gluten and dairy free = tasteless

[teta]

Aibu in expecting the above to taste as nice as ordinary food bearing in mind its often more expensive.Is anyone up to a name and shame/praise thread for food that actually tastes good?

A lot of cooking and food in the UK is based around dairy and gluten content, so yes YAB a bit U.

Bread is gluten, so gluten free alternatives are usually crap, because you're missing the main ingredient.

Very frustrating though, especially given the cost (as you point out)

I have to deliver gluten free to my MIL and dairy free to my DM. my experience is that you are better off using cuisines that are naturally gluten free and dairy free, rather than trying to recreate recipes. So, think Moroccan and further South- oil rather than butter, and forget grain-based recipes, go for potato.

Ready made- all the ones I have tried have been vile. I have cooked birthday cake using Dove organic gluten free flour and it wasnt great- very heavy. but not as vile as the ready made bread . OTOH you can make an excellent rich fruit cake with gluten free flour as it is heavy anyway

Most food is gluten and dairy free already. My dm is gluten free and I never buy special food I just stick to staples ie salmon, boiled new potatoes and veg. Ok I'll admit deserts are more difficult but not impossible.

Yes,bread is a difficult one.But I had lovely gluten free rolls at a hotel recently.It is possible to bake light bread obviously.I don't mind paying more if the taste is really good.I buy Patchwork Pate and Houmous as their products taste so good,likewise Raw Foods multi grain crackers.I bought Lazy Sundays Chocolate Tiffin yesterday and it is absolutely disgusting-reminiscent of 1970's cooking chocolate.Even the dog wouldn't eat it!Am I the only gluten and dairy free foodie arround?

I've been gluten free for 15 years, and I make fantastic cakes (even if I say so myself, but I get loads of compliments), and eat lots of tasty food. I often cook dairy free too with no problems.

Ready made cakes etc do vary a lot, and to an extent you have to try around to see what you like.

Can you post some tips and recipes CMOT?.I would really like cakes that are suitable for the whole family-my 4 DC,s included.What flour do you use?.I know that ground almonds can be used instead of flour but can you substitute the flour totally?

I have just eaten Aldi's Mushroom vegan pâté on gluten free crisp breads, it was lovely.

I think it takes a while for your taste ids to make a change and I agree that diets that are naturally dairy free should be studied. Lots of Hindu's are vegan and so their cookery has never relied on the Western carbs and proteins.

I used to buy Alpro soya chocolate products and similar stuff, but I have gone fully natural in my diet, using fruits, I have lost two stone without ever being hungry or bored.

Go on vegan forums, Natural Yeast is a good replacement for cheese in recipes, I like the dairy free cheese sayer mix from H&B.

It takes planning but I think the foods that I use now, are more flavoursome and are usually fat free.

Lots of Auto Corrections, sorry.

There area my Vegan cookery websites, their Muffins are lovely, as are the doughnuts.

cakes made with almond flour are delicious. there is a great Nigel Slater one with blueberries (I use peaches, nectarines, whatever is in the fridge refusing to ripen). havent tried it with zero flour but I think it would be OK.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/20/nigel-slater-recipes-summer-cakes

I think store bought gluten free stuff is pretty rubbish. I've used the website elana's pantry for recipes and there are some nice cake/biscuit ones on there

Ground almonds can be OK as part of the cake, but they make it heavy and gritty.
I use Doves Farm GF SR, a little extra baking powder, and a teaspoon of glycerin to up the moisture. Trex is my preferred df baking fat, though you can also use 80ml of oil to substitute 100ml butter.

I've been baking from Ms Cupcakes vegan book lately, and those have been fab. We all particularly like the cherry bakewell cupcakes.
Pintrest is a great source of recipes, and I pin lots of stuff to try.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5870/glutenfree-lemon-drizzle-cake

This is a cake recipe that works really well just use a non dairy spread instead of butter.

Google nigellas flourless brownies, they are the best gluten free cake (I am not dairy free so don't know if they could be adjusted). Can you have eggs?

nom, yes, chocolate as a substitute for all foodstuffs is always a sound move.

wants brownies now

Thank you Birdsgottafly.That's a useful tip to go onto Vegan forums and the cheese substitute.Must try the Aldi pate!.I will also investigate Hindu cuisine.

Gosh ,fantastic recipes here.My DC,s will be in heaven.Yes,I can eat eggs(thank God) or I would be feeling even more deprived.

My husband has recently been diagnosed as coeliac, but we have found alot of things are pretty good. Tesco and kelkin do gluten free kitkat equivalents and tbh I would find it hard to tell the difference. My dh thinks the pasta is slightly different, but with a nice sauce he can hardly tell the difference.

I do bake alot as the gluten free stuff is insanely expensive. I have had alot of success using doves self raising in place of regular flour, no other changes.

so I think yabu, it tastes a bit different, not tastless!

The Genius sliced bread is fine. A little gritty but the best of the bunch.

The Warburtons Newmans GF wraps and cakes are really lovely.

These noodles are brilliant:
www.amazon.co.uk/King-Soba-Organic-Brown-Noodles/dp/B006DI8CNU

The Doves Farm GF pasta is fine. Not quite the same but it does the job.

YABU. It's no possible to make gluten free bread taste as good as regular bread, since its the gluten that makes bread breadlike.

Just because its costs a lot doesn't mean they can do miracles. I'd like cheescake that is sugar free, fat free, and carb free that tastes just like a rich cheesey chocolate filled one, but its just not possible.

My husband is gluten intolerant and dairy products affect him too is he has very much of them. He makes his own bread with GF flour, in our breadmaker. I have found that if you use ground almond and GF flour 50/50 in cakes with extra baking powder that is OK, though I tend to stick to two favourites, one is the "boiled orange cake" and another is a chocolate loaf that are 100% almonds. Christmas cakes and puddings work fine with GF flour as the recipes have very little flour in them. For other food we eat a lot of curry, GF pasta and casseroles thickened with cornflour. You get used to it after a while! If anyone knows how to make good Gluten Free pastry that would be helpful -mine is always very hard. We eat "Slimming World" quiche without a crust to avoid it.

I don't mind food tasting a bit different Theonlypink but I really resent paying a lot for a cardboard imitation.PrimalLass thank you for the recommendations-i will certainly try them.Those soba noodles look interesting,but are a phenomenal price!.I have normal soba noodles which are made from buckwheat (which naturally doesn't contain gluten).Chinese supermarkets are good stockists of rice and mung bean noodlesand things like coconut milk(good substitute for cream) incidentally

I also hate gluten free bread as well.I tent to eat rice crackers or oat cakes.Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup are a good alternative to a 'bready' breakfast(and my kids like them too).Brilliant recipes and tips from everyone.Thank you so much.