Gluten free tasting, Sunday 19 July in Cape Town

The Wellness Warehouse

in Kloof Street and Cavendish
are holding a gluten free tasting this Sunday 19 July between 12.00 - 14.00

See you there
:)

Pecan Streusel Cake

This is a lovely cake for people who don't like icing [me] or layers of whipped cream [delicious occasionally but really limits the life of the cake]. The pecan nut streusel adds flavour and contrast to the tender cake. I've used Orgran gluten free self-raising flour [R20 for 500g box in Checkers] which I find needs a longer baking time. Any leftover slices can be frozen for later - this is not a cake which improves stored at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare a 23cm springform tin.

Pecan struesel topping
200g pecans
1/2 cup demerara sugar
1/3 cup gluten free flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
75g butter, cut in small cubes

Blitz the nuts, sugar, gf flour and cinnamon in a food processor.
Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like large crumbs.
Set aside.

Cake mixture
50g butter
2/3 cup demerara sugar
2 extra large eggs
1+ 3/4 cups gluten free flour
1 cup natural yoghurt

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Alternately add 1/3 flour and 1/3 yoghurt.
The mixture should be a creamy consistency.

Spread half the cake mixture in the tin.
Sprinkle over half the struesel mixture,
Repeat, and bake 35 -55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake emerges clean.
Cool in the pan.

Berry Breakfast Bites

This is a satisfying, non-crunchy recipe - excellent for eating discreetly! But still juicy and flavourful from the berries: I used pitted black cherries from Hillcrest Berry Farms. Part of the farm is up for sale, but their beautifully situated coffee shop is safe.


Ingredients
makes 1 dozen
300g brown rice flakes
125g millet flakes
400ml orange juice
Soak all together for an hour

150g butter
75g demerara sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
200g berries
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together.
Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each.
Stir in the rice flake mixture
Fold in the berries.
Press mixture into moulds.

Bake in a preheated oven of 180 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes.

Butternut cheesecake

In the weekly vegetable box there has been an unending supply of butternut: what used to be an occasional treat in the UK has become a staple in the kitchen here. Over the last year I've made butternut bread, muffins, cookies, pancakes, souffle, pie and now cheesecake [in additional to its traditonal savoury methods.] The cheesecake received a somewhat sneering reception, but was devoured quickly.

Philadelphia cream cheese makes the best cheesecakes both in terms of texture and taste; when it is not available, I use full fat creamed cottage cheese, although only one supermarket offers a non low-fat version.


Ingredients

If using a biscuit base: shortbread , buckwheat chocolate chip cookies or anzac cookies work well while crumbled into the base of a mould. I never bother adding melted butter or more sugar; it's more a way of using up cookies.

500g butternut puree
500g cream cheese, soft
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
1+ 1/2 teasp ground cinnamon
1/2 teasp ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and eggs together until smooth.
Add the butternut puree and the spices.
Pour onto the biscuit base.
Bake 35- 45 mins

Buckwheat scones

1 cup gf flour [US cup measure: 250ml]
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
100ml double cream or creme fraiche
pinch of salt


Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

Put the gf flours, salt and baking powder in a food processor and blitz with the cream until the mix just starts to mass together.
Take out and knead briefly until you have a dough.
Roll out to a thickness of around 1.5cm
Cut out scones, and brush with the leftover cream in the measuring cup
Bake 15 -20 minutes until golden brown

makes 6 scones, which are best eaten on the same day.

Raspberry Trifle

After making a batch of gluten free bread, I've always got egg yolks leftover. Since we've happily passed the hot weather stage, icecream no longer seems quite so appealing. I've always enjoyed real custard: not too thick and with real vanilla seeds. Trifle is a wonderful way of showcasing real custard: add some leftover apricot jam swiss roll, a slug of alcohol and some fresh raspberries...not a bad result from some leftovers

Chocolate Macadamia Cake

Here's hoping the heatwave is over - it's a comfortable 26 degrees today and last night was distinctly chilly. The tourists are thinning out, work is slowing down....wonderful.

This cake is one of the lightest chocolate offering, if you prefer a more serious chocolate hit then Fudgy Figgy Brownies- or for a medium milk chocolate hit milk chocolate brownies are for you.

Ingredients
200g macadamias
150g sugar
pinch of salt
50g cocoa powder/ raw chocolate
6 eggs
handful of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Place the macadamias and half a cup of sugar in the food processor and blitz until everything is finely ground.

Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks with the rest of the sugar until pale and creamy.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks.
Sieve in the cocoa powder and fold in.
Fold in the egg whites in several additions.
Spread gently into cake tin and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top
Bake 30 -40 minutes until springy on top.

Melon sorbet

The success of this sorbet all depends on the melon; underripe fruit only produces an underwhelming result.

Melon sorbet
1 large, ripe melon- enough to make 4 cups (US measures) puree
1/2 cup water
1/2-3/4 cup castor sugar, depending on sweetness of melon
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons witblits or other alcohol

Icecream machine needed for churning

Puree the melon with the water, sugar [start with 1/2 cup of sugar[ and salt and taste. Adjust with more sugar if necessary.
Stir in the alcohol and churn 15-25 minutes, or according to the instructions on your machine.

