Millet flour
Potato flour (farina)
Soya flour
gluten-free pasta
special gluten-free baking powder
Commercial baking powders are designed to work with gluten, and gluten-containing grains are often used in their manufacture. In a gluten-free diet, special baking powder is required. This can be bought in health stores or from the ‘Free-from’ section in supermarkets. If you prefer to make your own, here is a recipe:
| 7g/1/4oz/2 tsp | bicarbonate of soda |
| 115g/41/4oz/3/4 cup | potato flour (farina) |
| 15g/1/2oz/1 level tablespoon | cream of tartar |
Mix these three ingredients together and store in a screw-top jar. Use as required. Try the chemists or drugstore for the first ingredient.
pepper
A word of warning about the use of pepper. It is common practice in commercial catering to add wheat flour to ground white pepper to ‘stretch’ this expensive commodity. It is therefore a good practice to use only freshly ground black pepper when you are eating out.
margarine
Some ‘fancy’ margarines have wheatgerm oil added. Check your labels as this is not gluten-free. (Butter is gluten-free.) Not all margarines are suitable for use in baking, as they are merely spreads. Check label before buying/using.
soy sauce
Most soy sauces are made from soy beans and wheat so are not gluten-free. Look for Tamari-type soy sauce which is made from soy beans and rice. This will be gluten-free. Your local health store is the most likely place to find it. Check the label carefully before buying. Get the store to order in several bottles for you. It keeps for years. N.B. Tamari is not a brand name.
* Buy from health stores or ‘free from sections in supermarkets’
chapter four gluten-free in a hurry
Just to give you a practical helping hand to start, here are some emergency menus that can easily be followed until you have found sources of the few special ingredients and products you will need for a new and interesting diet. Note: Some coeliacs are told avoid milk and food made from milk as they need to be lactose free. Special lactose free milks are available from supermarkets and health stores also a range of non-dairy nut and bean milks, and products.
adults
Eat only the foods specified. They are easily obtainable and most will already be in the store cupboard or refrigerator. Use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning. Put polyunsaturated margarine or butter on hot vegetables. Drink tea or coffee with milk. Wine, port, sherry and brandies may be drunk, but no other types of alcohol.
breakfast
• Gluten-free cornflakes or rice cereal (from supermarkets or health stores), milk and sugar
• Grilled bacon, poached or fried egg, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms
• Pure fruit juice
Don’t be tempted to eat bread or any other breakfast cereals. If Kellogg’s Rice Krispies or Cornflakes are unobtainable, serve a banana, or add grilled mashed potato to the cooked dish, or make a muesli-type cereal yourself from 1 to 2 heaped tablespoonsful of cold cooked brown rice (boiled the previous day), a sprinkling each of raisins, sesame and sunflower seeds, an eating apple (grated), a little liquid honey to sweeten and milk or fruit juice to moisten.
midday meal
• Boiled or baked potatoes
• Fresh salad of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, grated carrot
• Tinned salmon, tuna or sardines in oil or water
Make a dressing from 2 teaspoonsful sunflower oil (or similar), a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a pinch or two of sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you wish to eat a dessert of some kind, choose any type of fresh fruit – bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, raspberries etc.
dinner
• Grilled lamb chop, pork fillet or small steak
• Boiled carrots or grilled tomatoes
• 2 plain boiled or steamed green vegetables – cabbage, spinach, French (snap) beans, peas, sprouts etc.
• Plain brown rice, boiled
If you feel the need for a gravy, save the meat juices from the grill pan, strain them off, discard the fat and pour in some of the water strained from the vegetables. Mix well with a wooden spoon and add half a ripe tomato, mashed. Season to taste. Do not use any kind of gravy mix or stock cube/powder.
snacks
Allow yourself up to 1 or 2 small ripe bananas per day, a few plain almonds or walnuts (English walnuts) and dried fruits such as apricots and raisins.
alternative main meals
Eating out is a problem and best avoided when you start the diet. At home, stick to plain, fresh ingredients and you will have no worries.
Other main meals you might like to choose from are:
• Cold ham (without breadcrumb coating) and served with salad, jacket potato
• Cold lamb, beef or pork (off a previously roasted joint without stuffing) and served with salad, fried potatoes
• Cold chicken (cooked at home without stuffing) and served with salad and jacket potato
• Roast beef or lamb or pork with roast potatoes (no Yorkshire puddings) served with boiled or steamed vegetables such as carrots, peas, spinach, green beans
emergency ingredients
