Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook: Over 200 allergy-free recipes, from the ‘Sensitive Gourmet’

10cm/4 inch of root ginger, peeled

6 large pink/red grapefruit, peeled

40g/1½ oz of lamb’s lettuce (mâche)

Make the dressing in a large bowl by beating together three quarters of the chopped parsley with seasoning, garlic, vinegar and oil. Grate in all of the ginger. Segment the grapefruit, removing all the pith, skin and pips (seeds) and marinate in the dressing until needed (up to 24 hours). Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Serve on plates with lamb’s lettuce (mâche) and crispy warm (GF) bread.

Smoked Mackerel Pâté

This recipe transforms boring old tofu into a delicious pâté. In 55g/2oz of tofu there are 300mg of calcium so it is an excellent alternative to the cheese products we’d normally use.

Serves 6

4 fillets of smoked mackerel, skinned

297g/10½oz of silken tofu (firm)

The juice of ½ a lemon

1 teaspoon of (GF/DF) hot horseradish relish or a few drops of (GF) chilli sauce/oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne pepper

Slices of (GF) bread or pure maize corn chips

Put the mackerel, tofu, lemon juice, horseradish or chilli sauce/oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper into the food processor and process until just smooth.

Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and serve with toasted slices of (GF) bread or corn chips, or cover and chill until needed.

Wild Rice and Smoked Trout Blinis

I found it mildly surprising that this recipe actually worked! Its nutty flavour is well matched by the subtleties of smoked trout. This dish is delicious with chilled vodka and will certainly get the party going.

Serves 6 (2 each)

DRESSING

2 tablespoons of capers, drained

55g/2oz/½ cup of anchovies, drained and finely chopped

The juice and rind of 1 large lemon

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 sprig of fresh rosemary leaves, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon of honey

4 whole Arbroath smokies/smoked trout

BLINIS

70g/2½oz/½ cup of well-cooked wild rice

170g/6oz/1 cup plus 3 tablespoons of buckwheat flour

1 large free-range egg

300ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups of sheep’s or goat’s yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of (GF) baking powder

2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (and some more for frying)

½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 tablespoon of boiling water

500g/17oz/2 cups of Greek set sheep’s yogurt

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Make the dressing first by whisking all of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until needed.

Remove all the skin and bones from the Arbroath smokies and break into attractive pieces.

Cover and chill.

Next make the blinis. In a food processor briefly beat the flour, egg, yogurt, salt, baking powder and oil into a smooth batter. Mix this gently into the rice. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) with the hot water and stir quickly into the mixture.

Cover the base of a frying pan (skillet) with oil. Heat the oil until it is hot enough to fry a tablespoon of batter until it sizzles and becomes golden and puffy. Flip the blini over and cook on the other side until golden. Make 12 blinis.

Keep them warm on a dish covered with a clean damp tea towel. Use more oil as necessary.

Place a warm blini on each plate. Pile on the smoked trout. Spoon over a blob of yogurt, sprinkle with parsley and black pepper.

Drizzle the dressing around the blinis and serve immediately.