Low FODMAP Ninja

Just a hungry ninja trying to figure out what to eat on a Low-FODMAP diet. New here? start here For the most recent updates in low-fodmap research, consult Monash University's guide

[fodmapninja]

Turkey Bolognese

Moving next month to a place with actual counter space and I could not be more excited to getting back into proper cooking and recipe adaptation.  

Turkey bolognese:  quite easy.  Use jarred sauce if you really want to save time, but I’ve found a new marinara that’s simpler, lighter, and faster (and, it seems, a bit easier to digest) than my old recipe.  Serves 4-6. 

Ingredients:

-1 28-oz. can crushed or pureed tomatoes

-a few shakes of Penzey’s granulated garlic (I’ve had great success with this in small amounts)

-1 T olive oil

-1 T dried oregano

-1 T dried basil

-salt to taste

-1 lb ground turkey

-1 box Banza pasta (your choice)

-Parmesan cheese, grated

Sauce; (adapted from NYT’s Simple Marinara Sauce):

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat and add granulated garlic.  Briefly saute until golden (do not scorch)

2. Add tomatoes and herbs. Simmer and stir approx. 30 minutes until sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

Bolognese

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Brown 1 16-oz package ground turkey (green onions optional for flair).  Add to sauce and stir until incorporated. (season with salt and granulated garlic as preferred).  

3. Cook and drain 1 box Banza chickpea pasta (my go-to these days).  Cavatappi or penne preferred but use your favorite. 

4. Combine pasta with sauce and some parmesan cheese.   Top with extra cheese.  

5. Bake until cheese on top is golden.  

Recipe freezes and reheats very well.  

[fodmapninja]

Potato soup

Fall is here!

3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, chopped

1 leek, chopped (avoid whitest part; use green ends only if you are very sensitive) - or, substitute green onions/scallions (not as good as leeks!)

2-3 Tablespoons butter

chicken or vegetable broth

salt

pepper

1.  Add butter to pan.  Sauté leeks/green onions until soft. 

2.  Add potatoes to pan.  Add broth until potatoes are just submerged. 

3.  Bring to rolling boil and then simmer until potatoes are soft - approx. 15 minutes. 

4.  Blend soup in blender to smooth.  

5.  Season with salt/pepper to taste. 

Optional: top with cheddar, chives, and bacon :)

[fodmapninja]

Things I have eaten successfully since starting Betaine HCL

Croutons

Sourdough toast (whole slices)

Hummus and pita

Restaurant breakfast nachos with all the ingredients (refried beans AND mystery sauce? yes please!)

Indian buffet (including naan AND samosas)

Asparagus *

I’m coming for you, onions and challah bread french toast.  (Separately, of course.) 

* - actually woke up at 4am feeling weird, but it’s not necessarily from the asparagus.  will try again soon.

[fodmapninja]

Low Stomach Acid?

After suffering the horrors of yet another GI bug earlier this summer, I spent some time reflecting on why this seems to happen to me more than others.  My previous GI doc once told me, “You’re just more sensitive than other people.” But why?

Long story short, after some research and experimenting, I began taking Betaine HCL (essentially, replacement stomach acid) + pepsin after meals with protein.  To my surprise, that “heavy brick” feeling I used to have after meals disappeared, and I now alternate between feeling hungry/not hungry rather than feeling hungry/uncomfortably full.  The absence of discomfort is an unsettling but very welcome development.  I’ve also started eating wheat again in larger quantities with no ill effects.  (Could it be?  Could I really go out to eat and order a sandwich or a burger with a bun?)

I’ll be branching out into other high-FODMAP foods that I’ve had trouble reintroducing over the past few years (looking at you, onions).  I’ve also been able to stop taking the digestive enzymes that have gotten me through the past 2 years (stomach acid triggers the body to produce the enzymes; low/no acid = low/no enzymes, hence why supplementing helped me somewhat but not totally (theorized!)).  (Other theories - lack of stomach acid means I have no defense against mild pathogens (causing frequent food poisoning-type incidents), and FODMAPs bother me because they aren’t being fully broken down before they get to the end of my digestive system.)

