Gluten free product review – Purebread’s Young Buck
Posted by: robynjean on: June 26, 2011
I love bread and good bread is hard to find. When my doctor recommended the freak food diet, I stopped at New World and bought a GF labeled cereal and a loaf of GF bread which I conveniently can’t remember the name of. Half way through my first spoon of cereal and then again not long after my first bite of toast I felt despair setting in. As a result, I avoided bread altogether but not anymore!
GF bread has been improving steadily and there is often a loaf in our fridge these days but I am enamored with the young buck because, unlike many others, you can eat it without toasting it! And for that I take my hat off to Purebread (sandwiches again!). You can see in the photo that it is bending because it is indeed light and fluffy as advertised, and most of the ingredients are certified organic (if you’re into that sort of thing). You can also buy young buck rolls 
Purebreads have also quite helpfully put a list of stockists up on their website.
On a final note, I would be willing to bet that it is the kind of bread that grows mould- I kept the first GF loaf I bought in the fridge for a lot longer than the suggested shelf life and when I finally took it out again 3 months after the expiry date, it looked and tasted the same as it did 4 months before…. If you’re game enough, please let me know how the young buck goes, but I will putting mine to better use 
Lime pie with coconut base (gluten free of course)
Posted by: robynjean on: May 31, 2011
There are two parts to this story: Firstly, it was my birthday last week and tradition at my workplace dictates that is you want cake on your birthday you have to make it yourself! Also, even if we were in the habit of making a cake for someone else I would be plum out of luck cause baking gluten free is hard (apparently).
Secondly, my beloved’s workplace has a huge lime tree littering the place with green grenades of goodness. There is only one logical conclusion- lime pie!
Filling*:
4 egg yolks
1 tin sweetened condensed milk (400g or thereabouts)
1/2 cup lime juice
zest from the limes above
Base:
3 cups dessicated coconut
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
To make filling:
Beat together egg yolks and zest and then add in the liquids. Mix till well combined. Set aside till you have done the base.
To make base:
Mix coconut and sugar together and add butter. Mix together and then pack tightly into a well greased pie dish. Blind bake at 180deg cel for about 10 minutes or until brown. Pour over the filling and bake again at 180 deg cel til wobbly but not runny.
Hey presto! An easy gluten free pie
Enjoy.
* This is a generic filling recipe- I looked at several websites and they all seemed remarkably similar. This one is most similar to Reluctant Gourmet with mine being a tonne better cause I can eat it.
A rememberance of cornbread muffins
Posted by: robynjean on: May 23, 2011
- In: Recipe | Uncategorized
- 3 Comments
Plus…. Cornbread mini-loaves (Makes 12 muffins)
1 C GFree flour (I used Bakels flour but Healtheries is my favourite)
1/2 C rice flour
1 C polenta
45g grated parmesan (you can use cheddar and more than 45g)
2 t baking powder
1 t ground cumin
pinch chilli powder
2 C milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t vegetable oil
Place all dry ingredients plus the cheese in a bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the center.
Mix wet ingredients together and then ad to well. Mix til just combined** and immediately put into greased muffin tins and bake for 25 mins at 190 deg cel. Always check that they are cooked by poking with a skewer.
** My top tip for fluffy muffins is that less is more- the more the mixture gets stirred, the tougher they get.
My mini-loaf tins are my favourite kitchen thing. Mum let me have them years ago- I remember my Mum making loaves using them when I started school!
Leek and Mushroom Risotto
Posted by: robynjean on: May 9, 2011
- In: Recipe
- 4 Comments
I feel pretty happy with myself about this one- my beloved doesn’t like leeks but liked this, and as for mushrooms, I personally think there are over rated but rated this dish highly!
For this original recipe, you’ll need:
4 tablespoons butter
1 leek, white part only, diced
5 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup chicken stock (I used home made)
4 cups water
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup cheddar, grated
Heat half the butter in a large heavy based pot, and add 1/2 the garlic and the leek. Cook for a couple of minutes til the leek is soft. Add the rice and stir. After a further minute add the stock, and then the water 1/2 a cup at a time stirring well. Add another 1/2 cup when first lot is absorbed, stirring again. Repeat til the rice is cooked (taste a few grains, they should be firmly soft enough to enjoy but not soggy).
