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Salmon and Horseradish Fishcakes
Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Clay Pot Chicken with Date and Nut Quinoa Stuffing
Baked Apple and Mustard Ham
Parsnip Purée
Masala Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash
Roast Pork Boulangère
Spicy Sausage and Bean Stew
Pasta with Smoky Bacon, Olive and Chilli Tomato Sauce
Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream and Olive Oil Mashed Potato
Spiced Lamb Steaks with Chickpea Purée
Winter Squash and Chestnut Bake
Vegetable Lasagne
Peppers stuffed with Gado Gado Sauce
Spiced Parsnip Quinoa
Chocolate and Chestnut Cake
Apple and Cinnamon Granola Bars
Little Sticky Toffee Puddings
Treacle Tart with Custard
Lemon, Sesame and Ginger Cake
Maple and Pecan Squares
Breads and Baking
White Soda Bread
Rye Soda Bread
Flaxseed Bread
Quinoa Bread
Crusty White Loaf
Flatbreads
Corn Tortillas
Shortcrust Pastry
Basic Biscuits
Banana Bread
Products and Stockists
Acknowledgements
Copyright
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Introduction
The Intolerant Gourmet is for everyone who loves food and who loves to cook. This includes anyone who suffers from an intolerance or allergy to certain foods, people not usually catered for by cookery books. For that reason all the recipes in this book are completely free from wheat, dairy produce, soya, eggs and yeast, and almost entirely free from gluten. Yet they taste fantastic – designed to inspire and make you want to eat. And, most important of all, they don’t let on that there is anything missing. For this not an earnest cookbook but one that celebrates the joy of good food; every recipe could (and should) be served to friends and family, whether suffering from a food intolerance or not, without a single person finishing their meal feeling that they’ve gone without.
Through my own experience of learning how to cope with various food intolerances, I have met many fellow sufferers and this book has emerged as a result. The Intolerant Gourmet focuses on the culprit foods – how to avoid and replace the ones most commonly associated with food intolerances. It focuses less on full-blown food allergies, which are relatively rare and usually confined to one type of food, such as nuts or shellfish. By contrast, food intolerances are widespread and often multiple, with the sufferer developing a sensitivity to a whole range of foods. For this reason I haven’t excluded nuts from this book as I find that, in the absence of other ingredients, they provide vital texture and flavour to my dishes. However, less than a third of the recipes contain nuts. Those that do are clearly marked and there is a wealth of choice for readers wishing to avoid them. For those who are allergic to any of the foodstuffs focused on in this book, such as wheat or dairy produce, then absolutely every recipe is open to you.
When first diagnosed with an intolerance or allergy, you may feel depressed at the idea of having to give up certain foods, but your diet need only be as restrictive as you make it. It takes a little extra forethought, admittedly, but within a short space of time preparing intolerance-friendly meals will become second nature. The benefits of avoiding the problem foods will leave you feeling so much better that you’ll never want to go back to your old ways.
Cooking and eating are, by their very nature, sociable acts. Hence people who become restricted in their diet worry that they may also become restricted in their lives. Family meals or dinners with friends can become an act of isolation, with one meal for you and another for everyone else. Eating out can be equally fraught, its pleasures outweighed by the simple lack of anything on the menu that you can actually eat! Having lived with multiple food intolerances for years, I have experienced these frustrations many times. So when I began writing The Intolerant Gourmet it was very important to me that this was a cookbook that could be used by as many people as possible. In these pages you will find dishes that you can eat blissful in the knowledge that they contain nothing that could make you unwell. Not only that but they will make you and those eating with you feel both indulged and well fed. These are dishes that everyone can take pleasure in, whether they’ve a food sensitivity or not.
The recipes in this book aim not only to satisfy your dietary requirements, but also to inspire you in the way of intolerance-friendly home cooking. The thought of all the things you can’t eat can seem overwhelming, but there are so many ways around this that you need never feel as though you are going without. Whether it is a combination of naturally non-allergenic ingredients, or an adaptation of a traditional dish using intolerance-friendly substitutes, these recipes will show you that being sensitive to certain foods does not mean a lifetime of deprivation. In fact, it can open up a whole new way of cooking that uses fresh ingredients, makes you feel fantastic and, most importantly, tastes really, really good.
