There are all sorts of reasons why people switch to a gluten-free diet. Gluten is a basically a type of protein that you get in 3 types of cereal: wheat, barley and rye. Some people have what’s called a gluten intolerance. It’s a bit like an allergy, where your body has a negative reaction to you eating anything containing gluten. Other people live with something called coeliac disease. This is an auto-immune digestive condition that causes quite serious inflammatory symptoms when the sufferer consumes anything with even a trace of gluten in it.
If you’re following a gluten free diet, or you’re about to start, here are 3 recipes that are well worth a try.
Gluten free pancakes
What you need
125g gluten free plain flour
1 egg
250ml milk
A knob of butter
What you do
Sift the flour into a bowl then make a hole in the center
Crack the egg into the hole you’ve made then pour in a good splash of milk
Whisk the mixture together until it becomes a paste
Slowly whisk in the rest of the milk, a little at a time, to make sure there’s no lumps
Put in the fridge to rest for 20 mins
Heat your FlavorStone Diamond pan over a medium heat and huck in a knob of butter
Give you pancake mixture a good stir then ladle in a small amount
Swirl your FlavorStone Diamond pan around so the mixture coats the bottom in a thin layer
a small non-stick frying pan with a knob of butter
Cook until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side
Stack up the pancakes as you cook each one
Serve with a splash of orange juice and a sprinkling of sugar
Harissa Chicken Traybake
What you need
4 chicken legs
4 tbsp harissa paste
1 garlic bulb, smashed into cloves, unpeeled
1 lemon, chopped into wedges
400g cherry tomatoes
350g new potatoes
Handful of chopped olives
2 tbsp olive oil
What you do
Heat your oven to 200℃/180℃ fan/gas 6.
Score the chicken legs with a sharp knife then massage in the harissa paste
Season well and place in your FlavorStone Diamond
Throw in the garlic cloves (no need to peel) then squeeze the lemon wedges over the mixture
Chuck in the lemon rinds plus cherry tomatoes, potatoes and olives
Season again, drizzle over with a glug of olive oil toss everything together.
Bake for around 45 mins until the chicken is gnarly and cooked through
Serve on the table with a green salad and crusty bread for mopping up the juices
Gluten-free chicken pie
What you need
For the topping
175g gluten free flour
85g cold butter, coarsely grated
50g mature cheddar, grated
1 tsp mustard
For the filling
25g butter
2 tbsp sunflower oil
500g chicken breast fillets, cut chunky
2 leeks, sliced thickly
350ml hot chicken stock
1 tbsp gluten free flour
85g frozen peas, defrosted
4 tbsp crème fraîche
What you do
Mix the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add the cheese.
Stir in the mustard with a couple of tablespoons of water.
Once you’ve got a dough, wrap it in clingfilm and chill for half an hour
Next, heat the butter in your FlavorCast pan and fry the chicken until golden
Add the leeks and fry until softened
Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then put a lid on a simmer over a low heat for 15 mins
Heat your oven to 200℃/180℃ fan/gas 6
Mix the flour and 1 tbsp cold water together to form a paste
Add to your FlavorCast pan and stir until thickened
Stir in the peas and crème fraîche, and check the seasoning
Roll out the pastry so that it’s a bit bigger than the top of your FlavorCast pan
Roll it around your rolling pin then roll it over the FlavorCast pan so it covers it completely
Trim off the pastry skirt, brush the top with milk, prick a whole in the center of the pie and bake until golden