Before I was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant, I wasn’t very fond of barbecues. Now, however, the longer days and warmer weather herald the upcoming barbecue season, and I am delighted!
Prior to the last few years, I have thought of a barbecue as a burnt sausage and a piece of bread, a boring salad and steak either raw or dry. Once I was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant, I greeted barbecues with relief because they were an easy ‘eat out’ meal at other people’s houses – and gluten-free sausages are especially nice. But I grew quickly tired of the sausages, steak and boring salads, so have developed a variety of dishes which make barbecues a very tasty meal. Here are my suggestions!
Chicken and prunes wrapped with bacon
4 boneless chicken breasts
prunes or dried apricots
cacon – strips rather than rashers
skewers
lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper
Step 1 Cut chicken breasts into strips. Place a prune into the chicken and wrap the chicken around the prune. Take a rasher of bacon and wrap it tightly around the prune and chicken and form into a ball. Place onto a skewer. Repeat with all the chicken, prunes and bacon.
Step 2 Pour lemon juice and a little white wine over the chicken. Cook on the barbecue until the bacon is crispy. Do make sure to check that the chicken is cooked through.
Obviously this isn’t a low-fat option with the bacon, but every now and again it is lovely and a nice change.
Lisa’s warm potato salad
boiled new potatoes (still firm)
spring onions, sliced (or red onions, finely diced)
red and green capsicum, finely diced
radish, diced
1/2 cup natural yoghurt or mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 teaspoons seed mustard
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I normally use a good amount of mint, oregano and thyme)
Step 1 Put the potatoes in a glass bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients together, pour over the potatoes while they are still warm.
Step 2 Garnish with an additional sprig of mint and serve.
Roast vegetable salad
2-3 capsicums, seeded, cut into big pieces
4-6 courgettes, sliced in long ovals
6-8 small vine-ripened tomatoes, still on the vine
2 egg plants, sliced in rounds
6 field mushrooms, sliced
2 red onions, sliced
2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
2 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper
fresh coriander
baby spinach leaves
Step 1 Cook all the vegetables (except the spinach) on the barbecue grill and mix into a large bowl.
Step 2 Pour over oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix through coriander and baby spinach leaves. Serve warm or cold.
This salad is also very nice the next day!
Other favourite ideas are fish, chicken and beef kebabs, with vegetables; fish wrapped in tinfoil with lemon, garlic and lime leaves; a slightly fancier salad using spinach, feta, cherry tomatoes, nuts and dried fruit with a light lemon juice and sesame oil dressing; or field mushrooms cooked on the grill plate with garlic butter in them.
What are your favourites for the barbecue? Leave your comments below.
Gluten-free Grocer update
Many of you may use the Gluten-free Grocer, based at the top end of Mt Eden Road (Auckland). I received their recent newsletter and they are closing down their physical store. They will still have an online presence, but you won’t be able to pop into the shop any more.
Weight-loss update
I am down 14kgs over the last four and a bit months and still going down. Our work 10,000 steps challenge has been a great help and I am now getting up earlier most mornings to walk. I got all the way up to 15,000 steps one day and was very tired by the end of the day! The same things are still holding true – I need to keep tracking my food, watching my portion sizes and being active. I’m still 8kgs from my goal weight, but it seems I will get there! By Christmas may be a little ambitious, but I do think it will happen, which is exciting!
Lisa
For those wanting more information on coeliac disease, check out the NZ Coeliac Society website www.coeliac.org.nz.
This blog is the opinion and experiences of its author and should not be taken as medical or dietetic advice. Healthy Food Guide has not verified the content and cannot endorse any advice given. Healthy Food Guide recommends seeking professional health advice for specific complaints or symptoms.
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