In the meantime, melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan over a low heat and add remaining garlic and the mushrooms. Stir often, and take off heat when the mushrooms are cooked, but still soft.
When both lots are done, add the mushrooms to the rice and mix really well. Add the cheddar, and top with freshly ground black pepper.
Given that I made up this recipe as I went along, I trust you to adjust the quantities to you own tastes. Let me know how it goes, and enjoy
Nutmeg again!
Posted by: robynjean on: May 7, 2011
- In: Auckland | Cafe dining | organic
- Leave a Comment
There is nothing quite like a new menu to drag you away from the all day breakfast. Today I broke free from the perennial ADB favourites and dipped my taste buds into some Feta Cumin Cakes and boy! was that worth it. They were described wonderfully in the menu, but let’s be honest, the first 2 words won me over – Potato Cakes. Some of my other favourite things were mentioned too- caramelized onion, feta, crisp salad and bacon. They were awesome.
Have you been yet?
Nutmeg Cafe, Remuera Rd
Posted by: robynjean on: April 28, 2011
- In: Auckland | Cafe dining | organic
- 4 Comments
This a very exciting post as I love this cafe – Nutmeg Cafe and Catering is at the Newmarket end of Remuera Road, almost opposite the Newmarket Train Station. If we had needed an excuse (and we didn’t), it was that we had a friend staying from Wellington and she is the biggest lover of food that I know. I wasn’t worried that Nutmeg would pass muster, in fact, it got a HUGE tick of approval.
Nutmeg pride themselves in being able to cater for all dietary requirements and they do it well. Today, the chef deemed the first batch of gluten fee bread unsatisfactory (which if we are honest probably means it was still above supermarket quality), so I got to try the potato hash with my savory mince. It was great! I really enjoyed it, although I actually really like their bread so will hold thumbs that it will pass muster next time.
I should also put in a word for the staff there- I have never had anything less than exceptional service there. The staff are all very friendly, and while I am fickle enough to order a different hot beverage every time I go there they remember my beloveds order every time. We’re regulars, and proud — Highly recommended
Meadowbank bakery, Meadowbank
Posted by: robynjean on: April 8, 2011
Yes, a bakery in a blog about gluten free eating. You would have thought it impossible, BUT, you haven’t been to Meadowbank bakery 
On the menu they have 2 gluten free choices; friands and an orange and almond cake. Ordinarily friands, especially eaten out at cafe’s where it is the only choice, leave me feeling like I haven’t really had enough morning tea, or in the worst case, lunch! But the Meadowbank Bakery does friands to the size of your average bakery muffin. Wonderful! Similarly, the orange and almond cake either comes in a one person, or full cake size. It is moist, it is yummy, and as our receptionist said the cost of the cake is exceptional considering the cost of almonds and the amount they put in. Mostly though, non-freaks don’t seem to notice the absence of flour…
It gets my vote
Cafe 23, Mt Eden Road
Posted by: robynjean on: March 29, 2011
Cafe 23 does great coffee, an excellent chai latte, and they are purveyors of Rocket Fuel Sauce. I also discovered on Saturday that they are stockists of Foxton Fizz Creaming Soda which I’ve become a fan of (since Saturday . In fact, they could be perfect… except that, well, they are not freak friendly.
When we’ve been there previously I’ve had the Eggs Royale, because it seemed like a good gluten free choice – potato cakes, bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. So far, and I assure you, soooo good. They always manage to get my bacon perfect and crispy, and the potato cakes are just awesome. I love potatoes and these potato cakes take the cake. In fact, if you got to Cafe 23 don’t look further than the Eggs Royale, and not only because that is your only choice. Most of their menu is your standard all-day breakfast menu stuff – eggs of your choice, the works, organic homemade muesli- but unlike a large number of cafe’s I have been frequenting the gluten free bread option wasn’t there and the waitress said they sometimes have it but often don’t. The cabinet food won’t help you either as it is bread and pasta biased.
