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Chicken goujons – low fodmap

What are goujons? They are small chicken fillets that are coated in breadcrumbs. They are fairly easy to make using gluten free breadcrumbs but it is important to use the correct ones for the low fodmap diet. Clearspring rice crumbs are probably the best option. Some gluten free breadcrumbs use a blend including gram flour – this is chickpea flour and is a source of GOS, it might be OK for some people with IBS because of the small portions of crumbs used to coat ingredients – but pure rice crumbs are better and they are wholegrain too – bonus for those with constipation! Hale and Hearty breadcrumbs contain inulin so this should not be used for a low fodmap diet. You can make your own breadcrumbs with gluten free bread if you wish, again choosing wholegrain bread to give the dish added fibre – a way of using up stale gluten free bread and fibre is great for gut health! For health this is a recipe to have occasionally as it is a fried dish – but suitable for those who are underweight as frying adds additional calories to the dish. Mayonnaise is another addition but take care with ones that say low fat mayo as these can have increased amount of skimmed milk powder – a source of lactose. So it has to be full fat and a small portion! The dish includes making your own garlic infused oil at the start of the process – follow this part of the recipe closely, slicing the garlic makes it easier to remove it all before frying the goujons, so you remove all the fructans included in the clove. Don’t be tempted to use a garlic crusher as you cannot then remove all the pieces. I have added the goujons to a gluten free pitta bread with salad leaves.

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Ingredients

Gluten free four (100g)

1 egg

Gluten Free Breadcrumbs (1/2 pack)

seasoning

1 pack of chicken mini breast fillets

Rapeseed oil – enough for frying

1 pack of gluten free pitta breads

Salad leaves of your choice (I used chard and radicchio but lettuce leaves are another option.)

1 clove of garlic.

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Method

Wash Hands.

Wash and chop the salad leaves and prepare the pitta bread and put these on a plate away from the work surface you are using to prepare the goujons. If you have work surfaces on either side of the oven this is good, you can use one side for raw chicken preparation and one for cooked. Do this before handling the raw chicken fillets.

Open the packet of chicken fillets and use immediately – please do not wash them, they don’t need it, plus washing raw chicken is a food poisoning hazard – it can easily spread bacteria around the kitchen.

Place the flour and seasoning on a plate, crack the egg and mix well with a fork on a plate and breadcrumbs on separate plates. Dip the chicken fillets into the flour first, then egg and then the breadcrumbs – coat each fillet well and don’t forget the edges.

When coated, pile them on a dish for frying later.

Clean work surfaces down and wash your hands again after handling raw chicken.

Slice the garlic clove (this is better than crushing as it makes it easier to remove the pieces before frying the chicken.)

Add oil to the pan and fry the clove quickly then remove all the pieces of garlic from the pan.

Add the chicken goujons and fry till golden. Don’t overload the pan as this will lead to steaming instead of frying and soggy breadcrumbs.

Add 2 slices of goujons to each pitta – makes 5.

Serve with green salad.





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Mini chocolate orange panettone – low fodmap

This is an ideal Christmas recipe for low fodmappers who want to have a festive bread without marzipan and probably one of the only bread recipes that I have managed to produce that has risen well! It is based on an enriched bead dough mix produced using a standard purchased bread flour.

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Recipe

250g gluten free bread flour

150g dark chocolate chips

2 teaspoons of orange oil

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 pack of fast acting yeast

1 pinch of salt

1 small pinch of cream of tartar

50g of castor sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

400ml of warm water

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Method

Add the flour, spices salt and dark chocolate chips to a bowl, mix.

Separate the yolk from the white of the eggs.

To the white add a pinch of cream of tartar and whisk till peaks are formed, adding 25g of sugar half way through, then add the rest when soft peaks are formed.

To the yolks add the oil, vanilla and orange oil

Start adding the water to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer. Then add the yolks.

Fold into the mix half the beaten egg whites quickly to slacken the mix. The gently fold in the rest of the egg white.

Add to bread tins and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise. Cook in a warm oven for 30 minutes until cooked.








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Remember, remember the fifth of November – Low fodmap parkin.

