Diet Tips:Low FODMAP Herby Chicken & Pork Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

By Alana Scott, low FODMAP cook from A Little Bit Yummy 



Looking for a finger food platter to take to your next party? Try these low FODMAP chicken and pork meatballs with cranberry sauce. The sweet and chunky cranberry sauce goes perfectly with the herby meatballs. Both the sauce and meatballs are good warm or cold. Dried cranberries can contain moderate levels of FODMAPs at a two tablespoon serve. This means you need to stick to a low FODMAP one tablespoon serve per person for the cranberry sauce.

Buying tips: Buy lean chicken and pork mince. If you can’t find both types of mince just choose one of them or substitute with lean ground turkey.  Check the gluten free breadcrumbs do not include high FODMAP ingredients like inulin or chicory root fibre, apple juice or fruit juice concentrates. Make sure you buy dried cranberries that contain sugar and not apple juice or another high FODMAP sweetener.

Gluten free option: If you are a Coeliac and need to be completely gluten free, make sure you check that the dried thyme, oregano, and cranberries are wheat/gluten free.

Herby Chicken & Pork Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce       ............................................................................................. Serves: 7 to 10 people (2 to 3 meatballs each)   Prep: 30 minutes    Cook: 20 minutes .............................................................................................. INGREDIENTS Chicken & pork meatballs 250g (8.82oz) lean pork mince 250g (8.82oz) lean chicken mince 1 medium egg 30g (1.06oz or 3/4 cup) spring onion tips (green tips only) 1 tbsp garlic infused oil 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 & ½ tsp dried oregano 2 tbsp fresh parsley 60g (2.12 oz or 1/2 cup) gluten free breadcrumbs 1 tbsp soy protein milk (lactose free milk, hemp milk, almond milk) 1 tbsp neutral oil (Ricebran, Canola, Olive Oil) Cranberry sauce 125g (4.37oz) dried cranberries Boiling water  1/3 tsp orange zest (Strip from a small orange) 1 & 1/2 tbsp white sugar 1 tsp pinot noir wine (optional) .............................................................................................. METHOD 1. Place the dried cranberries in a large bowl. Pour over boiling water until they are completely submerged. Cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm to keep the steam in. Leave to soak for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cranberries have rehydrated and are soft. 2. While the cranberries soak, make the meatballs. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Roughly chop the green tips of the spring onion and finely chop the fresh parsley. Place the chicken and pork mince, spring onion tips, fresh parsley, beaten egg, garlic infused oil, dried thyme, gluten free breadcrumbs, and soy protein milk (lactose free milk, almond milk or hemp milk) into a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined. 3. Roll the mixture into about 21 small meatballs and place on two dinner plates. Place a large non-stick frypan on to heat over medium high heat. Place the dinner plates into the microwave and cook on high for 30 seconds per plate (this will help cook the centre of the meatball).  4. Add the neutral oil to the frypan. Transfer the meatballs into the hot frypan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the meatballs are golden and cooked through. Make sure you shake the pan every couple of minutes to move the meatballs so they cook evenly. Once cooked through transfer to a serving plate. 5. While the meatballs cook, finish the cranberry sauce. Zest the orange (the trick is to only zest the bright orange layer and not the bitter white layer underneath). 6. Drain the cranberries using a sieve but save the cranberry water they soaked in (the cranberries should now weigh about 225g or 7.94oz). Transfer the cranberries with 6 to 7 tablespoons of cranberry water to a blender/food processer or use a stick blender. Process until reasonably smooth (a few chunky bits of cranberry are okay).  7. Place into a small saucepan and add the sugar, orange zest and pinot noir wine if using. Place over medium low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve and sauce to reduce slightly (this will take about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. To burn off the alcohol in the wine allow the sauce to simmer for 1 minute. Once the sauce is your desired consistency remove it from the heat and place in a small bowl. Garnish with orange zest if desired. 8. Serve the chicken and pork meatballs with the cranberry sauce. I would recommend placing a teaspoon in the sauce so people can scoop it onto the meatballs.  Serve meatballs and sauce warm or cold. Make sure you divide the cranberry sauce into 10 serves to stay within the low FODMAP serving size. This is just over a tablespoon per person. 9. If you are making the meatballs and sauce in advance make sure you keep them in the refrigerator.               .............................................................................................. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION NUTRITION INFORMATION per serve (123g or approx 3 meatballs) Energy total Protein Fat total          - Saturated Fibre Sodium 1011KJ 15.6g 12.6g 2.9g 1.2g 62.9mg

