The Gluten Free Blog

Last weekend we visited the Real Food Market at London’s Southbank Centre.

The market consists of about 40 stalls selling quality, fresh produce and ingredients including cheeses; fresh pastas and sauces; chutneys and pickles; middle eastern delicacies; and artisan breads, cakes and pastries.

We enjoyed a glass of freshly pressed apple juice and a sip (or two) of organic brandy before I went on the hunt for gluten free goodies. And I came across the Arancici Brothers, who make delicious vegetarian and gluten free Arancini risotto balls, which look a bit like falafel, and are packed full of fresh herbs, cheeses, onion, garlic and a hint of citrus.

Arancini Brothers gluten free balls

The guys were serving them hot with a salad, in a chilli or garlic wrap, or just on their own with a little pickle on the side. And let me tell you, they were absolutely delicious. Very tasty. And very filling. Try and get your hands on some of these. They’re perfect for packed lunches and picnics.

You can find the Arancini Brothers at these markets.

We also chatted with the lovely Caroline of Sugargrain who makes gluten free cakes as well as award-winning confectionary such as elderflower marshmallows. Some of her cakes are dairy free, fat free and made without sugar; so there really is something for everyone.

Caroline of Sugargrain gluten free cakes

Of course, I had to try a chocolate nut brownie – for research purposes, you understand – and it was definitely one of my favourite chocolate brownies ever (and I’ve eaten lots). It was so moist it was almost creamy, and very chocolatey without being too sweet or sickly. Scrummy.

You can find Sugargrain at these markets and you can also follow Caroline on Twitter @sugargrain.

The Real Food Market at the Southbank takes place on the first weekend of every month. Dates are August 6th – 8th, September 3rd – 5th, November 5th – 7th and December 3rd – 5th. If you’re in the London, and you love food, it’s worth a visit.

If you’re looking for a fresh and filling lunch you might want to grab yourself a tasty veg pot from Innocent. Of course, Innocent are more famous for their smoothies, thickies and juices. But they’ve recently added veg pots to their range – and they’re absolutely delicious.

Which Innocent Veg Pots are gluten free?

There are eight in the range and I tried these two this week: Mexican sweet potato chilli with brown rice, jalapeno peppers and smoke paprika; and Indian daal curry with spicy cauliflower, chickpeas and fresh spinach. The ingredients are all fresh with no colourings, flavourings or nasty E numbers. And these two are gluten free, low in fat and contain three of my daily veg portions.

Not all the pots are gluten free so be sure to check the ingredients before you buy.

You can buy Innocent tasty veg pots at Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda where they normally retail for about £3.50. But Asda currently have them for 2 for £5 which is a bargain!

Try out a few of the other flavours and let us know what you think.

At the Allergy & Gluten Free Show the other week we found quite a few brands we hadn’t come across before including Lazy Day Foods and Steph’s Free From Cakes.

Dr Sally Beattie of Lazy Day Foods

Dr Sally Beattie who is a director at Lazy Day Foods is a professional food scientist, so she knows a thing or two about delicious food. And as a mum with kids who have allergies she knows a thing or two about food intolerances.

We chatted to Sally for a while and tried quite a few of her products – all in the name of research of course – and we can highly recommend the Millionaire’s Shortbread and the Belgian Dark Chocolate Tiffin. Delicious. And both wheat, gluten, dairy and egg free.

All Lazy Day products are handmade in a dedicated gluten free factory in Scotland and are available to order via the website. They’re so beautifully packaged we think they make ideal gifts.

New items to be added to the range soon include celebration cakes and muffins along with a Rustic Savoury Biscuit range flavoured with cracked pepper, mild spices or sweet chilli. We can’t wait for those.

Stephanie Palmer of Steph’s Free From Cakes

Another stand we spent quite a bit of time at was Steph’s Free From Cakes run by the lovely Stephanie Palmer. Steph told us she suffers from a number of food intolerances herself and began baking free from cakes when she couldn’t find anything suitable (or edible) in the shops.

I rather over indulged in Steph’s sweet Lemon Drizzle Cake and some very cute heart shaped Ginger Cookies which were a fabulous combination of crispy, moist and spicy.Steph’s Free From Cakes are all available to buy online and include classics such as Carrot cake and Battenburg cake. (Not forgetting the aforementioned Lemon Drizzle Cake – a personal favourite.)

There’s 10% off your first order – so get ordering now!

You know how it is. You’re out and about and want to grab a bite for lunch. And you’re faced with row after row of ‘off-limits’ sandwiches and rolls.

Well here’s some good news. Starbucks will soon be offering gluten free bread in all its 600 outlets in the UK. And what’s more it’s one of our favourites: Genius.

Genius gluten free bread, you may recall, was launched last year by Edinburgh housewife Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, who developed the bread for her wheat intolerant eight-year old son.

It’s already available in Tesco, Waitrose, Asda and Sainsbury’s. So we’re pleased Bruce-Gardyne has been signed up to supply Starbucks as well.

It shouldn’t be too long before you can enjoy a gluten free BLT or Club sandwich alongside your Caramel Macchiato or Caffè Americano.

Gluten free pasta is a staple of any coeliac sufferer’s diet. But what’s in gluten free pasta? And why do some taste like the real thing; while others taste like wallpaper paste?

Wheat free pasta is made from rice, corn, potato and vegetables. (Or more often than not a mix.)

Rice pastas
Orgran do a range of rice and rice/mix pastas including stoneground buckwheat and rice pasta; vegetable rice pasta; and a plain rice pasta. When you’re cooking, you need to keep an eye on the rice and rice/mix pastas otherwise they do have a tendency to go a bit gloopy. And they need a thorough rinse once they’re cooked.

Doves Farm do a number of rice based gluten free pastas that are organic and are really nutty and flavoursome. Favourites include their fusilli, penne and spaghetti.

Corn pastas
Corn (maize pastas) are quite neutral in taste and make a great base for spicy, tangy or creamy sauces. They’re often flavoured with spinach, peppers and sundried tomatoes as well. But, like rice pasta, corn pasta can fall apart quickly. So you need to ensure you don’t overcook it. One minute it looks fine and the next minute it’s a mushy paste in the bottom of your pan. Now personally, I think corn pasta gets a bit rubbery when it’s cool so it’s not great for salads.

Orgran do a number of corn only pastas which are pretty good.

Rice/corn mixes
The easiest gluten free pastas to cook – and the most versatile – are the corn and rice mix pastas. So it’s always worth having a couple of bags in the cupboard.

Doves Farm produces a delicious corn/rice penne, made in Italy. As does Dietary Specials, Orgran, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Our favourite gluten free pasta though is the buckwheat, corn and rice spirals from Hale & Hearty. Perfect with a tomato sauce, oven roasted vegetables, olives and smoked mozzarella. Delicious!