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

Chorizo and Chickpea Soup

This soup is excellent for winter. It's flavoursome, spicy and goes down so smoothly. Nice with crusty rolls. This serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 chorizo sausages, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin chick peas
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1ltr chicken stock
• Pinch of saffron threads

Method:

1. In 2 tablespoons of boiling water, stir in the saffron threads and cook for 1 minute. Remove and set aside (in the water)
2. In a large saucepan, add the oil and chorizo and cook until just brown. Remove and set aside
3. In the same pan add the onion, garlic and celery and cook until the onion goes clear
4. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and saffron threads/water and simmer for 10mins
5. Return the chorizo to the pan, add the chick peas and warm through for a couple of mins
6. Remove 2 cups of the soup and blend with a stick blender. Return to the pan and stir through
7. Serve with crusty rolls.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Slow Cooked Chicken Korma Curry

I found this recipe online and adapted it for my slow cooker. The fragrance upon entering the house at the end of the day is amazing. And of course I didn't cook enough cos we ALL wanted to go back for seconds. This serves 5 with rice and veg on the side.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and quartered
• 3 tablespoons korma curry paste
• 1 x 400g tin chick peas
• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2cm piece ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup cashews (I used raw)

Method:

1. In the slow cooker place the tinned tomatoes, korma curry paste, chicken stock, garlic, ginger and chick peas and mix well
2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker (no need to brown first) and mix well
3. Cook on low for about 8hrs
4. Half an hour before serving, add the cashews and yoghurt and mix well, turn on high to warm through
5. Serve on a bed of rice with veg on the side.  D-E-L-icious  XD

Italian One Pan Lamb

This dish is easy, relatively fast, tasty and very healthy. This serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 x 100g lean lamb steaks, fat trimmed
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 240g dried pasta

Method:

1. Heat a large, deep, non-stick frying pan over high heat
2. Season lamb with salt and ground pepper
3. Cook lamb for 3-4 minutes each side or until well browned
4. Remove lamb from pan and set aside
5. Add onion, capsicum, eggplant, garlic and vinegar to pan
6. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables start to soften and colour
7. Add tomatoes and 1 litre of boiling water
8. Bring to the boil and add the pasta
9. Simmer, uncovered for 7 minutes, stirring once during cooking
10. Return lamb and any juices to pan
11. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until lamb is hot and pasta is tender
12. Serve into deep bowls with lamb placed on top

Note: Nice garnished with basil leaves too. D-E-L-icious XD

Classic Tomato Pasta

An excellent winter warmer...

Ingredients:

• 300g fettuccini
• 100g bacon roughly chopped, rind removed
• 1 large red chilli with seeds removed, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic chopped
• 1/4 leek sliced
• 3 large mushrooms roughly chopped
• 500ml tomato puree
• Chopped fresh continental parsley

Method:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender
2. Drain and keep warm
3. Add oil to a large frypan, add the bacon, chilli, garlic and leek and cook for 5 minutes, tossing regularly
4. Add mushrooms and stir for a moment, add the tomato puree and heat til just bubbling
5. Turn to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Serve on fettuccine and garnish with chopped parsley. D-E-L-icious XD

Home-made chips and sauce

When I crave hot chips I reach for the pantry, salt & pepper. Home-made chips are so easy and much healthier than fried and frozen chips. In most cases the frozen chips you buy at the supermarket have already been fried before freezing so the fat content is high. Because I can't eat any fried food - I much prefer these home-made chips made from....real potatoes.

Ingredients:
CHIPS:

• Potatoes - as many as you want and any kind. I buy whatever is on special
• Spray oil
• Salt & pepper

SAUCE:

• Either fresh tomatoes finely chopped, some tinned tomatoes or salsa
• Garlic to taste, finely chopped
• Chilli to taste, finely chopped
• Basil to taste, finely chopped

Method:

1. No need to peel the potatoes - just cut in half then slice into chips
2. Lay on an oven tray with baking paper
3. Spray with spray oil
4. Sprinkle with salt & pepper
5. Cook on 200 degrees celsius for 30-40mins turning half way
6. For the sauce combine the tomatoes, garlic, chilli and basil
7. Serve with sauce...D-E-L-icious  XD

Chips prior to cooking...see it's easy!

Grilled Chicken with Mint and Tomato Salsa

This recipe is easy, relatively fast and absolutely delicious. It serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 50 g fresh cherry tomatoes
• 1 whole fresh red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 x 3 second spray(s) oil spray
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 500g lean chicken breast, sliced into 8 pieces
• 1 cup brown rice

Method:

1. Cook the rice as per instructions
2. To prepare salsa: Combine the tomatoes, chilli, onion, vinegar and mint in a bowl. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or grill over high heat. Spray with oil.
4. Cook chicken in a single layer for 3 minutes each side, or until chicken turns white around the edges. Turn and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked through.
5. Serve with 1/2 cup brown rice and steamed asparagus

Note: I always like to throw in a tablespoon of wild rice to my brown rice. D-E-L-icious  XD

Home-made Tomato Sauce

Hubby went shopping at a farmer's market for me and came home with a kilo of tomatoes. Because they were very ripe, I decided to make a tomato sauce for tonight's pasta. It's easy, tasty, low-fat and very healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of very red ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped. I did NOT peel or de-seed them!
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• Small bunch basil, stalks removed and roughly chopped
• 4 small green capsicums, seeds removed and roughly chopped
• Freshly ground rock-salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Method:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil to a large pan and cook the capsicums with the garlic, salt & pepper until semi-soft, stirring often, then set aside in a bowl
2. Put the tomatoes in the pan, add more salt & pepper, the tomato paste, and basil and cook for about 20mins stirring often
3. Return the capsicums to the tomatoes and cook for a further 10min
4. Serve over a bowl of steaming hot pasta garnished with shaved parmesan cheese.

Note: This recipe is suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans minus the cheese. It is quite versatile as it can be used as a pizza base, pasta sauce, relish, or a ratatouille base. It can also be frozen for later, blended to a smoother consistency or left chunky. We like it chunky...D-E-L-icious  XD