Gluten-free Cooking for Kids

A few days ago we had a gathering of 11 children and 6 adults in beautiful Bledlow, in Buckinighamshire.  A friend had arranged a lunch with activities for the children one of which turned out to be making tortillas.  Tortillas are made from masa harina, which is available from the special selection area of Sainsbury's or from the Cool Chile Company.  (see useful links for more information).  Masa harina is a special corn flour used throughout Latin America.  It is naturally gluten free and is really easy to use basically just add hot water to the flour, mix and kneed into a smooth dough e (follow the directions of the pack) and then leave covered for 10 minutes.  The dough is then ready to use. 

To make the tortillas, you pinch off a bit of dough the size of a large marble.  Roll it into a smooth ball and place it in the centre of the press.  One of the tricks I found was to put a piece of cling film over each half of the press.  This stops the tortilla sticking and you can easily peel it off the cling film.  If it tears or doesn't come out perfect, just roll into a smooth ball and try again.  The dough will stand up to lots of little hands having a go.  The children really enjoyed the process of making and subsequently eating the tortillas. We ditched the frying pan after a few slow and painful attempts and opted for putting the tortillas straight on the hotest aga plate.  It worked really really well and the tortillas smelled and tasted exactly as I remember them in Guatemala.  The fillings included gluten free sausages, guacamole, roast chicken, creme fraiche and a delicious tomato salad (I'll try and get the recipe).  A huge success and really easy to do (especially if you've got children around, who will be begging you to let them have a go).  You can buy a tortilla press from The Cool Chile Company or have a look on Ebay.  Go for the simplest version as you don't need anything fancy. They are not expensive.  If you live in the US, you will find them in Latino markets or speciality cookware shops. 

Tortillas are the staple food of Mexico and they are eaten at all meals in place of bread.  They are at their best hot off the griddle, sprinkled with a little salt and of course with lots of different fillings.  Buen provecho!