Gluten Free Crackers Comparison: Orgran v Wellaby's

I found these two packs of crackers at Sainsbury's and got both of them to compare, I always like a battle, and I could compare them to the Marks & Spencer ones that I reviewed recently.

So much choice!


 Orgran Deli Crackers

The look of these crackers is not it's strongest point. They are very pale, and it looks as if they are still to go in the oven. On the other hand, the taste is quite nice, although a bit subtle.
They are made in Australia, it seems a bit far for some crackers!
Ingredients: brown rice, wholegrain sorghum, wholegrain millet, salt, poppy seeds, vegetable protein extract, calcium carbonate, natural caramel colour

Wellaby's Delicate Humus Chips

The look is more apetizing, the colour is more golden and they seem crispier, however, the taste lets these chips down. They are a bit boring and dry, and I am struggling to finish the packet.
Ingredients: chickpea flour, corn flour, potato starch, sodium caseinate, palm kernel oil. whey proteins, sugar, black olivees, pea flour, milk (cream), garlic, sea salt, emulsifiers, leavining agents, lemon
They are produced in Greece, but the pack doesn't say who imports them into the UK (only info available is who imports it to Australia and New Zealand). I wonder why?

Between the two, I would definitely eat the Orgran crackers, although they are not better that the Marks & Spencers I reviewed recently, so unfortunately I'm unlikely to buy either again.

Helen gluten free bread mix

 Finally!!! I have never been very good at using yeast, I always blame it on my drafty kitchen, so I've always been a bit irritated by my lack of success at bread making, but thought there wasn't much I could do.

On a recent visit to a large Sainsbury's I found Helen's Brilliant Bread mix in the free from section and decided to have another go at bread.

I must say the instructions at the back of the pack are brilliant, perfect for someone like me who has not made bread before.

On reflection the tip seems to be using the right temperature for the water in the mix (200ml cold from the tap + 100ml hot from the kettle to make the tepid water) and the way to keep the mix while it raises.

The pack recommends to keep the bread tin inside another tray filled with warm water, but just warm from the tap and not from the kettle.

The photos on the right show the mix as first in the bread tin, after raising and as it comes out of the oven.
In the oven I had it at the correct temperature but did use the fan, and I think it has burned slightly on the outside. When I do it again I probably won't use the fan.

Today it is already the third day after baking and the bread is still good to eat, nice and soft.

I would definitely recommend this mix and I'll be buying again.

Potato salad with vinagrette - naturally gluten free

Now that the weather is lovely, my favourite lunch is a salad, and the other day I made some potato salad with vinagrette.

This is a quick lunch, boiling the potatoes is probably the longest process here.
I boil them in the microwave cut in slices so that it takes even less time, but you can boil them in your preferred way.

The vinagrette is made in two parts:
* The solids: shredded lettuce, shredded boiled egg, roughly chopped olives
* The liquids: three parts of olive oil to one of vinegar (I use cider vinegar), salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
Mix all together, pour over the potatoes and enjoy!

Healthy cook co - Gluten Free lunch in Kingston

I was in Kingston the other day just about lunchtime and decided to visit the Healthy Cook Co.

I had already tried their very nice cupcakes, and was curious about their lunch offer.
The menu is small but well formed, and I couldn't decide between the all day breakfast with it's veggie sausages and the toastie with lactose free cheese.
Every item is well labelled in the menu, clearly stating ingredients that could be an allergen for someone.

In the end, as it has been ages since I had a toastie I went for it.
It smelled delicious and came with a side salad.
The bread was crunchy and full of seeds, and the filling was delicious!

All their products seem to be wheat & gluten free as well as vegetarian, organic and made with good quality ingredients.
In their website it says they are very happy to adapt any of their products to make them soya free, egg free and whatever you need.


The Healthy Cook Co
http://www.healthycookcompany.co.uk/
32 Old London Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT2 6QF
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 08:30 - 17:00, Sun: Closed

Gluten Free Sandwich selection at M&S

On one hand it is very good that some gluten free sandwiches are available from M&S, as it saved me the other day from going hungry at lunchtime, but on the other, they could have made a bit more effort with the flavours.

I had Ham Salad and the bread was quite dry, would have been lovely with some mayo or spread or even mustard!

Next time I find myself in the same pickle, I'll have to try Cheese and Pickle ;)

Lovemore Free From Bourbon Biscuits

Another nice pack of biscuits from Ocado, 150gr for £1.95. They have a nice taste, although some of the biscuits did not stay together as a bourbon should do.

They passed the dunking test, no lost bits of biscuit in my tea ;)

Eskal Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Wafers

These wafers from Eskal are very nice indeed. There are 130gr in the pack and they are available at Ocado for £2.50. They do contain milk and soya.

 

Konditor & Cook gluten free Almond St Clement Cake

I was at EV on Sunday celebrating a friend's Birthday, what a great venue, and lovely food too.

We all had a brilliant day, but as a gluten-free eater I had to be on full alert.

Their cakes look so gorgeous, but unfortunately none were gluten free.
Feeling a bit sorry for myself, my brain went into overdrive........
Where could I get myself a gluten free cake last minute?
Maybe a biscuit from a supermarket wouldn't be such an appalling choice after all??

And then I remembered someone had recommended the lovely cakes at Konditor & Cook and that some of them were gluten free.
Success! Now a plan was forming, at 4.20pm, would it be a bit of a push to get to the Waterloo branch in time?
Well, needs must! I had to run.

Got in before they closed and was faced with a dilemma, Chocolate Hazelnut or Almond St Clement?
How can a girl choose amongst so much deliciousness?
Almond St Clement it was and it was brilliant!

I have since checked the cake profile online and it seems that it has won the 2013 Great Taste Gold Star.
I'm not surprised ;)

There are a few branches around London, definitely worth visiting:
http://www.konditorandcook.com/about-us/stores

Buenos Aires Argentinian Restaurant

I had dinner on Saturday at Buenos Aires, an Argentinian restaurant in Wimbledon.
The restaurant was quite welcoming, although a bit on the dark side, so I couldn't take a photo of the awesome food.

We arrived around 7m and were lucky to get a table without booking, by 8pm it was completely packed. I would recommend booking if you are planning to go at the weekend.

The menu is quite compact, with a special space for the Argentinian Steaks from 8 to 12 oz.
I had the prime rump steak with blue cheese sauce and it was delicious.

All steaks come with your choice of chips, fries, mash or salad, and I chose the salad, which had lots of tender leaves and a very delicate dressing.
I would have loved to have chips, but they are fried in the same pan as their pastries, so couldn't due to the potential for gluten cross contamination.
The mash is also gluten free as it is cooked separately.


I loved it and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

There are 7 restaurants around London, you can find out more on their website:
http://www.barestaurant.com/

M&S Gluten Free Crackers

 These crackers are very nice! They are small-ish, around 2 inch squares, and quite tasty.

They are made with several gluten free flours including lentils. Unfortunately I've thrown the bag away, so can't say more than that.