Low FODMAP Ninja

Finally!

I’ve been wanting to share this recipe since last week, but since I made a ton of changes to the original recipe I found, I wanted to test it again before sharing to make sure I got it right!  

Ingredients

• 1 tsp to 1/2 T olive oil (to prepare baking dish)
• 1.5 T olive oil 
• 1.5 T butter 
• 2.5 C green spring onions/scallions, chopped (green parts only!) 
• 3 T chives, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, sliced (you will remove this after cooking) 
• 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped OR use triple washed bagged baby spinach (I found one brand called “Spinach is easy to cook!”) 
• 2 T dill, chopped 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 lb crumbled feta cheese 
• 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 6-8 rice flour spring roll wrappers (fewer if larger in size)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.  Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.

3.  Heat 1.5 T olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté green onions, chives, and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. ** It is very important to use a LARGE skilled because 2 lbs of spinach will make a huge pile before it wilts down.

4.  Set aside approx 1/2 T of beaten egg.

5.  While pan mixture is cooking, in a large bowl, combine remaining eggs, feta, salt and pepper, crumbling feta until mixture is slightly lumpy.

6.  Add spinach to pan and continue to sauté mixture until spinach is limp, stirring and turning frequently so that the raw spinach gets mixed to the bottom of the pan, about 10-15 minutes.  I add about half of the spinach, let some of it wilt, and then continue adding so that I don’t have spinach falling out of the pan.

7.  Once all the spinach is within the confines of the pan, wet the rice spring roll wrappers in a large bowl of warm water.  Lay 2 wrappers in prepared baking pan, overlapping them in the middle and slightly overhanging the side (like a Venn diagram).  Place 1 more wrapper in the middle of the pan.

8.  Once spinach has cooked down, remove from heat, drain, and set aside to cool. Remove garlic slices (if used).  It is very important to drain the mixture so that there is no extra liquid in the mixture.  

9.  Once spinach mixture has cooled, combine in bowl with egg and feta mixture and add the dill.  

10.  Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging wrappers over filling.  Layer remaining 2-4 wrappers on the top of the mixture, brushing each wrapper lightly with oil. Brush top layer with remaining egg.

11.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until top layer of wrappers begins to lightly brown (rice paper wrappers never get the same golden brown as regular wrappers, so if it’s kind of slightly browning, that’s about done).

12.  Cut into squares and serve while hot.  OR!  Heat frying pan to medium.  Place the pieces you are about to eat in the pan and cook on both sides until more golden brown.  **Trust me, pan browning this stuff makes it exponentially more delicious. 

13. Reheat leftovers (if any) in a frying pan, until golden brown. 

I had attempted to make spring rolls with these but I just couldn’t find the right way to cook them in the rice spring roll wrappers.  Baking them for a long time (I forgot to put on a timer so I don’t remember how long it was) seemed to make them a bit crispier but I just don’t have the patience for that and I don’t think it’s worth the effort for this dish.  Multiple pan-frying methods resulted in soggy rolls.

failed spring rolls:

 So, baking it in the pan it is!

That said, if you have any spring roll tips, I’d love to hear your comments. 

I’m not usually a fan of salmon, but the grocery store had a great special on re-freshed wild-caught Coho salmon, so it seemed as good a time as any to try this recipe.  I didn’t feel like firing up the grill so I cooked this in a large cast-iron skillet and I think it turned out great!  The sauce will be close to overpowering on its own but stands up well to the salmon.

(Recipe adapted from Chow.com: Maple-Mustard Glazed Salmon)

General Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 lb salmon, responsibly fished, skin on
• olive or vegetable oil for frying
• kosher salt and pepper

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (more if you want more extra glaze)
• 3 tablespoons mustard
• 1 teaspoon rice or white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Place all of the glaze ingredients in a medium sauce pot and whisk until combined.
2. Heat glaze on medium-high just until the glaze just comes to a boil, about 3 to 4 minutes, continuing to whisk.  
3. Remove the glaze from heat; set aside.
4. Preheat pan on slightly more than medium heat.
5. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of the fillets with oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. 
6. Add about 1 T oil to pan.  Place the salmon in the pain, skin-side down, cover, and cook undisturbed until the skin starts to crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
7. Using a flat spatula or fish spatula, carefully flip the fillets over and brush the skin with some of the glaze.  Cover the pan and continue to cook until the salmon is just opaque in the center, about 2 to 4 minutes more. 
8. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately, passing the remaining glaze on the side.

Serve with rice or side of your choice.  I served this with quinoa salad and it was delicious!

Oh, meatballs.  Is there anything they can’t do?

(Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman’s Meatballs Three Ways in How to Cook Everything)

Ingredients:

• 1 thick or 2 thin slices of gluten-free bread (I’ve used Udi’s white bread with success)
• 1/3 cup milk (I don’t have dairy issues but you can try substituting rice or soy milk)
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green spring onion (just the green part!)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 2 T fresh chopped parsley or 1/2 T dried parsley, ground

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Soak bread in the milk until soggy, about 5 minutes.  (I prep the green onions and remaining ingredients during this time.)
3. Squeeze the milk from the bread and combine with all other ingredients.  Break up the bread into small bits while mixing. 
4. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls (about 1 rounded tablespoon), pressing no more than necessary.  Important! - don’t make the balls too big. 
5. Place meatballs on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 7-8 minutes until no longer pink on the inside. (I like to cook them a little bit longer until the cheese slightly crisps on the bottom.)
6. Eat a few under the guise of “testing the seasoning,” add salt and pepper to taste (if needed), and then serve the rest warm. 

Enjoy these with some Quinoa Pasta, roasted veggies, or a salad.  Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze and reheat later. 

Since I’m on a quinoa kick, here’s a recipe that was one of the first I found when I eliminated wheat from my diet.  It’s adapted from the Leek-Tomato Quinoa recipe found in Bon Appetit’s Fast Easy Fresh cookbook.  

(with yellow tomatoes, quartered)

Ingredients:

• 2 C water
• 1.5 C quinoa, rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper
• 1 T butter or gluten-free butter substitute
• 2 C finely chopped green spring onions (discard white parts)
• 1/4 C chicken broth
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped (substitute cherry tomatoes or other hearty-flavored variety)
• 3 T chopped chives
• 2-3 T chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional)
• 1 roasted red bell pepper (capsicum), cored/seeded and sliced (optional)
• 8 oz. feta cheese (optional)
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Combine water and quinoa in medium sauce pan or pot; sprinkle with salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, about 20-22 minutes.  (Note: when done, quiona should be soft and fluffy; a bit al dente is fine but if there is ANY water in the pan, it’s not done cooking).  Drain and set aside

2. In large skillet, melt butter or gluten-free substitute over medium heat.  Add green spring onions and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add broth to skillet; cover and simmer until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. 

4. Add quinoa and oil; stir until heated through, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in tomatoes, chives, basil/parsley (optional), peppers (optional), feta cheese (optional) and lemon juice.  Let heat about 2 minutes. 

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

7. Serve warm!

This dish makes a great compliment to grilled meats during the summer and would also be great with a stewed or roasted chicken or broiled fish.  When I’m lazy (which is often), I’ll just mix in some canned chicken and call it a meal.  This dish reheats well in the microwave which makes it perfect for workweek leftover lunches, too. 

I like to cook a lot of Mexican-inspired dishes because it’s easy to leave out the onion or substitute in a green spring onion, and I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by using corn tortillas instead of wheat-based options.  Last night I made chicken fajitas, resulting in delicious leftovers for lunch. 

(recipe adapted from Basic Chicken Fajitas on Chow.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced (omit if super-intolerant or substitute 1 T garlic-infused oil)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder *
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander *
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin *
• juice of 1 lime
• 3-4 T high-heat olive oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• salt
• pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese (or both!)
• 1-2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1/2” strips
• 1-1.5 cups green spring onions
• salsa for serving
• sour cream for serving

* - I cheated and used about 1.5-2 tsp tandoori masala seasoning because I didn’t feel like grinding any seeds.

Instructions:

1. Place garlic (or garlic oil), chili powder, coriander, cumin, lime juice, and 2 T of the high-heat olive oil in a shallow baking dish and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better here).
2. Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet to medium.  
3. Remove garlic from marinade (if used). 
4. Add chicken to pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, about 8-10 minutes. Flip, season the second side with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until well browned on the bottom and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board.
5. Add remaining 1 T of oil to cast iron pan.  Add bell pepper and green onions to pan and season with with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly charred, about 10 minutes.  Remove to a serving dish.
6. Heat corn tortillas on griddle pan until hot, about 3 minutes per side.  Wrap the tortilla in a clean dishtowel to keep warm (this works with flour tortillas but doesn’t seem to work as well with corn tortillas - any suggestions?). 
7. Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. 
8. To serve, fill a warm tortilla with chicken and vegetables and top with salsa, cheese, and sour cream.

I served the fajitas with some chopped romaine lettuce. 

Tomatoes don’t seem to bother me much (thank goodness!) so I tend to use them frequently (in moderation) in my low-FODMAP eating.  Here’s a quick tomato soup, adapted from Eating Clean.

(Pictured with crab cakes! and also some polenta croutons and chive oil, recipes forthcoming)

Ingredients:

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil or garlic-infused oil
• 1 cup green spring onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (omit if using garlic-infused oil)
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 14-oz. can Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 14-oz. can Muir Glen diced tomatoes
• 2-4 fresh or dried basil leaves (my basil tolerance is low, adjust to your preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 2 cups chicken broth (I use Pacific Foods free-range organic chicken broth)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch baking soda (optional)
• Garnishes: chopped fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil

Full credit to Alton Brown for his Garden Vegetable Soup recipe.  

