Gorgeous gluten-free grub: March 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Prawns with peaches at the Hazelhurst Gallery

It's not only beaches, bikinis and flag-waving Aussies in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. It's also home to the Hazelhurst Gallery at Gymea where you can take in some art and enjoy a gluten-free (GF) lunch.

The regional gallery and arts centre has a lovely terrace cafe/restaurant which overlooks the garden. The day Bruce and I met his shire-residing Mum and Dad for lunch, there were three GF options (marked with asterisks) on the regular menu and one GF special.

My meal of king prawn and grilled peach with pan seared haloumi, asparagus and rocket salad and lemon dressing was absolutely delicious and very fresh. It was a good choice for lunch as it wasn't too heavy and I love the addition of fruits like peaches and nectarines in salads.

The other two gluten-free dishes were seared chicken tenderloin with spiced fig, fetta and hazelnut salad drizzled with shiraz caramel and tea-smoked Atlantic salmon in lemongrass/lime butter with glass noodles (hopefully gluten-free) cucumber, coriander, mint salad, sesame dressing and crispy eschalot.

While I didn't need dessert I couldn't resist trying the rosewater pavlova with double cream coconut ice cream and fresh strawberries. You could really taste the rosewater but it wasn't too overpowering.

At most restaurants there is usually only one GF option on the sweets menu but not at Hazelhurst. I had the choice of three out of five. There was also an individual flourless chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, berry coulis and double cream and a classic creme brulee with poached peaches. My mouth is watering now! Hazelhurst also has a breakfast menu with GF bread served on request.

The day we were there the staff were setting up The Leslie Walton Collection, which opened last weekend. The collection includes works from Australian artists Roland Wakelin, Grace Cossington Smith, Elioth Gruner and John Peter Russell. It runs till 8 May.

Another exhibition which also opened last weekend is 'Made in the Shire'. Thirty years on from the surf book and movie 'Puberty Blues', the exhibition features photographs of some of the Shire's desperate romantics and high school sweethearts by Emma Thomson, taken during her residency at Hazelhurst.

Hazelhurst also runs art classes for adults and children. The gallery is at 728 Kingsway Gymea and is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Lemon strawberry muffins on Sunday

With my sister and nephew in town from Wagga Wagga and Canberra, and my brother's family over from Botany, I cooked up a batch of lemon strawberry muffins on Sunday morning.

The recipe was from Jody Vassallo's Wheat and Gluten Free book, which is endorsed by Coeliac Society of Australia.

I also made a batch of mixed berry muffins from a gluten-free packet mix. The general consensus was that the lemon strawberry muffins were far superior to the packet mix ones. While the packet mix was very quick and easy, you were left with a bicarb soda taste in your mouth after eating them.

The lemon strawberry muffins were a big hit with the family, so I will be making them again. Here is Jody Vassallo's recipe:

Lemon Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients: 300g strawberries, hulled, 300g gluten-free self-raising flour, 170g caster sugar, 30g baby rice cereal, 3 teaspoons lemon zest, 375g skim or no-fat milk, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius. Line a 12 x 1 third cup capacity muffin pan with muffin cases.

2. Roughly chop half the strawberries. Cut the remaining strawberries in half and set aside.

3. Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the sugar, rice cereal, chopped strawberries and lemon zest and make a well in the centre. Whisk together the milk, eggs and oil, pour into the well and gently mix with a metal spoon until the ingredients are just combined.

4. Divide the batter among the muffin cases. Press the reserved strawberries into the tops of the muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and risen. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Coeliac Awareness Week targets men

With recent studies showing that men account for less than one third of all coeliac blood tests in Australia, the Coeliac Society of Australia is targetting men during Coeliac Awareness Week - 13-19 March.

Coeliac Awareness Week 2011 - Poloroid

Across the country they are asking the question: 'Mate, have you lost your Mojo?

Does this sound like you or the man in your life?

You often fall asleep in the chair after dinner.
You don’t have the energy to run around with your kids.
You find it hard to concentrate at work.
You feel exhausted during the day and need an afternoon nap.
You’re too tired to play sport or exercise these days.

The Coeliac Society says if you’re putting all this down to working long hours, leading a busy lifestyle or just getting older - think again. Tiredness like this can be one of the first symptoms of untreated coeliac disease. Other signs can be stomach cramps, reflux, wind, diarrhoea or constipation and anaemia.

