Good Food Girl

The Huffington Post: Pancake Day: Free From Everything but Pancakes

2012-02-20T22:24:00.003Z

Just in time for the big toss itself, my free from, Fodmap friendly pancake recipe.

I hope none of you Fodmap devotees are thinking about taking part in Lent, we give up enough surely don't we? But that doesn't mean that we can't use today as a day of indulgence all the same, the French don't call it Mardi Gras literally translated as Fat Tuesday, for nothing. So go, whisk, flip, toss and squeeze your way through today and enjoy every last mouthful.

Hope on over to The Huffington Post for the recipe Pancake Day: Free From Everything but Pancakes.

Enjoy.

The Huffington Post: Fodmap Classics: Beef Ragu

2012-01-25T21:48:00.000Z

It has become a mini mission on my Fodmap path to adapt as many classic dishes as I can. These adaptations will be posted on my Huffington Post blog.

The winter nights have left me wanting comfort and relaxation, so I have started with Beef Ragu. Deep, satisfying and just so god damn tasty, there is nothing better to heat up the coldest day.

For the full article and recipe hop on over to The Huffington Post - Fomdap Classics: Beef Ragu

Polenta Gnocchi - And my new cook book.

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001Z

I am often looking for new and different foods to replace traditional pasta. Obviously, for us free from Fodmap people there are gluten and wheat free pastas, and whilst these are perfectly good and tasty, sometimes they can be lacking in the authenticity department. A limited variety of shapes, which I think can be important as each different pasta is a better carrier for different types of sauce, and almost certainly never the light fresh taste of egg pasta.

I mentioned a couple of posts ago my wonderful #twittersecretsanta present The International Cookery Book and it hasn't taken me long to start noting down my must try recipes for Fodmap adaptation.

I have always loved those little fluffy balls of Gnocchi, literally translated as "lumps", perfect description of what will follow. In the past I have had the variants made with semolina, flour and potato. Until now I hadn't thought that Gnocchi was on my Fodmap menu, but it seems it can be with my little tweaks. One of the recipes that caught my eye in my new cook book was for such delights, semolina based Gnocchi.

The original recipe:

Gnocchi (Italy)
Bring a pint of milk to the boil, sprinkle in five ounces of semolina, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook slowly for twenty minutes. Thicken with an egg yolk off the heat, and spread out on a plate half an inch thick. When cold cut into any desired shapes, and use for garnishing soup, or arrange the pieces in a greased dish, sprinkle them with melted butter or margarine and grated cheese, and brown quickly in the oven.

This gave me the perfect inspiration to attempt a Gnocchi alternative that was Fodmap friendly, and I really enjoyed the results. Lurking in my cupboard I had fine Polenta which I thought would be the perfect swap for the semolina in the original recipe. Using the Polenta with the milk base, similar to the recipe above, gives this Gnocchi a smooth, sweet and comforting taste, perfect as a carrier for many Italian sauces, soups, or simply grilling with cheese as a snack on their own.

Ingredients:

850ml Lactofree Milk (both semi-skimmed and whole work well)
5oz Fine Polenta
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg

Bring the milk to a slow boil.
Sprinkle in the Polenta, stirring continuously with a whisk to avoid lumps and sticking.
Cook slowly for 20 minutes over a low-medium heat, stirring continuously.
If the Polenta becomes too think or lumpy, add a little more milk whilst stirring. Don't be too
precious about this, remember Gnocchi translates as "lumps".
Pour into shallow, small baking tray.
Leave to cool.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit/gas mark 4
Once cool, using a spoon shape into oval Gnocchi shaped balls or any shape that takes your hearts' desire.
Place on a baking tray, bake for 25 minutes until slightly golden and a little crispy on top.

Serve as you like it.

I love with my Beef Ragu or a Good Homemade Tomato Sauce.

Adding different ingredients such as Basil, Thyme or Parmesan for a delicate flavour, can add a little something to a special meal too.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Pork Belly Risotto

2012-01-10T10:54:00.000Z

After all of the festivities and a rushed start to work I was looking forward to getting back to my flat, my kitchen and some slow cooking.

I wanted comfort and goodness.For me, most meats are delicious when cooked slowly until it melts in the mouth, wanting something kind to the purse I immediately turned to pork belly. But I was also craving some weekend luxury; I remembered reading a while back about pork belly risotto, a risotto with good ingredients always makes me feel a little indulgent so, I decided to try and make my own. I was more than delighted with the results, so here it is, my Low Fodmap Slow Cooked Pork Belly Risotto. I chose to braise my belly of pork rather than roast, as I wanted a really moist sweet shredded meat. But I will definitely be trying smoky roast pork belly in the future.

For the Pork:
2tbsp Rapeseed Oil
Pork Belly
3 Carrots
4 sticks of celery
800ml Vegetable Stock
500ml White Wine

