Meal Planning Monday w/c 22/08/16

Today is a special day. Its bread day! Now that might not seem very exciting, however when you have not eaten real bread in hmmm maybe 10 weeks actually eating a 'real' sliced is quite exciting!! Not some pappy, dense stuff that makes you really question how much you wanted to eat. Don't even start me on the 'freefrom' crumpets I had yesterday morning - they were a real big disappointment and I struggled to finish them! The reason why its bready day is that last week I met with my lovely Dietitian, who commented how well I had stuck to the FODMAP so strictly (not often as a patient I have been told I am good, I am usually the awkward one who can't tolerate half the meds they want to give me and never conform to how plans should work!) and so after going through the re-introduction and inside nervously thinking how on earth will I manage this I had a long hard chat with myself - I survived nearly 8 weeks of elimination and got this far, we can do this!

To manage the re-intro is a bit of a challenge in itself however meal planning is essential to keep my head straight as you have to have a small portion of one the ingredients on the naughty list, double the next day, and double again the third day! Whilst still eliminating everything else and regardless of the results and if I tolerate it, you have to then not have said ingredient until all completed. Hmm! In my head I think I will try every Monday to re-introduce something though to the Wednesday...

Unfortunately after several really good weeks my IBS flared on Saturday on the tail end of a funny reaction to some pain meds, so I held out till today to re-introduction start. I so hope I can eat real bread again long term!

So this weeks plan is:

Corned beef hash, carrots, kale 

(B's favourite and was requested!)

Basa parcels, courgette and pepper rice noodles 

(easy dinner as getting my hair done!)

Chicken and aubergine pilaff, bread and butter 

(A new recipe cut out from a magazine, have made similar dishes before so hopefully good! The bread addition is part of my FODMAP challenge!)

Mini turkey meat loaves, homemade tomato sauce, buckwheat mash 

(May wrap the meatloaves in bacon...)

Gammon steaks, fried eggs, crispy potatoes 

(Friday night easy dinner!)

An InLinkz Link-up

Meal Planning Monday W/C 15/08/16

Ooops I missed last week! I had a plan on paper, well my excel sheet but I knew the week was going to busy and subject to change so I never blogged it on purpose! The week flew by, Monday saw the arrival of my dad back from a long holiday and for once the M25 was kind to me and didn't take too long to get him back from the drop off point. However it still meant I was not going to be home anytime before 7pm so we ended up getting a Chinese takeaway! Fortunately one near to us actually are very good about food intolerances and allergies and were really helpful and I managed to navigate the menu and still enjoy my dinner! In the end I had chicken wings, chicken with cashew nuts and boiled rice. Not entirely FODMAP but about the closest I could get! 

The original plan that night was actually for slow cooked pork steaks - I thought I could get home from work, stick them on the back of the hob on low and then let them gently simmer away.. however that would of required prep the night before.. and we actually ended up spending most of the afternoon and late into the night in our local A&E as my boyfriend hurt his knee at cricket! Fortunately nothing is broken but he is rather uncomfortable whilst it heals up. Then on Friday night I managed to take a tumble at home when a stall I was using to put some boxes on top of the wardrobe gave way and I  have ended up a little bruised and scratched so we are a right pair!! 

We did eat a few new things last week - on one of the nights we had some leftover ham slices that needed using up and I made mini baked ham and egg cups - alongside roasted green beans and new potatoes. An easy dinner and was a popular dish!

Some other choices...well may have been made under the influence slightly.... I was next door at my friends... we have opened some wine my Dad bought back... then a bottle of bourbon got opened... then I admitted I'd bought some Pigeon breasts... and well after discussion whether we could get dinner quicker than the Chinese takeaway could arrive... we did indeed manage dinner in 20 minutes! I made stir fried pigeon with 5 spice, aubergine and peppers, really quite excellent basmati rice dressed with sesame oil and very randomly we also heated up some ragu I'd made in case there was not enough meat for the boys! The pigeon wasn't bad at all, quite gamey.

