It’s a FODMAP free fishy friday

fish fridayDo you eat fish on Friday? Do you know where this tradition came from?

I think one of the most comforting foods during dank winter days is fish pie. It is warming, comforting and can be a really healthy option too. Great to come home too after work when you need something tasty and filling after a full week at work a great start to the weekend. Now our usual fare on Friday is pilchards on toast – but I will bring you this delight some other time.

Ingredients

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300g mixed fish, this can be purchased from supermarkets already prepared, use a white fish, a smoked fish and salmon.

2/3 pint of lactose free milk

1 tablespoon of cornflour

1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard

Small handful of flat leaved parsley

salt

2cm piece of freshly grated parmesan

1/3 small Butternut Squash, 1 tablespoon of garlic infused oil, 1/2 lemon

600g of potato

1 tablespoon of margarine

3 tablespoons of lactose free milk

Method

Chop the squash, drizzle with oil and lemon and roast in the oven till softDSCF0956mod

Boil the potato

Mash the squash and potato with margarine and 3 tablespoons of milk add a small amount of salt

Add milk to a pan with mustard, parsley and mix cornflour with a little milk and add this to the pan – cook till thickened.

Add fish to a dish and pour over sauce till the fish is covered, keep remaining sauce to serve with the dish later.

Spoon on the mash, level with a fork and then sprinkle on the cheese.

Place the dish in the centre of an oven at gas mark 6, 250ºC for 25 minutes.

Serve with the warmed sauce.

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Stir fry beef low fodmap

gingergrind

This recipe is suitable for a Low FODMAP diet, lactose free, wheat free dairy free and some advice later will show you how you can modify this recipe suitable for Crohn’s and colitis too. Give it a go – also check out the following tool to help you monitor your symptoms of diarrhoea it is not a diagnostic programme so if you have a diagnosis and wish to know more read on…….

A new free online health programme and app called MyRhythm has just launched and is used to track your digestive health on the go discreetly and with ease. By inputting your food and mood, the app will draw up a monthly report, identifying certain triggers unique to the user for digestive upset.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of Ginger, chopped

4 tablespoons of Tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of garlic infused oil (to ensure it is totally FODMAP free you need to purchase this)

1 pak choy

1 courgette

1 red pepper

1 spring onion, green part only

1/2 tin of bamboo shoots

250g of lean beef – cut into strips.

20131103_34modMethod

Chop ginger and add to a pestle with the golden syrup and garlic infused oil, grind to form a paste

Add this to the beef and chopped spring onion pour on the Tamari, mix well and leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Chop the vegetables thinly and heat a wok – I use a non stick wok so I don’t need to add any further oil to this to cook the meat.

Add the meat first and cook, then add the vegetables and keep stirring till the vegetables are cooked.

Serve with boiled rice – ensure you use freshly boiled  rice and eat whilst hot to avoid resistant starches, if this is a problem for you.

20131103_53modIf you have colitis and don’t tolerate red meat you can use chicken or fish to make this recipe. If you are experiencing diarrhoea symptoms and have been advised to have a low fibre diet, you will need to reduce the amount of vegetables in this dish, 1/2 carrot and 1/2 a skinned red pepper cut finely and cooked well will be adequate (boil for 10 minutes – boil the pepper whole for 10 minutes and the skin will peel away, before you put the vegetables into a wok) and use powdered ginger instead of ginger root to make up the recipe. Discuss the iron content of your diet with your dietitian or IBD team – do not be tempted to try iron supplements without discussing this with your doctor or dietitian, they can make symptoms worse. Low FODMAP diet is suitable if you are in remission (your inflammatory markers or CRP are normal) with your colitis and are continuing to experience symptoms, your dietitian can advise you how to use the diet, to see which foods result in symptoms.

20131103_57modFor Crohn’s to make this diet suitable for LOFFLEX you can use the modifications which have been suggested for the low fibre diet.

Please note I do not endorse any medication companies but this app tool might be useful – only use medications on advice from your healthcare professional.

Buckwheat blueberry pancakes with maple syrup

Don’t be mistaken – buckwheat is not wheat, it is related to rhubarb and is therefore suitable for a gluten-free , low lactose, wheat free diet. Buckwheat is used widely in Europe and makes the most wonderful pancakes, hence the following recipe. I also find that blueberries make a very tasty addition to pancakes, cakes and biscuits. So an occasional treat for a special breakfast – these pancakes won’t be around for long!

DSC00595Ingredients

2 eggs

175g Wholegrain buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

300ml of lactose free milk (or other dairy free alternative)

200g fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons of castor sugar

salt

spray oil to fry

maple syrup to serve

Method

Mix together eggs and milk.

Weigh out buckwheat flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix together and add to the milk & egg mixture and mix well.

Add blueberries and mix well.

Spray oil into a non stick frying pan and drop some of the mix into the pan and turn when the base is cooked. Remove from the pan and place in an oven at gas mark 5 till cooked through.

