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Pecan and radish salad with strawberry ketchup – low fodmap

I had to use the rest of the radish I bought and thought I would make a bright salad for this very sunny day. Balsamic vinegar enhances the flavour of strawberry and when combined with radish shoots and sliced radish the strawberry reduces the heat of the salad nicely. The dressing tastes a little of ketchup – but more decadent than the standard tomato variety! I hope you enjoy it! If you have problems with resistant starches you may want to use the rice whilst it is still warm.

Ingredients

A large handful of pecan nuts

8 radishes sliced thinly

A large handful of radish sprouts

A handful of green leaves (rocket, kale, lettuce or chard – it really doesn’t matter)

3 strawberries sliced thinly

100g of cooked wholegrain rice

Dressing

1 tablespoon of hazelnut oil

2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

3 strawberries (mashed)

seasoning

Method

Combine all the salad ingredients together

Mix the dressing ingredients and drizzle the dressing over the salad

Season then serve

enjoy!

Serves 2




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Elderflower and blueberry pavlova – low fodmap low lactose

Imagine you are going to a party and have no time to prepare a dessert. If you have made the elderflower cordial recipe then you can whip up this beautiful dessert to take to a summer party and impress your friends! It will take just ten minutes to prepare. I have used frozen blueberries – cheaper than the fresh variety, when defrosted they are softer and have more juice than the fresh varieties. Forgive me for also using a purchased pavlova base – again another time saving tip. This dessert is again another treat to have occasionally in your diet – there are plenty of healthy eating recipes on my blog, sprinkled with the occasional dessert. I have not added any sugar to the blueberries as the pavlova contains plenty. It is important that people who have to follow free from diets know how to produce all recipes in my opinion – so that people can make a choice in their diet. The only concession to the ‘free from’ isle is the lactose free mascarpone cheese, which is divine.

Ingredients

1 Shop bought pavlova base

200g of frozen blueberries

1 tub of lactose free mascarpone cheese

70ml of Elderflower cordial

Method

Add the elderflower cordial to the lactose free mascarpone cheese and mix well

Add this to the pavlova

Pile the blueberries on the top of the pavlova

Enjoy!

Serves 6

The pavlova base was purchased by me from Morrisons, the lactose free mascarpone cheese from Tesco and the pavlova was decorated with elder flowers and borage flowers – these are not an essential addition to the dish.




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Peppered leaf salad with prosciutto and berries – low fodmap

On the theme of salads again here is a lovely refreshing peppery salad. Watercress is suitable for the low fodmap diet according to the Monash App and I love it’s hot taste. I also added a few mint tips and radish shoots. The fruit is a portion so don”t have a piece of fruit after this salad or you will trigger symptoms if you have fructose malabsorption. Check it out for a great lunchbox or add to a gluten free wrap.

Ingredients

1 pack of watercress

80g blueberries

80g raspberries

1 pack of prosciutto (check the ingredients and avoid those with spices)

A few mint tips

A few radish shoots

balsamic drizzle – don’t exceed a tablespoon

Method

Simple – wash the fruit and leaves and arrange the ingredients in a bowl.

Drizzle with balsamic

Serves two.




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Courgette and walnut salad – low fodmap

Raw courgette adds another dimension to this dish it is crunchy and refreshing. This dish uses the yellow variety but is just as good with the green courgette.

Ingredients

2 yellow courgettes

1 handful of walnuts

1 handful of pumpkin seeds

100g of corn based couscous

2 teaspoons of grained mustard

Red leaved lettuce

1 yellow pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Spiralise the courgette into thick spirals. Pour boiling water onto the corn based couscous and leave to soak up the liquid and cool, add the mustard and mix well. Combine all the ingredients to the salad season and mix well. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 2




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Quinoa and carrot salad with a herb dressing – low fodmap

This is a salad that is vibrant and although rainbow carrots have been used these are not essential to the dish, it can be made cheaply with plain orange carrots, if needed. The dressing is fresh and adds another dimension to the taste. It is important to use flavourings when fresh garlic and onion are not available to brighten up salad dressings. I have never really got along with quinoa – I find it’s grains hard – but adding grained mustard to it has for me improved the flavour if not the texture of this grain. I like the taste of this dish, so I will be making it again. It is very nice for a light lunch on its own or to accompany meat or fish if you eat them. I wish I could like quinoa a little more, looking at Wikipedia I came across an interesting article suggesting it has potential as a food option for controlled ecological controlled life systems. In other words, Nasa have investigated its properties for use as food in longer term space missions. It has a favourable amino acid profile and can be grown hydroponically to give a good yield. But if this is the only offered grain it looks like I won’t be considering long term space travel soon – I will have to take a large jar of mustard with me if I do!

Ingredients

Dressing

1/2 pack of coriander

1/2 pack of flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons of garlic infused oil

1 teaspoon of cumin

Season to taste

Quinoa

1 heaped teaspoon of grained mustard

1/2 cup of quinoa

3/4 cup of boiling water

Season to taste

Salad

1 Pack of rainbow carrots

Mixed salad leaves

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Few capers for decoration

Method

Dressing

Pour the oil into a blender and add the herbs, cumin and seasoning

Blend till smooth

Heat in a pan to cook the cumin – 5 minutes only are needed just to release the flavour. If you cook it for too long the heat will affect the colour of the dressing. Cool.

Quinoa

Add the quinoa and boiling water to a pan – cook for five minutes and then add the lid to the pan and leave for 20 minutes to cook in the hot water. Cool.

Mix in the mustard and seasoning to taste.

