Gluten intolerance can manifest at any time of life and comes in differing forms. Coeliac disease, is when the body’s immune system starts to attack tissue, causing damage to the gastrointestinal tract when gluten is consumed, and this is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60. However non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is increasingly being diagnosed in older patients: indeed the data seems to suggest that the older that patient, the higher the risk.
Even if you have no diagnosis, there’s no doubt that eating less gluten reduces the risk of bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue and even depression so making a few switches to your daily diet can be of huge benefit. Emily Kerrigan is a registered nutritionist and food writer. When her daughter was diagnosed with coeliac disease, she studied for a Masters degree in Nutrition and completed a Leiths Cookery School diploma to boot. Emily combines her years working on food magazines with her first-class nutrition knowledge to create deliciously nourishing gluten-free food for everyday eating. Her recipes are fresh, fuss-free and reliable and she thinks in a balanced diet, there's room for both greens and gluten-free chocolate.
The following recipes have been extracted from The Gluten-Free Kitchen by Emily Kerrigan, published by Vie £10.99
Granola
“Making a batch of your own granola will save money plus you can personalise the mix just the way you like it. This recipe also has less sugar than many shop-bought equivalents.”
Makes 1 large jar | 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
300g gluten-free rolled oats
100g pumpkin seeds
100g blanched whole almonds
150g whole pecans
100g flaked coconut
120ml agave syrup or honey
80ml sunflower oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/300°F/gas mark 2 and spray a large, rimmed baking tray (or two smaller ones) lightly with oil or line with baking parchment.
Put the oats in a large mixing bowl with the pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans and coconut. Now stir together the agave syrup or honey, sunflower oil and vanilla extract in a bowl then pour over your oats mixture. Add the cinnamon plus a pinch of salt and give it all a good stir.
Pour the mix onto the tray and spread out in an even layer before baking for 40–45 minutes or until cooked. Check on it occasionally to make sure it’s not burning and stir with a wooden spoon to ensure it toasts evenly. When it’s cooked, it’ll look golden and toasted all over – remove from the oven and leave to cool before packaging it up in an airtight container.
Cornbread
“Cornbread should be served toasted or griddled, then buttered. You can also try topping toasted slices with either smashed avocado or spicy tomato relish, or serve toast soldiers with a bowl of chilli or bean stew, as is traditional in the US.”
Makes 1 loaf | 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
75g unsalted butter
1 x 284ml pot of buttermilk
135ml milk
1 egg, beaten
170g polenta
120g cheddar, grated
250g gluten-free plain flour
2½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/ gas mark 6 and grease and line a 450g loaf tin. Melt the butter then add it to a large mixing bowl with the buttermilk, milk, beaten egg and polenta. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes.
Fold in the grated cheese and then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, folding in again until thoroughly combined. Pour into the tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 35 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out carefully onto a wire rack and leave until completely cool before slicing. You can freeze this and defrost slices for avocado toast for lunch.
Chicken and rice soup
“A comforting little bowl of soup that’s very quick and easy to pull together and uses up veg that is often hanging around in the fridge. You can make this ahead and store in the fridge or freezer to reheat for another day.”
Serves 2 | 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
a few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
600ml gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock
2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
a pouch of cooked brown basmati rice
a handful of frozen peas
METHOD
Sweat the onion, carrot and celery in the oil for five minutes. Add half of the thyme along with the stock.
Add the chicken to the pan and bring the soup up to a gentle simmer. Put the lid on and poach the chicken until cooked through (about 10 minutes). Add the cooked brown rice and peas for the last few minutes of cooking along with the remaining thyme. Ladle into bowls to serve.
Brownies
“This recipe makes brownies how they should be: intense and fudgy, slightly chewy around the edges and crackly on top. You can leave out the nuts altogether to make a plain version.”
Makes 16 | 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
100g gluten-free dark chocolate, broken into chunks
100g (gluten-free milk chocolate, broken into chunks
250g unsalted butter
400g soft dark brown sugar
4 eggs
140g gluten-free plain flour
50g cocoa powder
150g macadamia nuts (or blanched hazelnuts), roughly chopped (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a 20-cm x 20-cm baking tin with parchment. In a large saucepan, gently melt the chocolate, butter and sugar over a low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Add the eggs and beat together in the pan with a wooden spoon until glossy and fully combined. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder and nuts (if using) and incorporate fully. Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes. Cool completely in the tin then slice into squares with a sharp knife on a board.
The Gluten-Free Kitchen by Emily Kerrigan, published by Vie £10.99, is available from all good booksellers.
