Gluten Free Summer #3

One of my favourite summertime foods is Mexican...the perfect combination of spicy tomato, cooling avocado and succulent chicken combined in a warm freshly baked tortilla is something I will mourn for a while...this dish however will certainly ease the pain. There are endless recipes of these types of dishes on Pinterest but I've tried a few and this combination is a winner for me.

Mexican Burrito          Mexican Bowl

2 chicken breasts
1 mug of cooked basmati rice
1 green pepper
can of sweetcorn
packet of spring onions
packet of cherry tomatoes - chopped
grated cheese - as much as you want (if you can find a Mexican one I would recommend it!)
bunch of coriander
1 lemon
1 lime
2 red chillies
1 avocado
and this seasoning mix - I keep a small kilner jar of this in my cupboard for quick mid-week dinners

Slice the chicken breasts and cover in the seasoning
Heat some fat of your choice in a pan and add the chicken, cook for about 10 minutes until it is thoroughly cooked.
Remove the chicken and add the corn, cook for approx 2 minutes until it takes on a little colour.
Chop all the vegetables and mix together in a large bowl.
Finely chop the chilli and the coriander and add to the top of the bowl.
Top with the chicken and a squeeze of the lemon and lime.

I like to serve this with a yoghurty-dip and these M&S tortilla chips.

This recipe really is a fantastic way to get that lovely Mexican-kick without worrying about what a floury tortilla might do to your insides.

Of course, Mexican really is best done by the professionals - if you're lucky enough to live in Sheffield you simply must head over to The Street Food Chef, they accommodate for gluten free diets perfectly with clear labeling and lots of choice. I devoured the Mexican Plate - or the 'naked burrito' and didn't even feel jealous as my partner dived into his Quesadilla. The Burrito Bar on Pinstone Street has a cool relaxed atmosphere that never fails to make me feel like I'm on holiday.

Remember, if you give one of my #GlutenFreeSummer recipes I'd love to see a picture or if you do make your way over to The Street Food Chef please do let me know what you think!

Gluten-Free Summer #2

Yesterday I shared a gorgeous gluten-free alternative to Cream Tea, today I continue to celebrate summery gluten-free food with a BBQ alternative...

Beefburgers  Lamb Koftas with Rainbow Slaw

(for the kofta)
300g of ground lamb
1 large egg
1 onion
handful of coriander
handful of mint

(for the slaw)
half Chinese cabbage
half red cabbage
2 carrots
bunch of spring onions
1 red onion
handful of fresh coriander / mint - depending on your preferences
1 lime
1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons of cider vinegar

*This recipe if 100% easier with a food processor but it can be done by hand using a sharp knife!*

Blend the egg, lamb, onion, coriander and mint in a food processor.
Form into balls or sausages and thread onto bamboo/metal skewers.
Barbecue or griddle these until cooked through.

For an extra special touch brush these with the dressing I used in my Minty Morrocan Lamb & Grain Salad  !!

For the slaw..

Shred the vegetables using a food processor - do this on a slow setting and watch how the colourful vegetables pile up into a delicious rainbow.
Mix the lime juice, zest, mustard, olive oil and vinegar in a mug.
Mix the salad with your (clean) hands and pile into a large bowl
Dress with your zesty oil and serve

This recipe will make a lot of slaw...for a tasty leftover lunch pile onto a rice paper and roll up to create a tasty, colourful lunch.

Coeliac diagnosis is a B***h: My recovery

As many of you know I have recently finished a Gluten Challenge.

Having lived gluten free since Christmas my doctor wanted to test me for Coeliac Disease - why? Find out here and here.

As I've mentioned before I have found the online support for gluten sufferers overwhelming - one of the most inspiring things I read was Joy's post about her recovery over on The Liberated Kitchen.

Having read her post I decided I would do a similar thing over here on The Steel Plate, logging and tracking my symptoms as they *hopefully* improve over the coming weeks and months.

I'll start my summarising the symptoms I have had over the last two weeks...

[DISCLAIMER: If you are squeamish about bodily functions you may wish not to read on.]

• 3-4 migraines per week lasting between 1-4 hours at a time
• severe fatigue (falling asleep at midday for 2/3 hours)
• constipation (going to the loo once a week if I was lucky)
• brain fog / stuttering (probably the most annoying symptom)
• severe pain in my legs, hips and wrists - this symptom was by far the worst, sometimes making it impossible to write/sleep/shower/walk
• anxiety  

As I mentioned previously, my doctor is unconvinced that all my symptoms are gluten-related but they did only occur when I re-introduced gluten to my diet. Thus, I have been tested for a range of things including Thyroid disease, various vitamin deficiencies and Type 1 diabetes.  

