Balsamic Slow Cooked Beef - low FODMAP

This Balsamic Roast Beef recipe is simple and delicious. You'll definitely want left overs for the next day. This serves 6-8 and is best served with mashed potatoes (so you can smother them in gravy) and vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1kg boneless roast beef (I ask for chuck from the butcher)
• 1 cup beef broth (I make up a cup of gravy with gravy mix and water)
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (omit for low FODMAP recipe)

Method:

1. Place the roast into the slow cooker
2. In a 2 cup measuring jug - mix together all remaining ingredients
3. Pour over the roast
4. Cook on high for 4hrs or on low for 6-8hrs
5. Serve on a platter and pull it apart. It is so tender it shreds.

For the gravy: Just before serving I scoop out 2 ladles of the sauce and place in a small saucepan on the stove top. I add some corn flour to thicken. You won't need any gravy mix or other flavouring as the sauce is very flavoursome.  D-E-L-icious  XD

This is the beef before cooking

Chicken Cordon Bleu - Gluten free, Lactose free, low FODMAP

Image courtesy of 4Play - 4 Ingredients

Now before you say…hey, that looks like a professional photo…it is! I made these last night and plum forgot to take a pic. I know…talk about forgetful. But I am being honest here - mine DID look exactly like these, well without the rose petals on the plate of course!

OK these were a W.I.N.N.E.R - even with fussy Mr 12. Now as you know, I don't eat real bread crumbs so I replaced the breadcrumbs with rice crumbs. This served 4 with vegetables on the side.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken fillets, sliced in half and beaten until 1cm thick
• 4 rashers of bacon
• 4 slices of tasty cheese (use lactose free if you are lactose intolerant)
• ½ cup rice crumbs, seasoned with salt & pepper

Method:

1. Once you've beaten the chicken fillets to 1cm thick, lay them on baking paper
2. Place the bacon on the chicken breast
3. Place the cheese on top of the bacon
4. Roll up, tucking the ends in, and secure with toothpicks
5. Roll in the rice crumbs until covered, but not too thick
6. Cook in 180 degrees celsius oven for 30-35mins, or until crumbs are golden

D-E-L-icious  XD

4 Cheese Pasta Bake

This pasta bake is made with low-fat heart-smart mince beef, low-FODMAP tomato base and cheeses and also with gluten-free pasta. I would call it the healthiest pasta bake around! The four cheeses make it the delicious dish that it is, in fact it adds quite a twist on the old pasta bake recipes we're all used to. This serves 6-8 generous helpings.

Ingredients:

• 600g lean, low-fat heart-smart mince beef
• 1 onion, chopped (eliminate for low FODMAP diet
• 2 whole cloves garlic (remove after cooking for low FODMAP diet)
• ½ green capsicum
• ½ yellow capsicum
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar tomato cooking sauce (garlic and onion free, i.e. Passata)
• ½ chopped red chilli
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herb (i.e. rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano)
• 500g pasta of your choice. I used gluten-free macaroni
• 200g low-fat Greek feta cheese, crumbled
• 100g Grana Padano cheese, grated
• 100g Peccorino cheese, grated
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celsius
2. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions
3. Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan and when hot, add onion and garlic (omit if making low-FODMAP) and also add the chilli, stir together 
4. Add the capsicum, herbs, salt & pepper and stir
5. Add the meat and brown through, but don't over do it as it's going into the oven. Once the meat is browned, remove from heat
6. When the pasta is cooked, place it into a large earthenware dish or large oven-proof casserole dish, i.e. Chasseur pot with lid
7. Pour in the browned mince, cherry tomatoes, tomato cooking sauce and mix well
8. Place the crumbled feta on top, then the grated cheeses evenly
9. Spread to make even coverage and cook, with the lid on, at 160 degrees for 20mins
10. To brown the cheese on top, remove the lid, turn the oven to the grill setting and grill on a high heat for about 5-7mins - watching carefully so it doesn't burn the cheese
11. Serve into generous sized bowls and try not to devour the whole thing!

D-E-L-icious  XD

Quinoa and Tuna Salad - low FODMAP and gluten free

I've never bought Quinoa before so I ventured off to the health food store to see what all the fuss was about. I had a few recipes in mind, so ended up buying the black quinoa. It also comes in white and red. Here are two images of before cooking and after cooking...

uncooked

 cooked

It is very important to rinse the quinoa before eating it, however I didn't have a mesh colander with small enough holes so I placed the quinoa in boiling water and let it cook for about 2 mins. In this time it swelled slightly, making it large enough not to slip through the holes in my colander. Then I removed it from the stove, poured it through my mesh colander into a large bowl, replaced the water and put it back on the stove.