Gluten Free Ireland: Delicious

Delicious is a gluten free bakery in Cork, Ireland with an impressive selection of gluten free goodies from their best-selling chocolate brownies to birthday and wedding cakes to breads. They can deliver within Ireland and their standard looks great from their website: worth checking out if you are visiting Ireland.

Blackcurrant ice cream

Perhaps it is all the time I've spent recently sheltering from the sun in air-conditioned shopping malls that inspired this icecream. We are still waiting for rain here - I read/hear three conflicting weather reports on a daily basis. I had people staying last week who did not turn off their aircon for the whole week. Day and night. The trouble with an electricity meter is you can see how fast the money drains away. Yesterday I got a cheery email from a fruit and vegetable company reminding me that March is traditionally the hottest month....


This ice cream is made using a custard base and needs a machine for churning.
Blackcurrant icecream
Ingredients
600ml milk
500ml cream
1 vanilla pod
120g sugar
6 egg yolks

400g blackcurrants
150g sugar
1 tablespoon witblits or cassis

Place the milk and cream into a pan and scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the liquid, then add the pod.
Heat gently until just boiling.
While waiting for the milk mix to boil, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture pales and thickens.
Pour the milk mixture onto the egg yolks mix, whisking constantly.
Strain into a clean pan and stir over a medium heat until the mix coats the back of a wooden spoon [82 degrees].
Chill for at least 90 minutes, using a cartouche to prevent a skin forming.

Meanwhile, put approx 400g blackcurrants and 150g sugar into a pan over a gentle heat until the berries burst. Cool. Add 1 tablespoon of witblits or cassis.

Churn 20 -25 minutes, folding the berries in at the last moment.
Freeze overnight.


PS Looking forward to winter

Baked Custard

Baked custard provides the silkiness of pannacotta, without the cream. Pannacotta may be more fashionable but these baked custards take the nutritional high ground with their ingredients. Served chilled, these are deliciously light and perfect for these days with temperatures still in the thirties. Just a shame that you need to turn the oven on to bake them...

Serves 6- in individual pudding moulds

500ml milk
2 eggs
4 yolks
85g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod

Put 6 individual pudding moulds into a deep oven tray.
Preheat the oven to 190

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the seeds and split vanilla pod.
Bring to the boil and leave to infuse 30 minutes.
Boil the kettle.
Whisk the eggs, yolks and caster sugar together - I do all whisking by hand, as
a mixer makes everything too bubbly
Pour over the hot milk and whisk together and pour into the individual moulds.
Make a bain marie by filling the tray halfway with the hot water from the kettle.
Bake until set, around 25- 30 minutes.
Take out and chill before enjoying.

Cape Argus Power Bars

The Cape Argus Cycle Tour falls Sunday of next week: one of the most scenic cycle rides, usually taking place on one of the most sweltering days...tomorrow we are threatened with temperatures of 36 degrees. Even Chapman's Peak is reopening for the event, after a long closure. For me personally, it also signals an end to the most manic period of work for me, which starts in December. Autumn just can't arrive soon enough for me..

Here is a quick and easy recipe for an instant energy boost.

3/4 cups honey
1/4 cup sunflower oil
2+ 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
1 cup millet flakes
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios
1 cup dark chocolate buttons - at least 70% chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 130 degrees
If you want a tray bake, then the ideal baking tray size is 25cm x 35 cm
They can take up 35- 45 minutes to bake, around 25-35 if you are baking individually in silicon moulds.

Put the sunflower oil and honey in a large pan and heat gently.
Turn off the heat and add the flakes, coconut, pistachios and vanilla and stir gently.
Stir the chocolate pieces in carefully and press into the moulds.
Bake until golden brown, and enjoy

Coffee Brazil Cakes

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite cakes. A more traditional version would be coffee and walnut with coffee flavoured buttercream icing. Feel free to dress up this recipe with icing - I do occasionally - but personally I think it is already perfect with a mug of black coffee. Instant coffee does give the best coffee flavour so no need to waste expensive expresso or other blends you would actually drink in it.

Coffee Brazil Cakes
Ingredients
[enough for approx 10 individual loaf mould cakes]
150g vanilla sugar
175g butter
3 eggs
150g gluten free flour, including binder and raising agents
65g brazil nuts, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Blackcurrant Waffles

Here’s an easy recipe for gluten free waffles - no separating of eggs, just some whisking and stirring. Apart from the flavour, it’s so great to eat something gluten free with a crispy texture. Entice gluten free self-raising rice flour works well in this recipe : its already contains raising agent and binders so if you use another gluten free option, you may need to add them.

Blackcurrant waffles

makes around 6 waffles

Ingredients
3 large eggs
100g butter, melted
1+1/2 cups milk
1+3/4 cups gluten free flour
pinch of salt
1 cup blackcurrants

Preheat your waffle maker

Whisk the eggs for around 2 minutes until they are thick and foamy.
Stir in the melted butter and milk.
Add the gf flour and pinch of salt and stir until smooth.
Just before cooking, stir in a cup of blackcurrants.
Cook for around 3 -4 minutes

Cooled waffles can be stored in zip-loc bags and frozen for a couple of months.

