Tag: food intolerance

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.

Jules_GastroRDLeave a comment

Elderflower Cordial

On a walk this afternoon I gathered a handful of elderflowers. This recipe is based on a recipe from the book Hedgerow Cookbook. The elder is a wonderful bush although it generally doesn’t look that way when you find one. It is generally a wizened looking gnarled tree with moss growing on it but it produces the most wonderful flowers and fruit – the only decision to be made is whether to pick the flowers or save them till the berries arrive later. Or you could pick a smaller amount and save some berries for later in the year, if you can get to them before the birds do. Making this squash fills the whole house with the odour of elderberry blossom and is a wonderful treat – don’t forget this is concentrated squash and yes it does contain some sugar – but this can be drunk occasionally as a treat.

 

Ingredients

12 elderflower heads

18g citric acid

1 unwaxed lemon

400g granulated sugar

3/4 pint water

 

Method

Wash the flower heads under running water and add to a bowl with lemon peel and sliced lemon.

Add the water to a pan and then the citric acid and granulated sugar.

Heat the water till the sugar and citric acid has dissolved

Pour the liquid over the flowers and lemon and leave overnight to steep.

Strain off the liquid and put it into bottles.

This will keep a few days in the fridge.

Jules_GastroRD4 Comments

Courgette and walnut salad – low fodmap

Raw courgette adds another dimension to this dish it is crunchy and refreshing. This dish uses the yellow variety but is just as good with the green courgette.

Ingredients

2 yellow courgettes

1 handful of walnuts

1 handful of pumpkin seeds

100g of corn based couscous

2 teaspoons of grained mustard

Red leaved lettuce

1 yellow pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Spiralise the courgette into thick spirals. Pour boiling water onto the corn based couscous and leave to soak up the liquid and cool, add the mustard and mix well. Combine all the ingredients to the salad season and mix well. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jules_GastroRDLeave a comment

Lactose free rice pudding topped with blueberry brittle

Rice pudding is a real comfort food and often advised for people who need to have nutrition support for weight loss as it is easy to eat and tastes great. If you have lactose intolerance however, this might be a food you wish to avoid. But using lactose free milk means that you can have lactose free rice pudding – a joy!

Recipe

100g short grained rice

1 pint of lactose free milk (more may be required – depending on how thick you like your rice pudding.)

2 tablespoons of lactose free cream

2 tablespoons of table sugar

A handful of blueberries.

Sugar to sweeten to taste

Method

Add rice to the pan and cover with half the milk and cream and bring to the boil.

Keep stirring and adding milk till the rice is cooked.

Taste – then add just enough sugar to sweeten.

Add the two tablespoons of table sugar to a pan with a small amount to water and cook till dissolved. Add the blueberries and coat in the sugar. Add to the top the rice pudding and serve.

Serves 2

 

Jules_GastroRDLeave a comment

Quinoa and carrot salad with a herb dressing – low fodmap

This is a salad that is vibrant and although rainbow carrots have been used these are not essential to the dish, it can be made cheaply with plain orange carrots, if needed. The dressing is fresh and adds another dimension to the taste. It is important to use flavourings when fresh garlic and onion are not available to brighten up salad dressings. I have never really got along with quinoa – I find it’s grains hard – but adding grained mustard to it has for me improved the flavour if not the texture of this grain. I like the taste of this dish, so I will be making it again. It is very nice for a light lunch on its own or to accompany meat or fish if you eat them. I wish I could like quinoa a little more, looking at Wikipedia I came across an interesting article suggesting it has potential as a food option for controlled ecological controlled life systems. In other words, Nasa have investigated its properties for use as food in longer term space missions. It has a favourable amino acid profile and can be grown hydroponically to give a good yield. But if this is the only offered grain it looks like I won’t be considering long term space travel soon – I will have to take a large jar of mustard with me if I do!

Ingredients

Dressing

1/2 pack of coriander

1/2 pack of flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons of garlic infused oil

1 teaspoon of cumin

Season to taste

Quinoa

1 heaped teaspoon of grained mustard

1/2 cup of quinoa

3/4 cup of boiling water

Season to taste

Salad

1 Pack of rainbow carrots

Mixed salad leaves

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Few capers for decoration

Method

Dressing

Pour the oil into a blender and add the herbs, cumin and seasoning

Blend till smooth

Heat in a pan to cook the cumin – 5 minutes only are needed just to release the flavour. If you cook it for too long the heat will affect the colour of the dressing. Cool.

Quinoa

Add the quinoa and boiling water to a pan – cook for five minutes and then add the lid to the pan and leave for 20 minutes to cook in the hot water. Cool.

Mix in the mustard and seasoning to taste.

Salad

Peel the carrots into strips along the length of the carrot.

Add the salad leaves

Build the dish

Enjoy!

Serves 3

Jules_GastroRDLeave a comment

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.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Jules_GastroRDLeave a comment