Ham and Greens

According to the low FODMAP diet app from Monash University, the following leafy greens are OK for all sensitivities: bok choy, common cabbage, chicory leaves, choy sum, endive, kale, radicchio, spinach, and Swiss chard. I used escarole when I made this (it is a variety of endive) and had no problems. This is a super easy recipe for a weeknight dinner. You could even cook up some wheat-free pasta and toss it with this dish if you are in need of some carbs!

Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 country ham steak, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 heads of escarole chopped or enough acceptable greens chopped to make 16 cups
olive oil for sauteing
2 tablespoons butter

In a large saute pan, heat a little olive oil and add the ham. Let is sizzle a bit until the ham starts to brown. Add all of the greens, turn down the heat, and put a lid on the pan. Stir the contents every few minutes and return the lid to the pan. Cooking time will depend on the type of greens you used. Spinach will be done in a few minutes, tougher greens will take longer. When the greens are done to your liking (I like mine soft), add the butter and let it melt. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Toss in the lemon juice and zest. Season to taste.

TAHINI IS BAD? Oh No

I recently saw this tweet from dietitian Kate Scarlata. If you are sensitive to oligosaccharides, this is really bad news.

Tahini not allowed after testing. high oligos@CherylDietitian @catsosibsfreerd @dietitianuk @emmacarderrd

— Kate Scarlata, RDN (@KateScarlata_RD) April 18, 2013

Slow Cooker Ginger and Lime Chicken

I’ve been taking an exercise class for the past few weeks that meets at 5:30 three times a week.  This cuts into my dinner prep time, so I’ve hauled out the old slow cooker.

2 lbs. chicken pieces – I prefer dark meat for this
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cane syrup (or you could use sorghum molasses)
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger.

Put everything in slow cooker, cook on low for six and a half hours.  Remove chicken from cooker, separate meat from skin and bones. Shred meat. Remove juices from cooker and remove as much grease as possible. Combine meat and juices back in slow cooker and let reheat until hot enough to serve.

I put this over lemongrass rice and topped with chopped scallion greens.

Lemony Potatoes

I love the combination of potatoes and lemon.

1/2  lb. red potatoes, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
freshly grated zest from half a lemon
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
olive oil for saute

Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan until shimmering.  Add the potatoes, spread to a single layer, and cook over medium heat until the potatoes get brown on one side and start to release from the pan, Add the tomatoes and oregano and about a 1/4 cup of WATER to the pan.  Slam a lid down on the pan, turn the heat to low, and let cook for 20 minutes or so or until the potatoes are cooked through.  Add the remaining ingredients, put the lid back on, remove from the heat and let sit until the cheese is warmed and melty.

I served this with a couple of grilled lamb chops. Yum!

Chicken Salad with Tahini

This was easy and tasty.  I poached a couple of chicken breasts but you could easily substitute some shredded rotisserie chicken.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup tahini (roasted or regular)
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons garlic oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound thin green beans, trimmed
a few tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
salt for cooking

Bring a large pot of water to boil, throw in some salt. Drop in the chicken breasts and bring the water back up to a boil. Immediately slam a lid down on the pot and take the whole thing off the heat. Let is sit UNDISTURBED for 30 minutes.  Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and let cool.  Bring the pot of water back up to a boil and drop in the green beans.  Let them boil for 2 minutes and then drain and immediately cool them down by running them under cold water or dropping them into an ice bath.

When the chicken is cool, shred it.  Combine it with the green beans and the bell pepper.  Oh yeah, if you have any scallion greens, throw some of those in too. Mix up the tahini, water, lemon juice, and garlic oil.  Spread the dressing on the salad ingredients. Top with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

It’s rhubarb season! Fresh rhubarb is available in the supermarket.

When I was a teenager I used to do a lot of babysitting for a neighbor.  Every spring she would bake me a strawberry rhubarb pie that I didn’t have to share with anyone! Strawberry rhubarb is still one of my favorite flavors.  I’m too lazy to make a pie crust right now, so I whipped up this dish instead.

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/2 lbs rhubarb, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

For the topping:

3/4 cup gluten free flour (I use King Arthur brand)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use hazelnuts)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375F; grease a shallow casserole or baking dish.  Combine fruit, sugar, corn starch and ginger and mix thoroughly.  Empty into baking dish.

Stir together the flour, salt, and the sugar.  Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or whirl it around in a food processor for a few pulses.  Stir in the remaining topping ingredients.  Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool until almost room temperature before serving.

Braised Chicken and Bell Pepper

I’m really liking the combination of red bell pepper and smoked paprika. Here’s another recipe that uses it.