Salad

Peel the carrots into strips along the length of the carrot.

Add the salad leaves

Build the dish

Enjoy!

Serves 3

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Maple and muscat grape no bake cheesecake – Low fodmap

Love cheesecake and having problems with lactose intolerance? Then look no further – this recipe is for you! It is a simple recipe and other grape varieties can be used – but for a special dinner party then these muscat grapes do taste a little bit special and really marry with the flavour of the maple syrup used to sweeten this dish. The recipe is for occasional consumption as it is high in calories but as you will know from the other recipes on this website a small amount of the cheesecake can be consumed occasionally. Cheesecake is a wonderful flavour and dessert for a treat. Your dinner party guests will not suspect that you follow a lactose free or low fodmap diet.

Ingredients

2 tubs of lactose free cream cheese

50g maple syrup

1 packet of gluten free biscuits.

40g butter

2 sheets of gelatine

warm water

1 pack of grapes

Method

Crush the biscuits to a consistently sized small crumb

Melt the butter and add the biscuit crumb and mix well

Add to the bottom of a flan dish and flatten to form the base

Chill

Place the lactose free cream cheese in a dish and add the maple syrup (ensure that the maple syrup is free of added fructose syrup.)

Add the gelatin to cold water till soft

Remove and pour on some just boiled water 100ml – just enough to dissolve the gelatin.

Add the dissolved gelatin to the cream cheese mixture

Mix well

Add the cream cheese mixture to the top of the biscuit base and chill

Decorate with grapes and maple syrup drizzle.

Serves 8-10

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Chicken and grape salad – low fodmap

This is a quick light lunch for a sunny day. This is a mix of salad leaves, herbs and chicken with grapes. Low fodmap and yummy!

ingredients

1 Carrot

1 roasted chicken thigh

80g grapes

Mixed salad leaves

2 Radish

Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar (don’t exceed 1 tablespoon.)

Fennel leaves

Small handful of parsley

Method

Shred the chicken

Peel the carrot and use the peeler to produce long slices

Slice the grapes

Add all the ingredients on the plate

Serve

Serves 1 – serve with a portion of carbohydrate – a slice of wholegrain gluten free bread or seeded gluten free crackers. Also it is worth mentioning not to have a fruit pudding after this salad you have had the portion for this meal.

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Easter chocolate orange cake treat – low fodmap

Ingredients

Cake

150g self raising gluten free flour

150g margarine

150g golden castor sugar

Grated rind of 1 orange

Juice of half an orange

2 eggs

15g cocoa powder (check gluten free if needed)

1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder

Orange marmalade

Chocolate frosting

50g Dark chocolate

15g Margarine

2 Tablespoons of warm water

175g of sifted icing sugar

3 Drops of oil of orange flavouring.

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Method

Cream together margarine and sugar till smooth.

Add orange rind and juice of orange, mix well.

Add one egg at a time and beat well to avoid the mix curdling.

If it does start to separate add a tablespoon of flour and mix in well.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder) till fully incorporated.

Cook at gas mark 6 for 1 hour till risen and cooked through.

Whilst the cake is cooling make the icing.

Put the chocolate, water and margarine in a bowl held over a pan of boiling water.

Melt and mix, add the oil of orange and icing sugar and beat till smooth.

Cut the cake in half and spread the orange marmalade over the bottom layer, then a thin layer of frosting.

Add the rest of the frosting to the cake.

The cake is also decorated with half kumquat segments.

Serve – remember a small serving is probably a good idea, a great treat for Easter perhaps!

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Chicken, chard and pine nut conchiglie pasta – low fodmap

I adore chard – it is so pretty and very tasty. I have not been able to source a regular supply of it, perhaps because it may be a seasonal leaf. I was surprised and very pleased to find it in a local store, so I bought some to use over the weekend. I always keep some celeriac in the vegetable compartment of the fridge, it replaces the celery flavour of low fodmap dishes and adds a another depth of flavour to the dish. This is a nice spring recipe to start the Easter weekend and herald the start of better weather, lighter nights and fresh food.

Ingredients

300g of dried gluten free pasta

2 tablespoons of pine nuts

4 cooked chicken thighs

30g grated parmesan

I tablespoon of oil

1 slice of celeriac

100g chard

70g spinach leaves

Method

Chop the chard, spinach and celeriac into small slices.

Fry in the small amount of oil with the pine nuts.

Slice the chicken and add to the pan to warm through (must heat the chicken to at least seventy degrees C, if the chicken has been chilled and only reheat it once.)

Grate the parmesan cheese.

Cook the pasta in a pan of hot water whilst the sauce is cooking.

Do take care when cooking gluten free pasta as it is very easy to overcook it and end up with a ball of starch in your pan! Review the cooking instructions on the packet before you start.

Drain the pasta, add the vegetables and chicken and stir thoroughly.

Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.

Serves 4.

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Turmeric roasted parsnips with fennel leaves – low fodmap.

This recipe is based on mini parsnips – they do taste great roasted, even the well done ends are crisp and add a flavour to the dish. Something to pick up the mood on a wet damp bank holiday weekend. Fennel bulb is limited on the low fodmap diet (49g maximum) so do be careful with having large amounts of fennel bulb – perhaps roast it and give the roasted fennel bulb to other members of the family! I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients

1 packet on mini parsnips

1 piece of turmeric sliced thinly

spray oil

Springs of fennel

Method

Slice the turmeric and spray both the turmeric and parsnips with oil

Add the parsnips to a baking tray and sprinkle with the turmeric and roast till crispy.

Add sprigs of fennel leaves before serving.

Easy!

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