For the Risotto:
1 tbsp butter
300g Risotto Rice
3/4tsp Asafoetida
1tsp Garlic Granules
125ml White Wine
1 1/2tsp finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius/300 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas mark 2.
You need a large casserole/pot with a lid that can be placed on the hob and placed in oven.
Roughly chop the carrots and celery.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil (I use rapeseed) in the casserole, then seal the pork belly on all sides until it is turning golden brown.
Remove the pork.
Add carrots and celery to the casserole, fry in the oil for about 2 mins until the veg is softened and the celery is becoming translucent.
Place the pork belly on top of the veg.
Add the stock and wine, this should just cover the pork belly and no more.
Braise in oven for 2hrs.
Remove the pork belly from the liquid and place on a plate to rest for 10-15mins.
Meanwhile place the pork liquid and veg into a blender and blitz until smooth, this will give you between 1 - 1.5l of stock.
After resting the pork meat will fall away from the fat, using two forks shred the meat, until you are left with a plate of delicious, melting pork ready for your risotto.
Now get your pan ready for your risotto.
In a large bottomed shallow pan, melt the butter, add the asafoetida and the garlic granules (by all means you can add real garlic here, would be 3 cloves, but I find granules easier on the tummy). Just as the spices are turning golden, add the rice.
Fry the rice for 2-3 mins until completely coated and is beginning to turn transparent. Then add the wine.
Let it bubble away until all of the wine has evaporated.
Then begin adding the blended stock ladle by ladle, letting each ladleful be absorbed before adding the next.
Keep stirring the risotto in between adding stock, this is what nudges the starch out of the risotto rice and creates that lovely dreamy creamy risotto texture.
The risotto is ready when the rice is cooked but still has a little bite, and the risotto is not soup like but a cosy loose texture.
Before the last ladleful of stock add the shredded pork mixing in well.
After the last ladleful of stock has been absorbed add the Parmesan, stirring until well mixed and the risotto has a smooth velveteen feeling.
Lastly, add a knob of butter to gloss the risotto (optional, but I like the thickness the butter adds right at the end).
And Serve.

I added some peppery rocket leaves on top for a little green crunch.

This recipe does take time, but the majority of it is the pork cooking in the oven. What better way to spend a late Saturday afternoon, than with a glass of wine, pork braising in the oven knowing that within a few hours it will be turned into an delicious Saturday night supper. And trust me the time is definitely worth it.

Will feed 3-4 adults depending on appetites.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year - A late Christmas Present

2012-01-08T21:32:00.001Z

I am aware I am 8 days late with the Happy New Year, but it didn't seem right starting my first post of 2012 without saying it, so there it is.

I have struggled to get into the swing of things this first week back into reality after a very relaxing and special, almost two weeks of festive celebrations with friends and family. My first low Fodmap Christmas and New Year was special, much loved and in no way any less indulgent than previous years. The one big difference, I was healthy, happy and could enjoy myself as much as everybody else. Thank you low Fodmap.

All that said, until this moment I had hit a cooking and writing wall. I did plenty of cooking over the Festive period, but enjoying the lack of reception at my parents house, none of this was ever destined for the blog. With a premature and abrupt end to the festive period (well that's how it felt to me anyway), there seems to have been no time this week to do anything apart from the day job, eat leftovers and try to sleep.

I thought the festive period was completely over, but I had one surprise still to come. A surprise that came at just the right time.

The weekend before Christmas I agreed to take part in a Twitter Secret Santa #twittersecretsanta organised by @philiplarkin - no not the poet - but a very creative Irish laddie who lives in Glasgow. Anyway the rules were this, you agreed to take part, once Philip had all participants, he then sent you your Secret Santa to send a gift to. The budget was £5 but you could go under or over this at your discretion; time limits meant most people wouldn't be getting the gifts until after Christmas but this added to the excitement. You were given the twitter name of the person you were to buy a gift for so you could go check them out, maybe find any associated websites, blogs etc and then try and come up with the best gift you can. I did this and have since sent my gift on. No, I cant tell you what I sent or then it wouldn't be a secret but I certainly hope they liked it.

But back to my surprise. Yesterday, I received a package. And to be perfectly honest I had forgotten about #twittersecretsanta, as I had sent my gift off, and I had been rushing about yesterday so it was the last thing on my mind. I collected my parcel and brought it back to the flat, I love getting parcels, so as soon as I was inside I tore it open and this is what I found.

A beautifully wrapped gift, the effort and thought of the wrapping alone was enough to make me well up. But it was to get better; what was inside left me speechless.

It was a beautiful original edition of a book called The International Cookery Book edited by Ambrose Heath. A complete stranger took part in a social media game, got given my name and this is what they picked for me. It really is amazing. I think the word I first used in a text message to my sister was awesome. The thought and care that went into both the wrapping and the present literally blew me away.

I have since had great pleasure reading some of recipes this book has to offer. What was perhaps groundbreaking when the book came out in 1953, is now a great source for me to go back to some great recipes, time honoured traditions in cooking, that we may these days forget. For example, potato croquettes, beef soup (bouillon), fish chowder, dumplings of all varieties, goulash and many, many more. It also includes traditional recipes from many places including France, Hungary, Greece, West Indies, USA, Russia, Scandinavia, perhaps many countries that I would have never thought to look for inspiration. The pictures alone are enough to bring a kitsch smile to your face.

Ambrose Heath writes in the editors foreword:

'Perhaps the best tribute I can pay to the collections which form this book is, that when I was reading the proofs I was constantly wishing to transfer my activities from the study to the kitchen, so attractive did many recipes seem. I see no reason why the readers of this book should not feel the same: indeed, I very much hope they will' - And I certainly will.

So, if there is any chance that the stranger who bought me the book is reading this, Thank You. Thank you for the thoughtful gift, Thank You for the beautiful wrapping (it certainly added a certain something) and Thank You for inspiration. It has certainly got 2012 off to a good start for me. It has inspired me, and given me faith that even when all seems rubbish and difficult, there are a lot of good people in the world that can do nice things. Restoring faith in human nature; No better way to start a year.

