Cheesecake

The following recipe is one that I have used for many years.  It's a family favourite and dare I say it.. almost a pantry staple in our house 😆

It's a KRAFT recipe which has been adapted slightly to a cater for us gluten free folk.  I have made it thousands of times and every time it is a triumph & warmly received. 

Ingredients
1 + 1/4 Cups Gluten Free sweet biscuit crumbs

80g butter, melted

2 x 250g block Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 Cup Caster sugar

1/4 Cup lemon juice

3 teaspoons GF gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water

1 Cup cream, lightly whipped

Method
Combine biscuits crumbs and melted butter and press into your tin. Refrigerate whilst you prepare the filling.

Using a mixer, beat Phily and sugar until smooth

Add lemon juice & gelatine mixture and beat well until combined.

Fold through cream.

Pour mix into prepared base and chill for 3 hours.

You can incorporate some passionfruit pulp, lime zest, raspberries, or other creative additional extras  into the mix before setting for that extra special something. I would avoid using fruits such as Pineapple or Kiwi Fruit in the mix as they may inhibit the gelatine working it's magic and setting the cheesecake.  Save these for toppings. 

Generally, any plain gluten free sweet biscuit works well. My favourite used to be Naturally Good Coconut Bakehouse Cookies but unfortunately not as readily available (locally) to me anymore. If you can find them, they make for an excellent cheesecake base. I have used Schar Maria plain biscuits and Eskal Tea Biscuits successfully.  

You could also incorporate some desiccated coconut into the biscuit base for that something special.  Toppings can be simple or elaborate. From strawberries & a dusting of icing sugar, to a medley of fruits, chocolate, meringue or even spun sugar.  You are only limited by your imagination.

This recipe makes 1 standard sized cheesecake (9-inch springform pan) or a dozen individual servings using disposable foil baking cups (8 x 3.8cm)


This is not a sponsored post

That's all very Well and Good

The last 8 weeks in our house have been a whole lot of CRAZY to say the least.

We have had mad LEARNER DRIVER practise, Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Netball season starting, Footy season starting, THE Practical Driving Assessment (third time's a charm 😉), wisdom teeth extractions, teenage recovery from aforementioned wisdom teeth extractions.. 

5 year old tantrums from time restrictions placed on electronics 😖 and for the 8 year old - a Rapid Maxillary Expander Appliance thrown in just for good measure. Good times. I'll just tack on the end here, the majority happening whilst the husband has been away for work. But you know what?  I have come to realise that this is OUR kind of normal.  It's all or nothing in Casa Hart. (Usually weighing heavily on the ALL end of the scale) Sound familiar?  Not whingeing (OK maybe a little bit).  

I know it's a lot of families' kind of NORMAL these days - more of an explanation of why things have been quiet on the old blogging front. Apologies. 

I have however, managed to road test a couple of superb products from the lovely people at 

Well and Good in between ORGANISED CHAOS and am here today to tell you about them. 

In my opinion the individual products stand on their own merits but hey I'll let you be the judge. ENJOY!

CRUSTY BREAD MIX

This is photographic proof that the mix produces an excellent result.  I was REALLY impressed with this product.  It was very user friendly and bucking the system in my usual haphazard manner, I used my mixer against recommendation (to which I only discovered recently - oops! Pays to actually read instructions..) Well what a brilliant result.  Good Friday saw me making pumpkin soup which killed 2 birds with one stone so to speak (with one wisdom teeth impaired individual in the house).  

The bread complimented the soup perfectly.  It was crusty & delicious on the outside and soft in the middle.  True to their word, Well and Good have delivered an excellent product here.  

                 GLUTEN FREE SELF RAISING FLOUR

This gluten free flour fortified with Quinoa and Calcium produces an excellent baked good.  It comes in a resealable 1kg bag and is not only gluten free but dairy free & nut free as well.  I have road tested the merits of this flour in some Hart family favourites several times. Several times because the baked results don't seem to last very long around here so I keep baking more just to make sure. You know. Purely for quality control.  

My theory is, if it tastes good they'll eat it.  

If there is added nutritious stuff concealed in there and it gets eaten just as heartily, WIN WIN. 

Nice one Well and Good. Mothers everywhere will love this sneaky tactic 👍

For those wondering, the Gluten Free Plain Flour is an equally quality product. It has been used frequently in my kitchen and I would purchase both again without hesitation.

