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

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

Welsh Rarebit – low fodmap

Welsh rarebit is one of those lunch or supper dishes that is easy to do and as with all cheese dishes, really hits the taste buds to satisfy! How do we make this low fodmap? With a slice of gluten free or 100% sourdough spelt bread that has been through a fermentation process. Make sure you ask about the fermentation process as some breads just have a flavouring added to them – which is not a true sourdough process. Also the flavour of the cheese is enhanced by the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce and fish sauce to replace the Worcestershire sauce that is usually a staple ingredient of the dish. Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy sauce – so a splash of fish sauce is not as strange as it appears, Worcestershire sauce does contain onion and garlic so is not low fodmap. Don’t be too worried about adding some fish sauce – this will not taste fishy at all! Also use a hard cheese low in lactose. No salt is needed to be added to this dish – it is naturally salty enough.

Check out Sustain’s real bread finder and the types of sourdough process here https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/bakery_finder/

https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/sourdough/ avoid type III sourdough as this may not be suitable for a low fodmap diet.

Ingredients

45g hard cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon fish sauce

1 slice of gluten free or sourdough bread.

Method

Toast one side of the bread.

Grate the cheese and add to a bowl with the egg, soy sauce, mustard and fish sauce.

Mix well.

Top the bread with this mix and grill till golden brown.

Serves 1

*This recipe is NOT gluten free therefore is not suitable for those with coeliac disease.

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Turmeric roasted parsnips with fennel leaves – low fodmap.

This recipe is based on mini parsnips – they do taste great roasted, even the well done ends are crisp and add a flavour to the dish. Something to pick up the mood on a wet damp bank holiday weekend. Fennel bulb is limited on the low fodmap diet (49g maximum) so do be careful with having large amounts of fennel bulb – perhaps roast it and give the roasted fennel bulb to other members of the family! I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients

1 packet on mini parsnips

1 piece of turmeric sliced thinly

spray oil

Springs of fennel

Method

Slice the turmeric and spray both the turmeric and parsnips with oil

Add the parsnips to a baking tray and sprinkle with the turmeric and roast till crispy.

Add sprigs of fennel leaves before serving.

Easy!

Chicken, chard and pine nut conchiglie pasta – low fodmap

I adore chard – it is so pretty and very tasty. I have not been able to source a regular supply of it, perhaps because it may be a seasonal leaf. I was surprised and very pleased to find it in a local store, so I bought some to use over the weekend. I always keep some celeriac in the vegetable compartment of the fridge, it replaces the celery flavour of low fodmap dishes and adds a another depth of flavour to the dish. This is a nice spring recipe to start the Easter weekend and herald the start of better weather, lighter nights and fresh food.

Ingredients

300g of dried gluten free pasta

2 tablespoons of pine nuts

4 cooked chicken thighs

30g grated parmesan

I tablespoon of oil

1 slice of celeriac

100g chard

70g spinach leaves

Method

Chop the chard, spinach and celeriac into small slices.

Fry in the small amount of oil with the pine nuts.

Slice the chicken and add to the pan to warm through (must heat the chicken to at least seventy degrees C, if the chicken has been chilled and only reheat it once.)

Grate the parmesan cheese.

Cook the pasta in a pan of hot water whilst the sauce is cooking.

Do take care when cooking gluten free pasta as it is very easy to overcook it and end up with a ball of starch in your pan! Review the cooking instructions on the packet before you start.

Drain the pasta, add the vegetables and chicken and stir thoroughly.

Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.

Serves 4.

Easter chocolate orange cake treat – low fodmap

Ingredients

Cake

150g self raising gluten free flour

150g margarine

150g golden castor sugar

Grated rind of 1 orange

Juice of half an orange

2 eggs

15g cocoa powder (check gluten free if needed)

1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder

Orange marmalade

Chocolate frosting

50g Dark chocolate

15g Margarine

2 Tablespoons of warm water

175g of sifted icing sugar

3 Drops of oil of orange flavouring.

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Method

Cream together margarine and sugar till smooth.

Add orange rind and juice of orange, mix well.

Add one egg at a time and beat well to avoid the mix curdling.

If it does start to separate add a tablespoon of flour and mix in well.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder) till fully incorporated.

Cook at gas mark 6 for 1 hour till risen and cooked through.

Whilst the cake is cooling make the icing.

Put the chocolate, water and margarine in a bowl held over a pan of boiling water.

Melt and mix, add the oil of orange and icing sugar and beat till smooth.

Cut the cake in half and spread the orange marmalade over the bottom layer, then a thin layer of frosting.

Add the rest of the frosting to the cake.

The cake is also decorated with half kumquat segments.

Serve – remember a small serving is probably a good idea, a great treat for Easter perhaps!

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