Sensitive to certain foods? You are not alone

(but you can win a recipe book…)

Sensitivity to certain foods has risen in the UK at a shocking rate. It is now estimated that 45% of people are believed to suffer from some sort of food intolerance. For such a massive percentage there is also still quite alot of ignorance around about intolerances. The latest edition of the BBC Good Food magazine mistakenly reported that spelt was gluten free! A serious error as spelt is a strain of wheat and does contain gluten. Interestingly the government are conducting a public consultation which could result in many foods being labelled as ‘gluten-free’ (must not exceed 20mg/kg of gluten) and ‘very low gluten’ (must not exceed 100mg/kg of gluten). You may be interested in offering your thoughts. One of the benefits however is that more companies are producing food which folk with intolerances can eat such as G-Free pies and pastries.

Win a recipe book

I’m always interested in the new foodie experiments that coeliacs come up with. One blog I was following was investigating how much rice flour can replace wheat flour in everyday food (unfortunately I’ve lost the link – if anyone knows which blog I mean please let me know!) So, it’s with some reluctance that I have to part with a book entitled ‘The Best Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes’ by Grace Cheetham, but I know one lucky winner will treasure it. Just for you to sample here’s one of the recipes…

Salmon Fishcakes

Serves 4

500g/1lb 2oz salmon fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
500g/1lb 2oz potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large eggs, beaten
gram flour, for dusting
polenta or maize flour, for dusting
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the salmon in an oven proof dish and drizzle over half of the oil. Cover and bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
2 Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain, return to the saucepan and heat gently for 1-2 minutes to dry out. Mash coarsely.
3 Take the salmon out of the oven, remove and discard the skin and any brown meat, and flake with a fork, reserving any juices. Mix together the flaked salmon, mashed potatoes, half the beaten eggs, the reserved cooking juices and some slat and pepper, taking care not to break up the fish too much. With wet hands, shape the salmon mixture into eight balls, then flatten them slightly to form fishcakes.
4 Spread the gram flour out on a plate and the polenta or maize flour out on a second plate. Dip each fishcake into the gram flour to coat it, then into the remaining beaten egg, then finally into the polenta or maize flour until well coated. Place on a clean plate, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
5 Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy based frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the fishcakes and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Keep warm while you cook the remaining fishcakes. Serve with vegetables or mixed salad leaves.

The book is full of recipes for breakfasts, lunchtime snacks, teatime treats, family meals, side dishes and decadent deserts. Mmmm, need I say more? If you want to get your hands on this coveted compendium send me an email and I’ll pick the lucky winner out of a hat.