Dairy & Gluten Free Chocolate and Banana Muffins

These muffins lasted a day in my house. Great success. I found the recipe in the Tesco website (www.tesco.com/realfood).  It is a very handy recipe, something else to bake other than banana bread with overripe bananas...

Ingredients:

• 50g cocoa powder
• 125ml boiling water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g gluten free flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150ml light olive oil
• 4 ripe bananas

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C. Place the cocoa powder in a bowl and mix in the vanilla extract and boiling water. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl mix the bicarbonate of soda and flour. In another bowl beat the sugar, oil and eggs together. Add the cocoa mixture to the sugar mix, then add the flour. Mash the bananas and stir into the mixture. It will be very wet and runny but the muffins will rise nicely. Pour it into a lined 12 muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Roast Chicken with Roasted Cumin and Coriander Carrots

I haven't posted any recipes for a while, I am just not having a great month. My son was in hospital  again last week. We only spent two nights there, thank Goodness, but that is already too much time for a little boy who has been in the emergency department three times in five weeks. He's on his fourth course of antibiotics for a throat infection and while he is well on them he gets very sick once the course is finished. He's got seven more days left on this course and I'm praying everything will go well this time...

I checked the blog today wondering if anybody is still looking even with the lack of recent posts and to my surprise I had a comment awaiting moderation. I always thought people stumbled upon this blog and moved on... Thank you Sarah!! You've made my day.

Anyway I wasn't even going to post this recipe but I had my brother and his family over for the weekend and when I cooked this dish for them he told me to put it up on the blog...

It's such a simple and easy recipe that it feels silly posting it. When they were over I didn't want to spend my time with them cooking in the kitchen. I cooked the meals that I normally cook during the week: easy, simple, cheap and child "friendly"...

Ingredients:

• 2 small chickens, around 1kg each (cleaned and ready to roast)
• 500g carrots, halved lengthways
• 500g parsnips, halved lengthways
• light olive oil
• 1/2 tblsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tblsp ground coriander
• 1kg frozen roasting potatoes (I buy Tesco everyday value, no gluten, just potatoes and oil)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Pour some oil on top of the chickens, add salt and pepper and rub with your hands all over until well mixed. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes in a big roasting tray. In the meantime put the carrots in simmering water for 10 minutes until they are just tender. Drain well and tip into a roasting tin. Add 2 tablespoons of light olive oil, cumin and coriander, plus plenty of seasoning, and toss together.
When the 45 minutes are up add the frozen roasting potatoes in the chicken tin and toss with the chicken juices. Put it back in the oven with the carrot and parsnip tin and bake everything for a further 45 minutes or until the chickens are cooked and the vegetables are starting to brown at the edges.
Serve with green beans or a salad.
.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Low FODMAP Kale Soup

I'm a bit wary these days of labelling my recipes low FODMAP. The quantities of allowed foods change very often and mostly on the minus side. I'm waiting for the promised app for android mobiles, I know there is one for the iphones, but basically, I just go by with what I know so far...

Kale has a strong taste so I was quite surprised to hear my fussy little eater asking me to make it again. He has been unwell lately, the poor thing can't shake off a sore throat that has been bothering him for twenty days now. I can't wait to take him off the antibiotics but as soon as he finishes a course his tonsils swell up again. Fingers crossed this will be the last...

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 and a half litre of chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little oil for frying

Method:

Wash and chop the kale. The way I do it is by rolling the leaves like a cigar and chopping them discarding the tough stalk. Heat a couple of spoonfuls of olive oil in a big deep saucepan and add the kale. Once is wilted it will reduce its volume by a third. When the kale is wilted and a deep green in colour add the parsnip,  potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with a hand blender.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Low FODMAP Baked Vegetable Omelette

When my husband tasted this dish he said it would be great as a filling for a quiche. To be honest I couldn't agree more, the only thing is, I have never made pastry in my life but I reckon it's about time I tried.
 
 Ingredients:

• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 courgette, diced
• 6 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tblsp each of fresh: parsley, mint, chives
• 3 slices gluten and dairy free cooked ham, chopped (or cooked bacon)
• 4 tblsps rice or almond milk
• oil for frying
• salt

Method:

In a frying pan sautee the courgette. When is about half cooked add the tomatoes, ham and herbs. Keep cooking all the ingredients until the mixture is fairly dry then add to the beaten eggs, season with salt and add the milk. I didn't actually measure the amount of milk, I just add a swig according to the quantity of eggs but I think 4 tablespoons should be about right. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes, until the top is firm and golden.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

 

Flourless Mocha Mousse Cake

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

I found this delicious recipe in the YOU magazine that came with the Irish Daily Mail paper many, many Sundays ago.

