Planning a Gluten-Free Easter Meal

Although in the UK Easter is not usually associated with anything other than eggs, chocolate and hot cross buns, there are many recipes that are best cooked in spring and are really suitable for a special occasion like Easter.

Many of these are appropriate for people with celiac disease. There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the festive occasion as much as everyone else.

eggs

At Easter, eggs must be the protagonists of all the tables. These look best when stained. Instead of going for store-bought egg dye, start collecting onion skins. Many countries around the world wrap eggs in onion skins and boil them in little packets for a beautiful natural color effect.

If you find yourself with too many boiled eggs to eat, use them to make dishes like deviled eggs, scotch eggs, and nicoise salad. Boiled eggs can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Spring Specialties

For carnivores, spring is a great season to eat lamb. Sprinkle a roast with fresh herbs and drizzle with a little mint sauce. Ideally, the herbs should come from the windowsill or the vegetable garden. These taste better!

Alternatively, for something lighter, go for chicken or fish. Again these are great drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with salt and fresh herbs. The dishes do not require much effort to prepare, and just need to be put in the oven. These are great for when you have a lot of guests as you can save yourself some time.

Vegetarians do very well in spring with lots of fruits and vegetables in season and at their best. Use new potatoes in salads or roast them. Beetroot, rhubarb, and spinach are also fantastic this time of year.

International Food

Fancy trying something new this year? Why not experiment with some international cuisine? Other cultures have numerous Easter recipes. For example, the traditional Russian food is Paska, a cheese dessert with dried fruits and nuts. It is completely gluten-free, so it is not necessary to adapt recipes for celiacs.

The Greeks bake a special type of cookie for Easter and you can easily substitute plain flour for gluten-free.

snacks

You may not feel like cooking a feast for a large group of friends and family. Providing snacks might be enough. Chop up some fresh vegetables and serve them with a dip like hummus or taramasalata. For something heartier, make some oat cakes too.

As you can see, gluten-free food is by no means limiting. There are many seasonal foods that can be served at Easter and that celiacs can also enjoy. Have a beautiful Easter!