Wheat Free Tabbouleh You'll Want To Share

Hi Fodmappers

National Vegetarian Week is fast approaching and this year it's all about sharing! And as sharing food can be problematic for those with IBS I thought it would be fun to join in with the spirit of this event in a low FODMAP way. So I've come up with a low FODMAP recipe you can safely share with your friends whether they are vegetarian or not.

Tabbouleh is one of those innocent looking summery salads which nevertheless can be problematic for Fodmappers. Most recipes uses couscous or bulgar wheat which are high FODMAP and can cause the symptoms we know too well. Luckily quinoa makes a great low FODMAP alternative.

Quinoa is highly nutritious. It is a complete protein (meaning that it contains all essential amino acids) so it's a particularly useful addition to a vegan diet or whenever extra protein is needed. It also contains magnesium, calcium and manganese, as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. And it's very easy to prepare.

The other Tabbouleh ingredient which can cause digestive problems, is onions. Though I normally replace onions with the green part of spring onions in cooked dishes, I have left them out altogether here and added plenty of herbs and spices instead. I'm pleased with the result - it has plenty of flavour despite the lack of onions. And when sharing food with friends I'm sure you'd rather be safe than sorry. Try it and let me know what you think.

Spicy Low FODMAP Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1/2 cup of quinoa
1 cup of water
A little oil of your choice
1 tomato
Approx 3" cucumber
2 Tbsp of olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Fresh coriander
Fresh mint
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain.
2. Heat a little oil in the bottom of a saucepan and toast the quinoa until it stops popping.
3. Add the water to the pan and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and allow quinoa to simmer until all water is absorbed.
5. Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool. Fluff with a fork.
6. Quarter the tomato and remove the seeds.
7. Dice tomato and cucumber and add to the quinoa.
8. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
9. Add a generous amount of coriander and just a little mint to the dressing. Pour over the quinoa salad and stir gently.
10. Season to taste.

Serve with wheat free walnut and rosemary soda bread and a green salad.

Share the love.

'Til next time Fodmappers - Stay Fabulous. x

Low FODMAP Vegan Rainbow Buddha Bowl

Hi again Fodmappers - Guess who's discovered Buddha Bowls?

There is something incredibly satisfying about preparing (and eating) a meal which is as pretty as this, so I'd like to start today's post by saying 'thank you' to Sam for introducing me to Buddha Bowls.

If you haven't come across them yet, Buddha Bowls are a nutritious mixture of raw and cooked foods which typically include a starch, fresh vegetables, a protein, seeds and a dressing. You can make them from left overs as well as from fresh ingredients. I must have been feeling organised as I made mine fresh but prepared enough for a packed lunch the following day.

In fact I must have been feeling more than a bit organized, as though this meal doesn't take long to create, you do need to plan ahead if you want to use home sprouted seeds like I did. I wanted to include sprouted quinoa and buckwheat for the Vegans amongst you as these contain all essential amino acids - and also because I hadn't tried sprouting quinoa before. If you want to do the same you'll need to get them sprouting in advance. Mine were ready for harvest in just 2 days.

I chose to use rice noodles as the starch layer as I wanted to create an oriental style Buddha Bowl (it seemed appropriate) and made an easy, garlic infused ginger and soy sauce to drizzle over the top. Even though I say it myself, it was rather good. But you could just as easily combine meditteranean ingredients such as tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, basil and pine nuts, served on a wheat free pasta base. Get the idea? A Buddha Bowl is less of a recipe and more of a meditation in bringing together some yummy (low-fodmap) ingredients in tasty way.

And as we're often told to include as many different coloured fruit and vegetables as possible, I couldn't resist making a rainbow! Yes, I'm completely embracing my inner hippy with this one.

So here's my Low-fodmap, Oriental inspired, Vegan, Rainbow Buddha Bowl. I hope you enjoy it.

Low-Fodmap Vegan Rainbow Buddha Bowl

I used

Rice Noodles
Slices of Red Bell Pepper
Strips of Carrot
Slices of Yellow Pepper
Slivers of peeled Cucumber
Mixed salad leaves
Finely sliced Red Cabbage
Sprouted Quinoa and Buckwheat
A few Almond slices.
Garlic Infused Oil
Wheat Free Soy Sauce
Grated Ginger

Method

Start by preparing the rice noodles. Simply pour boiling water over the noodles and allow to stand for about 3 minutes. Drain then rinse well in cold water to cool. Leave to drain while you prepare the dressing.

Combine the grated ginger, garlic infused oil and soy sauce to make the dressing.

Place the noodles in the bottom of your bowl and arrange your salad ingredients as you like them. Top with the sprouted quinoa and buckwheat.

Pour the ginger and garlic oil over your salad and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Relax next to a stream of blossoming lotuses (in your mind at least) as you savour your yummy low-fodmap Buddha Bowl. Reality can wait.

