gluten-free – Page 11

Cranberry amaretti

March 12, 2013June 5, 2015 Jenny

Last week was a busy one at Brain Food. The highlight was definitely the talk I was invited to give on Wednesday night to a group of children’s therapists, including speech therapists, educational psychologists, clinical psychologists and specialist teachers. I gave a short presentation of my nutrition practice, before talking in greater detail about the links between food and behavior. I also explained how and why how some children with special needs may benefit from special diets, and shared a few case studies. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A session after my talk, which led to a lively discussion of a variety of issues close to my heart, such as the importance of nutritious school lunches and how to get children to eat the healthy food that is on offer.

It was also a very cold, wet week even by London standards. At home everyone was feeling a bit run down and tired. So I took the time to bake one of my family’s favorites, cranberry amaretti. These amaretti are comfortingly rich and nutty, but also have a fresh note coming through from the lemon zest – dare I say a little reminder that spring can’t be THAT far away?

These cranberry amaretti are adapted from an Ottolenghi recipe for sour cherry amaretti. I always keep an eye out for Italian biscuits and cakes as I look through my cookbooks, as they often call for ground almonds instead of flour and are frequently gluten and dairy free. I had the idea to swap cranberries for the sour cherries a few years ago when I was looking for Thanksgiving-friendly recipes that were gluten and dairy free – but my family loved these so much that I now make them year round.

Cranberry amaretti (adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook)

180g ground almonds

120g caster sugar

60g dried cranberries

grated zest of 1 lemon (I use a microplane grater for this)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

pinch of salt

2 large egg whites

approximately 3 tablespoons runny honey

approximately 50g icing sugar

Makes 18-20 amaretti

Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, caster sugar, cranberries, lemon zest, almond extract and salt.

In another large bowl, beat the egg whites using a hand-held electric mixer or a standing mixer while gradually adding the honey, until they form soft peaks. (I squeeze the honey directly into the eggs whites from the container.)

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites.

For best results, chill the batter for 3 hours in the refrigerator. This will help the amaretti to keep their shape. But feel free to skip this step – the amaretti may flatten out slightly while cooking but will still be delicious!

Put most of the icing sugar in a shallow bowl or soup plate. Using your hands, form the batter into balls, around the size of golf balls. Roll each ball in the icing sugar, place on the lined baking tray and press the sides with your fingers to make a slight pyramid shape.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and dust with the remaining icing sugar. The amaretti will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Dessert

Chocolate rice krispie treats

February 21, 2013 Jenny

My children and I do not see entirely eye to eye on what makes a fun cooking project. On a rainy “let’s make something” day, I might suggest we attempt pavlova, or California rolls, or something slightly ambitious that I bookmarked in my Charcuterie book. The kids, on the other hand, love to make rice krispie treats.

It’s pointless to argue. The recipe is simple enough that very little adult supervision is required. Also, it is not only gluten and dairy free, but also nut free.

But the main point is really that kids love to make rice krispie treats because kids love to eat rice krispie treats.

Chocolate rice krispie treats

(adapted from Ellen’s South Hampstead Dinners, available from South Hampstead Junior School)

250g golden syrup

25g unsweetened cocoa powder

300g gluten-free puffed rice cereal (we buy Kallo brand)

Makes enough to feed a houseful of kids.

Heat the golden syrup over a low flame in a large heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.

Remove from the hob and stir in the rice cereal.

Transfer to a lightly-oiled, high-rimmed baking tray, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for one hour or until firmly set.

Cut into squares to serve.

News

Healthy snack ideas

February 12, 2013 Jenny

I have a lot of ideas for the Resources section of my website that I hope to implement over the next few weeks. One idea I have already gotten started on is a Healthy Snacks page. I’ve begun putting together a list of gluten and dairy free snack ideas that I plan to add to over time. If you’d like to contribute your ideas, I’d love to hear from you – please comment on this post or get in touch.

Most children will be ready for a substantial snack in the mid-afternoon (after school for school-aged children). Younger children may also need a mid-morning snack. My recommendation is to give your child a hearty snack at those times but to discourage grazing at other times – treat snack time as a mini-meal if you will. Your child is more likely to eat well at mealtimes if she has not been grazing throughout the day. And just as you would not serve the same thing for dinner every night (would you?), rotate your snacks as much as you can.

Here is the list so far. I’ll be updating it as new ideas come in over in on the Healthy Snacks page in the Resources section.

carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus
a hardboiled egg, a soft-boiled egg with (gluten free) toast soldiers or a couple of hardboiled quail eggs
a wedge of Spanish tortilla with some cherry tomatoes on the side
a glass of gazpacho *
a handful of edamame
a slice of Brain Food banana bread
trail mix: combine any nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds raisins, dried cranberries, maybe even some dark chocolate
a small bowl of applesauce
a few nori chips
watermelon shapes
a sliced apple with cashew butter – or make it sandwich style
falafel * dipped in hummus
a handful of grapes (in summer try freezing the grapes)
homemade cinnamon apple chips
cucumber or avocado maki, with a little tamari sauce
half an avocado, eaten with a spoon or mashed on some (gluten free) toast with a small amount of olive oil and salt
baked kale chips
peanut butter and honey on a rice cake, topped with sliced banana or pear
stovetop popcorn
a power bar, like this apricot one

All of these snacks are free of gluten and dairy, and suitable for a GFCF diet – but always check labels for any food that is not homemade. I’ve added a * for foods that sometimes contain gluten or dairy, so double-check these or make your own.

Dips and spreads

Cashew butter

February 1, 2013October 30, 2013 Jenny

In today’s nut-free schools, it is hard to imagine there was a time when PB&J was the staple of most children’s lunchboxes. It certainly was when I was growing up in 1970s America.

Of course many children big and small still enjoy peanut butter at home. Provided the brand you buy does not contain loads of sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils and other added nasties, peanut butter can definitely be part of a healthy diet. But if you or your child like peanut butter, why not try some other nut butters for variety? All nuts are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but beyond that each nut has it own nutritional profile. Peanuts are a good source of vitamin E (important for cell membranes), but the cashews I’ve used in today’s recipe contain higher levels of magnesium, iron, zinc and selenium. It’s a great idea to eat a range of different nuts.

It’s also fun and easy to make your own nut butters with whatever nuts you like best – and not much else.

And once you’ve tasted homemade nut butter, I’d be surprised if you ever bought the stuff in the jar again.

Cashew butter

400g plain, raw cashews

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

a generous pinch of salt

Makes one 500ml jar of cashew butter

Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°/gas mark 5.

In a roasting tin, toast the cashews in the oven until golden (about 15 minutes), stirring or shaking frequently to avoid burning. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Put the cashews in the food processor and blitz while gradually adding the olive oil and salt, until the texture looks like peanut butter.

Scrape into a jar and refrigerate. The cashew butter may seem too liquid at first, but it will firm up after a few hours in the refrigerator.

Delicious on toasted (gluten free) bread, on rice cakes or on sliced fruit.