When you eat this cake at room temperature you will find the texture soft and mousse-like, which is very nice, however I do prefer to eat it chilled when the texture reminds me of a baked cheesecake, yummy...

My son wasn't a fan of this cake, he found it too bitter. The plain cocoa powder dusted on top certainly add a touch of bitterness to the already not too sweet taste and maybe the next time I make it I will dust it with some icing sugar instead for a little extra sweetness ('cause I'm definitely making it again!).

Ingredients:

• 250g dairy free dark chocolate about 50 per cent cocoa
• 250g dairy free margarine (plus extra for the tin)
• 1 heaped tblsp light muscovado sugar
• 50ml cold espresso
• 1 tsp dark rum
• 6 medium eggs, separated
• 50g ground almonds
• Dairy free cocoa for dusting

Method:

 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin about 8cm deep. Break up the chocolate and gently melt it with the margarine and sugar in a large mixing bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth and combined. Stir inn the espresso and rum.
Whisk the egg yolks for a couple of minutes in a medium bowl using an electric whisk until very pale, moussey and doubled in volume. Fold into the chocolate and margarine mixture, followed by the ground almonds.
Using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until stiff in a large bowl and fold into the chocolate base in 3 goes. Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 15 minutes until the cake appears risen and cracked around the outside and the surface has set with a glossy sheen; it will remain a little liquid in the centre.
Run a knife around the top of the edge and leave it to cool in the tin, then loosely cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Lightly dust with cocoa before serving, then remove the collar of the tin.

Low FODMAP Spaghetti with Sausages

I made this sauce today to go with some leftover gluten free sausages and it went down quite well. I pureed the sauce with a hand blender because my son will eat better his vegetables if he can't see them ;)


Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt and pepper

Method:

Heat the oil and cook the vegetables until soft but not browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste. Bring to the boil and then simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Puree with a hand blender.

Add sliced cooked gluten free sausages and warm through.

Serve with gluten free spaghetti.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten & Dairy Free Lemon Madeira Cake

 Delicious and super easy to make. My kind of cake!

Ingredients:
- 175g dairy free spread
- 175g caster sugar
- 175g gluten free self-raising flour
- 75g gluten free plain flour
- 3 eggs
- Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon


Method:
Grease and line a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 160C. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor. Bake for 1 hour  or until well risen, firm to the touch and golden brown.
Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then turn on to a wire rack and leave until cold. Do not peel off the lining paper but wrap the cake as it is in foil or in an airtight container until required.

www.meandmuibs2.blogspot.com

 

Low FODMAP Parsnip and Potato Soup

 A lovely rich and creamy soup perfect for cold autumn days. I think the next time I will add some fried cubed pancetta on top, mmmm...

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 600ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and black pepper

Method:

Put the stock, potatoes, parsnips and oregano in a saucepan and season well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Blend the mixture until smooth, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten and Dairy Free Butterfly Kisses

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

This recipe is taken from the free app "Olympia Delicious Desserts".

I must admit I didn't use the "mock cream" for the fairy cakes because for some reason mine curdled. This has happened before and I don't know why, is it because the type of the brand I use or because the spread was cold? Any ideas, please?  I used just plain icing sugar mixed with a little water to "glue" the wings and it seem to go down very well with my guests...

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

• 100g dairy free spread
• 1/2 c caster sugar
• 1 c gluten free self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c rice milk
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

For the icing

• 1 c icing sugar
• 2 tblsp dairy free margarine
• 2 tblsp rice milk

 For the topping

• 5 tsp strawberry jam

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Cream together the sugar and the margarine, add the egg, the egg white and vanilla essence and beat for one minute. Sift the flour and baking soda together. Gradually add the flour and milk to the wet mixture and stir well. Pour into a 12 cupcake tin lined with paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes.
While the cupcakes are cooking, beat together the icing sugar, margarine and rice milk. When the cupcakes have cooled carefully slice the tops off and cut them in half. Place a tablespoon of the icing on the base of the cupcake and place the two tops as wings on top of the cream. In the centre of the wings add a dollop of strawberry jam.