Baby Carrot Cakes

Another month gone in a whirlwind of work, wine [Winex] and alot of bad weather and not much baking. Time to go retro. An old classic recipe that produces a deliously moist cake.


Baby Carrot Cakes

Makes 12 large muffin sized carrot cakes

4 eggs
1+1/2 cups vanilla sugar
1+1/4 cups sunflower oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple
2 balls stem ginger, finely diced
3 cups gluten free flour [Enticerice self raising gf flour works well]
handful sunflower seeds

Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and orange juice.
Sitr in the gluten free flour.
Stir in the carrots, pineapple and ginger.
Pour into the muffin moulds and top with sunflower seeds.

Bake 25 - 40 minutes until springy in the centre.

Bird's Boutique Cafe

where's the cake?



Bree & Church Street

Another Cape Town cafe which offers a flour free cake: Almond and Hazelnut. Sadly, there was none available when I visited today [just like Sage Organic cafe all over again] Still, it's good to know there is another Cape Town central cafe making an effort to offer a flour free alternative.

Sage Organic Cafe

Another Cape Town cafe with a gluten free offering on the menu is Sage Organic Cafe in 117 Hatfield Road, Gardens.

They offer naturally gluten free salads - although everything is vegetarian. It's a useful stopping point if you are visiting the South African National Gallery, Jewish Museum or walking through the Company Gardens. They have a charming outside seating area although everything looks a little shabby and in need of some TLC.

On the menu was gluten free chocolate and ginger cake but was out of stock when I visited, [on a Friday] which apparently usually happens by the end of the week. In fact, all cakes had been sold out, much to the disappointment of a neighbouring table - probably better to visit at the beginning of the week when they are freshly stocked up.

Plumcot Crumble

Plumcot? Apparently, it's a cross between a plum and an apricot. They were on sale at Hillcrest Berries. While their appearance is more purple plum, their taste started off as plums, then finished as apricot, but not in a bad way....

My favourite crumble topping is a shortbread mix, and
Bia Nua's recipe [made with butter] is the best I've used. I just take the mixture to crumb stage, then sprinkle on top of the fruit and bake until golden brown.

Gluten Free Panforte

Panforte is easy to make from the excellent quality dried fruit, nuts and seeds which are readily available here. It is a great portable snack; satisfyingly filling and useful to bridge a gap on those occasions when there is nothing gluten free available. It has a long shelf life, providing it is well wrapped and kept at room temperature. The original 'energy bar'.


Ingredients
1 cup pistachios
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 balls stem ginger, finely chopped
zest of 1 orange
100g good quality soft figs, sliced
1/2 cup gluten free flour
2 tablespoons gluten free cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey

If you are making one large "cake" then a 23 cm cake tin, generously greased and lined, if you are not going the silicone route. [I used individual silicon pie dishes and got 10]

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
Mix together the nuts, seeds, ginger, zest, figs, flour, cocoa powder in a large bowl.

Put the honey and sugar in a large pan and bring to the boil and bring to soft ball stage.
Quickly stir in the dry ingredients and place in the baking tins.
Bake 35- 45 minutes for 23 cm tin or 15 -25 for individual

Ostrich sausage rolls, gluten free

If it's gluten free sausages in a gluten free bread roll from the braai, I must be eating...................?

-er, at home. 

 It is surprisingly difficult to find gluten free sausages here, despite their much higher meat content [typically 90%] than their UK counterparts.   These ostrich sausages are a rare example; many on sale in the supermarket do not list their ingredients at all.  Some of SuperSpar's sausages list their ingredients but none are gluten free.  All Woolworth's sausages are labelled but all contain gluten.  Sadly, there is no local butcher's shop.  Still, the rarity of the occasion called for the home-made gluten free bread rolls and they were sooo good...

The "sin" of gluten

No, I'm not joking: this was the title of an article in last week's Sunday Times
[Sigh]
Well this is a new angle on coeliac disease or gluten intolerance.

Presumably the title explains the suggested punishment of bland invalid food.

It's one way to ensure you won't be troubled by a return visit of those gluten free sinners....

Wellness Warehouse: another Cape Town gluten free resource

The Wellness Warehouse is a great gluten free resource in Cape Town city centre [Kloof Street]. It is a reasonably sized store selling everything from fitflops to bathroom essentials to fitness equipment. It includes a spa, cafe and supermarket. There was a couple of tasting stations set up today for food and some lovely, reasonably priced organic wine.

