cooking with nothing

Tomato and pesto bruschetta (low FODMAP)

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:19:00 +0200

Bruschetta could easily be seen as a no-go zone for those on a low-FODMAP diet, with wheat and garlic being two of the staple ingredients. Here’s my IBS-friendly version using spelt bread (check the ingredients list for any FODMAPs) and hold-the-garlic homemade pesto.

Serves one

1 x tomato
2 pieces x 100% spelt bread (or other low-FODMAP gluten-free bread)
A sprinkling of feta
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

For the pesto

A handful each of toasted pinenuts, spinach leaves and basil leaves
Juice of 1/2 x lemon
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Blitz all the pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil in a steady stream until you reach the desired consistency.

Pop the bread in a toaster, and while it’s cooking, plunge the tomato into boiling water for 30 seconds then transfer to iced water. The skin should peel straight off, then dice the peeled tomato.

Spread some pesto on the toasted bread, then top with the diced tomato and crumbled feta. Drizzle over some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Thai Fried rice (low FODMAP)

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:58:00 +0200

When you take garlic and onion out of the equation, you do lose quite a bit of flavour. The solution? Add tonnes of herbs and spices to keep things interesting! Here’s a dish that does just that, and is nice and healthy (and low-FODMAP), too!

Serves two

2 cups x cooked brown rice
1 TBSP x coconut oil
1 small handful x fresh coriander, chopped
1 small handful x fresh mint
1 x chilli, deseeded if desired and finely chopped
1 TBSP x grated fresh ginger
1 stalk x fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
1/2 x red capsicum, sliced
1/2 x courgette, cut as desired (I used small strips)
2 TBSP x tamari
1 TBSP x pure maple syrup
Per serving: 1 handful x toasted cashew nuts

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the lemongrass and ginger, then add the vegetables and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tamari, maple syrup and the rice and toss thoroughly before adding the mint and coriander.

Garnish with cashews and serve.

Adapted from this recipe.

Good Morning Smoothie (low FODMAP)

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:00:00 +0200

Since you can only have one serving of fruit at a time on the low-FODMAP diet, I immediately presumed smoothies were out altogether. I then realised there’s plenty of scope for smoothie making within the rules of the diet. You just have to get a bit creative, that’s all!

This morning I had:

1/4 cup x raspberries
1 x small bobby banana
1/4 x avocado
1/2 cup x lactose-free yoghurt
1 TBSP x LSA mix
Calcium-enriched oat milk (check for any problematic additions such as inulin), enough to reach the right consistency for you

Experiment with different allowed fruits such as blueberries, kiwifruit and strawberries, just don’t go above the serving size. You can also try using coconut water, which is super healthy and low in fructose as Sue Shepherd explains here, or adding a handful of greens such as spinach leaves. What are your favourite low-FODMAP smoothies?

Banana bread muffins (low FODMAP)

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:17:20 +0200

I’ve just come home from a crazy four-day work trip. Think 18-hour workdays and running through a big city from one spot to the next. It’s the closest I’ve come to feeling like a contestant on The Amazing Race. So how does one deal with doing an elimination diet during one of these intense weeks? The truth is that it was pretty much impossible. That’s why I can’t wait to get the point where I know which group(s) of FODMAPs I can tolerate better than others. That way I can learn to pick from the best of a difficult bunch. For this trip, however, I merely did my best and dealt with things as best I could.

Tips, you ask? Well, a bit of prep work is obviously necessary.

Scope out the organic supermarket or health food store near your accommodation
Make some snacks. I spent the lead-up making activated nuts and carried around a small container with me wherever I went. Remember those on the low-FODMAP diet can only eat a handful of nuts per serving, but it’s great to have them on hand to fill the spot. I also toasted some sprouted spelt bread, smothered on a little tahini and popped the sammie in my carry-on
Pre-buy tummy-friendly food. I bought small rice drinks that come with straws, a bit of dark chocolate for an energy boost, gluten-free crackers etc.
Find diet-friendly restaurants in the city. Sushi served me well since I know it doesn’t cause me tummy issues and you can almost always see what’s in the rolls. No surprises!

I arrived home to find a few neglected bananas in my fruit bowl, so decided to put them to use in a banana bread recipe. Then I decided to turn that recipe into muffins to make them easier to grab to take to work during the week.