Easy Chocolate Brownies

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Mmm.. Chocolate Mousse

Mmm.. Choccy Cake

Imagine having them both at the same time.. in one cake! Imagine no more! Well and Good have made this dream a reality. Good Grief. Do we really need this? Don't be ridiculous. OF COURSE WE DO.

This scrummy delight is from Well and Good's NEW range of gluten free products that contain a twist of superfood without compromising on taste.  In this case raw Cacao - organic and cold pressed added to the mousse topping.  The mousse is rich and decadent and perfectly compliments the moist chocolate cake base underneath. If you're looking for the WOW factor with the convenience and ease of a cake mix to whip up and seriously impress..

My teenage son tells me that the SALTED CARAMEL PUDDING IN A MUG was also pretty decent (Those of you that have teenagers will know, this is a POSITIVE affirmation).
Apologies for lack of photographic evidence of said pudding but due to immediate and ill-mannered consumption of dessert I will take this as a BIG thumbs up.  Also, the fact that he could follow the 2 step instruction on the reverse of pack (1. Combine milk, oil and pudding mix in mug 2. Cook in the microwave for 50 seconds) - a monumental achievement.
GMO free. Gluten & Nut Free and containing no artificial colours or flavours. With Gooey Chocolate Pudding and Spiced Banana Cake varieties also available, I'd say this little gem will appeal to many.




Well and Good is a proudly Australian owned family business. All of their products are made in Melbourne in a strictly Gluten, Dairy and Nut Free environment. You will find their products in Coles, IGAs and health stores throughout Australia.  Products are also available online ($4 postage Australia wide). Try their handy STORE LOCATOR HERE

You will also find an excellent recipe resource available via their website HERE and if Youtube is your thing, they have that covered as well.  With step-by-step tutorials using the Well and Good range of  baking mixes and recipes.

Well and Good sent me the above products to sample

All opinions expressed are my own.  
I was not paid for this post.

Cannelloni

There are some excellent cannelloni tubes in dried pasta form but with the release of new fresh gluten free lasagne sheets, I recently had a go at making my own tubes with them.

It produced excellent cannelloni and so I thought I would share what I do.

Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts

1 litre GF Chicken Stock

125g chopped Spinach (I use frozen)

250g Ricotta

30-40g slivered almonds roughly chopped 

Method

I like to poach my chicken breast first, so in a medium sized saucepan, bring 1 litre of gluten free liquid chicken stock to the boil (I use Massel) add chicken breasts and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.  Cook spinach during this time and set aside.

Remove chicken from stock and blitz in a food processor together with the cooked spinach.

Combine chicken/spinach mixture with chopped almonds & ricotta and incorporate well.

Heat lasagne sheets according to packet directions/individual microwave power.  This aids in ease of rolling but you must still work relatively quickly.  Keep remaining sheets under plastic wrap whilst working on another.

I like to use a store-bought pasta sauce keeping the flavours simple - remembering that the hero here is the pasta filling. Any sauce should compliment not take over.  I like to use a gluten free (by ingredient) Passata type sauce. Italian Tomato and Basil. Perfect.

Spread a little sauce in the base of a rectangular lasagne dish. Arrange cannelloni in a single layer immediately on top and cover generously with more sauce. Dress with cheese and a sprinkling of Italian herbs, cover with foil and into a 180°C oven for 45 minutes, removing the foil in the last 5 minutes.

Delicious and moreish. Enjoy!

(The above ingredients made about 15 tubes so I made 2 dishes. A large dish holding 10 tubes and a smaller rectangle with 5)

New & Improved from Lifestyle Bakery

Aren't we lucky that we have such an array of gluten free products available to us nowadays?  Especially bread.  I shudder to think of the gluten free selection (or lack of..) of days gone by..

You may have noticed a familiar face in the bread aisle recently.  Lifestyle Bakery are no strangers to gluten free.  They have provided us with a soft and tasty range for some time now and I am very happy to report that they have developed a NEW AND IMPROVED range of Soft 'n' Light gluten free bread.  

The range includes a Super Soft White Loaf - New Thicker Slice, Multigrain with Red Quinoa, Super Seed with Chia Seed and a Spicy Fruit Loaf made from 100% Australian grown fruit.

Super Soft White with it's improved taste and new thick-cut slices was a popular choice in my house. Toast was a hit this morning at brekky and both my younger children happily skipped off to school with a fab new sanga made with the same loaf. Only one child is Coeliac but let's not split hairs.