So this week is a little flexible - I am meeting with the dietitian tomorrow to discuss the re-introduction phase of FODMAP (I'm scared!) so I have made a loose meal plan!

Bacon wrapped cod fingers. Green beans and polenta chips 

(only just taken the cod out of the freezer oops! Saw it on tv looked good...)

Quorn 'Chicken' Spanish style with potatoes and tomatoes and chorizo 

(My dad found me gluten free chorizo yay!)

Ikea meatballs for b, me - Salmon fillet. New potatoes and

(two meals as meatballs been in the freezer forever!)

Slow cooked bbq pork steaks, buckwheat mash

(aka last weeks dinner!)

I have root canal booked. B can have ready made pork tortellini!

(goodbye money!)

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Meal plan #FODMAP

So after a few interesting weeks adjusting to the first stage of the #FODMAP diet, I'm having less meltdowns, eating more delicious things and actually getting used to it! On the positive side it really has highlighted already a few foods that I probably should long term not make eye contact with- there has been admittedly a few weak moments to find that out! Financially I seemed to of spent more - one would think cutting out half the things I usually buy would mean spending less but in the interest of not entirely losing my sanity I have been trying out things instead - the amaranth porridge was definitely interesting but the cheesy baked millet was delicious and we are total converts to buckwheat mash!

We managed to stay fairly on plan last week, though the calamari was moved to Friday night and the sausages I will use another night, probably the weekend instead. Thursday was a wash out - couldn't decide what to eat and by the time I decided the tenant downstairs went into the kitchen at the exact moment and started cooking instead, so I had a FODMAP flapjack and B had a sausage from the takeaway counter! Very glam!

Eating out still is frankly a nightmare and Saturday night proved even more fun - I accepted a last minute dinner invite to a popular pizza chain and managed to find a shard of glass in my dinner which cut my lip. Last time I order a gluten free pizza base! No idea where it came from but certainly an unwanted surprise!

Two highlights from last week are:

GF Breaded mustardy Pork steaks with cheesy baked millet:

(the lemon was ginormous! Not fully FODMAP as bought the wrong GF breadcrumbs!)

The majority of my sauces are made from scratch - and previously always had garlic or onion in - so adjusting so not having them has been a challenge but the below was really good! The flavour profile is so different but in a good way! Lots of fresh coriander pimped it up perfectly, combined with a little grated carrot to start and sweeten the sauce, finished with smoked paprika and gently simmered for about 2 hours until perfect!

Smoky Tomato and fresh coriander sauce - garlic, onion free and #FODMAP friendly- so tasty!

This weeks dishes are all adapted to suit the FODMAP plan. Breakfast is the usual overnight oat's pots, I usually make up 5 on a Sunday night as part of my meal prep to make things easier! Lunches are mostly involving a combination of salad veg and suitable leftovers - this week am super busy working cross-sites so it will be a very portable feast!

Italian Baked eggs 

(a real favourite, make this one regularly but today's will be bean free to adapt!)

Corned beef hash, carrots and dwarf beans 

(Fancy some comfort food!)

Cheesy bacon GF pasta bake 

(Lots of cheese to use up!)

Smoked cod & squid Paella 

(Not had paella in ages, bought a small smoked cod fillet reduced to this will stretch it out!)

Eating out potentially!

(A nightmare on FODMAP but have chosen a pricy steak place!)

Banana, Sultana and Choc Chip Muffins #FODMAP

Yesterday I was very lucky to spend it attending a full day workshop on Quality Improvement for healthcare, which working for the NHS as part of a project to improve patient safety it was super beneficial and very interesting. I am really lucky to work with a great bunch - and a great Trust which is committed to improving quality to benefit both us staff and patients. I knew the provided sandwich lunch would be a no go on FODMAP but I had planned ahead and took some leftover baked millet & veggies. However, the hardest part was in the afternoon when trays of amazing looking and smelling cakes appeared - there was glossy topped caramellos, fancy cupcakes and lots of other treats and not a single one was suitable! All I could think about was cake!!