It’s not the sweetest recipe in the world because I’ve lost my sweet tooth after radically reducing my intake of refined sugar. Taste the batter before you bake it to give you an indication of how sweet it will be and add more maple syrup if it’s not yet to your liking. You may need to add a bit more flour to compensate.

Makes 12 muffins

3 x very ripe bananas, mashed
2 x organic eggs, lightly beaten (or chia eggs for vegans)
1 1/2 cups x wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 cup x buckwheat flour
1 tsp x cinnamon
1 tsp x baking soda
1 tsp x sea salt
1/2 cup x organic high-grade maple syrup
Optional: 1/2 cup x walnuts, cocoa nibs or 70%+ dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C. Combine the eggs, bananas and maple syrup and mix well. Sift in the flours, cinnamon, salt and soda. Mix until just combined. If using, add the nuts, cocoa nibs or chocolate. Spoon into muffin tins greased with a little coconut oil and bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffin tops spring back when pressed.

Warm potato salad with tarragon pesto (low FODMAP)

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:27:59 +0200

My latest recipe utilized coconut milk, which has apparently made the a-ok list for FODMAPs. I’m still easing into the programme and learning the finer details (only a handful of nuts or seeds at a time, for instance) so when I had a flare-up after eating the coconut-milk dinner, I naturally assumed it was the culprit. It turns out it could have been the fat content of the coconut that sent me over the edge (fat isn’t a FODMAP, just another IBS trigger), or it could have been something else I had that day. The only way to really know is to try again once my symptoms have settled down, which should (fingers crossed) be in less than eight weeks.

Meanwhile, here’s a low-FODMAP meal that’s great as a side dish or light dinner/lunch.

Serves two as a main

4 x large potatoes, sliced about 2-mm thin
200g x green beans
1/2 cup x parsley
1/4 cup x tarragon
juice of 1 x lemon
Olive oil (garlic-infused, if desired)
2 handfuls x pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup x parmesan cheese, grated
Rocket to garnish, optional
Salt and pepper, to season

Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add the potato slices and green beans. Cook until the potato and green beans are both tender but firm enough for the potato to retain its shape. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, blend the parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor until well combined. Then drizzle in enough olive oil to make a smooth paste.

Stir the pesto through the beans and potatoes (you can store any leftovers in the fridge for a few weeks. Cover with oil to prevent it discolouring), top with rocket, season and serve.

Curried eggplant with coconut and spinach (Low FODMAP)

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:59:00 +0200

There’s been much debate about coconut on the low-FODMAP panels. Last I heard, it’s been given the all clear, which is great news for curry lovers like myself. The tricky thing about curries is the heavy use of onions and garlic in the pastes. Don’t even think about using jars of readymade stuff. They’re usually packed with preservatives (and I bet you won’t find one without garlic and onions…). So here’s a low-FODMAP version that cancels out potential triggers. Add more chilli if you want it extra spicy.

Serves two

2 x eggplants
1 x chilli, finely diced
1 tsp each x ground turmeric, coriander and cumin
juice of 1 x lime
2-cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
Sea salt
1/2 cup x coconut milk
1/2 tsp x white pepper
6 x cubes of frozen spinach (or use a few handfuls of fresh, if preferred)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, and scour the surfaces with a knife in a criss-cross pattern, about an inch between each cut. Don’t cut through the skin. Sprinkle with sea salt and set aside in a baking dish.

With a mortar and pestal, grind together the chilli, spices, lime juice and ginger. Add a TBSP or so of coconut milk to bring it together. Divide the paste among the four eggplant halves and rub into the incisions. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining coconut milk with the spinach until combined. Add the pepper and keep warm. When the eggplants are done, spoon some of the spinach and coconut sauce on top and serve with saffron or coconut rice.

Raw chickpea-less hummus (low FODMAP)

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:09:00 +0200

Here’s another recipe from Kimberly Snyder that, once you omit the garlic, just happens to be low in FODMAPs. I serve it with celery sticks or spoon it onto a salad packed with greens, cucumber and sprouts.

2 x organic zucchinis, chopped
¾ cup x raw tahini
½ cup x fresh lemon juice
½ TBSP ground cumin
High-quality sea salt, to taste

** Optional: Add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast for added protein and a thicker, cheesier flavor.