Now thank you to you for allowing me this indulgent post without Fodmap content, but be rest assured that this book will provide many hours of cooking and recipes for me to adapt, and for you to enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Eating Out is an Option: Carluccio's Glasgow

2011-12-19T14:27:00.001Z

It is an annual ritual that myself and my best girlies, and sometimes honorary girlie who is actually a gentleman, do a Christmas night/day out; generally eat drink and be merry. With myself based in Manchester and the flock in Glasgow, this is of the utmost of importance to us and something we look forward to for months.

It was a concern for me this year due to my limited low Fodmap diet, when I am out and about is certainly not going to be the time that I be adventurous and go off plan. Eating out, therefore, can be tricky.

I needed not worry, the lunch I had was beautiful and I enjoyed a long day out with my friends. Just perfect.

The plan for the day was lunch in Carluccio's at 2, Glasgow Film Theatre for It's A Wonderful Life at 5.30pm and then drinks.

Before Fodmap I was a regular at the Carluccio's Spinnningfields, normally for breakfast. I have not been in since the Fodmap diet as I thought it would have been difficult with the fabulous Italian bread, the pasta and the onion/garlic issue.

On arrival at Carluccio's Glasgow, situated on West Nile Street, I noticed the different interior to the Spinnigfields version. Cosier, ambient and much more suited to the adult (a little boozy) lunch we were all looking for. We were led to a lovely half moon booth that was perfect for lunch for 5 of us; the perfect table can really enhance a restaurant visit. Our first reaction was that it felt like sitting in some cool Italian movie, a not so fierce Scarface maybe, and certainly not part of a big restaurant chain.

We ordered some aperitifs, 4 Bellini's and a beer (the beer was one of the girlies not the gentleman). The Bellini's were peach, which was a slight risk for me, but a small amount of fruit puree I did not think was going to spoil my day, and it never. It was the perfect start to my meal.

I opened the menu with trepidation, as I had no idea what I was going to order; being so fed up of spoiling many a night out I didn't want to let on to my friends my fears. With options of meats, cheeses and fish for both starter and main I quickly realised I needn't be fearful. I was even able to choose off the menu, exactly as the dishes came, no special ordering needed for me. I was also delighted to see Carluccio's have a gluten free menu; some of these dishes are still difficult for low Fodmap, but, its a really good gluten free menu with plenty of variety.

I decided to order from the main menu. For starter I ordered Mozzarella Dell'Isolla - Melting Buffalo Mozzarella, roasted peppers, sliced Parma ham and rocket. The Parma ham had a perfect sweet and salty intensity. The peppers were sweetly roasted and just enough oil to keep them moist and the Buffalo mozzarella was meltingly good. An ideal light starter for any meal; could there be a better Fodmap starter? All other starters went down just as well, with the fishcakes being picked as a highlight by my girls.

For my second course I chose Branzino Con Salsa E Patate - Fillet of Sea Bass, pan-fried, with tomato salsa and sautéed potatoes. My picture (must get better at photography) does not do the dish justice. Beneath the crispy, golden top lay perfect soft, meaty white fish that flaked away from the skin that held it together underneath. The potatoes were sautéed in skins with enough oil, salt and rosemary to have a great taste, feel naughty, but, without that chip pan feeling. The tomato salsa had evidently (obviously) been made with garlic and onion but I just ate the nice chunky pieces of tomato along with my fish and emitted the pieces of onion, easy. All other main courses in the party were enjoyed, not a clean plate among 4 us; one particularly large plate of pasta left MC defeated. In the second course I think the sea bass came out on top. Just think of that a low Fodmap meal being the tastiest!

Dessert, was a different ball game. There was not a suitable dessert for me; very rarely is there a suitable low Fodmap option. This was fine by me. I was happy with my peppermint tea and glass of wine. The others did choose a dessert: 2 ice creams (coffee and bitter chocolate), 1 chocolate fondant and 1 meringue fruit thingy (when you can't have dessert you don't pay much attention). The desserts did not go down as well as the other courses, apart from the ice cream which was met with oohs, ahhhs and spoon sharing around the table.

Coffees all round, apart from me with my peppermint tea, we sat back and commented what a lovely lunch we had just had; all 3 hours of it. The atmosphere was welcome, warm and Christmassy, the service was spot on. This low Fodmap girl walked away happily full, feeling great and arm in arm with her girlies in the glow of a good meal, good wine and good company.

"A man is never a failure as long as he has friends" Clarence the Angel from It's A Wonderful Life.

Hot off the Press: The Huffington Post

2011-12-17T10:23:00.000Z

So, I have really good news. I am now, officially, a blogger for The Huffington Post Uk. I will be doing exclusive blog posts as often as I can, but still about Fodmap, recipes, foods and all the things you see here on my blog.

And today I am on the front page, what a start!

The Huffington Post: Fodmap - A Relief for a Right Pain in the Arse

Smoky Stuffed Pepper

2011-12-14T17:27:00.000Z

During the week, especially in the cold weather, I love nothing more than a comforting, cosy meal to come home too. My day job can be pretty demanding and I need something quick, not something that takes loads of prep as I would be eating at 10'o'clock at night - not good for anybody.

There is another thing, I am not always very organised (Mammy if you are reading this I know this is something you try to help me with, I am trying), so I often need to make my meal with whatever I have left in the fridge and my essential store cupboard.

