How To Make Tasty Wheat-Free Pasta In Minutes

Hi Fodmappers

I hope you're well and enjoying some sunshine wherever you are? It's been a funny few weeks here but it does seem like summer is finally on it's way. And with summer comes salad!

I love salads (I've never understood why some people find them boring?) and earlier this year I treated myself to a spiralizer so that this summer's salads can be even more fun! So today I've been making zoodles!

For those of you who haven't discovered zoodles yet, they are simply courgette/zucchini pasta. (You can't get a lot more 'wheat-free' than that). They are known as zoodles because zucchini + noodles = zoodles. But if you don't have a spiralizer - don't panic! A vegetable peeler will do the trick.

I also made a yummy vegan low FODMAP pesto, because pasta and pesto are made for each other.

This was my first foray into the land of nutritional yeast. I'd never fancied it (you have to admit it doesn't sound appealing) but it's actually very good. It's light and cheesey and, I'm glad to say, not at all yeasty. The finished pesto is fresh and full of flavour. A real 'deli' pesto without the price tag.

So here's how to make a tasty wheat-free pasta and vegan pesto in minutes. Perfect for those summer evenings or for popping into your picnic basket.

Wheat Free Pasta and Low FODMAP Vegan Pesto

Serves 2.

You will need

1 courgette/zucchini
5 brazil nuts
5 walnuts
A good handful of basil
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
(Non vegans could replace the nutritional yeast with cheese)
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Pinch of salt.

Method

Using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler, cut the courgette into ribbons. Set aside in a bowl.

Put the nuts, herbs and nutritional yeast into a mini chopper or food processor and pulse. Add the vegetable oil and salt.

Stir the pesto through the courgette ribbons and serve.

It's really that easy, that quick and and that summery!

And if you happen to be curious about the little flowers in the picture, they are basil flowers and they are fantastic! Too pretty and too tasty not to use.

'Til next time Fodmappers - Stay Fabulous.

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

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.