Being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease did not only affect me, it was also a big change for everyone in the house. Don’t get me wrong, I love to be the centre of attention in the right setting but I didn’t want every meal time to be about what I can & can’t eat. Food has always played an important role in our household, we love cooking, rarely dine out & love to try out new tasty recipes. Fresh in-season ingredients are a must & nothing pre-made or processed (condiments excluded).
How the tables turned –
He’s a bit of an athlete, so when he started to monitor his nutrition more closely, he stopped eating pasta & bread when training for another event. This was a few years ago & at the time I asked him how long for & he said forever!? What!? Back then I initially thought it was a bit of a selfish act as I love making lasagna, the odd pizza or pork & apple meatballs with spaghetti. But I decided to go along with it & I bought him a spiralizer. The spaghetti was replaced with zoodles or courgetti & sometimes a carrot thrown in. I barely noticed the difference.
Luckily he’s completely on board with the changes that had to be made. One the odd occasion he’ll buy a freshly baked sour dough from the local bakery of which he’ll triple wrap & hide as far back into a high cupboard it’ll go. Paranoid that a solitary crumb will escape & I’d have a reaction. He won’t use a chopping board but instead uses a plate on the floor, whilst the opportunist Beagle closely montiors the process. If a crumb (or the full loaf for that matter) happened to end up on the floor, it would immediately vanish into the jaws of the salivating hound. Job done, no threat, stand down.
We also have our 20yr old niece currently living with us who thoroughly checks everything with analytical eye. Both of them are constantly inspecting labels of products we buy in the supermarket, ingredients required in recipe books, & researching new GF products. They’ve both made a huge choice to pretty much join me in the GF diet. Not once have they suggested ‘surely a little bit won’t hurt’ & ‘this isn’t a big deal’, or snuck in a bit of gluten to see what would happen. I’m very thankful that they’ve both been actively interested in finding the new way to create delicious food.
Ways you can help & support someone with Coeliac Disease:
Do some research – delve into some articles or listen to a podcast to try & understand more about the disease. How to eat gluten free from Coeliac New Zealand is a good source of information.
Be pro-active & find some good looking tasty recipes to try. Look out for new GF products or any recommendations you may hear. Understand the trusted brands & any logos to look out for.
Have a understanding what ingredients need to be avoided & check the food labels if you are making purchases on their behalf. Barley Rye Oats Wheat Never – BROWN is a handy acronym.
Provide emotional support – making, what can appear dramatic, changes to your diet can be tough! There will be moments of frustration from not being able to have a certain products, so a little patience & understanding would be very helpful.
Understand how to handle the difficult times when sickness kicks in & offer to help if you can. As much as we try to avoid gluten, there will be occasions when it’s sneakily makes it’s way into our body. The results can vary from mild symptoms/discomfort to hospitalisation depending on the circumstances & individual reactions.
Make changes around the house – I mention this in more detail in the Cross Contamination article. But little things like clearly marking products that are GF, having seperate choppingbards/utensils etc. A GF cooking space & a shelf if the fridge/pantry.
Research cafes & restaurants. Think ahead if dining out, call in advance to avoid any potential issues. Call in the afternoon when the kitchen staff will be preparing, not 5 minutes before you go during the service rush. Gluten free options on a menu in restaurants/cafes doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe for a coeliac.
The recipe I’m sharing today is a quick lunch cajun taco (or wrap if you prefer). Add more to the below quantities if you’re feeding more than just yourself.
Cajun Chicken Taco
2 x chicken tenderloins (breast or thighs would work also but the tenderloins fits perfectly inside a taco!
1 x handful of shredded lettuce or cabbage
3-4 slices of avocado
2-3 tsp of Cajun spice mix (store bought or see below).
1 or 2 x corn taco/tortillas (or a wrap)
1 x tsp of mayonnase
4 x drops of chipotle sauce ( you can get mild through to hot chilli strength).
Coat the chicken with the cajun spice mix & set aside while you shred the lettuce/cabbage and slice the avocado. Fry the chicken in a little oil until cooked. Meanwhile mix together the mayo & the chipotle sauce. Add more chipotle if you want a more smokey/chilli hit. Prepare the tacos as directed on the packet, I’ve used Tio Pablo Fiesta Tortillas. Assemble by adding the lettuce/cabbage first, then the avocado, then the chicken & top with the chipolte mayo. A wee sprinkle of fresh corriander if you have any.
Enjoy!!
Cajun Mix – this makes heaps that will keep for months in the pantry.
- 2 x tbsp paprika
- 1 x tbsp course ground pepper
- 1 x tbsp ground cumin
- 1 x tbsp brown sugar
- 1 x tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 x tsp dried thyme
- 1 x tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp all spice
If you don’t have all of the above here’s a simpler version:
- 1 x tbsp salt
- 1 x tbsp paprika
- 1 x tbsp dried oregano
- 1 x tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 x tbsp black pepper.
I'm Not Awkward I'm a Coeliac 