Читать книгу Easy Gluten Free Cooking: Over 130 recipes plus nutrition and lifestyle advice for gluten - Rita Greer - Страница 21

chapter five staple gluten-free substitutes

basic starchy foods (gluten-free)

As many starchy foods are forbidden on a gluten-free diet, such as ordinary bread, cakes, biscuits, buns, crispbreads, pastas and pizza, etc., other starchy ingredients must take their place in order to maintain a nutritional balance. Rice, potatoes and bananas are all easily available, high in starch and, mercifully, gluten-free. Other such ingredients are tapioca, sago, millet, buckwheat (saracen corn) and kasha, the toasted form of buckwheat. (This commodity is gluten-free in spite of its name, and is a member of the same botanical family as rhubarb.)

potatoes

Potatoes can be cooked in a huge variety of ways and there are always several types on sale all year round, which makes a gluten-free diet more interesting.

Boiled If the potatoes are new, cook them in their skins in boiling, salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size, until tender. Old potatoes should be peeled and cut into evenly sized pieces first, then cooked for up to 30 minutes, depending on variety.

Mashed Boil old, floury varieties such as King Edwards and Cara until tender, then drain. Mash them in the saucepan with a knob of butter, a little milk and a pinch or two of freshly grated nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. They can be kept warm for a while in the oven.

Baked (Jacket Potatoes) Scrub old potatoes really well, cutting out any eyes or blemishes. Prick all over with a fork and bake for an hour in an oven preheated to 425°F/220°C/gas mark 7 or for 2 hours at 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. Cut open and insert a knob of butter to serve. Leftover baked potatoes can be sliced, including skin, and fried in a little sunflower or olive oil the following day.

Roast Potatoes Peel old potatoes and cut into even-sized chunks. Place in a roasting tin and sprinkle with 1 tsp sunflower or olive oil for each medium-sized potato. Turn over by hand to coat the potato chunks with the oil, then roast at the top of the oven for about ³/₄ hour on a high heat or 1 hour on a medium heat until crisp, golden and tender.

Chips (French Fries) Many brands of oven chips are not gluten-free, so it is safer to make your own (see here).

Potato Spaghetti A useful, quick way to cook potatoes, especially for breakfast as they only take 10 minutes (see here).

Potato Patties Peel old potatoes, then boil and mash them. Season to taste. Form into small balls, then flatten and shallow fry in a little hot olive oil or sunflower oil until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Potato flour (farina), available from health stores, is useful for coating foods before frying and for thickening gravies, stews, casseroles and sauces.

rice

Rice is widely available and there are many varieties. Serve basmati rice with curries and use other varieties for puddings and savoury dishes. Boil in plenty of water. The cooking time depends on the hardness of the grains, and varies from 10 to 15 minutes for basmati to 45 minutes for brown rice. When the rice is tender, drain through a colander and serve. Keep it hot, if necessary, by placing the colander over a pan of simmering water, covering with a saucepan lid or plate and just leaving until required. To reheat rice, put it into a metal sieve over a pan of water and bring to the boil. Steam for a few minutes, until hot.

Ground and flaked rice are good additions to the kitchen cupboard for a gluten-free diet. Rice flour is more finely ground than ground rice. Flaked rice is used for puddings.

buckwheat (saracen corn)

This is not from the wheat family and does not contain gluten. It is cooked in the same way as rice. Kasha is the toasted form of buckwheat and tastier than the plain kind. Buy from health stores and cook in the same way as rice. Buckwheat flour has rather limited uses but can be made into pancakes successfully. Buy from health stores.

cornflour

True cornflour (cornstarch) is finely ground maize/sweetcorn. Always check that the label specifies maize, as sometimes other grains are added that are not gluten-free.

cornmeal

This is a coarse form of ground corn on the cob (maize) and can be used to make cornbread (see here).

millet