The Superseed is my fav.  Naturally kids are going to be kids when it comes to bread with 'bits' in but for me, I embrace the bits. With a combination of chia, red quinoa plus amaranth and teff seeds, it's loaded with essential nutrients but I just love the taste. In fact, this afternoon, I lightly toasted a couple of slices, loaded them up with thick chunks of vine ripened tomatoes, added a sprinkling of salt and pepper and it was lunchtime perfection. It's the little things..

The new range was launched on 3rd August 2015 and has replaced all previous Lifestyle Bakery Soft 'n' Light Gluten Free loaves.  RRP $5.89.  Available NOW in Woolworths WA and selected Woolworths stores in SA and NT.  

Alternatively, products can be purchased online at  www.lifestylebakery.com.au 

Lifestyle Bakery sent me the above products to sample.

All opinions expressed are my own.  I was not paid for this post.

Clear out the Pantry Biccies

So it is a constant source of annoyance when the kids ask for NEW cereal when they haven't finished the existing box. You're with me, right??

"Please mum pleeeeeeaasssse, can we? can weeeeeeee? pleeeeeeease"

and even if you dare to stand your ground and say "NO.. you have to finish the other box first"

you know deep in your heart, that very same box will be sitting high on the shelf in six months time taunting you with it's uneaten contents <groan>

AARRGGHH!!

So today I'd had enough of the taunting.  Those 2 cups of uneaten cornflakes (plus a few other pantry items) were going to be put to good use.  It's raining and I'm hungry and the oven is beckoning..

This recipe adapted from a base recipe from Taste.com

INGREDIENTS

110G butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup gluten-free plain flour

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups gluten-free cornflakes

1/2 cup pistachio, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Craisins

1/2 cup gluten-free chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius

Line a large flat tray with baking paper

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar together until you have an icing-like consistency

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt and then add remaining ingredients. 

Mix well to combine.  Add butter mixture and mix well, ensuring all dry ingredients are incorporated well.  Don't be afraid to crunch up the Cornflakes in the process.

Spoon or roll tablespoon sized portions onto tray.  If you are feeling daring, you can and place 3 rows of 3 but be warned - the mixture does spread so be prepared.  

I would recommend 3 rows of 2 - spacing well apart.

Bake for 12 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack

These biscuits are buttery and yum but I think this recipe will appeal more to the older child or an adult palate - AHEM.. 

<complimented with screwed up, pained expression> 'What are those BITS in it? 

What are those GREEN THINGS? 

I'd like to tell you that the kids inhaled them.. BUT that would be a bald-faced lie.

There seemed to be a lot of picking things out and tiny mouse-like bites.  You can't win 'em all.

More for me.  

And you know what?

I'm OK with that.

Pumpkin Soup

Easiest soup, great to disguise some other veggies in and super yum.

Ingredients

2 x 1L GF Chicken Stock 

1 whole Butternut Pumpkin cut into small pieces

1/2 Brown Onion chopped

2 Carrots chopped

1 large Potato chopped

2 Celery sticks chopped

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 cup Thickened Cream

Method

In a large heavy based pan, brown the Onion, Cumin and Coriander.

Add stock and vegetables and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat and allow to simmer for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Using a stick blender (right in the pot), carefully blitz until you have a smooth consistency.

Add 1/2 cup Cream and Nutmeg and stir in well.

Serve with a dollop of Creme Fraiche and chopped Chives.

Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Donuts

When I learned I had Coeliac Disease, there were a lot of never agains..

Never again will I experience the softness and deliciousness that is REAL bread

Never again will I enjoy the crisp taste of an icy cold REAL beer

Never again will I relish the taste sensation that is a REAL donut..

HANG ON..

NO!  I refuse to believe there will be no donuts in my life.  NO!

and so..

I bought a donut pan on Amazon and while I waited patiently for it to arrive, I scoured the internet for gluten free alternatives.

and you wanna know what I found..

HEAPS! Yes HEAPS of gluten free donut recipes. All is not lost.  Now to experiment..

I liked the idea of baked not fried (hence the donut pan) and so I road-tested an Apple Cider Baked Donut recipe except that I didn't in fact have any Apple Cider on hand..  

however, I did happen to have Apple Cider Vinegar.  Turns out, not the greatest substitution haha 

but hey - nothing ventured, nothing gained right?  

You will find an excellent Apple Cider recipe HERE from Gluten Free on a Shoestring
but you know what? Sure mine were DIFFERENT tasting but they weren't awful.  

Anyway further experimentation saw me making donuts today with sour cream.

Sour Cream has long been used in baking, yielding great results.   Those using this ingredient believe the end product to be moist and richer in taste.  Lets see shall we?

