Step into the Spirit of Spring- Gluten Free Style

On the whole, the weather has been getting more and more spring like over the past couple of weeks. Here at Gluten Free Foods, we love cooking at this time of year. All our favourite veggies are in season (artichoke, asparagus, cauliflowers and lots lots more).

Seeing as the sun is shining (almost) we thought we would end this month of blogging with a series of recipes that will get you in the mood for Spring.

Let's kickstart with our favourite Spring Pasta Salad- we use Barkat Pasta Spirals which work perfectly:

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

For the Pasta Salad:

5 cups cooked Barkat Pasta Spirals (or any other variation you'd like- Buckwheat adds a yummy nitty taste)

2 cups de-seeded and coarsely chopped English Cucumbers

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced purple onion

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

In a bowl or mason jar combine olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt a fresh cracked black pepper.  Whisk vigorously (by hand) until emulsified.  Taste and season with more lemon, honey, salt, or pepper as necessary.  Set aside.

In a large bowl toss together the gluten free pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, and fresh basil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, drizzle in the dressing. Taste and season accordingly.  Serve immediately.  

Very easy to put together but the creamy, rich taste of the feta mixed with the sweetness of the dressing makes this gluten free spring salad rather delicious indeed! 

Eggsellent Easter

Easter is just around the corner and just because we are gluten free, we don't want to miss out on any of the fun!

Coeliac UK have been very kind and have put together a list of all the certified Gluten Free Easter Eggs. So we thought we would share the list of Chocolatey heaven with you! Browse through the list and if you really want to treat yourself- tick off the eggs that you have managed to hunt down!

If eggs aren't your thing, we have plenty of Chocoholic offerings at Gluten Free Foods:

Denise's Delicious Bakery Chocolate Brownies- These gooey brownies are BRAND NEW. We tried them and had to offer them straight away online- they MUST be tried!

Barkat Chocolate Tea Cakes- These tasty treats get rave reviews. With a crunchy biscuity base, a fluffy centre and a smooth chocolate shell- these are perfect for your Easter celebrations.

Barkat Chocolate Wafers- Our kids love to dip these in a glass of milk or crumble up and sprinkle over ice cream!

Aldi 
Dairyfine Mini Chocolate Egg s 150g
Dairyfine Mini Eggs 90g
Dairyfine MIlk Choc Bunny Lollies 120g
Dairyfine White/Milk Choc Bunny Lollies 120g
Dominion Easter Marshmallows 225g

Cadbury 
Assorted Mini Filled Eggs
Buttons Hollow Chick
Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Bunny
Caramel Egg  (All variants)
Caramel Egg  Medium Egg 
Creme Egg  (All variants)
Easter Egg  Trail Pack
Egg heads
Large Roses Egg 
Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Daim Eggs
Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Eggs
Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Treasure Egg 
Mini Caramel Eggs
Mini Creme Eggs
Mini Eggs
Mini Eggs Giant Egg 
Mini Eggs Large Special Egg 
Mini Eggs Medium Egg 
Mini Eggs Mug Egg  Mini Eggs Treasure Egg

Celtic Chocolates 
Choices Dairy Free Easter Egg  125g
Celtic FreeFrom Dairyfree Dark Chocolate Easter Egg  125g
Choices Caramel Flavoured Easter Egg  120g
Choices White Choc Egg  65g Choices Choc Bunny Bar 40g 
Choices White Choc Bunny Bar 40g     
                                                                                                                
 




Green & Blacks  
Organic Fairtrade Milk Chocolate with Butterscotch Easter Egg  165g
Organic Fairtrade Dark Chocolate & Mint Easter Egg  165g
Organic Fairtrade Milk Chocolate Egg  with 2 Milk Chocolate Bars ‐ (Butterscotch & Sea Salt) 365g
Organic Fairtrade Dark 70% Chocolate Egg  with 2 Dark Chocolate Bars‐ (Ginger & Burnt Toffee) 365g
Organic Fairtrade Easter Tasting Collection‐ Dark 70% Choc Egg  with Milk Mini Collection & Dark Mini 
Collection)


Marks & Spencer
Origami Bunny 
Headphone Jack 
Bobby Bunny
Betty Bunny Basket Filled with Eggs
Captain Egg wash ‐ Pirate Egg 
6 Pack of Chicks 
Preston Penguin
Dairy Free Egg  

