Main Foods to Avoid;
(the list is not conclusive, it just covers the main things to avoid)
- Obviously wheat, barley and rye.
- No biscuits.
- No semolina as it comes from the outer coat of wheat.
- No couscous is semolina rolled and coated in wheat flour.
- No Bulghur wheat.
- Spelt is a type of wheat with less than normal gluten but for coeliacs it should be avoided.
- No Beer and larger ( unless you buy special beer made without wheat barley or rye)
- No soups that may have been thickened with flour.
- No minestrone or noddle soups.
- No gravy or sauces that contain gluten.
- Sausages unless they are 100% meat gluten free. Marks and Spencer sell gluten free sausages.
- No Chinese chow mein
- No Soya sauce
- No Mustard's
- Some sweets and chocolates such as Ferrero Rocher and Maltesers contain gluten.
- Not all ice cream's are gluten free check labels.
Things that coeliacs can have;
- Most good food stores and super markets sell gluten free beers. One good make is Greens. Greens is available at the following super markets - Asda, Co-Operative, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, waitrose and other independent retail outlets.
- Obviously coeliacs cannot have bread or rolls, but you can buy gluten free bread. It is more expensive and normally does not taste as good as real bread. More often people toast it otherwise it can taste a bit like cake. However a new brand has rece
ntly come onto the market that tastes fantastically like real bread. In fact some people who can eat ordinary bread prefer it because it is lighter. My wife Linda loves it and she can now have normal sandwiches with out having to toast the bread. It costs about £2.50 and you can buy it from Tesco and Sainsbury's and other selected supermarkets. Take a look at their website on www.geniusglutenfree.com/ They plan to bring out another 18 products in the coming year. - If you use gravy or stock in your meal make sure it is a gluten free brand such as Bovril or Knorrs.
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup is gluten free.
- One thing you can use to thicken sauces is Corn flour.
- When buying foods look for the gluten free symbol. A circle showing a wheat grain with a line through it (see the symbol in the picture above of the genius bread).
Some things to be careful with in preparing and serving meals:
- Never use the same cooking oil or fat that has been used for food cooked in batter or bread crumbs. Cook gluten free food separately in clean oil.
- Use separate butter dishes knifes and spoons to avoid cross-contamination with gluten, bread crumbs etc. This applies to Jams and pickles and other food in jars, use a clean knife or spoon and place in separate dishes for the gluten free guests.
- Make sure all work surfaces and chopping boards are clean and crumb free. Never shake a tea towel out in the kitchen if it has bread crumbs on it.
Things to come:
My wife Linda is qualified in confectionery and is a superb cook. What I plan to do, is to link this blog to others giving some useful recipes and step by step instructions showing how food is prepared and cooked. So please check this blog regularly for more information.
Linda's Cakes
Linda also makes cakes and puddings for Birthdays, Weddings etc in fact any special, or even ordinary, occasions. Linda can personally design your cake and make it for almost any dietary requirement, such as Gluten Free, Lactose Free, and also cater for nut or dairy product allergies.
Some images of cakes Linda has made are shown below;
I will set up another Blog with more details on Linda's cakes so lookout for up dates. If you live around the Langley, Windsor area and need a cake made please give Linda a call for more details Phone Number 07853 202877