The Intolerant Kitchen
The Intolerant Gourmet is all about the pleasure of eating – enjoying the delicious food you can have rather than craving the things you can’t. But before delving into the recipes, it is worth defining what constitutes a food allergy and what a food intolerance and how they differ.
A food allergy generally causes an immediate allergic reaction, which triggers an immune-system response and severe symptoms. There is also such a thing as a delayed allergic reaction to food, as in coeliac disease, for instance, in which the sufferer is allergic to the gluten in wheat. Intolerance, on the other hand, is an adverse reaction to a particular food or ingredient that occurs every time the food is eaten, but especially if larger quantities of it are consumed. It is much more common than an allergy and, although far less dangerous, symptoms can be similar and it can be no less difficult to live with. Food intolerance occurs when the body is unable to deal with a particular type of food, such as wheat, dairy products or egg. This is usually due to a combination of factors – the body not being able to produce enough of the particular chemical or enzyme needed for the digestion of that food and an over-exposure to the food in question.
Food intolerance can be triggered by ill-health (following serious illness, for instance, or an operation on the digestive system), but in most cases it is brought on by an over-exposure to a particular food or foods. In Britain, for example, we consume a huge amount of wheat grain on a daily basis, without even being aware of it. It is quite normal for an individual to eat a wheat-based cereal for breakfast, a sandwich of some type for lunch, followed by a pasta-based meal for supper. The result is a disproportionate amount of wheat consumption in one day, and if this is repeated over time, it can easily lead to an intolerance to wheat.
Intolerances are rarely life-threatening, but they do cause very real symptoms, from bloating and abdominal pain to rashes, headaches and even depression. Such symptoms can begin hours or even days after taking the food in question, making it difficult to diagnose the cause. As a result, sufferers can find themselves living in a state where they never feel wholly well. Indeed, this may have gone on for so long that it will have become an accepted part of their lives. They can’t remember a time when it was any better.
Once you have been diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, then you should of course try to avoid the problem food in all its guises. At the same time, it’s important to build up your reserves of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients and to support your immune system as much as possible. Avoiding the problem food needn’t be a dismal business, however. You can buy a wide selection of products specially devised for sufferers from food intolerances and allergies, and some are worth their weight in gold in the kitchen. This cookbook uses a selection of the best, tried-and-tested products – for my list of recommended products and stockists. It also uses a range of allergen-free fresh produce to create recipes that are both rich in nutritional value and taste delicious.
Adopting an allergy- or intolerance-friendly diet does mean weaning yourself off all unnecessary processed and modified foods. When you can no longer rely on packets of biscuits or ready-made meals to fill a hole or provide an instant meal, learning to make the most of fresh wholefoods will make things much easier. Fruit, vegetables, pulses and meat – the foundation of good home cooking – are all intolerance-friendly foods, providing a great range of culinary options. The chapters in this book will encourage you to notice what’s in season, too, so that you begin to make seasonal eating a natural part of your diet.
Foods for you
While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the foods you can’t eat, it is far more helpful to concentrate on those you can. And the most important thing to begin with is to work out which of the staple foods you can eat and cook with in order to build up your intolerance-friendly storecupboard. Some will be familiar, while others may be new to you, but they’ll soon become old friends. I’ve listed a tried-and-tested range of intolerance-friendly basics over the next few pages. All the foods listed are high quality and 100 per cent natural, with no artificial flavours, chemicals or preservatives. They are all widely available from health-food shops and big supermarkets.
Dairy-free milks
The dairy-free milks listed below are the perfect substitute for cow’s milk in intolerance-friendly cooking. They are very useful in baking, and also create authentic-tasting custards and creams. You can make your own versions of the nut milks, but if you are buying them I recommend the varieties enriched with calcium, as every little helps!
Almond milk: a rich and creamy milk with a distinctive almond flavour, making it ideal for use in puddings and for pouring over cereal, especially granola or muesli. Most varieties come sweetened with agave syrup (#litres_trial_promo) as it can be a little bitter without.
Hazelnut milk: a rich and creamy milk, with a distinct flavour of hazelnuts. Ideal for use in sweet baking and puddings.
Oat cream: a thicker, creamier version of oat milk, with added sugar and oil to emulsify it. It can be used in baking, to make ice cream and custards or simply to pour over puddings.
Oat milk: a creamy, savoury and ever-so-slightly grainy milk, this works very well in baking.
Quinoa milk: a thick milk with the distinctive flavour of quinoa.
