Steeliac

Category: Family

  • Old El Paso GF Fajitas

    Old El Paso GF Fajitas

    I was very excited to try the new gluten free fajita dinner kit by Old El Paso. This used to be a bit of a treat before I was coeliac, and ever since it’s always been a bit dissatisfying trying to use a gluten free wrap in place of the tortillas. They are generally a bit too filling, as they are quite thick and / or they split and leak when folded up.

    So it’s great that you can now buy not only the GF dinner kit, but also the 100% corn wraps, which are available in the regular aisle of the supermarket with the other Mexican items. (Sainsbury’s, Archer Road in my case)

    I also bought one of the super mild kits, so the kids could have a mild chicken fajita, whilst the adults had the spicier version with a combination of chicken and steak. The spice sachets seem to be the same as the normal kits, so everything tastes the same. And we had a variety of toppings: avocado, salsa, lettuce, cheese, black beans and sour cream.

    I thought the gluten free corn tortillas were very good. They’re a bit smaller than the regular ones, but almost as soft, and did the job very well. We’ll definitely get this again – it’s a great, quick Friday night meal.

     

     

  • Review: Miller and Carter

    Review: Miller and Carter

    After a whole January of eating in, we had a lovely evening at the relatively new Miller and Carter steakhouse at the weekend. Not least because we can walk there through the woods, which was fun. Miller and Carter is on the site of the old Toby Carvery at Parkhead next to the cricket ground, and indeed is owned by the same company, Mitchells and Butlers – in fact, they also own All Bar One, Vintage Inns (Fox House), and Browns.

    Miller and Carter is a chain steak restaurant, and they recently gained accreditation with Coeliac UK across their 89 branches. This isn’t (yet) reflected on their website or menus, but I’m pleased to report they do have a gluten free menu, and it’s the reason we decided to give it a try.

    The restaurant is full of nooks and crannies, so we had a fairly secluded table even though the place was quite busy. We loved the unapologetically beefy decor – photos of bulls everywhere, like this:

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    We chose to share a couple of starters from the gluten free menu: cluck and duck wings, and garlic king prawns. Both were great. The wings were unusual (in that I’ve never had duck wings before) and they came with a sticky glaze and some buttermilk dressing (although they didn’t really need the additional dressing). The king prawns were cooked well – just done, which is great – as overcooked prawns are a bit of a pet hate. (Yes, first world problems…)

    For mains, there were a few other options (tandoori lamb, ribs, buttermilk chicken), but we were in a steak restaurant, so when in Rome… I had a bistro rump with my absolute favourite accompaniment, peppercorn sauce, and chips! (Yeh – the chips are GF! Although apparently not in all M&C restaurants, so you’d need to check others. They don’t all have separate fryers, hence not on the GF menu.)

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    I have to say, the steak option is totally inspired and different to any other steak restaurant I’ve been to. The steak comes with a lettuce wedge in a bowl (your choice of dressing) which is great as a refreshing taste to accompany the steak. But the ‘piece de resistance’ is the onion loaf. I had no idea what this was going to be (I was expecting something bready) but it’s actually a slice of a deep fried, battered onion slab (i.e. loaf). That doesn’t do it justice though, as the taste is that of a giant, delicious onion ring. In other words, exactly the sort of best part of the dish that coeliacs can’t normally have. I haven’t had an onion ring in about five years – so it tasted even better than it probably was. Seriously well done to Miller and Carter for making the extra effort here.

    I was very pleased that 9-year-old didn’t want his, so I got an extra portion. The pepper sauce was good too – nice and fiery, in a mouth-warming way. The whole thing was really great. We ordered some broccoli as a side, which was also nice, with garlic and cheese, but we didn’t really need it.

    We really didn’t need a dessert, but in the interests of Sheffield’s coeliac community, I forced down a coffee and mini chocolate pot just to try them, and they were also lovely.

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    All in all, a great meal. We will definitely be back here. My only constructive criticism would be to get the sides (some of which are clearly GF) onto the gluten free menu, and the chips. Oh, and really shout about that Coeliac UK accreditation – it means a lot to us!

