Mac and cheese – low fodmap

OK, so it really has an Autumnal feel today perhaps a comforting meal is required and macaroni and cheese is definitely one to make. This is a low fodmap recipe made with lactose free milk and cheese suitable for a low fodmap diet – please note that the fat content is high due to the cheese used. If you find that meals higher in fat cause symptoms it probably isn’t worth trying this recipe, although a small portion might be suitable. This is a great recipe if you are underweight and want to increase the calories in your diet. Unfortunately I didn’t have any macaroni so strictly speaking this isn’t mac and cheese but penne and cheese – you can get gluten free macaroni by ordering it on the internet but most supermarkets I use don’t stock it, which is a shame!

Ingredients

300g of gluten free pasta

560ml of lactose free whole milk

28g butter

28g cornflour

70g of cheddar cheese (I used an orange cheese for more effect)

20g parmesan

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 slices of gluten free bread

seasoning

Extra grated cheese for topping

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, mix well till the flour is incorporated into the butter

Start to add the milk slowly whilst keeping stirring

Add all the milk and warm the sauce till mixed

Add both cheeses to the sauce after grating

Add the mustard powder

Cook the sauce till thickened season if required (do taste the sauce first as the cheese does add flavour)

Cool whilst stirring to avoid a skin forming

Cook the pasta in water till al dente

Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and add to an oven proof dish

Top with gluten free crumbs made from the bread and the extra grated cheese

Bake in an oven for 20 minutes at gas mark 5 or 190 degrees C.

Serves 4 with a green salad

Puff pastry topped with creamy courgette and walnut salad – Low Fodmap

Autumn days are really setting in now and we are entering my favourite time of year with lots of squashes and root vegetables to roast – great for sensitive digestive tracts. As we are entering the cooler days of the year I have decided to try a different approach to a salad – this might be a little unconventional but it was filling, tasty and a little more substantial than the usual salad fare. I have used very pretty fennel flowers as decoration, which strictly speaking are not fodmap tested – but you can get away with a small amount of fennel bulb (49g) a few flowers sprinkled on a salad shouldn’t be too much of a problem. We are lucky in Todmorden, we have incredible edible and lot’s of fennel in flower beds for anyone to harvest.

You can used bought gluten free pastry – but do be aware that some are based on chickpea or pulse flour, which is not suitable for a low fodmap diet. Tips for using gluten free pastry is to roll it between cling film to prevent sticking.

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Ingredients

1 packet of gluten free pastry mix

2 courgettes

4 tablespoons of lactose free mascarpone cheese

100g red cabbage

2 handfuls of walnuts

1 egg

seasoning

Fennel fronds (2-3 should be adequate.)

1-2 fennel flower heads (not an essential ingredient)

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Method

Roll out the pastry

Beat the egg with a fork and brush the pastry with beaten egg – this will improve the colour.

Cook in the oven using the manufacturers directions – mine is a little dark at one end! It might be useful to turn it whilst cooking to get an even bake.

Cool.

Wash and spiralize the courgettes – (you can also buy them pre-prepared at many supermarket outlets to save a additional step in the method.) Mix in the lactose free mascarpone and season.

Finely chop the red cabbage, fennel fronds and roughly chop the walnuts and add all the ingredients to the pastry base – serve with mixed green salad leaves.

Decorate with fennel flowers (not an essential item)

Serves 4-6

Lactose free mascarpone was purchased from Tesco and the ready roll puff pastry was made by Genius (gluten free and dairy free.)

Lamb Kofta on gluten free flat bread – low fodmap

I am at the moment experimenting with Greek and Middle Eastern dishes and modifying them to suit a low fodmap diet. I was surprised how well these flat breads turned out – although they are better when served slightly warmed. Enjoy…..

Ingredients

Kofta

400g lamb mince

small sprig of rosemary

1 teaspoon of Lebanese seven spice

1 teaspoon of garlic infused oil

seasoning

Flatbread

250g white gluten free bread flour

seasoning

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 egg

3 tablespoons lactose free yoghurt

70 mls of water

Method

Kofta

Chop the rosemary finely

Add the mince to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well

Weigh into 50g portion sizes and shape into sausages.

