Daisy and Bubbles are trying to figure out gluten-free life at home in Malaysia, and all around the world! Have a question? Drop us a line at daisynbubbles@gmail.com!
Today I’d like to share with you an amazing new discovery I made: the superfood Tigernut! Tigernut or Earth Almond (English) or Chufa (Spanish) or Erdmandel (German) is very high in fiber, good fats, and magnesium, and therefore very healthy! More importantly, it’s got a slightly sweet taste, kind of like the cashew, so it’s delicious to eat!
You can read more about its benefits in this Forbes (yes, Forbes!) article.
One can use it instead of oatmeal or flour in a pie base or crumble. One can even make it into “milk,” just as one would do with cashew milk or almond milk. It’s a fantastic switch-up for the usual grains or nuts you use in your cooking.
The Tiger Nut! In Germany, one common brand of ground tigernut is Govinda. Use it as a base for pies or crumbles… or instead of regular oatmeal!
So this week’s recipe idea is just that: a tigernut base apple crumble!
Ingredients for Filling
3-4 large apples (please buy organic), chopped up or sliced
5 tablespoons of apple sauce (or any fruit puree really, but please go for “no sugar added” versions)
Optional: bananas or frozen berries (for texture and flavour)
Optional: Nuts and/or raisin
Ingredients for Crust/Base
2 cups of tigernut meal (you can mix it with oatmeal – final quantity should be the same, i.e. 2 cups)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of water (or any nut milk)
Method
1. Mix the tigernuts with the olive oil and water. You don’t need to over-mix it – just ensure that the liquid is more or less equally spread out over the grains.
2. If you’re using it as a base, spread it on the botton of your 21cm x 15cm pan. If you’re using it as a crumble topping, sprinkle on top of the filling when you’re done assembling the filling.
3. Mix the chopped apples with the other ingredients and spread in your pan.
4. If you’re making a crumble, spread the mixture on top. If you just really like tigernuts or oats, make two batches and have both a base and a crumble top! This is all about you, babe! 🙂
Enjoy a sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan. super-delicious dessert! No added sugar at all, unless of course, you’re gonna eat this with some yummy vegan ice-cream!
This summer, I spent a full five weeks in the amazing, warm-yet-edgy, and full-on-crazy city of Berlin! This place is one of the best places in the world for vegans, allergy-laden types (GF inclusive) and really anyone. Food is good, cheap and inventive.
Soooo… without further ado, may I present you with my favourite restaurants that cater to allergy-conscious, plat-based diet types…
First off, my ‘hood of Neukölln, a largely immigrant and up-and-coming area! There are two cafes here that I went to on a regular basis. And man, I was there so often, everyone knew me by name even though my German is… uhmmm… let’s say rudimentary (at best). The first is the adorable Cafe Plume, which proprietor Charlotte has somehow created into a comfy neighbourhood “refuge.” She is there every, single day, from 8pm to 8pm (or beyond), and makes an effort to get to know all customers. She’s also a language teacher, and every Thursday, she hosts Language Night at her cafe. Charlotte is truly one of the most amazing people I met in Berlin. Also, they make the world’s BEST vegan, gluten-free brownies. No kiddin’. Hands down, world’s best. They also have guest chefs from time to time. When I was there, they had a lovely Jamaican set dinner. Charlotte takes great care to prepare food that suits you! You can also just go there, relax, drink a glass of wine, shoot the breeze with other customers. Ahhhh… I miss the place old European charm of this dress-down cafe.
Cost: $ for Germany! Dishes range from RM30+ to RM60+ for entrees
World’s most amazing gluten-free, vegan sandwich at Muffin Queen Cafe, Neukoelln
Next up: my go-to place during the day! Queen of Muffins Cafe (strange name, I know, but won’t get a second bat of eyelashes from a Berliner) is another lovely cafe in the same neighbourhood. It’s got a rustic feel, even woodsy! They’ve got notations on the signboard and menu that tell you what is gluten-free, lactose-free, etc. so it’s easy for even non-German speakers to figure out what they can have. I loved their warm sandwiches, which can be made on GF bread! They’ll line their panini presses with a new sheet of paper, so there’s no cross contamination. Lovely, fresh ingredients! They also have a variety of vegan, GF, dairy-free, etc. cakes and cookies. Not the cheapest, but comfy atmosphere, attentive staff, and great food!
Cost: $$ Dishes range from RM40+ to RM70+ for entrees
The best thing about Rawtastic is that it is 100% raw vegan, which means that the food is immaculately healthy. The food tasted good… and also (more importantly) felt good. They had lovely kombucha, a fantastic raw pizza (with nut cheese of a decent consistency!) and pretty-looking desserts. However, service left a bit to be desired. Alas. Can’t have it all.
Chips and guacamole in Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant
Finally, a super cool Mexican place! We had actually walked into another restaurant near Schonhauser Allee, and the patrons there told us to go to this place instead! And what a good move they made! We loved this place and went back a few times.
The guacamole and chpis are to die for! Really crispy and tasty. Salsas were good too! However, that’s about all you can have if you have a serious wheat allergy. They have gluten-free soft tortillas but they are heated up on the same stove as the regular ones.
Talk to the staff about cross contamination! Not all of them know what they are talking about. Speak to the manager and ask about your specific order.
There’s also the ubiquitous Bionade there! If you’ve never tried, you gotta! It’s light, fizzy, not too sweet… lovely German drink in a variety of flavours: lychee, ginger, holunder berry and more! Cheap. Simple decor. Basic seating. Go for the great-tasting chips and guacamole!
