Tag: gluten free

Gluten-Free and Low-FODMAP Fried Rice

I am doing back to back posts this week, which is a real rarity for me!  I am going to wrap up this focus on Chinese food with the complementary recipe from my last post (Gluten-Free and Low FODMAP Chicken with Broccoli) – Gluten-Free and Low-FODMAP Fried Rice.

Since I don’t like a post to go by without a quick glimpse into our NYC lives, I am sharing a moment from almost a year now at a family event  at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA).  The access programs for children with disabilities there are absolutely amazing and give us both the opportunity to learn about art!

 

Now on to the food… 🙂

Gluten-Free and Low-FODMAP Fried Rice

Ingredients

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp gluten-free soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

3/4 cup finely chopped carrots

4 cups cooked rice (I pre-cooked in a rice cooker earlier in the day)

4 scallions – green end only, chopped

2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp oil in frying pan or wok and add carrots, cooking until tender about 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove carrots from pan and set aside

Allow pan to cook slightly

Mix the 1/2 tsp of gluten-free soy sauce and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil with the egg

Add 1/2 tbsp oil to the pan, coating the entire surface.  Add egg mixture and working quickly, swirl the egg until it sets against the pan, flipping to to cook briefly on the other side.  Remove from pan and chop into small pieces

Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan and add cooked carrots, rice and scallions, stirring for 3 – 4 minutes

Add 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce and chopped egg to the mixture, stirring for ~1 minute longer

Serve with a side of Chicken and Broccoli 🙂

 

 

 

 

Gluten-Free and Low-FODMAP Chicken with Broccoli

Hunter Mountain SkiingI’ve taken my son skiing a few times this season, and he’s really loved it.  The conditions weren’t perfect as we chose some of the coldest days of the season, but I’ve been so impressed with his ability to pick it up.  Can’t wait to get back out there soon!

We visited Hunter Mountain in NY but are itching to get further west for a different ski experience!

Hunter Mountain Skiing

Following on the theme from my last post, I have another gluten-free and low-FODMAP Chinese food recipe for you today!  We ate this one for days, and it was great every time. Please note that I did use broccoli in the recipe as it is my son’s favorite.  While broccoli has shown up on some lists of foods to avoid or limit when following a low-FODMAP diet,  however, theMonash University has recently published new resultsshowing the breakdown of FODMAP rating for 1 cup.

Gluten-Free, Low-FODMAP Chinese Chicken with Broccoli and Fried Rice (Fried Rice recipe coming next!)

Gluten-Free, Low-FODMAP Chinese Chicken with Broccoli

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups of broccoli, cut into florets

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Marinade

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil

Sauce

¼ cup gluten-free soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a small bowl combine all marinade ingredients

Combine chicken cubes and marinade in a shallow container and refrigerate for at least 1 – 2 hours

In a small bowl combine all sauce ingredients

Once ready to cook, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and marinade along with 1/2 of the sauce.  Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan to a plate

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add broccoli and red peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes

Add chicken, remaining sauce and sesame seeds and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens

Serve with fried rice – recipe to follow next!

 

Gluten-Free Egg Rolls

We have had a busy winter so far!  We had a trip to Connecticut to visit one of my besties where we had dinner at a great little Italian place Pasta Cosi.  Not only do they have a Paleo Eggplant Lasagna, but apparently one of the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies was filmed there.  Yes, I have a special place in my heart for the Hallmark Channel…

We try to make at least one trip to  Brooklyn Bowl each winter, where they have family friendly times that make it a lot of fun and quite a bit easier!

Sometimes when we get home from travels or even being out in the cold, I want to order Chinese food but it is so hard to find gluten-free and low FODMAP versions of the classics.  I have a few recipes that I will be sharing that get at the need for some FODMAP-friendly Chinese food!

