Poodla
My favourite gluten-free recipe is poodla (small pancakes), which I make using gram (chickpea) flour, water, cumin seeds, garam masala, turmeric and salt, with added chillies (chopped), grated onion and grated courgettes (it also works with mashed peas, spinach, grated cauliflower etc). Simply make a batter to any consistency, add your vegetables, then shallow fry on both sides. It’s delicious with a raita and a salad; we eat them for breakfast, lunch and sometimes as a main meal. Rekha Shah, retired, Bournemouth
Cookies with almond and peanut butter
Put 200g of whole almonds in a blender until they have a flour-like consistency. Add this to 100g rice flour, 1 tbsp linseed flour and 60g dark sugar and combine. Mix 100ml almond milk with 2 tbsp peanut butter (warming it a little if necessary). Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, then stir through 200g chocolate chunks (70% cocoa) and bake at 180C for 15 to 20 minutes. Delicious eaten warm or left to cool. Luisa, student, Viseu, Portugal
Cherry cake
This recipe works with most gluten-free flours. Heat the oven to 165C and grease or line a 20cm (8in) round cake pan. In a bowl, rub together 25g gluten-free flour, 25g butter, 25g sugar and ¼ tsp cinnamon until it’s the consistency of breadcrumbs, then place in the fridge. In a separate bowl, mix together 140g gluten-free flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp cinnamon and 50g sugar. Add 1 egg, 4 tbsp milk and 85g melted butter. Beat thoroughly until well blended and stiffened slightly, then pour the mix into the prepared tin. Pour 250g fresh cherries (stoned, but whole) over the top and press them into the cake batter. It may seem like too many cherries, but the cake will rise as it cooks.
Sprinkle the crumble topping mixture over the top and press down fairly firmly. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, then leave to cool in the tin for 20 to 30 minutes before turning out and serving. David Gilmore, design director, West Sussex
Quick pizza
Put gluten-free self-raising flour in a bowl, add a dash of olive oil and just enough water for it to come together into a ball – you don’t need specific quantities, as it’s best to judge it by eye. Roll out the resulting dough on a board dusted with a little of the flour, then gently slide it into a frying pan, heated with a thin layer of sunflower oil.
Once cooked on one side, turn your base over in the pan and top with pizza sauce – you can use bought stuff or make your own by heating tinned chopped tomatoes with basil, salt and black pepper until thick. Grate cheese on top of your sauce, then sprinkle with paprika. When the bottom of the pizza is cooked, slide on to a grill pan and grill until the top is bubbly and golden, then serve with salad. Peter Marin, Brecon Beacons
Risotto with vegan chorizo and broccoli
This recipe takes about 25 minutes and uses only one saucepan. Start by sautéing finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, then add the dry risotto rice (150g for two) and stir, then add broccoli florets. Add vegetable stock gradually, cooking it into the rice, and keep stirring. Add sliced vegan chorizo – I use Plant Pioneers’ – and dried chilli flakes (as well as vegan frankfurters, if you can find them; their smokiness is excellent with the chilli). Keep adding stock until the rice is swollen and soft. Season to taste. Hilary Tattershall, retired, Cumbria
Banana oat pancakes
Soak 100g (1 cup) oats in 250ml (1 cup) oat drink (or other non-dairy alternative) for at least 30 min, then blend with 1 banana until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs with a little vanilla and the blended oat mix. Fold in 110g (¾ cup) self-raising gluten-free flour until smooth, then ladle into a pan and fry until browned on both sides. I serve them with honey and slices of butter between each pancake. Joel, customer care, Auckland
Chocolate and hazelnut gianduia cake
I feel like the best approach to gluten-free baking is to make the most of ingredients that are naturally gluten-free and take advantage of all the diverse flavours and textures they have to offer.
Start by blitzing 250g dark chocolate and 250g toasted hazelnuts in a high-powered blender. You want a relatively fine crumb, but with some bigger pieces for contrast. Then, blend 6 eggs, 150g sugar, 150g butter (or coconut oil), 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp cocoa powder and an alcohol of your choice (I like 50g amaretto) until combined and smooth. Fold into your nutty chocolate mixture and bake at 180C for 50 minutes.
I like to top it off with a crunchy gianduia topping, made by melting 200g dark chocolate with 75ml olive oil and a pinch of salt, then adding 75g crushed, toasted hazelnuts. Spread this on the cooled cake and it will form a lovely rich, crunchy topping. Stefano Biondi, chef, Dublin
Chicken katsu curry
Flatten a chicken breast by wrapping it in clingfilm and bashing with a rolling pin. Dip in seasoned rice flour, then in whisked egg, then in polenta. Fry in hot oil until crispy, then place the pan into a hot oven (180C) for 20 min. Meanwhile, make the sauce: fry onion, garlic and grated ginger in oil until softened. Add 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp tomato puree. Heat for 1 min, then add 500ml chicken stock and simmer for 5 min before blitzing with a stick blender. Cover the chicken in the sauce and serve with sticky rice and edamame beans. Claire, TV producer, London
Soda bread
This is so easy to mix up and make; there’s no rising time required. It tastes nutty and chewy, especially toasted. Heat the oven to 190C. Mix together 100g each of brown rice flour, garbanzo (chickpea) flour and oat flour. Add 75g potato starch, 25g tapioca starch, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp xanthan gum and 2 tsp baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 large egg, then add 300ml buttermilk and stir. Pour the buttermilk and egg into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Divide into two, place on to a floured surface, sprinkle with flour and gently shape into flat, round loaves. Grease and flour a baking tray (I use medium-grind cornmeal), sprinkle the top of each loaf liberally with brown rice flour, then use a sharp knife to score a deep cross into the top. Bake for about 50 min, then use a food thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 90C before leaving to cool. Ingrid Brisacher, retired, South Carolina
Yoghurt cake
I make this often, as it is a quick and easy crowd-pleaser. Heat the oven to 180C. Mix 250g plain yoghurt with 2 eggs, 150g sugar and a little vanilla extract or lemon zest. In another bowl, mix 130g gluten-free self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well, then bake for 30 to 35 min. Once cool, it can be enjoyed by itself, or sliced in half and filled with jam and sour cream. Caterina, art writer and historian, Edinburgh