Finding out you're gluten intollerant can be daunting, especially if cooking and eating are among your favourite hobbies. It's easy to focus on mourning all the foods you can't eat anymore. But thankfully there is a whole array of comfort foods you can still eat after going gluten free. So here's some gluten free inspo to give you a head start!
Ice Cream
Let's start with an easy one!
When it comes to desert, icecream is almost always a safe bet. (I only say 'almost' as some odd flavours like cookies and cream or brownie aside do contain gluten. Thankfully standard flavours tend to be safe!)
The same cannot be said for icecream cones. However, all good gellaterias will give you the option of having your icecream in a tub rather than a cone. In fact, it's the best option during a heatwave as you don't have to worry about icecream melting onto your hand!
Talking of traditional Italian delights, tenerina - one of my must-try foods in Ferrara - is completely gluten free while being more delightful than any chocolate cake.
Curry
Many the warming, savoury comfort foods you can still eat after going gluten free are served with rice.
Indian cuisine is great for this as most Indian dishes go well with some simple basmati. And Indian takeaway is such a treat, you'll forget those pizza pangs.
It's wonderful to rustle up an indulgent butter chicken or saag paneer and not have to buy any pricey free-from ingredients. So if you're not yet into curry, it's time to dive in!
Start with something like a simple chicken curry and go from there. Or if curry is already in your repertoire, it's time to experiment with rice. I recommend trying my basmati rice with creamed coconut and garam masala.
Pakora
Pakoras are a super addictive Indian side dish you'll be happy to know are traditionally made without gluten.
Always check the label of course, but any good pakora will be made with gram flour. This is a special flour made with chickpeas. Aldi often stock pakora made with gram flour, and any good Indian restaurant will make them gluten free too!
Chilli Con Carne
Meaty, rich and spicy - what's not to love! Chilli con carne is a great option that's automatically gluten free and super comforting.
The only thing to look out for with this dish is the possible inclusion of Worcestershire sauce, which in the UK is sometimes used to deepen the flavour of the sauce. Interestingly, the most popular brand, Lea & Perrins, is gluten free in America, but not in Canada or the UK.
Toast
Cheese on toast is one of the things I was scared I'd have to give up when I became gluten intolerant.
However, I was delighted to find that almost every single gluten-free bread I found made excellent toast. (Even the dubious ones that didn't make very good sandwiches!)
You don't have to go artisanal or expensive or make your own. I've found that supermarket own brand gluten free loaves really hold up in the toaster. M&S do a particularly good job.
I've only been on the gluten free toast for about a month, and I can barely remember what gluten toast even tasted like. So have no fear, you can still be a toast fiend when you're gluten free!
Rice Noodle Stir Fry
As a big fan of egg and wheat noodles, I was wary of switching them out for rice noodles. But as it turns out, rice noodles are delicious! They're also a great economical choice as they are fairly cheap to buy dry from the asian aisle in your local supermarket.
Keep in mind that rice noodles are starchy. So after cooking, make sure to rinse them in a collander under a cold tap to get rid of excess starch and halt the cooking process.
Soups & Stews
Soups and stews are comfort staples in the winter where I live. So it's great that you can still eat these after giving up gluten. Just double check that whoever has cooked it hasn't used flour to thicken the sauce.
If you do usually use flour, substitute with a cornflour slurry which is super cheap and actually gives smoother results.
If regular old vegetable soup doesn't do it for you, I highly recommend something rich and meaty like my black-eyed bean, potato and smoked pork soup. A perfect winter warmer that's sure to keep you full.
If you're used to bread with your soup and aren't a fan of free-from versions, I find hash browns are a great substitute. And stew goes wonderfully with mashed potato, which leads me on to...
Potatoes!
If you're missing pasta, potatoes will help to quell those starchy cravings. They're perfect for a simple meal like baked potato, right up to show-stopping delights like the rich and meaty patate alla pizzaiola.
Patate alla pizzaiola is actually a fantastic dish if you're missing lasagna. When I learned to make it years ago, it actually replaced lasagna as one of my favourite oven-baked dishes.
Going gluten free is a great opportunity to learn a whole host of new things to do with potatoes. I love to par-boil them then crush them slightly onto a baking tray and crisping them up in the oven. Served with gravy and sausages of course... Heavenly!
Sausages
Many sausages are sadly not gluten free. So I was surprised to learn that the ones which are taste just as good.
In fact, there is no discernable difference between a regular sausage and a gluten-free sausage. So bangers and mash is still on the menu!
Morrisons have a wonderful "The Best" range of gluten-free sausages which are my go-to. They use things like pea flour, rice flour and potato starch to replace regular flour to great effect.
Chocolate Mousse
Okay so I'm yet to make this one myself so picture incoming soon! But I had to include it as it's an absolute delight whenever I order it.
Mousse is one of those perfect comfort foods you can still eat after going gluten free without having to spend lots of time in the kitchen or lots of money on substitute ingredients.
Using just simple ingredients like cream, eggs and chocolate, you can make yourself a delicious desert in less than half an hour. Definitely something to add to your gluten-free cooking repertoire if you haven't already!