So the following has been adapted from a recipe by The Semisweet Sisters  

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg (I use 700g free range)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup rice bran oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup gluten free plain flour ( I use White Wings)

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon Bi-carb Soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 180° C

Spray donut pan with cooking oil or alternatively, butter well

Combine sour cream, egg vanilla, oil & sugar on a  medium speed in a mixer

Add dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are combined

Fill an icing bag with donut batter (for ease of transfer to donut pan).  Fill each mould to about 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes until just browning around the edges.
Allow to cool in pan for approximately 5 minutes then invert onto a cake rack.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1 cup pure icing sugar

1 tablespoon GF cocoa powder

2-4 teaspoons of milk

(add additional milk a little at a time to achieve the right consistency - not too runny) 

Dip the top of each donut in the glaze and kind of twist each one, ensuring the top is coated well and then turn over onto a plate (lined with baking paper) to set.

The verdict..

My kids wolfed these down.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do :) 

Gluten Free Madeleines

MADELEINES!  One of the school mums had mentioned how her husband (I know right? Fantastic!) loved to make Madeleines.  I had never heard of them before so I did some research and introduced myself to the delicate French teacake. I had seen the beautiful shell mould pans in kitchen shops many times and thought to myself - a gluten free version? 

How hard could it be?

Turns out.. not hard at all.  ENJOY! 

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter (melted & cooled)

1 cup GF plain flour (sifted)  *I used White Wings GF Flour

1 tsp lemon zest

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 195°C 

Butter Madeleine pan very well, sprinkle with flour and tap out excess

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar & salt together until a pale fluffy consistency is achieved.  Add vanilla halfway through process

Add flour, a little at a time and mix well after each addition

Add lemon zest (optional)

Remove bowl from mixer,  add butter and FOLD in until totally incorporated into mix

I used a small ice-cream scoop* to fill my moulds purely for ease of transferring batter across and to ensure consistency in size.  
(*smaller than the regular sized scoop - purchased from a kitchen shop) 

Bake for 8-10 minutes watching closely to ensure Madeleines brown just around the edges.  Don't overcook!  

Allow to sit in pan for just a couple of minutes then invert & give the pan a sharp tap onto a cake rack and allow Madeleines to cool.

These are perfectly lovely dusted with a little icing sugar or you could drizzle with white or milk chocolate (or both) or dip in a little chocolate.. the possibilities are endless really.

Penne with mushroom, chicken & chorizo (with chilli & garlic pesto)

Quick dinner ideas.. yes please!

After a long day I'm afraid quick dinner prep is very appealing.   

Thing is, I have some fussy eaters in the ranks right now.  Ugh..

On the upside, the youngest of the crew requested sausages and salad and coincidentally, there winking at me from the fridge were some I had prepared earlier.  Sausages anyway.  

Leftovers are a Godsend sometimes aren't they? Yes Sir.

So that took all of about 5 minutes to prepare.  WINNING.

For the big kids (yes me included) PASTA was on the menu.  I drew a bit of inspiration from the fabulous Donna Hay and used a combination of store-bought and fresh ingredients to prepare the following super quick.  ENJOY!  

Ingredients

GF Penne Pasta

1 Tablespoon Oil - I like to use Rice Bran Oil

500g skinless chicken thigh fillets sliced into smaller pieces - You could use chicken breast here but I think the thigh fillet has more flavour

1 Chorizo sausage - I use HANS Deli Selection   

1 small punnet of sliced mushrooms

Chilli & Garlic Pesto - I used a store-bought pesto by Jamie Oliver which was gluten free by ingredient (always check labels carefully) - I used 1/2 of a 190g jar - and let me tell you, it had a bit of KICK.

Parsley and a quality Parmesan to serve

Directions

Prepare Penne Pasta according to packet directions

I used 250g San Remo Gluten Free Penne for this recipe but there are heaps of fabulous GF pastas available

While the pasta is cooking, brown your chicken pieces in a little oil on a medium/high heat.

When almost cooked through, add sliced chorizo sausage. 

Remain on this heat until chicken is cooked through and a good colour is achieved with the chorizo.

Add mushrooms.

Drain pasta and add to your chicken/sausage/mushroom mix reducing heat to a minimum.

Stir through pesto ensuring pasta is well coated.

Serve with freshly chopped parsley and a good parmesan.

Too easy. 

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Did someone say Chocolate??