So last night after dinner and still craving cake, I decided to try again with some FODMAP suitable baking, last weeks banana bread was not a huge hit but I decided to persevere with a the banana theme, mainly though as I had two very, very ripe ones to use up! After a rummage through my cookery books I dusted off a copy of 'the egg book'. Its not a book I've admittedly used very much but it does have a few good recipes inside... I chose the banana muffins recipe but tweaked it to be FODMAP friendly, also I increased the liquid to allow for the gluten free flour - which seems much thirstier, and changed the honey to maple syrup. I also had no ground almonds so subbed for ground rice too! Oh and I added some suitable dark chocolate chips and sultanas and left out the nutmeg!

The mixture looked quite sloppy and I easily filled 12 cases rather than the 10 stated! I didn't hold out much hope but was pleasantly surprised and it satisfied my cake longing! The resulting muffin was light and taste rather good even if they did stick super well to their paper cases! Oh and as ever I had great fun making a mess!

Make 12 muffins

225g gluten free plain flour (I used Dove's Farm)

3 tsp baking powder

25g ground rice

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

50g light soft brown sugar

2 large mashed bananas

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

150ml soya milk, unsweetened

3 tbsp maple syrup

50g sultanas

50g dark chocolate chips (check labels for suitability)

Pre-heat oven to 190o

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ground rice together.

Separately mix together the eggs, banana, oil, milk and maple syrup. fold into the dry mixture gently and stir through the chocolate chips and sultanas, spoon into prepared muffin cases.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and a skewer comes away cleanly

Monday Meal Plan..... with FODMAP

Ah my sweet meal plan...You and me had such fun together... Sunday nights with a glass of wine, poring over cookbooks longingly gazing at the photos of all the delights to dream of, rummaging in the freezer and cupboards for inspiration....flicking through the never ending pile of recipes torn from magazines currently halfway between being filed in a binder or in a the pink tray under the sofa patiently waiting.. and then FODMAP came along.. like some wicked witch of the west... that despite consenting entirely to try it out... and knowing why I was doing it... well I never figured meal planning would go from a necessity to a staple but at the same time enough to hate meal planning!!

The best piece of advice I've received over doing FODMAP is focus on what you can eat as honestly, the no list is seemingly endless and I can see why people would struggle to get past the first day, yet alone week! I am currently sort of 3 weeks in - most days I have scraped it, some not so much. I am not sure if fortunately or unfortunately I have quickly realised I may never eat pasta in its normal form again and I really regret stock piling and bulk buying pretty much every pasta variety!! In a weak, tired moment last week I cooked up some ready made tortellini.. yeah .. not again...!! I am still making mistakes and discovering new things -who knew buckwheat mash could be so good? The jury is however still out on Amaranth and Millet caused a lot of budgie comments in the office!!

So this week, ha - its already nearly 9pm and dinners eaten - weekend flew by and I only planned tonight after getting home late from work (which is fun but crazy busy right now!!)- majority has been adapted to suit FODMAP diet:

Minced steak with chilli and soya sauce, lettuce wraps, basmati rice

GF breaded mustard coated pork fillets, roasted tomatoes with courgettes & millet

Pulled pork filled peppers, cheesy baked polenta

Calamari either fried or in seafood pancake form GF

GF sausages, buckwheat mash & veggies

An InLinkz Link-up

Pulled Pork with FODMAP Ginger Barbecue Sauce

Since my last posting, about starting a FODMAP diet in order to try and figure out some of my ongoing digestive 'issues', it sent me into a bit of well, frankly a meltdown! I think trying to start anything that has such a big impact on everything, combined with a super busy time at work, plus being rather hormonal at the time, it was just heading for a disaster!! I did mention I was on the edge of a meltdown previously and I have never cried in a super market but it came very, very close the following day!! One thing I've learned, is do not go shopping when hungry and whilst doing FODMAP!! Nothing will be suitable and you will only be sad and disappointed!! Not to mention quite close to pretty much offending anyone you love! (Sorry B!)

