gluten/lactose free

[slwrnu]

sorry everyone I am a frequent reader (and rider) but infrequent poster, as most people know more than me. My daughters (18 and 21) have recently been told they are intolerant to this stuff. Recipes anyone? They will be self catering at separate UK universities. I plan to buy them a really good wok each, as you can do almost anything in a good wok and they are easy to clean. Of course I have read up on the internet but any individual experiences are better. thank you.

[happycampyer]

Not exactly what you asked for, but as cuisines go, Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.) are naturally gluten- and dairy-free, so I find that I don’t feel as if I’m missing something when I eat those foods as complete meals (vs., say, a gluten- and dairy-free pizza).

[vertical_doug]

Bill is right, Asian is the way to go. You are just replacing wheat with rice. If you can, buy a rice cooker. It just makes rice better and cleans up easier than a pot. You really want to buy your rice in an Asian Supermarket. If you are in central London, go to the Japanese Centre on Haymarket. They have good selection of rice. The stuff Sainesbury/Tescos sells is criminal.

Instead of a sandwich, think Onigiri (rice balls). You get rice, dried seaweed, and any number of yummy ingredients placed inside. I tend to prefer Salmon in one, and umeboshi (pickled plum) in the other. It's nice.

Being able to make fried rice is a no brainer. You can also make Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) one of the great comfort foods in my opinion.

Tofu with ground ginger, chopped shiso and a little soy sauce is always good.
Vietnamese Summer Spring rolls are rolled in rice paper and if you get some boiled shrimp , super easy to make. You can also use pork, duck, whatever.

We eat a lot of grilled fish , rice and miso soup.

Pub food? Bangers and Mash instead of a pint of bitters, just get a pint of hard cider. It'll do in a pitch.

Being in the UK, they have a choice of good Lebanese,Turkish foods, and Indian foods. Just hold the naan

I'm not a fan, but if my daughter is lazy, chik pea pasta and a sauce.

[NYCfixie]

Mediterranean diet = fish, veggies, and fruit. You can find many good cookbooks that follow this diet.

I have several family members with gluten issues. Cross contamination is a real issue for any food that you do not make on your own.

[rwsaunders]

We’ve bought several of these for our kids and family members, based on a recommendation from VSalon...a must have if your daughters are going to focus on rice based dishes.

Rice Cookers | Zojirushi.com

[slwrnu]

thank you very much all. it used to be normal as an undergrad in year 1 you stayed in college for breakfast, grabbed a bit on the fly for lunch, return evening for catered supper. Year 2 you lived out and year 3 you moved back in. Because of the virus now the colleges are moving over to self catering, Vertical Doug I know that place and enjoy Nasi Goreng. Thank you RW I will look where I can find those rice cookers in London. As you know we have a huge Asian market in London

[rwsaunders]

Most schools will be serving takeout only; first they need to find the student labor to work in the kitchen; so the freshman fifteen can quickly become a real thing if healthy eating options are limited. This is my kid’s first year out of the dorms (junior) and he and his 3 apartment mates are organizing the kitchen gear and cooking assignments...I’m just closing my eyes.

[vertical_doug]

thank you very much all. it used to be normal as an undergrad in year 1 you stayed in college for breakfast, grabbed a bit on the fly for lunch, return evening for catered supper. Year 2 you lived out and year 3 you moved back in. Because of the virus now the colleges are moving over to self catering, Vertical Doug I know that place and enjoy Nasi Goreng. Thank you RW I will look where I can find those rice cookers in London. As you know we have a huge Asian market in London

Amazon Prime UK has 11 models of Zojirushi ....from the bargain bare bones model for £41 to the stainless pressure cooker version for £341.

Don't forget some instant MISO soup packs at Japan Centre. These are actually pretty good. And for an easy snack, they may want to try some rice crackers. (Osenbei) Sometimes, as a student you just need some crunchy snack to relieve stress. . .

[nick k]

Avoiding gluten means avoiding almost all commercial soy sauce and shared fryers, so Asian food from restaurants and takeout needs to be carefully considered or from a really trusted place. I’ve been gluten and lactose free since early May and it’s pretty difficult to get all of this out of your diet (and your kitchen) if you don’t prepare all of your own meals and establish a relationship with restaurants.

I’ve added a variety of nuts, wild and brown rices, chia, amaranth, and a lot more fish into my diet to get enough healthy fat and protein. PM me for some recipes! Grain-free granolas and overnight porridges are cheap and easy to prepare in uni situations. Depending on their levels of intolerance, they may need their own cookware and cleaning supplies.

