Look What We Found! Staffordshire Chicken Casserole

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Last week I was looking for just a couple of quick meals that I could buy as I knew I was going to be busy the next day. I stumbled upon this fantastic brand, which I have never seen before called: Look What We Found! Is a fantastic company… sourcing all of its meat from within Britain and only using natural ingredients. Even better, most of the meals you can buy are gluten free!

I decided to try Staffordshire Chicken Casserole…originally from Staffordshire myself; I thought I should buy something close to home.

At only 194 calories it seemed like a great buy! Something that would feel like comfort food but is actually reasonably good for you! 

When I opened the packet, I have to say I was skeptical. It didn’t look appetizing and it looked a bit mushed up…but then again I have never come across a good-looking cold chicken casserole! So I popped it in the microwave and hoped for the best. When the microwave pinged, the casserole was bubbling and smelling absolutely delicious! I poured it out into my bowl and It looked wonderful, packed full of chicken, potatoes and vegies…just like home made!

It tasted fantastic. The problem I tend to find with most quick meals is the overload of salt (bar the fact that most quick meals have gluten in!). This casserole really didn’t over do it, it was perfectly seasoned, no need to add anymore salt or pepper. It was also really filling, which surprised me for such a low calorie meal! It filed me up for about 5 hours. It would be a great meal to take into work at lunch time…its small enough to fit into a little bowl, but fills you up all afternoon! If I remember correctly it was about 50% chicken, which for £1.99 is really not too bad!

I was really surprised to see such good quality come out of my microwave! It was fresh, healthy, low calorie and helping British farmers…what more could you want?

I have tried a few brands of gluten free microwave food and this is my current favorite, its about the same price as all the rest….but with the added extra of low calorie and 100% natural.

If you fancy buying any Look What We Found! Has a website http://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk/ with the offer of 15% off and free delivery with orders over £40…so get buying!

Dinner at The Swan Inn, Newby Bridge

Last month I went to the Swan Inn for drinks with some friends, and found myself walking past one of the hairy bikers from the television. I decided that this was a good sign…not only was a 4 star hotel, but if professional chefs eat there, it must be good!

Yesterday my boyfriend and I decided to go out for a meal and this seemed like a place to try! As I am a coeliac my boyfriend has also gone gluten free, we both needed somewhere that would serve gluten free food.

Luckily enough, when we phoned the Swann Inn up…they had a gluten free menu.

Obviously breads and most soups were not an option, but a huge amount of the mains and starters were still available! I started off with asparagus, poached egg and pesto, while my boyfriend had Parmesan crisp with pancetta and figs.  I have to say…everything was cooked to perfection! Absolutely delicious, the flavours merged perfectly and the way the food was presented looked beautiful!

As my boyfriend and I always want to try everything we decided to have a different meal each and split it. I went for the duck breast, cooked pink. This came with beans, oregano potatoes and a lovely sauce. Ben opted for the pork belly and chorizo potatoes. Both were fantastic. Both came with gluten free gravy which, I have to say, is rare in a lot of restaurants! Again, presentation was first glass, and the food just melted in your mouth!

We finished dinner off with some eton mess. Again, outstanding; not just wiped cream with strawberries and meringue, but strawberry kuli, the cream was strawberry cream and the meringue was home made!

There is nothing worse than walking into a restaurant and only getting an option of about 3 meals. This place clearly makes all of its food fresh and puts effort into making it look wonderful.

If you are ever in the Lake District and fancy a nice meal out…this is definitely the place to go!

About Me

My name is Sarah, and I'm a 23-year-old communications professional working and living in London.

I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease in February 2013. Like anyone else, the first thought that came to mind when I was told I could no longer eat gluten was the treats I would miss out on…the cakes, the doughnuts, the biscuits…and no more of my grandma's apple pie! 

I have learned many lessons over the past few years. Since being diagnosed, my life has changed a fair amount. I completed my degree in Politics at the University of York, moved home to Stoke-on-Trent for a short period of time and then moved to London to start my career in Public Affairs. Blogging went on hold for a while as working, studying for a diploma in PR, and moving house twice took up a fair amount of my time. But now I'm settled in one house, working in a job I love, and have time to cook and bake...so I have time to blog again!

Food is my passion. It's my number one love in life. I live to eat, not eat to live, something that seems to be common in my family! At first, being diagnosed with Coeliac made me think that I couldn't enjoy the food I once loved, and that eating out would be a nightmare. It was at first...it was difficult, complicated, awkward, embarrassing...I was that weird person that asked for the allergy sheet. But now, with a good few years of experience, I am much more confident about it all and I cook and bake more now than ever before!

So..what can you expect from The Ginger Coeliac?

I like to write about the health benefits of the ingredients I cook with - particularly the benefits to coeliacs. However, I'm not one of these people that only ever eat salad. You can also expect cake, reviews of gluten free restaurants and tips for traveling. I experiment with paleo recipes, trying to cook more vegetarian, and I love trying out new stuff...so expect a bit of everything!

Sarah X

Cocktails!

Yes, its true, coeliacs cannot drink beer. But do not fear! There is a better option…dare I say….a healthier option!

Before being diagnosed I never really drank beer anyway, but obviously having the option to have a pint taken away from you is not a nice thing!

