long strips (like lasagne) and cutting into squares. In the past I have made mixes of mascapone and cooked spinach (gorgeous) and soft cheese, salami and smoked ham. Seal them with any left over egg. These need cooking for a bit longer to ensure the filling is heated through.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Gluten free treats - whilst out shopping
I love shopping and I don't like to have to plan what I will eat before I go or be restricted by time once I start. This became a problem when I began a gluten free diet as I could no longer just grab a sandwich or burger when I got hungry.
I do most of my shopping in Birmingham city centre and have discovered quite a collection of treats that I can buy when I'm out shopping. Most of them can probably be found in other towns and cities too.
My number one favourite has got to be the Marks and Spencer's Lemon Macaroons. These come in a pack of two and are found with the cream cakes in the fridge section. They consist of coconut macaroons sandwiched together with lemon cream. So so good! Unfortunately I can't find a picture of them.
Muffin Break are another favourite. Their branch in the Bullring, Birmingham always has one flavour of gluten free muffins and sometimes two. I really like them - especially the ones with the gooey topping! And at £1.75 they are only 10p more than the non-gluten free versions.
Caffé Nero in the Pallasades (above New St train station) does a gluten free brownie which is also very good. Also in the Pallasades is Holland and Barrett which sell a range of gluten free goodies including fruit and nut bars, flavoured rice cakes (try the Kallo yeast flavoured ones - they taste like Marmite!) and also gluten free cakes and biscuits including the Mrs Crimbles range (read the packaging carefully on these as some are wheat free but NOT gluten free.) I also love the So Crispy Paprika flavour snacks which can be found in most health shops and supermarkets.
Boots also do vegetable chips in a bag which are tasty and gluten free.
And if I need something more filling there's always the 'Coeliac's Best Friend' aka the jacket potato! Although if you are having cheese with it check whether they buy their cheese ready-grated and, if so, what is used to prevent it all sticking together. Sometimes they use wheat flour in ready-grated cheese.
I do most of my shopping in Birmingham city centre and have discovered quite a collection of treats that I can buy when I'm out shopping. Most of them can probably be found in other towns and cities too.
My number one favourite has got to be the Marks and Spencer's Lemon Macaroons. These come in a pack of two and are found with the cream cakes in the fridge section. They consist of coconut macaroons sandwiched together with lemon cream. So so good! Unfortunately I can't find a picture of them.
Muffin Break are another favourite. Their branch in the Bullring, Birmingham always has one flavour of gluten free muffins and sometimes two. I really like them - especially the ones with the gooey topping! And at £1.75 they are only 10p more than the non-gluten free versions.
Caffé Nero in the Pallasades (above New St train station) does a gluten free brownie which is also very good. Also in the Pallasades is Holland and Barrett which sell a range of gluten free goodies including fruit and nut bars, flavoured rice cakes (try the Kallo yeast flavoured ones - they taste like Marmite!) and also gluten free cakes and biscuits including the Mrs Crimbles range (read the packaging carefully on these as some are wheat free but NOT gluten free.) I also love the So Crispy Paprika flavour snacks which can be found in most health shops and supermarkets.Boots also do vegetable chips in a bag which are tasty and gluten free.
And if I need something more filling there's always the 'Coeliac's Best Friend' aka the jacket potato! Although if you are having cheese with it check whether they buy their cheese ready-grated and, if so, what is used to prevent it all sticking together. Sometimes they use wheat flour in ready-grated cheese.
Basic Gluten Free Cooking Tips
If you remember nothing else about gluten free cooking there is one golden rule that never seems to fail me.
If you are trying to use a recipe using wheat flour and replacing it with gluten free flour:
Always use more liquid than the recipe says!
That's it! That's the number one rule. How much depends on what you are making and what flour you are using. But experiment! That's part of the fun of baking!
For example if I'm making a GF sponge cake I add a bit of milk after the flour. The mixture looks more runny than it would if it wasn't GF but the cake comes out much more moist.
Also, again if you are trying to transform recipes that you used to use before diagnosis, if the recipe calls for self-raising flour either:
1) Use normal GF flour and add a teaspoon of GF baking powder per 100g of flour. Supercook do one but be careful - it looks like their non-GF one and I find supermarkets often mix them up.
2) Some companies actually make self-raising flour (Orgran do) but these are quite expensive if you can't/don't get them on prescription.
I personally go for option one.
Also buying some Xanthan Gum was a lifesaver. This is a naturally gluten free product that can be used to replace gluten in GF products. It adds some of the stickiness and versatility lost by using GF flour.
I use it mainly in bread (or use GF bread flour which already has it added) but also find it useful in muffins and sponge cakes. (recipes to follow!)
If you are trying to use a recipe using wheat flour and replacing it with gluten free flour:
Always use more liquid than the recipe says!That's it! That's the number one rule. How much depends on what you are making and what flour you are using. But experiment! That's part of the fun of baking!
For example if I'm making a GF sponge cake I add a bit of milk after the flour. The mixture looks more runny than it would if it wasn't GF but the cake comes out much more moist.
Also, again if you are trying to transform recipes that you used to use before diagnosis, if the recipe calls for self-raising flour either:
1) Use normal GF flour and add a teaspoon of GF baking powder per 100g of flour. Supercook do one but be careful - it looks like their non-GF one and I find supermarkets often mix them up.
2) Some companies actually make self-raising flour (Orgran do) but these are quite expensive if you can't/don't get them on prescription.
I personally go for option one.
Also buying some Xanthan Gum was a lifesaver. This is a naturally gluten free product that can be used to replace gluten in GF products. It adds some of the stickiness and versatility lost by using GF flour.
I use it mainly in bread (or use GF bread flour which already has it added) but also find it useful in muffins and sponge cakes. (recipes to follow!)
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