Adapted from 200 gluten-free recipes by Louise Blair
Oh happy day! I have found a sour cream alternative low enough in lactose that I don’t get symptoms. I’ve read in several places that food with lactose under 2g per 100g should be okay for most of those with lactose intolerance, and I’m pleased to say that this seems to be the case for me. (As usual please note I’m no doctor, so don’t take my word for it – your health is in your hands, and always seek medical advice before changing your diet). So stand up Rodda’s Crème Fraîche, which at 1.9g carbohydrate per 100g happily comes in just under the 2g mark. Obviously I won’t be eating an entire mountain of the stuff, but it is nice to have a little blob on a chilli or swirled into a spicy soup. I take great comfort when I can do something I consider normal, regardless of how bullish I may seem when it comes to making things gluten-free. I am at peace with never consuming wheaty things again, but it feels like a victory when I can outsmart lactose intolerance. I’ll have every inch of leeway I can get out of lactose thank you very much! So, I gave you the veggie chilli I like to do in my slow-cooker in a prevous post, and here is something I like to serve with it (along with a little blob of that delicious crème fraîche). C and I eat a lot of rice, so having an alternative just gives me more options when I’m juggling the menu plan. It is relatively quick to make at 40-45 minutes from start to finish, so not as quick as rice (if like me you’ll be making it on the stove that’s only 20 minutes). But if you’ve got a bit of spare time during the slow cook then this is very good. Also, as this is better the day you make it, it might be worth considering when you know you’ve got enough people around to eat it all in one go. It does go nicely with soup the next day though, warmed up a little bit in the oven first. And crumbled it’s good for a gratin topping too. Although this recipe makes a whole square of bread, with some planning you won’t have any waste.
Herby cornbread
Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 30-35 minutes Makes 1x 8″ by 8″ loaf
Grease an 8″ square cake tin and preheat the oven to 170ºC fan-assisted
- 150g brown rice flour
- 150g polenta
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 tbsp parmesan or vegetarian hard Italian cheese
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I like rosemary and thyme)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 300ml buttermilk (I make my own without lactose using lemon juice with the lacto-free or dairy-free alternative I have to hand)
If you’re making your own buttermilk, measure out 300ml minus 1 tbsp of your milk. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, stir and leave to one side for 5 minutes before using. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl, then stir in the polenta, sugar, parmesan cheese and herbs. In a separate bowl mix together the olive oil, eggs and buttermilk. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together until just mixed. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, when the top should be golden. Cool out of the tin on a wire rack before cutting in squares.
sensitive flour 