    Miller and Carter, 345 Ecclesall Road South, Sheffield S11 9PW

     

  • A Coeliac Christmas survival guide

    A Coeliac Christmas survival guide

    Christmas can be hard for coeliacs, especially when you are newly diagnosed. And of course, it isn’t just the one day – there’s a whole month to get through when it feels like you’re surrounded by stuff you can’t have. Plus, there are so many social minefields to navigate, from work parties to big family celebrations. It feels like it’s really designed for ‘advanced’ level coeliacs, so it’s a bit unfair on beginners, but it’s something you have to get through and adapt as best you can.

    I was diagnosed in February, and having gone through the general ups and downs that go along with a restricted diet for over eight months, I felt I knew what was what. I had started to move on from the newly off limits treats and started to come up with new favourites, I was becoming confident with eating out, and I knew which of my friends were happy to have me round for nibbles or food; it was all good.

    But then Christmas came, and it was a big shock! From the first of December, a massive, unexpected second wave of treats and goodies I couldn’t eat, that I’d forgotten all about because they only put in an appearance in December. Panettone, Lebkuchen stars, festive sandwiches, and of course, everywhere you turn there are mince pies being offered. Food is a massive part of the festive season.

    I have been thinking about those early days recently, and I thought I’d put together a few ideas to help, particularly for people who are about to experience their first gluten free Christmas.

    The work Christmas do

    • If you’re going for a meal and are presented with a set menu, talk to the person who’s organising it, and if they aren’t confident to order you a gluten free meal, take it in hand yourself. Ask for the number of the venue and contact them in advance to talk about what your options will be.
    • You might need to lower your expectations slightly as to what you’re offered, because the party venue is unlikely to be one of your designated easy places to eat out. For example, you might be able expect the pleasure of a Christmas dinner without the stuffing, the pig in blanket and the gravy. I recently went to a do where I was given an ace main course, but the starter was pate without the bread! You can only try to laugh in this situation – you know that better gluten offerings are available when you go to the right places.
    • On the plus side, if you do get served up a particularly disappointing pudding, you may find yourself eligible to enter the now annual #Fruitisnotapudding competition, hosted by gluten free blogger Carly Talbot aka @gfreeb.

    The open house drop in party

    • The likely scenario here is usually that your friend or family member has gone to a fair amount of effort to include a bit of something gluten free for you. But there are twenty other guests who aren’t gluten free and don’t know you are, so the majority will have no idea about the gluten free ‘section’ or have no idea about cross contamination. Of course, somebody is bound to dip a big piece of crusty bread into the melty Camembert, or unknowingly snaffle the gluten free items. It’s the classic buffet scenario, and the only solution really, is to dive in to the food the minute it’s offered. Fill your plate before anybody else does and don’t be ashamed of it!
    • It might be a bring and share, where all the guests contribute a bit of something and it’s not obvious what you can and can’t have.  I have been known to rifle through the bin looking for packets to read the ingredients – oh, the shame! But at least you can bring something you know is safe to eat. As with most parties, my advice would be don’t turn up starving. Eat something before you go, even if it’s just a bit of a snack. The good news is the wine and fizz are perfectly gluten free, so you’ll need something to soak it all up! 🙂

    The Christmas dinner

    • I suppose it depends how much you’re into your Christmas dinner, but I think the best advice for your first gluten free one is probably to cook it yourself at home. (Unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to have a host who’s already used to gluten free cooking – in which case you might be confident to be cooked for.)
    • If you like cooking, you’ll probably be able to adapt your old recipes (especially savoury ones) to gluten free versions by swapping out a few ingredients. Gluten free flour to make the gravy, for example, and free from crackers with your pate. Devils on horseback (dates wrapped in parma ham, baked in the oven) are a big winner in our house, and are served as well as pigs in blankets. It’s probably simplest to make the whole meal gluten free, so you don’t even need to worry about cross contamination.
    • If you’re not a big cook, or if, like me, you are happy to cut a few corners to save time on Christmas day, the supermarkets this year seem to be bursting with Christmas free from products. M&S has a particularly good selection of GF pre-prepared food including stuffing and sausages, and party food like pork belly squares, yakitori chicken kebabs and sticky Asian style chicken lollipops.
    • Try something new for pudding. Our family favourite is Christmas ice cream. I have no idea where the recipe comes from as it’s a handwritten one, but it’s made by soaking fruits in booze, and mixing them into a chocolate ‘custard’, then stirring every now and then as it freezes. It’s the perfect pud because you can make it in advance so it’s no hassle on the day. I will post this recipe up mid December, when I make it.