As the Christmas month draws near, it seems timely to run a festive GIVEAWAY along with an added dollop of Christmas cheer 

Have you heard of Sweet William? Did you know that all Sweet William products are free from dairy, lactose, gluten, peanuts and tree nuts?  
The Sweet William Chocolates are wonderful and at Christmas time they release a special Santa Minibar pack!  

Sweet William operates a totally dedicated facility and implements strict procedures to ensure their products are free from allergens. In addition every supplier of ingredients is screened intensely to make sure that every single ingredient is free from dairy, gluten and nuts. Sweet William also regularly sends out batch samples for analysis to make sure there are no allergens present. All these procedures combined ensure peace of mind for people dealing with allergies and food intolerances.

All Sweet William chocolate is also free from preservatives, and artificial colours and flavours. In No Added Sugar products they are naturally sweetened with Stevia. No artificial sweeteners are used.

Sweet William have kindly offered up the following prize pack for this giveaway.

The Prize:                                      
SWEET WILLIAM CHOCOLATE HAMPER
(RRP Value $40) 

- 3x Santa Minibar Multipack 155g 

- 3x assorted Sweet As 'No Added Sugar' Blocks 100g each

- 1x Dark Orange Chocolate 50g

- 1x Dark Velvet Chocolate 50g

- 1x Choc Chips 150g  
- 1x  White Delight Block 100g                                              

The Santas are available in Coles nationally as well as selected IGA and health food stores.  They make great stocking fillers or just a sweet gluten-free treat.

Enter via RAFFLECOPTER below and leave a comment on the blog to say you dropped by and why you would like to win the Sweet William pack (always a pleasure to have you x) **ENDS FRIDAY 05/12/2014**

**Entry is open to AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY.
This is not a paid promotion.      

                            

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blueberry Muffins with Almond Meal

I had a craving for a muffin this morning so started playing around with ingredients I had in the pantry.

Here's how things panned out.

Dry Ingredients    

3/4 Cup GF Plain Flour (Sifted)

1/2 Cup Almond Flour (Sifted)

1 tsp GF Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (melted and cooled)

Grated zest of 1 lemon

I whizzed my wet ingredients up quickly in my mixer then added to my dry mix until just combined.

I then added 1 cup blueberries (I used frozen).  Do not over-mix.

Divide evenly between 12 muffin cases and bake at 175 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until golden on top, spring back when lightly touched or when a skewer inserted comes out clean.

 

Happy with these although on the smaller side, they were light and delicious.

Melbourne - Our Gluten Free Sojourn

We  OK 'I' have always been a little apprehensive about venturing outside of our comfort zone since we boarded this gluten free bus.  After all, we have had some not-very fun glutening episodes with our girl that have previously rocked the holiday vibe. And not in a good way.  Yeah that.

BUT you can't live in a bubble forever can you.  Well you probably can but where's the fun in that.  Not if you don't have to anyway.  Because that would be.. well.. STUPID.  

We have stuff to see, cool things to do, people to meet and best of all delicious gluten free food to eat and all of this OUTSIDE of our suburb.  It's out there.  Our mission: GO. SEEK. FIND.

I had my big girl pants on.  We were breaking out of this gluten free comfort zone.

Naturally I did a lot of research.  I mean A LOT.  

We were going on a real life HOLIDAY.

WE WERE MELBOURNE BOUND! 

Qantas kicked things off nicely.  Upon checking-in ~ "2 Gluten Free meals Mrs Hart?" Yes indeed.  

Too easy.  Aside from the in-flight entertainment (loosely translates to HEAVEN when travelling with kids), everyone with their OWN channels and OWN headphones and OWN choices and.. subsequently no arguments.  I settled in with the latest copy of Australian Gluten-Free Life.  I was set.  "Come Fly With Me.. Come Fly.. Come Fly Awaaaaaaaaayyyy.."

Qantas did good. We had gluten free bread, we had Mediterranean Lamb & vegetables, we had Rowie's Cakes and Good Lord we even had Salted Caramel Ice-cream thank-you very much.

I was loving this.   You might even say the corners of my mouth were even curled in an upward fashion.

Our first night saw us experience the delights of Mrs Parma's on Little Bourke Street.  

Mrs Parma's have full disclosure on their menu and website about possible traces but I had done my research, was informed and prepared.  Upon divulging our Coeliac status,  the staff member politely explained whilst they could not claim to be a 100% gluten free kitchen because of the fact that they use wheat products in the same kitchen, they would take great care when preparing my gluten free meal.  I can happily report no adverse effects.  What a great start.