Parkin is a rich spiced cake from Yorkshire or Lancashire that is consumed during bonfire night. Are you unsure of what Bonfire night is? It is a festival in the UK marking the failure of a plot to blow up parliament by Guy Fawkes. This is celebrated by lighting bonfires and fireworks and making a Guy to collect pennies. If you want to know more then this short version of a video by the excellent Horrible Histories series is a great way to find out – tongue in cheek of course!

 

Ingredients

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp mixed spice

100g dark muscovado sugar

175g golden syrup

175g black treacle

125g Margarine

100ml Lactose free milk

225g Doves Farm Gluten Free self-raising flour

200g Oats (contamination free if you have coeliac disease)

 

Method

Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

Add the egg to the milk and mix

Melt the butter and sugars in a pan until dissolved – cool a little

Mix the ingredients together

You are looking for quite a wet mix, add more lactose free milk if required

Place some baking parchment into a round tin 9 inch baking tin and grease the tin if needed. Or if you wish this can be used as a tray bake. Cook at gas mark 4.5 until a skewer placed in the cake centre comes out clean. Top with icing sugar and star shaped sprinkles to represent fireworks.

 




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Chicken and pesto pasta – low fodmap

I am trying again with Kale, using kale is a way of getting more cruciferous brassica vegetables into a the low fodmap diet. Why should that be important? These vegetables contain sulphur compounds such as glucosinolates, compounds that have been implicated in the prevention of colon cancer(1). These vegetables are also rich in nutrients such as vitamin C and folate – unfortunately these vitamins are water soluble so will be reduced by boiling in water. This is a bit of a problem as most kale is exceptionally tough to eat and needs a good amount of cooking! It does contain the fat soluble vitamin K, beta-carotene and leutine, which is retained. It is really important to eat a wide a variety of foods as possible when following the low fodmap diet to get as much good nutrition as possible. The following recipe is a good start! If you really don’t want to try kale in this recipe other low fodmap cruciferous vegetables are Bok Choy, white and red cabbage, turnip, swede, watercress and radish – not all suitable alternatives for this dish though. Enjoy!

Ingredients

200g Gluten free dried pasta

60 g grated parmesan cheese

2 heaped tablespoons of pine nuts

1 packet of basil leaves

100ml oil

2 chicken breasts

seasoning

Method

Make the pesto – blend together the pine nuts, basil, olive oil and parmesan.

Chop the chicken – take care not to contaminate surfaces with raw chicken – clean down well after chopping it, or buy chicken strips.

Add the chicken to a pan with 3 tablespoons of the pesto and cook till the chicken is cooked through

Start to cook the pasta in boiling salted water and add the chopped kale to the pan.

The trick with cooking gluten free pasta is to use the packet cooking instructions – overcooking will turn it to mush.

Drain the pasta and kale.

Combine the ingredients, add seasoning if needed the parmesan is quite salty so additional may not be needed

Serve, contains 2 portions




 

(1) Nutr Cancer. 2014;66(1):128-39. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2014.852686. Epub 2013 Dec 16.

Cruciferous vegetables and risk of colorectal neoplasms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Mac and cheese – low fodmap

OK, so it really has an Autumnal feel today perhaps a comforting meal is required and macaroni and cheese is definitely one to make. This is a low fodmap recipe made with lactose free milk and cheese suitable for a low fodmap diet – please note that the fat content is high due to the cheese used. If you find that meals higher in fat cause symptoms it probably isn’t worth trying this recipe, although a small portion might be suitable. This is a great recipe if you are underweight and want to increase the calories in your diet. Unfortunately I didn’t have any macaroni so strictly speaking this isn’t mac and cheese but penne and cheese – you can get gluten free macaroni by ordering it on the internet but most supermarkets I use don’t stock it, which is a shame!

