My Gluten Free Guide to Rome

I recently visited Rome for a little weekend away and I was amazed by the amount of gluten free options out there. I genuinely thought it was better than the UK for finding gluten free food. I thought I would put together a few tips and recommendations for you all on my blog. I hope you find them helpful and if you are reading this and you have booked or decide to book a holiday in Rome, you will not be disappointed!

I wanted to start with my top tips, so if you are just here for the recommendations scroll down the page for them 😊

My top tips for Rome:

1. If you follow my Instagram you may have noticed from my Rome posts that I have been talking about the Italian Coeliac Association (AIC) that they have there. You will notice on some restaurant windows that they have this brilliant sticker:

The air conditioned part is obviously a bonus with this restaurant!! However if you notice this sticker on the restaurant windows then they have been accredited by their Coeliac association there, just like Coeliac UK do in the UK 🙂 so you know you are in for a treat if you find this!!

2. The translation for 'gluten free' in Italian is 'senza glutine'. This phrase will be really helpful if you are searching for restaurants, or in supermarkets etc. 

3. Rome airport - When we left Rome, I did not have anything to eat prior to getting to the airport so I was on the hunt for food when we got there! I found this cafe which had a fridge full of gluten free sandwiches just like this one which I bought:

It was actually really tasty! I also went to the WH Smiths that they had in the ariport and I bought some lays crisps (cannot remember the exact flavour but they are a green packet and say 'senza glutine' in the top corner!) So I was basically stocked up for the flight with my sandwich and crisps 😊

4. This is not particularly food related however you may find this helpful! In Rome they have an underground and also they have hop on and hop off busses. We honestly did not use any transport (except from Taxi to and from the airport) whilst we were there because literally every corner you walk round there is something to see - whether it be architecture, shops and so on. Everything is just so preserved there, a lot of ruins have just been built around which is so amazing to see! Rome is really not that big, everywhere is pretty walkable if you are mobile so if you can do it, walk everywhere! 😊

Now for the food recommendations which is obviously what you are reading this for! 😆

1. Voglia Di Pizza - Via Dei Giubbonari, 33, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

This place was the first place that we ate for dinner and we loved it that much we went again on our last night! Voglia Di Pizza has a gluten free menu and basically everything in their restaurant can be made to be gluten free. They have an amazing 'gluten free' sign on their window and they also have the Italian Coeliac Association accreditation. 

We sat outside on both occasions and it had such a nice vibe to it! I mean who doesn't like sitting outside on holiday when having your dinner!

On the first night I went for the carbonara as I had to try a carbonara in Italy.. it was a must for me! It was sooo creamy and just amazing! And then on the last night because I had eaten a lot over the holiday I really couldn't eat much on the last day so I just had a light dinner of Caprese and some potato croquettes 😊 this place is a must visit if you go to Rome! It was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel so was in a great location for us!

2. Mama Eat Street Food - Borgo Pio, 28, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

This place is actually a godsend - a 100% gluten free street food restaurant!!

It even has this brilliant 'no problem gluten free' sign outside the front and obviously they are also accredited by the AIC 😊 Their menu was massive, it was extremely hard to pick what to have but I knew that I had to pick something savoury and sweet to try! So this is what I went for....

Gluten free fried chicken strips and fries with nutella and sugar donuts. I know.. my mouth is watering just looking at those pictures! This place is another must visit if you are in Rome.. it is literally just around the corner from St Peter's Basilica so if you are in the area.. do visit!

3. Mama Eat Roma - Via San Cosimato 7/9, Roma, Italy

Mama Eat also have a restaurant in Rome which is in the Trastevere area (what our Receptionist at the hotel described as the 'social area') - this is another must visit place if you are in Rome. They have a huuuge gluten free menu and the best part is they actually have a fully seperate kitchen for gluten free food! So cross contamination is literally a no go here as they are so careful.

Again this place is accredited by the AIC and again I had such plenty of options to choose from! Another thing also, they bring all their gluten free food out on clear plates and the gluten filled food out on ceramic plates - so you know that there is definitely no mix up with the food!

So this is what I went for...

The most delicious pesto, cherry tomato, mozzarella and sausage pizza. It was so tasty and you literally could not tell it was gluten free! It's fair to say this was demolished very quickly! I was really debating on whether to try a dessert, but I just had to! (Even if I had a huge IBS flare up straight after this meal because I ate too much that day!!) I went for the white chocolate and hazelnut sauce crepe and again.. just amazing!

