Aubergine stuffed with lamb and pine nuts

This recipe is another Ottolenghi recipe which I have modified to make it low fodmap and is quite simply delicious the original version can be found in his Jerusalem recipe book. It was very easy to modify really- just don’t add any onion to the recipe! Cinnamon is low fodmap and one of my favourite spices. It does take time to prepare so it is probably a recipe for a Sunday evening meal – slow food and great for fodmaper’s with IBS. Serve with wholegrain rice for a complimentary starchy carbohydrate.

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Ingredients

4 aubergines

6 tablespoons of oil

11/2 teaspoons of ground cumin

11/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

500g mince lean lamb

50g pine nuts

20g flat leafed parsley

2 teaspoons tomato puree

3 teaspoons of sugar

150 ml water

1 teaspoon of tamarind

4 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

seasoning

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Method

Slice the aubergine length-ways and place skin side down in a roasting tin. Brush with 1 tablespoon of oil and season. Cook at 220 degrees C, gas mark 7 for about 20 minutes.

Whilst the aubergines are cooking make the sauce. Add the remaining olive oil to a pan and add half the dry spices and cook for 2 minutes to release the flavour of the spices. Add the lamb, pine nuts, parsley, 1 teaspoon of the tomato purée, 1 teaspoon of sugar and seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes till the meat is browned.

Place the remaining spices in a bowl and add water, lemon juice, tamarind, remaining sugar, 1 teaspoon of tomato purée, cinnamon sticks and season well. Remove the aubergines from the oven and top each with a quarter of the mince. Pour the sauce into the bottom of the roasting tin. Place the dish back in the oven cover with foil or a lid, reduce the temperature to 195 degrees C or gas mark 5 and cook for another one and a half hours. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Serves 4

Hot radish salad

Do you want a side salad with some heat but avoiding chilli and spices? Then radish is your choice. Here I have used three coloured radish but this works just as well with the basic red variety that is common in most supermarkets. This is a salad to accompany other dishes, it is not a good source of carbohydrate or protein so cannot form the only part of a balanced meal. I have also added some nasturtium petals – these can be omitted if you are strictly following the low fodmap diet, they can also add to the heat of the dish.

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Ingredients

1 bag of radish

A bag of green salad leaves (I used mixed chard and red lettuce.)

One or two edible washed nasturtium flowers

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Method

Wash then prepare the radishes three ways. – thinly slice, slice in two and prepare radish flowers.

Radish flowers are made by cutting a zigzag pattern with a knife half way along the radish then separating it in half – makes two flowers, then slice the base to provide a flat surface for it to sit on.

Add the washed salad leaves and radish to the dish with some nasturtium petals and chopped chard  stems for colour.

Serve as a side salad, you could add some dressing – but do check for those fodmaps!

 

Elderflower and blueberry pavlova – low fodmap low lactose

Imagine you are going to a party and have no time to prepare a dessert. If you have made the elderflower cordial recipe then you can whip up this beautiful dessert to take to a summer party and impress your friends! It will take just ten minutes to prepare. I have used frozen blueberries – cheaper than the fresh variety, when defrosted they are softer and have more juice than the fresh varieties. Forgive me for also using a purchased pavlova base – again another time saving tip. This dessert is again another treat to have occasionally in your diet – there are plenty of healthy eating recipes on my blog, sprinkled with the occasional dessert. I have not added any sugar to the blueberries as the pavlova contains plenty. It is important that people who have to follow free from diets know how to produce all recipes in my opinion – so that people can make a choice in their diet. The only concession to the ‘free from’ isle is the lactose free mascarpone cheese, which is divine.

 

Ingredients

1 Shop bought pavlova base

200g of frozen blueberries

1 tub of lactose free mascarpone cheese

70ml of Elderflower cordial

Method

Add the elderflower cordial to the lactose free mascarpone cheese and mix well

Add this to the pavlova

Pile the blueberries on the top of the pavlova

Enjoy!

Serves 6

 

 

The pavlova base was purchased by me from Morrisons, the lactose free mascarpone cheese from Tesco and the pavlova was decorated with elder flowers and borage flowers – these are not an essential addition to the dish.

Chicken and grape salad – low fodmap

This is a quick light lunch for a sunny day. This is a mix of salad leaves, herbs and chicken with grapes. Low fodmap and yummy!

ingredients

1 Carrot

1 roasted chicken thigh

80g grapes

Mixed salad leaves

2 Radish

Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar (don’t exceed 1 tablespoon.)

Fennel leaves

Small handful of parsley

Method

Shred the chicken

Peel the carrot and use the peeler to produce long slices

Slice the grapes

Add all the ingredients on the plate

Serve

Serves 1 – serve with a portion of carbohydrate – a slice of wholegrain gluten free bread or seeded gluten free crackers. Also it is worth mentioning not to have a fruit pudding after this salad you have had the portion for this meal.

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Maple and muscat grape no bake cheesecake – Low fodmap

Love cheesecake and having problems with lactose intolerance? Then look no further – this recipe is for you! It is a simple recipe and other grape varieties can be used – but for a special dinner party then these muscat grapes do taste a little bit special and really marry with the flavour of the maple syrup used to sweeten this dish. The recipe is for occasional consumption as it is high in calories but as you will know from the other recipes on this website a small amount of the cheesecake can be consumed occasionally. Cheesecake is a wonderful flavour and dessert for a treat. Your dinner party guests will not suspect that you follow a lactose free or low fodmap diet.

Ingredients

2 tubs of lactose free cream cheese

50g maple syrup

1 packet of gluten free biscuits.

40g butter

2 sheets of gelatine

warm water

1 pack of grapes

Method

Crush the biscuits to a consistently sized small crumb

Melt the butter and add the biscuit crumb and mix well

Add to the bottom of a flan dish and flatten to form the base

Chill

Place the lactose free cream cheese in a dish and add the maple syrup (ensure that the maple syrup is free of added fructose syrup.)

Add the gelatin to cold water till soft

Remove and pour on some just boiled water 100ml – just enough to dissolve the gelatin.

Add the dissolved gelatin to the cream cheese mixture

Mix well

Add the cream cheese mixture to the top of the biscuit base and chill

Decorate with grapes and maple syrup drizzle.

Serves 8-10

Moroccan roasted vegetables

I love roasted vegetables and these are no exception. This is a Moroccan themed dish using Fodify low fodmap spice mix (purchased) to flavour the gluten free couscous (corn based.)

Ingredients

200g of carrots

1 small bag of mini aubergines (or one large aubergine)

Small handful of green beans

200g of gluten free couscous

2 teaspoons of Moroccan spice mix

15g pine nuts

15g pecan nuts

1 tablespoon garlic infused oil

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray oil

Method

Spray the vegetables with spray oil and roast in a hot oven till soft

Add couscous to a bowl and add an equal amount of hot water and leave to soften.

Chop the pecan nuts.

Add the oil to a frying pan and add the spices, pine nuts and pecan nuts and lightly toast.

Pour the toasted nuts into the couscous and mix well

Taste and season.

Add the couscous to the serving dish and pile on the roasted vegetables and sprinkle with lemon rind.

Serves 5 – 6