The most difficult aspect of this book is having enough Post-It notes to mark recipes of interest.
If there is truth in advertising, the title of this cookbook nails it. Helen Tzouganatos is host of the SBS television show Loving Gluten Free and has been an advocate for gluten-free cooking since she was diagnosed as a coeliac twelve years ago.
Across more than a hundred recipes, she quickly dispels the lingering notion that gluten-free food is tasteless or difficult. She covers cuisine from multiple cultures, including Chinese, Mexican, Lebanese and her own traditional Greek background. There are also many one-pot wonders and dishes that you can get on the table in 20 minutes. More than half the recipes are also either dairy free or cater to dietary choices such as veganism and vegetarianism, or low-carb. Recipes are marked accordingly.
A conversion chart and a cooking guide for gluten-free grain and seeds are a couple of other handy pages in the book to support the tempting range of recipes that fall under the expected chapter headings. All are supported by the superb photography of Jeremy Simons.
The recipe introductions are both personal and practical, with Tzouganatos providing an anecdote about the dish followed by a tip or two to consider when making it. Most also come with an additional tip or note at the bottom. The recipes themselves are laid out clearly with short paragraphs and a clear ingredients list to the side.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of reading through Easy Gluten Free is having enough Post-It notes to mark recipes of interest. Ruby’s Asian Glazed Salmon, Chunky Greek Oven Fries with Feta, Chicken & Spinach Meatballs in a Rich Tomato Sauce, Pork Fricassee, and Rizogolo (Greek rice pudding) are just a few of the dishes that caught my eye. The two recipes I chose to same (below) were both a roaring success. This, combined with the overall layout and content of the book makes Easy Gluten Free an easy choice to select from the shelf.
Roasted Carrot & Cumin Soup (page 88)
For me, roast vegetables turned into a soup is almost always going to be a winner although I wasn’t too sure about just carrots alone. I would normally use carrots as a filler in my pumpkin or other soups. This dish however, is sublime, putting herbs to good use, including cumin, coriander and ginger amongst others. I doubled the volume of carrots to make extra soup and increased the herbs slightly to compensate. The result was one I was still thinking about days later. Highly recommended.
Indian-spiced Chicken & Cauliflower Tray Bake (page 172)
Yummy! I expected this would end up being an entrée or side dish despite it being offered as a main dish. What I learned yet again was that in Tzouganatos I trust. It seems absurd that so little effort can make such an amazing meal. All ingredients go into a bowl to marinate overnight (or at least an hour) and then it is popped into the oven for 20 minutes. Ridiculously easy! Serve it with a salad and treat yourself to the easiest meal you could possibly make!
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: August 2020
RRP: $39.99 paperback, $17.99 eBook
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