Rice milk: a thin milk with a naturally sweet flavour. I use it on a daily basis, on cereal and as an accompaniment to tea and coffee. Rice milk heats well but will not froth or thicken when whisked.
Dairy-free fats and oils
There are a number of dairy-free margarines on the market, all varying in cookability and flavour. I recommend checking the ingredients carefully, buying only the trans-fat-free varieties (#litres_trial_promo). Vegetable oils, being naturally dairy-free, are ideal for intolerance-friendly cooking.
Coconut oil: often called coconut butter, this is a hard oil (it sets at room temperature) that melts easily and has a distinctive, creamy taste. It is popular in intolerance-friendly baking as it reacts in much the same way as ‘real’ butter would do. Recently, it has received a lot of good press for its health benefits.
Flaxseed oil: an intense and rich oil. It is best used in small amounts – as part of a dressing, for instance, or drizzled lightly for an added nutritious boost – and should never be heated.
Groundnut oil: a light and flavourless oil. I would recommend this for frying and roasting.
Olive oil: an essential for any storecupboard. Olive oil is ideal for all savoury cooking and dressings and can be used in baking. I like to use extra-virgin olive oil for dressings and drizzling over dishes just before serving.
Rapeseed oil: a perfect oil for use in sweet baking as it has a fruity and slightly nutty flavour. It is very healthy too, being low in saturated fat and rich in omega 3, 6 and 9 oils.
Sesame oil: a strong and pungent oil. Most suited to Asian cookery and best used sparingly.
Sunflower oil: a good all-rounder, this has a neutral taste that makes it suitable for baking, roasting and frying.
Egg Substitutes
Replacing eggs in intolerance-friendly cooking can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately, there are a number of good ‘egg replacers (#litres_trial_promo)’ on the market. Consisting of natural starches and gums, they help to bind ingredients in baking, but without necessarily helping them to rise. For that reason I tend not to use an egg replacer in any recipe calling for more than two eggs, or I use it in combination with a little bicarbonate of soda. If you don’t want to use commercial egg substitutes, there are a couple of other options available to you.
Apple purée: can be used as an egg substitute when making cakes, although it should be noted that it adds a distinctly fruity flavour to the mixture. You can buy apple purée from most health-food shops or from the baby-foods aisle in your supermarket. You can also easily make your own. Peel and core two small Bramley apples, chop into 1cm/½in cubes and combine with 2 tablespoons of apple juice or water. Cook over a low heat for around 6 minutes or until soft and then purée until smooth in a food processor or using a hand-held blender. Once made, the apple sauce will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. To replace one egg in a recipe, use 2 rounded tablespoons of apple purée and ½ teaspoon of baking powder, adding the baking powder to the flour and the apple purée to the fat.
Ground flaxseeds: also known as ground linseeds, flaxseeds work well as a binder in intolerance-friendly baking, although they can create a gummy centre to whatever you are making. These are best for use in cakes, brownies, pancakes and biscuits. To replace one egg, my general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds and ⅛ teaspoon of baking powder blended with 3 tablespoons of water.
Gluten-free flours
Naturally gluten-free flours are far more prevalent than you may realise; it is the mixing of them that affects how successful they are in baking. You can buy some excellent pre-mixed varieties (#litres_trial_promo), ideal for baking, but it’s worth experimenting with your own mixtures too.
Buckwheat flour: a strong and ‘earthy’ flour, traditionally used for making blinis and soba noodles.
Gram flour: also known as chickpea flour. This golden flour has a distinctive nutty flavour and is widely used in Indian cookery, mostly for poppadoms and bhajis. It is great for coating patties and potato cakes before frying them.
Ground rice: more coarsely ground than rice flour, this is ideal for using in puddings and cakes as it gives a wonderfully light and airy texture to any mixture.
Masa harina: also known as corn or maize flour (not to be confused with cornstarch – see ‘Baking Aids (#ulink_24e657e9-1964-5102-bf2f-d6b80c960960)’). This delicious golden flour has been used for centuries to make naturally gluten-free tortillas and tamales. I recommend searching out a good-quality brand and experimenting with it; you’ll find it well worth the effort.
Potato flour: a pure, white flour (not to be confused with potato starch), ideal for use in thickening sauces or as part of a blend with rice and quinoa flour for baking.