Recently on such a night I came up with this:

Smoky Stuffed Pepper

1 Red Pepper
100g Rice - cooked
200g tin chopped tomatoes
100g pancetta or bacon
1/4tsp asafoetida
1/2tsp cumin ground or seeds
1/2tsp hot paprika

Cut the top off the pepper and scoop out all of the seeds.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 4.
Cook the rice as per the packet or as you normally cook your rice. I like to leave it a little wet for mixing in other ingredients.
Fry the pancetta or bacon off until a little crispy - I do not add oil, I let the pancetta/bacon cook in its own oils.
To the cooked rice add the chopped tomatoes, asafoetida, cumin and hot paprika. Mix well.Then stir in pancetta/bacon allowing some of the natural oil to seep into the rice.
Spoon rice into pepper, pop top back onto the pepper.

Bake for 30 -35 minutes. Until the pepper is softened and, just as the pepper starts to char it is ready.

Serve and enjoy!
Delicious with a crisp green salad.

I use red peppers as they add a lovely sweetness against the smoky, spicy paprika, but in theory you could use whatever colour you have. No more than the quoted asfoetida amount should be added, as it does add a lovely onion flavour, but can ruin the best dishes if over used. I say use cumin ground or seeds as, I have used both depending on what I have in my store cupboard, same with the pancetta or bacon, and if you like things really spicy then by all means add more hot paprika. I beg anybody to tell me they miss garlic and onion in this dish.

It is also a great way of using up leftover rice or try any ingredients you have lying about, begging for something lovely to be made with them.

Pizza Fiorentina

2011-12-11T09:02:00.001Z

One of my favourite quick tasty meals is pizza. I love pizza with a tangy homemade tomato sauce and fresh flavoursome toppings. On a low Fodmap diet I thought I was going to have say goodbye to this meal. Not so.

I came across Hale & Hearty quick and easy pizza mix in a recent big shop at Sainsbury's. It is Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Soya Free, organic, vegan suitable and with no artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives. I decided to give it a go as none of my own attempts at a gluten free pizza base have been the right taste or texture.

The type of pizza base I was looking for was of the thin and crispy variety, that stays a little bit doughy in the middle and, this is exactly what I got. It has a earthy wholemeal taste to it, but, with the right toppings I see this as no bad thing.

And for my Pizza Fiorentina it was perfect.

Dough
Hale & Hearty Quick & Easy Pizza Mix

Tomato Sauce
Olive oil or Garlic oil
200g chopped tomatoes
1 clove of garlic finely chopped or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Granulated Sugar

Topping
100g Spinach
1 ball Mozzarella
1 egg
Finely grated parmesan

Heat 1tbsp of oil gently in a pan (if using fresh garlic fry it gently in the oil for 1 minute). Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic powder, and after 1 minute a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Leave to cool.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius/ 450degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 7.

Make the dough as per the pack instructions, but using it to make one large pizza base instead of mini versions.
Place on a baking tray, or if you are lucky a pizza stone, ready to get topping.

Wilt the spinach in a little olive oil.
Spoon the tomato sauce onto the base, spreading as close to the edges as you can get it.
Now, add the spinach to the base, all around the edges and close to the middle but, leaving enough space in the centre for the egg.
Tear over the mozzarella, adding as much or as little as you like.
Season.

Place in the oven. After 10 minutes remove from the oven, crack the egg into the space in the middle and then sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese. Put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the edges are crispy, the egg is cooked and the cheese has formed crispy bubbles.

Serve and enjoy!

A note on the use of Garlic: Use what is comfortable for you. If you are completely intolerant to garlic then just use the oil, the sauce will still be sweet and tangy. If you are lucky and garlic doesn't bother you then use the fresh, as we all know the taste is lovely. I use the garlic powder, this never bothers me in small doses and the taste is still delicious

A note on the cheese: Mozzarella and Parmesan are both fine on the low Fodmap diet. I say use 1 mozzarella ball to give you the opportunity to use as much or as little that you want, tear over exactly the amount you are comfortable with. The Parmesan is simply a sprinkling, no more than a tablespoon.

.

No need to be a vampire....yet!

2011-12-07T16:49:00.001Z

I cannot believe it is already the 7th and I have failed to post in December. Poor show by me, but life has certainly been hectic.

This hectic-ness has been a real test on my low Fodmap life. I have not been home for 6 nights, and whilst staying at my sisters (Sister T) is lovely, her family (all one big man, one sister and 3 little angels of them) eat a much different diet to me.

I must add here that my family have been wonderfully supportive and each time I visit there is always the pre-emptive phone call, what can you eat again? what about this? What is that milk called? What about broccolli? and so on and so on. The questions are getting less and less each visit and they are all helping me find new foods, recipes and ideas, which is fabulous.

Yet, staying away from home, long working hours and other commotions can reek havoc on a healthy eating plan never mind a low Fodmap life. At no point did I have to eat something that wasn't low Fodmap, I am always pretty strict about that, but the balance can get off kilter, when the ease of reach and quickness of food comes to the forefront. I am already more aware that my body is suffering due to lack of fruit and veg, and this is something, now back at home and I must fix.

Anyway, back to the vampires. Last week I introduced Garlic, after my onion re-introduction highlighting the fact I have a problem with onion, I wasn't holding out much hope. But, I was pleasantly surprised, garlic it seems does not have an adverse effect on me.

The first night I added garlic to a homemade tomato sauce, 1 clove, no adverse reaction, absolutely fine. Second night I added the equivalent of 2 cloves of Garlic Salt to a risotto, still absolutely fine, marvellous. 3rd night I had 3 clove garlic bread (using gluten free ciabatta - Sainsbury's FreeFrom to be precise), and again, I was good, didn't have the best breath but I was good.

