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I read something the other day about how the German Soccer team will be following a gluten free diet while they are in South Africa for the World Cup! I thought that was very cool indeed
They will be staying at the Velmore Hotel, in Erasmia, outside Pretoria.
I am finding more and more information about how following a gluten free diet helps athletes to perform. We already know that it is being used to treat all sorts of illnesses from Autism to Eczema, so why not to allow athletes better performance. It makes perfect sense actually. 
Well it’s official winter is here and what a strange winter we are having. It is very cold and pouring with rain, which is very unusual weather for Johannesburg. That is usually what the weather is like in Cape Town. But I actually quite like it, I prefer that damp air to the icy dry weather we usually have. But I guess that’s global warming for us; the weather is changing everywhere. So the fire is lit, with its lovely smoky smell wafting into the house and the dogs are cuddling in their bed, so its time for some yummy winter, comfort food.
I had a real desire for some lentil soup last night, and wanted to rustle something up, without much hassle. So I made an impromptu lentil soup. I fried a chopped onion and carrot in a little butter and then added 2 teaspoons of turmeric, fried for a little while. Then I added 1 cup of red lentils until they were coated and golden, making sure to turn down the heat so they did not stick. I then added 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock ( you can add vegetable stock, but I prefer chicken) and then let it simmer for a about 20 minutes. It was really yummy and delicious for my first attempt at lentil soup.
Lentil Soup:
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 cup red lentils
2 tsp of turmeric
Fry all ingredients together until lentil are coated.
Add 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
Simmer for 20 mins
Today I am going to make an easy fish pie, by mixing tinned tuna and having a sweet potato mash topping which I adore. Sweet Potatoes are lower GI than ordinary potatoes and I think they just add a brilliant sweet texture to dishes. In fact I make my cottage pie with a sweet potato mash topping as well.
Easy Fish Pie
Grease Oven proof dish and pre heat oven to 180C
2 tins of tuna
1 onion chopped
1 T chutney
1 cup of fresh or frozen veggies of your choice. Corn/Peas/Broccoli works well.
Mix all together
White Sauce
Melt a little butter in a pot
Take off the heat ( to stop it from making lumps)
Add 2T of Flour ( I either use potato flour, or corn flour, rice flour)
Then slowly add milk until forms a nice sauce
Then add grated cheese of your choice. I usually use cheddar, but Mozzarella is also good.
This is a staple gluten free white sauce and can be used for pasta or any other dish requiring a white sauce
Mix together with tuna and veggies
Sweet Potato Mash
Boil Sweet Potatoes
Peel to remove skin and mash with masher or fork
Add a little milk or stock to thicken and salt and pepper to taste.
Add Mash onto the top of the tuna and veggie mix and flake it up with a fork
Bake for 30mins at 180C and put on the grill for the last few mins to brown the top.
Mmmm now just have to get a fork and sit in front of the fire and dig in.
It’s funny how there are so many things we take for granted that are not gluten free. I got a lovely glass bowl from my mom. I was thinking it might make a nice salad bowl, but it was actually too deep. It will be great for dessert and then I looked at it and thought it would be perfect for trifle! Mmmmm and then I decided I wanted trifle!
Mmm I thought that’s easy, then of course I realised that I needed something to replace the sponge fingers or sponge cake, or swiss roll for the base. So I decided to make a sponge cake, by adapting my muffin recipe. In place of the banana, I added some buttermilk and vanilla essence instead of the cinnamon and mixed spice. Then I put it into a loaf tin. The following day, I compiled my Trifle.
Here’s my recipe for my trifle:
1 gluten free vanilla sponge cake:
Mix Together:
2 eggs
3/4 sugar
3/4cup oil
Add 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla essence
To that add:
100gr quinoa flour
50gr corn flour
50gr maize flour
1 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarb
Fold together
Bake at 180 for 30 mins
For the Trifle:
2 packets of any colour jelly ( I used red and peach)
Jam/Brandy
Tinned fruit
Custard
Prepare 2 separate bowls of jelly the night before.
Place slices of the cake at the base of glass bowl
Cover with any flavour jam ( I used peach/plum/apricot)
Sprinkle on brandy (optional) or the syrup from the tinned fruit
Then layer of jelly, then layer of fruit, then custard
Then repeat with second amount of cake/ jelly/fruit and custard on top.
Decorate with some cherries.
What’s great about this salad is that it can be thrown together with any left over ingredients in your fridge, and can be adapted to your tastes.
When people tend to think of gluten free eating, they always assume that one needs to substitute gluten containing foods, but very often there are many food products that naturally contain no gluten. This salad is high in good protein and contains both beef strips and beetroot which are high in iron, needed by us Celiacs to increase our iron levels.
Cold beef strips ( perfect from left over steaks marinated in beef rub)
Handful of Butter lettuce
1 ripe avocado, sliced
2/3 baby beetroot sliced
Spoonful of tahini ( sesame seed paste, also good protein and omega 6)
Balsamic vinaigrette
Olive oil.
