Peppered leaf salad with prosciutto and berries – low fodmap

On the theme of salads again here is a lovely refreshing peppery salad. Watercress is suitable for the low fodmap diet according to the Monash App and I love it’s hot taste. I also added a few mint tips and radish shoots. The fruit is a portion so don”t have a piece of fruit after this salad or you will trigger symptoms if you have fructose malabsorption. Check it out for a great lunchbox or add to a gluten free wrap.

Ingredients

1 pack of watercress

80g blueberries

80g raspberries

1 pack of prosciutto (check the ingredients and avoid those with spices)

A few mint tips

A few radish shoots

balsamic drizzle – don’t exceed a tablespoon

Method

Simple – wash the fruit and leaves and arrange the ingredients in a bowl.

Drizzle with balsamic

Serves two.

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

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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Salad bowl – low fodmap

The weather this weekend is fabulous for April. We are famous in the UK for discussing the weather – not surprisingly when it can change so frequently. Days when it is unexpectedly fine are few and far between. It makes me crave a salad.

Ingredients

Salad leaves – radicchio, red leaf and spinach

1 Carrot

100g Celeriac

1 Teaspoon light mayo

2 Radishes

Green beans

75g Cooked wild and wholegrain rice

75g Black rice pasta

Dressed crab

Dressing for rice – soy sauce, olive oil (equal quantities) and a few drops of fish sauce.

Grated lime rind

Method

Wash leaves

Peel carrot and celeriac and grate – mix with the mayo.

Make the dressing

Cook rice and pasta till soft – add the dressing to the rice and pasta whilst warm and then cool

Wash and slice the radish.

Cook the green beans till soft, then cool.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl.

Pile the dressed crab on the top (you could use other ingredients if you wish, instead)

Sprinkle with lime rind

Enjoy!

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Got Leftovers? A Christmas rice salad Low FODMAP and Gluten Free

DSCF1100modI have a hobby – I collect vintage Christmas decorations. The one in the picture, the watering can, was part of my granddad’s Christmas decorations and I remember it when we used to visit his house. It does look a little the worse for wear now, and granddad passed away a number of years ago, but I have happy memories when I use it so I would not throw it away. I have a number of other family decorations that come out every year and I have also bought some more – second-hand, this year. A number of the shops are selling vintage look baubles – but in my view you can’t beat the real thing! Using second-hand or ‘left overs’ is a really good idea – too much in life is disposable these days and this is a really environmentally friendly and economical way of living.

I have made this recipe using chicken as we had some chicken to use up, but it can also be used with turkey leftovers, I am sure you will have some to spare!

Ingredients

150 g Brown basmati rice

30 g Wild rice

20 g Camargue red rice

1 Tablespoon of garlic Infused oil

15 g Fresh Tarragon

2 Chicken breasts

1 Tablespoon of grained mustard gluten-free

1 Tablespoon of light mayonnaise (gluten-free or egg free mayonnaise if needed)

40 g pine nuts

5 Radishes

5cm Slice of cucumber

Salt + pepper to taste.

Fresh salad leaves to decorate

Serves 3-4

Method

If using fresh turkey or chicken coat the meat in oil and chop the tarragon and add it to the chicken – roast in an oven till cooked. Cool quickly. If using cooked meat then add the oil and tarragon to the rice and use the meat cold.

Add the rice to a pan with water and simmer till cooked and soft, cool quickly.

Mix the mayo and grained mustard together and add to the rice with the chicken, pine nuts, sliced radishes and chopped cucumber add salt + pepper to taste and serve.

If you are sensitive to resistant starches this dish can be served freshly cooked and hot – just serve the radish and cucumber on the side of the plate.

I wish all my readers a happy calm gut holiday!

http://www.digsdigs.com/40-beautiful-vintage-christmas-tree-ideas/

Potato and salmon rosti

This recipe uses the tandoori spice masala mix made in the last blog (see the bottom for a link.) This dish is low-fat, suitable for those who are looking to manage their weight whilst having tasty filling Low FODMAP food.

IMG_1744Ingredients

1 Large potato

1 egg

2 small salmon steaks

1 dessert spoon of low fodmap tandoori spice masala

Salt & pepper

For the green salad

Finely sliced celery – ensure less than a small stick per serving

Alfalfa

finely chopped cucumber

Method

Cook the salmon steaks and flake them.

Peel and grate the potato

Add the flaked salmon to the potato and bind together using 1 egg

Mix in the spice, salt & pepper.

Spray oil on a baking tray and cook the rosti in the oven

Serve with green salad. Makes 6

https://clinicalalimentary.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/low-fat-tandoori-chicken-made-with-low-fodmap-spice-masala-contains-lactose/