You know exactly what you are getting with this place, the fact they have a fully separate kitchen and separate plates for gluten free... the UK should take a leaf out of their book!! They also have quite a few dairy free options as well so another reason to visit if you are both gluten free and dairy free!

4. Fiocco Di Neve - Via del Pantheon, 51, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Another place that I stumbled upon which is literally 2 seconds from the Pantheon.. a 100% gluten free gelato shop! And I couldn't believe how much of a great location it was in!!

You walk in and there is a huuuge amount of flavours and a few different cones to choose from. I instantly decided on what I wanted because they are literally my favourite flavours to have...

You get 3 scoops with a cone for 5 euros but they literally pile it on so high.. it was actually really difficult to eat! 😆 but honestly this place is a gem and I highly recommend it if you are visiting Rome! The staff are so friendly as well and of course with it being 100% gluten free, again, it is accredited by the AIC 😊

5. La Pasticceria - 43, Via Varese, 00185 Roma RM, Italy

This place is a 100% gluten free bakery located around a 5 minute walk from Termini station in the centre of Rome. What a little gem this is!

You instantly walk in and know you are in for a treat! Unfortunately there is no seating area so you do have to either perch inside or take out. There are sooo many goodies here from savoury to sweet.. they all looked delicious and I was definitely spoiled for choice!

This was the same day that I really didn't feel like eating so I just went for a slice of pizza but I really enjoyed it. My friend went for a pastry filled with pistachio which looked amazing! This is a really convenient place if you are in the termini area!

6. Pandalí - Via di Torre Argentina, 3, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Pandalí is a 100% gluten free bakery located not too far from the Pantheon. This was another place that was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel so was so convenient for us! This place is also a little gem just like the other bakery - they had loads of sweet and savoury options. 

This was such a cute little bakery with a seating area and the seating area also had quite a modern twist to it. They had just brought a pizza out of the oven and someone bought half so me and my friend had to buy the other half...

The pizza was amazing, it was sooo cheesy as well which made it!

Mcdonalds in Rome -

Sadly I did not get to try a gluten free Mcdonald's in Rome, everytime I walked past one I was so full!!

But I know that they do gluten free buns in Rome in their Mcdonald's so you should definitely try one if you never have before!

So that is my gluten free guide to Rome! I hope you all enjoy it and you will definitely not be disappointed food wise when you are there! 😊

Gluten Free Delishio Rocky Road

I was kindly gifted the new Schar gluten free delishios so I had to make something with them to celebrate! I thought what recipe do I miss the most that generally has malteasers in it? And it has to be rocky road!

So I hope you enjoy this recipe and tag me in your photo's if you do make them!😁

Ingredients:

1. 2 packs of the Schar Delishios
2. 250g gluten free milk chocolate (I used Galaxy)
3. 50g soft butter
4. 5 gluten free digestive biscuits (I used Asda's own)
5. Pack of mini marshmallows
6. Icing sugar for the finish
7. 20cm square baking tin.

Method:

1. First of all, you need to melt your chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. You can do this by adding your butter in first to melt it and then gradually add small chunks of your chocolate into the bowl to mix it. It is much easier to use a glass bowl than a ceramic bowl which I have tried before.

2. Next, once all your chocolate has melted, put this to one side for about 20 minutes just to cool down as when you put your chocolate, marsh mallows etc in you do not want it all to melt.

3. Then, whilst your mixture is cooling you can then put your biscuits into a sandwich bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they turn into crumbs.

4. Once all crushed, on a separate plate/chopping board, I chopped my delishios each in half.

5. Once your melted chocolate is cool, you can then add all your ingredients into it (the marshmallows and the delishios) you can add anything else that you would like to put in i.e. fruit, nuts etc!

