INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS:

6 courgettes (US Zucchini)

2 red peppers

5 onions

2 eggs

150 grams

100 grams parmesan

2 potatoes

salt, pepper, origano, marjoram and extra visrgin olive oil.

Steam the courgettes for 10 minutes, cut them inhalf lengthways, remove the pulp with a teaspoon and lay it aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C

Clean and peel the onions.

Clean the peppers and cut them into concave pieces.
Slice the onion finely and fry on a low heat before taking off the heat.

Mix the garlic with the marjoram and the courgette pulp, place in a mixing bowl, add the egg, the ricotta, the parmesan and a pinch of salt, pepper and origano.

Mix the ingrediants well. If it is too liquid, add more parmesan. If it seems dry, add another egg or a drop of milk.

Take a large, high sided oven dish and thinly slice the potatoes into it. drizzle a little oil on them, with some origano and salt. Place them in the oven for about two minutes to crisp up. Fill the courgett skins, the peppers and the onions with the stuffing and place them on the potatoes adding further oil and origano. Cook in the oven at 180° for 40-45 minutes.

Banana Smoothie
(serves 2)

Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1 banana
1/4 cup plain or fruit yogurt
1 tsp honey
1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream or yogurt

Directions
Place all ingredients in blender; blend until… um, smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.    
]]> http://glutenfreeglitter.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/banana-smoothie/feed/ 0 glutenfreeglitter http://glutenfreeglitter.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/ravioli-with-mushrooms-and-walnuts/ http://glutenfreeglitter.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/ravioli-with-mushrooms-and-walnuts/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 23:38:58 +0000 glutenfreeglitter http://glutenfreeglitter.wordpress.com/?p=14 ]]> For the pasta see the fresh GF recipe for pastaaaaaaa!

For the filling:

INGREDIENTS:

1 large Packet of mixed wild mushrooms (the ones to soak are best as the frozen are suspect for gluten)
200g-300g ricotta
3 handfuls of chopped walnuts
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
Handful fresh parsley

DIRECTION

Put (soaked/defrosted) mushrooms, parsley and walnuts in food processer and whiz to a rough mix.
Whisk together the parmesan, ricotta and chopped parsly, then add the other ingredients and work to the correct consistency.
Stuff the pasta, and cook as normal fresh pasta!

Served traditionally with butter, sage and lots of parmesan cheese, but nice with a creamy sauce too.

I personally like to use ceps (porcini) as they are by far the most flavoursome, and because some of the frozen varieties can be suspect for gluten while ceps are usually either freeze dried or fresh. Any strong tasting mushroom will do though… Why not try Shitake for a Pan-European twist?

500g GF flour
400gEgg
1 pinch salt

Mix salt & flour.
In a seperate dish, beat the egg well.
Add salt and flour and knead to dough, which you can then transfer to a worksurface.
When the dough is no longer sticky on the surface, it is ready to wrap in clingflim and leave to “rest” in the fridge.
After a short period, remove it and flatten with a rolling pin. When it is at the right thickness cut out the desired shapes.

Any gluten free flour is fine, but you’ll have to play around with ratios to get the consistency and pasta type you like best. Have fun with it! Tapioca is a popular ingredient, and some even suggest the addition of good old Xanthan gum, but I personally find the egg to be enough.

I am creating this blog as a kind of cookbook and lifestyle resource for those of us who are on gluten free diets for one reason or another. Whether you have been diagnosed with coeliac disease, are undiagnosed but still have symptoms, have a gluten intollerant family member or friend to cook for, or have any untoward reaction towards gluten at all, this is for you.

What is coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease is caused by an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – some people with coeliac disease react to oats too – and can be treated by excluding gluten from the diet.  The disease can lead to far more serious conditions, such as osteoporosis, infertility and gut cancer if left untreated.  The symptoms are very individual but can include tiredness, anaemia, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, vomiting and mouth ulcers.  Coeliac disease in children can stunt growth and have a significant impact on a child’s overall development.