Gluten-Free Egg Rolls

Ingredients – Gluten-Free Egg Roll Wrappers

3 cups gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s 1:1 baking flour)

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup water

Directions – Gluten-Free Egg Roll Wrappers

Combine flour and salt into a large mixing bowl

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the water until combined

Add the eggs and water mixture to the flour. Stir well until mixture comes together to form a ball – if the mixture is not coming together, you may need to add more water (start with a tsp at a time)

Coat your work surface and rolling pin with flour

Split the dough into thirds.  Spread one section out on the work surface and roll into out as thin as you can without it beginning to split

Cut the rolled dough into ~6×6 in squares (you will see mine ended up a bit more like rectangles 🙂 )

Lift squares up with a spatula and transfer to a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper on it

Cover the finished squares with a lightly damp cloth until use to keep them from drying out. Store this way for only 1 hour or so – more than that and they will begin to dry out

While those sit, you can move on to the filling

Ingredients – Gluten-Free Egg Roll Filling (Shrimp)

6 – 8 medium sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger

3 oz bean sprouts

2 shredded carrots

2 cups shredded cabbage

4 tbsp peanut oil

Ingredients – Sauce

3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/8 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chopped ginger

2 scallions, chopped (green end only)

Directions – Sauce

Whisk ingredients together until well combined

Directions – Gluten-Free Egg Roll Filling (Shrimp)

Add 1 tbsp of oil to a frying pan, heating for a few minutes

Add the shrimp and cook until it begins to firm up and is cooked through

Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside

Add the ginger, carrots and cabbage to the frying pan and cook until the carrots and cabbage are tender

Remove from heat and set aside

Add the gluten-free soy sauce,

Heat a wok or a deep drying pan to medium high heat.  Add remaining oil and heat for several minutes

Retrieve the gluten-free egg roll wrappers and fill with cabbage and carrots, shrimp and bean sprouts.

Wet edges of wrapper with a little water and fold 3 points to the middle like an envelope. Then wet last point with water and roll closed.

Place the egg rolls in the heated oil, flipping every 30 second to 1 minute until golden brown ( 2- 3 minutes)

Remove from oil and serve with dipping sauce while still hot – enjoy!

 

 

Gluten-Free Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

This year, my family and I made the same dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas because we loved them so much at Thanksgiving! Using the amazing Cappello’s gluten-free lasagna sheets, we made Gluten-Free Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna and Gluten-Free Meat Lasagna.  While neither were low-FODMAP given the heavy dose of dairy, I was able to manage alright with just a small piece given how heavy they were anyway.

On our trip to California for Thanksgiving, we had a great time in Santa Barbara – biking, visiting outdoor museums with ocean views…AAhh, what a wonderful life in California!  (I also note with sadness all of the devastation of the wildfires just weeks after our visit 🙁 ).

MOXI, Wolf Museum in Santa Barbara
MOXI, Wolf Museum in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara biking
Santa Barbara biking

Gluten-Free Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (~2 cups)

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock (if you can find a brand that does not have onion and garlic that is best)

2 tbsp butter

2 large egg yolks

1/3 cup fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Gluten-free lasagna noodles (~1/2 pound)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, olive oil, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper on a baking sheet
Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.  Flip through cooking as needed.  Discard garlic
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and grease a 9 cup baking dish
Combine ricotta, cream, egg yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt
Melt butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sage and cook until light gold and crispy at the edges, watching to ensure it does not burn.  This should take 3 – 4 minutes
Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper
Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture
Place baking dish on a baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving

More Roasted Veggies

I don’t know if I ever realized how much I truly love vegetables.  Especially roasted.  Something special happens to vegetables when they are roasted…Okay, maybe I’ve taken it a step too far 🙂

Either way, with fall here and vegetables on the menu, I have spent many a Sunday roasting away.