They've also got a good value, laid back cafe with views of the mountain and they label their food which contains gluten. They have gluten free chocolate and macadamia brownies on offer in their cafe today. In their supermarket, they have several gluten free sections selling gluten free pasta, cookies, crackers, corn thins, rice cakes, corn cakes and baking mixes. They also sell soya milk and reduced lactose milk. There are now three South African companies making gluten free cookies: Diana's Munchies, Raymond's and Organix so there is plenty of choice. Raymond's makes a gluten free panforte which is packed with dried fruit and nuts and a useful portable and filling snack to keep on standby. It easily has the widest range of gluten free goods under one roof in Cape Town

A small selection of gluten free cookies and snacks on sale:

A warm winter salad: Brussels sprouts and bacon

I'm just back from a lovely couple of weeks in Ireland and am uncharacteristically craving the savoury...
This has got to be due to sugar overload: the national dessert of Ireland seems to be of the meringue variety: either pavlova or roulade. It was the only gluten free dessert available in several places; just as creme brulee is usually the only gluten free dessert on the menu in South Africa. Do all chefs here have to learn how to make creme brulee to pass in chef school? Or maybe it is such a high profit margin item which explains it permanently featuring on every single menu in the Western Cape.

But back to the sugar bombs of Ireland: the roulade is served in such enormous portions (like everything else - I saw kids at Avoca eating cookies the size of plates) which contained so much cream it's quite amazing I managed to loose some weight while there! But as always, when travelling, there are a couple of occasions when I just cannot find anything to eat - like looking through a menu of sandwiches, THEN paninis THEN wraps and finally finding the lone salad offering of yes, salad with bread. Or the time I was presented with a green salad in a pastry case. Sometimes you'd never guess that Ireland has such a high incidence of coeliac disease. Excuse my ranting: it must be all that sugar...


Ingredients
bacon
brussels spouts
spring onions
garlic butter
olive oil
cider vinegar
wholegrain mustard
chives
Cook the bacon and dice it.
For the warm ingredients in this salad, you need spring onions and brussels sprouts which have been halved and the hard core removed. They will then separate into leaves during cooking.
First, prepare the dressing of your choice: I like wholegrain mustard, olive oil and cider vinegar.

Cook the brussels sprouts and spring onions in a hot pan for a couple of minutes and then add some garlic butter; cook briefly and then add the bacon. Mix the dressing through the brussels sprouts and serve immediately. I also like to dress the salad with some chives.

Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Biscuits

These little cookies are perfect to keep on standby. They stay crunchy and delicious for as long as a month in an airtight jar , if you can keep them hidden. I'm not that fond of cookies, apart from shortbread, but these are good as an occasional treat. If you want a good quality chocolate chip cookie, using real chocolate chips, then it's best to make your own.

Gluten free cookies are more delicate than regular cookies, so it easier to make smaller cookies. They need to be cooled longer on the tray when they come out of the oven, then lift then carefully onto a cooling rack and this is also why it is better to make them small - they are easier to manoeuver. It's also important to start them the day before, so you can refrigerate them overnight.

Ingredients
200g butter, soft
2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 cup of gluten free flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup choc chips
pinch of salt

Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt together.
Add the flours and stir together.
Add the chocolate chips and mix until the dough just comes together.
Divide the mixture into two and roll out into two logs approx 30cm long, for miniature biscuits.
Wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight or freeze until needed.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Slice off the cookies and lay on a baking sheet and bake until the edges begin to turn golden brown, 12 -20 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheet and then lift carefully onto a cooling rack.

Milk Chocolate Brownies with vanilla choc chip icecream

I made these for a friend who doesn't like the bitter intensity of dark chocolate. They use a good quality couverture milk chocolate and they turned out moist and rich. The recipe uses proportionately little flour and there is enough chocolate to overpower the "gluten free" flavour so it's a good recipe for those starting off or newly adapting to a gluten free diet. For an even richer, fudgier brownie based on cocoa powder rather than chocolate, you can find the recipe here . I used silicone muffin tins to bake the brownies, if you are using a 19cm square brownie tin then they'll take longer to bake - up to 25 minutes.

200g couverture milk chocolate
75g unsalted butter
3 large eggs
125g sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla pod
25g gluten free flour

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Boil a pot of water, then turn the heat down to simmering.
Using a bowl that will fit over the simmering water, cube the butter and chop the chocolate.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add all three to the bowl sitting above the water.
Using a mixer, beat the eggs, salt and sugar on high until the mixture is pale and creamy.
When the chocolate mix has melted, stir it in.
Sieve the gluten free flour and stir in.
Pour into the muffin trays and bake until just set on top - it took about 15 minutes in my oven, but this is only a rough guide.

Cool in the pan on a rack.
Enjoy while still warm with icecream

The South African Food and Wine Directory

Jeanne from Cook Sister! has created an interesting resource of South African food and wine blogs, some written by South Africans from New Zealand to Bangkok to Canada. It's a wide and varied range and I've enjoyed browsing through them.

This week, the spotlight is on me!

Chocolate Orange & Almond Cake

This is another lovely naturally gluten free cake recipe shared by Martin Dwyer It's a variation on the original Orange and Almond Cake. For those who love the chocolate and orange combination, it is a beautifully moist cake which is not too sweet and has the added benefits of being dairy free aswell as gluten free. Perfect as a birthday cake....



