Posts relevent to Irritable Bowel Symdrome
We have been planning an event at The IBS Network it’s on the 17th of November in Sheffield. The details are on the poster – attend at the Octagon Centre from 10:30 – 4.00 pm. Seminars, cooking sessions, free one to one consultations with health professionals. Treat yourself to a little Wellbeing!
For more information about the event please visit www.theibsnetwork.org/wellbeing.asp
For journey planning http://www.yorkshiretravel.net/journeyplanner/enterJourneyPlan.do?hss=vyTl162847206
I hated history at school, queen this, king that, on this date such and such, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah yawn, zzzzzzz , then awoke with a start as my head dropping forward jolted my brain awake, before the teacher noticed – I hoped. It all seemed to merge into one confusing mess, I could never remember any of it, even with a very young brain. Perhaps it was the way that it was taught, I don’t know, or perhaps it didn’t really appeal to me. No Horrible Histories for us as children, wish I had this when I was younger. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7exoXGUbIA
I have found as I have got older that actually I am quite interested in history, linking historical events to festivals is one very good way of remembering. Guy Fawkes was part of a band of catholics who plotted an assassination attempt against James the first and others at the state opening of parliament in 1605. He was found just about to light the gunpowder, arrested, sentenced then hanged, drawn and quartered – nasty business! The discovery of the plot is commemorated every year with bonfires – traditionally with a burning Guy, fireworks and lots of warming food to eat!
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes, guy, t’was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England’s overthrow.
By god’s mercy he was catch’d
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.
I found the above copy of the traditional poem on the website for Leigh School – some really cool information on celebrations – check it out here
http://www.leighinfants.co.uk/southendpn/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=print&ceid=68
Now on nights were you want to be out watching fireworks and doing other fun stuff cooking is probably in the back of your mind. How about this bangers and roots recipe? – really simple to make, FODMAP friendly and just the ticket to eat outdoors, if you wish. If you are having a barbecue you can put these vegetables on skewers instead and put them on the barbie.
Ingredients
1 orange carrot
1 purple carrot
1 yellow carrot
2 Parsnips
Small handful of chopped pumpkin
Small handful of cherry tomatoes (care with the amount)
1/2 dozen gluten-free sausages (if you are following a Low FODMAP diet please check flavoured sausages for onion and garlic powder.)
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil.
Method
Wash vegetables and peel carrots, parsnip and pumpkin, chop. Chop potato with skins on and add them all to a large baking tray. Pile ’em all in – no need to be prissy about it.
Drizzle over garlic infused oil and lay the sausages on the top. Sprinkle over the chilli powder and smoked paprika, add a small amount of salt (I didn’t need salt – perhaps you should taste it after cooking and add it if needed.)
Place in an oven (or on the barbie, cut vegetables thinner and skewer) gas mark
6.
Cook at the top of the oven till nicely browned – yum, a real crowd pleaser on a chilly November night (the purple carrot looks a bit burned, I assure you it’s not – it’s just the dark purple colour, perfectly done!) This should keep you warm whilst outside enjoying the festivities, serves three.
Take care with your real bangers and keep your furry critters in the house away from harm.
It’s getting close to Halloween now, what are your plans? The following is a recipe for halloween night – not to upset your digestion! Although I can’t guarantee a scare free evening!
Ingredients
2 Salmon fillets
1 tablespoon of soy sauce*
*gluten free
salt
150g Black rice noodles
Spray oil
2 carrots
2 tsps Garlic infused oil
Radishes to garnish
Serves 2
Method
Place salmon fillets in an oven proof dish and cover in water and soy sauce, poach till cooked through.
Boil a large pan of water and add the noodles to the pan and heat till softened.
Peel carrots lengthways to produce carrot strips, chop up the green pepper and peel the radishes (to look like eyeballs, scary!!!)
Add oil to a wok and add the salmon (flaked) chopped vegetables and a little more soy sauce, if desired. Add a little of the poaching liquid. Cook on a high heat till cooked through.
If you are following a gluten free diet ensure your soy sauce is a gluten free variety. Suitable for Low FODMAP, gluten free, lactose free, egg free, wheat free.