I won’t share a recipe this post, but I roast a mix of vegetables – carrots, peppers, yellow and green squash, butternut squash and parsnips.  I usually roast them with garlic-infused olive oil, garlic, onions and salt.  Cooking times can vary for the vegetables, so I keep an eye on them – cooking for about 20 – 30 minutes for most, up to 40 for a butternut squash.

I really must recommend that combination of roasted vegetables and the Downeast Cider Pumpkin Blend – nothing really says fall more than that combo!

 

             

And a little hello from us 🙂

Veggie Tacos and Saying Goodbye to Summer

For the past few years, we have gone out to Mountauk in mid-September for an amazing surf camp for autistic children.  It is 1) an amazing event hosted by Surfers Healing, 2) the best way to wrap up summer and 3) an easy way to maintain pescatarian status!

 

We had some amazing lobster rolls – with and without buns, but for a waterfront view like that I will gladly pass on the bun any day 🙂

 

 

 

 

And some nice sunsets…

 

 

Upon returning home, I had reached my max of seafood.  So I went for some more basic veggie tacos.  Simple recipe but really quick and easy way to get dinners loaded with flavor!

Grilled Veggie Tacos

Ingredients

1 medium size green squash

1 medium size yellow squash

4 – 5 radishes

1 large red bell pepper

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 -2 serrano peppers

Lettuce and tomato as desired

Corn tortillas

Directions

Chop squash into roughly 1 in. pieces.  Set in a colander in sink or with paper towels under.  Sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 20 – 30 minutes until water has drained from the squash

Slice red pepper, radishes and serrano peppers

Place all the vegetables in a bowl.  Add 1 tsp. olive oil and the seasonings.  Toss until well combined

Grill the vegetables, flipping so each side is cooked through

Heat corn tortillas in a frying pan

Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa (see my latest favorite salsa recipe!)

 

 

Trying Something New

I’ve been on this FODMAP journey for a few years now, since the end of 2013.  I followed the Stanford University FODMAP plan, completing the full elimination diet before testing what could be added back in. Since that time, I have felt an incredible improvement in how I feel based on what I eat. There have been many days, though, where I would start the day feeling great and as the day went on my stomach would begin to expand and feel uncomfortable, despite not eating anything outside of my normal FODMAP diet.

So, I decided to make a few additional changes to my diet – a combination of some of the Blue Zone guidelines and avoiding inflammation that can be caused by meat.  I’ve completely removed dairy again as well – so we will see how I do without mozzarella for my pizza : (

I’d love to know how you all are doing with the FODMAP diet and what changes you have made as time has gone on with the diet.

This has nothing to do with my new food plans, but this guy is so adorable 🙂

Low-FODMAP Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients

1 medium Italian eggplant, stemmed, peeled, and sliced into 1/4 in. rounds

1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 in. thick strips

1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 in. thick strips

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for baking pan

1 medium onion, chopped into large pieces

1 clove garlic

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

Spread the eggplant slices, zucchini strips, and squash strips on paper towels on your work surface; sprinkle with half of the salt. Turn the vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Set aside for 30 minutes, then rinse the vegetables and pat dry with fresh paper towels.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil the inside of a 9-inch square baking dish.

Warm the remaining olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper, cooking until soft and fragrant.  Remove the onion and garlic.

Stir in the tomatoes and  basil. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the consistency of a thick sauce, about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with even layers of the eggplant rounds, zucchini strips, and summer squash in that order. Spread the remaining tomato sauce on top.

Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Summer Snacking

We spent a lot of time this summer looking at art and adding new decorations to our apartment – both homemade crafts and new art purchases.  One of the exhibits we saw that we both loved was at the Rebecca Hossack gallery in SoHo.  These little guys are made of toy parts and concrete!

 

 

It was great we came upon this gallery when we did. After a morning of SoulCycle and wandering in the city heat, I was feeling some intense hunger exacerbated by the fact we were steps away from our amazing lunch destination of Rubirosa.   I should have packed a snack, but I was running low on exciting snack options, which has prompted me to look into some new recipes.