Orange and Almond Cake
2 large Oranges
6 large Eggs
250g (9 oz.) Caster Sugar
250g (9 oz.) Ground Almonds
2 tsp. Baking Powder
225g good dark chocolate

Put the oranges in a small saucepan and cover completely with water.
Bring these up to the boil and then simmer gently for 2 hours.
(Put a lid on to make sure too much water doesn't avaporate and top up with some more water if they are not completely immersed).
After two hours take them out of the water and let them cool.
Alternately you can do these in a microwave

Put the oranges in a bowl and cover with cling film.
Put into Microwave at full for 5 Minutes.Test by removing the cling film carefully and pierce with a skewer or a sharp knife.
They should be tender. If not cook for another two mts.. Then let them cool.
Cut them in half and discard the pips and then tip all the rest of the orange, flesh, skin and juice into a food processor and pulse it to a puree.
Beat up the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl until they are pale and thick and then fold in the ground almonds and the baking powder and the orange puree.
Add the dark chocolate.
Pre heat your oven to Gas 4, 175 C, 350 F.
Line the base of an 9" cake tin with non stick paper and grease the sides.
Pour in the cake batter and bake at this temperature for one hour.
This cake remains very moist and it needs no icing.
Also note it contains no flour so it is suitable for gluten free diets.


Thanks to Martin Dwyer for the recipe

Mango Frozen Yoghurt

Take a couple of mangoes so ripe that the insides can be scooped out with a spoon. Churn together in an ice cream machine with some plain yoghurt, as much or as little sugar as you like and a spoonful of alcohol. The resulting mango frozen yoghurt tastes so rich and creamy that it's a satisfying result for minimal effort from fruit and yoghurt. To dress it up, serve with stem ginger florentines.

2 Mangoes
500ml plain gluten free yoghurt
sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon alcohol

Churn together in an ice-cream machine according to the instructions

Florentines

These rich nutty caramel crisps are usually made with candied peel and have one side spread with chocolate. However there are other possibilities for those of us who won't eat anything with peel in it. These are peel -free with a South African twist, using stem ginger in verjuice. They are best made small to ensure they are crisp and are so luscious that less is definitely enough. You'll need a sugar thermometer.

Ingredients
60g sugar
35g butter
90ml double cream
100g flaked almonds
75g sunflower seeds
30g stem ginger in verjuice, finely chopped
5g gluten free flour

preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Put the sugar, butter and cream in a pan and slowly bring to soft ball stage.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients
Drop teaspoons of the mixture onto a baking tray or silicion petit four tray.
Bake 8 - 18 minutes until deep brown in colour.



Another recipe using stem ginger in verjuice is Banana Bread

Raspberry Coconut Quinoa Slice

This quinoa slice is a good base recipe to be adapted according to your own taste. The texture is more pudding-like than cake, and so will carry additions like cranberries or blueberries beautifully. I had a couple of spoonfuls of raspberry jam to use up and the jam was a tasty "glue" to the pecan and coconut toppings.



Quinoa Slice
1+1/2 cups cooked cool quinoa
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 vanilla pod
1 cup gluten free flour, including xanthan and raising agent
1/2 cup buttermilk

Topping
Raspberry jam
Flaked coconut
Finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees
Beat the butter, sugar and eggs together.
Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla.
Stir in the quinoa and gf flour - if the mix is too stiff, add more buttermilk [this depends on your gluten free flour mix]
I bake in individual slice moulds which takes around 20 -30 minutes, until springy on top.

Cool, then preheat the grill.
Spread each slice with raspberry jam and then sprinkle the chopped pecans and flaked coconuts on top.
Grill until the coconut is golden brown.

Sorghum

Behold the grain that makes gluten free beer possible! Pictured at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden last month, with handy passerby posing to give an idea just how tall sorghum grows. Apparently scientists are looking to develop a dwarf form of this drought resistant grain. Sorghum flour is one of the cheapest gluten free flours here with brown rice flour being the most expensive. I've been told that sorghum flour is also cooked to make a porridge known as Maltabella.


More information about gluten free beer can be found at Gluten Free Beer Festival which sounds wonderful....

To make sorghum bread, try Bette Hagman's recipe

Alternatively, Gluten Free Bay has a Pareve version of the above recipe

Mango Pannacotta

Mango pannacotta needs a couple of mangoes so ripe you can scoop out their flesh with a spoon and one mango that can be diced to add texture. This naturally gluten free, simple recipe works best with perfectly ripe fruit: scoop out the flesh and puree. Pannacotta is such a creamy, rich dessert that its best served in small portions with something crunchy. Biscotti would work well but I just don't like them -I prefer thin, crispy tuiles which also pose less of a threat to my teeth. The reason I've used single cream rather than double is due to the creaminess of the mango puree: it's also a good idea to taste the puree before deciding how much sugar to add.

Makes 4
300ml single cream
200ml mango puree
half a vanilla pod
40g caster sugar
1+1/2 gelatine leaves

Heat the cream with the seeds from the vanilla pod and the pod until just boiling, cover and infuse at least 20 minutes.
Remove the vanilla pod
Dissolve the sugar in the cream
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft, squeeze, and place in the hot cream until dissolved. Cool slightly.
Stir in the mango puree and pour into serving glass.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
Just before serving, chop some mango and serve on top for extra texture.