[htwoopup]

Even « non- gmo/ gluten free » soy or tamari sauce is often cross contaminated and has been problematic for me.

I have found a lot of Paleo diet stuff works...although a lot of it tastes like crap...it is really a trial and error on what is edible and what is not and also what bothers one’s innards and what doesn’t.

For instance, a lot of gluten sensitive people I know swear by the brand called « BoBo Bars » as gluten free/ lactose free/ etc. I ate one and wanted to die for about two days from the pain and cramps.

Boring as all get out but I found when I was starting on this path (I am gluten/lactose sensitive and fructose intolerant so a little different than your kids) that keeping a log of everything that I consumed and the quantities was very helpful. I don’t do that anymore but it taught me what amounts of things worked (1 slice of Levy’s rye bread but not 2 and not any other kind of bread with gluten/wheat). If I had a problem, I could go back over the previous 2 days and pretty much figure out the culprit.

A side note...I now eat mainly protein and fats...almost like I imagine an Atkins diet is. By rights, my blood work should show all kinds of things if the lectures we have been given since the 50’s are to be believed. But now, in the opposite of what we were always told, my cholesterol and so on is so low that the doctor is worried that it is too low (« We always study what happens with too much in medicine and we never do enough studies of the below normal side. The only thing to do in excess is moderation »).

[slwrnu]

goodness what brilliant feed back. I do not think my girls are hyper sensitive. Nevertheless I plan to go the rice cooker and wok route. They can eat fruit. And fish, The girls will share a kitchen with a few others and my idea is they can cook for all some days, someone else can wash up. I used to do this at University and it was all upside.

[nick k]

Thought I'd share here, since this is probably a good thread to archive some recipes!

Grain-free granola:

3 cups Puffed Brown Rice
1 cup Flaked Coconut (sometimes called Coconut Chips)
1/2 cup each Walnuts, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, whatever nuts you prefer
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries. Raisins, Cherries, whatever
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt or Fine Sea Salt
A few shavings of Nutmeg
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Toss all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and syrup together in a small pot over medium low. Pour over and toss with the dry ingredients until well coated. Bake in a thin layer spread out on a cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment for 25 minutes on 325ºF. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and break gently into clumps. Keeps well for about a week in a jar at room temperature.

4A060018-E133-44F2-AB7F-B642B09188B3 by nkourtides, on Flickr

[nick k]

Overnight Chia Seed "pudding" <- US sense of this term, though it could certainly be dessert!

1/2 cup Chia Seeds
1 1/2 cups Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Dash each of Cinnamon and Kosher Salt

Whisk everything vigorously in a jar with a lid. Whisk a lot! Lid and put in the fridge overnight or at least for a couple of hours. The chias will absorb a lot of the liquid and puff up and get tender. I eat this with granola and berries for breakfast, mix into smoothies for a non-dairy thickener, or mix into pancake batter. Chias are a great source of protein.

fullsizeoutput_5aa by nkourtides, on Flickr

[nick k]

Salmon with Mustard and Brown Sugar:

This is the easiest thing in the world and could also be great with Arctic Char or even Trout. Any fatty fish, for sure.

Mix 2 Tsp of Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup with about a Tbsp or more of Dijon Mustard. Salt the fish fillets liberally, add some pepper, and then give them a light coat with the mustard mixture. You can broil for about 7-8 minutes on a lightly oiled foil-lined sheet tray, or sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat flesh side down and then skin side down for just a few minutes on lower heat, or even in a toaster oven. The flavor profile is really nice with just a squeeze of lemon or splash of cider vinegar to serve. Leftovers can go into stir-fry or fried rice the next day, or salmon cakes made with boiled potatoes and thickened with a little mayonnaise and almond flour.

61378470762__98E4A69C-40FB-49C0-895B-BE09A66C5779 by nkourtides, on Flickr

[nick k]

Also, I was surprised and grateful to learn that a variety of cheeses don’t present lactose troubles to many folx with an intolerance:

Feta, aged Swiss and cheddar, some brie, and most aged hard cheeses have very low lactose content

[slwrnu]

thank you for your efforts. that fish dish looks really nice. I did not know the info about cheeses. If cheddar is not too bad I remember my Father's frequent evening snack was an apple, some cheddar and some celery. Maybe some crackers. A nice variety of flavours and textures. Cheap too. I am looking in to some soup recipes now as Uni accom is drafty ..... I have ordered rice cookers based on the advice i have received here, fish available in the UK but expensive but I suppose that is what I am for.