Now, the point of this blog was not to name and shame. In fact, one of my personal philosophies is to talk more about places where I get good service, than places I get bad- think of it as a positive feedback loop. And Cafe 23 is definitely one of those places- I cannot fault their service. Now, all they need to go from Awesome to Perfect is a little more (freakin’) choice.
Pizza
Posted by: robynjean on: March 25, 2011
Through accidental planning and good fortune I had pizza for dinner twice this week, bought pizza!. This was rather exciting the first night because it is such a novelty, and rather a surprise the second because I was out at a function. I’m probably more excited about this than I need to be- it is not as if my life is pizza free. My beloved happens to be exceptionally good at making a gluten free pizza base of his own recipe, and I’d take his over a bought one any day- regardless of topping. But on a more serious note, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to compare the competing brands and their attempts at a gluten free base.
Dominos
First off, good on Dominos for having a go. Being more or less the every man’s pizza delivery outfit with (I’d be guessing) more stores than anyone else, just making this special diet item available deserves a cheer. The pizza wasn’t piping hot which unfortunately made the base a little less pizza base like and a little harder. To be fair, the base was quite thin so probably didn’t hold the heat terribly well, but I like a thin base. It wasn’t unpleasant, but due to the heat issue, it was a little bit chewy. Temperature aside, it was a gallant effort but coupled with the unpleasant phone call I had to make it get it which ended up in me ordering online anyway, I’m not sure how keen I am to go though with it again. I will come to your house and eat it, but you have to do the ordering. Oh, and while Margarita is ordinarily one of my favourite toppings, it relies on a good base… Just saying.
Hell
I remember the days when Hell was a small one store outfit running out of the old part of Club Kelburn squash club, where incidentally I learnt how to play squash. Ah, the memories. But now it has grown and become I believe, the popular choice amongst the youth (no doubt due to some clever marketing and a cool name). The pizza in this instance was also not piping hot although, unlike the above competitor, this didn’t matter as much. The base was still flexible and as above, it tasted like a real pizza base. You may even mistake the base for one with that annoying little protein. There was also more to the topping of the Hell pizza but then again there is more to the price as well (don’t kid yourself, it’s worth it). I don’t know how they do it, but they do it well.
Dos Amigos Cantina, Mission Bay
Posted by: robynjean on: March 22, 2011
- In: Auckland
- 2 Comments
It was my Mum’s birthday on Friday and since her and Dad were passing through Auckers, we decided to go out for dinner. My Dad is on an even stricter diet than me and Mum’s a vegetarian, so we decided Mexican would be a good idea, and because it is has a view of the ocean (Mum’s contribution), we went to Dos Amigos Cantina, in Mission Bay.
Not everything on their menu is labeled as gluten free, but don’t be fooled! Anything with a wheat tortilla can be made with a corn one just as easily and for only $1 more. While we’re talking about price, my Quesadilla Grande was $22, but came on a huge plate and was accompanied by black beans, red rice, sour cream and guacamole. I had room for desert but only just! I am not a bit desert eater when out at restaurants because it always seems a bit too expensive, and this is probably the case here. But, I had asked the waiter how to say Happy Birthday en espanol, and they generously gave Mum the choice of a free tequila, or a free churro to help with the celebration. It is rude to make the birthday girl eat desert alone….
The only desert labeled GFree was the chile chocolate torte, but owing to the intolerance of chocolate I shared the the lime and avocado ice cream with Dad. I’m not sure which bit of it was glutagenous, since you’d be hard-pressed to find the room to put gluten in when making ice cream. Weird. Also weird was the actual ice cream, but not in a bad way I also accidentally ordered the chile chocolate torte for my hubby- he said it was great.
So all in all, Dos Amigos is pretty good, but I’ll need a pay rise before it’s an every week dining experience. The only other time we’ve been there was to celebrate the birth of our niece, so can definitely recommend it for a special night out. Oh, and, if you are on the G, make sure you try the churro (or go on your birthday and get them free), they were a big hit with the non-freaks
