Coeliac disease affects over one per cent of the world’s population.  In Australia, that means that over 218,000 people are living with coeliac disease.  It is nearly twice as common as Type 1 Diabetes and on a par with stroke rates. But despite this very high prevalence, diagnosis rates in Australia are very low and there is no cure available.

So what is Coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease (pronounced seel-ee-ak) is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune means the body mistakenly produces antibodies that damage its own tissues. It is a permanent intestinal intolerance to dietary Gluten. A number of serious health consequences can result if the condition is not diagnosed and treated properly.

Here at 4 ingredients we were surprised at how many requests we received to release a simple, easy to use Gluten free recipe book, and in 2009 we released our 4 Ingredients Gluten Free Cook book.

Here are our top 4 recipes from our Gluten Free book:

Gluten Free Thai Chicken with Cucumber Noodles

•   1/2 cup crunchy GF rice noodles

•   2 Chicken Breast cut into chunky pieces

•   1/2 cup GF sweet chilli and ginger sauce

•   1 Continental Cucumber



Method:
Place chicken in a non-stick frying pan with 1/4 cup water and cook till water evaporates.  Add sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through Remove from heat. Slice and julienne cucumber to resemble long thin noodles. Add cucumber and noodles to chicken and mix gently. Serve topped with extra cucumber noodles as garnish.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes around 20 delicious cookies
•   1 Cup Raw sugar 

•   1 tsp cinnamon

•   1 large free range egg
•   1 Cup crunchy peanut butter



Method:
Preheat oven to 180c. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Using a tbs. roll the amount into small balls and pop onto 2 paper lined baking trays.  Slightly flatten with a fork, crisscross style. Bake for 10 mins or until a thin crust forms on the cookie.

Note: These will harden as they cool

Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake

•   4 free range eggs

•   1 Cup caster sugar
•   200g butter

•   250 g dark chocolate



Method: 
Preheat oven 180 C. Separate eggs, add 1/2 the sugar to the yolks and beat well with a mixer. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy then add remaining sugar, gradually beating until stiff peaks form. Melt butter and chocolate over hot water stirring regularly. Pour into egg yolk mixture and fold. Once combined fold in egg whites. Line a cake tin with grease proof paper and pour in mixture. Bake for 40 minutes in the lower third of your oven.

Note: This cake will collapse as it has no flour to sustain the rise.



Optional: Can be served warm or cold and is delicious with fresh cream and strawberries.

Gluten Free Beef Stir Fry – Serves 4

•   500 g stir fry beef

•   2/3 cup GF BBQ Sauce

•   2 tbs. sesame oil
•   4-6 shallots, chopped



Mix stir-fry sauce and meat together; allow meat to stand for 15 minutes. Heat Oil in a wok or frying pan. Stir-fry meat in batches for 1 minute, or until cooked on the outside and medium on the inside. Trim the shallots and cut into thin lengthwise strips. Quickly stir-fry in wok. Serve meat on top of a salad (even just shredded ice-berg lettuce is nice) and top with shallots and jus.



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