Gluten-Free Philippines

Steak with Gluten-Free Feta Sauce

Who says you can’t have a decadent steak meal on a gluten-free diet?

Meats being naturally gluten-free is a definite way to gastronomically indulge ourselves, safely. But if you’re like most, who enjoy steak glazed in rich sauce, the experience is not as complete without it. But Gluten-free steak sauce is not easy to come by, since most would have starch additives that contain gluten traces.

Here is a nice recipe so you can enjoy your steak fully.

A perfect steak created with a nice Gluten-Free Feta Sauce.

RECIPE FOR GLUTEN-FREE FETA SAUCE ON GRILLED STEAK

Ingredients

1/2 pack of great quality steak (A nice ribeye or tenderloin steak)

1/4 cup Gluten-Free feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp minced shallot
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper

Directions

Sauce

Place gluten-free feta cheese in a medium bowl. A great selection vegan cheeses are available for home delivery here.

Add vinegar, dry mustard, shallot, parsley, pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon olive oil and whisk to until well combined.

A side note, mustards can also be a tricky thing when you’re staying away from gluten. Mustard seeds are naturally gluten-free, but it is best to opt for high quality mustard that does not have wheat laden thickeners in the ingredients. When in doubt, check the back label for an ingredients list.

Steak

Preheat your pan on the stove on medium heat. Put a tablespoon of oil and heat until it shimmers. Use a cast iron pan if you have one, to have even cooking and achieve a nice crust.

Tip: Cook boneless steaks in medium heat for 4 minutes per inch per side, for medium rare.

Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Serve steak with cheese sauce.

Have a fantastic gluten-free meal! 🙂

Gluten-Free Special Meal on Philippine Airlines

I ordered a special meal on Philippine Airlines, and I chose the gluten-free meal on my flight from Los Angeles to Manila. For a long-haul flight on Philippine Airlines, this consists of 2 full meals and a snack. Here’s what I got for my gluten-free meal.

For dinner, I had beef cooked in tomato sauce with squash and rice. I also had an asparagus and tomato salad, and fresh fruit for dessert. The regular meals were a choice of fish or chicken, and blueberry cheesecake from Goldilocks for dessert. My gluten-free dessert was fresh watermelon and pineapple.

Gluten-free dinner meal on Philippine Airlines

For my snacks, I was given more fresh fruit. A LOT of fresh fruit, like grapes the size of ping pong balls, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and pineapple. The rest of the passengers got Goldilocks cake slices.

For breakfast, I got bacon, an omelet, more squash, and garlic rice. The others got a choice of chicken tocino with rice or veal sausage and bacon. I was happy that my gluten-free meal had a light amount of meat, compared to the regular meal…I can’t eat too much meat in the morning. And then they gave me even more fresh fruit, including this giant banana.

Gluten-free breakfast meal on Philippine Airlines

I was happy with my gluten-free meal on Philippine Airlines. Not only was it gluten-free, but in fact, it seemed that the selection was healthier over all. It helped that the pre-made cakes were replaced by fresh fruit. Special meals are also served first, before the service for the rest of the passengers, so there’s also an advantage in ordering a gluten-free meal on a flight.

If you want to order a gluten-free meal on Philippine Airlines, contact them no less than 24 hours before your flight.

Gluten-Free: Mixed Berries and Mangoes with Lemon Mint Syrup

It’s a comfort to know that there are some foods that are naturally gluten-free. Thankfully, fruits are on the list! Enjoy this very cool dessert that is a breeze to prepare and is safe for your tummy if you’re following the gluten-free diet.

Berries are great tasting and has amazing health benefits. It is rich in flavonoids which are best known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Doesn’t that make for a cool treat indeed!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 cup frozen blueberries

4 pieces frozen mangoes cut into squares

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

4-6 tbsp sugar adjust to taste

2 tbsp chopped mint

Mix all ingredients together and voila, you have a perfect treat to beat the Manila heat, for kids and adults alike!

How Do You Make Sandwiches Gluten-Free in the Philippines?