Fry in spray oil for 15 minutes (or until cooked through thinner sausages cook faster)

Makes eight

Flatbread

Add the flour to a bowl and weigh in the xanthan gum

Mix well and add seasoning

Add the liquid ingredients and bring the dough together

Weigh into 6 separate balls

Roll out and trim into a circle shape

Fry with spray oil

Serve with feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, thyme and a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds per serving – if you are following a fodmap modified diet and can tolerate GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) you could a tablespoon of hummus to each flatbread. If not you can use my recipe for Tzatziki and turn this into a Greek dish here https://clinicalalimentary.blog/2017/08/08/tzatziki-low-fodmap/

Tzatziki – low fodmap

Over 2000 years ago Socrates stated “All disease begins in the gut”. Clearly not – but most symptoms of IBS start in the gut and having a dip made with lactose free Greek yoghurt will help keep it calm and symptom free if you have lactose intolerance! Tzatziki is so refreshing and great for long hot summer days and a suitable accompaniment to barbecue meats and fish. So make this easy recipe and enjoy! You could also make this dish suitable for a low fibre diet (if your dietitian has advised it) by peeling and removing the seeds from the cucumber before preparing the dip.

Ingredients

150 g Lactose free Greek yogurt (I purchased it from Tesco)

1/2 cucumber

1 tablespoon lemon juice

seasoning

 Method

Cut the cucumber in half and grate one half

Squeeze out all the juice

Chop the other half of cucumber into small cubes

Squeeze a lemon and add a tablespoon of juice to the yoghurt

Then add the cucumber and mix well

Serves 2 as a starter or dip with gluten free Pitta bread.

Lime chicken salad – low fodmap

I am on Holiday this week and I have not picked a good one for the weather unfortunately. I decided to being some colour into my evening meal and brighten my day. So here it is a nice crunchy salad.  The tortilla chips add a bit of different texture and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients

3 carrots (I used rainbow but you can use any kind you like)

3 baby courgettes

2 small bags of M&S tortilla chips (wheat free)

3 tablespoons of lactose free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of Lebanese 7 Spice (Arribica)

Grated rind of 1 lime

2 chicken beasts (cooked)

oregano

Seasoning

Method

Slice the carrots two different ways

Slice the chicken breasts

Add the spice to the yogurt and mix well

Combine the ingredients on a dish

Serves 2

Zucchine (courgette) Pizza gluten free low lactose

Just the job for using up all those extra glut of courgettes that you have in the garden! Courgettes are great for the low fodmap diet, this recipe used yellow courgettes but green ones will work just as well so don’t feel you need to produce this recipe exactly – although the pizza dough does need to be followed closely and it is a modification of one of Jamie’s gluten free pizza bases, but using lactose free milk and one or two tips from someone who is familiar with using the ingredients and fickleness of cooking gluten/wheat free.

Ingredients

Dough

400g of gluten free bread flour (I used doves Farm with zanthan gum already added)

250ml lactose free semi skimmed milk

2 1/2 teaspoons of castor sugar

7g fast yeast powder

1 teaspoon of zanthan gum

1 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon of oil

1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder

Topping

1 sachet of lactose free mozzarella

1 courgette

2 small handfuls of pine nuts

a few basil leaves

2 tablespoons of grated parmesan

a few thyme leaves

oil and egg (beaten)

seasoning

Method

Warm the milk to lukewarm

Add 50ml milk to a dish and add the sugar and yeast, mix and leave in a warm area till it bubbles

Weight out the flour, sieve and add the zanthan gum, baking powder and salt – mix well to ensure the gum is fully dispersed in the mix

Add the egg to the rest of the milk, pour in the oil and mix well

Add the milk to the flour and incorporate well, kneed.

Leave for 1 hour in an oiled basin with a cover in a warm place for the dough to rise.

Add two pieces of cling film to your work surface

Add the dough

Roll out as thin as possible if a thin based is wanted (makes around 4 seven inch or one large pizza)

Lift and turn upside down onto a pre-heated pizza stone

Remove the cling film (now on the top of the dough!)

Topping

Add a drizzle of oil to the top of the pizza

Wash and slice the courgette

Remove the lactose free mozzarella from the packaging and tear into thin strips

Dry the mozzarella well with kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible – this is very important as any excess will make the base soggy.

Tear the basil and thyme

Grate the parmesan

Combine the ingredients on the pizza base except the pine nuts

brush dough edges that are free of topping with beaten egg.

Cook at gas mark 7-8 at the top of the oven for 10 minutes

Remove and add the pine nuts and cook for a further 5 minutes

Serve and enjoy