On another note, the verdict is still out as to whether this low-FODMAP trial is working for my tummy, but I’m about to team up with a new dietitian next week who’s well-versed in IBS and FODMAPs. I’ll keep you updated with my progress!

Stuffed baked sweet potatoes (low FODMAP)

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:58:00 +0200

Here’s a low-stress recipe for an easy dinner. I stuck to low-FODMAP additions for the filling but if you’re not on the diet, feel free to add whatever tickles your fancy. The ingredients I’ve used also fit into optimum food-combining practices.

Serves two

2 x sweet potatoes* (or large potatoes)
1 tsp x curry powder
1/2 x red capsicum, diced
3 x spring onions, chopped (green part only)
1 x small courgette, diced
A few tablespoons of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper, to season
Garlic-infused olive oil, to finish

Preheat oven to 180C. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and bake until soft (about 45 minutes). When cool enough to handle, scoop the cooked flesh from the skins leaving about a 1-cm border round the edges and place into a bowl with the remaining ingredients, except the nutritional yeast.

Mix well, then spoon back into the sweet potato skins and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Bake for a further 20 minutes until golden.

Drizzle with some garlic-infused olive oil to finish and serve with a large green salad.

*Note: The low-FODMAP diet recommends only half a cup of sweet potato per serving. Those on the diet should opt for small sweet potatoes, only eat half a portion at a time, or use potatoes instead.

Raspberry buckwheat pancakes (low FODMAP)

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:29:07 +0100

My low-FODMAP week is off to a great start with pancakes for Sunday brunch! While this recipe doesn’t follow the strictest form of food combining (which I’m trying to do for at least one day per week), cooking the fruit makes it more digestible alongside the other ingredients. You can also omit the maple syrup from this recipe and make savoury pancakes instead, stuffed with low-FODMAP goodies like spinach, tomatoes, or even a smidge of allowed cheese.

Serves two

2 cups x buckwheat flour
1/2 cup x spelt flour
1 tsp x chia seeds
1/2 tsp x baking soda
1/2 tsp x cinnamon
1 TBSP x maple syrup
Around 3 cups x water (or more for a thinner pancake)
Coconut oil
1 cup x raspberries, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
Extra maple syrup, to serve

Grind the chia seeds in a spice grinder then combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre, pour in the maple syrup then add half the water. Whisk adding the rest of the water until you reach a smooth, batter-like consistency.

Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then pour a ladle-full of batter into the pan. Tilt the pan to spread the batter until it’s about 0.5-cm thick. Sprinkle over a few pieces of chopped raspberry. Once bubbles form, flip the pancake to the other side and cook until brown. I had some leftover raspberries so turned down the heat and cooked them in a dash of water to spoon over the top. Finish with some maple syrup.

The double F's? FODMAPs and food combining

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:48:27 +0100

I’ve been testing out food combining for my IBS recently, with a lot of success. I’ll admit, it’s a tough plan to follow but when I did my symptoms were mostly under control. Then a few spanners in the works revealed that improper food combining might not be the only thing I need to address.

A year and a half ago, I was introduced to FODMAPs and the role these short-chain carbohydrates can play in exacerbating IBS symptoms. I tried the diet but it didn’t seem to work for me at the time.

As I was going on my merry food combining way, I had a few major upsets and the culprits were obvious. The first was raw garlic in a homemade pesto, the second was mango. I remembered that these two items are on the FODMAPs avoid list and decided to go back for another look.

I then took a squizz at the food diary I compiled during those first FODMAP-free weeks. It was clear I didn’t know anything about food order, food combining, or even that I should not drink fluids with my meals. Back then, I still drunk coffee and ate sugar, both of which I now avoid. I obviously know so much more now about general food practices and think I need to revisit the FODMAP issue to see if it’s the missing puzzle piece in my quest for a happy tummy.

I’m going to try the diet for around 4+ weeks in conjunction with food combining (as much as possible given the restrictions of both diets). As I’m now eating about an 80 per cent vegan diet, I was initially worried about the lack of vegan options in the FODMAP diet (legumes are out) but I figure I first need to give it a go to see if it works for me and then learn how to adapt it suit my own needs. I’ve already stocked up on chia seeds, spirulina and flaxseeds as a start!

Watch this space for more FODMAP-friendly recipes coming your way soon!