To make things a bit easier for a sometimes challenging diet to conform to, we’ve gathered some sandwich classics to help you whip up filling gluten-free meals for kids’ school baon (lunch pack) or even for the office.

As a basic, of course, you’d want to start with a gluten-free base like your gluten-free bread, and baguette. Though pandesal and tasty bread are out, don’t fret. There are still great alternatives you can try. These are available in your supermarkets, and be sure you are looking to avoid these in the ingredients: wheat, barley, rye, oats, malt, and brewer’s yeast. If you want more convenience, you can visit GERALD.ph for a gluten-free selection you can have delivered to your home in Metro Manila. If you’re new to the gluten-free diet, you can visit celiac.com’s comprehensive list of gluten-free foods.

So without further ado, here they are:

1 – Egg salad sandwich

egg salad sandwich

This is an easy one and definitely a favorite for quick sandwiches. We love it for it is moist, light but filling. It’s perfect that the typical ingredients, like mayonnaise and plain mustard, are grocery staples that happen to be gluten-free. Most come without the gluten-free stamp but check the back label. Let a saucepan containing eggs submerged in water come to a boil, then turn the heat off and put the lid on and let sit for five minutes. Let the eggs cool in a bowl of ice water, and peel and dice. To the eggs, add mayonnaise plus mustard, salt and pepper, chopped celery and onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Smother on gluten-free bread, add strips of ham (check the label for some ham glazes that may contain gluten. If the glaze is in a separate packet, just don’t use it). Chill and enjoy!

2 – Hamburger

Make your own burger patty and skip the frozen patties. You can make better ones for less. Pure unprocessed meats do not have gluten, and so the ground beef that you get straight from the butcher and then mixed with wholesome spices yourself is a guarantee you don’t have gluten cross-contamination risks that processed meats may have. Also, this gets you away from additives and extenders that are common in local ready-made patties.

One thing that might require some research is the soy sauce to use with your patty. We do use a lot of soy sauce in our cuisine and a burger patty isn’t an exception. Based on research made by soya.be, Kikkoman, a brand we have here locally appeared to meet the 20 parts per million content enough to qualify as gluten-free (and not have adverse physiological effects.)

Top patty with veggies like tomato, coleslaw, or gluten-free sauces to make different versions.

3 – Grilled cheese sandwich

grilled cheese

Typically an American sandwich, but it practically has the Pinoy stamp on it what with the Filipino’s love for the really cheesy meals. Really, can you think of anything better than warm gooey melted cheese? I can’t. The ‘unspecial’ grilled cheese sandwich is made with processed cheese. For your gluten-free diet, go with the all-natural variety. It’s hard to find a proper grocery store now without a deli section so getting these should be easy (check: SM, Puregold, Rustan’s all has this. Now it’s online, too).

Natural cheese does not have gluten, and you can choose to add much more interesting cheeses like Emmental, gruyère, or comté, as long as they are soft, melting cheeses (Parmesan might be challenging to melt). Want to be more adventurous? Add crumbs of blue cheese. And the secret: add butter in your pan with the sandwich after your cheese melts. Look here to master the art of grilled cheese.

4 – Caprese wrap

caprese roll ups small

Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil in a sandwich. To make a gluten-free roll-up version, substitute corn or brown rice tortillas for bread. Add steamed or grilled chicken and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, and you have an exciting roll-up. With how easy it is, this simple but elegant tasting dish will surely be a regular in your lunch pack.

Tip: for wrap recipes, you can actually do away with bread altogether and wrap it in greens like nice iceberg lettuce or cucumber. Healthy, and certainly gluten-free.

5 – Croque Monsieur/Croque Madame

croque_monsieur_social

For something a bit fancier, try to make this baking-required French sandwich. A little trouble in the kitchen but Oui it’s all worth it. With gluten-free bread as a base, Croque monsieur for the most part already uses gluten-free ingredients: butter, milk, mustard, gruyere, and Parmesan cheese. For the cheese sauce, just use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Check out an easy-to-follow recipe here. Don’t forget to substitute the ingredients!

