Guest Chef
The Australian Coeliac | December 2012
Creating good eating habits
by Chef Harry Callinan
for gluten free kids
Our kids mimic our every
move, so it only makes sense
that they watch what we eat,
when we eat and how we
eat and this plays a big part
in shaping their food habits
for the future.
kids in the kitchen is nothing new.
With this in mind, do you set a good
eating example for your kids?
Try having one night a week for kids
in the kitchen night at your house.
With food sourced, prepared, cooked
and served entirely by the kids (with
adult supervision as needed) from
garden to plate, to make a naturally
gluten free meal for the whole family
to share.
If you answered yes, then you would
already know that if it’s fresh there
is a fair chance that it is perfect for
gluten free kids.
Fresh produce that is naturally gluten
free can be found these days in
the supermarket, local grocer, and
farmers’ market, and increasingly,
in backyards of all shapes and sizes
across the country.
As the kitchen garden revolution
gathers momentum, it’s the best
news for parents of gluten free kids,
because getting them involved in
a kitchen garden is a great way to
get them excited about eating fresh,
naturally gluten free foods. Not to
mention the health benefits from
being active and outside in the fresh
air.
The countless resources available on
kitchen gardens will tell you many
different things, but the one common
thing they all say, is that no matter
how small your patch, pot or balcony
is, you can produce fresh, naturally
gluten free produce right outside your
kitchen window.
Get your kids to:
• Choose, plan and help prepare the
space for the kitchen garden
• Choose what to grow, when, where
and how much
• Maintain, feed and harvest the
produce
• Come up with different dishes to
prepare using the harvest
Give them access to homegrown
fruit and vegetables, free range and
responsibly farmed meat and poultry,
and sustainable fish, and encourage
them to research recipes and get
involved in creating healthy, naturally
gluten free dishes for the whole family
to enjoy.
Try my suggested recipes featured
with this article, they’re sure to create
a buzz with kids in the kitchen at your
house.
The kitchen garden and kids in the
kitchen ideas are two tips that I
believe are big steps towards creating
good eating habits, not only for kids,
but for the whole family.
The following top ten tips for parents
of gluten free kids touch on some of
my other ideas that may help:
• Involve your kids in menu choices, in
the food prep, and try my kids in the
kitchen menu ideas.
• Grow a veggie patch in any available
space, planting loads of variety. No
more to say about this other than go for it.
• Do your best to provide lots of fresh
produce. Free range, hormone free,
homegrown and organic are all
positive words.
• Always have a fruit bowl full of the
best seasonal fruit in your kitchen,
kids react to pretty colours. Make
sure it is always fresh and full of
colour.
• Be creative with meal times. Use
themes, bring some fun to eating
healthy.
• Always communicate with
restaurants if dining out, ask
questions before you arrive to avoid
a stressful, disappointing night out.
• And last of all, be a positive
influence on your kids. Don’t make
them feel any different to anyone
else, encourage them to eat healthy
and try new things.
• Educate yourself and your kids.
Talk about being gluten free, what
your choices are and what things
you can do to make sure your
daily life is as close to normal as
possible. (Books, web, doctors)
• Normalise meal times as much
as possible. Don’t make a fuss
of feeding gluten free kids, cook
dishes the whole family can enjoy
and your gluten free kid won’t feel
like the black duck of the family.
• Know your ingredients. As a
parent of a gluten free kid, you will
probably already be an expert on
reading labels. Know where gluten
sometimes hides and create good
eating habits by choosing fresh,
naturally gluten free produce over
highly processed foods.
The last point brings me to my
second tip for creating good eating
habits for gluten free kids.
Kids in the kitchen
In this MasterChef obsessed, crazy
world that we live in, the concept of
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The Australian Coeliac | December 2012
Gluten free herb crusted
blue-eye cod fillets
Guest Chef - Harry Callinan
Harry Callinan is the Owner/Manager
of Harry’s at Tatler in beautiful
Lovedale, in the Hunter Valley, NSW,
working with his wife, Aleisha, and
brother in-law, Head Chef, Ben
Handley. They are committed to
using the best local and Australian
ingredients to inspire simple chef
crafted food for sharing.
4 slices gluten free bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
½ lemon, grated zest
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper, to season
4 x 175g skinless blue-eye cod fillets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups (360g) frozen peas
2 cups mixed salad leaves
After six years in the Royal Australian
Navy, Harry took on a part-time kitchen
hand job that led to 18 years as a chef.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Much of this time was spent working
for famed French Chef, Robert Molines
at Pepper Tree, Hunter Valley, who
remains his very dear friend and
mentor.