Ingredients

300g of gluten free pasta

560ml of lactose free whole milk

28g butter

28g cornflour

70g of cheddar cheese (I used an orange cheese for more effect)

20g parmesan

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 slices of gluten free bread

seasoning

Extra grated cheese for topping

 

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, mix well till the flour is incorporated into the butter

Start to add the milk slowly whilst keeping stirring

Add all the milk and warm the sauce till mixed

Add both cheeses to the sauce after grating

Add the mustard powder

Cook the sauce till thickened season if required (do taste the sauce first as the cheese does add flavour)

Cool whilst stirring to avoid a skin forming

Cook the pasta in water till al dente

Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and add to an oven proof dish

Top with gluten free crumbs made from the bread and the extra grated cheese

Bake in an oven for 20 minutes at gas mark 5 or 190 degrees C.

Serves 4 with a green salad

 




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Lamb Kofta on gluten free flat bread – low fodmap

I am at the moment experimenting with Greek and Middle Eastern dishes and modifying them to suit a low fodmap diet. I was surprised how well these flat breads turned out – although they are better when served slightly warmed. Enjoy…..

Ingredients

Kofta

400g lamb mince

small sprig of rosemary

1 teaspoon of Lebanese seven spice

1 teaspoon of garlic infused oil

seasoning

Flatbread

250g white gluten free bread flour

seasoning

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 egg

3 tablespoons lactose free yoghurt

70 mls of water

Method

Kofta

Chop the rosemary finely

Add the mince to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well

Weigh into 50g portion sizes and shape into sausages.

Fry in spray oil for 15 minutes (or until cooked through thinner sausages cook faster)

Makes eight

Flatbread

Add the flour to a bowl and weigh in the xanthan gum

Mix well and add seasoning

Add the liquid ingredients and bring the dough together

Weigh into 6 separate balls

Roll out and trim into a circle shape

Fry with spray oil

Serve with feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, thyme and a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds per serving – if you are following a fodmap modified diet and can tolerate GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) you could a tablespoon of hummus to each flatbread. If not you can use my recipe for Tzatziki and turn this into a Greek dish here https://clinicalalimentary.blog/2017/08/08/tzatziki-low-fodmap/





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Sausage and watercress conchiglie pasta – gluten free and low fodmap

This dish is really easy to make and can be incorporated into your low fodmap recipes for working week nights, plus you don’t need to use fresh herbs – dried are just as good but maybe use a little less as the flavour is more concentrated in dried herbs. I don’t eat sausages often, and I do find gluten free ones generally have a higher level of meat so you tend to get what you pay for. Pricking and grilling them does remove some of the fat but they are still relatively high in fat – although 1 1/4 sausages for each serving is not too much! Check the sausages are gluten free but also free of onion – sometimes local butchers are the best option to buy.

Ingredients

300g of dried gluten free pasta

1 pack of watercress

6 gluten free sausages

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs of fresh oregano

drizzle of oil

Seasoning

2.5cm block of grated parmesan

fresh oregano flowers to decorate

Method

Prick the sausages with a fork and grill for 15 minutes till cooked

Put a pan of water to boil add a small amount of seasoning and add the dried pasta

In a pan add a small drizzle of oil and add the herbs and fry to release the flavour, then add the watercress and heat till wilted

Slice the sausage, drain the pasta

Add all the ingredients to the pasta and stir well

Serve

Add a sprinkle of parmesan to each dish

Decorate

Serves 4 with a green salad!





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lactose free labneh dip – low fodmap

What is labneh? It is a middle eastern strained yoghurt that removes some of the whey component – some individuals can tolerate yoghurt when they have lactose intolerance however it is unclear if the draining of the whey will concentrate the lactose sugar or remove some of it. Unfortunately Wikipedia has a very unhelpful ‘reference’ in this regard suggesting that it is lower in lactose – the magazine that published the article (not a scientific reference) had to retract the statement although no actual testing appears to have been completed. It would be interesting to have Labneh made from standard yoghurt tested before and after making it, to see what the lactose content is. I however, knowing about how difficult it can be for people with lactose intolerance to be confident in what they eat, have chosen to make labneh with lactose free Greek yoghurt. This was purchased from Tesco, which do appear to have a good range of refrigerated lactose/dairy free products available. The other issue I have with some of the free from products is that they can be high in fat and the Tesco product is classed as moderate total fat (10.3 percent) this will be a high component of saturated fat – draining the whey will increase the fat percentage of the dish by a small amount. labneh is thicker than standard yoghurt and sometimes it is called a cheese, some recipes call for 48 hours straining which results in a product that can be rolled into balls and coated with delights such as seeds and nuts. I couldn’t wait that long 😄 so my version was just very thick, rich and tasty. Some recipes call for the addition of salt but my version worked just as well without adding any.