Low-FODMAP Chocolate Almond Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 tsp. sea salt

 1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp. cocoa powder

1/3 cup maple syrup

Directions

Grease a cookie sheet or square pan with coconut oil or another non-stick agent.

Pour the almonds into the food processor along with the salt. Process until the mixture becomes like almond butter, which will take several minutes.

Add the oats, cocoa, cinnamon and maple syrup and process until smooth.

Press the mixture onto the cookie sheet or pan using the back of a spoon and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Store any uneaten bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Using My Urban Garden

I have enjoyed my little fire escape garden more than I expected this summer.  I used the basil, oregano and thyme nearly every weekend and made a few meals of chicken and potatoes with the fresh sage.  It really made the city summer feel a little less oppressive having access to my own fresh herbs!

 

 

 

The other new fun of this summer was tandem bike riding.  We had an awesome time on Governor’s Island riding around for hours on the bike – it was a great way to get my son practicing riding while still comfortable that I am in control.

 

 

After a nice day out like that, it’s great coming home to my little garden and making a hearty dinner using fresh herbs.  I have missed pesto a lot lately in my FODMAP diet.  I used to love a heavy garlic pesto, adding cream to make a nice thick cream sauce – YUM.  Well, I decided it was time to come up with an alternative recipe so I no longer need to feel like I’m missing out.

Low-FODMAP Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

Ingredients – Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)

2 tbsp. toasted almond slivers

1/2 cup garlic-infused olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions – Pesto

Combine basil leaves and almonds in a food processor and combine until finely minced.

If possible, leave the machine running slowly and drizzle the oil in until the mixture is smooth.  Otherwise, add the oil in 2 – 3 sections until smoothly processed.

Add the cheese and process for a few seconds, long enough to combine.

Store the pesto in the refrigerator if serving on its own.  Otherwise, place to the side while you make the cream sauce.

Ingredients – Cream Sauce

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. gluten-free flour

1 1.2 cups milk (I use almond)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions – Cream Sauce and Final Dish

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisking constantly, add the flour to make a roux.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

Slowly add the milk, whisking to fully incorporate.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thickened.

Stir in the pesto you made earlier and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Pour over cooked pasta and chicken and serve with herb garnish. Enjoy!

Basil Pesto Low FODMAP

Low FODMAP creamy pesto sauce

Practicing for London

 

If you follow me on Instagram (@FODMom), you know how much we love the beach.  The beaches in Queens are pretty good, but what moves the Rockaways up a few notches in my book is Caracas Arepa Bar – on the beach, with delicious ciders and Jenga!

 

We are taking our first summer trip away from the sun and beach.  Usually this time of year we head to California or down the shore in Jersey to soak up some sun and make the most of summer.  This year we are taking a different approach and heading to London!  In preparation, I have been practicing some fish and chips recipes to get us in the mood.  We have a great line up of restaurants, so check in with us this week on Instagram.

Gluten free fish and chips is not that easy to come by, but I did come up with a great recipe at home to satisfy the craving for fried fish!

Gluten Free Parmesan Breaded Fish   

Gluten Free Parmesan Fried Fish

Ingredients

4 skinless fillets of firm white fish

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lemon – zest and juice

2 tbsp Garlic infused olive oil 

1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (made from scratch is best – use food processor to combine gluten free bread, basil, oregano and salt) 

1 cup gluten free flour 

1 egg 

Directions

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add garlic infused olive oil, heating well

Mix the gluten free breadcrumbs with the lemon zest and parmesan cheese

Whisk the egg in a bowl and place near the flour and breadcrumb mixtures

Dip each fillet into the flour, followed by egg, followed by breadcrumbs and place into the skillet

Heat the fish until cooked through, flipping over as needed as it cooks

Serve with lemon juice or lemon wedges as needed

 

I served this one with a side of kale, carrots and radishes, because having radishes is always better than not having radishes.