My fall/winter substitutions:

• 2 cups green spring onions/scallions instead of leeks;
• no garlic;
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans (defrost before adding) instead of the fresh green beans;
• 1 28-oz. can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes (sometimes I just use 1 14-oz. can if I’m not looking for too much tomato);
• 1.5 cups frozen corn (defrost before adding) instead of the fresh ears.
• 2 quarts Pacific Foods organic free-range chicken stock instead of the broth (does contain garlic powder - use homemade stock or water if sensitive).

I like this recipe because it’s basically 2 cups of every ingredient so it’s easy to learn without having to constantly refer back to the original recipe.

I’ve also occasionally added 1 pound of browned stew beef for a more protein-rich soup. 

This recipe makes a ton of servings and is just as good frozen and reheated.  I like to add some basmati rice or cooked quinoa for a little more bulk in my workweek lunches.  This week I will be using the vat of rice noodles left over from last night’s stir-fry.

Serve with GF grilled cheese or cornbread. 

Stir-fry is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to get a ton of veggies in one sitting. With some easy substitutions, hopefully you won’t miss the large amounts of onions, broccoli, etc. in a traditional stir-fry. 

Ingredients:

Meat:

• Approx. 1 lb ground meat - I use turkey but you could use chicken, beef, or pork (optional)
• Approx. 2 T gluten-free soy sauce (I use Tamari)
• Approx. 1 T rice vinegar

Mix meat ingredients, let marinate for at least 20 minutes in fridge. 

Veggies:

• 1 cup green spring onions/scallions
• 1-2 clove(s) garlic, sliced (omit if you cannot tolerate, or use garlic-infused oil)
• 1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes (less or more, according to your preference)
• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 1.5-2 cups sliced carrots (I slice baby carrots into 4ths or 6ths)

choose 2-4 of the following:

• 1 can baby corn, drained (8 oz.)
• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced or chunks, drained (8 oz.)
• 1 can bean shoots, drained
• 1 red pepper, sliced, seeds removed
• up to 1 cup broccoli, chopped (omit if highly intolerant)

Sauce: (adapted from Eat Close to Home)

• 3 T GF soy sauce
• 1 c. chicken stock (I use Pacific Foods Organic) or water
• 1 tsp. powdered ginger (less or more, according to your preference)
• 1.25 T cornstarch

Starch:  rice (basmati) or rice noodles

Cooking:

1. Heat large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
2. Add approx 2 T cooking oil of choice (high-heat olive oil; sesame oil; or garlic-infused oil).
3. Add meat and marinade.  Saute until fully cooked; remove and set aside.
4. If pan is dry, add another 1-2 T oil until coated.  
5. Add spring onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until spring onions are soft.  Remove garlic slices. 
6. Add carrots and celery.  Saute until carrots and celery begin to soften, stirring frequently.  Cover pan to steam veggies. 
7. Add remaining veggies to pan; steam/saute, continuing to stir.
8. Combine sauce ingredients; stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
9. Cook rice or rice noodles; set aside.
10. When veggies are your desired consistency (I like mine a little softer), stir sauce ingredients again to recombine and add a few pieces of hot veggies from the pan to pre-heat the cornstarch.
11. Add sauce to pan; stir until all veggies are coated. 
12. Simmer veggies with sauce until sauce is clear (about 2-3 minutes).
13. Return meat to pan, stir. 
14. Top rice or rice noodles with stir-fry mixture or add rice noodles to pan to coat. 

The great thing about this recipe (other than taste) is that you can add more or less of your favorite vegetables, and it makes a ton of leftovers for lunch for the week. Again - adjust the ingredients to your FODMAP tolerance, and omit anything that causes you problems (e.g. garlic, ginger powder).  

Yeah, you read that right.  Rotisserie chicken.  From the grocery store. 

Some weeks I’ve just had it with experimenting from food.  My ultimate comfort meal when I accidentally (or, intentionally in the name of “testing my FODMAP boundaries”) get a little too crazy with the wrong food is chicken and mashed potatoes*, maybe with a baby carrot or three green beans.  It didn’t come as much of a surprise, then, when I discovered that this is about all you can eat during a low-FODMAP diet elimination phase.

As for the store-prepared rotisserie chicken, make sure you pick up a plain one (or as plain as it gets - always read the ingredient labels).  Reheat at home with some potatoes and it’s a gentle-on-the-stomach dinner.

*Note - I don’t have problems with lactose.  If you do, try a baked potato, or roasted potatoes (olive oil, salt, pepper, oven on 400 degrees for as long as it takes).