I serve them with coconut tuiles, another naturally gluten recipe of egg, sugar and coconut.

Gluten free bacon roll

It's been two days of mist with limited visibilty. No sea views, no Lion's Head even the top of Signal Hill is shrouded in mist. Winter is well on the way and the flip flops and shorts are packed away. In this season, sometimes a warm bacon roll makes the best breakfast.

Freshly baked gluten free bread is available on Thursdays from The Healing Tree in the Adelphi Centre in Sea Point (upstairs, opposite Clicks). Call them on 021 438 8147 to pre-order or reserve a loaf. From the 10 June 2008, it
will be available on a Tuesday The loaves are 950g and gluten free buckwheat bread or gluten free cinnamon raisin bread are available.

Nutty nibs granola

Cocao nibs, nutty granola, creamy greek yoghurt and cherry compote ....it's breakfast time. Cocao nibs are the star of this granola - the chocolate component without the sugar. One of my schoolfriends had a Dutch mother and they kept boxes of chocolate sprinkles at their house which they used on everything: cereals, sandwiches.... I'd return home to tell my mother about chocolate served with everything and campaigned vigorously [and hopelessly] to instigate this tradition in our house. Now I discovered cocao nibs, they've become the adult version of chocolate sprinkles. I've kept the granola ingredients simple to complement the nibs and also kept in mind that it's going to be served with cherry compote

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup brown rice flakes
3/4 cup quinoa flakes
1/3 cup chopped brazil nuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup cocao nibs

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Put the oil and maple syrup in a bowl and stir in all the other ingredients.
Spread out on a tray and bake for 20 -30 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cool and store in an airtight jar.




This post is a contribution to the May event of Go ahead honey, it's gluten free : this month's theme is breakfast

Gluten Free Anzac Biscuits (Cookies)

For Anzac Day on Friday, here is an adaptation of some Anzac Biscuits (Cookies). They are traditionally made with rolled oats, and if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where you can get certified gluten free oats, they work beautifully. I've used brown rice flakes here but another alternative is quinoa flakes. I prefer cookies to be small so each cookie dough log makes around 20 cookies approx 4cm in diamater. You can refrigerate the cookie dough for at least a week [it doesn't contain any egg] and just slice off and bake small batches of cookies when required - or put it in the freezer. If you prefer chewy cookies, you could make bigger cookies by rolling the mix into one log, and baking until just golden.

Ingredients
125g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup gf flour [I use a rice flour based mix with xanthan gum]
1 cup gf brown rice flakes
2/3 cup demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees, when ready to bake - the mixture can be made the night before.
Dice the butter and put it in a pan with the golden sugar over a medium heat until melted.
Remove from the heat and add the bicarb -the mixture will fizz.
Add 2 tablespoons boiling water.
In a bowl, stir together the coconut, gf flour, rice flakes and sugar.
Pour in the melted butter mix.
I roll the mixture into 2 logs using clingfilm and refrigerate it overnight.
Slice into cookies and bake for 12- 16 minutes until they are golden.
Cool on their trays for around 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Gluten free quinoa goji berry muffins

A weekend breakfast of superfoods: quinoa and goji berries. This is a fantastic power breakfast which uses leftover cooked quinoa. [I cook quinoa in a rice cooker]. I've made quinoa muffins before, and this is an alternative, substituting the pecans with goji berries and sprinkling the tops with sunflower seeds before putting into the oven.
Enjoy.

Plum Frangipane

It's the last of the summer plums and another entry into April's Gluten Free Finger Foods. Ground almonds are a wonderful ingredient for gluten free baking. Recipes based on them give fantastic results without a noticeably 'gluten free' taste: there is hardly any gluten free flour in this recipe and no special baking skills required.....

Ingredients
125g butter
125g sugar
2 eggs
125g ground almonds
20g gluten free flour
a couple of plums, sliced, for topping


Preheat the oven to 190.
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the gluten free flour.
Fold in the ground almonds.
Fill a mini-muffin tray and place a slice of plum on top.
Bake 20 -25 minutes at 190 until spongy on top.

Gluten Free Onion Tartlets

Gluten free pastry is best made using small moulds: if you try to make a large quiche to slice up, you'll see your hard work crumbling before you. Literally. It's also easier to line smaller moulds: gluten free pastry can be temperamental. I'd never make it without silpats as I don't enjoy scraping pastry off the work top. I find a rice based gluten free flour blend works best for pastry and it must include some xanthan gum. If you are new to making gluten free pastry, you can find a more comprehensive description of how to make it and an alternative recipe at bbc food .

Savoury pastry

175g gluten free flour
110g unsalted butter
pinch of salt
2-4 tablespoons water

Put the gf flour and salt into mixer with the paddle attachment or a food processor.
Cube the butter and add until the butter has been broken down into large crumbs.
Add two tablespoons of water and process until the mix comes together - chill and roll out between 2 silpats.
I've got some barquette moulds which are perfect for savoury snacks and give a couple of mouthfuls.