Mix all together and enjoy.
There are many different variation to this salad and you can use cold chicken with sunflower seeds and chopped apple, or Haloumi strips and pineapple or feta cheese and olives to make it vegetarian.
I actually discovered this idea by chance. I love Polenta, that soft yellow, comforting consistency and I adore this tomato sauce. So when making this the one night for a weekend supper, I thought why not turn my polenta base into a sort of pizza base. So on top of the tomato, I added cheese, some fresh tomato slices, some nice herbs and spices and when it came out the oven I added slices of soft avocado on it. Delicious, so now I can add any topping I like and I have a gluten free pizza, without the huge hassle of making dough!
Polenta and Tomato Sauce
1Litre (4 cups)(8) water
1 or 2 cups polenta
Tomato Sauce:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium red capsicum ( pimento pepper), chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano (basil and oregano grinder)
425 gr can tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup (60ml) water.
1. Lightly oil baking pan
2. Bring water to boil in large pan. Gradually stir in polenta; cook, covered over very low heat, stirring occasionally, 30 mins or until polenta is thick.
3. Pour Polenta into prepared pan, cover, refrigerate 3 hours or until set.
4. Cut into strips and grill/bake about until lightly browned.
Tomato sauce:
1. Heat oil in a large pan. Cook capsicum, onion, garlic ad oregano, stirring over medium heat, +- 2 mins or until onion is soft.
2. Add undrained crushed tomatoes, paste and water; cook over medium heat about 20 mins or until vegetables are soft.
3. Blend or process the mixture til smooth. (It makes such a beautiful colour to blend it, I highly recommend it!)
Pour sauce over polenta pieces.
I love this side veggie dish. Goes really well with marinated and grilled chicken breasts. I am also so crazy about Quinoa and here it works really well in place of rice for added protein and less carbs.
Courgette and Quinoa Salad
350gr ( 1 pack) courgettes, washed and sliced
½ cup Quinoa
2T Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin
400gr tin Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 T olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 spring onions finely chopped
Handful of chopped parsley
1. Add the Quinoa to a pot add 1 cup of water and bring to the boil over a low heat and then simmer for 10 mins or until all the water is absorbed. Replace the lid and set aside
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan add the cumin, stirring til fragrant. Add the courgettes and cook til bright green.
3. Replace the pan over a medium heat and then add the chickpeas, quinoa, olive oil, lemon juice, spring onions, parsley. Toss Well.
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic
1tsp-1T curry powder (dep on flavouring you like)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garam masala
1 stick of cinnamon
½ cup red lentils
½ cup sultanas or tinned chickpeas
2 cups liquid—-1 cup coconut milk
—–1 cup veg stock
400 gr Tofu, cubed and cooked in oven.
Method
Sauté onion, garlic in a little oil
Add the spices and fry a little
Add the 2 cups of liquid, and stick of cinnamon
Simmer until lentils are done (about 20 mins)
Serve on jasmine (or basmati) rice
2 Tins Pink Salmon
3 slices white gluten free bread
small onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
Pepper, Basil, Parsley
Worcestershire Sauce
Cornflakes crumbs or Polenta
Soak bread in juice of 1 tin only. Discard juice of 2nd tin. Mash bread well with fork and add to all of the above in mixing bowl. Should be fairly firm consistency. Make into round balls, with wet hands. Roll in plate of crumbs.
Fry till nicely browned
1/2 cup of cooked white rice (perfect for left over rice)
250gr baby spinach leaves washed and torn up
2 rounds of feta cheese crumbled
200ml of cheddar cheese
4 eggs
175ml milk
Combination of dried herbs such as oreganum, parsley, and basil
salt and pepper
Grease muffin pan
Pre heat oven to 180C
Gently fry spinach in a little oil for a few minutes
In a bowl, mix together milk, eggs, herbs and spices
Add both cheeses and mix.
Add the rice and combine
Spoon mixture into muffin pans, filling them to the top.
Bake for 25-30 mins.
Mielie (maize) Rice
Salt
Water
Optional mielie rice base/ rice/corn base. Make rice and cover base of casserole dish with rice.
Preheat oven to 180C
4-5 Big potatoes boiled and sliced.
Onions, sliced
1-2 cloves Garlic, chopped
Any combination of veg:
Broccoli florets
Carrots
Baby Marrow
Peas
Celery
Red lentils, washed
Quinoa, washed
Tinned chickpeas
Tinned Tomatoes, or 5 fresh
Curry powder/garam masala
Parsley
Dried Chili Flakes
1 cup veg/chicken stock (gluten free)
Fry all the veggies in some oil, add spices, then add lentils, quinoa and chickpeas, then add tinned tomatoes, and stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour mixture over base. Top with sliced potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and paprika.
Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown
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