Add an egg to make a Madame. 😉

Hope you can make yours out of these and try other gluten-free versions, too! Do share with us some of your own special gluten-free sandwich tricks in the comments!

References: Celiac.com, celiacdesease.about.com, soya.be, seriouseats.com

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Spaghetti with Scallops and Mussels

There’s no need to go to an Italian restaurant to enjoy this classic pasta dish, and you can even have it gluten-free. You can prepare it in minutes with the convenience of frozen seafood available on GERALD.ph.

Ingredients

1 pack Gerald.ph gluten-free spaghetti
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1 pack scallops (roe off)
1/2 pack mussels (shell off)
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup frozen chopped parsley
2-3 tbs garlic herb butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 tbs. flour
2 tbs. olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1.In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente or tender to the bite. Drain and set aside some pasta water.

2. Lightly dredge each scallop in a bowl full of flour and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Shake off the excess. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and half of the garlic herb butter. Saute scallops for about 2-3 minutes on one side until just beginning to brown, then carefully turn over and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chopped garlic into the skillet and saute for 30-40 seconds – do not let it brown. Add the wine and a little bit of the pasta water, about 1/4 cup. Then add mussels and cover for 3-4 minutes. Stir.

4. Add cooked pasta and season with additional salt and remaining herb butter. Add more pasta water or a touch of wine if you prefer more broth. Sprinkle with parsley and toss gently to combine.

Voila, a delightful pasta dish!

Gluten-Free Breads and Treats You’ll Love! Available in the Philippines

Many of you know us at GERALD.ph for our freshly baked breads and pastries. But I have also heard from some customers to make some gluten-free options options for them. That’s why we also started introducing gluten-free food items so that these customers can also enjoy bread, cookies, muffins, pizza, and more.

In simple terms, gluten constitutes about 80% of the protein in common grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats. Some people can have an allergy or intolerance towards gluten, so they must follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons.

Our gluten-free items are prepared in a separate facility from our regular breads and pastries, so there is no fear of cross contamination. Most of our gluten-free items are also vegan (except the gluten-free salami pizza) and dairy-free!

To give you an idea of the substitutes for flour in our gluten-free products, here’s the list for our top 5 best-selling gluten-free items:

Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies (vegan) All-purpose gluten-free flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, flaxseed, coconut oil, coco sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cocoa nibs or dairy free chocolate chips

Gluten-free banana carrot loaf Brown rice flour, sorghum flour, white rice flour, cassava starch, carrots, banana, eggs, brown sugar, coconut oil, cinnamon, baking soda

Gluten-free bread (round) (vegan) brown rice flour, sorghum flour, cassava starch, flax seeds, (with sesame seeds sprinkled on top)

Picture of Gluten-Free Baguette

Gluten-free baguette (vegan) All-purpose gluten-free flour, coconut oil, flaxseeds, yeast, xanthan gum, sugar, salt

Picture of Honey Almond Mini Muffins (GF)

Gluten-free honey almond muffins All-purpose gluten-free flour, almond flour, GF flour mix, egg white, honey, vanilla and almond extract, coconut oil.

It’s part of our commitment towards offering better and healthier food choices to people in Manila. We soon hope as well to serve everyone in the Philippines!

Order your gluten-free food for delivery in Metro Manila today.

Rocking Gluten-Free Spaghetti-The Filipino Style

Since we already know that there is a large pool of gluten-free selections that we can indulge in, it’s now much easier to explore gluten-free recipes and whip-up scrumptious safe meals, worry free.

There’s a wide array of recipes to discover for you, ranging from gluten-free vegan recipes, gluten-free cookie recipes, gluten-free cake recipes, or maybe even some gluten-free snack recipes for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the family.

