Previous Great British Bake Off contestant Howard Middleton has shared some of his top tips on creating tasty gluten-free dishes with Newburn Bakehouse. Howard is ambassador for the Newburn Bakehouse #Lunchoff campaign, which challenges gluten-free eaters to liven up their lunchtimes and excite their taste buds with fresh new lunch ideas.

Q&A with GBBO’s Howard Middleton

What’s your favourite gluten-free dish?
I’m a sucker for anything cheesy, so I’ve become addicted to Newburn Bakehouse sweet chilli cracker thins served as nachos with cheese, salsa and jalapenos! I also love using whisked egg white and rice flour to make a tempura style batter, which is great on fish served with creamy mashed potato and a green pea shoot salad. Yummy!

What’s your favourite flavour combination?
It’s got to be cheese again! I love the contrast of creamy, salty cheese with the fresh sharpness of fruit, whether it’s a classic cheese board with apples, figs, pears or grapes or a dish like my seeded fattoush with feta and pomegranate recipe – which you can find on the Newburn Bakehouse website.

What inspired your Seeded Feta Fattoush recipe?
I made a fattoush for friends last summer while on holiday in France. It’s traditionally made with charred pitta bread, but I found Newburn Bakehouse’s seeded sandwich thins to be a great gluten-free alternative. I love the extra crunch of the toasted seeds, and that freshness you get from lime and mint.

What do you most enjoy baking?
I think I most enjoy baking extravagant cakes for my nieces – they know how to set me a challenge!

Have you always enjoyed baking and cooking?
Yes! My mum showed me some basic skills as a child, such as making bread, cakes and pastry. Then as a student I lived with friends from Malaysia – when you start to learn about different ingredients and techniques, you want to find out even more!

Do you have any top tips for creating tasty gluten-free dishes?
Just remember that many great dishes already have gluten-free ingredients as a basis, like fruit and vegetables; use these as your starting point. You can also take inspiration from the wide range of gluten-free dishes you will find in other cultures and cuisines.

What are your kitchen cupboard essentials?
My kitchen is full of herbs, spices and other flavourings, which can liven up simple dishes. Nuts and seeds are also great for adding a bit of texture. I’m always looking for unusual ingredients that I haven’t tried before. Over the last year, I’ve discovered date syrup, borage honey, sweet white miso and sun-dried tomato ketchup – they may not be essentials but I love seeking out new flavours!

You can find Howard’s fattoush recipe and all the #Lunchoff ideas at www.newburnbakehouse.com, along with money off coupons for Newburn Bakehouse loaves, wraps, rolls, baguettes and thins. And you can follow Howard Middleton on Twitter for more great ideas and recipes.

Howard Middleton’s Seeded Feta Fattoush

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