Cafe Andiamo Strawberry Crepes

The next morning saw us walking the streets of the bustling CBD, discovering magic and hidden laneways at every turn.  And then we found it.  Degraves Street and the Holy Gail that is Cafe Andiamo.  Degraves Street like many Melbourne laneways has an uncanny resemblance to Diagon Alley.  Harry Potter fan or otherwise, you will love it.  The cafes and the hustle and bustle is fabulous.  The aroma of delicious coffee is all consuming.  So what led us here?  Strawberry Crepes my friends. Strawberry Crepes.  All gluten free and all as perfect as your imagination is allowing you right about now.  We frequented this establishment almost every day of our sojourn.  The kids ~ Coeliac and non-Coeliac alike, were lapping this culinary excellence right up and so was I.  The silence of breakfast satisfaction to the nth degree was truly golden.  I relished these morning moments while I slurped my superb coffee. And oh it WAS superb.  These Melbourne baristas have nailed the coffee thang. 

The rest of our stay consisted of ambling through the Queen Victoria Markets, people watching in Federation Square with a cheeky wine to accompany a late lunch at Transport Bar Federation Square, a tram ride to St Kilda for a look-see, some serious retail therapy in the CBD ~ a personal favourite The Emporium (the place is seriously A-M-A-Z-I-N-G), a trip to The Melbourne Zoo and frequent visits to Southbank of an evening to discover all the gluten free delights on offer - and there were many.  We experienced amazing buskers, artwork and friendly faces and help wherever we went.  The weather was also pretty fabulous.  I know right??

Gluten free is abundant in Melbourne. Not only that but there is a great understanding of gluten free, safe food prep/cross contamination issues in general.  These folk are really switched on where gluten free is concerned.  Hallelujah!

SpudBAR Fan

SpudBAR was a fav with my daughter.  With a 100% gluten free menu how could you go wrong?  Seriously yum.  We also enjoyed the likes of THRIVE in The Emporium and old favourites like Grill'd (various Melb locations).  Evenings saw us savour the delights of Bluetrain (Southgate Complex, Southbank) with various gluten free options and a very good understanding of GF prep and cross contamination issues, World Restaurant and Bar with various GF options and a separate fryer for chips :)  We also enjoyed a delicious GF risotto and wonderful service at the fabulous Tutto Bene - Southgate Complex (mid level), Southbank.  Fantastico.

Hopetoun Tea Rooms 

If you're in Melbourne, have a sweet tooth, are looking for a bit of extravagance and have the time ~ be sure to check out the delectable Hopetoun Tea Rooms (Block Arcade - CBD).  This place is the Aladdin's cave of cakes.  I'm not kidding. Decadent and delightful and lots of gluten free options.  Perfect for afternoon teas with mothers and daughters,  grandmothers and granddaughters or just with that someone special. 

Please understand this is a personal record and reflection of our wonderful experiences dining out in what is a fabulous destination for the gluten free traveller.  Please be vigilant about reading labels and assessing risks and make your own judgement about where you choose to eat - taking into account any possible cross contamination issues.  Menus change, Management changes.  Things always change. That's life.  Do your research, ask questions & make informed choices.  Be on top of your game.  Look after your health.  If in doubt, leave it out.  This is a priority as a person living with Coeliac Disease and will make for an extremely pleasant holiday.

Special thanks go to some especially lovely people & information sourced from -
The Australian Coeliac (September 2014 Issue), The Coeliac Plate (a fabulous website and reference point), Coeliac Victoria and Tasmania who went above and beyond to provide some invaluable information via email before we left and then delivered an information pack to our hotel,
Gluten Shmooten (an informative gluten free eating-in-Melbourne guide including fish & chips!) and finally Jas from the perfectly gorgeous The Gluten Free Scallywag - a wonderful blog that is worthy of some serious pouring over, who sent me a lovely email with the gluten free heads up for Melbs.

THANK-YOU!

I would also like to make special mention of the very sweet shopkeeper at a certain IGA 24 hour store on Queen street in the CBD who chased me up the street shouting "Miss! Miss!" just so that he could give my 2 littlies a Chupa Chup (GF of course) 'on the house' after frequenting his establishment on a few occasions.  WOW I love your people Melbourne.

I love your funky vibe. 

I love your bustle.

I love your FOOD.

I love your TOWN.

Until we meet again...

New - Barilla Gluten Free Pasta

When Barilla approached me recently and asked if I would be interested in sampling their new gluten free pasta, naturally I was delighted.