I live in York, where there are enough pubs to go to a different one every day of the year! Tourist that come to York will often see real ale, local larger and traditional pork scratching’s absolutely everywhere, a different pub on every street. However, one thing most tourists don’t pick up on is the sheer amount of cocktail bars! And thank goodness most cocktails are gluten free!

A traditional pint of real ale has approximately 200 calories in it, with 2/3 coming from just alcohol, so empty calories! Beer bloats, puts the pounds on and is often a low percentage, so if your out to get merry…expect to drink the same amount of calories as a roast dinner!

On the other hand…we have the gluten free option…the cocktail. Now cocktails usually contain similar calories o beer, but don’t worry. The calories are not empty calories. The come from predominantly the fruit juice used. I have a few favorite cocktails…

The Mojito

2 parts White Rum

1 part lime juice

10 mint sprigs

1 part ice cubes

1 lime slice

1 tea spoon sugar (I replace with honey)

top up with soda water

The Mojito is usually a strong, refreshing cocktail, perfect for the summer evenings. Mint is the main flavor and usually takes up a large proportion of your glass. Mint has many health benefits such as soothing your stomach tract…so if you are having stomach pain (which is more common for coeliacs) then a mojito is a great option. Furthermore some research argues that it can help with IBS (again, can come hand in hand with coeliac disease) and is a great anti oxidant!

I like to replace the sugar with honey. You still need the sweetness in the cocktail…but honey comes with a whole range of added benefits. It is packed with anti oxidants, which helps prevent cancer and maintains youthful skin. Moreover “All honey is antibacterial, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide,” said Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. 

 Red Devil 
½ oz Sloe gin
½ oz Vodka
½ oz Southern Comfort
½ oz Triple sec
½ oz Banana Liqueur
2 tbsp Lime Juice
2 oz. Orange Juice

Ok so this one is a bit of a treat, at 250 calories, it’s a big sugar rush. However it’s a great tasting cocktail and a fantastic example of a cocktail where the calories are half from the fruit juice.  This means that just one cup of this cocktail contains 65% of your RDA of fiber!

Obviously orange juice is one of the best sources of vitamin C but there is a surprising added benefit. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has released a paper, which notes that orange juice can decrease inflammation that occurs after eating a high carb and high fat meal. This can decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes. 

Sea Breeze 

2 parts vodka
3 parts cranberry juice
3 parts grapefruit juice
1 lime wedge
5 parts crushed ice

So this one is the best example of a cocktail which is packed full of goodness from fruit. First of all vodka is particularly low in calories in comparison to other spirits. It is about 60 calories per shot.

Cranberry juice is incredibly high in anti oxidants which, as I have said before, can help prevent cancer and maintain youthful skin. Furthermore research has shown that the acidity of it has been shown to help prevent UTIs and works as an anti-inflammatory.

Grapefruit juice contains citric acid, high amounts of vitamin C and slightly smaller amounts of vitamin A, B complex, E and also K. Some research has shown that it also contains a fat-burning enzyme, which can absorb, and therefore reduce, starts and sugar within the body. 

Birthday Cupcakes!

So it was my 20^th a few weeks back and I had come to terms with the fact that traditional birthday cake was a thing of the past! However, my amazing housemates surprised me with a whole box of beautiful gluten-free cupcakes!

Usually gluten free cake isn’t quite as moist and doesn’t rise as well as other non gluten free cakes, but these…well, you couldn’t tell the difference!

The theme of my birthday was a garden party and so the cakes came with icing that looked like grass, colourful flowers, bees and ladybirds. 

For someone that is a massive birthday cake fan, I couldn’t have asked for any more! These were so delicious my housemates (non coeliacs) were fighting over the last one! 

To order some cupcakes, or just to see what else this brilliant baker can do...check out her facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/HomeBakingByRebekahRoseStabler

Bettys Gluten-Free Chocolate and Raspberry Torte Review

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Last week was my 20^th birthday and all my friends from home came up to visit me in York. As most of them hadn’t been to York before they all wanted to go and visit Bettys Tearooms. My automatic reaction was one of fear…a whole café based on very very delicious…gluten filled… cake! I knew I would probably end up sitting there with a green tea, watching my friends eat some of the most delicious cake you can buy and get jealous. When we turned up to the Bettys on Stonegate I asked straight away if they had any gluten-free options, and to my surprise…they did!!

This made my day; I had never been to Bettys before I was diagnosed so I thought I had missed out! But oh no, one of the most delicious looking cakes on the menu was gluten free! The Swiss Chocolate and Raspberry Torte.

The cake itself was made out of crushed almonds with caramelised raspberries and chocolate. The cake was moist, luxurious and rich. It was simply delicious! Not only was it gluten free, but being made of almonds it was naturally better for you than most cakes.

Almonds are naturally high in vitamin E, which prevent cell damage from free radicals and help prevent prostate cancer, bladder cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Another handy little thing vitamin E does is help maintain healthy skin, and some studies have shown it can prevent UV rays from damaging the skin. Although it is still a cake at the end of the day, it was a better option than having a non-gluten free cake with the basis of a sponge being flour. Almonds are high in protein therefore more filling…and don’t forget they are yummy!!

I was so happy that I didn’t have to sit there without joining in on such a massive treat, and its something that isn’t absolutely terrible for you.

Bettys is not a no go zone for coeliac, in fact….if you ever visit York and fancy a treat, Bettys is definitely worth going to!