Minestrone recipe

This recipe is based on my Italian mother's recipe, with a few modifications by me.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

1 potato, diced (or equivalent sweet potato)

1 zucchini, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 cups beef stock

1 can diced tomatoes

1 125g can four bean mix, rinsed

1/2 cup gluten free macaroni 

Parmesan cheese to serve

Method:

1. Heat olive oil and cook carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and garlic in a saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

2. Add canned tomatoes, four bean mix and beef stock. Bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

3. Increase heat. Add macaroni and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and stir occasionally until cooked. Add additional water if needed.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

[optional extras]

Thaw 1 cube of frozen spinach and add to soup. Heat through and serve.

I use the Has No macaroni pasta from Aldi supermarket. I find that it's very similar to wheat pasta and it cooks well. Like most gluten free pastas you have to be cautious to not over cook the pasta otherwise it becomes very limp and mushy. 

If you cook any of my recipes please leave some feedback in the comments :-)

New test for Coeliac disease

A test for Coeliac Disease is being developed by Melbourne scientists. This test would eliminate the need for invasive intestinal biopsy tests. Exciting stuff!

To read the full article visit this link 

http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/walter-and-eliza-hall-institute-test-offers-hope-for-coeliac-disease-sufferers/story-fnii5sms-1226801789490

Symptoms of Coeliac Disease

I found this great visual guide to the symptoms of Coeliac Disease. How many of these can you relate to?

Pizza bases

In the 15 months since my husband was diagnosed with coeliac disease we have struggled to find a pizza base that wouldn't crumble when cooked and had an acceptable texture. Our search ended when we found the perfect bases at the best gluten free bakery in Melbourne - Moorabbin to be exact. But more on that bakery in a future blog post.

These 11 inch discs of goodness are located in the freezer section of the bakery and come in a pack of 3 for $15. 

For those of you who are also required to eat dairy free, egg free, soy free, wheat free or fructose friendly you'll be glad to know these bases will fit the bill perfectly. 

We usually cook two bases at a time and find that sufficient for the two of us and my 13 year old step-son. 

Just place your favourite toppings on top and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 180 degree oven. 

When we are unable to get to Moorabbin, a very close second runner up is the Old Time Bakery gluten free pizza base. I usually buy these from my local IGA supermarket and they can be found in the aisle with the wraps. These bases come in a pack of two and are quite thin. They don't crumble when cooked which I find a huge bonus. 

If you know of other great gluten free pizza bases please share in the comment section below. 

Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant

Happy New Year readers!

I thought I'd kick off my first blog post of 2014 with a review of Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant in Wantirna South. Hubby and I dined there this evening and were quite impressed.

We arrived at 6pm and we were amazed at the size of this restaurant. It was quite large. When we arrived there were only approximately 3 other tables of people. We were greeted and seated immediately.

The tables had mini bowls of bright yellow crackers. The waiter indicated that these were wheat based and therefore not gluten free so he took these away and replaced them with some prawn crackers when we told him that hubby was coeliac. The prawn crackers were not greasy and quite light in colour. They had a garlic aftertaste which was pleasant. 

Reading the menu we were impressed at the amount of gluten free options available. I would say at least 50% - 60% of the menu was gluten free. The wait staff approached us minutes later to take our drinks and meals order. Even though the gluten free options were clearly marked on the menu the waiter was extremely helpful in answering our questions and seemed to understand the dietary requirements quite well.

We decided to not order entrees, as gluten free options were quite limited on the entree menu, but instead ordered three mains and a large rice to share. Our choices were:

Special fried rice

The rice was delicious and contained peas, chives, prawns and a small amount of pork.

Chicken teriyaki with broccoli 

Chicken breast was used so as a result the chicken was a little dry on the outside but otherwise very tender. The teriyaki sauce was quite sweet. 

Chilli & plum roast pork with vegetables

This was my second favourite main of the evening. The pork was tender and there was a slight hint (and sometimes a kick!) of chilli mixed into the plum sauce. I would definitely order this again.

Mongolian beef with peppers (my favourite of the evening!)

I have always had a soft spot for Mongolian Beef. The meat in this dish melted in my mouth... So tender! The sauce was not overpowering at all. There was quite a bit of meat in this dish. 

For two people I would recommend ordering two mains and a rice to share. We ordered too much food - couldn't finish our meals (not for lack of trying!). 

I couldn't fault the service. Wait staff were constantly walking around ensuring that patrons had full glasses and were happy with their meals, always with a smile and polite manner. 

Our bill come to a reasonable $96 for three mains, large fried rice and four soft drinks. If we had ordered one less main our bill would have been around the $70 mark which is a relatively inexpensive night out.

We left at 7pm and the restaurant was steadily filling up.

For those with Coeliacs Disease or a gluten intolerance I would highly recommended Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant. 

They have several locations. We visited the Wantirna South restaurant which is located at

Shop 2216 Knox O-Zone, 509 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South, Vic 3152 I would highly recommend making a reservation by phoning (03) 9801 6655  Do you know of a gluten free friendly Chinese restaurant? Please share by commenting below.