Stuffed peppers

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:55:20 +0100

Here’s a recipe for stuffed peppers adapted from Kimberly Snyder’s version. Her one is strictly vegan whereas I’ve incorporated some raw, unpasteurized feta into mine this time. If you want vegan, simply follow her recipe! But if you’re food combining, switch the carrots for a non-starchy vege like mushrooms.

Since I wanted some feta and can’t mix my proteins (cheese in this case) with grains like quinoa or starches like carrots, I’ve improvised with grated zucchini and thrown in some mushrooms. Like my grain-free sushi recipe, grated cauliflower florets would also work instead of the quinoa.

Serves 6

6 x red, yellow, orange or green peppers, or a combination
2-3 Tbs. raw coconut oil
6 x garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 x medium white onion, chopped
2 cups x broccoli florets
1 cup x diced mushrooms
4 cups x finely chopped kale
1 ½ cups x grated zucchini
1 cup x minced basil
2 tsp x Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
¾ tsp x black pepper
1 tsp x oregano
2 TBSP x low-sodium tamari
Optional: to garnish, a sprinkling of raw, unpasteurized feta

Preheat the oven to 175C. Make an incision at the rounded top of each pepper, about 2-3 cm from the stem.

Leave the grated zucchini in a colander to drain while you prepare the peppers.

Cut all around the stem in an even circle. Then pull the stem and the seeds. Discard stem, and save the rest of the pepper top to chop and add to the filling. If necessary, clean out any remaining seeds from inside the pepper and discard.

Saute the garlic in the coconut oil until gently cooked, then add the onions, and stir until the onions become translucent. Add the broccoli, kale, mushrooms, chopped pepper tops (from preparing the peppers) and basil, and cook gently for a few minutes. Add the sea salt and other seasonings to the veggie mixture and stir it up! Add the grated zucchini and mix everything together well.

Adjust the seasonings to your taste. The mixture should taste slightly saltier than your taste, as the seasoning will be less concentrated when we stuff the plain bell peppers. Once you are satisfied with your filling, spoon it into each pepper, right up to the top.

Place the peppers tightly together in a glass baking dish so they remain upright. Bake at 175C for around 45 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil (and feta, if using) just before serving.

Grain-free sushi salad

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:18:13 +0100

If you’ve ever read my blog before, you’re probably aware of my fondness for sushi salad. It began when my love of sushi met my hectic working week. I wanted all the flavour without the hassle. Over the years, my diet has changed drastically so it’s only natural that my sushi salad should follow suit. First I made a hypoallergenic version by using quinoa and omitting some of the basics. Last night I threw together another concoction that’s grain free. Not because I am, but just in case I ever want to add some extra protein into the mix, since I can’t combine grains and proteins.

The solution is lightly cooked grated cauliflower florets. I won’t go so far as to say you’ll never know the difference, but it does give you the ‘feeling’ of rice. My boyfriend said he didn’t prefer one way over the other: ‘They’re just different’. So it’s up to you! Feel free to use any sushi-friendly ingredients you like such as red pepper, horseradish, grated carrot…

Serves four

1 x head of cauliflower, florets grated and stems discarded
½ TBSP x coconut oil
½ x head of cabbage, shredded
½ x cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced into half-circles
2 x avocados, sliced
4 x nori sheets, torn into pieces

For the dressing

¼ cup x tamari (wheat-free soya sauce)
2 TBSP x sesame yoghurt/sesame oil or seeds
2 tsp x grated ginger
3 x garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup x brown rice or apple cider vinegar
Optional: wasabi powder to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and cook the cauliflower gratings until tender (about 5 minutes). Leave to cool.

Combine the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Once cool, toss together the cauliflower with the rest of the salad ingredients, pour over the dressing and serve immediately.

Hi! I'm following your progress with Pitchford's method with interest -- my doctor told me I have IBS and said "drink more water and eat prunes," haha, not helpful. :x I too have tried cutting dairy (no change) and gluten (which has been terrible -- I miss the insoluble fiber and I'm not convinced grains are to blame, either) and your entry on being a "cold"-type person was really interesting. I am, too -- and cold-type foods are the ones I love to eat! :) The combining rules are fascinating.