Tesco Fresh Free From Hot Cross Buns 4 pack
 

Thorntons 
Alpini Treat Egg 
Milk Harry Hopalot Impulse 24g
Bunny Lollies Mixed 28g
Milk Harry Hopalot Lolly 28g
Milk Harry Hopalot Model 60g
White Harry Hopalot Model 60g
Milk Harry Hopalot 250g
White Harry Hopalot 250g
Milk Charlie Chick Model 250g
Milk Giant Bunny 1.1kg
Hot Cross Buns 78g
Happy Easter Truffles 185g
Milk Football Egg  150g
Milk Butterfly Egg  150g
Milk Egg  153g
White Egg  153g
Milk Stars Egg  155g
Milk Scooter Egg  161g
Milk Rocket Egg 161g
Milk Shoe Egg 161g
Milk Cupcake Egg 161g
Milk Gruffalo Egg 162g
White Harry Hopalot Egg 165g
Milk Egg 320g
White Egg 320g
Dark Egg 320g
Milk Moments Egg 218g
Milk Melts Egg 228g
Milk No Added Sugar Egg 240g
Milk Classics Egg 240g
Milk Smiles Egg 242g
Milk Indulge Egg 270g
Dark Indulge Egg 270g
Dark Indulge Egg 275g
Milk Fudge Egg 290g
Milk Toffee Egg 295g
Milk Classics Egg 303g
Milk Premium Coll Egg 303g
Milk Classics Egg 307g
Hot Cross Bun Egg 400g
Milk Spectacular Egg 414g
Dark Fudge Brownie Egg 425g
White Raspberry Cheesecake Egg 425g
Milk Banoffee Pie Egg 430g
Milk Continental Egg 500g
Marv Magnificent Milk Choc Egg 1kg


Waitrose 
LOVELife Free From Gluten Hot Cross Buns
Woodland Friends Easter Egg  Hunt
Belgian White Chocolate Egg  & Jelly Beans
Easter Milk Chocolate Eggs
Woodland Friends Hop The Frog
Woodland Friends Spike The Hedgehog
Woodland Friends Ollie The Owl
Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg  & Dolly Mixture
Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg  & Jelly Drops
Seriously Dark Chocolate Egg  & Caramel Truffles
Seriously Milk Chocolate Egg  & Praline Truffles
Easter Lolly
Woodland Friends Izzy the owl
Heston Easter Egg  




Enjoy the long weekend and send all your gluten free creations to press@glutenfree-foods.com!

Eager for Easter

If our house is anything to go by, Easter weekend calls for a large amount of baking. Cakes, biscuits, chocolate and more seem to be the focus for the family over the weekend.

So we thought we'd share our easy baking recipes that are naturally gluten free (of course).

Chocolate Easter Egg Nests (perfect for the kids to make)

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz plain (good quality) chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 50g/2oz butter
• 75g/3oz Barkat cornflakes
• 36 mini chocolate eggs 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Method
• 
  

1. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.
2. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.    
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the cornflakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate.
4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

An easy peasy recipe that the kids love (and we do too!)

Garibaldi Biscuits

We love making our way through a batch of biscuits over the long weekend. And alongside Barkat Ginger Biscuits we like to make our own Garibaldi biscuits- which taste seriously delicious but are super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 110g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 110g/4oz butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 free-range egg, separated
• 225g/8oz Barkat All-Purpose Flour sieved
• good pinch mixed spice
• 55g/2oz currants
• 30g/1oz candied peel
• 3 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven 160C/325F/Gas 3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined.
3. Fold the flour into the mixture, then stir in the mixed spice, currants and candied peel. Stir in enough milk to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and cut out the biscuits with a fluted cutter (there are so many Easter-inspired cutters around!). 
5. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with the reserved egg white, sprinkle with sugar and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
7. Remove the biscuits from the tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack.

• We will be posting more next week. These two recipes should certainly get you in the baking mood!

#7aday Fuel Up with Veggies

7 vegetables of fruit and veg a day. Is that really possible?

Here at Gluten Free Foods we have been discussing the best way to get a large amount of vegetables into your meals with as little fuss as possible.

Our top way of doing this is by rustling up great big bowls of veggie pasta dishes. Over the next couple of days we will be sharing other ways of getting your recommended daily dose of the good stuff! 

Today, we thought we'd share our top 2 pasta sauces that are filled to the brim with vegetables (for those who have kids who can't even bear to think about eating their 5 a day, these sauces may help ease the stress of getting them to eat veg! 

Step 1: Choose a pasta variety. With plenty of gluten free pasta options on offer, the first decision is to choose whether you fancy Spaghetti or Tagiliatelle or perhaps the kids might want animal shapes! 

Step 2: Now choose which sauce you are after: Mediterranean Veg or Green Pesto 

Mediterranean Vegetable Sauce

Serves 6:

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers, quartered and deseeded

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• ¼ tsp crushed chillies

• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 600ml vegetable stock

• small handful basil, leaves shredded

• Method:

1. 
   
   1. 1.
   Heat the grill and pop the peppers, skin-side up, underneath for 10 mins or until beginning to char. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and cut the flesh into strips.
   
   

1. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the fennel, onion and carrot for 8-10 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic, crushed chillies, fennel seeds and tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then add the canned tomatoes, stock and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins or until the vegetables are completely soft.

