Friday 7 September 2012

Pig out...

Eating in... unhealthily!

Pizza and Garlic Bread


Gluten free pizzas currently only seem to come in margarita or pepperoni (not complaining, we're lucky to have them at all!) however, my favorite was also ham and pineapple, so why not make one yourself (well decorate one yourself that is!)

Buy a gluten free pizza base and top with your favourite ingredients, couldnt be easier! Oh and add some DS gluten free share and tear (or in my case, don't share!) garlic bread while you're at it....







 DS Lasagne

 A handy microwave meal to keep in the freezer! Tastes just like any other microwave lasagne!


Not forgetting brekky...

(Black Farmer's Daughter Chipolata sausages of course)


Gluten Free: Bath

I have to say Bath surprised me, at first sight it appeared to be a gluten free unfriendly city but on closer look its very gluten free friendly.. if you know where to go!!

So I'm going to tell you!

1. Roscoff Deli

18 Northumberland Place
Bath
BA1 5AR

Does THE most amazing gluten free sandwiches I have ever tasted! They get their bread from a local bakery and it's scrummy!

The best for gluten free bread and cakes - I had the Sicilian Lemon Cake - amazing!! They also have lots of gluten free mains too.

And not only is the food fab, but the staff are super friendly, especially the owner who is more than happy to help out and advise!

One of my favourite food places I've ever been to, a great experience all round, I just wish I worked down the road so I could get my lunch from there!






http://www.roscoff.co.uk/

2. Whole Bagel

Another place in Bath offering yummy gluten free sandwiches with a huge choice!







http://www.thewholebagel.co.uk/

3. Tea Monkey

Offers lots of gluten free cakes

http://www.tea-monkey.com/Stores/Bath-Tea-Monkey.aspx

4. The Pump Room - POSH GLUTEN FREE AFTERNOON TEA!!

 The Roman Baths
Abbey Church Yard
BA1 1LZ




 http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/pump_room.aspx

5. Salathai - Thai Restaurant

 14-15 Pierrepont Street
BA1 1LA 

A lovely family run thai restaurant near the station with the BEST authentic thai food. I had the See Krong Moo (Spare ribs cooked in a home-made Thai style barbeque sauce) and Phad Thai with pork (thin rice noodles stir fried with egg and seasonal vegetables in a Thai style “Phad Thai” sauce). Absolutely scrumptious food.

The staff couldnt have been nicer and more helpful either and knew all about their ingredients and what was gluten free or not.



http://www.salathai-bath.co.uk/


All the cafes/restaurants mentioned are a must visit in my opinion!!

We also ate at Las Iguanas.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Sweet tooth...

Bird's Angel Delight

A childhood favourite - banana Angel Delight with chopped bananas at the bottom and sprinkles on top


Asda's Free From Cherry Bakewells

Scrumptious!



Warburton's Lemon and Poppyseed Muffins

Finally got hold of the lemon and poppyseed flavour!  Very nice indeed!

 

Simply-free.co.uk - a great new website find

I came across this website recently -www.simply-free.co.uk - which sells only gluten free products, with free delivery straight to your door when you spend over £40 if you live in England. A great excuse to stock up on all those products that seem to disappear so fast or just simply don't seem to exist within your supermarkets, meaning 10 trips to 10 supermarkets just to try and find some gluten free bread!!

They stock some of the most popular gluten free products, including:

Genius -
Loaves
Pittas
Naans
Lemon & Raisin pancakes (a personal fave)

Warburtons -
Muffins - both Lemon & Poppyseed and Blueberry & Cranberry (both VERY yummy and hard to find in supermarkets as they go so quickly)
Loaves
Rolls

and Trufree, Mrs Crimbles and Hale and Hearty.

Other brands I'm not so familiar with include - Barkat and Isabel's Mixes.

Products I'm tempted by...
Barkat Tea Cakes (a tad pricey!!) and Lemon Cream Wafers
Hale and Hearty Honey Bee Pops
Barkat Macaroni
and Isabel's Dough Ball Mix!!


Also note that as a thankyou for referring friends and family to their site they offer all customers 10% off their next order everytime one of your friends places their first order. 

I think it's a great idea and a great website stocking all your gluten free essentials and much more!

My favourite Choc Cake/ Muffin mix...


I've tried Mrs Crimbles, DS (Dietary Specialists) and many other cake mixes but I have found Glebe Farm's Chocolate Cake Mix to be the best by far for making Choc Muffins.

The best bit... that crunchy bit on top that you always get on normal muffins but never seem to achieve on gluten free muffins. Delicious!


My new favourite bread... Yes! You Can

This is by far my favourite gluten free loaf - Yes! You Can by Roberts Bakery.

 Roberts Bakery say...
  Yes You CanYes You Can

 

Why compromise?

Just because you’re eating gluten free bakery products we don’t think you should have to forgo the delicious taste and texture of fresh, well baked bread.
That’s why we have developed the Yes! You Can range – gluten, wheat and dairy free, but tasting just the way bread should!

Our gluten free story

Yes! You Can is a brand built around an ethos of ‘no compromise’ – we will always aim to deliver products that taste great while at the same time being gluten free. Although the Yes! You Can brand is new, gluten free baking is not new to us.
We have a dedicated, state of the art, gluten free bakery in Hawarden, near Chester,  and here they’ve been baking gluten free products for over 12 years – originally inspired by a member of the owners’ family being diagnosed with Coeliac disease.
Our Yes! You Can loaves were in product development for 2 years – until we got the recipe just right!
We’re always working on new product ideas, and with 125 years of baking expertise from Roberts Bakery we’re pretty confident that we know what great tastes like. Watch this space for more developments from Yes! You Can.

(Taken from:  http://www.robertsbakery.co.uk/yesyoucan/our-gluten-free-story/)



I say...

The only gluten free loaf I have come across so far with normal sized slices (almost!) which is a joy in itself, but in addition the top didnt fall off and the slice remained in tact even when I made eggy bread, finally!!

Also the most normal tasting and least dry of all gluten free loaves, so well done Roberts Bakery!! 

AND, less calories, fat and sugars per slice than Genius!!


Try it for yourselves - both white and brown 600g loaves are available online from Tesco for £2.95 each.
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274182871



Size comparison - gluten free on left and normal on right!
 
Let's hope Roberts Bakery expand their gluten free range very soon :)




Monday 18 June 2012

Gluten Free: Spain

Having just got back from a week in Javea in Spain I thought I'd share my gluten free findings with you all.

Already aware of the numerous gluten free options available in Madrid (including the best ever gluten free pizzas and gorgeous bread at Da Niccola), I thought I'd check out what the supermarkets were offering us in the South East of Spain.

I came back with some yummy bread and cake. The bread comes in tiny squares and is much sweeter than the bread available to us here - it is more like brioche. This makes it much less dry and easier to eat, and is also much nicer to eat without toasting that all the bread available in our supermarkets. Yummy dipped in oil (as I was given in a restaurant) or toasted (the butter soaks in to the bread mmm).



The cake is plum and chocolate cake, also very moist and easy to eat.

Also, literally everything has it marked on the packet if it's gluten free (fruit, yoghurts you name it!) 'Sin Gluten' - if it doesnt say it on the front then it's not gluten free. Simple!