Low FODMAP Mince and Chive Kebab

This is super quick to put together and super tasty, perfect for a barbecue or a grill pan. I used metal skewers but if you are using wooden skewers soak them in cold water to prevent them from charring during cooking.

 Ingredients:

• 8 metal skewers
• 500g minced beef
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Method:

Mix the cumin, parsley and mince and season with the salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into eight portions and make into sausage shapes with wet hands. Stick a skewer lengthways into each sausage and brush lightly with oil. Cook on a grill pan, under a hot grill or barbecue turning the skewers several times as the meat cooks. Serve with a green salad and new potatoes.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Meditate while sweeping

I found a little article on the Irish Daily Mail "Life & Soul" pullout last week.  It was called MEDITATION made easy: find serenity while sweeping. I think it's an extract from "The meditation bible" by Madonna Gauding.

I found it so simple and so worth giving it a try that I had to write it down in my blog for future reference.

TO START: Think of any past negativity  you would like to purify, or any mental debris you would like to clear.
STEP 1: Pick up your broom - this meditation is better when sweeping than when using a vacuum - and stand in the area you plan to clean.
STEP 2: Examine the area to be cleaned for dust or dirt. See this dirt (noticeable or subtle) as negativity residing in your own mind and heart.
Imagine that, as you sweep, the negativity will be sweapt away, too.
If you have been unkind to your partner, or hurt a friend, see the dirt as these past actions.
STEP 3: Start sweeping. Focus only on the dirt, the broom and the area to be cleaned. See and feel your negativity leaving your mind and heart.
Sweep away both your potential future negative acts, and your present doubts and fears.
STEP 4: End your meditation by throwing the dirt away into the bin. See your negativity go with it.

Quick sardine pate

For a super quick low Fodmap snack mix a tin of sardines (drained), 2 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise and a handful of chopped chives and serve on rice/corn cakes.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten & Dairy Free Vanilla Cookies

I just read an article from the "Naturally Good Health" magazine about gluten free products. In it Dr Hart says "... methyl cellulose (E461) is used to add fibre and bulk to gluten-free breads and as a thickener in dairy-free ice creams, but this compound is indigestible and can cause gut symptoms."

Now, that is something I didn't know! I have started checking the ingredients on pre-packed gluten free breads and nearly all of them seem to have methyl cellulose. Something else I have to watch out for...

On another note this recipe comes from a free app called "Olympia Recipe Collection: gluten free *dairy free * low fat* low fructose" - Delicious Desserts.

It doesn't have a lot of recipes and I find it a little difficult to read on my mobile, maybe the layout works well for a tablet but I am constantly zooming and adjusting the picture on my phone, which it's a bit annoying. Nevertheless the recipes seem easy and based on the Low FODMAP diet. This is the first one I have tried so far and I have to admit I didn't follow the method shown. I just wanted something sweet, fast, so I tossed all the ingredients in my food processor and the cookies came out lovely. I made 20.

Ingredients:

• 100g dairy free spread
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Beat all the ingredients in a food processor until mixed. With your hands wet roll the dough into little balls and place onto 2 baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving some room for the cookies to expand. Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden brown. Cookies will harden when cooled.

 www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten and Dairy Free Microwave Mini Jam Sponge Pudding

What a long tittle for such a little pudding!

This adapted recipe by Jane Burke was published in the Irish Daily Mail a while ago. I kept the recipe and, as usual, it's only months later that I remember to try it. And what a success. We ate them yesterday still warm with homemade custard and I can't tell you if they keep well because there were none left.

You can bake this pudding in a preheated oven (180C) for 20 minutes if you prefer it.

Ingredients:

• 125g dairy free margarine
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g gluten free self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 30g ground almonds
• grated zest of half a lemon
• 6 tsp raspberry or strawberry jam

Method:

Grease 6 microwave-proof dishes. Add 1 tsp raspberry jam to each. Beat the margarine with the sugar until fluffy then gradually beat in the eggs until smooth and creamy. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and the lemon zest. Divide the mixture between the pudding basins. Microwave on high for about two minutes. Serve warm with dairy free hot custard.