This recipe was adapted from two recipes I found. Then I adjusted it so it was low FODMAP for IBS sufferers. This serves 3 generous serves or 4 side dishes.

Ingredients:

• 300g black quinoa, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 185g tin of tuna (unflavoured)
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped red capsicum
• 2 tablespoons of chopped green capsicum
• 2 tablespoons of chopped yellow capsicum
• 1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

Dressing:

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup good quality olive oil
• ½ tsp white sugar
• ¼ tsp chopped chilli

Method:

1. Combine the rinsed quinoa and water together in a medium saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15mins or until the water has absorbed
2. Remove from stove, place into a large bowl and let cool
3. In another large bowl, combine the tuna, capsicums, tomato and mint
4. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, chilli and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved
5. Once the quinoa has cooled, pour it into the bowl with the tuna and vegetables
6. Add the dressing and mix well…D-E-L-icious  XD

Low FODMAP Fast Noodles with Vegetables

Today I was craving noodles for lunch so whipped up this low FODMAP soupy noodly dish which was amazingly yummy. No garlic or onion makes this a healthy meal suitable for IBS sufferers like me. The stock cube I used is Massel's 7 as I recently discovered is a low FODMAP stock. And I replaced my usual sauce of choice - soy - with gluten free Tamari. This serves 1 and takes a total of 15mins from preparation to the table.

Ingredients:

• ½ carrot, peeled and chopped
• 6 green beans, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of thinly sliced red capsicum
• 2 shallots (spring onions) only the green part - chopped
• ½ red chilli, seeds kept in, finely chopped
• 1cm square fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Massel's 7 chicken stock cube
• 1 and ½ cups hot water (more if you want extra juice)
• Handful of noodles of your choice. I used flat rice noodles

Method:

1. In a medium sized pan, heat the oil and add the chilli & ginger. Stir fry for about 1min to release the flavours
2. Add the carrot and beans, stir fry for 2mins
3. Add the stock cube mixed with water and bring to the boil
4. Once boiling, add the noodles and reduce to simmer for about 5mins
5. Add the capsicum and simmer for a further 2mins
6. Just before serving, add the chopped shallots and Tamari sauce
7. At this step, you could add some cooked chicken or leftover beef if you're craving some meat
8. Serve in a deep soup bowl
9. The noodles will continue to soften and soak up the liquid, so if you want more liquid (as in a soup) add more as required…D-E-L-icious  XD

Potato, Spinach & Tomato Salad - low FODMAP

Here's another low FODMAP recipe for those who suffer from IBS like myself. This was absolutely beautiful. I served it at a party on the weekend, then finished it off the next day. I must admit - I'm not a huge spinach fan (or Silverbeet as some people call it) but this will now be a regular salad for us - as will buying spinach!

Ingredients:

• 1kg new chat potatoes, halved and unpeeled
• 250g tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 15 black olives, pitted, halved lengthways 
• 100g spinach, washed and stalks removed, torn into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Boil the chat potatoes until you can stick a knife in them and they are just soft
2. Place the spinach ontop of the potatoes for only one minute just to wilt
3. Remove potatoes and spinach from the stove, drain the water, and let cool
4. While the potatoes and spinach are cooling, add the lemon juice, olive oil and pepper to a large serving bowl and whisk
5. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers to the serving bowl
6. Once the potatoes and spinach have cooled, gently add them to the serving bowl, being careful not the break the potatoes
7. Stir gently so the dressing coats the potatoes
8. Serve warm or cool...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken with rosemary and tomato - low FODMAP

I had grabbed some chicken breast from the freezer this morning, for tonight's dinner, with the intention of making a simple stir fry. However by the time the kids came home and asked what was for dinner - they were disappointed that I was making yet another stir fry!

'Fair enough' I thought. I admit it - I make a lot of stir fries...because they are quick, easy and versatile. But I caved in and began hunting for a chicken recipe which a) I already had the ingredients for; and b) was low FODMAP - suitable for my irritable bowel.