Diet Tips:Low FODMAP Vegan Coconut & Pumpkin Curry with Roasted Chickpeas

By Alana Scott, low FODMAP cook from A Little Bit Yummy 



This low FODMAP vegan coconut & pumpkin curry makes for a delicious and filling meal. In this recipe, I will teach you how to make a curry from scratch, as we can’t use pre-made curry pastes as they normally contain garlic or onion. Once you have mastered this curry base you can experiment by adding different ingredients like tofu or spinach.

I don’t tolerate a lot of chilli so this curry is very mild, if you like your curry hot then you can add more chilli at the end of the recipe. This recipe freezes really well so you can make a batch, freeze it, and then use as a grab and go lunch option.

Don’t be scared of the long ingredient list below. Many of the ingredients are dried spices or staple pantry items which will last for many recipes. Having these low FODMAP ingredients in your pantry will help you create many more delicious low FODMAP meals.

Vegan Coconut & Pumpkin Curry with Roasted Chickpeas       ............................................................................................. Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutesCook time: 40 minutes .............................................................................................. INGREDIENTS Fresh vegetables 240g (8.5oz) Japanese pumpkin (or sweet potato) 240g (8.5oz) or 2 large carrots 165g (5.8oz) eggplant/aubergine Small handful fresh coriander 1 tbsp olive oil Roasted chickpeas 168g (5.9oz) or 1 cup canned chickpeas in water (rinsed) 1 tbsp olive oil Curry spice base ¼ tsp chilli flakes 1 & ½ tsp ground coriander/cilantro 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp crushed ginger 1 & ½ tbsp garlic infused oil 22g (0.78oz) or 1/2 cup spring onion (green tips only) Curry body 400ml canned coconut milk 250ml (1 cup) low FODMAP vegetable stock 1 dried bay leaf 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 & ½ tbsp tomato paste Zest & juice of 1 medium lime 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch (to thicken) Pinch of white sugar Side dish 1 & ½ cups white rice .............................................................................................. METHOD Curry Prep 1.      Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) on bake function and prep the ingredients. Peel and cut the carrots into 2.5cm cubes. Peel, deseed and cut the pumpkin into 2.5cm cubes. Slice the eggplant into 0.5cm slices. Roughly slice the green tips of the spring onions. Roughly chop the fresh coriander (place to one side for serving). 2.      Open, drain and then rinse the chickpeas. Dry using a clean tea towel until they chickpeas look matt and feel relatively dry. Then remove any lose chickpea skins. Toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Line a roasting tray with baking paper. Add the chickpeas. 3.      Line another roasting tray with baking paper and add the eggplant. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then season well with salt. 4.      In a small bowl mix together the chilli flakes, ground coriander, tumeric, cumin, crushed ginger, and garlic infused oil. Open the coconut milk and prepare the vegetable stock if needed. Start Cooking! 5.      Place the chickpeas and eggplant into the preheated oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then flip the eggplant (top should be starting to brown) and turn the chickpeas (by shaking). Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are evenly brown, and the eggplant is cooked on both sides. 6.      While the eggplant and chickpeas roast, start cooking your curry. Place the rice onto cook according to pack instructions. Heat a large frypan over medium heat. Add the spice and garlic infused oil mixture to the frypan along with the spring onions. Fry for one to two minutes or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and low FODMAP stock along with the soy sauce, bay leaf and tomato paste. Mix well. Then add the pumpkin and carrots. Bring to a simmer and then turn down to medium low heat. Cover with a large lid. Allow to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce looks like it is getting too dry, turn down the heat and add a splash of water. 7.      After 20 minutes check to see if the vegetables are soft (if they aren’t soft continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes). If the vegetables are soft, then dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) in 2 tablespoons of warm water and mix through the curry to thicken. Zest the lime while the sauce thickens. Then remove the curry from heat, and mix through the lime zest and juice. Add a pinch of sugar to the sauce if needed and remove the bay leaf. If you like your curry hot, then now is the time to add more chilli flakes if desired. Fold through the cooked eggplant. 8.      Serve the curry on top of the rice, and garnish with fresh coriander and the roasted chickpeas. If you have any leftovers (which I doubt!) then you can freeze them to eat at a later date.              .............................................................................................. Buying tips: Buy tinned coconut milk and check for high FODMAP ingredients like inulin. Make sure you get canned chickpeas in water. These are lower in FODMAPs because the oligosaccharides leach out of the bean and into the water (just make sure you rinse them well). Check your ginger puree does not include garlic. Buy a low FODMAP vegetable stock. Gluten free option: Check that your dried spices, vegetable stock, and soy sauce are gluten free.

