Gluten-free cookbook springs from bright idea

Now their 4 Ingredients book series is a publishing phenomenon selling more than three million copies worldwide. The book is all about making cooking easy. Whether you’re a busy person or on a tight budget; an exhausted mother, a cash-strapped student or maybe you’ve just run out of ideas then it can be invaluable.

Their latest book – Gluten Free – came about because the public wanted them to write it.

“Everywhere we went the most asked question was always ‘do you do Gluten Free recipes?’” says Kim.

“And we were overwhelmed at what we found – 1 in 100 people are diagnosed coeliacs and 1 in 20 have gluten intolerance. So we felt there was a real need out there for this book.”

Gluten is a protein found in grains, including wheat, rye, oats, barley as well as many processed foods, biscuits, cakes mixes and bread.

One in 20 people are diagnosed as gluten intolerant, although the experts say this is closer to one in 10.

Basic symptoms include diarrohea, tiredness, bloating, anaemia, vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Learning to bake with ingredients such as gluten-free self-raising flour was hard work, but Kim and Rachael discovered the joy of cooking with ingredients such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. And the results are delicious cakes and muffins like orange and almond, walnut and lemon and hazelnut torte.

And the girls’ favourite recipes? “Try walnut cake, flavoured with lemon zest and Thai Chicken with Cucumber Noodles,” says Rachael. “Such an easy meal to cook for entertaining – whether you have a gluten intolerance or not.”

This year watch out for: 4 Ingredients Kids, Baby Bowl and 4 Ingredients Christmas.

Carrot and ginger soup

2 spring onions, sliced, 1 tbs freshly grated ginger, 12 medium carrots, peeled and sliced, 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

In a large saucepan, sauté the green onions and ginger for about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and sauté for a few more minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Transfer soup to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.

Option: Season with sea salt and pepper, cumin and lemon juice to taste.

For something really different, add a cup of orange juice and only three cups of stock.

Thai chicken with cucumber noodles

Serves 4

2 chicken breasts (500g), cut into chunky pieces , ½ cup gluten free sweet chilli and ginger sauce , 1 continental cucumber, ½ cup crunchy gluten free rice noodles

Place chicken in a non-stick frying pan with ¼ cup water and cook till water evaporates. Add sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat. Slice and julienne cucumber to resemble long, thin noodles. Add cucumber and noodles to chicken and mix gently.

Serve topped with extra cucumber noodles as a garnish.

Flourless chocolate cake

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

SERVES: 8-10

4 free range eggs, 1 cup (200g) caster sugar, 1 cup (225g) butter, 1¼ cup (250g) dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 180°C. Separate eggs, add half the sugar to the yolks and beat well with a mixer. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy then add remaining sugar, gradually beating until stiff peaks form. Melt butter and chocolate over hot water stirring regularly. Pour into egg yolk mixture and fold. Once combined fold in egg whites. Line a cake tin with greaseproof paper and pour in mixture. Bake for 40 minutes in the lower third of your oven.

Note: This cake will collapse as it has no flour to sustain the rise.

Optional: Can be served warm or cold, delicious with fresh whipped cream.

Pork fillets with dried fruit

Serves 8

1½ cups dried mixed fruit, 1 small brown onion, finely chopped, 3 (300g each) pork fillets, trimmed, 3 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place fruit in a bowl. Cover with 2 cups boiling water. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until plump. Drain. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add to fruit. Stir to combine.

Using a small sharp knife, cut each fillet lengthways to make a pocket (don’t cut all the way through).

Place one-third of the fruit mixture into each pocket. Wrap each fillet in bacon. Secure with string.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork, turning, for 5 minutes or until sealed. Transfer to a roasting dish. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Then stand for 5 minutes. Thickly slice.

Orange and almond cake

Serves 8-10

3 oranges, 1 cup (200g) sugar, 6 eggs, 2 cups (250g) almond meal

Cover oranges (skin and all) with water, bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour. Cool completely, remove seeds and puree. Beat eggs and sugar together, add puree and almond meal. Stir well, pour into a greased 22cm cake tin and bake at 160°C for 70 minutes.

* For great recipe ideas go to www.4ingredients.co.uk. To order a copy of Gluten Free from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop call free on 0800 0153232 or go to www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk. P&P is £2.75.