I bake blind at 180 degrees until golden brown and cooked and then cool while the filling is assembled. I used some leftover caramelised onions on the bottom of the tartlets and then grated some cheese over. You can then pour a basic quiche mix over - I used 2 eggs and 250ml milk.
Bake until filling is just set [15 -20 mins].
Best eaten barely warm or cold.

This post is a contribution to April's theme of Gluten Free Finger Food

Grilled Aubergine Sandwiches

Autumn- at last. I've got some giant killer aubergines [brinjals] that sliced vertically to form the frame of this grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. The aubergines were pre-cooked before their final grilling to give a fantastic smokey flavour. Enjoy with garlic basil oil in the weakening sun....

Sweet Potato Scones

Take leftover sweet potatoes, add a minimum of cooking effort and the sweetest morning smell of bacon. Serve with maple syrup and strong coffee.

1+1/2 cups sweet potato, cooked, peeled and pureed
3 cups gluten free flour, including raising agents and binder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
150g butter
1 cup of buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
Put the gluten free flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz until mixed into crumbs
Add the sweet potato puree and the buttermilk and pulse until just mixed.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly.
Roll out to a thickness of 2cm.
Cut out with a 5cm scone cutter [or cut into squares]
Bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden.

Gluten Free Sweet Pastry

I was inspired by a visit to "The Sweetest Thing" in Simon's Town: patisserie par excellence. They may not sell anything gluten free [except some meringues] but they do make the best coffee in town and everything looks superb...sit back and plot your own gluten free versions. There were some lovely individual Lemon Meringue Pies in the window, which I made for a friend.. I can't even remember the last time I made one - although I do remember making a Rhubarb Meringue Pie, made with beautiful pink forced rhubarb, a couple of years ago....

For gluten free sweet pastry, I find a gluten free rice flour blend works best: it must contain xanthan gum or another binder. I also use two silpats and roll the pastry between them and chill regularly. You don't need to rest the pastry [this is only for gluten flours] but you may need to chill it so it is workable.


225g gluten free flour, with binder
125g unsalted butter, cold
85g caster sugar
1 egg, large

Put the gf flour, a pinch of salt, and the caster sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment [or use a food processor]
Cube the cold butter and add to the bowl.
Mix until the butter has been broken up into crumbs.
Break in the egg and mix just until everything comes together. [you may need a tablespoon or two of water, depending on your flour mix]
Cut into two pieces, wrap well in cling film and refrigerate to firm up.
Roll between a couple of silpats.

Baby Marrow Madeleines

This is a lovely special occasion appetiser, served warm with a glass of cold wine. If you grow your own baby marrows, you know how generously they crop: it's a great way to showcase them. They really must be babies, though - if they are too large then they'll be too watery and you'll need to drain and squeeze them.

Idea and recipe adapted from Beth Hensperger's The Bread Bible

makes around 20 madeleines

700g baby marrows
1 medium onion
30g butter
3 medium eggs
1/4 cup plain gf yoghurt
60g grated strong cheddar
20g basil leaves
1/3 cup of gf flour [I used gf brown rice & millet]
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Finely chop or grate the onion and sweat it with the butter over a low heat until it softens, but doesn't colour. Cool.
In a mixer, whisk the eggs and yoghurt together.
Finely chop the basil leaves and add to the egg mix with the cheese. Season well.
Stir in the gf flour.
Grate the baby marrows and fold them in gently.
Fold in the onions gently.
Fill the madeleine moulds and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Serve hot or warm.

Nine Years Gluten Free!

Cherry Cheesecake, dipped in Dark Chocolate

It's about this time I celebrate my "glutiversary": nine years' ago I was diagnosed with coeliac disease and began a life-long gluten free diet. It was life-changing and I've enjoyed a dramatic improvement in my health ever since and so I like to mark the occasion with a celebration. Since I'm here in South Africa, I used cherries in Witblitz to stud the cheesecake. It was then wrapped in a gf chocolate sponge cake and dipped in dark chocolate. Since I'm pleasing myself here, no need for mint, crazy sauce patterns on the plate or tall shards of sugarwork...

Gluten Free Shortbread

This week I'm eating from Brazil to Scotland via an English recipe company with an Irish name, Bia Nua . Brian Murphy is a food scientist with 20 years' experience and who is selling high quality recipes from his website. The recipes are extensively tested and do not require any special skills but the results are top quality. Take advantage of his expertise: all ingredients are available here in Cape Town and it is much more cost effective than buying expensive imported mixes. This shortbread was exceptional: meltingly delicious and eaten by some unsuspecting testers who never noticed it was gluten free. Lucy from Free From has also had excellent results from using his recipes. The list of recipes currently under development sounds exciting - gf Ciabbatta, French Stick or Coconut & Cherry cookies, anyone? You can also email him with suggestions of recipes you would like....it just gets better and better

Brazilian Cheese Balls

Happy St Patrick's Day!

