Tauranga foodie and author Sally Holland is inspiring people living with coeliac disease and their friends to get back into the kitchen ahead of Coeliac Awareness Week.

Author of the much-loved Goodbye Gluten cookbook, Sally is also a Coeliac New Zealand ambassador and, to celebrate the organisation's annual awareness week starting Monday, she is sharing new gluten free recipes and baking tips on its website.

She is encouraging people to visit the site for gluten free high tea inspiration and discover how easy it can be to cater for people living with the disease, which affects one in 70 New Zealanders.

'Sadly, some people avoid making cakes and sweet treats for their gluten free friends or themselves because they think it's too hard, or the results will be dry and crumbly.

'The reality is, with simple recipes and menu planning, it's easy to achieve delicious gluten free food that everyone will want to eat.”

Sally wrote Goodbye Gluten after her husband Bill was diagnosed with coeliac disease 17 years ago. Sold online and in bookstores, the book is popular on both sides of the Tasman and regarded as a ‘go-to' resource for people newly diagnosed with coeliac disease for its simplicity and family-friendly recipes.

The cookbook features six chapters and includes recipes for children and special occasions. However, it is Sally's baking that has really struck a chord with people.

The secret to its success is her flour mix recipe, which is made with four easy-to-source, inexpensive ingredients. Many recipes in her book have been developed with this fail-safe flour mix, ensuring consistent results every time.

Sally says the greatest compliment is when she receives feedback from people who tell her that her recipes have made living with coeliac disease easier.

'That really hits home with me because I still remember how anxious I felt when Bill was diagnosed. I've always enjoyed cooking but adopting a gluten free approach to meal times was a real challenge at first.

'I still wanted him to enjoy all the baking and desserts that we had previously enjoyed as a family. But it took a lot of testing to find recipes that were gluten free, easy to prepare and still tasty.”

With the help of Goodbye Gluten and advice from Coeliac New Zealand, it is easy to enjoy a ‘mainstream' diet and still be gluten free.

Sally has successfully mastered traditional, easy-to-make favourites, such as shortbread, sponge cake and pastry, which are notoriously difficult to perfect without wheat flour.

Coeliac disease is a permanent auto-immune disorder that causes a reaction to dietary gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It causes damage and inflammation in the small intestine, meaning key nutrients cannot be absorbed properly.

Sally Holland.

It is estimated that 65,000 New Zealanders suffer from coeliac disease, but 80 per cent are unaware that they do.

Coeliac Awareness Week, between June 7 and 13, is organised by Coeliac New Zealand to raise awareness about the condition.

This year's theme is ‘What's Behind the Label?' As well as encouraging more understanding about coeliac disease and support for those diagnosed, it also addresses the importance of correctly labelled gluten free food, both packaged foods, and in restaurants and cafes. Coeliac New Zealand's Crossed Grain Logo and Dining Out Programme aims to improve the safety of gluten free manufactured food available in supermarkets and via the hospitality industry.

Sally knows from Bill's experiences how challenging it can be for people with coeliac disease to find meals that are safe to eat when dining out.

'The difficulty for restaurants is that it only takes one person to make a mistake and the damage can be done. It's also the responsibility of the gluten free person to ask lots of questions and double-check menu items with waiting staff.

'We still enjoy a range of dining experiences but we're always wary of checking the ingredients of meals if they feature stocks or sauces because that's where gluten can be hiding.”

To discover Sally's latest gluten free recipes, visit https://coeliac.org.nz/throw-the-perfect-gluten-free-high-tea/.