2 chicken leg quarters
1 cup scallion greens, divided
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon masa (finely ground corn flour, substitute sweet rice flour or spelt flour if needed)
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
olive oil
S&P

Season the chicken leg quarters with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Let fry, undisturbed, for 5 minutes until the skin is golden brown.  Flip the chicken and repeat.  Remove the chicken to a plate.  Turn down the heat to medium and add half the scallion greens, the bell pepper, and the cherry tomatoes. Put a lid on the pan and saute for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Remove lid and stir in the masa and smoked paprika.  Stir for a minute and then add the chicken broth. Stir vigorously to scrape up any stuck bits from the pan.  Return the chicken to the pan, cover, bring to a simmer then turn the heat down low and cook until the chicken is falling off the bone tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove cover, turn up heat, and boil the mixture for a few minutes until the sauce is nicely thickened.  Taste and adjust seasoning with paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining scallions.  Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Pork and Cabbage Soup

I was very surprised to find that common, green cabbage is listed as safe in the Low Fodmap Diet app. Apparently, not all brassicas are bad.  Large servings of 1 cup or more contain enough sorbitol to affect people who are intolerant of polyols.  This entire recipe only has 1 1/2 cups of cabbage in it and makes a bunch of servings.  I adapted this recipe from one I found at Serious Eats.

MAKE THIS THE DAY BEFORE SERVING.  Letting it sit in the fridge for a day really improves the flavor.  Don’t skip the caraway seeds; they are essential.

4 slices thick smoked bacon, chopped, fried until crispy and drained of fat
2 to 2 1/2 lbs of pork stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups diced cabbage (not Savoy cabbage, just common green cabbage)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch scallion greens, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted, ground caraway seeds
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

Optional, for serving:

1/2 cup sour cream mixed with a few tablespoons chopped scallion greens

Combine first 10 ingredients in slow cooker. Add just enough chicken broth to barely cover the solid ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Cool and refrigerate for a day. When ready to serve, remove congealed fat from the soup, reheat and taste for seasoning.  You may need to add a little sugar to make the right balance of sweet and sour.  This should not be overwhelming, just a gentle sweet and sour. I think I used less than tablespoon of sugar.  I also added a bit more paprika at the end to really bring that flavor forward.  Serve with the sour cream mixture as a garnish.

Three Alarm Chili

Just in time for Superbowl Sunday!

Chili used to be one of my go-to weeknight winter suppers.  I made it with plenty of onions, garlic, beans, and canned tomatoes which means that when I had a bowl of chili, I had a bowl of FODMAPs.   Since the weather has been so cold, I’ve really been missing this favorite lately.  This recipe is very meat-heavy and rich.  A little bit goes a long way.  If made without the hominy, it would be a good topping for nachos or a baked potato.

Be sure to READ LABELS when buying chili powder.  The regular chili powder available in most supermarkets is a blend of chiles, garlic, onion, and other spices.  Avoid this!  You want to find pure New Mexico (sometimes called Chimayo) chili powder.  The amount of chiles and chili powder you use is a matter of taste.  Though I often like to use cumin in my cooking, I’ve never been a fan of it in chili.  Feel free to add it if you wish.

This dish is best if made a day before you plan to eat it so that the flavors can really develop.  I like my chili spicy so I use the larger amounts of spices and peppers.

3 slices smokey, thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 half inch thick slice onion
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 lbs. lean ground beef or bison
1 – 2 tablespoons New Mexico chili powder
1 – 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 – 2 fresh jalepeno peppers, minced
1 can hominy, drained
salt and pepper

For toppings:

chopped scallion greens
minced cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese
reserved, cooked bacon

And for your FODMAP eaters:

chopped red onion
roasted garlic cloves
sour cream

Saute the bacon over medium heat in a large saucepan until rendered and crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Put the onion and garlic in the pan and cook in the bacon fat over low heat until they are very soft and lightly browned.  Remove from the pan and discard, leaving the fat in the pan.  Add the meat, jalapenos, chipotles, and chili powder to the pan and cook over medium heat until the jalapenos are soft and the meat is thoroughly browned.  Add the drained hominy and cook the mixture, covered, over very low heat for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.  If the mixture seems dry, add a little water.  When done, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper; refrigerate the chili for 24 hours.. Reheat and serve with toppings.

Smothered Potatoes and Green Beans

This is a good dish for those cold winter nights.  I ate 3 helpings for my supper last night.  Green beans are safe according to the Monash University Low Fodmap Diet app.

3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 lb. boiling potatoes cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon white spelt flour
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped scallion greens
salt and pepper

Fry the bacon in a saute pan until it is crisp. Remove it from the pan and reserve.  Add the spelt flour to the fat in the pan over low heat and stir until incorporated and without lumps.  Add the water and stir to incorporate.  Add the potatoes and green beans and bring the mixture to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a simmer, put a lid on the pan and let it cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.  When the vegetables are cooked, add the reserved bacon and the scallions. Taste and adjust the seasoning. I like it with lots of freshly ground black pepper.