Quinoa flour: this flour has a strong and particular taste, making it unsuitable for some dishes. When combined with potato and rice flour, however, it makes a very good bread flour.
Rice flour: available in both its brown and white forms. Used as base for sauces or in shortbread, it has a slightly grainy texture that renders it unsuitable for use on its own in baking except when blended with potato and quinoa flour.
Rye flour: while containing no wheat, this flour is not entirely gluten-free and so is unsuitable for anyone trying to avoid gluten in all its forms. If you can tolerate rye then this heavy, dense flour makes a great sourdough loaf. It has a strong and distinctive flavour, making it unsuitable for sweet dishes, however.
Gluten-free grains
There is a common misconception that all grains contain wheat, but this is not so. There are an abundance of delicious grains that can replace wheat in a whole range of dishes.
Basmati rice, white and brown: ideal for use as an accompaniment to numerous dishes. Clean in flavour, basmati has the advantage of being quick to cook. I use it to stuff peppers and squash, in pilaffs and even to make rice pudding.
Brown rice, short-grain: a wonderful wholefood and natural detoxifier. Rich and nutty in flavour, it can be used as an accompaniment to many dishes and in place of white rice in risotto, paella and salads.
Buckwheat: not in fact a grain but a plant related to rhubarb. With a strong and earthy flavour, it can be used to make salads, while its flour is traditionally used for making pancakes and noodles.
Maize: otherwise known as polenta or corn, maize is a substantial grain that can be cooked with water or stock to produce a thick and creamy paste, or left to chill and then cut into slices and fried. Naturally golden in colour, it has a slightly sweet flavour, making it useful for baking cakes.
Millet: a strong-tasting grain often used in soups. It cooks in much the same way as rice and so can be used in any recipe where you would normally use rice.
Oats: a wheat-free food, oats can be tolerated by some coeliacs and gluten intolerants. Although oats contain a protein similar to that of gluten, it is the way that they are processed that really affects their gluten content. You can buy pure oats (meaning uncontaminated) that have been milled in a gluten-free environment, making them suitable for most gluten-free diets. The best gauge is to trust your instincts, listen to your body and avoid them if you feel that they have a negative effect.
Quinoa: actually a fruit rather than a grain, this can be used in much the same way as you would rice. Quinoa is both delicious and a great source of protein – I can’t recommend it highly enough. With a slightly nutty texture, it benefits from the addition of stock or seasoning as it readily absorbs flavours.
Baking aids
All good baking requires some form of catalyst to help it leaven and cook well. With the removal of gluten, milk, butter and eggs from the list, it is really important that your remaining ingredients are up to the job! Using natural binders and thickeners is the way to go and there are lots of good-quality varieties on the market.
Arrowroot: a natural thickener. You can use it to thicken sauces and make glazes as it leaves a very clear sheen.
Baking powder: helps breads and cakes to rise. While generally gluten-free, it is always worth checking the label first – and to make certain that the brand you’re buying is aluminium-free too.
Bicarbonate of soda: a natural leavening agent activated when it comes into contact with warm liquids. It is an ideal addition to intolerance-friendly cakes.
Cornflour: also known as cornstarch and based on maize (#ulink_57d7e503-e0da-59ec-a6d1-89b72511500e). It helps to thicken sauces and custards.
Xanthan gum: a plant gum that acts like the gluten found in wheat. Xanthan gum is the holy grail of allergy-friendly baking; it helps breads come together, pastry to roll and flatbreads to bend. It is the must-have staple of any allergy-friendly storecupboard.
Following the recipes
The recipes in this book are designed to work together – you can choose a selection of dishes from each section within one season and they will blend together to create a harmonious menu. When following the recipes, however, you’ll need to bear in mind that allergy- and intolerance-friendly ingredients often don’t work in the same way as their allergenic counterparts. For example, gluten-free flours are often far more absorbent than wheat flour and so require different quantities of liquids and fats to combine with them. Equally, using sunflower margarine as a replacement for butter is a useful and easy alternative, but margarine is simply a blend of vegetable oils and so when heated or over-whipped, its stability can change and affect the end result. When you cream the margarine and sugar in a baking recipe you should use a wooden spoon and lightly cream the mixture by hand, until incorporated. Beating the mixture too hard or for too long, and/or using an electric whisk, can cause the margarine to separate, which will result in an oily or ‘fried’ texture in your baking.
