Easy gluten-free dinner recipes for the family

By: janelle

TAGS: cooking dinner meal ideas meals recipe recipes

It’s hard enough being a mum. Add in an extra challenge like being gluten free, and things get that little bit harder still. Whether it’s you or another member of the family, preparing gluten-free meals takes on a whole new meaning. Let alone making that ‘nice, simple and easy meal’ most mums want.

I’ve been gluten free for eight years, ever since I was diagnosed as a Coeliac. I’m the only one in my family that is gluten free. If you have Coeliac disease it means you can’t eat any food products that contain wheat or gluten. Gluten is also found in barley, rye, malt and oats. So you can’t have these either. Having an entirely gluten-free diet is the only prescription to this disease.

You don’t have to have Coeliac disease to be gluten free mind you. Plenty of people are advised to go on a gluten-free diet by a health-care professional for other health reasons.
Going gluten free was a life changing experience for me. Not only did I finally know what was wrong with me after being sick for so long (like, years!), but the way I ate changed forever. When you have Coeliac disease, the way you approached food is forever changed.

But over the past few years I’ve realised it’s not that hard to change most recipes or family favourite dishes to gluten free recipes. It really is easier than most people think.

There are three vital points to remember when cooking gluten free meals:

1) Gluten free means gluten free, a little bit of gluten will hurt.

2) Watch for cross contamination. For example, don’t use the same chopping board to cut normal bread and then cut salad vegetables for a gluten-free person. The bread crumbs will get into the salad and make a gluten-free person ill.

3) If you’re cooking for a gluten-free person for the first time, I would advise using unopened items like butter, sugar, etc. Anything you have to dip a spoon into.

I know that being a mum and running a family is a challenge, let alone having to read food labels and make sure you are keeping things gluten free. So, I thought I would share a few of my easy dinner meal ideas with you: they’re perfect for gluten-free and gluten-able adults and children alike.

Vegetarian Curry

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 green capsicum chopped
• I carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 head of broccoli chopped
• ½ head cauliflower chopped
• 1 ear of corn, kernel’s taken off
• 400ml can coconut curry
• 1 tbsp curry powder

Method

• Pan fry onion over a medium heat for a minute
• Add capsicum, carrot, broccoli and cauliflower and cook for a minute
• Add coconut milk, curry powder and corn
• Cook for 10 minutes
• Meanwhile steam some rice
• Serve

Baked Chicken with Tomato and Cheese

Ingredients

• 500g Thigh or breast chicken fillets
• 300 mls gluten free pasta sauce
• Tasty cheese, sliced

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Spray a baking dish with oil spray
• Place the chicken in the dish
• Pour the pasta sauce over the chicken
• Place sliced cheese over the top
• Bake for 30 mins are until the chicken is cooked through

• If the cheese is getting too brown, cover the dish with foil
• Serve with homemade potato wedges and steamed vegetables

Red Kidney Bean Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small red chilli diced
• I green capsicum chopped
• 375g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tin diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sweet paprika

Method

• Heat oil over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, chilli and paprika for a few minutes
• Add capsicum and cook a further few minutes.
• Add red kidney beans and tomatoes
• Lower heat a little and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then

This sauce can now be used as a filling for tacos, burritos (recipe follows), baked potatoes and even over some cooked gluten free pasta.

Vegetarian Burritos

Ingredients

• Red kidney bean sauce (recipe above)
• Gluten free corn tortillas
• Grated tasty cheese
• Sour cream
• Avocado, pitted and peeled

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Warm corn tortillas in microwave 20-30 secs (helps them go soft and easier to fold)
• Place a couple of spoonful’s of red kidney bean sauce in the middle of the tortilla
• Fold the tortilla over and place into sprayed oiled baking dish
• Repeat with the rest of the tortilla
• Sprinkle the grated cheese over the tortillas
• Bake in over 15 minutes or until cheese melted
• Serve with sour cream and mashed avocado

I hope this has given you a few different easy gluten free dinner ideas; especially if you or your loved one is gluten free. If it’s the first time cooking for someone gluten free, it can be nerve-racking, as you never want to make someone ill. Just be sure to check all food labels and if in doubt, leave it out.

I would love hear about any challenges you’ve had catering for different dietary needs. Please leave a comment below…

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