    Mince pies

    • I’d recommend carrying an emergency mince pie in your pocket/bag at all times throughout December to avoid feeling left out at any impromptu social occasion, like people bringing treats into work, or when you go to buy your Christmas tree and they’re offering a mulled wine and mince pie. (You can, of course, still have the mulled wine.)
    • Most shops with a free from section have launched their own brand mince pies. These have been selflessly tested by a number of magazines and bloggers. There’s a fairly comprehensive review here by The Independent, and there are hundreds of taste tests and reviews by bloggers posted all over Twitter. You could read the reviews, or of course sample as many as you can, in the interests of research.
    • Or you can make your own. If it’s your first experience with gluten free pastry, you’ll probably find it’s not as easy to work with as regular pastry, but nothing beats a home made mince pie, does it? My recipe, with a crunchy macaroon top, can be found here.

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    Cakes and other treats… Sheffield style

    • Sheffield has some rather excellent free from offerings in the way of treats. If you have a sweet tooth, try Joni’s macarons, available from the Christmas market at Fargate or from her shop in Walkley. Honestly, click on the link just to see the photo on the website and you’ll see why they are really quite special. These make a great gift or an excellent self indulgent treat.

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    • Sheffield-based free from company Delicious Alchemy have re-launched their super easy to make Christmas cake mix. It’s probably stocked in some supermarkets, but definitely available from their online shop for £5. It doesn’t really need to be made in advance, and doesn’t take long. I will definitely be getting one of these, as I can’t be bothered to try making a gluten free Christmas cake, even though I love cooking. 🙂

    So there you have it. Coeliac Christmas 101. I really hope this is helpful to a few people who are about to experience their first gluten free festive season. I’d love to hear how you get on or any other tips people have to share. Good luck!

  • Gluten free TIE fighters, and other party food

    Gluten free TIE fighters, and other party food

    It’s common to miss out on things as a coeliac because you can’t get a good gluten free equivalent. But just this once, there was a perfect product when I needed it.

    We had a rather awesome birthday party for the boys this year. (Not least because it was a joint party so I get away with only doing one!) The party was Jedi training, which was bucketloads of fun for the kids, but it called for some Star Wars themed party food. The internet beckoned, where hundreds of people have catalogued their themed party teas so people like me can (gratefully) capitalise on the craftiness and inspiration of others.

    So we spent the morning making ‘light sabers’ by threading red grapes onto kebab sticks, we drew storm trooper faces onto giant marsh mallows, and we made ‘wookie cookies’ by dipping gf biscuits into melted chocolate then decorating with sugar strands and icing.

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    But my favourite was the ‘TIE fighters’ we made using the wonderful Mrs Crimble’s cheese crackers and pieces of cheddar. Who knew that Mrs Crimble’s crackers had this calling – it’s as if they were designed for this exact purpose! We used an apple corer to create the circular cheese centres, then ‘glued’ it all together using a smear of cream cheese.

    These were served with some ‘Hoth dogs’ (sausages), along with some wraps and a few token veg sticks (very little point doing too many of these at a kids’ party!) It all went down really well, so much so that I have no decent pictures of the savoury stuff.

    For the birthday cake, I used my (alright Delia’s) trusty flourless squidgy chocolate cake recipe, but cut into a rectangle and topped with a chocolate slab made with a Han Solo in carbonite mould. (You really can buy anything on the internet!) It turned out rather well. The cake was filled with cream and frosting, rather than the grown-up chocolate filling in the original recipe. It makes a fantastic cake, but as the name suggests, it’s soft. I refrigerated it overnight before putting the chocolate slab on.