How about a filipino-style spaghetti? Here’s a gluten-free diet recipe for you that can be enjoyed whether or not you worry about gluten in your diet. 🙂

Filipino Style Rice and Corn Spaghetti

Ingredients:

400 grams Rice and Corn Spaghetti
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
250 grams lean ground pork
250 grams ground chicken
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh goat’s cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 chopped white onion
1 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Cook the rice and corn spaghetti until al dente or firm to the bite.
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan.
Sauté the garlic and onion.
Add the chicken and pork after, and saute everything again for another 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and water. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes.
Add tomato paste. Stir well until it thickens even more.
Add the sugar, and carefully season with salt and pepper.
Put about a cup of pasta on each plate, and pour a ladleful of sauce on top.
Top with some goat’s cheese. (Choose all-natural cheese for this recipe to make sure it’s gluten-free)

Serves 4 persons

This would also definitely make a great part of your gluten-free recipe for kids, too! In case you’ve missed it, here are some gluten free dessert, bread, and sandwich recipe.

Got any brilliant gluten-free culinary ideas that you would like to share? Just comment below!

Gluten-Free Diet: Some Facts You Need to Know

Last week, we have discussed gluten, its sources, and substitutes. Now, why don’t we move a little bit further and talk about the gluten-free diet?

A gluten-free diet, as the name suggests, is a dietary intervention where we try to remove gluten from meals. Here are important facts you need to know about this special diet:

1.) Gluten-free diet is primarily made for people who experience adverse reactions to gluten. With that being said, certain claims that it is a miracle diet for weight loss should be taken with a grain of salt, due to the lack of substantial studies to back such claims[1]. Though it is not intended to provide an express lane for dieters, weight loss can still be achieved incidentally, since this involves swapping out certain gluten-free grains, and incidentally, some processed food from their diet.

2.) A gluten-free diet does not require people to worry about other proteins and fat sources aside from gluten. Since wheat, barley, rye, and its hybrids are essentially the main sources of gluten, these are the ingredients those with gluten intolerance should guard against.

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3.) Aside from celiac disease, the gluten-free diet is also applicable to those who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is a condition where muscle contraction during digestion is no longer coordinated, resulting in irritation during the process. The diet prescribed for such health concerns is called FODMAP (Fermented Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) diet, which includes gluten-free food items to avoid allergies or any other potential intolerance[2].

4.) Gluten-free diet also helps to address certain health problems such as gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis, wheat allergy as well, other than the most commonly known diseases associated with this diet (Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity[NCGS]).

5.) Gluten-free diet may also help improve systemic symptoms in certain diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and HIV enteropathy[3]. However, consultation with a physician is advised, before following this diet to remedy these symptoms.

Got further questions about gluten, and the gluten-free diet? Fel free to leave us a comment below.

Sources:

1.) CERTIFICATION, GLUTEN-FREE. Información en Español. The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

2.)Angelle, Amber. “Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention.” livescience.com. 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

3.) El-Chammas K, Danner E (Jun 2011). “Gluten-free diet in nonceliac disease”. Nutr Clin Pract (Review). 26 (3): 294–9. doi:10.1177/0884533611405538. PMID 21586414.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Malakoff

Who says nice decadent desserts are out of reach if you cannot have gluten in your diet?

By using gluten-free ladyfingers (broas), as a substitute, you can make a gluten-free version of this delicious Strawberry Malakoff dessert made famous French cuisine master and icon, Julia Child. It’s super easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

24 single Gluten-Free Broas
4 cups fresh strawberries (or frozen strawberries)
⅓ cup orange liquor
⅔ cup water

For the almond cream:
2 cups whipping cream, chilled
½ lb unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup orange liqueur
¼ tsp almond extract
1 ¼ cups pulverized almonds