Note: It took 5 minutes to cook 5 puddings in my 800w microwave and 2 minutes to cook an individual one. As microwaves vary greatly the cooking time is just a guide.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten and Dairy Free Walnut Bread (Bread machine recipe)

I found this recipe on the tesco.com website, there are some good gluten and dairy free recipes. On the website you can find the recipe to make this bread by hand. I decided to make mine in the bread machine and it came out with a lovely crust (because of the molasses maybe?). It was really tasty, I will be making this bread again.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 6 tbsps light olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 320ml rice milk
• 450g Doves Farm gluten free bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsps molasses
• 40g walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp quick yeast

Method:

Beat the vinegar, oil  and eggs into the milk in a jug then pour into the bottom of your bread maker bowl. Add the flour, salt, molasses and nuts and stir around. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. Start the machine on a normal bread programme. After a few minutes of mixing lift the lid and, with a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to bake as normal. When finished, remove and cool on a rack before slicing.

FODMAP list update

I just checked Kate Scarlatt's blog for updates on the Low FODMAP diet and I'm quite surprised to learn that instant coffee, chamomile and fennel tea, cocoa powder and carob are now high FODMAP foods! I don't really drink herbal teas but I drink instant coffee daily and use cocoa powder all the time in my cakes.

Do they affect me? I don't think they do... It just goes to show how individual and personal this diet is... Bell peppers are now a friendly FODMAP but since I started this diet I discovered that, for me, all peppers (red, green and yellow) are a source of bloatness.

I can't wait for the Monash University Low FODMAP app for Androids. They have developed one for iPhones, which cost around €8, quite costly for an app but I guess it's all for research...

Dairy and Gluten Free Potato Starch Cake

This is a very, very light cake. Perfect for those on a low carb diet.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tbsps icing sugar
• 4 tbsps gluten free plain flour
• 4 tbsps potato starch
• grated zest of 1 lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 23cm round tin. In a bowl add the egg yolks and sugar, beat well and add the flour and potato starch. Mix well and add the lemon zest. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixtures. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy and Gluten Free Carob Cake

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

 

                            I just did a bit of research on the Internet and found out that the carob tree, also known as St John's bread, is a tree in the pea family and it is widely cultivated for its edible legumes. Legumes?? If I had known this before I probably wouldn't have bothered buying it. I don't eat legumes anymore since I'm on the Low FODMAP diet and I only tolerate peas in small amounts now and again. Plus, truth to be told, I much prefer chocolate. My husband didn't like the taste at all, he thinks it tastes like licorice... It doesn't really, the taste is hard to describe, it would definitely take some getting used to. Oddly, my son seems to like it. Go figure...

The carob pod contains a sweet, edible pulp and inedible seeds. After drying, the pulp is roasted and ground into a powder that resembles cocoa powder. It's commonly used as a substitute for chocolate but does not have the same flavour or texture of chocolate. Carob doesn't contain any caffeine or theobromine, two mild stimulants found in chocolate and contains three times as much calcium, however it also lacks the antioxidants found in chocolate. I don't know the exact nutrition values of carob versus chocolate but if I make this cake again I will substitute the carob for chocolate powder.

I found this recipe at the back of the carob powder packet.

For the cake

Ingredients:

• 100g dairy free margarine
• 100g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 50g carob powder
• 40g gluten free self raising flour
• 40g ground almond

Method:

Grease and line 2 x18cm sandwich tins. Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and essences. Combine carob powder, flour and ground almonds and mix with the wet mixture. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour into the tins. Bake at 180C for about 20 minutes until just firm to the touch. Cool on wire rack.

For the filling


Ingredients:

• 80g icing sugar
• 25g carob powder
• 40g dairy free margarine
• 4 tsp boiling water

Method:

Mix carob, icing sugar, margarine and water until all are combined. Spread between the two cakes.

Note: the filling was a little liquid and I had enough for a thin spread in the middle and on the top. Then I added a few sprinkles for decoration.

Almond, lemon & rosemary cake

This gluten and dairy free cake is perfect for summer. And what summer are we having!!! I can't remember a summer this hot in the fifteen odd years that I have been living in Ireland. Not as hot as my native Spain but I wouldn't want their 40C thank you very much,  I'm very happy with 25C.
So, with the late warm nights, the hot, lazy siesta afternoons and the fact I'm wearing sandals (no socks in sight!!) I just had to bake something with a Mediterranean feel to it. Almonds, lemons, rosemary... Perfect.
I think this recipe came from a magazine but it's been in my recipe book for so many years I can't be sure.
Ingredients:
For the cake
- 200g ground almonds
- 200g white sugar
- 200ml olive oil
- 4 eggs
- Grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 4  small sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
For the syrup
- juice of 2 large lemons
- same amount of water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Beat all the cake ingredients and pour into a 23cm round lined baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes until golden. To make the syrup, simmer all the ingredients over a low heat, until it thickened. Turn out the cake onto a cooling rack. I used a spring mould do I removed the outer ring but left the base on. Prick the cake all over with a skewer and pour syrup over it.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten and Dairy Free Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca, also called manioc, is a beady starch obtained from the root of the cassava plant.It is gluten free, however always checked the labels; the tapioca packet I bought had been packed in a facility that handled barley, wheat and soya and therefore could not be labelled "gluten free".