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:53:41 +0100

Hi there,

Thanks for your email! In all honesty, I can say that this isn’t really an issue that (most) doctors seem to know much about. It wasn’t until mine was ready to give me medication I’d have to take my whole life that I realised it was up to me to find a natural solution instead. I’d previously tried cutting out dairy while not changing any other things in my diet, and it didn’t help. I then realised it wasn’t just dairy, but a lot of things. So until they were all gone, I still had the same symptoms. That’s why I initially did a hypoallergenic diet to ‘flush the system’ so to speak. It meant having no alcohol, stimulants such as caffiene, sugars, processed foods, known allergy provokers etc. for between 4-8 weeks. I still had some symptoms after that, which is why I’m now trying food combining.

Gluten isn’t a problem for me, but I don’t have it every day. As you mentioned you’re a cold person, maybe it’s best to try spelt bread instead. Pitchford says spelt is a warming grain while wheat is cooling. Not the best for us cold types!

Timing is also important. I used to eat almost continuously throughout the day as a series of smaller meals, but Pitchford says this doesn’t give our bodies time to digest what’s already in there before loading more stuff on top. This made complete sense to me. We also shouldn’t drink water with our meals (wait at least half an hour before and one hour after).

Breakfast should be between 7-9 a.m., and at least an hour after rising. In-between meals I drink herbal teas. Lunch comes between 12-1 and should be the biggest meal of the day, with the most variety. Dinner is between 6-7 p.m. and should be smaller. Root vegetables or protein is emphasized.

I’ve learnt that everyone is different and must figure out what works for him/her. For me it felt natural to move back towards a simpler way of eating — the way we used to eat. I really recommend the book!

Green broad bean salad with mint and coriander

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:54:45 +0100

Here’s an easy salad that’s perfect for a take-to-work lunch. I’m slowly broadening my food combining limitations so this one includes two fats instead of one, and both beans and seeds. If you’re sticking to the strict rules, it’s simple to cut it back to one of each. Just take your pick! Or you can substitute in fresh peas for the broad beans and still keep the seeds. Cooking the broad beans with kombu aids digestion.

Serves 4

1 cup x dried broad beans, soaked overnight
1 piece x kombu
1 x broccoli head, cut into small florets
4 handfuls x lettuce leaves or greens of your choice
1/2 x telegraph cucumber, grated
2 x avocados, sliced
1/2 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to season

For the dressing:

1/4 cup x sesame yoghurt (or sesame butter)
2 TBSP x apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP x flaxseed oil
1 tsp x ground cumin
1 x garlic clove, crushed

Drain the broad beans from their soaking water and cover with fresh water. Cook with the piece of kombu until tender (about half an hour or so). Remove the kombu and wait until the beans are cool enough to handle. You’ll need to pop them out of their shells if they’re not pre-shelled.

Steam the broccoli florets until just tender (those with no digestive issues can leave them raw if they prefer) then leave to cool. Toss together the green leaves, broccoli, cucumber and broad beans.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. Pour over the salad, garnish with half a sliced avocado, and finish with sea salt and black pepper.

Curried roast parsnip and sweetcorn soup

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:55:56 +0100

I’ve been reading about the warming and cooling properties of certain food groups recently. I am – and always have been – a chronically cold person. Just ask my boyfriend (who, lucky for me, happens to be a warm person…)! This winter in Amsterdam we’ve had a sudden cold snap which froze the canals enough to be walked on. This most definitely doesn’t happen every year. It’s madness and coldness.

Parsnips belong to the ‘warming’ family of vegetables. Different methods of heating can also make foods more warming, such as baking, slow cooking or stir-frying. After a day strolling around on a frozen canal, this soup (which just happens to be also be vegan, despite its creaminess) warmed me up from the inside out. And that’s all the ‘warming’s and ‘heating’s I’ll attempt to use for now.

I’m still following Paul Pitchford’s food combining methods, which are reallllly helping my IBS symptoms. This is a basic starch-based meal, with only one starch and one fat.

Serves four

4 x large parsnips, cut into large chunks
Coconut oil
2 x fresh corn cobs
1 TBSP x curry powder (mild or hot – your choice)
Vegetable stock or water (about 3 or so cups)
A small bunch of fresh coriander, diced
1 x onion, diced
2 x garlic cloves, diced

Heat the oven to 180C. Place the parsnips into an oven-proof dish and add a TBSP or so of coconut oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Add the shucked corn cobs to the same dish and roast until the parsnip is tender (about 30 minutes).