DIRECTIONS

1.) Slice the strawberries in half. Line your mold with wax paper, and place a circle of wax paper on the bottom of the mold.
2.) In a shallow dish with the orange liqueur, and water added, dip the broas one by one, and drain on a rack. Be quick about it, as gluten-free broas may easily crumble upon being wet.
3. Line sides of the mold with the broas. Reserve the remaining dipped ones.
4.) Mix butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until pale and the texture is creamy. Beat in the almond extract and orang liqueur. Then beat in the almonds. Whip the mixture until sugar particles are dissolved completely and thick in texture.
5.) Layer of cream into the mold. Put a layer of strawberries. Cover them with a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat with another layer.
6.) Repeat the process until the top of the mold is reached. At the topmost layer, trim off ladyfingers around the edge of the mold.
7.) Cover the top with wax paper, place a flat tray, and add weight over it. Refrigerate for at least hours so the butter is chilled firm to not collapse when un-molded.)
8.) Peel off the wax paper on top. Reverse dessert onto a chilled serving platter. Refrigerate until serving.

You can decorate the top with the remaining strawberries, swirls of whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

Quick Tips For Gluten-Free Shopping

To avoid gluten, you basically need to stay away from its sources: wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. But in a world where cross-contamination and food additives are a norm, here are some quick and useful tips to keep your gluten-free shopping and meal planning a breeze. Have this ready in your back pocket at all times to keep safe against gluten.

Go Natural

Fruits: fresh, frozen, or canned

Double-check: For dried fruit, check the label for gluten-containing additives

Vegetables: fresh, frozen, or canned.

Double-check: Frozen potatoes are not always gluten-free. Read the label for additives.

Meats: fresh, or frozen

Double-check: marinated, or processed meats like your sausages, tocino, tapa. Check the label for additives.

Cheese & Dairy: all-natural cheese is naturally gluten-free

Double-check: processed cheese, like cheese spreads

Nuts & Seeds: unseasoned or in shell

Double-check: seasoned cocktail nuts and seeds

Beverages: 100% fruit or veggie juice, water. Avoid malted drinks and beer.

Double-check: yogurt, pre-mixed shakes, chocolate, milk drinks, and smoothies

Befriend the Label

FDA only allows packaged foods with less than 20ppm of gluten to be labeled “gluten-free”, so checking for the label would be a good rule of thumb. But even without the gluten-free food stamp, some packaging already adds helpful information on their labels, so you may know which ones to stay away from. Check also for information if it has been manufactured in the same facility that also processes food containing gluten, or if the product may contain gluten.

Know What To Look For

BUT without the gluten-free label still in most packaged foods today, grocery shopping can be a much more complicated task than we may like. To make it easier, first, check for obvious gluten sources:

Wheat
Barley
Rye
Triticale
Malt
Brewer’s yeast
Oats (unless specifically labeled gluten-free)

Then, the less obvious terminology that means the same :

Triticum vulgare (wheat)
Triticale (cross between wheat and rye)
Hordeum vulgare (barley)
Secale cereale (rye)
Triticum spelta (spelt, a form of wheat)

And look for the following terms represent ingredients that always contain gluten:

Wheat flour, bread flour, bleached flour(wheat)
Hydrolyzed wheat protein,
Hydrolyzed wheat starch
Bulgur
Malt (product of barley)
Couscous (product of wheat)
Farina (product of wheat)
Pasta (from wheat unless otherwise indicated)
Seitan (made from wheat gluten and commonly used in vegetarian meals)
Wheat or barley grass (will be cross-contaminated)
Wheat germ oil or extract (will be cross-contaminated)
Vegetable protein/hydrolyzed vegetable protein (can come from wheat, corn, or soy)
Modified starch/modified food starch (can come from several sources, including wheat)
Natural flavor/natural flavoring (can come from barley)
Artificial flavor/artificial flavoring (can come from barley)
Caramel color (now considered a safe ingredient, but if you’re in doubt, check with the manufacturer)
Modified food starch
Hydrolyzed plant protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Seasonings
Flavorings
Vegetable starch
Dextrin and Maltodextrin (both sometimes made from wheat)[1]

Make your next grocery shopping experience a less stressful and less overwhelming task by being prepared. Let us know how it works out in the comments!

References:

1 Anderson, Jane. “What Terms on a Food Label Really Mean ‘Gluten’?” Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 7 July 2019, http://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-identify-gluten-on-food-labels-562666.