6. Then, line your square baking tin with parchment paper.

7. Next, you will need to scoop your mixture into the baking tin and flatten down (not too flat as you want your rocky roads to be fairly chunky)

8. Then, sprinkle a tiny bit of icing sugar over the top to give it a finish.

9. Next, refrigerate your rocky road for atleast 30 minutes in the fridge.

10. Finally, cut your rocky road into squares and serve!

Enjoy! x

Gluten Free Sausage Rolls

I have been craving sausage rolls for a long time now so I decided to make my own! They are so simple and quick to make and taste delicious! I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1. Gluten free puff pastry (I bought the Asda refrigerated already rolled one)

2. Pack of 6 gluten free sausages (I bought Asda's own gluten free caramelised onion ones as they are my favourite and I wanted a bit more flavour in them)

3. 2 medium eggs

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees celsius/180 degrees fan
2. Roll out your puff pastry and cut it in half length ways
3. Skin your sausages and place them in a line in the middle of the pastry
4. In a seperate bowl, whisk your two eggs and once it is all whisked, use your pastry brush along the edges of the pastry
5. Next, roll your pastry over the sausages so it kind of looks like a wrap
6. Press the edges down with a fork so it is all secure
7. Then, with your brush again brush over the sausage rolls so they will come out golden.
8. Then, chop the sausage rolls into whatever size you like.
9. Finally, place your sausage rolls onto a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.

And fingures crossed they should come out like this! If you find that any sausage is hanging out the edges and you want to neat up the presentation a little, just push the sausages further into the sausage roll.

Enjoy! 😊

My Gluten Free Rainbow Piñata Cake

I decided to make this rainbow piñata cake for Coeliac Awareness Week 2019 to spread positivity about Coeliac Disease as there is always a rainbow at the end. Once you start your gluten free diet it is just something you get used to and learn as you go along. I personally feel a lot healthier since I was diagnosed Coeliac two years ago.

I posted this a couple of days ago and it was SO popular and a lot of you requested the recipe so here it is! This cake was so moist and delicious, sometimes with gluten free cakes they are really crumbly but this one wasn't, I hope it goes well for you guys!

Ingredients for the cake:

• 390g soft butter
• 390g caster sugar
• 6 eggs (I bought medium)
• 390g self raising flour (I used doves farm)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 5 colours of food colour flavouring (I bought a pack from Sainsburys which was called 'gel food colours' and it has been designed for making rainbow cakes, it was something like £2.25 which was a lot cheaper than buying the food colouring individually) I used green, blue, pink, orange and yellow.
• 3 x 20cm round cake tins (I bought mine from TK Maxx, but if you don't have any loads of shops sell them like supermarkets, amazon etc)
• Baking parchment paper 
• Sweets (I bought haribos, haribo strawbs and minstrel for mine but you can put whatever sweets you like in it!)

Ingredients for the butter cream icing:

• 400g soft butter
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 800g icing sugar

Method:

1. Firstly, pre-heat your oven to 160c fan or 180c conventional oven.
2. Secondly, you will need to grease your 3 cake tins and line the bottom of them with baking parchment paper.
3. Next, mix all of your cake ingredients together and make sure that you mix until you get a smooth consistency. With your flour I would use a sieve to get this into the bowl so there are no lumps.
4. Once all the cake mixture is mixed and is smooth, you will then need to divide the cake mixture evenly between 3 bowls.
5. Once you have divided the cake mixture evenly, you then need to put one colour in each of your bowls (I used first the green, blue and red but you can use whichever colours you like first!)
6. You will then need to pour your 3 different coloured cake mixtures into each cake tin.
7. Next, bake your cakes in your oven for 25 minutes. You will know they are cooked if you put a knife into cake, if it comes out with mixture on the knife it is not quite cooked yet, but if it comes out with no mixture on it will be cooked. I would also not open the oven door whilst the cake is cooking.
8. Then, you will need to take these out to cool. I left mine for about an hour to cool.
9. Next, make your second batch of cake mixture these will be for the next two cakes.
10. Repeat the separating process into two bowls and use your final two colours.
11. Then, put these into your cake tins and bake again for 25 minutes.
12. Next, once baked take these out to cool down for about an hour again.

Method for the icing and decoration:

1. For the icing, you will need to mix all of your icing mixture together until it makes a smooth consistency into butter icing.
2. Next, put one of your cakes on your cake stand and cut the middle of that out with a cookie cutter or anything you can get your hands on!
3. Then, spread some of your butter icing over the top of the cake.
4. Next, cut out the middle of 3 of your other cakes, repeat the process of putting icing on top of the cake and placing the other cake on top.
5. Then, before you put the final cake on top, fill the middle of the stack of cakes with all of your sweets.
6. Finally, put your 5th cake on top of the stack of cakes (you do not cut the middle of the cake out on this one)
7. Then, spread the rest of your icing all over the cake and I sprinkled coloured stars all over but you can use whatever you like to decorate it with!
8. I then left the cake overnight to set in the fridge, once set you can then cut a slice out of the cake and your sweets will fall out like a piñata!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and remember to tag me in your posts if you do make it! 😁

Danielle x

12 Recent gluten free finds - that you may not know are gluten free! *correct as of May 2019

A few days ago I asked everyone on Instagram what they would like me to write about on my blog and this was one of the most popular requests.