I had my blood test this morning at 10am and haven't eaten gluten since 14.00pm yesterday. Almost 24hours on an I can already feel a slight improvement - especially in my joints. You will have noticed a slight hiatus in my blogging - the main reason being typing became very painful. Yet, here I am typing away happily.

Over the next few weeks I am going to set myself small challenges to a) improve my health and b) strengthen my body. I'll log how things go here in the hope that it might help somebody in the future.

I'll be following the guidance below to aid a quick recovery:

• Drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
• Eat at least 3 vegetables and 2 fruits every day.
• Sleep 8 hours a night (and no more).
• Walk the dog every night (something I have missed doing so much).
• Avoid all gluten products.
• Avoid FODMAPs at lunch and breakfast in order to reduce my intake.
• Get out into the city and try as much gluten-free food as I can! 

Thanks again for your support and advice :)

20/7/15  - An Update

It's been just over two weeks since by blood test so I thought it was time for an update.

Firstly my results: My Coeliac screening has come back negative (for a second time) which was not a surprise. Since being back on a GF diet, however, my stomach cramps have subsided and my stomach looks 'flat' again (I wish). The other symptoms, however, of fatigue and joint pain have got progressively worse. Day-to-day tasks are exhausting and at times simply getting comfy enough to nap is a challenge. The blood test did show that my Vitamin B12 is very low which could be responsible for these symptoms. I see my doctor tomorrow and hope to get some answers. I'll feedback when I know more.

I'd like to re-visit my guidelines above to see how well I have stuck to them:

• Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. - I have been doing very well with this - I bought a Brita Fill&Go Water Bottle which I have found really handy.
• Eat at least 3 vegetables and 2 fruits every day. - Veg has been my champion over the last few weeks, I need to do better with fruit.
• Sleep 8 hours a night (and no more). - This has been impossible. I am sleeping 9-10 hours and napping around 3pm. This is something I have no control over currently and is something I need to speak to my doctor about.
• Walk the dog every night (something I have missed doing so much). - I have managed this 3/4 times a week. Light activity is difficult but manageable and I intend to keep it up.
• Avoid all gluten products. - 100%
• Avoid FODMAPs at lunch and breakfast in order to reduce my intake.  - Haven't stuck with this as much as I wanted to - it's such a tough diet!
• Get out into the city and try as much gluten-free food as I can!  - I've just started to feel like I can do this again - see my recent review of The Milestone for a delicious recommendation. 

Love to my readers that are suffering similar challenges at the moment - keep your chin up and focus on your health. Priortise you. 

Gluten-free Summer #1

Summer is a fantastic time to go gluten-free.

For those of you that have followed my story you will know that this isn't the first time I've eaten gluten free. After 4 weeks of pain, fog and discomfort I feel like I can now free my body of gluten and move forwards to a healthier and more energetic summer.

Whether this is the first time you're going gluten free, the second or if you just fancy trying some healthy summery snacks the following foods show you how you can enjoy the summer without feeling deprived!

This weekend I will showering the blog with a short series of Gluten-free Summer posts. Let me know if you try them and tell me which ones you enjoy! If you're a tweeter send me over a picture of your delicious gluten-free treats @thesteelplate

Cream tea              Summer fruit meringue cheesecake with iced green tea.

Scrap the scones and try this simple desert instead:

half packet of gluten free biscuits of your choice (try M&S for a treat)
50g butter
2 tubs cream cheese
100g icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence (invest in a good one - it is so worth it)
3/4 meringue nest (if you're brave you could even make your own)
a range of fresh fruits
(for the tea)
3 green tea bags
fresh fruit of choice
fresh herbs of choice
ice
water

Bash the biscuits
Melt the butter and stir in the biscuit bits.
Press the biscuit mixture into a tin and chill for 30 mins
Whisk the cream cheese with the icing sugar
Fold in the fresh fruit
Break up the meringues and fold the pieces into the cream cheese and fruit
Spoon the mixture on top of the cheesecake and top with a few springs of mint and some grated dark chocolate

Boil the kettle and make a large pot of green tea (Use a infused one for a slightly fruity flavour)
Let the tea cool and fill a large jug with fresh fruits (I love orange and lemon) and herbs like mint and rosemary.
Chill in the fridge and finish with ice and edible flowers.

Enjoy!