The traditional tapioca pudding is made just like rice pudding and the taste is similar, what you are really tasting is the milk and sugar... It's quite handy to keep tapioca in your cupboard for those cases when you have run out of rice and I find it a bit quicker to cook.

Ingredients:

• 100g Tapioca
• 1 litre rice, almond or coconut milk
• 50g sugar
• 1 broken cinnamon stick

Method:
Place the tapioca and milk in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it becomes thick and creamy, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Turn into a serving dish and brown under grill if desired.

Alternatively, ingredients may be placed in a deep oven dish and baked for about 1 and a half hours at 150C.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Grape Clafoutis

This  French dessert is normally made with cherries but I had quite a surplus of grapes in my fridge and this recipe works really well with grapes.
It's a creamy dessert best served warm. I reheated leftover clafoutis for a few seconds in the microwave.

I adapted a recipe from Tom Doorley that appeared in the Mail on Sunday.

Ingredients:
- 40g butter
- 125g gluten free flour
- 3 eggs
- 300ml coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500g seedless grapes
- Icing sugar

Merhod:
Preheat the oven to 170C. Put the butter into a roasting tray and put in the oven to melt. Mix flour, eggs, milk and sugar in a food processor. Add the vanilla. Spread the grapes evenly over the bottom of the buttery roasting tin and pour the batter in on top. Re-arrange the grapes evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, until the sides have puffed up and the batter in the middle has just set. Let it cool for a while, then sieve over some icing sugar.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Quick Apple Tart

Recently I had to delete the contents of my mobile and restart it again, re-installing apps and widgets. To my great disappointment I discovered that most of the free cookbooks from the GoodFood app are no longer free. Oh well... There is always their website..

Here is an easy recipe for apple pie that I found at the back of a baking powder. It's very cinnamony and light.

Ingredients:
-1 egg
-125g sugar
-20g oil
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-75ml rice milk
-85g gluten free flour
-1 tsp baking powder 
-3 Golden apples
- sugar and cinnamon mix

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a shallow round 23 cm tin. Beat the egg, sugar, oil, vanilla and cinnamon until creamy.  Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture. Pour into the mould. Peel the apples, cut them into half moons and spread over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mix. Bake for 40 minutes approximately.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Gluten and Dairy Free Lasagna

I'm very proud of this lasagna. I didn't even miss the cheese!! I had made a double batch of bolognese sauce and I didn't fancy having spaghetti again so I gave the lasagna a go and it came out pretty tasty.

In a square baking dish pour a layer of bolognese sauce (see my low FODMAP recipe). Make sure it's not too runny, if it is thicken it up with a little cornflour dissolved with a little water. Then the gluten free lasagna sheets, another layer of bolognese sauce, another layer of lasagna sheets and top with dairy/gluten free white sauce.

To make the white sauce: pour 400ml of unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan with 50g of plain gluten free flour and 50g of dairy free margarine. Simmer stirring cointinuosly until thick and creamy. Season to taste.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes until the top starts browning and bubbling.

Note: I used Tesco lasagna sheets which needed precooking. I had to simmer them in boiling water for a few minutes individually as they stuck to each other if they were cooked together.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

 

Gluten and Dairy Free Swiss Roll

Who knew that making a Swiss roll was so easy? Not me, otherwise I would have tried way sooner!  It's also very quick to put together and with no oil or margarine, so light...

I'm going to make a chocolate roll next time with some chocolate filling since cream is a big no-no for me. Can't wait...

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g plain gluten free flour
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 4 tbsp strawberry jam
• caster sugar for sprinkling

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Line a 33x23cm Swiss roll tin. Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until the mixture has doubled in volume and is thick enough to leave a trail on the surface when whisk is lifted. Sift half the flour over the mixture and fold in very lightly, using a large metal spoon. Sift the remaining flour and fold in with 1 tbsp of hot water. Pour the batter into the tin and tilt it to spread it in an even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, well risen and firm.
Meanwhile, place a sheet of baking paper on a damp tea towel. Dredge the paper with caster sugar. Quickly turn out the cake onto the paper, trim off the crusty edges and spread with jam.
Roll up the cake with the aid of the paper. Make the first turn firmly so that the whole cake will roll evenly and have a good shape when finished, but roll more lightly after this initial turn.