I will be testing garlic again, as I have a fear that the garlic salts may have eased the build up of the actual carbohydrates. Certainly, I will not be immediately allowing garlic into my diet willy nilly. But, it is nice to know that when I am eating out and garlic is part of the meal I will not immediately be rushing to the bathroom in agony.

So, I need not be a vampire yet, garlic, for now, remains, not so much a friend, but a distant acquaintance.

Now, I am taking a few deep breaths, getting back to cooking (new recipes on here soon) and eating a very balanced and varied Fodmap diet , which may just include a wee bit garlic.

Eating Out is an Option: The Grill on Newgate Street - Chester

2011-11-28T21:16:00.001Z

For the past year, and many times in the years before, I would dread going out for a meal. This thought not only makes me sad but, angers me greatly.

On a good day, or for other people a normal day, going out for a meal is my favourite thing to do. I love, love, love going to a good restaurant. I love all kinds of cuisine. I enjoy getting dressed for dinner, I enjoy a wine assisted lunch, a pre-theatre dinner, a late night supper; a meal for me can be my whole night out. But there is only so much running out of restaurants you can do before all of the pleasure is sapped from the experience.

At the beginning of a Fodmap diet eating out seems an impossibility due to the list of foods we cant eat, particularly wheat/gluten, onions and garlic, which are heavily peppered on all restaurant menus. But, its down to making new choices, retraining your brain to learn new favourites, and speaking up in restaurants to ask about ingredients and what the chef can do.

On Saturday night I had a delicious, indulgent meal with my sister, that was illness and stomach disaster free. (And I ate all my dinner, whilst staying in my seat, and not leaving the restaurant until it was time to go home - it was a marvel)

Our meal was at The Grill on Newgate Street - Chester, part of the Blackhouse restaurant and bar group. I have actually had a few good meals in this group of restaurants, but this was my first time at The Grill on Newgate Street and my first time choosing my meal as a Fodmap Intolerant.

The welcome at The Grill was lovely and we had a quick drink at the bar to work up an appetite (a divine mixed vodka and tonic, seen as you asked).

My sister started with the Oysters which were presented beautifully, it all felt very special and, according to my sister, they tasted sublime.

I had the calamari which was cooked brilliantly and was served with a lovely fresh lemon mayonnaise.

Next was the bit I had been looking forward to for days, the steak. The Blackhouse Grills really know how to serve their steak; they let the quality of the meat do the talking.

We both went for the 310g rump steak, which the menu stated was the 'the leanest cut with a big, bold flavour, at its best medium rare

and not recommended beyond medium', as medium rare is how we both like our steak cooked this seemed like the obvious choice. On arrival at the table the steak appeared, to the untrained eye, to be overcooked, but how wrong could we be. The outside of the steak was dark and smoky from a hot griddle, but on the first touch of the knife underneath the dark exterior was a soft, meltingly pink middle. Just perfect.

The home cut chips were the ideal accompaniment, think skin on chips with a rustic taste that compliments the smoky steak. We also ordered a portion of French Beans, sweet and with a crunch; and it was the perfect low Fodmap meal.

It was one of the best meals I have had in a long time, both down to the restaurant, food and service, but also I felt good, I felt well and was able to make informed choices that ensured my evening stayed that way.

I felt so good it would have been rude not to finish the evening with......

A delicious, sweet amaretto on ice (Oh, ok then I had two but shhhhh don't tell anyone).

So if you are looking for a low Fodmap friendly restaurant, look no further. There are many more options than just the steak too. A Sunday option is a roast for two, which I may have to pop along to one of The Grills to indulge. Eating out does not need to be a chore, it can be a wonderful and pleasurable experience.

Well, The Grill on Newgate Street made it one for me.

A Day in the Eating Life.

2011-11-25T11:34:00.001Z

Following a low Fodmap diet, I often get asked, 'well, what do you eat?'. It is too easy to concentrate on the things we can't eat, that us Fodmap intolerants can find ourselves stuck in a boring food rut. This does not need to be the case.

Yes, we are often met with friends and family stating 'oh, I don't know if I could live without bread' 'you can't eat onions? Oh I love a curry!'. But, whats more important is to focus on the things we can eat, the foods we can enjoy. We have been punished enough through years of illness and, not knowing how to make ourselves well, lets not punish ourselves dreaming and salivating over the things we cannot eat.

Instead let focus on good produce. We can eat all kinds of red meat (steak, beef, lamb), we can eat chicken and pork, and we can eat fish in all its wonderful shapes and sizes. Unless you follow a vegetarian diet, this give you a wonderful basis for every meal of every day. We can eat potatoes and rice; both of which I was very happy about when I realised. Potato forms some of my favourite comfort food, roast, mash, baked and of course chips. Rice is a wonderful food vehicle for flavour from an accompaniment to a meat dish, to a star in its own right. Add in to this the likes of Quinoa, and carbs begin to look really interesting again.
Vegetables are still a long list of colours, textures and flavours: carrots, peppers, pumpkin, butternut squash, Pak Choi, tomatoes, I could go on and on.
Save garlic and onion, the spice world is our new best friend. Try them all, mix them together, don't be scared of those you have never had and find new uses for the ones you love.
And don't forget eggs, the ultimate fast food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, eggs never fail to deliver.