Serve whilst still warm with maple syrup.

The pancakes are not too sweet but are obviously sweet when the syrup is poured over!

**Please be careful and DO NOT try to eat these when hot from the oven – the blueberries get very hot and will burst and leak hot juice if eaten too soon** Also buckwheat has been the cause of some allergic reactions, so if you have not eaten it before just try a little to start with.

Updated 22.11.14

Pork steaks with a sweet southern twist plus fried green tomatoes Low FODMAP (contains fructose)

I have always wanted to try fried green tomatoes ever since I watched the film ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-stop Cafe‘. It is one of my favourite films starring Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy, it has a complex plot but is worth watching. Well, on Saturday I bought some green tomatoes and decided I would finally give it a go! I also bought some pork steaks so here is the recipe:

IMG_1833Pork Steaks

2 pork steaks

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil

½ teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of ground allspice

1 large sage leaf

3-4 strands of thyme

Salt

1 inch piece of ginger

Method

Chop the herbs and ginger and mix with golden syrup, garlic infused oil, paprika, salt and allspice.

Rub this mixture into the pork steaks.

I cooked this immediately but it will probably benefit from marinading for a couple of hours.

Cook in the oven at gas mark 5 for 1.5 hours (the longer the better really to ensure the pork is really tender.)

Fried green tomatoes.

4 green tomatoes

Gluten free flour

1-2 eggs

maize meal

salt & pepper

Garlic infused oil

Method

Slice the tomatoes and dry them between pieces of kitchen paper.

Put the gluten-free flour on a flat plate and season with salt & pepper

Crack the eggs into a dish and beat with a fork

Put the maize meal onto another flat plate and season with salt & pepper.

Dip the sliced tomato into the gluten-free flour first, then egg and finally into the maize meal. Coat thoroughly with each dip.

Fry the tomatoes in a little oil till golden.

I served both these dishes with a little boiled rice and tomato with rocket.

According to the reviews I read on the internet before I tried this dish people have lots of memories of eating fried green tomatoes cooked by their mothers and grandmothers. I am sure I cannot give this dish the taste that someone who has cooked this for family for years. But I have to mention that it is a dish that doesn’t seem to be worse for using gluten-free flour – in fact I think by using a rice based gluten-free flour blend, the crispness may be better than the original!

Bonsoir mes amis voules-vous des Madeleines sans gluten? Milk free, low FODMAP.

IMG_1818 These little plump cakes are easy to make and are just the ticket if you want to have a little something sweet but don’t want to go overboard on calories, they are gluten-free, low fodmap and milk free. The secret is to eat one! I love France, particularly Paris I have been twice and still would love to go back. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

130 g  Castor sugar

2 medium eggs

Grated rind of 1 lemon + juice of 1/2 lemon

225 g of gluten-free self-raising flour

120 g of dairy free margarine

Horse statue outside the Musee d’Orsay

Method

Add the castor sugar, lemon juice and eggs to a bowl. Whisk over a pan of warm water until at least double the volume.

Melt the margarine and add the grated lemon rind, pour into a measuring jug.

Drizzle the margarine slowly into the batter and continue to whisk, then add the flour and mix slowly with a metal spoon until it is fully incorporated.

Allow the batter to cool and put a heaped teaspoon of batter into a Madeleine tray. Cook at gas mark 6 until risen and golden.

Remove from the tray and cool – makes about 18.IMG_0923

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Trout with salad – Low FODMAP, dairy free, gluten free

IMG_1801We are heading towards the end of Summer, early in the morning it certainly feels like Autumn is on the way. However there is still time left to enjoy a cold salad with a small glass of chilled white wine for our evening meal.

Today’s activity was a run around my home town, nestled in the middle of the Pennines. We certainly have our share of wet weather and today was no exception. However the skies were bright enough for me to manage an hour without getting too drenched. This summers weather has still resulted in flooding in the next village, despite the weather being hotter than usual, the deluge of rain was severe enough to wash away the road. I would not want to live anywhere else though, as we have beautiful countryside and the steep wooded valley’s add to the overall atmosphere. Have a look at the pictures and see if you agree.

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If you wish to make the meal above the recipe is as follows:

Salad

Small handful of miniature plum tomatoes (about 8-10)

Small handful of green olives

Small handful of mixed leaves (rocket, spinach and watercress)

1/2 an orange pepper

1 tablespoon of pumpkin and sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons of fennel seeds

1 small piece of celery

2 inch slice of cucumber.

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

1/2 lemon

1 bunch of fresh thyme

Chop all ingredients finely and add spices, seeds and lemon juice

Season and toss well. Serves three

Rice

3 cups of basmati rice

1 cup of neroli rice

1/2 an aubergine

salt

Chop the aubergine and add to the rice, cover with water season and cook till tender. Cool

Plus 1 fillet of trout per person, grilled and cooled.

Serve