Barilla, already the world's largest pasta producer, has recently launched a gluten free pasta range that I was more than happy to road test.
Tonight I made my family a Chicken, Chorizo and Olive pasta dish using the gluten free Penne and incorporating the Barilla Basilico pasta sauce.

Out of interest, did you know that the entire Barilla pasta sauce range is gluten free?  Fantastico.
 
Let me start by saying that there are only 2 Coeliacs in my house, myself being one of them. The other - my 7 year old daughter hasn't quite developed the discerning palate as that of her older brother and dad - the two biggest and heartiest eaters in the house.  So whilst there are endless variations of delicious pasta dishes, this particular dish was aimed at the big boys. 

Tough crowd. I had my work cut out for me. Let's do this.

Ingredients

340g Barilla Gluten Free Penne
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 garlic glove finely chopped
1 long red chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
1 red onion finely sliced
2 medium chicken breast finely sliced
1  GF Chorizo sausage finely sliced
400g jar of Barilla Basilico sauce (Tomato Sauce with Basil) 
A generous handful of gluten free Kalamata olives
Finely chopped Continental Parsley to serve
Plenty of good quality shaved Parmesan to serve


Method

To 3 litres of boiling salted water I added the Penne and cooked for 10 minutes as recommended on the pack. 
Whilst the pasta is cooking, in a heavy based fry pan over a medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and an equal amount of de-seeded & finely chopped chilli. Sauté for about a minute before adding onions.  Once onion becomes limp and slightly translucent, remove from pan.   

Add thinly sliced chicken breast & sliced chorizo and sauté until chicken is just cooked through and desired colour is achieved. Turn heat down to low, return onions to the pan and add Basiico sauce. Drain pasta straight from the pot (I use a small sieve) - don't rinse and add immediately to sauce.  Make sure pasta is coated well.

Add a generous amount of Kalamata olives. Dish up a generous serving, dress with Continental Parsley and Parmesan and enjoy.

Barilla pasta is made in Italy in a dedicated gluten free factory and is a unique formulation of naturally gluten free flours (corn and rice) rather than refined starches.
The pasta is available in Spaghetti, Penne or Elbows and will be available nationally in Woolworth's stores from October and currently in independent grocers (RRP $3.69).

and the verdict..

Well.. from my point of view as the 'cook' AND the 'coeliac' the pasta cooks and tastes like regular pasta.  There was no strange aftertaste, no gritty or slimy end product and an 
al dente result was easily achievable.

and the big boys.. 

Let's just say there was almost no need to clean plates as they were almost scraped clean.  My husband stated, and I quote.. "That tasted just like normal pasta!"  
I'd say that's a WIN right there.  Nice one Barilla.  

and if you were wondering what the small people in the house ate.. they most certainly did not miss out.  I whipped them up an extra special Broccoli Mac and Cheese Gratin using the Barilla Elbows.  Perfect for little tums and taste buds.  A post for another day.. 

Barilla sent me the above products to sample

All opinions expressed are my own.  I was not paid for this post.

Weet-Bix Slice

Good Grief.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never made Weet-Bix Slice before GLUTEN FREE Weet-Bix came along.  I know right?  Hilarious. 

Well here it is in all it's glory. It really is fabulous and SUPER EASY.

Original recipe from KAI TIME (a NZ TV show with a huge following).  I have adapted here to make gluten free :)

Ingredients
180g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 Cup desiccated coconut
3 Gluten Free Weet-Bix, crushed
1 Cup gluten free plain flour
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup gluten free cocoa

Topping
200g Gluten Free Chocolate
1/3 Cup cream
Desiccated coconut to sprinkle on top

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.  Melt butter and add vanilla
Combine dry ingredients together in a food processor, pour in butter and blitz until well combined.
Press mixture into a lined slice pan and bake at 180 C for 15-20 minutes until firm

Allow to cool

Melt chocolate and cream together and pour over cooled base
Refrigerate until set

Use a hot dry knife to cut into squares.

I think the slice is best served at room temperature after the chocolate topping has initially set but totally your call.  ENJOY!

Rocky Road

Got a hankering for some Rocky Road?

You're in luck! Here's a simple recipe that's bound to please

Ingredients

375g pack Nestle Melts (Dark or Milk Chocolate) 

170-200g Gluten Free Raspberry Lollies

200g Gluten Free Marshmallows

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts (* make sure to check ingredients list for hidden gluten)

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

**OMIT nuts if you prefer a nut-free Rocky Road or to make SCHOOL FRIENDLY 

Method

Chop raspberry lollies in half.  If using regular sized marshmallows, cut into quarters (this can be a sticky process and will test your patience).
If you are fortunate enough to stumble across Gluten Free mini marshmallows - WELL DONE 

Melt chocolate

- in microwave (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Continue with 10 second bursts until all the chocolate has melted. Watch your power - don't overheat!