Add another TBSP of coconut oil to a soup pot on a medium heat and add the onions, garlic and curry powder. Cook until the onions and softened, then add the cooked parsnip. Cover with stock or water. Don’t add too much if you want a thick soup. You can always add more later. Shave the corn kernels off the cob with a knife straight into the pot, then simmer until warmed through. Blend, adding more water if necessary until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Oat yoghurt

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:25:00 +0100

In Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford says:

‘Seed yoghurt is one of the finest predigested proteins and ferments. It is easily assimilated. The rancidity and oil of seed yoghurt are reduced by the fermentation. Use in spreads, sauces and dressings.’

His recipe is suitable for sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and oats. Naturally fermented foods are a cheap and easy way to build healthy intestinal flora. I want to play around a bit with the recipe to find the right thickness as this one was a little thin for me. I serve it over hot porridge with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

1 cup x oats (or sesame or sunflower seeds or almonds, soaked (discard soak water))
1 cup x rejuvelac (a fermented drink made from wheat berries) or water
1/2 tsp x unpasteurized soy sauce or miso (when not using rejuvelac)

Blend seeds at a high speed. Slowly pour in the rejuvelac or water and soy sauce or miso and blend until creamy.

Add some previously made grain/seed yoghurt to speed fermenation.

Set in a warm place and cover. Do not seal.

Let ferment for 6-10 hours to desired sourness, then refrigerate.

Eggplant Caponata

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:47:00 +0100

While food combining I can’t mix tomatoes (acid fruit) with starches or proteins, so it’s been tricker than usual to come up with sauces for some dishes. Here’s my interpretation of eggplant caponata that replaces crushed tomatoes with roasted red peppers. It still has all those great Italian flavours… and it’s vegan-friendly.

Serves four

4 x large potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 TBSP x olive oil
1 x onion, chopped
3 x garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x eggplant, chopped into cubes
1 x red capsicum
500g x mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup x fresh basil, roughly torn
1 tsp x dried oregano
1 TBSP x nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and pepper

Firstly, place the capsicum on an open flame or under a hot grill until blackened all over. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal. Place the cut eggplant into a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Meanwhile, fill a saucepan with cold water, add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes until soft enough to mash. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 TBSP x olive oil over a low-medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and eggplant and cook for a further 3 minutes until they begin to soften and brown. While they’re cooking, take the capsicum from the plastic bag and remove the seeds and skin, which should peel off easily. Dice and add it to the eggplant mixture. Lastly, add the herbs, season, and remove from the heat.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Add the remaining olive oil and mash until smooth, seasoning to taste.

Pour the eggplant mixture into a large baking dish, then pile the potato on top in even amounts and spread gently with a fork to cover. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top (if using).

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve with vegetables or a salad.

Veggie pasties

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:23:52 +0100

Pasties are usually fat-laden and greasy so here’s a makeover that’s neither, but still super tasty! The pastry can easily be used for different recipes such as samosas.

Makes 8 pasties

For the pastry:

110g x whole-wheat or spelt flour
120ml x water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cumin
2 TBSP x olive oil

For the filling:

1/2 x eggplant, chopped into 2-cm squares
1/2 x red capsicum, chopped into 2-cm squares
100g x mushrooms, diced
1 x onion, diced
2 x garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp x cumin seeds
1/2 tsp x dried oregano
1 tsp x smoked paprika
Pinch of salt and pepper

Put the chopped eggplant into a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside while you make the dough.

Mix the dry pastry ingredients in a food processor then add the water in a steady stream until a dough forms. Knead well – adding a little extra flour if the mixture is too wet – for about 5-10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic. Set aside.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, cumin seeds and garlic and cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the rest of the veges plus the smoked paprika and oregano and cook until tender.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Using your hands, form the ball into a flat circle. Dust a working surface with flour so the dough doesn’t stick and roll the circle into a thin patty (like a tortilla) with a rolling pin. Cut the circle in half. Take one of the half circles and make a cone shape, starting at the centre of the cut side to make the point of the cone. Wet the edges with a little water to glue the overlapping edges together.