Note: I have adapted this recipe from my trusted Good Housekeeping cookbook because from all the Swiss roll recipes out there I found this book gave the clearest instructions. I did not bother whisking the eggs and sugar in a bowl over a pan of hot water because I read somewhere that it's not necessary if you are using an electric beater. And as you can see in the picture it came out just lovely.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

 

Gluten and Dairy Free Orange Polenta Cake

Another great recipe from the free GoodFood app. This cake tastes even better the day after and because you also use plain flour as well as polenta the result is a moist but not heavy cake.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 250g dairy free margarine
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 140g polenta
• 200g gluten free plain flour
• 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• zest and juice of 2 oranges (less 100ml juice for the glaze)

For the glaze:

• 100ml orange juice
• 100g caster sugar

Method:

Heat oven to 160C/140Cfan/gas3. Line the base and sides of a round 23cm cake tin with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Once the mixture is combined, add all the dry ingredients and the zest and juice after you have measured off 100ml for the glaze.

Transfer the mixture to the tin, spread evenly, then cook for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the glaze, put the juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Drizzle the orange glaze over the top of the cooled cake.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy and Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

I found this recipe in a leaflet advertising Clover. It had been at the bottom in one of my kitchen drawers for so long that it doesn't even appear in their website. I much prefer this recipe to the Frosted Lemon Squares one.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 175g dairy free margarine
• 175g self-raising gluten free flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a shallow round 22cm tin or a square 27x23cm tin. Mix all ingredients and  bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Make holes with a skewer and pour lemon drizzle made with:

• 50g icing sugar
• juice of 1 medium lemon

 Let it cool completely before taking it out of the tin.

Make the glazing with:

•  150g icing sugar
• grated zest and juice of half a lemon

Mix everything until well blended and spread over the cake letting it fall over the sides. Let it set before serving.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy and Gluten Free Microwave Egg Custard

This is so easy and quick to make I have it now on a regular basis. My husband finds the taste too "eggy" buy I think it tastes lovely, especially with the caramel topping. It really makes a different to this dessert, don't skip it. You could also buy it ready made in the shops...


For the Caramel Sauce:

• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of water

for each caramel dish.

I make a batch of 6 small egg custards every time so I multiply the amounts above by 6 and put them in a microwavable glass bowl. Mix the sugar and water and put them inside the microwave with the total measures on full power for 1.5 - 5 minutes, until the colour has been changed to a darker (caramel) colour. It took 4 minutes in my microwave but all microwaves are different so test yours first. Let it cool down for one minute and fill the caramel dishes.


For the Egg Custard Cream:

Ingredients:

• 2 whole eggs
• 2 yolks
• 7 tblsps sugar (or to taste)
• 200ml almond milk

Method:

Beat in a bowl, the eggs, yolks and sugar. Add the milk and mix until all the ingredients are completely mixed. Fill the caramel dishes with the cream and put in the microwave uncovered, start at full power for 2.5 minutes and after at half power for 2.5 to 3 minutes until the cream starts to boil.  The cooking time will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Store in the fridge with a lid on.

Wait 24 hours for the caramel  to soften before serving.

Note: you can freeze the leftover egg whites, just label them so you know how many egg whites are in your container.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Low FODMAP Turkey with Blueberries, Cinnamon and Fennel

This is probably the strangest curry I've ever made. It turned out a very unappetising dark green but the taste was as my husband put it "very pleasant". I read an article on Saturday about award-winning chef and nutritionist Gurpareet Bains and his book Indian Superspices. In it there are recipes that help with PMS, colds, hangovers, allergies and insomnia using spices and herbs.

