Gluten Free Recipes

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, oats and rye. When a person is allergic to gluten, it is known as gluten intolerance and in severe cases as celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disease and the symptoms are chronic diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and anemia. So, people who are suffering from gluten intolerance have to strictly follow a gluten free diet.

Gluten Free Dinner Recipes

Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 250 gm baby potatoes, quartered
• 250 gm waxy potatoes, quartered
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 red onions, sliced
• ½ cup spring onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons English mustard
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped

Method

Add the quartered potatoes, carrots and baby potatoes in a baking tray along with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake them for 40 to 50 minutes at 220º centigrade. Remove from the oven when the vegetables have turned golden brown. In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by mixing red wine vinegar, mustard paste, chopped capers, salt and pepper. Whisk all the ingredients together and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Place all the vegetables out in a platter and add the dressing and the sliced onions. Toss everything together until all the vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.

Mussels with Mint Sauce

Ingredients

• 750 gm mussels
• 400 ml dry white wine
• ¼ cup fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• 1 small red onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chives

Method

Clean the mussels and scrub them to remove all traces of dirt. Discard any mussel whose shell is open. In a medium-sized saucepan, place the mussels along with 300ml of dry white wine. Cover with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the saucepan continuously. Check if the mussels have opened and discard any that have not opened. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Fry them in medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onions have turned golden. Add the rest of the wine along with the chopped mint and thyme. Now add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the mussels and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives.

Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes

Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup risotto rice
• 2 shallots, chopped fine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 250 gm asparagus
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Method

Chop the asparagus into 1 inch long pieces, discarding the ends. Blanch the asparagus for 4 to 5 minutes until they are a little tender. Drain the asparagus and put them in ice-cold water to retain their bright green color. In a frying pan, heat the butter and add the chopped shallots. Fry the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes until they have turned translucent. When the onions are cooked, add the risotto rice into the pan, and cook for another 2 minutes until every grain of rice is coated with butter. Now add the white wine into the rice and stir until the wine is absorbed. In a saucepan heat the chicken stock and add 1 ladle of the hot stock into the rice. When the stock is absorbed, add another ladle of stock. Allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock. Keep doing this until all the chicken stock has been used. Add salt, pepper, lime juice and zest into the rice. Take care not to over stir the risotto as it will turn hard and lumpy. Remove the risotto from the flame and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese along with the blanched asparagus. Add another tablespoon of butter and serve immediately.

Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

Figs with Blackberry Cream

Ingredients

• 6 figs
• 250 gm blackberries
• 100 gm caster sugar
• 200 ml fresh cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Methods

Peel the figs and quarter them. In a saucepan, heat the blackberries with the caster sugar and a little water. Smash the blackberries with a ladle and cook them until you get a thick sauce like consistency. In a bowl, whisk the cream till soft peaks are formed and add in the blackberry puree. Chill this blackberry cream in the refrigerator for an hour. Arrange the quartered figs in a small bowl and spread the blackberry cream on top.

Gluten Free Cookie Recipes

Fruit and Nut Cookie

Ingredients

• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 gm unsalted butter
• 1 cup demerara sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup pistachios
• ½ cup dried apricots
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

In a large bowl, mix together the tapioca flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk the butter, brown sugar and demerara sugar. Now add the eggs into the butter mixture and whisk until everything is well combined. Add the dry mixture of tapioca flour, baking powder and salt. Also add the pistachios, raisins, dark chocolate chips and dried apricots. Mix all the ingredients together and cover the bowl with a cling film and keep it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Grease a baking tray with butter and spread a tablespoon of the cookie mixture into it. Bake at 350º C oven for 15 minutes.

All the above gluten free recipes can be very easily made at home and they taste delicious too. If you are dining out, you need to avoid eating breads, cakes and gravies which use flour as a thickening agent. For gluten free bread recipes you can use tapioca, rice or soy flour instead of regular white flour. Following a gluten free diet might seem like a very daunting task, but with the right choice of food products it is not that difficult.