My daily menu generally looks like this:

Breakfast

Porridge - good old fashioned Scotts Porridge Oats made with water and Salt then served with Lactofree milk.
or
Oatibix with lactofree milk

Lunch

Baked potato with tuna or egg
Rice Cakes or Wheat + Rye free Crispbreads with cheddar cheese, tuna or cold meat.
Homemade soups
And of course leftovers from the nights before dinner (generally my favourite)

Dinners

I can't actually only think of a few to write here, as they change all the time but, a few of my go to meals are

Gluten Free Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce
Variations of stir frys with rice noodles
Risottos (made with homemade stocks)
Omelettes (in particular potato omelettes)

Snacks

Banana
Strawberries
Cashew Nuts
Alpro Soya yoghurts (all flavours are delicous and take the edge of the I need something sweet moments)
Salt and vinegar Snack a Jacks

Drinks

Water
Chamomile Tea
Peppermint Tea
The odd glass of lemonade
And of course the odd glass of wine.

This is my everyday, Monday-Friday, bog standard working day eats. My weekends normally involve some sort of cooking, trying new recipes and new ingredients. But often the working week does not allow for such time extravagance, so it is important to have tasty staples that are fast and that you will always have the ingredients to hand. One thing a low Fodmaps eater cannot rely on is Fast food and processed foods - thank goodness - take this as a blessing.

The most important thing is to find the food you enjoy, a list foods that keep you well but also leave you satisfied. Once you have this, you can then move onto experimenting and finding foods that give you a whole lot more. Or dare I say it start serving low Fodmap foods to family and friends, without them realising the foods missing, but simply enjoying a lovely meal.

Its what I plan to do.

Onions make me cry.

2011-11-22T21:21:00.000Z

Last Monday I started my first reintroduction week.

When first following a low Fodmap diet, you stay strictly low Fodmap for 6-8 weeks. Once this is completed, and hopefully you are feeling much more like a human being again, you then start to reintroduce groups of the foods or single items that you have been avoiding.

You reintroduce over 3 days with the same food, a little on the first day, if no symptoms, a little more on the second day and, then, if no symptoms again, a little more on to the third.

Hopefully, after a while, you will have a list of foods that you can eat and still stay well. Ideally, a list slightly longer and more varied than a strict low Fodmap diet. Each individual may be different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. As I have said before the beginnings of a Fodmap diet should always be done with the help of a dietitian.

So, last Monday I started my reintroduction. I reintroduced onions.

Before becoming low Fodmap I loved Onions. I would have proudly wore a t-shirt stating 'I Heart Onions'. Did I realise the depth of my love for onions when I could eat them freely? No. Did I take the lowly onion - used in pretty much every tasty dish you would ever eat - for granted? Yes.

If this is you, and you do not have to eat low Fodmap, then I beg you stop taking them for granted, go home smell them, fry them, soften them, cook with them everyday, just bloody well enjoy them.

My love for onions was my reason for choosing this to be my first reintroduced food. My top missed foods have been onions and garlic. The plan was this:

Monday - add 1tbsp of cooked onion to my dinner.
Tuesday - add 2tbsp of cooked onion to my dinner.
Wednesday - add 3 tbsp of cooked to my dinner.

Monday night I happily chopped away at my onion, carefully dividing into tablespoons to be used over the coming nights. That night I was adding 1 tbsp fried onions to my home-made cheeseburger with home-made chips, perfect Monday night comfort food. My dinner was delicious and the following hours to bedtime absolutely fine, it was all looking good.

Tuesday morning was not great, but quite often in the morning my stomach can give me a hard time. So I did not take this as an immediate bad sign, and was still remaining positive about onions. As the day went on certain symptoms started to creep back in and by home-time from work I was feeling uncomfortable.

Undeterred, I wanted to at least try my second day as the symptoms were no where near as fierce as I was used to pre-Fodmap. So, Tuesday nights dinner went ahead as planned, home-made tomato sauce with 2tbsp onion and gluten free pasta. My dinner was yet again delicious, but. the following hours were not as fine. I looked 5 months pregnant my stomach had inflated so much, and the pain was slowly but surely creeping. After an unpleasant nights sleep, believe it or not, I still wasn't sure if I was experiencing symptoms (I didn't want to believe it was the onions). Previous to the Fodmap diet my symptoms had been severe and became known as attacks; what I was experiencing was not what I had known, but, certainly felt like small steps towards severe symptoms.

It was time to speak to my dietitian.

I relayed my symptoms and my dietitian confirmed what I feared - onions make me cry. It appears that I could eat onions in small amounts and only suffer mild symptoms; any more and slowly but surely my body will build up towards an attack.

So there it is no more french onion soup, onion tarts or crisp, sweet onion rings for me. I am a foodie, and I love nothing more than trying a new restaurant, a new dish or even, well made classics made by the best chefs. I do not want to say goodbye to all of these, if it means I must be super strict low Fodmap all week to have that one special meal on a special occasion then this is what I must do. As long as onions are only a small amount of the meal and I try my best to ensure the best part of the meal is low Fodmap, this part of my life should still be enjoyed.

Onions may make me cry, but, I will not lose flavour in my food. I now have a challenge, to ensure my food is never lacking from having to omit onions. I will be trialing, editing recipes and working my way through my knowledge to come up with Fodmap recipes for Stews, Risottos, Soups and much more, that are just as tasty without onions. As, soon as I have them, they will appear here.

Wish me luck.

Saturday Night Spaghetti

2011-11-20T13:46:00.001Z

Before I had to adjust my diet to eating only Low Fodmaps, one of my favourite Saturday night recipes was Nigella Lawson's Lone Linguine. As the good lady herself describes it this should be 'ate alone and thrillingly'. Me, I like it with a glass of something cold, preferably white and something wonderful on the telly-box [read a good movie, normally romcom or, ok, I admit it last night my Saturday Night Spaghetti was served with a side helping Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor].