So, towards the end of last week, in an attempt to get back on plan, afterall on the days I did follow it I REALLY noticed a difference digestively, planning was key in it all and with Father's Day fast approaching and the thought of navigating a restaurant menu bought me out in a cold sweat, I knuckled down and after poring over the FODMAP books, again I decided to do pulled pork.Meat after all is easy, the sauce is where it gets interesting... pretty much any ready made sauce, condiment or flavouring is very much on the no list, and so I decided to make a FODMAP friendly barbecue sauce...

Starting was the hardest part - how to do it without any garlic-honey or onions! Previously I have relied on my trusty 'Winter Barbecue sauce' but couldn't make it due to the aforementioned 'banned' items, along with also not being able to have dates or apple, that sauce was doomed. Also another no go was the sauce I make for my pasta! What to do?!! It was time to start a clean slate, wave goodbye to my beloved garlic and embrace a new food challenge... and its time to say hello...to... Mr Celery! He will be your new friend!! It substitutes very well for when you would normally be browning your onions etc! The spice Hing was also recommended by my dietitian as a sort of replacement to the flavour that onion gives - I am not entirely sure on quantities but thought would start with half a teaspoon and go from there!!

Fortunately all the hard work paid off and its actually a pretty low maintenance dish whilst still being delicious! The sauce was really tasty, with a sweet smoky depth and also fresh tasting and no one missed the onion or garlic, including my brother commenting it wasn't bloating compared to a regular version. This sauce is now definitely my base sauce!! I adore ginger and would eat it in copious quantities, though the overall finish of the dish is not very gingery at all, if it was just for me I would of added some extra ground ginger!

For the pork - it takes a long time to cook, so plan appropriately. I woke at 6am Sunday morning to put mine in the oven, I recommend a later time but it depends on your guests schedule...

Serves lots - maybe 8? Depends on greed of guests!

Ingredients

Approx 2 kg joint Pork shoulder

1 x 440ml can ginger beer (check label, mine was from Tesco)

1 tin good quality plum tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 stick celery, finely chopped

25g dark soft brown sugar

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 heaped tsp English mustard powder

1/2 tsp hing (also known as Asafoetida)

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

4 heaped tsp tomato puree concentrate (roughly 1/2 a small tin)

1/2 bunch fresh coriander, shredded

You will need a roasting bag OR lots of foil

Oven 150o (mine is still broken but medium!)

Place the pork joint in the roasting bag and tip in just under half the can of ginger beer (save the rest), seal and place in a baking tin. Or do equivalent making a tight foil bag around the pork. Place in the oven and roast for 6-7 hours or until cooked through and falling apart almost just by simply staring at it.

For the sauce -roughly 3 hours before the pork is going to be ready:

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan to medium/ hot heat, fry the celery for 4-5 minutes or until starting to brown, add the red wine vinegar and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in the bay, smoked paprika, hing, mustard,sugar and tomato puree and saute for about 3 minutes until well incorporated and its a lovely reddish brown colour, stir in the chopped tomatoes and most of the remaining ginger beer (I couldn't resist a sneaky sip!), cover and reduce the heat down low. Simmer for a good 2 1/2 hours, giving the odd stir.

When the sauce is done, stir through 2/3 of the chopped coriander, leaving the prettier leaves for garnish. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the pork from the oven, cut open the bag/ open the foil up and fold back the sides. Lift the pork onto a suitable chopping board (I have one with a drainage area purely for these dishes!) Drain off most of the liquid into a jug and use a little to enhance the barbecue sauce - maybe 1/2 a cup or so at the most.

