gluten-free Archives - Freedom Chinese Medicine

From our very own Steve Dauncey.

I have made a variation of this soup nearly every week since the end of May when the weather started to get colder. It’s nourishing, full of flavour and has a luscious silkiness all while being gut friendly.

Even taking a shortcut and using a premade stock this recipe takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to cook but trust me – good things come to to those who wait! I like to use the Massel brand stock as it is made without garlic or onion and is Monash University Low FODMAP Certified.

This recipe is perfect for the “cheap” or less desirable cuts of meat like lamb shanks, chuck steak or gravy beef. The vegetarian version substitutes the meat for chickpeas and/or lentils for protein (just be aware that these ingredients are higher FODMAP depending on the how much is included).

From the perspective of Chinese Medicine food energetics, this recipe is warming, helps to build Qi, Yin and Yang and keep the Qi gently flowing. The 2nd variant is a bit more warming and good at driving out cold as the winter weather settles in.

Let me know if you try the recipe I’d love to hear what you think.

Main Ingredients

2 Lamb Shanks (or 500g of Chuck Steak/Gravy Beef)
1 medium capsicum
2 potatoes
1 large parsnip
3 medium carrots (I like the “baby” carrots as they tend to be sweeter and don’t need to be peeled)
A handful of green beans (which I forgot to include in this batch)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 liter of vegetable or beef stock
½ cup of brown rice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
¼ cup / “a good dash” of Apera/Sherry or Red wine (Optional)

Vegetarian Alternative

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 can of drained and rinsed lentils

Herbs & Spices

Variation 1

2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Variation 2

1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon of chilli powder
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Method

Add the olive oil to your pan, season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper then brown them in the pan on a medium high heat for a couple of minutes on each side, then add your herbs or spices. Deglaze the pan with the Apera/Wine if using.

Add the can of tomatoes, stock, rice and a couple of cups of water. Bring it to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer. Chop your veggies and add them to the pot as you – I like to go with 1cm small dice as they’re easy to scoop with a spoon. Leave the beans out for now.

Cover and leave the pot to simmer with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally.

After about 90 minutes take the shanks out of the pot, take the meat off the bones and cut into bite sized chunks. Add the meat back to the pot along with the chopped up beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Serve a generous bowlful with some crusty sourdough bread (or gluten free alternative).

by Dr Steve Dauncey

Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Click here to read more about Steve

This Gluten-Free Vegan Christmas Pudding is super moist, warmly spiced and really easy to make. It’s fruity, not too heavy or sweet, not gummy or doughy, and is healthier than the traditional version. It’s made in one bowl, is boiled/steamed in a pan so doesn’t require an oven, and is refined sugar free too.

Prep Time: 15minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 382kcal

Ingredients

300 g (1 ½ cup) dried fruit , finely chopped (I used a mixture of dates, dried cranberries, dried figs, prunes and dried apricots, but you can use whatever dried fruit mix you like)
1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest (or sub 1 teaspoon orange extract)
1 apple , grated  – no need to peel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice (or sub a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
Generous amount brandy or sherry (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary – or sub apple or orange juice)
60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
4 tablespoons date syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground walnuts (or sub ground almonds/almond meal) *
150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Instructions

Place the dried fruit, orange zest, grated apple, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice in a bowl and add a generous amount of brandy or sherry, until everything is roughly covered.
Keep covered in the fridge for around 24 hours, to allow the flavours to develop.
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the date syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and ground walnuts.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Add the dried fruit mixture (along with any residual brandy), adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry.
Grease a medium-sized deep glass bowl or a pudding basin.
Transfer the pudding batter into it.
Place the bowl in a pan (make sure it’s bigger than the bowl) and fill up with cold water up to halfway up the bowl.
Cut out a circle of baking paper to place directly on top of the pudding batter so that it’s completely covered.
Use some tin foil to cover the top and fold around the sides of the bowl.
Place a lid on the pan and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and cook on a low heat for 2 hours.
Leave to cool slightly before taking out the bowl.
Carefully remove the tin foil and the baking paper.
Run a blunt knife around the edge of the bowl to let the pudding come away from the sides – this is easier to do once it’s cooled down.
Turn the bowl upside down on a plate and shake until the pudding pops out.
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days – it’s great eaten hot or cold!

Sourced from: Gluten-Free Vegan Christmas Pudding – Rhian’s Recipes (rhiansrecipes.com)