I found a chicken in tomato sauce recipe, which needed adapting for low FODMAP by removing the garlic and onions. Not only is this low FODMAP, it is also low-fat, tasty and easy. This serves 4 and is best served with either pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. Why? Because it has THE BEST SAUCE you've ever tasted!!! We had sauce left over so we grabbed some slices of sour dough and literally plonked the bread into the sauce pan to soak up the juices...then ate it! Yep...it's that kind of sauce.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes (no garlic or onion added)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (I used dried)
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 10-12 black olives, pitted and left whole
• 75ml red wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the chicken all over
2. Add half the rosemary, stir to coat, then set the chicken aside on a plate
3. In the same pan add the diced tomato, capers, olives, wine and the rest of the rosemary and bring to the boil
4. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and turn down to simmer for about 20mins, or until the chicken is cooked through
5. Serve with something which will mop up the sauce...pasta, rice, cous cous or mashed potato. I used gluten-free pasta and also added vegetables...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chicken and Noodles - low FODMAP and gluten free

I've been adapting my favourite recipes to accommodate the fact that I now need to follow a low FODMAP diet because of my irritable bowel and lactose intolerance.

One of my favourite meals is chicken with noodles. I've always added chilli, garlic, onion and sauces to this dish, but today I made it totally low FODMAP.

I used Tamari instead of soy sauce. You will find Tamari in the health food section of your local supermarket. The other thing I changed is the stock cubes I use. Massels 7 are suitable for IBS sufferers and are considered low FODMAP because they contain no onion and garlic. Read more about Massels 7 here. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 packet vermicelli rice noodles
• 200g chicken breast fillet
• 1 shallot (spring onion) but only the green part, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 Massels 7 chicken stock cube with water (as per instructions on packet)
• Splash of Tamari sauce

Method:

1. Cook the vermicelli noodles as per packet instructions. I find just placing them in a large bowl of boiling water with the stock cube cooks them without having to actually cook them on the stove
2. Steam the chicken until cooked through, turning once. Depending on the thickness, between 5 and 10 mins should do
3. Place the cooked noodles on a plate
4. Slice the cooked chicken breast and place on top
5. Garnish with the shallots and chilli and splash with Tamari... D-E-L-icious  XD

Easy meatballs - low FODMAP

I love meatballs. The kids love meatballs. Who doesn't like meatballs? These meatballs are made with low-fat heart-smart lean mince beef and IBS acceptable tomato sauce. This serves 4 with pasta of your choice. You could use gluten-free pasta for celiacs. Or alternatively serve it with rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g lean heart-smart mince beef
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free rice crumbs
• 1 egg
• Tablespoon of sauce or paste of your choice. I find tandoori paste is excellent, but if your tummy can't handle that, a thick sauce of your choice, ie BBQ, thick soy, curry paste, chilli paste, etc
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 capsicum finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon celeriac (turnip) peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup stock of your choice
• 680g tomato cooking base (with no hidden ingredients) * see note below
• 1 tablespoon thyme

Method:

1. In a bowl place the egg and whisk briefly, add the mince, sauce/paste and rice crumbs
2. Mix with your hands really well until everything is mixed together
3. In the palm of your hands roll mince into 2cm diameter meatballs. 500g of mince should yield 40-42 meatballs of this size
4. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the meatballs in batches until browned on both sides. It took me three batches in the pan I was using. It would be faster if you used a large electric frying pan
5. Once you've browned all meatballs on both sides, remove them to a plate
6. To the juices in the pan, add the capsicum, carrot and celeriac (turnip) and the stock
7. Scrape the bottom of the pan so all the bits of browned mince mix with the vegetables and stock
8. Add the thyme and mix well
9. Add the tomato cooking base and mix well
10. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, gently pushing them under the surface
11. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer while your pasta or rice is cooking
12. Serve whilst hot either on rice or pasta and your favourite (tummy safe) grated cheese. I used Grana Padano...D-E-L-icious  XD

Note: It's important to check your tomato bases and pasta sauces at the supermarket. Most of them have garlic and onion in them, so if you are following the low FODMAP diet and/or suffer from IBS, you will need to avoid these. This tomato base is the CHEAPEST in Woolworths and is low FODMAP. You can add whatever herbs and spices your tummy can handle while preparing the sauce for your meatballs...or for any bolognaise dish you are making.

Shish Kebabs - low FODMAP alternative

I love making these because they are easy, enjoyable to eat and versatile. You can put pretty much whatever you want on them - as long as they cook on a hot plate! I have one fussy eater so I made some which will suit him, and the others I made for the rest of us.

I made chicken and lamb shish kebabs. The chicken shish kebabs in the top photo have cherry tomatoes and corn spears - they are for my fussy eater! Whilst the lamb ones in the bottom photo have an assortment of red capsicum, green capsicum, onion, corn spears, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

For IBS and for those following the low FODMAP diet - use zucchini, cherry tomato and capsicum. You could also use harder vegetables too like carrot, green beans, pumpkin and potato, but my suggestion is to pre cook them first so they don't take too long on the hot plate.