Diet Tips:Low FODMAP Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

By Alana Scott, low FODMAP cook from A Little Bit Yummy 

Celebrating the Luna New Year? These low FODMAP sticky Chinese chicken wings are the perfect appetiser to share with your friends. They are sticky and sweet and just a little bit spicy!  



 

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings         ............................................................................................. Serves 5 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes .............................................................................................. INGREDIENTS Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings 1.2kg (2.65lb) chicken wings (cut into drums or wings as needed) 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp soy sauce 4 tbsp tomato paste 1 & ½ tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp garlic infused oil ½ tsp Chinese five spice To serve 2 tbsp spring onion (green tips only) 2 tsp sesame seeds (toasted) 1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) ½ mild red chilli (deseeded & finely sliced) .............................................................................................. METHOD  Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) bake function.  Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Mix the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato paste, oyster sauce, garlic infused oil and Chinese five spice in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken wings and mix through. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.  Line a roasting tray with baking paper or grease well. Pull the chicken wings out of the marinade and place in the roasting tray. Reserve the left over marinade for basting.   Place the chicken wings in the oven. Baste after 15 minutes with half of the left over marinade, then pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken at 30 minutes.   Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the meat is tender, and the wings are sticky and a gorgeous dark red/golden colour.  Toast you sesame seeds in a small frypan over medium high heat for 1 to 2 minutes (no oil needed). Remove as they start to turn golden brown. Finely chop the green spring onion tips, red chilli, and fresh coriander.  Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, some roughly chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped spring onion tips, and some rings of fresh chilli.             ............................................................................................. Buying tips: Make sure that your oyster sauce and Chinese five spice do not include onion or garlic. Gluten free option: If you have Coeliac disease and need to be trace gluten free, then make sure your soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Chinese five spice are gluten free. If you are just on the low FODMAP diet then you don’t need to worry about this.

Diet Tips:4 ways with 2 slices of beetroot

 

By Lyndal McNamara (dietitian)

 

 

Thought beetroot was off the menu? Think again! A 2 slice serve of cooked beetroot is actually low in FODMAPs. Wondering what to do with just 2 slices? Check out these great recipe ideas!

 

 



 

Beetroot dip: 2 Slices cooked beetroot (20g) + 2 tbs. creamed cottage cheese + 1 tbs. walnuts + 1 tsp. chopped chives + 1 tbs. grated parmesan cheese + salt & pepper to taste. Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor until combined into a crunchy dip! Serve with vegetables sticks.



Beetroot & Salad Sandwich: 2 slices spelt sourdough bread + 2 tbs. beetroot dip (see above) or 2 slices cooked beetroot + 1 cup low FODMAP salad vegetables (e.g. carrot, cucumber, red capsicum, watercress etc.)



Roasted Pumpkin, Quinoa and Beetroot Salad: 1/2 cup cooked quinoa + 1/2 cup roasted jap pumpkin + 2 slices roasted beetroot (20g) + 1/4 cup roasted zucchini + 1 tbs. crumbled feta + 1 tbs. fresh parsley leaves + 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar + 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil.



Berry and Beetroot Smoothie Bowl: 1 cup frozen raspberries + 1 small frozen banana + 2 slices cooked beetroot + 3 tbs. almond milk. Blitz ingredients in a food processor until smooth and 'soft serve' like in consistency. Pour into a bowl and top with 1 tbs. shredded coconut + 1 tsp. chia seeds + 1 tbs. crushed & roasted almonds.