This recipe is taken from bbc.co.uk but if you go to his website www.gurpareetbains.co.uk, you will find that in his original recipe he used chicken rather than turkey and sauteed the spices. I have omitted the garlic here and substituted the Greek yoghurt for coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 200g frozen blueberries
• 20g fresh chopped coriander plus extra to garnish
• 2 tbsp grated (peeled) fresh root ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
•  1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste 
• 1x400g tin coconut milk
• 500g skinless boneless turkey breast fillets cut into bite-size pieces (I used stir-fry strips)
• 1 tsp garam masala

Method:
In a food processor, blend the blueberries, coriander, garlic, ginger, ground cinnamon, fennel seeds, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and coconut milk to make a puree. Set aside. Place the turkey in a deep pan and slowly pour in the yoghurt mixture. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Mix through the garam masala. Garnish with the extra chopped coriander and serve with rice.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy and Gluten Free Raspberry Jam and Meringue Cupcakes

It's been a while since my last post. I was away for two weeks in sunny Spain. I really, really needed a bit of sunshine and heat, this winter in the land of rain is lasting waaaaaaaay too long. It's officially spring and temperatures have risen but I still need to have the heating on three times a day for an hour and it's always raining! We better have a good summer...

Anyway, this recipe is from the GoodFood free app, adapted to suit my needs, where it's called "Little Louise cupcakes". These little cakes are delicious and also very sweet. I have to confess that my batter mix curdled a little and the cakes didn't come out as fluffy and soft as they should have. They were still lovely and it gives me and excuse to make them again, gotta get them right!

 Ingredients:

For the cakes:

• 175g dairy free margarine
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 whole eggs
•  4 egg yolks
• 175g gluten free plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150ml rice milk
• 12 tsp raspberries jam

For the meringue:

• 175g caster sugar
• 4 egg whites
• desiccated coconut

 Method:

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases. In a large mixing bowl beat the margarine, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole egg, then the 4 yolks, before briefly beating in the fl.our, baking powder and rice milk until smooth. Divide two-thirds of the mix evenly between the cases, then top the centre of each with 1 tsp of jam. Divide the remaining cake mix over the top so no jam is visible. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Wait until cool enough to handle, then transfer the cakes to a flat baking sheet.

Lower the oven to 110C/90C fan. Beat the 4 egg whites until stiff, then continue whisking while you gradually add the sugar. Beat until thick and shiny, then fold in the coconut and use spoonfuls of the mixture to top each cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the outside of the meringue is crisp, then cool before serving.

 

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Low FODMAP Chicken in Olive & Tomato Sauce

I made this dish yesterday, had some leftovers for lunch and I think it tasted better today. I didn't have
much in the fridge except some sad looking celery so I put together this sauce and I think it came out pretty good.

I used chicken legs but any chicken pieces will do.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks celery, chopped finely (optional)
• 1x500g carton passata (sieved tomatoes) or 1x400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar black olives, sliced
• 250ml chicken stock
• 4 chicken pieces
• 1 tsp dried basil
• oil for frying
• salt and pepper

Method:
Season the chicken pieces and brown them in a little oil. Set them aside. In the same oil saute the celery, cherry tomatoes and olives. When the celery is softened and just beginning to colour add the passata, the stock, basil and season again. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes on a moderate heat. Take off the lid and cook on a higher heat for 15 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.
You could serve it with rice and green beans.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy & Gluten Free Caraway Biscuits

I  have a jar of caraway seeds that has been sitting on my spice rack for over a year. I was looking for a recipe to use them up and I found it in my trusty Good Housekeeping cookbook. Use the caraway seeds sparingly, they do have a strong taste. They are also wonderful added to breads.

Ingredients:

• 225g plain gluten free flour
• 75g dairy free margarine
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg white, beaten, to glaze
• caraway seeds, for sprinkling

Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg and mix to a stiff paste. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, until 5mm thick. Prick with a fork and cut into rounds with a 5 cm plain cutter. Brush with egg white and sprinkle on a few caraway seeds. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Dairy & Gluten Free Black Forest Traybake

You can find the original recipe by Annie Bell online at the Daily Mail web. I just changed the rich topping for a simple glace icing. This way is better suited for those on a dairy free diet. Black Forest cakes have layers of cream and cherries, you get a little taste of the real thing with this version.

Ingredients:

• 75g cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 4 eggs
• 370g caster sugar
• 180ml vegetable oil
• 200g  self-raising flour, sifted

For the icing:

• 125g icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp warm water
• 75g glace cherries, halved

 

Method:

Whisk the cocoa with 200ml boiling water, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to cool for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease with a little oil a traybake tin about 30cmx23cmx4cm deep. Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl, then fold in the flour, and then the cocoa solution. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until risen and firm and a skewer inserted in then a centre comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and leave to cool.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then mix in 1-2 tablespoon of warm water until the icing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Scatter the cherries over the cake and drizzle the icing.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com.