Ingredients:

• 500g diced lamb pieces
• 500g chicken breast
• Vegetables of your choice, suitable for sticking a skewer through and grilling on the hotplate
• Marinade of your choice. I marinated the chicken in soy sauce and sesame seeds (Mr fussy's choice) and the lamb in mint sauce alone. Marinate for at least one hour, the longer the better though!

Method:

1. The first thing you MUST do is soak the skewers in a bowl of water for about 30mins so they don't burn on the hotplate
2. Once the meat is marinated and the skewers have been soaked, place the meat and vegetables on the skewers in any order you like
3. Either BBQ them or use an electric frying pan or griddle pan
4. Cook on a medium heat, turning often and mind they don't burn.

Note: it is advisable to cut the pieces of meat and veg around the same size so they do actually touch the hotplate. If they are not touching the hotplate they won't cook!  D-E-L-icious  XD

Baked Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic - lowFODMAP

Now I'm following a low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome - I will blog some meals which are suitable for IBS sufferers. The low FODMAP diet is not a cure for IBS, but if followed - can alleviate the pain associated with an inflamed and irritated bowel. See my blog post about IBS and the low FODMAP diet.

I came up with this meal idea myself, so I wasn't sure about cooking times, temps or how it would actually turn out in the end, but it turned out beautifully so I was super excited. This serves 4 and is lovely served with steamed vegetables and brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast (bone-in pieces will require less cooking time)
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 and 1/2 lemons - juice half of one and slice the other one
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 190 degrees celsius
2. Cut your chicken breast into largish pieces - about 2cm x 6cm and place into a casserole dish
3. Place peeled, whole garlic cloves into the casserole dish and sprinkle the rosemary over the top
4. Pour over the juice of half a lemon and place the sliced lemon pieces from the other lemon over the top of the chicken
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the top
6. Bake at 190 degrees celsius for about 25 mins, check to see if chicken is cooked though as some pieces may be thicker than others and bone-in pieces may already be done
7. If a little longer is required, cook for a further 10mins and check again
8. Serve with rice or couscous as there will be quite a bit of lemon juice which is flavoured with garlic and rosemary to pour over it...D-E-L-icious  XD

*Note: Even though garlic is not a low FODMAP food, you can cook with garlic as long as you remove it and not eat it. Read more about this here.

Low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

I've always been an IBS sufferer but have mainly ignored it and eaten whatever I like. However from time to time, the "poisons" I will call them - build up in my stomach and bowel to a point where I can no longer ignore it. Two weeks ago I had a weekend where I overindulged with friends and ate too much cheese, crackers, dips, salami, cabanosi and processed food! Tsk Tsk! I suffered for two weeks!!!

It was so painful I went to the doctor thinking I had a bladder infection as the pain had migrated to my bladder, but the urine test was negative. She assured me it was only IBS and sent me home with a printout of the low FODMAP diet. WTF!? As a long time sufferer of IBS I had never heard of this diet. It had never been offered to be before. I took home the printout, read it and it all made sense.

There is a lot of information online about low FODMAP foods, but I will briefly explain it here.

"Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) affecting one in seven Australian adults and is also common in the USA, Europe and many Asian countries. This condition is characterised by chronic and relapsing symptoms; lower abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, wind, distension and altered bowel habit (ranging from diarrhoea to constipation) but with no abnormal pathology." (Monash University).

"The research team at Monash University have developed a diet to control gastrointestinal symptoms associated with IBS/FGID. The team has focused on a group of carbohydrates they have named FODMAPs (stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Disaccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols).
FODMAPs can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine. Mal-absorbed carbohydrates are fermented by gut bacteria to produce gas. Current research strongly suggests that this group of carbohydrates contributes to IBS/FGID symptoms. FODMAPs are found in a wide range of foods." (Monash University).

Referring to the above chart, you can see which foods create problems for IBS sufferers, and those which do not. 

Other links:

• The cooking and/or storing process of some foods may alter the levels of FODMAP's in them. See this link for more information  
• If you're a cheese lover like me, this link is helpful about which cheeses are OK
• Also if you love garlic like me, this link explains about cooking with it for flavour and then removing it
• This link explains why creams, sauces and gravies are problematic
• If you're a big bread eater - sour dough is better for you. This explains why
• I've also noticed if I reduce gluten in my diet it helps. This article explains the different between gluten-free and wheat-free
• The low FODMAP diet doesn't have to be a lifestyle change. It recommends trying it for 2-6 weeks (like an elimination diet) and then slowly re-introduce foods and monitor your symptoms. More info here.

There is lots of information about IBS and the low FODMAP diet on the Internet. Let your fingers do the walking and Google it. Good luck XD