Remove the rind from the pork - if you want crackling, scrape off most of the loose fat, and return to the oven on a thin baking tray until done to a desired crunch. (I am not a fan but my dad and brother are far more fond of crackling)

Using forks (and maybe a large knife to hack into chunks first), shred the pork into a deep sided baking dish.

Pour over the prepared sauce and return to the oven for about 25 minutes to warm through.

Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and feast! We had ours with a mountain of fodmap suitable roasted veggies and roasted new potatoes

NB:
Do not attempt FODMAP diet without consulting a registered dietitian.
OR when in crazy busy month.
I am also very new to this whole diet thing so tailor to your own individual needs and follow advice given by your dietitian!
*Celery is not to be eaten in large quantities on FODMAP but I used a small amount, spread across a large amount of sauce

Hello, FODMAP...

Last week Anne's Kitchen entered new food territory... albeit I think I am currently in the 'terror' part! Following roughly 16, maybe 17 years of IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome), all the joy that it brought which on a food blog frankly I don't want to divulge too much but has resulted in surgery, more than once rectifying issues, then throw in some GORD (Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) and managing to then add a little Fibromyalgia in to the mix; they have taken away a lot of the joy that food and drink can bring. Blogging has become really difficult too, so many recipes I love I can no longer have and I've developed sensitivity to several foods, weirdly Kiwi fruit is completely on the no-no list despite a lifetime of eating them! However, I am a determined woman and wont let it get the better of me!!

This meal was almost all on the naughty list apart from the steak, I bought a pack reduced which had a sachet of marinade so I thought I would just leave that off mine but the steak turned out to be already rubbed with something - labelling is so much fun! The buckwheat mash was a new one on both of us and made for me a welcome change to potato with everything!!

Buckwheat 'mash' with steak, roasted peppers and tomatoes

Towards the end of last year all the gastro symptoms came to a head and I lost weight as well as being generally fatigued and totally off my food, fast forward a few months, various gastro tests that didn't show much other than grade B oesophagitis I met with a lovely Dietitian last week and am now going to try the FODMAP diet, with the view to sorting out a lot of my issues. If you want to find out more about it, the Kings College website is a good start. The diet originated in Australia and now seems to be gaining momentum worldwide. FODMAP stands for Fermentable, Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols- and basically means that short chain carbs do not get digested very well and have their own little party without your permission.

As I had already meal planned last week, I stayed fairly on plan but was able to adjust a few dishes easily. At the moment, 5 days in I am up to about 80% on plan and running halfway between determination and getting a little too emotional whilst shopping. Next week when I go all in is going either make me or break me. This evening in particular almost resulted in a meltdown after getting home and realised the gluten free breadcrumbs had gram flour in. In the end I used them but will now be resigned to when I am back in the re-introducing phase, I'll follow the diet for 4 weeks, then re-introduce and see what happens!

This was a meal I managed to easilly adapt - I did baked haddock fillets, B's had a pistachio herb crumb, mine had polenta sprinkled over with chives - wasn't bad but I do like my crumb a bit more crispy!

Baked fish with roasted potatoes and kale with capers

The actual list of what I can and can't have is daunting. Roughly my diet will be gluten free, wheat free, lactose free and a reduction in dairy. The dairy bit is easy, I already use either almond or soya milk the majority of the time, apart from my endless cups of tea, though hopefully I will adjust to the different flavour. Also, no leeks, beans, pulses, onions  or garlic too. A little awkward when you mostly eat a plant based diet. Out of everything I think no garlic may break my spirit. I love garlic and the thought of a month is gonna be tough! A lot of the fruit I like is also on what I am referring to as the naughty list. However, I must keep strong, remember why I am doing this and focus on what I can eat!!

Over the next month I will try and keep you updated with the high's and potential low's and hopefully if you have issues, it will help you too! Hopefully there will be some tasty recipes too! Please also let me know if you have tried the FODMAP diet and how you got on with it? I am always super grateful for any feedback!!