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    And that’s birthday parties done for another year! Bring on Christmas. 🙂

  • Handmade Burger Co

    Handmade Burger Co

    ***Update – HBC is no longer Coeliac UK accredited so I’m unsure if they still have a gluten free offer – it’s not clear from the website***

    We went to the new Ikea this week, to get some furniture for the boys. Top tip is to go in the evening – around 7pm like we did – and it was super quiet.

    In need of food after (and I’m not confident about Ikea’s offering), we went to the Handmade Burger Co at Valley Centertainment, down the road. HBC is a chain gourmet burger restaurant, with about 21 outlets around the country. Being a Tuesday evening, it was very quiet so we got seated and served very quickly. The restaurant itself wasn’t particularly characterful, in a boxy, retail-style unit with cream walls, but we sat in a nice booth and it was perfectly pleasant. It’s more of a ‘quick meal before a film’ place than somewhere to hang out.

    Handmade Burger Co is accredited with Coeliac UK so I knew I would be confident eating there. Slogans on the wall are about high welfare meat and hand made food, so that’s all reassuring too. I was given an extensive gluten free menu with loads of different burgers, so it took ages to choose! There are a variety of beef, pork and chicken burgers with numerous toppings, and a thoughtful selection of vegetarian options. I was almost tempted by the sweet potato and bean burger, but I have form for ordering veggie food and being disappointed with it, so I decided to stick with meat. (The GF menu is online here but part of the web address says TEMP, so the link may not work for long. They did say they are updating the menu, so that may explain it.)

    One quite unusual thing is that on the GF menu, there’s a junior option, with a burger, side, dessert and drink for £3.95. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a kids’ gluten free menu. I’m not keen on kids’ menus per se, as they’re generally full of bland food, but we usually end up ordering an expensive adult-size GF meal for my 8 year old – so this is very economical, if unhealthy! I’ll have to bring him with us next time…

    I ordered the Cajun chicken burger, which contains marinated chicken breast, Cajun mayo, Sriracha mayo, lettuce, tomato & red onion. I really wanted to try the Denver chips, topped with pulled pork, but somebody had cleared them out of pulled pork earlier with a big takeaway order, so I went for the rosemary salt chips instead. Hubby chose the sweet potato fries to go with his (non GF) beef with blue cheese burger.

    When my burger came, the bread bun arrived in a plastic wrapper with the stack of chicken, lettuce and tomato by its side. (To be honest, I’d prefer it if the non GF bread was kept in plastic wrappers, as that would be safer for cross contamination!) So I built my own burger, and it was good. The meat was well cooked (chargrilled chicken has a tendency to get overdone, but this wasn’t) and the mayo was suitably spicy. The bread bun held together whilst I ate the burger, which I felt was a success!

    We both preferred the sweet potato fries to the chips, as the rosemary salt chips were incredibly salty – as you might expect, I suppose. Having said that, the chips themselves were great, with a good texture. I will have to go back another time to try out those Denver chips, and take the boy.

    Handmade Burger Co, Valley Centertainment, Broughton Lane, Sheffield S9 2EP
    Also in Meadowhall, in the Oasis

  • Jus-Rol gluten free puff pastry

    Jus-Rol gluten free puff pastry

    I was excited (in that way that only a coeliac could be) to come across some refrigerated Jus-Rol gluten free puff pastry in the shops last week so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

    I used to cook a little tart out of regular puff pastry. This would be done by piling up the filling in the middle and scoring all the way round about 2cm from the side. The edges would then puff up nicely in the oven, creating a sort of pastry barricade to hold in the filling.

    I tested this out on the kids, with a filling of roasted squash and beetroot, then topped with a bit of parmesan once cooked:img_6508

    It rose a little bit, but not enough to make this worthwhile. Although the boys said it tasted nice, the base was pretty difficult for them to cut up.

    So I refined my technique for the grown ups’ tea! At seven year old’s suggestion, I used the remaining pastry to top the filling instead, which is probably what it’s meant for. This had much better results:

    To make this one, I roasted a selection of seasoned vegetables in the oven until just cooked (squash, red onion, pepper, courgette). When completely cool, these went into a dish (Rectangular makes the most of the pastry’s pre-cut shape.) and I crumbled in some feta cheese.

