Low FODMAP Ninja

Ingredients:

• Approx. 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 28-oz. cans of peeled plum tomatoes
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• pinch red pepper flakes
• fresh or dried basil and oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• Sauté garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil for about 3-5 minutes (until garlic is lightly golden - you may want to flip it once.  do not scorch!).
• Remove garlic pieces.
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes.  Bring to slight boil then reduce to simmer.  Cook for 45-50 minutes.
• Add salt and balsamic vinegar; simmer for 5 more minutes.

Goes great with roasted vegetables and/or meatballs; also works as a pizza sauce!

• Trader Joe’s pre-cooked chicken (just chicken)
• spinach
• cheddar
• tomatoes
• green onions
• a little bit of bacon
• yellow mustard vinaigrette dressing

• Romaine lettuce, chopped
• cheddar
• super easy salsa
• Trader Joe’s stew beef, sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper, and a dash of chipotle powder
• a few tostitos chips
• green onions

Today for lunch I put some Trader Joe’s Ready-to-Heat Grilled Chicken on top of some olive-oil sautéed green and yellow squash, red peppers, green onions, and eggplant with a dash of grated parmesan cheese.  

I’ve been toying around for a few weeks with cutting out more carbs (basically starches/grains that aren’t my morning oatmeal) and dairy that isn’t aged cheese or yogurt (goat yogurt, currently). So, no more potatoes, quinoa, and very little GF bread.  I’ve definitely lost some weight and my stomach is flatter.  I was concerned that I wouldn’t have the energy to work out as much as I normally do, but it hasn’t been an issue - I’m lifting the same amount of weight I was before and running just fine.  

I’m eating more veggies (by volume) and nuts and even ripened bananas (I read about the specific carbohydrate diet, in case you couldn’t tell already, and decided to sort of try it just to see what happened).  I’m also keeping a better food diary (spreadsheet) to better track what I ate and any symptoms I had.  I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this up but I’m definitely intrigued by the results.  

Ingredients:

Salad: combined preferred amount of:

• Trader Joe’s Wild Pre-cooked Salmon
• Spinach
• Chives
• Cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (I prefer Olave)
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1.5 Tablespoons orange juice
• Pinch salt & pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together and combine with salad ingredients. 

I never really cared for the gravy in a can/jar.  My mom always made ours with Cambpell’s cream of chicken soup and turkey drippings.  Unfortunately for me, Campbell’s has yet to come out with a gluten-free version of this soup. 

A few weeks ago, I picked up a few boxes of Pacific Foods’ Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Chicken soup at Wegman’s.  The soup does have onion and garlic powder toward the end of the listed ingredients, but I’m hoping it’s not enough to cause any major problems.  

I combined 1 container of the soup with some drippings (I can’t say how much, I just kept adding a little at a time, stirring, and tasting until it seemed done).  The soup is pretty salty, so moderation is key.  (Gravy is basically a food group where I grew up - gravy restraint is not easy at all for me.)

Super lazy; vaguely low-FODMAP. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Edited to add:  I felt better after this Thanksgiving meal (and leftovers) than I have for a long time.  Huzzah!

Former stuffing addict here. I could have cared less about the turkey or mashed potatoes - stuffing made with potato bread was always my favorite part of the meal. Nothing compares to that, but this year I’ve created my best low-FODMAP stuffing yet.  Although the cream of chicken soup I use is not totally low-FODMAP, I’ve found that I can tolerate small amounts of onion and garlic powder so long as I’m fairly strict with the rest of my meal.

Ingredients (for approx 5-6 servings):

• 1 loaf Udi’s whole grain bread
• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• 1 12-oz box Pacific foods gluten-free condensed Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

• Sauté green onions and celery in butter over gentle (medium-low) heat until soft (about 15 minutes). 
• Chop bread into 1/2 inch cubes; place in large bowl.
• Combine egg and soup. 
• Mix green onion/celery in bread cubes. 
• Add egg and soup to bowl; mix until evenly coated.
• Grease 9”x9” baking pan. 
• Press bread mixture into pan. 
• Cook approx. 45 minutes at 325-350 F (depending on other oven items) until browned around edges.  

This takes awhile to boil down, but is tangier and healthier than the stuff in the can.  Although cranberries are currently deemed to be low-FODMAP, don’t go overboard on your serving size.

Ingredients (by volume):

• 2 parts cranberries
• 1 part (or less) water
• 1/4 to 1/2 part packed brown sugar OR maple syrup (you may want to add more - I prefer my sauce to be more tart than sweet)
• Optional: pinch cinnamon; orange zest to taste

Instructions:

• Rinse cranberries and place in large bowl of water.  Discard any stems and berries that are white or mushy, or that do not float.  Discard water.
• Measure remaining cranberries by volume. 
• Add berries to 1 part (or less) water and brown sugar in large pot. 
• Boil lightly until all berries have popped.  This can get messy; I recommend a splatter guard or a lid that allows for steam to escape (otherwise it will take forever to boil off the excess liquid).  You may want to assist the popping of berries by smooshing them against the side of the pot with a spatula.  Be careful - the berries will be VERY HOT when they pop.  You probably will want to wear an apron or other clothing that won’t show cranberry stains.
• Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until sauce reaches your desired consistency.  I cook mine until I can see the bottom of the pot for a few seconds after stirring (i.e. past the point that the liquid would immediately fill that empty space). 
• Add optional ingredients, if desired.
• Pour into glass containers and chill before serving. 

Again - because this is a reduced form of the fruit, be careful with how much you eat so as to not overload your FODMAP digestion capabilities.

I tried making baba ghanoush last weekend and it was terrible.  I oven roasted the eggplant instead of grilling it or “grilling it” on my stovetop.  I’m sure that would have made a difference, but not solved my issue.  Anyone have a good recipe?

Growing up, Campbell’s condensed Bean with Bacon soup was always one of my comfort food staples.  This weekend I decided to try the can that had become a longterm resident of my pantry.  With the help of a little bit of Beano, and drinking a lot of water, I was able to eat half of the soup Friday and half on Saturday with no noticeable effects.  Huzzah!  

Since I’m predominantly a fructose malabsorber, and the pinto beans contain galactans, this fits with my findings that my FODMAP issues are generally only with excess fructose and fructans (and polyols).  If you’ve been tested for fructose malabsorption and have been avoiding all FODMAPs, definitely try challenging galactans to broaden your options. 

Now I have the confidence to try making hummus from scratch with canned chickpeas.  Exciting!

My local Trader Joe’s recently started carrying seafood - very exciting!  When I’m not feeling particularly ambitious, I’ll pick up some salmon or tilapia, heat a tiny bit of oil or butter in a pan, dry the fish, season with a dash of salt and pepper, and cook it for a few minutes per side until done.  I like it with a spinach salad or roasted veggies, or perhaps a splash of gluten-free soy sauce and a side of rice noodles and green onions.  Fast and easy!  

Well, there’s no substitute for a flour-y, wheaty wrap, but these will have to do.  Found these in the regular bread section at my local TJ’s.  Microwaved it 10-15 seconds to make it more pliable, as these tend to break easily.  I rolled mine around some canned chicken, bacon, cheddar, spinach, and a little mustard for dinner tonight.  

I might try making quesadillas with these - I’m not sure how well they’ll toast up, but I’ll update if I do. 

(image source)