My new GI doc is a little younger and more up on the research (she actually knew what the Low FODMAP diet was before I mentioned it) and supports this experiment - “It makes sense, so if it works and you feel better with no issues, go for it.”  

Going for it I am.  

[fodmapninja]

Whole30

I'm going to try the Whole30 program in January. 

This should be interesting.

[fodmapninja]

Brunch

Roasted heirloom tomatoes, halloumi sautéed in olive oil, scrambled eggs, spinach salad. 

[fodmapninja]

Cuisine Challenge: Indian & Vietnamese

Well they weren't supposed to be in the same day, but sometimes things just work out that way.

It took awhile to finally get myself in the car and over to Indian Buffet.  Chicken tikka masala (no makhani - what a disappointment!), chana masala, tandoori chicken, rice, rice pudding, and a little bit of a potato & pea dish.  No major issues!  Had a nice peppermint tea when I got home just in case. 

A few hours later, I was about to heat up the oven to bake some fish for dinner but received a text from a friend inviting me to her favorite Vietnamese restaurant in town.  I'd never tried it, but was feeling bold and impulsive, so I agreed.  Not long after, I was enjoying my first pho (after she picked out the large onion pieces for me) and grilled pork chops with "house special nuoc mam sauce."  With the (possible) (or at least mental) help from a glucose tablet and some ginger candy - no major issues!

I think I'll take it easy today just to monitor, but I'm pretty proud that a) I was mentally able to eat like this in one day and b) my body seemed to handle it quite well. 

[fodmapninja]

Wheat challenge

step one: 8-pack chick-fil-a* nuggets: totally fine 

step two: 2 bite of a czech pastry (trdelník) from Prague: totally fine (thank goodness, because I tried it the night before flying home)

step 3: about 3 fingers-worth of trdelník the next evening (approx. 10pm), eaten with 2 turkey burgers: everything seems okay

step 4: about 5 more fingers-worth of trdelník the following morning (approx. 9am) on an empty stomach (also after only about 6 hours of sleep): PAIN and bloating within an hour, continuing for the next 10+ hours.  gave rest of trdelník to coworker.

lessons:  amount and timing is key.  a few bites of baked good seemed okay, but space it out by more than 12 hours, and eat it with something else.  was hoping the european wheat would make a difference (I remember feeling not quite as ill on previous trips before I cut out FODMAPs).  will plan to try an Auntie Anne's pretzel within the next few weeks because pretzels are delicious.  good to know that smaller amounts of wheat seem to be tolerable, will have to try some restaurant sauces to confirm.

* - will still avoid generally due to disagreements over politics, but it's good to know that I have at least one fast food option in an emergency.

[fodmapninja]

Stir-fry

I accidentally deleted my old stir fry recipe while I was trying to update the picture, so here's my attempt at recreating it with some recent changes I've made to the recipe. 

(shown with black bean pasta)

Ingredients:

1 package ground turkey or pork (about 1-1.25 pounds)

soy sauce (marinate to taste, or to add to pan while cooking meat, plus about 2 Tablespoons for sauce)

sesame oil

shredded carrots (1 bag)

frozen kale (approx 2 cups)

jar roasted red peppers (Trader Joe's)

1 can baby corn nuggets

1 can bean sprouts

1 can sliced water chestnuts

about 2-3 cups frozen broccoli (omit if intolerant)

ground ginger (about 1 Tablespoon) or minced ginger paste (about 1-2 Tablespoons)

chicken broth (I have been using Trader Joe's gel broth packets)

1.5 Tablespoons corn starch

approx. 2 teaspoons turmeric (optional)

approx. 1 teaspoon red peper flakes (to taste)

millet noodles, black bean pasta, or rice (optional)

Instructions:

(optional) marinate ground meat with soy sauce for at least 30 minutes

brown ground meat with sesame oil and soy sauce, set aside

cook vegetables in same pan, adding additional sesame oil if needed (I cook the carrots first, followed by the kale, then the baby corn/sprouts/water chestnuts/broccoli (preheated in microwave), and, finally, the red peppers)

add the red pepper flakes (optional)

while veggies are cooking, combine sauce ingredients (soy sauce, broth, ginger, turmeric, corn starch) and whisk until corn starch is dissolved

while veggies are cooking, prepare starch (noodles or rice)

once veggies have finished cooking (I like mine a little softer, so this takes awhile), add the sauce and mix until sauce thickens

return meat to veggies and continue mixing

serve over noodles or rice

Makes 4-6 servings.

