cooking with nothing

Sprout salad with oil-free red pepper dressing

I’ve really been embracing the awesomeness of sprouts lately. They’re literally alive, so imagine what happens when we eat them! Sprouts are also much easier to digest than regular seeds and legumes - a real bonus for those with digestive issues, like yours truly! I substituted basil for coriander in the dressing as I’ve got a huge plant that needs clipping; coriander would work just as well though!

Serves four

• 450g x mixed sprouts (mung beans, chickpeas, aduki beans, lentils etc.) 
• A bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 x large carrots, peeled into ribbons
  
• 20g x parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 300g x roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthways
  
• 1 x avocado, diced
  
• 80g x rocket leaves

For the dressing (adapted from Kimberly Snyder’s oil-free red pepper and cilantro dressing in The Beauty Detox Solution):

• 1/2 red pepper/capsicum, seeded and cored
• 3/4 cup x fresh basil leaves
• 1 x small tomato (or a few more roma tomatoes)
  
• 1 x garlic clove
• 1 1/2 TBSP x fresh lemon juice
  
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
  
• 1 TBSP x filtered water
• 1/4 tsp x black pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp x organic, unpasteurised miso paste
• 1 tsp x raw apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 x garlic cloves, crushed

Put the sprouts, radish and carrot in a large bowl.

Blend all the dressing ingredients until smooth.

Add your desired amount of the dressing (it should make about 1 cup) to the sprouts mix. The rest can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Stir, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add the tomatoes, avocado and rocket, toss gently and serve.

Lentil stew with fresh greens

I’m transitioning into food combining at the moment, which requires a complete mental shift. Luckily I’m well and truly used to major mental shifts after undertaking years of elimination diets to try and rid myself of digestive issues. Everything we (or at least, I) ever became accustomed to while growing up is out the window. Eggs on toast? Wrong combo. Roast chicken and spuds? Nope. It’s all about separating out your carbohydrates/starches and proteins, which is what I’m trying to get used to.

While the eggs on toast and chicken and spuds combos are the least of my worries as I’m shifting more and more into an easier-to-digest, vegan-based diet (with a few occasional eggs and MSC-certified fish fillets thrown in for good measure), it’s the daily when-to-eat-what scenario that takes some getting used to. Don’t reach for the roast spuds before you munch down a salad, for example (but the other way around is perfectly okay!).

As a simple rule, things should be eaten light to heavy. This makes complete sense to me, but I debated this topic recently in relation to IBS sufferers here and here. I’m in the process of giving food order and combining a go and my issues certainly haven’t gotten any worse. If anything, they’re improving – even though I’m supposed to prepare myself for a few upsets while my tummy gets used to this new system.

More information about the order in which to eat your foods for optimal digestion and nutrition can be found in Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution.

Kimberly stresses the importance of raw foods, which I’ve definitely upped the quantity of in my diet recently. There are times, however, when a warming, easy-to-digest meal is most definitely called for. Following Kimberly’s advice, I had something raw beforehand. She recommends a green salad or chewing on some celery sticks. Since this recipe already has celery in it, why not chomp on a few while you’re cooking?

Here’s dairy- and gluten-free, vegan autumn-inspired dish. Leftovers can be blended to make a soup.

Serves two  

• 1/2 cup x lentils
• 1 x bay leaf
• 1 tsp x turmeric
• 1/2 x onion, chopped
• 1 x sweet potato, diced into 2-cm cubes
• 1 x cup of diced (2-cm cubes) butternut squash
• 1 x carrot, diced same as above
• 1/2 x celery stalk 
• 1 TBSP x tamari
• 2 cups x water (or stock, if you prefer) 
• Fresh greens, to garnish

Put the water, lentils and bay leaf in a pot and bring to the boil. Cook for about 15 minutes until the lentils start to soften (but they should still be firm). Add the sweet potato, butternut squash and turmeric and cook for a further 10 minutes. Lastly, add the carrot and celery then cook until tender (another 10 or so minutes). Stir in the tamari to finish and garnish with some fresh greens.

Mushroom soup

Leaves are falling, winter jackets are coming out of the wardrobe – all signs that autumn is well and truly here. The upside to the onset of coldness is that I just love soup. I also just love mushrooms. Here’s a dairy- and gluten-free, vegan version of mushroom soup that should warm you up from the inside out.

