Dinner the other night was simple and, more importantly, delicious. I usually cook polenta with water or stock but this recipe uses milk and it makes it amazingly creamy. The sage adds the perfect flavour for this dish. The bacon keeps the chicken moist while it cooks. I served it with potatoes, zucchini and red and yellow peppers, roasted in garlic-infused olive oil for 20 minutes. For the last week, I have been a part of a group of amazing women promoting 30 healthy living e-books, including mine, and I have learned so much in that time from these bloggers. They are dedicated to living authentic healthy lives and eating real food and are all stars in their own right. However, living in New Zealand, I come from a different base point. These bloggers talk about grass-fed beef and organic vegetables from farmer's markets as something unusual, as the meta to reach. But here, these things are not at all unusual. All our cattle eat grass and it is simple to find organic vegetables … [Read more...] about Bacon-Wrapped Chicken and Creamy Polenta – gluten-free and low FODMAP
Blueberry Lemon Muffins – gluten-free & low FODMAP
Today's treat is blueberry and lemon muffins. I love making tarts and slices and will always do those but, each week, I also need to make some more solid baking for my calorie hungry husband. And for him the less sugar, the better. In fact, these muffins only have 1/2 cup of sugar, which suits my digestive system just fine. The other day on one of the Facebook pages I am a member of, I saw a woman talking about how bad she felt when the weather was gloomy but not when it was sunny. You might say that is normal, but this woman felt really down. Now, I understand her because when it is cloudy and gloomy, I also feel not great in a general way. I have low blood pressure, and this is affected by the atmospheric pressure which, of course, drops when the weather is bad. She had never thought about that, and for her, it was a eureka moment because she had low blood pressure too. I wonder how many of you are affected in this way? The other thing that is common for those of us with low blood … [Read more...] about Blueberry Lemon Muffins – gluten-free & low FODMAP
Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies – gluten-free & low FODMAP
I thought it was time to let you know about the transition I have made from what was basically Paleo eating to where I am now. I ate Paleo for about three months and felt certain positive changes but not nearly enough for it to be the ultimate answer as it has been for some people. The positive changes were due to the reduced intake of sugar and the elimination of wheat, rye and barley. But in general, I felt my health got worse. I felt very weary and whenever I exercised, my muscles seemed to be filled with lactic acid. I went to a health store and asked for some supplements but it never really went away. I started to get night cramps. But worse than both of those, my digestive issues deteriorated. In order to keep baking, I was using coconut flour as the starch and honey or pureed dates as sweeteners. One day, my stomach was so bad that I decided to eat nothing but fruit all day. By the evening I was still feeling bad so, while I cooked for my family, I ate only the kale chips I … [Read more...] about Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies – gluten-free & low FODMAP
Gluten-free and low FODMAP cheese biscuits
I'm succeeding well in the sweet treat creation department but a girl needs a little savoury baking every now and then with a glass of wine. And these cheese biscuits fit the bill perfectly. They are light and ever so tasty. Gluten-free and low FODMAP cheese biscuits Print Serves: 12 biscuits Ingredients 110gms/3.88oz my gluten-free flour 75gms/2.65oz butter 125gms/4.4oz grated cheese ¾ tsp salt ¾ tsp pepper 2-3 tbsp cold water (if necessary) Method Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Chop up the butter into small pieces. Place the butter, flour, seasoning and cheese into a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add a little water a bit at a time if necessary for it to form a dough. Roll into a 12cm/4.75" long sausage, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut the roll into 1cm/1/3" slices and place on the baking tray. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden. Place on wire rack to cool. … [Read more...] about Gluten-free and low FODMAP cheese biscuits
Lemon Marshmallow Slice – gluten-free & low FODMAP
My favourite baked morning tea or afternoon tea goods are tarts and slices. You may have already noticed that. My cookbook has plenty of them. But now I am eating gluten-free and low FODMAP, I have to recreate many of my favourite recipes. Lemon and marshmallow are high on my list of desirable elements and I combined both for this first low FODMAP slice. I was delighted with the result and my digestive system is feeling very happy about it too. I did manage to cut them all on a slope and I promise I had had nothing more spiked than a cup of green tea when I did it. So when you look at the photos, they are not crooked, the slices are. If you malabsorb lactose, use lactose-free cream. Lemon Marshmallow Slice Print Serves: 16 slices Ingredients For the base: 1 cup of my gluten-free flour blend 2 tsp cane sugar pinch of salt 80gms/2.75oz chilled butter 1 egg 2 tsp cider vinegar For the lemon layer: 400mls/13.5oz cream 3 tbsp cane sugar ⅓ cup lemon juice 2 … [Read more...] about Lemon Marshmallow Slice – gluten-free & low FODMAP
Chicken Pesto Gnocchi – gluten-free & low FODMAPS
My challenge last night was to make gluten-free gnocchi and I can say that it worked perfectly. I used my own gluten-free flour mix and then added in mashed potatoes and an egg. I seasoned it and that was all - very simple. It came together into a delightful dough which I could manipulate easily and roll into long ropes, which I cut up into the gnocchi. There is something so satisfying about kneading dough and this mixture absolutely allowed that to happen. I can't have garlic but I can have garlic-infused oil and that's what I used to make the pesto. I swear I couldn't tell the difference between my version and that made with crushed garlic. So that solves the problem of eliminating garlic from my diet. I threw some chicken in for the protein. I boiled it with celery, carrot, peppercorns and a bayleaf to keep it light and tender so it would absorb the pesto well. Fried or grilled chicken wouldn't do the same thing. I also now have the remaining liquid I can use as stock. Just a … [Read more...] about Chicken Pesto Gnocchi – gluten-free & low FODMAPS