[fodmapninja]

Chocolate-chip almond oat banana bread

(Adapted from the Minimalist Baker's GF/Vegan Banana Bread)

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe bananas

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg

3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3.5 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup almond, dairy, or rice milk or kefir

3/4 cup almond meal (reduce if sensitive to almonds by proportionally increasing oat flour.  eliminating almond meal will result in a denser, but still delicious, bread)

1-1/2 cup oat flour

1-1/2 cup oats

1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional - I have been omitting them recently)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease 9x9 or 9x13 pan/glass dish

Mash banana in large bowl. Add all ingredients through almond milk/milk/kefir and stir to combine.

Add almond meal, oat flour, and oats.  

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into baking dish and bake 50 minutes-1 hour (I baked mine in the 9x13 pan for about 55 minutes, and slightly longer in the 9x9 pan).

Let cool for ONE HOUR.  Not joking, sorry.  This needs time to set and cool, or it will fall apart. 

I store mine in the fridge and actually really enjoy eating it cold with a smear of Kerrygold.  

[fodmapninja]

Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients

butter or oil

2-3 eggs per person

soft corn tortillas (1 per egg used)

Super Easy Salsa

canned black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

pinch cumin and salt, to taste

cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Warm salsa and beans (use 1/4 cup beans per serving, or to tolerance) in pan over low heat; add pinch cumin.

Warm tortillas in pan with butter or oil.  Add cheese toward end to melt.

Fry eggs in pan with butter or oil

Layer tortillas, salsa/beans, and eggs. 

You don't have to heat up the salsa and beans but it tastes MUCH better when warm. 

[fodmapninja]

Rhubarb-Oat Crisp

(adapted from Martha's Rhubarb Crisp)

Ingredients:

2-2.5 pounds rhubarb, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

1/4 cup granulated sugar (yes that's 3/4 cup less than Martha calls for)

3/4 cup oat flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup rolled oats

at least 1 teaspoon King Arthur Flour Vietnamese Cinnamon (no other will do!)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In 9"x13" baking dish, combine rhubarb, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup oat flour.

In food processor or blender, combine remaining 1/2 cup flour and butter until butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller.  Add brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon, and mix until combined.  Sprinkle over rhubarb. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes until crumble is golden-brown and rhubarb is tender.  

SO TASTY. 

[veganinspo]

Golden Potato Salad

[fortheloveoffodmap]

Just use garlic oil instead of minced garlic , and this looks super tasty.

[fodmapninja]

Chicken breast with Kale and Broccoli

Last night's dinner:

Sauté 2 chicken breasts in garlic-infused oil (I used Olave Garlic Oil)

Microwave up to 2 cups frozen broccoli (or less depending on your tolerance) and set aside

Microwave 2 cups kale and set aside

When chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and set aside.  Add broccoli and kale to pan (with additional oil if necessary) with 1/2 to 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes to reduce liquid.  

Serve together topped with parmesan cheese.  

I ate this with a bit of quinoa pasta.  I might try it next time with rice or roasted potatoes.

[vegan-yums]

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Snack Bread (V+GF One Bowl)

[fodmapninja]

Oooh.  I recently made their banana bread (with some substitutions, no honey/syrup, oat flour instead of almond meal) and it was pretty tasty.  This looks like it will be even better..

[vegan-yums]

Easy Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

[fortheloveoffodmap]

Use maple syrup instead of agave and these will be a delicious low fodmap treat! I’ll be adding this to my list of things to bake!

[fortheloveoffodmap]

Spinach and egg filled capsicum