    I cut a slightly dodgy lattice into the pastry and pulled it apart as far as I could before popping it on the top of the veg, and brushing with egg. It ripped in a couple of places, but that wasn’t much of a problem. Twenty minutes in the oven ensured the pastry was cooked and the veg nice and hot, and this made a really nice weeknight tea.

    The pastry was nice and crispy on top, and had a little chew underneath where it was touching the soft vegetables, and it gave a nice crunch to the meal. It had risen just enough to know it was puff pastry – I could see the layers in it when cut apart.

    I would say this pastry is really nice, as long as you don’t mentally compare it to regular (non-GF) puff pastry, as it couldn’t ever live up to the flakiness and puffiness.  It’s good enough for me though, and I’ll probably buy it again, if only to try making a neater lattice!

  • Cubana: restaurant review

    Cubana: restaurant review

    I was looking for a last minute meal on Saturday before a theatre visit, and we ended up getting the last table at Cubana in Leopold Square. The restaurant is above a lively salsa bar. It’s a highly themed, lively place, with loud Latino music and a great atmosphere. We sat down at 5pm, but if it hadn’t been light outside, it could have been late evening!

    I had a look at the online menu before I booked and I was very impressed with the number of gluten free options.  27 of the 34 hot tapas and 6 of the 8 cold tapas are gluten free, as well as the paella and most of the side dishes. So we had tonnes to choose from with a wide variety of ingredients.

    My kids haven’t eaten much tapas before and really enjoyed being able to pick loads of things to try from the menu. We ordered all sorts: Patatas bravas, Chorizo, Albondegas (meatballs), tomato salad, Serrano ham with goat’s cheese, chicken skewers with cumin and paprika, duck and aubergine skewers.

    The tapas were all fabulous, with loads of different flavours. We didn’t have to wait too long for it to come either, considering how busy the place was. The one disappointment was there were only three meatballs, but we just chopped them in half and shared them out.

    We also ordered seafood and chorizo paella for two, to share between five of us as a main course. The menu advised a 45 minute wait for this, but it didn’t take that long. We were all very impressed when it came, decorated with lot of mussels, clams and shell-on prawns. And the rice itself was packed with ingredients. It’s the most generous paella I think I’ve ever had in this country. (I’m used to festival paella, where you get rice and a few bits of stuff, so this was amazing!)

    img_6443Unfortunately, I don’t think it had been cooked in its own serving pan as there were none of the delightful stuck on crispy bits at the bottom, but we still really enjoyed it. And our eyes were clearly bigger than our bellies as even five of us couldn’t polish it off after all the tapas, so we had to take the rest home in a doggy bag! And I’m proud to say we ate it for breakfast the next day!

    I’ll definitely go back to Cubana. The food and staff were great, and there are plenty of things left on the menu to try. I’m looking forward to the rosemary and garlic lamb cutlets and the tuna steak with cannellini bean salsa. We might go without the kids next time so we can get tucked into some of the 164 rums and enjoy a bit of the Latino vibe downstairs!

    Cubana, Unit 4 Leopold Square, Sheffield S1 2JG

  • Heavenly gluten free food at The Angel in Holmesfield

    Heavenly gluten free food at The Angel in Holmesfield

    I don’t normally write second reviews of places, but I decided to make an exception for The Angel in Holmesfield. We went there to celebrate my mum’s birthday at the weekend and the gluten free offer is just awesome. Most of the food is gluten free and most of the rest can be tailored to be. There are only one or two things that aren’t. It was such a pleasure to see so many GFs on the menu, and we were in the very unusual position of being spoiled for choice!

    For starters, I had some delicious Thai crab cakes with chilli dipping sauce. We also had scallops with crispy bacon and parsnip puree, and one of their regulars, a chunky seafood chowder.

    For mains, my mum and I went halves each on two main courses because we couldn’t decide between them. One was pork tenderloin with smoked bacon rosti, maple glazed apple and cider sauce, and the other was spiced fillet of seabass, parmentier potatoes, onion bhaji and rocket with a yoghurt dressing. They were both lovely, but for me, the pork had the edge. The meat was beautifully succulent and the sauce was smooth and divine. Really impressive.