Line a baking tray with foil, then lightly
grease.
Pulse the bread in a food processor to
form rough crumbs. Add herbs, parmesan,
lemon zest and egg white, season with salt
and pepper, then pulse until just combined.
Brush the top of each fish fillet with a little
oil and press some crumb mixture onto
each fillet. Transfer to the tray. Bake in
preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until
the fish is cooked through and the topping
is golden. Remove from the oven, cover
loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook peas in a saucepan of
lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes
until just tender, then drain.
Divide the peas and fish among plates and
serve with salad leaves.
Serves 4
Nutrient analysis - Based on 4 serves, per
serve: Energy: 1823kJ; Protein: 48.2g; Fat:
12g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Carbohydrate: 30g (2
exchanges), Fibre 5g.
Pumpkin, bacon and
feta frittata
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, coarsely
chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 rindless bacon rashers, coarsely chopped
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
100g feta, crumbled
6 eggs, lightly whisked
2 tablespoons thickened cream
1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil
Cook the pumpkin in a medium saucepan
of boiling water for 8 minutes, or until
tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 20cm (base
measurement) non-stick frying pan over
medium-high heat. Cook the bacon and
onion, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until onion
is soft. Combine the feta, egg, cream and
basil in a jug.
Preheat grill on high. Add the pumpkin to
the frying pan. Stir to coat. Pour over the
egg mixture. Reduce heat to low. Cook
for 6 minutes, or until the mixture is set
around the edges but runny in the centre.
Place the frying pan under preheated grill
and cook for 3 minutes, or until the frittata
is golden brown and just set.
Serves 4
Nutrient analysis - Based on 4 serves, per
serve: Energy: 2373kJ; Protein: 35.1g; Fat:
43g; Saturated Fat: 17g; Carbohydrate: 9g
(1 exchange), Fibre 1.5g.
Satay chicken stir-fry
¼ cup (80g) smooth peanut butter
1/ 3 cup (80ml) reduced-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons diluted salt-reduced or
homemade chicken stock
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
350g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into
thin strips
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
1 red capsicum, deseeded and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
175g button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
In a small bowl, whisk together the
peanut butter, coconut milk, stock and
lemon zest until blended, then set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan
over a high heat. Add the garlic and chilli
and stir-fry for 30 seconds to release the
flavours.
Add the chicken and five-spice powder
and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the
chicken has coloured all over. Add the
red capsicum, carrots and mushrooms
and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until slightly
softened.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into
the wok and stir-fry for a further 2–3
minutes, until the chicken is cooked
through and tender. Remove from the
heat, stir in the chopped coriander and
serve immediately.
Serves 4
Nutrient analysis - Based on 4 serves, per
serve: Energy: 1548kJ; Protein: 26g; Fat:
26g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Carbohydrate: 5g (1
exchange), Fibre 4g.
Harry then spent several years
working in some of Sydney’s hottest
kitchens, and once qualified, headed
to New Orleans, Louisiana, to work
at the famous River View Room on
the Mississippi River. This experience
fuelled the travelling chef inside.
Returning to Australia, Harry worked
again with Robert Molines as Head
Chef at Pepper Tree, and it is there he
learned the real meaning of cooking
from the heart.
In 2003, a chance meeting with a very
satisfied customer resulted in a Guest
Chef promotion at the Five Star JW
Marriott in Seoul, South Korea. This
led to a position at the Singapore
Marriott Hotel as Executive Sous Chef,
heading the team that opened the new
Pool Grill restaurant on the hotel’s
pool deck, voted best new restaurant
in Singapore by American Express in
2006.
Harry moved on to Phuket, Thailand,
as Executive Sous Chef for Marriott’s
biggest resort in Asia, the JW Marriott
Resort and Spa, and in 2009 was
promoted to Executive Chef at the new
Marriott Hotel in Manila.
Whilst in Asia, Harry also sat on the
Culinary Advisory Board for Marriott
International, working to develop the
culinary experience for the hotel group,
as it expanded into Asia.
A brief stint at the Sydney Harbour
Marriott as Executive Chef saw Harry
leave Marriott, inspired to create
something of his own.
Harry is a keen mountain biker and
loves the Australian bush. He is
married to Aleisha Callinan, they have
a three year old son, Wyle Callinan,
and they are expecting identical twin
girls this year.
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