Allergic? No Fuss…(Part 2) – Chicken noodle soup, Rye and rosemary loaf

Soup for the soul

·         This crowd-pleaser is packed full of
nutritious ingredients, but contains no dairy, egg or nuts. It’s a deliciously
tasty dish that’s made with gluten-free noodles.

·         Nutritional content per serving 758
kJ

           
8.8 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 10 g fat, 1 g fibre

Chicken
noodle soup

Serves 6

           
Olive oil

1 medium
onion, roughly chopped

10 ml (2t)
crushed garlic

5 ml (1t)
finely chopped fresh ginger

2 ribs
celery, diced

2 medium
carrots, diced

1 bay leaf

500 ml (2C)
low-sodium chicken stock*

500 ml (2C)
boiling water

250
g   gluten-free noodles

300
g   boneless, skinned chicken thighs, thinly sliced.

3 ripe
tomatoes, blanched, skinned, seeded and diced

60 ml (4T)
roughly chopped fresh parsley

           
Fresh coriander milled

           
Sea salt and milled black pepper

1. In a large pot, drizzle a dash of olive oil and sizzle the onion,
   garlic, ginger, celery and carrot for about 8 minutes. Add the bay leaf,
   pour in the stock and boiling water and bring to the boil. Add the noodles
   and chicken and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the noodles are tender
   and chicken cooked through.
2. Stir in tomatoes and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon into warm serving bowls and top with a tangle of fresh
   coriander leaves.

Note:

·         Use your favourite gluten-free
noodles or pasta for this dish.

·         Freeze leftover soup in 300 ml tubs
for an easy meal when you’re on your own and don’t have to cook for a crowd.

·         Replace the chicken stock with
vegetable stock, leave out the chicken and enjoy the dish as a tasty, wholesome
vegetarian soup.

           
*When buying stock, check the label. Some contain wheat.

Daily bread

·         I’ve borrowed this magic recipe from
one of South Africa’s top baker. Carolie de Koster (author of many cookbooks as
well as Home Bakes by Lannice Snyman Publishers) shows us how to make our own
versatile rye bread. I’ve adapted it slightly to create a tasty, savoury daily
loaf.

·         Nutritional content per serving
433.3 kJ

           
21.3 g carbohydrate, 4.2 g protein, 0.9 g fat, 2.9 g fibre

Rye and
rosemary loaf

Makes 2
medium loaves (20 slices)

500
g   (4C) rye flour

2t (10 ml)
baking powder

1t (5 ml)
bicarbonate of sofa

1t (5 ml)
sea salt

250 ml (1C)
rice flour

15 ml (1T)
finely chopped fresh rosemary

60 ml (4T)
agave nectar, brown sugar or honey

500 ml
fat-free plain yoghurt

125 ml (½C)
fat-free milk

1. Set the oven at 200ºC
2. Grease 2 x 20 cm loaf tins well with cooking spray
3. Place all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to
   combine. Stir through the rosemary.
4. Add the yoghurt and just enough of the milk to make a sticky dough
   that’s quite firm but no longer dry. Mix with a spoon or by hand until
   everything is well combined.
5. Divide the dough between the tins, smooth the top and place in the
   oven.
6. Reduce the heat to 180ºC and bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the heat
   again to 160ºC and bake for another 15-20 minutes more or until a metal
   skewer comes out clean.

Note:

·         This loaf is wheat- and yeast-free

·         Substitute the rosemary for any herb
or spice of your choice.

·         This bread freezes well – whole or
sliced. Toasts easily from frozen.

·         For the perfect lunch sarmie, spread
a little cottage cheese, pile on rocket leaves and top with thin slices of
turkey, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a grind of black pepper.