    We were too stuffed for pudding, but the kids had sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, and honeycomb and toffee profiteroles. You would never know the sticky toffee pudding was gluten free – it was amazing. I have no idea how he fitted it in!

    The Angel is right at the top of my list for great gluten free pubs. I’ve rarely been somewhere with so much choice and it makes for a very relaxing dining experience when you know the chefs and serving staff totally ‘get it’. We felt really well looked after.

    At £13-15 per main course, it’s not everyday prices, and it’s a bit of a drive out of Sheffield, but it’s well worth it for a treat.  I’m looking forward to going back already. Whose birthday is next..?

    The Angel, Main Road, Holmesfield, Derbyshire S18 7WT

  • Gluten free hoisin duck with special fried rice

    Gluten free hoisin duck with special fried rice

    In the years BC (before coeliac) we used to get a takeaway from our local Chinese on a Friday night sometimes. We always really looked forward to it but it was generally a bit disappointing. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I guess there was a lot of MSG and I distinctly remember the egg in the fried rice looked pre-cooked and thrown in at the last minute.

    Other than stir fries, Chinese food these days is generally reserved for special trips to Hui Wei in the centre of town, which has an awesome gluten free menu and now delivers if you live within 4 miles. Tragically, we live a bit too far out of town, although that’s undoubtedly a benefit for the waistline!

    Anyway, I was very excited when I came across this Sweet Mandarin gluten free hoisin sauce on Ocado. In fact I’m now even more excited because I’ve just looked at their website and they have a whole gluten free range, including BBQ, black bean and OK sauce, which are also dairy free and nut free. They have a restaurant in Manchester too.

    Back in the room…    When I think of hoisin, I generally think of duck, so I decided to try making hoisin duck with special fried rice and prawn crackers for a Friday night treat. (Check the ingredients on shop bought prawn crackers – some are gluten free, others not.)

    I don’t cook duck very often, and when I do it’s usually the breast, so I spent a while researching how to get crispy duck legs and lovely soft meat. The answer, which worked a treat, was a collaboration of a few things I read and involved almost confit-ing them, so they took a couple of hours to cook, but it was really worth it.

    The meal was divine, and so much better than our disappointing old takeaways. I wish I’d taken some more pictures of the duck, but when I do this again (I bought 2 bottles of sauce) I’ll update this post.

    So, for the approximate recipe…

    For the duck legs:

    One leg per person for a main course. Pat the duck legs dry with kitchen roll, then prick the skin all over with a sharp knife, but pierce the skin only, not the flesh.

    Find the smallest dish the four duck legs will sit in with as little extra space as possible. Season generously and pour over a little oil (I used groundnut), then bake in the oven for 90 mins to 2h at about 160C (no need to preheat the oven). The holes in the skin let all the fat come out and they will cook partly submerged in it so they don’t dry out. Towards the end, you can increase the temperature to 180C to crisp the skin.

    Leave to rest then tear apart with a couple of forks and serve warm, with the hoisin sauce straight from the bottle. You could mix the sauce into the duck, of course.

    Forget the spring onions in the fridge and BBQ them on Sunday instead like I did, or slice them on a jaunty angle and sprinkle on the duck for a bit of colour and freshness at the end.

    For the special fried rice:

    • basmati rice
    • pancetta
    • sliced onion
    • sweetcorn
    • peas
    • spring onion
    • chicken and / or prawns
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • gluten free soy sauce (I use Kikkoman but there are others)
    • oil (I use groundnut for oriental food)

    Cook, drain and cool the rice in advance. I used about a cup and a half of basmati rice for four of us, rinsed under cold water and simmered in plenty of boiling water. The secret is to not stir the rice at all during the cooking and it comes out perfectly every time.

    In a wok, fry a handful of pancetta in a teeny bit of oil until it’s becoming crispy, then add in a handful of onions sliced sufficiently thinly that your 6 year old might not notice them. Once softened, put in a handful each of peas (still frozen is fine) and sweetcorn. If using raw chicken or prawns, add before the peas and sweetcorn and cook through, or if cooked, they can go in after.

    Give everything a good glug of soy sauce, then tip in the rice and stir through. Once the rice has been heated well, pour in the beaten egg and keep everything moving for a few minutes at a medium to high temperature to mix it through and cook the egg, then serve.