They say it's important for men with these symptoms to be tested because if coeliac disease is not treated, it can result in conditions that can prove fatal, including liver disease and cancer.

Coeliac disease is very common – at least one in 100 Australians have it and it occurs in both men and women. Unfortunately, 75 per cent of those people are not diagnosed.

In the past it was thought that women were more likely to suffer from coeliac disease as many more women were diagnosed. However, more recent research has shown that the inbalance in diagnosis between the sexes is because more women are tested and subsequently diagnosed.

The Society says too many people – and men in particular - brush aside symptoms of tiredness for all sorts of reasons. But tiredness like this is not normal.

As someone who lost their 'mojo' with symptoms described above for nearly four years, all I can say is go and get tested. If you are coeliac and you go on a strict gluten-free diet your energy, well-being and health will be restored.

If you, or anyone you know, has unexplained tiredness or lethargy, or any of the symptoms listed above, call the Coeliac Awareness Hotline now on 1300 273 272 for a free brochure or jump on the website . In the long term, taking that first step could be life saving. You can follow the Coeliac Society on Twitter http://twitter.com/CoeliacSocAust

Monday, March 7, 2011

Sweet treats in Petersham's Little Portugal

While we can't eat the famous Portuguese tarts, coeliacs certainly don't miss out when it comes to sweet treats at Sweet Belem.

At 35B and 35C New Canterbury Road, Petersham, on Sydney's Little Portugal food strip, this 'cake boutique' offers a wide-range of gluten-free choices.

Last Sunday I tried the very moist and sweet, raspberry lemon roulade. As Bruce said after he'd had a taste: "You could never say that cake was dry!"

Made with polenta, it is a traditional Portuguese cake or dessert. The orange roulade is also made with polenta.

Other options include the orange jaffa chocolate truffle and flourless chocolate and orange cakes. All the cakes are made on-site, joint owner Lina Correia informed me.

Sweet Belem is a cute little cafe, decorated to take you on a trip to Portugal, if only gastronomically. And I love looking up at the ceiling painted like the sky.

Maeve O'Mara's Gourmet Safaris take walking tours to the restaurants, cafes and food outlets in Petersham's Little Portugal.

News

A gluten-free baker in Paris!
A French pastry chef with coeliac disease has opened a gluten-free bakery in Paris. Called Helmut Newcake, Marie Tagliaferro's bakery is at 36 Rue Bichat, near the Canal St Martin on the right bank and not far from the Metro Republic or Goncourt.

The guts of going gluten-free
Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, Sarah Berry discusses the myth and fact in the gluten-free debate for non-coeliacs.

Men missing out
A new study from gastroenterologist Dr Bob Anderson shows that men account for less than one-third of all coeliac tests performed in Australia reports the ABC’s Sophie Scott.

Coeliac, Crohn's genetic link
An international team of researchers has identified four genetic variants common to celiac disease and Crohn’s disease

Gluten intolerance study
Australian researchers have found that people can be gluten intolerant without having coeliac disease, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

Is it gluten or is it not?
In an article by award-winning health writer Paula Goodyer, Dr Sue Shepherd warns about eliminating gluten from your diet without being checked out for coeliac disease.

Celebrities and the GF diet
From Elisabeth Hasselbeck's popular book, The G-Free Diet, to Chelsea Clinton's gluten-free wedding cake to Gwyneth Paltrow's website, the focus these days seems to be on gluten, or, rather, on going gluten-free. Are celebrities putting too much glamour on the gluten-free diet asks Jefferson Adams?

Sweet treats, no wheat
The Sydney Morning Herald's Helen Greenwood reviews Healthy Feast, a bakery in Norton Street, Leichhardt full of gluten-free treats. Look for the sign that says OneFiveSeven about five doors up from Bar Italia or you’ll get lost.

Calcium supplements
In early August, ABC Radio National's Health Report featured research suggesting that calcium supplements may be associated with a risk of heart attacks and maybe strokes. With many people with coeliac disease taking calcium supplements, it was heartening to hear that this week some Australian and overseas researchers believe the study was flawed and reject the findings.

Gluten's toxic components
Scientists at Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Institute have identified the three protein fragments that make gluten - the main protein in wheat, rye and barley – toxic to people with coeliac disease.