This St Patrick's Day I'm eating Brazilian Cheese Balls for breakfast. Made from a naturally gluten free flour - manioc - they taste like a cheesey choux or beignet. But no,- manioc flour is not available here - I made them from a packet brought for me from Brazil. It's just a matter of stirring together with water and eggs and baking. Brazil also produces some lovely candy made from peanuts which is not sweet but naturally gluten free and clearly marked with the magic "Gluten Free" label. It is so much better than the gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe....

Eating Out In Cape Town

I probably ate out more in the last week than in the last year: my parents were visiting South Africa for the first time. We seemed to hit every restaurant, even some of my favourites, on their off day...or maybe I just visited before on an exceptionally excellent day and took their standard for granted? Most times, lunch became a farcial comedy - and every lunch took a minimum of two hours despite all our pleadings that we need to leave. Even paying the bill was especially time consuming - perhaps we have all been spoilt by Roly's Bistro who churn out large numbers speedily at lunch time with high quality food.


The Malva Pudding below is a typical cape dessert which is not gluten free so I'll never know what it tastes like. I've never seen it such a pale colour before, though. My father ordered it at one of my former favourite restaurants - after a long delay it arrived with this jug of spectacularly lumpy custard!

Fudgy Figgy Brownies

Lose weight, eat chocolate!
-Well that is the claim on the back of my packet of Cacao Powder. It also claims anti-depressant properties, but I chose it because it was dairy free. I got a query for a sampler of gluten free dairy free cake for a wedding - the client wanted individual cakes that can be arranged on large tiered cake stand.

I always cook brownies in my silicon muffin trays; it is so much easier to eject them when cool and the shape is better. The quantity below makes a manageable half dozen, as this was just a tasting. The gluten free flour I used already contains raising agents and binder so if your gf flour is lacking these essentials, you will need to add them..Personally, I find them too sweet but I guess that is the nature of brownies....anyway, for a special occasion you want something decadent: rich, dense and fudgy...

[Makes 6 large brownies, in a muffin tray]

1 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dairy free cocoa powder [raw chocolate]
scant cup of gf flour
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped soft figs

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Beat the oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.
In another bowl, sieve the cocoa powder and stir together with the gf flour and salt.
Fold into the oil, sugar and egg mixture.
Fold in the figs
Pour into a muffin tray.
Bake for 25 -35 minutes until just set on top.

Gluten Free Granola Bars

The opening of a new health food shop in Sea Point, The Healing Tree in the Adelphi Centre, 1st floor, has made a wider range of gluten free products available. I made these bars using my own home-made granola which was based on a mixture of quinoa flakes, rice flakes and soya flakes. I've got a silicon mould tray shaped into bars - it saves the hassle of preparing a tray and cutting them up; they just fall out of their perfect shapes so easily. It's always useful have a supply of portable snacks......

Ingredients
2 cups of gf granola
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3/4 cup dates, pitted
1/3 cup sultanas
2/3 cup pistachios
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
pinch of salt
1/4 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Stir together the oil, honey, maple syrup and vanilla.
Stir in the egg and then stir in all other ingredients.
Pack into your moulds; I found it made it made 18 bars.
Bake 25 -35 minutes and then cool completely [they will crisp up more as they cool]

Eating Out Gluten Free

I see that Coeliac UK is running a competition for chefs to develop new gluten free recipes to encourage us coeliacs to spend our money eating out. [As if we don't spend enough eating in!] Since I was diagnosed almost 9 years ago, I no longer eat out on the regular basis I used to - after all, why should I pay for bland, uninteresting food such as plainly grilled chicken or fish when I can easily cook something [anything!] more tasty at home? Note to chefs - gluten free doesn't mean we want to eat flavour free, too. The one exception to my experience is a wonderful restaurant in Aberdeen, Scotland that I discovered when visiting for my brother's wedding five years ago. The food in The Foyer Restaurant , Crown St was always fantastic, and a couple of years ago they produced their own dedicated gluten free menu. I've just been reading it with a tear in my eye, can't wait to go back. At the corner of Crown Street is a health food shop that sells gluten free food, so it is the most useful street in Aberdeen...
:)

Blackcurrant Muffins

When I've got time in the mornings, I love to make either gluten free muffins or pancakes for breakfast. Both are so easy to stir together and on the gluten free scales, rate highly. [An added bonus is that I can skip gluten free bread for the day.] Blackcurrants are a great, zingy fruit for breakfast - I've always loved fruit with a sour edge: gooseberries, rhubarb, cranberries...........

Ingredients for 6 muffins
100g butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1+ 3/4 cups gluten free flour [I used a rice based gluten free flour mix, which already contains binder and raising agents]
2 cups blackcurrants
A couple of tablespoons of gluten free muesli


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

In a bowl, whisk the egg, butter and buttermilk.
Stir in the sugar.
Stir in the gluten free flour: you may need to add a little more buttermilk if the mix is too thick
Fold in the blackcurrants.
Fill a tray of 6 silicon muffin moulds.
Sprinkle some gf muesli over the top
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until the tops are springy when pressed
Cool 10 minutes before turning out.