- stove top ~ half-fill saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate melts in a glass bowl that fits snuggly on the top of saucepan making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water! 

Use a metal spoon to stir until chocolate has melted.

Combine coconut, peanuts, lollies and marshmallows in a heatproof bowl. Add melted chocolate and mix well.  Pour into slice tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until set (allow about 2 hours).

Allow a short spell out of the fridge before cutting with a hot dry knife.

Variations can include glacé cherries, gluten free biscuits, macadamias - your only limit is your imagination.. 

Chicken & Leek Pie

Winter warmers.  This one's right up there.  I've been playing with the terrific Simply Wize Gluten Free Puff Pastry sheets A LOT of late.  They make THE BEST sausage rolls - see my Facebook page - and countless other pastry delights.  My next conquest.. Chicken & Leek Pie.  I used to make it years ago when I was part of the gluten crowd *sniff* and I remember vaguely that it had wholegrain mustard in it and it was the bomb. 

I couldn't find my old recipe so I drew inspiration from a recipe I found online from The Australian Women's Weekly (for the filling) which you can find HERE and adapted to make gluten free. So without banging on too much - I share with you this pie of mine.  It is by no means a masterpiece but it tasted bloody fantastic and there was none left after one sitting.. I guess they liked it.

I made my own shortcrust for the pie base and sealed it with a Simply Wize puff pastry top.
The base was a bit crumbly so I will have to work on it but the big boys in my house said it was terrific so I don't know.. you be the judge.  It tasted fab and was buttery so glass half full right?  It's all about how you look at things I guess.  I'm my worst critic but I figure there's ALWAYS room for improvement.  Otherwise everything would just be a tad boring yes?

PASTRY BASE

225g plain gluten free flour (I used White Wings)
1 tsp xanthan gum
110g cold butter cut into cubes (I used unsalted but on reflection I think this base needs SALTED)
1 egg lightly beaten
1 Tbs chilled water

Blitz the dry ingredients together in a food processor.
Add your cold butter a little at a time until a crumb-like consistency is achieved
Add the egg and a little chilled water - you don't have to use the whole tablespoon - just go slowly until the right dough consistency is achieved.
Shape into a ball, flatten into a disc & wrap in Glad (plastic wrap).
Chill for an hour in the fridge.

After an hour, preheat oven to 180° C.  Remove dough from the fridge and roll out between 2 pieces of Glad or baking paper being careful not to roll too thin as it is not as robust as it's gluten filled counterpart. Use the Glad or paper to assist you in lifting the pastry into your pie dish. Trim edges but try to trim slightly above the edge of dish.  You don't have to be too precious. If your pastry tears or is too thin in parts, use the off-cuts to patch your base ~ gently pressing the pastry until you are happy with your shell. Line with baking paper and fill with pie weights, rice or baking beans and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce temp to 160° C and bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove paper, brush pastry shell with beaten egg and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes. Set aside.

THE FILLING

500mls chicken stock (I use Massel)
600g chicken breast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
40g butter
1 leek sliced (I used a V slicer - Quick! and can slice super thin)
2 Tablespoons gluten free plain flour or you could use GF Cornflour
2 teaspoons mixed or Italian dried herbs
175mls milk
200mls cream (I use Devondale Long Life thickened cream - 200mL packs are perfect and great to keep in the cupboard!)
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
1 egg yolk lightly beaten (to brush pastry top) 

Bring stock to boil in a medium saucepan, add chicken breast and return to boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand in stock for a further 10 minutes.

Remove chicken and roughly chop.  Keep 1/3 cup of stock that chicken has cooked in.

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy based frying pan, add leek and cook until it softens.  Add GF flour and dried herbs and stir over heat for 1 minute. Add the reserved 1/3 cup of stock, milk and cream. Continue stirring until mix thickens. Add chicken and wholegrain mustard.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, add chicken mixture to your prepared pastry shell and top with Simply Wize GF puff pastry sheets.  I used 2 sheets ~ overlapping and cutting sections to patch around the pie dish as necessary.  Brush liberally with beaten egg.  Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pie and bake at 200° C for approx 20 minutes or until lovely & golden brown .