What I am cooking

On the menu at the unveiling
The night Sister Wendy popped by to unveil our artwork, I made two types of rice paper rolls - Prawn and avocado and tandoori chicken. I can't remember where I got the recipe for the prawn and avocado rolls but the tandoori chicken ones came from Wheat & Gluten Free by Jody Vassallo and Dianne Boyle. While they are a bit fiddly to make, and by the end I felt a bit like I had repetitive strain injury, they were both delicious. Here are the recipes.

Tandoori chicken rolls
Ingredients: 150g dried rice vermicelli, 325 g gluten-free Greek style yoghurt, 3 tablespoons gluten-free tandoori paste (Patak's is GF), 750g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces, 24 small rice paper rounds, 16 cm in diameter, 24 fresh mint leaves, 3 tablespoons gluten-free mango chutney.
Method: 1. Put the vermicelli into a bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until the noodles are soft. Drain and cut into short lengths.
2. Combine 260 g of the yoghurt and the tandoori paste in a bowl. Add the chicken and mix to combine. Spread the chicken out on a foil-lined baking tray. Cook under a grill preheated to high, turning a couple of times, for 5-10 minutes or until tender.
3. Soak a rice paper round in lukewarm water (I added a bit of boiling water to help along) until soft and place on a clean, dry tea towel. Top with 2 teaspoons of the noodles and 2 pieces of chicken. Dip a mint leaf in the remaining yoghurt and place on top of the chicken, followed by a small spoonful of mango chutney. Roll up to enclose the filling. Cover with damp absorbent paper while you prepare the remaining rolls. Serve with extra chutney.
Prawn and avocado rolls
Ingredients: about 30 baby prawns, one avocado, two limes, mint leaves (roughly chopped) and coriander (chopped leaves only).
Method: Prepare rice paper rounds as in above recipe. Place a couple of prawns and sliced avocado on the rice paper. Add a squeeze of lime over the avocado (it adds to the flavour and stops the avocado from going brown), followed by some chopped mint and coriander. Roll up to enclose the filling.

Stephanie Alexander's Bolognese Sauce
Stephanie's bolognese (pertaining to Bologna in Italy as opposed to bolognaise) made by Bruce for the first time was a hit at the artwork unveiling. It is from her book, The Cook's Companion, the Complete Book of Ingredients and Recipes for the Australian Kitchen. Bruce reckoned the inclusion of pancetta gave it the edge. As we had a big group we quadrupled the ingredients. The only thing we left out was the two teaspoons of plain flour. I suppose we could have used gluten-free plain flour but in my experience very rarely do dishes like bolognese or bolognaise need flour. So here is the recipe.
Ingredients: 1 onion, finely chopped, 1 stick celery, finely sliced, 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 400 g minced beef or veal, 100 g pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, chopped, half cup of dry white wine, salt (I don't think it needs salt), freshly ground black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, 2 cups of veal or chicken stock or tomato juice (we used chicken stock), 4 ripe tomatoes or 1 x 400 g can peeled tomatoes in juice, pureed (we used the can variety although couldn't get pureed and remember to check the can as some can tomatoes have thickener in them), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 large sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf.
Method: Saute onion, celery and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until softened. Add minced meat and pancetta and fry until meat breaks up into small lumps. Add wine, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well, then increase heat and boil to evaporate liquid. Add stock, tomato, tomato paste and herbs. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning.

My sister gave me Seriously Good! Gluten-free Cooking by English chef Phil Vickery for Christmas. In March this year Coeliac UK announced that Phil was their new Food Ambassador. The book is full of delicious-looking recipes. The first one we (or I should say Bruce) tried recently was Phil's Slow-cooked Indian Lamb Korma, which is on page 81 of the book. With six tablespoons of double cream, the dish is quite rich. But it's also very flavoursome with lots of herbs and spices including ground coriander, hot chilli powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamons, garlic and ginger. A hearty meal for a cold winter's day or night.

Jody Vassallo's Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
I have made this cake about seven times now and it is always a hit as the hazelnut meal makes it a little bit different from all those flourless chocolate cakes out there in cookbook land. It appears in Jody Vassallo's cookbook Wheat & Gluten Free, which is sponsored by The Coeliac Society of Australia Inc. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients: 250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped, 2 tablespoons milk, 120g hazelnut meal, 125g caster sugar, 6 eggs, separated.
Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 20cm spring form tin with baking paper. Put the chocolate and milk in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Put the chocolate mixture, hazelnut meal, sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and mix to combine. Whisk the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and spoon into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh berries. Serves 8.