3. Now pour the sauce into a blender along with the roasted red peppers. Once smooth, pour it back into the saucepan.  Simmer for 5 mins to thicken, then stir in the pasta ands serve!


Green Pesto

This nutty, creamy sauce is my favourite when looking for a quick way of getting towards my 5 a day!

Serves 6Ingredients

• 150g bag watercress

• 100g of chopped courgettes or rocket or spinach (or any other green veg!)

• 3 garlic clove, roughly chopped

• 75g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), half grated, half shaved

• 150g toasted flaked almonds

• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp sugar

• Method

• 1. Put the watercress and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and blend for a few secs until finely chopped. Add the grated cheese, half the almonds, the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season well, then blend until you have a smooth purée consistency.
• 
  

• 2. Meanwhile cook your pasta. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the sauce and add a few drops of water until you have a lovely smooth consistency.
• 
  

• 3. Serve with parmesan and scatter with the remaining toasted almonds.

These sauces are seriously simple and are full of amazing health benefits- it's a win-win situation! 

Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

If brunch and a pre-baked gift does not suit your mum, then surely an afternoon tea will tick all the right boxes.

If you need an easy option, we love Glebe Farm's seriously simple scone mix- all you need are a couple of basic ingredients and some clotted cream and lovely strawberry jam. Take all the credit for making a perfect addition to the afternoon tea (without revealing that Glebe Farm did all the hard work for you!)

Other useful additions to the afternoon tea menu are finger sandwiches (of course). We love to use Barkat Multigrain Sliced Bread to make ours- we cut of the crusts and then fill with egg mayonaise, cucumber and cream cheese and if we are feeling really naughty chocolate spread and banana. Surely that wil put a smile on your mum's face?

We also think Warburton's Blueberry Muffins will make a great addition on your afternoon tea table.

Other ideas are Barkat teacakes, wafers and ginger cookies!


So whether you are spoiling your mum with an outing at one of our favourite Gluten Free destinations or if you making a special afternoon for her at home- we hope you have a lovely Sunday with all the family!

Mother's Day Preparations

Yesterday we gave you brunch options, but if you'd rather give your mum an edible gift that she can share with the family (yourself included) why not go for one of these yummy cake recipes:

Rhubarb and Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1. 225g caster sugar

1. Zest 1 lemon

1. 4 medium eggs at room temperature, beaten

1. 75g ground almonds

1. 200g Barkat all purpose flour

1. 140g forced rhubarb, washed and cut into small chunks

1. 1 tbsp demerara sugar

1. For the topping

1. 75ml double cream

1. 3 tbsp lemon curd, plus extra for drizzling

1. 
   

1. 
   Method:

• Heat oven to 180C. 
• Lightly butter a deep, round 20cm cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment.
• Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then add the caster sugar and lemon zest and beat again. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture, beating well with each addition, until fully combined. The mixture will begin to look glossy – if at any stage the mixture curdles, beat in a spoonful of ground almonds and continue to add the egg until it is all mixed nicely!
• Stir in the ground almonds, then the gluten free flour, and fold everything carefully together using a large spoon. 
• Fold through half the rhubarb, then transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin and scatter with the remaining rhubarb. Finish with the demerara sugar sprinkled on top. Bake the cake for 45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly in the tin, then remove from the tin. When the cake is cold, make the topping.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks. In a small bowl, loosen the lemon curd with 1 tbsp water and carefully fold it through the cream, without overworking. Spread over the cake, drizzle with a little more lemon curd just before you serve it!

If you're after another fruity option - make your mum one of our favourite baking treats: 

Peach, Blueberry and Soured Cream Muffins

Ingredients:

• 350g Barkat all purpose gluten free flour
• 1 tsp Barkat gluten free baking powder
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 142ml carton soured cream
• 2 medium eggs
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 150g punnet blackberries or blueberries
• 2 fresh peaches, stoned and cut into wedges
• 6 tbsp sparkling water
• demerara sugar to sprinkle

Method:

• Heat the oven to 200C and put 8 muffin cases in a muffin tray. 
• Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl, add the melted butter, soured cream, eggs and lemon zest and beat just long enough to give a thick, smooth mixture – making sure you don’t over-beat. Carefully stir in the fruit and finally the sparkling water (this is what makes the muffins so light and fluffy), until just evenly combined.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases – they should be nice and full. Sprinkle generously with the sugar and bake for 25-30 mins or until risen and golden. The muffins are best served just warm.
• They keep fresh for about 3 days and you can just heat them up in the microwave.

If you want an easier option, just order one of our favourite fruity cake mixes by Glebe Farm. You just need to add a couple of basic ingredients and they taste like you've spent hours slaving away in the kitchen! 

We love the blueberry and cranberry muffin mix!

Enjoy these fruity treats with your mum. More ideas to come tomorrow!