Put around a TBSP of filling into the cone, moisten the top of the inside edges and close the cone, pressing the edges to seal it. Brush the outer surface of the pastie with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Repeat the process to make 8 pasties. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pasties are nicely browned.

Serve as a snack, or as a light meal with some fresh guacamole a big green salad or steamed greens.

Mexican potato bake

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:23:27 +0100

I absolutely love Mexican food. I’m used to making vegan versions without cheese, sour cream and all those added extras, but it was quite hard to get my head around making an optimal food combining meal. Usually there’s a mixture of starches (tortillas, potatoes) with starchy proteins (black beans) and acid (tomatoes). Here’s my as-Mexican-as-I-can meal to satisfy my cravings for now! You could also use the mixture with flatbreads to make wraps, or turn it into a protein-based Mexican stew by removing the potatoes and slow-cooking the rest with some black beans.

Note: Most people tolerate mixing starches (like potatoes) with starchy proteins (like dried beans) quite well, but I’m following a strict food combining method for my ultra-sensitive digestive system.

Serves 6

4 x medium potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 1-cm slices
1 tsp x olive oil
2 x onion, diced
4 x garlic cloves, crushed
2 x chillies, finely diced
1 tsp x ground cumin
1 tsp x dried oregano
2 tsp x smoked paprika
100g x mushrooms, diced
1 x courgette, diced
1 x red capsicum/pepper, diced
2 x fresh ears of corn, kernels removed
A few handfuls of spinach, chopped
A small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
2 TBSP x nutritional yeast (optional)

Preheat oven to 200°C. Separate potato slices and place in a saucepan of cold water, then bring to the boil. Cook for around 5 minutes, or until the potato begins to cook but still holds it shape. Drain the slices and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the cumin, chilli, smoked paprika and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the other vegetables (except potato), mix well, and simmer for 15 minutes (or until softened), stirring frequently. Add the coriander and stir through.

Spoon one quarter of the vege mixture in the bottom of a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish. Arrange a third of potato slices in a layer over bean mixture. Continue to layer, alternating bean mixture with potato and finishing with a bean layer. Top with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast for an extra – almost cheesy – crunch.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes (or until the potatoes are nice and soft). After 15 minutes, remove dish from oven and prick the surface deeply all over with a fork. This allows heat and sauce to circulate through dish. Return to oven for remaining 15 minutes. Serve with a side of steamed vegetables or salad and freshly made guacamole.

Portabello mushroom burgers

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:24:30 +0100

As I mentioned in a recent post, I’ve started a food combining diet to try and help my IBS. I always use the first week of a new ‘diet’ to phase things in so I get the hang of doing it right. It’s taking a bit of adjusting, as I almost have to re-wire my brain to ignore most of the common, intuitive food pairings we’ve grown up with.

So far I’ve made carrot, ginger and coriander soup (starch meal) and this delicious miso soup recipe from Veggie Num Num (protein meal). Breakfasts are a tad repetitive; so far, it’s been oats and cinnamon or buckwheat grits and cinnamon. This week changed things up with some sprouted spelt bread with avocado and basil to break things up.

Since mushrooms are a non-starchy vegetable, they can be combined either with proteins or starches. I opted for the former to make a portabello burger and served it alongside corn on the cob. I also chose to wilt my greens before adding them to the burger as I’m avoiding raw food until I can warm myself up a bit from my naturally cold state – another piece of advice from Paul Pitchford’s Healing With Whole Foods.

2 x portabello mushrooms
1 x garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp x organic butter (or 2 TBSP x olive oil for dairy-free/vegan)
½ tsp x fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 slices x 100% spelt bread (or gluten-free bread if necessary)
2 x onions, finely sliced
1 TBSP x apple cider vinegar
Greens (I used rocket and alfalfa)

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Combine the garlic, rosemary and half the butter/olive oil to make a paste. Spread it between the two mushrooms, then wrap tinfoil around the base of the mushrooms leaving only the tops exposed. Cook in the oven until the mushrooms are soft all the way through. This should take about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the remaining butter/olive oil in a frying pan on medium and add the onions. Cook until the onions start to soften then add the vinegar. Wait until the liquid is burnt off and the onions soft. Set aside.

Toast the spelt bread, wilt the greens if you don’t want them raw, then assemble the burgers. Start with some sautéed onions, the greens, and finish with the mushrooms.