Serves four to six

• 40g x dried shiitake mushrooms
• 550g x mixed mushrooms, roughly diced (I used flat, brown and button)
• 2 TBSP x olive oil
• 2 x garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 x leeks, diced
• 1 x celery stick, diced
• 4 x fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 litre x vegetable stock
• 1 x sweet potato, peeled and diced
  
• 2 TBSP x tamari
• 1 ½ cups x rice milk

Cover the shiitake mushrooms with hot water in a bowl and soak for 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and keep about a cup of the mushroom liquid for later. Chop the shiitakes roughly, then set aside.

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a decent-sized pot. Add the garlic, leeks and celery and cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes) then add all the mushrooms and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the reserved shiitake liquid, stock and thyme leaves (just run your fingers down the sprig to pull them from the stalk). Reduce the heat and cover the pot, allowing the mushrooms to cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the sweet potato and simmer over a medium heat until the potato is tender (about 15-20 minutes).

When ready, blend in a food processor in batches until thick and creamy (or use a stick blender). Put the soup back over a low heat and gently add the rice milk, stirring continuously until hot.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with some fresh herbs over the top (thyme, chives, parsley or basil would all work well). 

Chickpea ‘hash’ with Asian slaw and zucchini pickle

With plenty of tasty components to tuck into, this delicious, gluten-free, vegan treat surely can’t also be high in fibre and low in fat? Why yes it can…

Feel free to just cook one of the elements if you like; you could serve the hash in cups of crispy lettuce. It may look like a daunting list of ingredients but most of them are double-ups between the different parts of the meal! Be prepared… you’ll need to prep the pickle overnight. While you’re at it, make sure you soak your chickpeas, too!

Serves four

For the hash:

• 1 ½ cups x cooked chickpeas
• 1 x red onion, finely chopped
• 1 x carrot, peeled and grated
• ½ x zucchini, grated
• 1 x 2-cm piece of root ginger, grated
• 1 x garlic clove, crushed
• ½ tsp x ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp x garam masala
• ½ cup x fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 x lemon, zested
• Salt and pepper, to season

For  the slaw:

• 2 cups x thinly shredded cabbage (a mix of green and purple is best)
• 1 x small carrot, peeled and grated
• ½ x red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 TBSP x extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP x apple cider vinegar/lemon juice
• 1 tsp x unpasteurized honey/maple syrup/brown rice syrup
• ½ tsp x mustard seeds
• ½ tsp x coriander seeds
• A pinch of cumin
• A small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

For the pickle:

• 1 cup x chopped, unpeeled zucchini/courgette
• ½ cup x chopped onion
• ¼ x red capsicum/bell pepper, chopped
• 1 x green chilli, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp x sea salt
• 1/3 cup x brown rice syrup
• ¼ cup x apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp x mustard seeds
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Pepper to season

First, prep the pickle as it needs to sit overnight. Combine the zucchini, onion, pepper, chilli and salt. Stir well and chill overnight. The next day, rinse thoroughly, then drain.

Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add zucchini mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool while you make the rest of the meal, and check the seasoning before serving.

For the hash, mash the chickpeas in a large bowl. Add a dash of olive oil to a frying pan on a medium heat. Gently fry the onion until translucent, then add the grated carrot, zucchini, ginger and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the veges begin to soften. Sprinkle the cinnamon and garam masala over top, then cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Combine with the chickpea mixture, fresh coriander and lemon zest, then season well. If you want the mixture to be a bit finer, you can blitz it all in a food processor. 

For the slaw, pour the seeds into a dry frying pan and cook on a low heat until they begin to pop. Combine all the fresh ingredients. Crush the seeds lightly with a mortar and pestle, then add to a small jug with the liquids and cumin. Stir to combine, then pour over the salad and toss to coat.

Arrange the hash and slaw on a plate, drizzle the relish over top, then serve. 

Lentils with grilled aubergines

I dipped into Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty book again for tonight’s dairy-free dish: Lentils with grilled aubergines. Only a few amendments were necessary to make it sugar-free and eliminate problematic vinegar.

Yotam recommends serving the dish warm or at room temperature and to taste before serving, as lentils tend to ‘swallow’ flavours.