This gluten-intolerance causes an inflammatory response that damages the gut. Villi – tiny, finger-like projections that line the gut – become inflamed and then flattened (villous atrophy), leading to a decreased surface area for absorption of nutrients from food. When the gut lining is damaged in this way, the body can’t absorb all the necessary nutrients from food. Because of this lack of nutrients, people with undiagnosed coeliac disease can have a wide range of stomach and bowel symptoms and can suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

There is evidence to suggest that the prevalence of coeliac disease is 1 in 100 people across Europe, and even globally. The numbers of people with coeliac disease who are medically diagnosed is much less.

In families with the disease there is an increased risk of 1 in 10 due to genetic pre-disposition.

It is a lifelong condition that may be diagnosed in childhood, or not until later in life. The most common age of diagnosis is 40-50; more women are diagnosed than men. The condition cannot be cured but it can be managed effectively by following a gluten-free diet.

There are lots of ways to find help:

1. Your specialist or GP will refer you to a dietitian to help you make the necessary changes to your diet and plan a healthy balance of foods.
2. Many foods are naturally gluten-free, including rice, maize, meat, fish, cheese and eggs as well as vegetables, pulses (peas, beans and lentils) and fruit.
3. There are many gluten-free alternatives to ‘normal’ foods, such as gluten-free breads, pasta, pizza bases and biscuits. Most supermarkets now carry gluten-free ranges, and some foods are available on prescription. 
4. You can get information about the choice of foods on prescription and samples of gluten-free foods direct from the manufacturers. Check out Coeliac UK’s Food and Drink Directory or our online list of products and services.
5. Join Coeliac UK and you will receive a free listing of prescribable foods both in our Food and Drink Directory and online prescription list (alternatively you can buy items from our shop).
6. Coeliac UK is devoted to providing information and support to people with the condition. Our Gluten-free Food and Drink Directory contains over 11,000 gluten-free foods and drinks. We also provide advice on reading labels to check for gluten content, how to manage when eating out and managing your healthcare needs – in fact we can help on any aspect of the coeliac condition.

Once you’ve begun the gluten-free diet you’ll feel much better quite quickly, though in some people some symptoms may linger. The gut starts to repair immediately and many people with coeliac disease feel much better within weeks of starting the diet. However, it can take between six months and two years for the villi to recover and gut absorption to normalise fully.

(information courtesy of www.coeliac.co.uk)

PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE i GET THE SITE UP AND RUNNING. I STARTED ON MAY 2ND 2008 AND AM ADDING TO IT EVERY DAY, BUT IT WILL TAKE A WHILE TO BUILD A FULL DATABASE… THANKS!

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g salmon fillet, chopped
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 litre fish stock
• 25g fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 large, fresh red chillies (quantity depends on how much you like spicy food!)
• 1 stem of lemon grass, chopped and bruised to release flavour
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce (Thai)
• 1 handful chopped corriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the oil in a large pan and add the ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Cook over a low heat until softened
• Add the stock and the fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for about 10 mins. Throw in the spring onions and cook for another 3 mins.
• Add the fish and the corriander and simmer until fish is cooked (2-3 mins, depending on size of pieces). Taste and season.

This is my first attempt at a gluten free recipe, and I have to say it’s not bad at all! A twist on something traditionally Italian, but probably quite new to the UK/US palate.

INGREDIENTS

70g Gluten Free tagliatelle (or other pasta)
5 Pumpkin flowers (fresh)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 small clove garlic
1 handful fresh parsley (dry will do, 1 tbsp)
1 tsp saffron
Dash salt
Cornflour (GF approved) to thicken.
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Makes 1 serving. Men or active women should increase pasta dose to up to 100 grams.
Fill a pan with water and heat to boiling point.
In the meantime, rinse the pumpkin flowers and remove and discard the yellow stigma from the centre and chop roughly.
Finely chop the garlic and the parsley.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan.
Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown.
Add the parsley, the saffron and two ladles of hot water.
Add the flowers and stir, then simmer for 10 minutes, adding cornflour to thicken if necessary.
Salt the water, and cook the pasta for 6-8 minutes.
When the pasta is ready, drain and stir in sauce. Serve with parmesan to taste.

371 Calories per portion, for those who wish to know