What is Gluten?

Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Evidence shows that uncontaminated oats (oats not manufactured with other gluten containing grains) are well tolerated by most people with coeliac disease. However, in some people with coeliac disease, oat consumption can trigger a potentially harmful immune response. 

Gluten is added to foods to help maintain shape, acting like a glue that holds food together, therefore gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected, like many packed foods such as gravies and sauces.

Banana and Berry Pancakes 

This makes 6 pancakes –
*1 cup Linseed, sunflower and almond meal (LSA)
*1 tablespoon chia seeds
*1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 ripe bananas
*2 eggs
*125gm blueberries or strawberries and ricotta to serve

Directions – Combine smashed banana and eggs. Add LSA, chia, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold in blueberries if using. Rest mixture for 5 minutes. Heat a pan over low heat and add a little coconut or olive oil. Spoon pancake batter into rounds onto the pan and flatten slightly with the back of your spoon. Cook over very low heat. Flip over and finish cooking. Serve and enjoy with natural or coconut yoghurt.

Vegan Black Bean Brownies 

Ingredients –
*1 cup rolled oats
*1 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 ½ cups dates (about 250g)
*¼ cup cacao powder (unsweetened)
*½ cup tahini (or any other nut/seed butter of your choice)
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*½ to ¾ cup plant-based milk of your choice
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
*chocolate chips (optional – if using, ensure they are vegan if you want the final brownies to be vegan!)
*1 cup mixed nuts and seeds and coconut 

Directions – If the dates are dry, start by soaking them in boiling hot water for 20 minutes to soften them up. Skip this if your dates are fresh and moist. Preheat oven to 180c. Line a square baking pan (around 23cm square) with baking paper. Place oats in a food processor and blend until flour-like consistency forms, about 30 seconds. Place the rest of the ingredients into the food processor and blend until a smooth batter forms. If you like, stir in some chocolate chips or nuts, seeds and /or coconut. Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the batter. Optionally, top it with more chocolate chips.

Bake it in the oven for around 30-40 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick comes out reasonably clean – it will have a bit of residue as the brownies are very moist. Let the brownies cool to room temperature in the pan before slicing into 16 portions. Enjoy!

Store leftover brownies in the fridge for up to 4 days. The brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months (lining each layer with greaseproof or baking paper to prevent them from sticking together).

Gluten-Free Nut Loaf

Makes 1 loaf

*150 g (1½ cups) almond meal
*30 g (1/4 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped
*1/4 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*95 g (3/4 cup) Buckwheat flour
* ½ teaspoon sea salt
*3 organic eggs
*½ teaspoon stevia powder
*3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
*2 tablespoons nut or coconut milk
*1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions – Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Grease a 20 x 9 cm (8 x 3½ inch) loaf (bar) tin.
Put the almond meal, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, arrowroot flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 1½ minutes.
Add the stevia, grape seed oil, coconut milk and vinegar and mix gently.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for a few minutes, before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy the bread melt-in-the-mouth warm, or at room temperature with your favourite topping.

For more wonderful gluten-free recipes see the Coeliac’s Revenge – https://www.thecoeliacsrevenge.com/