It’s really well into Autumn now and there was a very pretty spiders web on our Acer tree – unfortunately my photography skills really doesn’t do it justice, you can only see the twinkling colours of the water droplets in the web at the bottom of the picture. Made these breakfast bars this morning, I’m getting a little bored with my usual breakfast so I thought I would try this instead:
110g of oatmeal bran
20g of milled flaxseed
80g of oatmeal
1 heaped tsp of cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon of mixed spice
3 teaspoons of artificial sweetner powder
1 tin of gooseberries in light syrup
50 mls of ginger cordial
50 mls olive oil
Sieve out the gooseberries and retain the fluid (should be around 150ml), to this add olive oil, ginger cordial and mix well.
Place all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (typed bowel initially – ha ha ha, lol 🙂 just shows my job is in my unconsciousness.)
Mash the gooseberries, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add liquid and gooseberries, mix well till amalgomated.
Spread out the mixture on an oiled baking tray and place in a preheated oven at gas mark 6, or 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes, check after 15!
Cut into 8 or 12 bars, cool on a baking tray and sprinkle with icing sugar.
These bars do have fibre therefore please ensure you have a drink if liquid when you have these, a cup of tea, coffee, or glass of water would suffice. Take care if you are not used to eating foods containing fibre – don’t scoff too many at one go! These should also fill you up as they are based on oats – a low glycaemic food choice, they are also nice with yoghurt.
I have been meaning to look into snack ideas for the low FODMAP diet and wondering how to make crackers. I have been reading on the internet and the methods people use seem simple enough. This is my own recipe – but thanks to those whose recipes I have read – too many to mention individually. However special thanks goes to Jonathan Itchon see the link at the bottom of the page – for providing a ratio to make the crackers. Here is the recipe:
200g of plain gluten-free flour mix
150g of water
50g of olive oil
2 tsps of chilli powder (not a blend of spices, chilli ONLY)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp of asafoetida
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of salt
Add the oil to the water, place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the spices, mix well. Add the water/oil to the flour and mix till it has bound together, too wet and add a little more flour, too dry and add water – although the mix did come together very well. Place dough on a large piece of cling film and add another piece of cling film over the top. Roll the dough till it is VERY thin – thinner dough makes crisper crackers. Cut out with a pastry cutter. This is the most time-consuming bit. the dough is quite brittle so take care – or you can always add 1/2 tsp of xantham gum to make the mix more elastic. Place the crackers on an oiled baking tray and cook on gas mark 7, 220 degrees for ten minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
With 2 teaspoons of chilli powder these crackers are hot hot hot! Reduce the amount or exclude it altogether if you find that chillies don’t agree with your digestive system, or if you are making these for children – use animal cutters! Also the whole house was filled with the smell of asafoetida – just be warned! 😉 Also I don’t tend to use much salt in my cooking so they are perhaps less salty than you may be used to. If you have coeliac disease and are following a gluten free diet you must ensure that the spices you buy have not been contaminated with gluten containing grains – wheat, barley, rye. But these crackers were easy to make and has made me feel like trying different flavours – excellent, since ready-made flavoured gluten free crackers are rather expensive. Make some for your food intolerant friends today!
http://thecanaryfiles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/ratio-rally-gluten-free-vegan-grain.html
Last night I cooked a chicken curry here is the recipe.
Ingredients
6 skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil
1 aubergine
2 large tomatoes
3 teaspoons of cornflour
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
4 split cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida
1 teaspoon of chilli powder (Omit this if it makes your symptoms worse)
1/2 yellow pepper
200 mls of water or home-made chicken stock (without garlic and onion)
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Cut up the aubergine into small pieces, also cut the tomato
Add oil to pan and heat
Add spices to the pan and cook for a minute to release the aroma
Add chicken
cook for 5 minutes
Then add stock and the aubergine and the tomato, add cornflour (mix with a small amount of water to blend first and make a smooth paste)
cook for 20 minutes. (10 minutes in start to make rice – see below)
Add chopped pepper and cook for 5 -10 minutes.
Rice – 300g basmati rice (2 cups) place in a pan and cover with water 2cm above the rice, add salt to taste then add 4 cloves, a 2cm piece of cassia bark, 4-5 black peppercorns and 2-3 green cardamom pods, curry leaf. Bring to the boil for 15-20 minutes remove spices prior to serving. This tastes a little like pilau rice – add colouring to make this more authentic if you wish.
Serves 4
Clinical Alimentary 