Ingredients

1 tub of Greek style lactose free yoghurt

Drizzle of oil

1-2 chopped walnuts

1/2 Teaspoon of Lebanese 7 spice mix

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Drizzle of olive oil

Sprinkling of sunflower seeds

A few edible rose petals to decorate

Serve with strips of toasted gluten free pitta breads

Equipment

1 muslin cloth or bag

1 bowl

Wooden doweling or a chopstick to hold the muslin over the bowl

1 elastic band

Method

Wash the muslin before using it and allow it to dry

Add the yoghurt to the muslin held over the bowl

Bring up the edges of the muslin to make a bag and using an elastic band secure the top.

Tie the top to the doweling and balance the doweling and bag over the bowl

Allow the whey to drain off over 24-48 hours in the fridge.

Serve in a dish and sprinkle over the other ingredients

ENJOY 😋

serves 4 as a starter



No funding was provided or free samples were used to make this recipe.

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Pork loin with maple and mustard sauce – low fodmap

This is a great recipe for dinner parties with friends and is really easy to do! No one will guess that you are following a low fodmap diet at all. Often on the low fodmap diet people have a very dry diet without sauces so it is good to have an option that is less dry. You can serve this with boiled rice, new potatoes or low fodmap pasta choices and a green salad. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

For the stock – 250mls of water

1 Inch of carrot chopped small

2-3 Celery leaves

A handful of black peppercorns

1 Teaspoon of asafoetida

salt

small 1 inch square of celeriac chopped small

1 bay leaf

For the rest of the dish

6 1 inch thick pork loin steaks

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon of garlic infused oil

2 tablespoons of grained mustard

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Maize flour for dusting the pork loin

2 tablespoons of cream (suitable – but if you are very sensitive you can buy lactose free if you wish)

Grated lemon and tarragon to dress the dish

seasoning

Method

Add the water to a pan with the ingredients for the stock

Heat to simmering point and cook for 10 minutes

Drain off the solids and keep the liquid

Whilst the stock is simmering dust each loin in maize flour – add it to a plastic bag and shake

Fry the pork loins using the garlic infused oil till lightly browned in a frying pan

Add the stock and the rest of the ingredients (except the cream) to an oven proof dish.

Cover the dish and cook for 15 minutes then remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes to drive off some of the water.

Remove from the oven and rest the pork loin – add the cream to the sauce and mix well.

Serves 2-3 depending on your appetite!

Enjoy!




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Fennel leaf and mint cream cheese dressing – low Fodmap

Just the ticket to dress thinly sliced cucumber for a fresh salad or sandwich filler. The cream cheese is lactose free but not cows milk protein free. If you have a small amount (less than two tablespoons) you could use standard cream cheese dressing as this is entirely suitable in that portion size for the low fodmap diet – this dressing is also gluten free.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons of low lactose cream cheese

2 shoots of Fennel leaves

2-3 mint leaves

Grated lemon rind

1/2 grated cucumber

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Method

Chop the fennel and mint leaves finely

Grate the rind of 1 lemon

Mix with the low lactose cream cheese

If the dressing is too thick you can add a little water to thin down the dressing, if needed.

Serve as a sandwich filler with cucumber or as a dressing on half a finely sliced cucumber as a salad. Serves 1-2 depending on it’s use.

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A word about the flowers: these have not been fodmap tested but fodmap and food intolerance is all about the portion size you have and very small amounts are not likely to be an issue, however if you do wish to avoid using them that is also OK – they are not integral to the dish. These flowers used to dress the dish are borage and calendula (pot marigold) flowers, which are edible – (only use calendula petals in small amounts). There are lots of anecdotal reports of the benefits of these flowers – I have used them simply because they are pretty. If you do forage for these ensure you know what you are looking for, take care about where you are gathering – some flowers may have been treated with insecticide so it is best to avoid those – and do wash them thoroughly before use.




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