It is an extremely indulgent dish that has one serious star performer - White Truffle Oil:

White Truffle Oil is an expensive ingredient but you only need a few drops to take advantage of its deep flavour and heady aroma.

Starting on the low Fodmap diet I thought I might have seen my last Lone Linguine, which has been a massive treat, very indulgent and all for me, me, me.

But I couldn't say goodbye to it, so here is my low Fodmap version Saturday Night Spaghetti, and even if I do say so myself it is just as delicious, indulgent and it is still all for me, me, me.

Ingredients (for one, obviously):

Gluten Free Spaghetti
Salt
1 egg
3tbsp Lactofree cream
3tbsp grated Parmesan
few drops of white truffle oil, or to taste
Ground white pepper
1tbsp butter

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water and add the gluten free spaghetti. Normally 4-5oz per person is enough, but nobody will judge if you add a little more. Boil the pasta for as long as stated on the back of the packet.*
Remove a few tablespoons of the spaghetti's water and reserve. Drain the spaghetti.
In a bowl whisk the egg, cream, Parmesan, the truffle oil and a good pinch of the white pepper.
Put the drained spaghetti back in the pan it was cooked in, and add the butter and 1tbsp of the reserved spaghetti water. Stir until butter melted and spaghetti covered.
Stir in the egg mixture and keep mixing until the pasta is lightly coated and smooth.
Season and serve. Enjoy.

Creamy, indulgent pasta dishes need not be a thing of the past when you follow a low Fodmap diet.

*A little tip: always cook any gluten fee pasta for the exact time it states on the back of the packet. Any shorter it will not be al dente it will just be not cooked. Far too long and it will become too sloppy to cook with or enjoy.

The admin of it.

2011-11-17T15:21:00.001Z

I have spent most of today, not thinking about some lovely post that I can put on here that is funny and revealing but trying to get the blog out there. Nobody warned me about the admin. Between ensuring that my blog is on twitter, various blog search sites and thinking about a Facebook page I am creative materialed out.

It seems this blogging can be hard work, I am looking forward to the point it is habitual and I can start getting everyday stories and Fodmap recipes on here. That my friends is the point my impatient self is racing forward to.

The other side of me that likes to do things right, and actually enjoys the odd bit of admin, is attempting to do this thing right. If anybody has any tips for me, please stand up and be heard?!
In a dream admin world I would be dressed like Joan from Mad Men, have a typewriter and be very good at filing, and this would all be a breeze. But I will settle for Joans' wardrobe and be happy with my laptop if I can just get through this admin stuff.

If you are reading this today, then thank you for bearing with me. And check back very very soon for some real good food stuff.

This time for Bloglovin

2011-11-17T11:26:00.001Z

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3201151/good-food-girl?claim=bhevcsnrbeg">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Setting up a blog and getting it out there is tricky. This is a code for bloglovin.

For Technorati

2011-11-17T09:26:00.001Z

For a technorati listing I must publish this code ZNYNUEQ8W5T5.

Sorry guys just breaking through the red tape, please feel free to not read this post.

The Science Bit or The Fodmap Bit.....

2011-11-16T14:15:00.001Z

The Fodmap diet has revolutionised my life, well so far. I have been following a low Fodmap diet for 6 and a half weeks and I am just entering the reintroducing stage. But right now this may not mean anything to you.

Food is made up of lots of things that we all would recognise proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which, includes sugars. Some of this food does not get absorbed by our small intestines, it passes along our gut to the bacteria laden large intestine, where it has a little fermentation party leaving us with wind, bloating, distension, pain constipation; and, where there is also production of water, diarrhoea.

Fodmaps are carbohydrates that our small intestines cannot absorb, fermenting in the large intestine and leaving the individual with a bombardment of symptoms.

IBS (and all bowel and gut problems to a certain extent) is a gut hypersensitivity. Some Fodmaps can be poorly absorbed by lots of people but may not cause symptoms in everybody. For us individuals that are affected, our body is sensitive to the gases, water and food residues that can occur in the large intestine.

At this point I would like to add, I am not a doctor or medical expert in anyway this is a diet I have been given by a dietitian that is working for me. And I want to get the information of how it has helped me, what I eat and how I do it out there. If you are reading this and it sounds like you and it could help you please contact your GP for a dietitian referral asap.

The Fodmap diet was developed in 2001 by Dr Sue Shepherd, an Australian Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, who herself was diagnosed with coeliac disease - please click the link to read more about this remarkable lady.

So, I hear you ask, what the hell are Fodmaps?

Fodmap is an acronym for Fermentable, Oligo-saccharides,
Disaccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols. All of these are carbohydrates.

Fermentable as they ferment in our intestines.
Oligo-saccharides are fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides.
Di-saccharides are lactose.
Mono-saccharides are fructose
And
Polyols are Sugar Alcohols.

Fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides are poorly absorbed in all people, we simply do not have the ability to break them down. Restriction of these helps most people with IBS symptoms.

Fructans can also be known as fructo-oligosaccharides and are chains of sugar fructose. In the real world this means wheat products, some vegetables i.e. onion and garlic and when they are added to processed foods and FOS, oligofructose or inulin.

Galacto-oligosaccharides are chains of sugar glucose. In the real world this means beans and pulses.

Polyols are sugar alcohols i.e. sorbitol and xylitol. These occur naturally in some fruits and some vegetables.

They are also added as sweeteners to many low sugar products such as sugar free chewing gum and mints.

