Anyone For Strawberries And Cream?

Hi again Fodmappers

Apologies for my recent absence. Unfortunately my partner recently had an accident which resulted in him needing surgery. To cut a very long story short he's now home and recovering, though still in a lot of pain. Sometimes blogging has to take a back seat for a while.

But I wanted to stop by quickly to share some good news with you. If you're watching the Wimbledon final today this is what you'll want to know. And it's simply this. Strawberries and cream are low FODMAP!

Yes you read that right. Monash gives the green light to a portion of up to 10 medium strawberries and up to half a cup (125ml) of whipped cream, though if you are particularly sensitive to lactose you might prefer to opt for a lactose free cream. Either way it's good news for summer and for tennis fans.

'Til next time Fodmappers - Stay Fabulous

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.

Sunshine, Lemon and Raspberries.

Hi Fodmappers - I hope the sun is shining where you are?

It's been a beautiful day here today, the kind of day which puts you in mind of summer desserts. And as I have wanted to make these for a few days, today seemed the perfect day for them. They are also incredibly easy to do. (I made these in the length of time it took to also make a cup of tea).

All you need is

• Some ready made meringue nests
• A jar of lemon curd
• Some raspberries
• A bar of dark chocolate.

Simply spoon some lemon curd into the meringue nest. Top with raspberries and flakes of dark chocolate. (To make the chocolate flakes, simply shave the bar of chocolate with a knife).

And there you have it. A taste of summer, any time of year.

The sharpness of the raspberries goes wonderfully with the lemon and the meringue. And I just love dark chocolate! Of course, these are also low-FODMAP, but you'd never know. I always think that us Fodmappers miss out on so much, it's good to have a treat now and then. And if you're entertaining, these are something everyone could enjoy.

Try them and let me know what you think.

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.