    I think some people say to make a space in the middle of the rice mix and cook the egg in that before stirring it together, but I’m not that keen on the big lumps of egg – I prefer it cooked through the rice.

    We’ve had the special fried rice on its own plenty of times – it’s one of my comfort foods. With a bit of chicken and / or prawns, it’s a filling meal by itself, but with the hoisin duck and prawn crackers, it was a real treat.

  • Two restaurants we need in Sheffield

    img_5687I’m going to break my own rule today. Unusually, I want to tell you about a couple of cafes I visited that aren’t in Sheffield. I wish they were though, as I fell in love with both of these places and can’t wait to go back.

    We took the boys on a magical mystery trip to London at the bank holiday weekend to see the fabulous Lion King musical and the long awaited (for them) Harry Potter studio tour. We also took in some of the classic London sights like Big Ben, Ten Downing Street, Covent Garden, and we explored every inch of the Science and Natural History museums. We had the most fantastic weekend and it was punctuated by some highly researched dining experiences that I planned carefully to fit in with our hectic schedule. Even in London, you really have to do your research to avoid disappointment and stress at mealtimes.

    The first place is a chain Vietnamese street food cafe called Pho. We went to the Spitalfields one, but there are a dozen others in London. Our closest up north are Manchester and Leeds.

    I was delighted to find Pho is accredited by Coeliac UK, which of course gives that crucial level of confidence in their food and understanding of gluten, cross contamination etc. And the majority of the menu is gluten free (even the prawn crackers – possibly unique in my experience of GF eastern dining out).

    For starters, we shared some rice paper rolls and some pork and lemongrass balls, which were served quickly and tasted amazing. Both came with a peanut sauce and a nuoc cham sauce for dipping. (Nuoc cham is based on fish sauce and lime, and I can’t describe it without it sounding gross, but it tastes fantastically sweet and salty.)

    For mains, I had a Vietnamese chicken and vegetable curry, which I loved. The flavour reminded me so much of the Japanese Katsu curry that I can’t eat because of the panko breadcrumbs, so it was a real treat. Hubby chose Pho Xao, a fried rice noodle dish with chicken and prawns – also delicious.

    The kids’ menu was great and also mostly gluten free. It contained some interesting dishes for the boys to try instead of the usual depressingly dumbed down kids’ choices. This made things nice and easy, as well as bringing the cost down, as we normally avoid kids’ menus if possible. Boy one had fried rice noodles with chicken and sugar snaps, and boy two had another portion of the pork and lemongrass balls as he enjoyed them so much. This time he even got stuck in to the lettuce!

    I enjoyed this meal so much, I really want to go back there. Simple, fast, fresh and utterly scrumptious, and made all the sweeter by a large glass of pink. 🙂 Pho – Sheffield needs you.

    So, on to my other recommendation. Leon is another fresh fast food chain with dozens of outlets across London and a few popping up outside the capital (Manchester, Birmingham and Oxford so far…)

    Leon isn’t accredited, but has a fantastically clear labelling method for some of the common allergens, as shown in the picture below, and offers a great selection of gluten free options.

    We enjoyed sharing a few dishes here, including some Sicilian chicken meatballs in a tomato sauce with pesto, Moroccan meatballs with a crunchy slaw, spicy tomato sauce, chopped herbs and aioli, and a Chicken and chorizo box. All were served on Italian brown rice, which has a lovely nutty taste. We were also able to eat the baked fries, which was a real treat, although we undoubtedly didn’t need them with all that rice!

    There were also a few GF puddings on offer. We sampled a vegan billionaire slice (lovely and not too sickly sweet), a chocolate brownie and a lemon and ginger crunch slice. These went down nicely with the kids, unsurprisingly.

    The food at Leon was served almost instantaneously, and would be great for takeout as well as eating in. In fact we went twice on our trip, as we had planned to visit the South Kensington branch but also had a quick stop in the Euston station branch the next day! Partly because I forgot to take some snaps of the food the first time, but also because we knew it was fast, nutritious and reliable. Leon would be a great addition to Sheffield.

    I will be keeping my fingers and toes crossed…