A word about Red Cabbage

At the time of writing this post, the fodmap content of red cabbage has not been analysed. Both Savoy cabbage and common cabbage have been tested by Monash University and it's been found that Savoy has a high fodmap content while common cabbage is low. Having said that, the same source states that up to half a cup of Savoy should be tolerated by most people with IBS, even though it is high. Though this sounds like a contradiction, it should be remembered that fodmaps do not need to be avoided completely but simply kept to a low level. I used only the smallest amount of red cabbage here but if you are concerned that it may be a trigger for you, simply leave it out.

'Til next time Fodmappers - Stay Fabulous. x

Veggie Savoury Muffins

 

Ooh look! Yummy savoury snacks. ;)

Hi again Fodmappers. As you can see I've been doing a bit of baking this week. But these aren't any muffins, these are fodmap friendly flour-free muffins! And they pack a bit of a surprise. These muffins are a nice source of veggie protein and they are incredibly easy to make. I confess I'm not into complicated cooking - I want to eat, not cook.

I've made these a couple of times now so they can't be bad eh? I discovered them at Everybody Loves Pretty and have pretty much stuck to that recipe so far.  However the second time I made them I used a mature cheddar rather than a mild one, and next time I'm going to try adding a little asafoetida as I felt they needed a bit of a bite. As onions are not a 'safe' food for me, asafoetida does go some way towards replacing that sharpness. (If you haven't discovered it yet, it's worth tracking down and adding to your spice collection.) But on with the recipe.

I used:

1/3 cup of quinoa grains

1/2 a cup of grated Cheddar Cheese

2 large eggs

1/3 cup of shredded spinach

A generous pinch of oregano

A generous pinch or basil

A sprinkle of salt and pepper.

(This makes 6 muffins).

Method:

First cook your quinoa. Rinse the grains well (I used my salad sprouter for this) and then toast them lightly in a large saucepan for a couple of minutes. Add 2/3 cup of cold water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for approximately 15 mins or until it has absorbed all the water.

While the quinoa is cooking, preheat your oven to 350/180.

When the quinoa is ready, remove the pan from the heat and add the grated cheese, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir in well.

Finally add the eggs (make sure the pan and contents have cooled slightly so that the eggs don't cook on contact) and mix in.

Spoon mixture into muffin cases or directly into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

 

The finished bake has a texture part way between a muffin and a quiche which isn't as odd as it sounds. Give them a go, experiment with different flavours, and let me know what you think.

Fodmap Friendly Halloween

Just a couple of weeks to go until Halloween and these little peppers were so cute I had to give them a try. I'd seen several recipes for these online but most were either meat filled or full of non-fodmap friendly ingredients. I decided to go for a Feta and Walnut filling, partly as those were ingredients I had in, and partly because walnuts look like brains. Yes I'm completely in the Halloween spirit already! 

As always, this is a vegetarian recipe but it could be very easily adapted for vegans, just skip the cheese! In fact feel free to tweak this recipe however you like (I did) but just remember to stick to low-fodmap ingredients.

So here's what I used

2 large yellow bell peppers.
Half a cup of quinoa grains.
A small handful of walnuts.
Approx 100g of feta cheese
8 to 10 pitted black olives
1 tomato.
Oregano
Basil
Black Pepper
Salt.

Cook the quinoa in a cup of water until all moisture is absorbed. (Approx 15 to 20 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 180/350 degrees.

Meanwhile prepare the peppers. Cut around the top and remove the seeds and, using a sharp knife, carefully cut a little 'pumpkin' face into the peppers.

Chop the walnuts, feta, black olives and tomato into small pieces, keeping just two walnuts whole for decoration.

When the quinoa is cooked simply stir in the rest of the ingredients and season with the herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Fill your peppers.

Finally place one half of a walnut inside the top of each pepper (as a spooky brain) before replacing the top.

Place in the oven on a baking tray for approx 1 hr or until the pepper is soft.

Alternatively you could try a cheddar and spinach combo or, if you'd like to see the filling oozing out of your pumpkins eyes, maybe a fodmap-friendly version of a ratatouille?

Have fun and let me know how you get on.

Low-FODMAP Veggie Summer Salad

This salad has become a firm favourite in our house this summer. I don't think it needs a recipe as such as I'm sure you can see most of the ingredients (sweet peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, olives, salad leaves and feta) and it's fun to adapt it to your own tastes. The one thing you can't see from this pic is the Quinoa base.

Quinoa is still a bit of a recent discover for me. It's low-FODMAP (of course) and gluten free so it can be eaten by people with IBS and also those with Coeliac disease. It is a complete protein and high in magnesium and iron and contains both soluble and insoluble fibre for good digestion. It also contains calcium so is a great addition to a vegan diet. I'm vegetarian, rather than vegan, so I get to enjoy a bit of both the feta and the quinoa.

The salad is dressed with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea-salt - but a squeeze of lemon juice could work well instead.

Enjoy.