Microwave Banana Pudding

I'm having problems uploading a picture of this pudding from my phone today. In fact I'm having lots of problems with my phone today :(

This is a super easy and tasty pudding. My son loved it and I have to say it turned out a lot better than I expected. The dough didn't quite covered the melted margarine and I just thought it wasn't going to work but it did. I used a square Pyrex oven tray that fitted nicely in the microwave. It's better to eat on the same day because the bananas on top will brown. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 100g dairy free margarine, plus extra for greasing
• 2 ripe bananas
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g gluten free self-raising flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
•  2 tbsp milk
• icing sugar to dust

Method:



Put the butter in a 1 litre baking dish and microwave on High for 30 seconds - 1 minute until melted. Add 1 and a half bananas, mash into the melted margarine, then add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, eggs and milk. Mix together well. Slice the remaining banana over the top, then return to the microwave and cook on High for 8 minutes until cooked through and risen. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.

Another great recipe idea from the free GoodFood app.

Ground Rice and Almond Pudding

Mmmm, I really need to learn how to take better pictures, compared to other blogs' pictures mine look pretty poor... I normally take the photos in the evening when the lighting is quite bad and I keep fighting with the flash in my phone, which makes everything look unnatural, plus I'm generally too tired to care :(  Gotta try harder. Any tips?

This pudding is sooooo aromatic it's almost perfumed. I just love the smell and taste of cardamom pods but I seem to be the only one in my family that feels this way. Have a go and judge for yourself, it's worth a try.

I think this recipe came from the back of one of those big ground rice bags you find in Asian stores, I just changed the method sligthly.


Ingredients:

• 50g ground rice
• 25g ground almonds
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 litre almond milk
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rose water

Method:

Place the ground rice, almonds, green cardamoms and sugar in a saucepan. Add the almond milk and bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until the rice mixture thickens to the consistency of a creamy chicken soup. Keep stirring to prevent sticking. Add the rose water and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes. It will thicken a bit more when it cools.

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.ie

Dairy and Gluten Free Pizza

I have tried to make gluten free pizza before with very sad results. This pizza tasted like the real thing, like a deep pan pizza. I left the toppings for too long in the oven and they came out a bit dry (as you can see in the picture), 15 minutes when 5 should have been plenty as I wasn't cooking them just reheating them. Now I know better...

The dough is made with Dove's gluten free white bread flour and all you have to do is follow the oven baked bread recipe, half the rising time and bake for 40/45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 450g white bread flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp quick yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 325ml warm rice milk
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 eggs
•  6 tbsp oil

Topping:

• Tomato puree
• Canned tuna
• Anchovies
• Sliced black olives
• Capers (optional)

Method:

Mix the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. In a large bowl beat in the milk, vinegar and eggs. Add the flour and mix to form a sticky dough. Continue mixing adding the oil. Spread dough out onto a large oiled oven dish (I used a rectangular Pyrex dish). Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes then bake in a preheated oven (220C/Fan 200C) for 35-40 minutes. Spread the top with tomato puree, sprinkle with tuna, add anchovies, olives and capers and bake for a further 5 minutes.


Other low FODMAP toppings

1. Ham, pinapple
2. Ham, bacon, tomatoes
3. Sundried tomatoes, chicken, baby spinach
4. Gluten free sausages, ground beef, ham
5. Bolognese sauce (see my recipe)

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com

Low FODMAP Aubergine Omelette

I love fried aubergines and for me the best way to eat them is in omelettes. Aubergines soak up a lot of oil and I can only eat a handful when fried as they make me feel full straight away but in omelettes there's no stopping me!

You don't have to peel the aubergine for this recipe but my family doesn't like the skin so I normally do.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 medium aubergines, sliced
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp rice milk (optional)
• sunflower oil for frying

Method:

Fry the aubergines in plenty hot oil for a few seconds on each side until soft and lightly coloured but not browned. Reserve on a plate covered with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Beat the eggs with the salt and the rice milk, the milk is not necessary but I find omelettes come out fluffier if you add some.  Add the aubergine slices and mix. Pour this mixture in a lightly oiled medium frying pan on a low heat and wait a few minutes before turning until you can see most of the top is cooked. I put a plate on top of the pan and flip it over quickly, then put the omelette back in the pan, uncooked side down. If you don't feel brave enough to flip it cook the top under the grill for a few minutes.
 

www.meandmyibs2.blogspot.com