Fresh Choice Nelson welcomes back our Guest Blogger, Maddy Bellcroft; This week Maddy is talking gluten free – Find Maddy on Facebook.

I really enjoy writing these columns as I often get to try new products that come in store so that I can write about them. The latest exciting new arrival comes in the form of Sorghum.

I heard about this ancient gluten free grain a while ago before it was easily available in New Zealand but now Ceres Organics have released it for our eating pleasure.

Sorghum is a staple food in North Eastern Africa, it has a chewy nutty texture somewhat similar to barley. it takes around fifty minutes to cook, absorbs a lot of liquid and you can soak it to reduce cooking time.

I love using it as a wheat free couscous replacement. It’s also fantastic in soups or made into a salad with roasted veggies. Last night’s dinner consisted of broccoli, mandarin and roasted hazelnut salad made with this delish grain.

The other product that i have been playing with is green banana flour. this is made from drying green bananas and grinding them into a flour. The result is a mild tasting wheat flour substitute that is low in sugar and is almost sixty per cent dietary fibre. You can substitute 3/4 cup of it per cup of normal flour or even add it to smoothies. I have been mixing it with other gluten free flours to make pastry and bread.

The last product highlight this week is the Explore Cuisine green lentil lasagne sheets, these are vegan and gluten free and make a super yummy lasagne. Because they are made of lentils they also pack a good protein punch. Roast your favourite winter veggies with fresh herbs and then layer with the lasagne sheets, cannellini beans and Napoli sauce before baking in the oven.

There are plenty more exciting things in store at Fresh Choice Nelson so come on in and get creative with your cuisine today.