Serves four

• 2 x medium aubergines
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 TBSP x apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  
• 200g x small dark lentils, such as puy or castelluccio, washed and drained
• 3 x small carrots, peeled
• 2  x celery sticks
• 1 x bay leaf
• 3 x thyme sprigs
• ½ x white onion
• 3½ TBSP x olive oil
• 12 x cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 TBSP x unpasteurized honey (if not vegan) or brown rice syrup 
• 1 TBSP per herb x chopped parsley, coriander and dill
• 2 TBSP x crème fraîche/yoghurt (if not dairy-free/vegan)

Prick the aubergines, then place on an oven tray lined with foil under a very hot grill for 45 minutes (not too close, though, give them 10 cms distance). Turn them a few times, until the skin cracks and dries in places and the flesh is cooked through and tastes smoky - don’t worry if they burst. Remove from the oven and, once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a colander, avoiding the black skin. Leave to drain for at least 15 minutes, then season generously and mix in half a tablespoon of vinegar.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a medium saucepan. Cut one carrot and half a celery stick into large chunks and throw them in. Add the bay, thyme and onion, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and simmer for up to 25 minutes until the lentils are tender - skim the froth off the surface from time to time. Drain into a colander, discard the carrot, celery, bay, thyme and onion, and transfer to a bowl. Add the rest of the vinegar and two tablespoons of oil; season generously. Stir and set aside.

Set the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Cut the remaining carrot and celery into 1-cm dice and mix with the tomatoes, a tablespoon of oil, some salt and the sugar. Spread in an ovenproof dish and roast for 20 minutes, until the carrot is semi-cooked. Add the cooked vegetables to the lentils, followed by the fresh herbs, and stir gently. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then spoon on to serving plates. Pile some aubergine in the middle, top with a dollop of crème fraîche (if using) and finish with a trickle of oil.

Food combining

I apologised to my tummy before taking it on a one-week trip to Italy, where food intolerances are most definitely not catered for! Although I indulged in a few naughties while away, the break gave me time to reflect on the confusion I’ve been feeling over finding the right cure for my tummy ills. Luckily, I had more than a few revelations… I also apologise to readers for my somewhat schizophrenic posts recently. That’s what sometimes happens when you’re trying to figure out something so complex. What seem like eureka moments may not be and it’s onto the next idea. This is just how my process has unfolded!

To update, I realised early on in the process (through the hypoallergenic diet) that dairy makes me pretty sick, as do high quantities of animal fats and vinegar. Apple cider and rice wine vinegar seem to be okay, though. After reading a lot of different material, it looks like the most common IBS triggers are dairy, red meat, alcohol, coffee, caffeine, wheat, fat and sugar. While I didn’t react to coffee, it does interrupt the tummy in so many ways that I’ve cut it out (except a few espressos in Italy, oops!) and I also had no trouble with wheat, but am trying to limit processed foods and grains so will avoid bread. Lamb is allowed on the hypoallergenic diet and didn’t cause problems either, but as red meat is very hard to digest I’ll opt for fish when I can.

As I’ve previously (and probably so often you’re sick of hearing it) said, everyone is different. In a recent post, I wrote about the link between soluble fibres and IBS relief. After reading more, things didn’t sit quite right with me. I asked my naturopath about his take on things and his reply? Soluble fibres can help, but it’s more important to drink water separately from meals (30 minutes either side), go for a short walk after eating, and try to have alkaline foods with grains. The first two points I’d already been doing, so I decided to look further into this whole alkaline business. It seems I was probably quite right that it’s not just about what I eat, but when I eat it, but maybe soluble fibres aren’t the answer; maybe it’s all about food combinations.

I’m now following the advice of Gillian McKeith in You Are What You Eat about what foods to team with what. In order to help your food digest properly and obtain the best nutrients, she recommends the following:

• Eat fruit separately, preferably on an empty stomach
• Don’t mix proteins (meat, eggs, nuts, soy) and grains/starchy vegetables.
• Proteins and other vegetables are okay, as are grains/starchy vegetables with other vegetables.
• Beans – with the exception of soy – and grains are fine to mix.

Instead of hopping on the soluble fibre bandwagon, I’m definitely eager to try food combining as it seems like a much healthier solution than lining your tummy with a limited food group. Wish me luck as I bring on the raw veges!

The missing puzzle piece?

I was tossing up just having a giant question mark opening this post, as that’s kinda how I’m feeling right now! As many of you know, I’ve been following the hypoallergenic diet to put my chronic IBS to rest, with much success. But – yes, there’s definitely a but – the good days are still somewhat sporadic. Being the perfectionist that I am, that’s just not gonna cut it with me. I need consistency, damn it!

So, that’s when I went back over my food diary and looked for more clues (I always thought I’d be a good detective). It looks like it’s as much about when I eat as what I eat. The same green smoothie, with all its raw, insoluble fibre, goes down fine during the day but definitely DOESN’T first thing in the morning. What’s more, it turns out this is pretty common in IBS sufferers. I recently wrote a post about soluble and insoluble fibres and have just ordered a book, Eating for IBS by Heather Van Vorous, to find out more. 