These are the main groups that when starting the Fodmap diet all sufferers must stay clear of for at least 6 weeks before entering the reintroduction stage.

There are two further groups, Fructose and Lactose.

Fructose can be found in large amounts in different foods especially in some fruit and honey. It is also added to many food products as a sweetener or flavour enhancer. So its time to start checking food labels in supermarkets I am afraid.

Lactose is something we will all have heard of. It is found in animal milk and milk products.

These last two groups are not malabsorbed in everybody with symptoms and certainly breath tests normally tell you if you have a problem here.

So that is the science bit, if you have never heard of it but think it may help your symptoms. I beg you please get to your GP, ask for a referral to a dietitian and insist on help for the Fodmap Diet. Doing so you will be given all the tools you need to start making yourself better, like what food you can eat, what you can't, starter recipes to get you cooking good low Fodmap meals, snacks and brands that are good for you.

This Diet cannot be entered into off your own back, you must use a dietitian. Trust me you will have too many questions to try and attempt it on your own. You must also ensure that your diet is still balanced and healthy, we are trying to make ourselves better here.

Also have a look at Low Fodmap Diet Factsheet . This give some more information on what types of foods needs to be avoided and what categories food falls into.

I had to get this science bit out of the way as I felt that nothing I ever said or did on here without it would have made sense. I hope it has informed and not bored. But mostly I hope it will allow some people to jump up and down until they get the information they want to try the Fodmap diet for themselves.

What it is.

2011-11-15T10:43:00.001Z

So what it is, is this. 6 and a half weeks ago, I met my dietitian/nutritionist. I explained all the symptoms I was having; we discussed lactose intolerance, as the breath test I had showed that I may have a small intolerance, but this was not explaining the severity of my symptoms.
My dietitian handed me two pamphlets and began to discuss a new diet that had been introduced for sufferers of IBS, but also had made improvements in the everyday lives of all Inflammatory Bowel Disease sufferers. Most IBS sufferers notice results quickly and dramatic improvements in their health and well being.
The pamphlets were for a diet called The Low Fodmap Diet.

Before I go into the science bit and the diet itself, I have to point out that so far my health has dramatically improved, I feel at least 80% better most days. For me the diet has been a revelation. Not because I have a definitive answer or a definitive diagnosis but because finally I feel, for once, in control.

For the, probably, 2 months running up to seeing the dietitian, I was becoming fed up with the constant not knowing what was wrong. The constant tests coming out positive 'we are happy to say your test has come out clear' 'yay! good news. So why cant i get off the toilet?!'. Was the constant catch 22 I was travelling in. So I was eating pretty much anything I wanted, food good for me, food bad for me, food that previously I wouldn't have even bothered with. If nothing was going to make me feel better why should I care, was generally my sorry for myself philosophy.

After Day 1 on The Low Fodmap Diet, I began, pretty much immediately, to feel better. And after day 4 The bloating was going down and my energy was up. My 4pm 'I will actually kill you for sugar' followed by 5pm 'I will just close my eyes for a minute' slumps disappeared. I possibly had the worst 6 weeks socially to attempt The Low Fodmap diet, with birthday parties, Halloween and Bonfire parties all arranged. And yes I couldn't eat everything that everybody was eating. But I did not feel bloated and uncomfortable, I wasn't in pain and having to pretend -no I would rather be sitting here on my own than enjoying myself on the dance floor- and, crucially, I didn't spend the best part of my night in a toilet cubicle too embarrassed to come out and eventually having to leave, taking my friends with me. (This last bit is because I have fabulous friends who would never see me go home alone, nor would I them.)

What I am trying to say is it has worked so far for me. I have lost the fear and enjoying life.

The Science Bit will follow very soon.......

Where it all began.......

2011-11-14T17:48:00.000Z

I have been having bad stomach symptoms for years, well 13 years actually. And when I say stomach problems I really should say bowel problems.

My symptoms range from occasional constipation, constant uncomfortableness, uncontrollable wind, sleepy-itis and cramps/pain from below my ribs to my pelvis that would leave me crippled. My worst symptom and the hardest to deal with on a daily basis was diarrhoea. Every body knows how the song goes "you know you're having trouble, when your butt begins to bubble, diarrhea, diarrhea when your stomach's really hurting, and your butt it starts a squirting, diarrhea, diarrhea " and this is some of the nicer lyrics.
But this at times over the years was my everyday life, never knowing when it was going to happen, where or when it would stop.

I have had every test and exploratory op under the sun, moon and stars. Blood test, breath tests, colonscopies, endoscopies, colonscopies and endoscopies on the same day. A Laparoscopy, for which I now bear a lovely little scar at my belly button, my proud, there wasn't anything physically wrong, war wound. I even swallowed a little camera in a pill that photographed my insides for a day; I am convinced my colon may have been the prettiest the doctors had ever seen.

I am lucky there was nothing physically wrong with my bowel, colon or stomach. I did not have any of the debilitating inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis to name just two).
Whilst this was wonderful news, it did not explain my lock, stock and barrell of symptoms that I was suffering under.

I was willing to accept, as it was put to me, I had a very severe case of irritable bowel syndrome, but I was not willing to accept the symptoms continuing to control my life.

Eventually, and most recently I was sent to a dietitian/nutritionist to identify if food was causing my problems. In the past I have kept 3 month food diaries but there was no clear pattern that ever evolved to point me in the direction of food making me ill.

This is merely a brief history to bring you to where I am now. This blog is not about me being ill it is about me getting better. I am only at the beginning but I wanted to start journaling (i checked this is a word) my journey back to health and Good Food.