You may notice that I have posted a few gluten free finds recently, some of which you may not notice they were gluten free.

So firstly, we will start with chocolate spreads!

1. Twix chocolate spread

The 'crunchy biscuit pieces' label is enough to put any Coeliac off... however after looking at the ingredients on the back this is actually gluten free! What a treat!

2. Cadburys chocolate caramel spread

Now this one doesn't really have anything that would put you off on the front - it still however does not have one of them lovely gluten free symbols on the front of it! This again, has no gluten containing ingredients so is perfectly save to use. This would be sooo delish on pancakes!

Now onto puds!

3. GU free from cheesecakes

I found these free from chocolate and vanilla cheesecakes a few days ago in the Co-Op and they are so delicious. Not only to they come in glass pots so you can wash and keep them, they just melt in your mouth and are the perfect treat. They have a coconut cream alternative in them to make them vegan, but i feel there is only a hint of coconut it is not too strong in case you are not keen on it! They are £3.50 for two which is a bit pricey, however they are worth it!

These next two finds I found in B&M a few weeks ago.. you just can't go wrong with B&M! 😄

4. Quick milk magic sipper - fruity cereal flavour

This would be another one that sometimes you just wouldn't pick up and check because the 'fruity cereal' flavour is another one to put you off. But to my surprise, I soon spotted that lovely small green symbol on the front stating that it is actually gluten free! 

5. Quick Milk magic sipper - Jammy Biscuit flavour

Again seeing that 'jammy biscuit flavour' is another one to put you off! But there is that lovely gluten free symbol on the front again. I used to love these magic sipper straws when I was young mainly because I hate straight milk! These would make drinking milk a lot nicer for me 😄

Now onto foods and kits...

6. Katsu Chicken breast fillets - Tesco

This for me is another one that you wouldn't usually pick up off the shelf because basically it just looks like it contains gluten really doesn't it! 😁

I bought this reduced (bargain) a couple of months ago and paired it up with jasmine rice for my dinner and it was amazing! It has a crumb coating however there are no gluten containing ingredients so it is fine for us to eat!

7. Aldi's Taco Kit

I found this Taco kit recently and as they are corn tacos they have no gluten containing ingredients! I love it because it is such a quick and easy dinner! All you basically need is your filling - it does come with the spike packet and a salsa packet. The spice mixture is actually really nice with the mince. The taco's only take a few minutes in the oven and bobs your uncle! It is so cheap also, I usually pick it up for £1.59, bargain!

8. Aldi's frozen paella mix (new)

I found this paella mix from Aldi a couple of days ago and this also has no gluten containing ingredients. It says you can cook it in 10 minutes also so another quick and easy dinner! I have really been wanting to cook a paella for ages now and if you are lazy like me and don't have time then this is perfect! Just wack it in a pan for 10 minutes then you are sorted!

9. Aldi's fajita frozen mix (new)

Another quick and easy dinner found in the frozen aisle in Aldi a couple of days ago. All you need is your wraps and your sauces! This one also says that it is ready in 10 minutes and you can cook from frozen again. Another thing I love about these frozen mixes is that it keeps, sometimes you just accidentally leave things in the fridge too long and its a waste! Where as you can cook some of this and put it back in the freezer for your next meal and it will be fine to eat a month later! 😄

10. Aldi's frozen seafood selection (new)

This is something that probably wouldn't contain gluten but it is a good one to put on here for you guys! It comes with a black garlic and lemon butter which is again naturally gluten free. I was just really excited when I saw this because I have been craving seafood for a few weeks and what a perfect pack, all in one! This is also good for paellas and anything you would put seafood in because again you can just keep it in the freezer until you want to cook it because it cooks from frozen!