In the meantime, I’ll make sure I don’t eat insoluble fibres on an empty stomach and include soluble fibres as a big part of every meal. A few things I don’t agree with this type of diet are the sugar-laden recipes and the overuse of white bread. I’m sure white bread is an easy, grab-on-the-go option but when I have the chance, I’ll be sure to avoid it. And just because we can’t tolerate some items, like dairy, doesn’t mean we should go crazy with refined sugars. I’ll stick to my honey, fruit sauces and maple syrup instead.

So, this might be it! Is it a matter of finding harmony between the hypoallergenic diet mentality (unprocessed, vitamin-rich foods and no refined sugars) and the soluble/insoluble fibre balance? Wish me luck!

Buckwheat grits with toasted spices

This recipe combines two ideas: cooking with seasonal vege of the week, green beans, and using up the buckwheat grits that have hung out in the pantry since I started the hypoallergenic diet. I bought a lot of grains I’d never really used – such as amaranth and buckwheat – and wasn’t initially sure what to do with them.

I tried buckwheat grits as a breakfast cereal but switched to making porridge with flakes, so they sat there, waiting for me to figure out how to turn them into tasty fare. Here’s my attempt, inspired by this recipe. Let me know what you think! If you’re on the hypoallergenic diet, substitute the tomatoes for an allowed vegetable. You can also add pre-cooked chickpeas or lentils.

Serves 6

• 1 TBSP x olive oil
• 1 x onion, diced
• 1 cup x buckwheat grits
• 4 x garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp x cumin seeds
• ½ tsp x mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp x ground cardamom
• 2 cups x vegetable stock (or water)
  
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ tsp x sea salt
• 2 TBSP x fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 cups x green beans, trimmed

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. This should take about 4 minutes. Add the buckwheat grits, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cardamom. Cook, stirring continuously, until the spices are fragrant and the buckwheat is lightly toasted (about 3 minutes).

Pour in the water/stock. Bring to the boil,  then reduce the heat to med-low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the beans until tender (but still a tad crunchy).

Take the lid off the buckwheat pan and stir in the tomato, steamed green beans and salt. Sprinkle with coriander and serve immediately.

Fibre and IBS

As I mentioned a few posts ago, my IBS symptoms have been cropping up again recently. While a quick switch back to the hypoallergenic diet put most things in check, I’ve still been struggling with a few issues. This got me thinking a lot about what order I should be eating things in. Through the diet I learnt to eat fruit on an empty stomach as it digests much faster and can interrupt things mounting up in the tummy queue, but I figured there must be more research out there about what IBS sufferers should be doing.

Turns out there is, and it’s a bit contradictory to other information I’ve read. I’d heard you should eat light to heavy (salad first, potatoes later etc.) but a lot of IBS sufferers seem to have results by almost doing the opposite. Help for IBS claims: ‘You should always eat soluble fibre first. Eat soluble fibre whenever your stomach is empty and make soluble fibres the largest component of every meal or snack.’ You can find a list of soluble and insoluble fibres on the site. 

This would mean that greens (which I’ve been blending in smoothies and loading into salads and are theoretically okay to eat raw on the HA diet) should be consumed after something with soluble fibre – say rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes. This doesn’t make sense to me after reading posts such as this one on the Wellness Warrior site about how to avoid tummy traffic jams.

The thing is, everyone is different and you have to figure out what works best for your body. I’m not willing to load myself up on some of the soluble fibres – such as white breads and soy – but many that I do enjoy are on the list, such as rice, oatmeal, quinoa and sweet potatoes. I do know I feel pretty good after my morning bowl of porridge!

Have you tried eating soluble fibres before insoluble ones? Has it worked for you?

Hypoallergenic cauliflower with chickpeas, sweet potato and ginger

It may look like I’m on a cauliflower and turmeric buzz at the moment but that’s just because I landed a huge head of it at the markets and can’t go past teaming it with curry flavours. Here’s another quick and tasty hypoallergenic number, inspired by this recipe.

Serves four

• 1 TBSP x coconut oil
• 2 tsp x cumin seeds
• 4 x garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 x 5-cm piece of fresh ginger, julienned
• 600g x sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5-cm cubes
• 1 tsp x turmeric
• 500g x chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked until soft
• ½ tsp x sea salt
• ½ cup x mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 TBSP x fresh lemon juice
• Fresh tomatoes to garnish (if not on hypoallergenic diet)
  

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Stir in the cumin seeds then the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes and turmeric and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add the chickpeas, cauliflower and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir through the mint and lemon juice and serve.