11. Aldi's Whitebait

I see a theme coming along here! Another one from Aldi's frozen section - lightly dusted whitebait in a gluten free coating! How very generous! A gluten free coating! You can also cook this from frozen so it is good to keep in the freezer for when you want it. I think this is something that is perfect for dinner parties.

12. Aldi's frozen cauliflower cheese

I actually couldn't believe my eyes when I by the off chance checked the ingredients on this! I really struggle to find cauliflower cheese pre made as they all seem to have wheat in them! So to my surprise this has no gluten containing ingredients! I just really don't like making my own as all the gluten free packet mixes for cheese sauce I really hate, they just don't taste nice at all in my eyes! So fingers crosse that this is nice! And again, it keeps in the freezer so I can take it out whenever I need it! 

So that is it! All my recent gluten free finds in one place for you all! Make sure to follow my Instagram to keep up to date with all my latest finds!

My Gluten Free Guide to Broadway Market - London

Broadway market is a Victorian Street Market that runs every Saturday in Hackney, London. It is open from 9-5 and it offers so much from flowers to gluten free meringues. There are also loads of cute shops and restaurants running along side it. It is honestly such a bustling and enjoyable place.

The closest station to get off at if you are coming in from London would be London Fields. The market is just a short walk away through the park from London Fields station. We got the tube to Liverpool Street and then the overground to London Fields, it didn't take too long.

I thought I would put together a few recommendations from my visit to share with you all. It is a must visit!

Eat n Mess

Eat n Mess is honestly a must visit at the market. Their range of gluten free baked goodies is amazing. From cookie pies to smores cheesecake slices. It is gluten free heaven! I was so stuck with what to choose because it all looked amazing. I eventually chose the smores cheesecake, chocolate orange cookie pie and a peanut butter and jam donut. I have tried all of them since I visited and they are all heaven. The flavours are just incredible, proper melt in your mouth moment!

They also have a cafe in Sevenoaks in Kent if anyone is local to there or visiting.

Floris Bakery

Floris bakery is another gluten and wheat free bakery which is also just amazing! They do all sorts also from arancini balls to jam and custard donuts. I again could't decide what to pick! But I decided to try a jam donut and the custard donut pictured above.

Meringue Girls

Meringue Girls has the most amazing selection of meringues that are 70p each. The flavours range from passionfruit to chocolate. They all looked so delicious but unfortunately I couldn't try them all! I picked up a passionfruit one and it was so sweet and tasty. 

They also had some large meringues but I just went for a small one as I had already eaten a lot!

The Bach

The Batch is a cafe at the bottom end of Broadway Market. I visited here after lots of recommendations from other people who have visited, and I am glad I did!

It is the perfect brunch spot, it is quite small but there is a few tables and seats outside as well which would be lovely when it is nice weather! So it can get full really quickly and they do say to try and go before 11am as it gets busier after then.

Their menu has plenty of gluten free options on and they are really clued up on allergens. Again, with plenty of choice it was so hard to pick what to have!

I decided to go for the gluten free cheese and ham toastie with tomato chutney and it was delicious!

I was so surprised because I literally got two toasties instead of one!! It's fair to say I couldn't eat it all but I did give it a good go!

Makatcha Eats

Makatacha eats is a fully gluten free indonesian curry stall. There were three different types of curry available on the day and I decided to try the vegan one as it looked sooo good with the mushrooms, chickpeas and rice! And I was right in what I thought because it was sooo delicious! I would never usually go for a vegan curry, I love a meaty curry however this one really caught my eye. It was slightly spicy but was great because I was full of cold at the time!!

Other places I found but did not try:

1. Galettes stall

I also found a galette stall that offered gluten free galettes. I don't think they were all gluten free so there is a cross contamination issue for me there as they make them on the spot. So if you do want to try them, I would recommend speaking to them about allergies first.

3. Osu Cocunuts

Osu Cocunuts are a pancake company and their pancakes are 100% coconut based and gluten free. They were offering Berry Mad pancakes with berry coulis, coconut caramel sauce and date syrup. The other pancake that they offered was banana choc which had caramelised banana, peanut butter and chocolate sauce. They both sounded absolutely delicious however I was so full again, I could not stomach a pancake! 

However, with it being 100% gluten free, I would try it next time I visit!

So there we have it! That is my gluten free guided to Broadway Market in London. I would highly recommend visiting if you haven't visited yet, it is just amazing!