Monday 22 December 2014

Creamy Basil Chicken

Based on skillet basil cream chicken @ thecookierookie

FODMAP Warning: This recipe uses cream, cheese, and milk.

Adjusted measurements for us Australian viewers and simplified to use what I usually have on hand.

I tried oat bran instead of breadcrumbs because I had no breadcrumbs, and to also add in some extra protein. It actually worked quite well, when cooking, it smelled a bit like oats, but after the sauce drenches this dish, you'll not notice it.

INGREDIENTS
Forgot to take a picture of the food, so here's a fantastic
picture of fresh basil!
  • ¼ cup Milk
  • ½ cup oat bran (or bread crumbs)
  • 450g skinless chicken breast; halve each
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • ½ cup Chicken Stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream
  • 1 diced red capsicum
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup Basil; fresh, minced
  • ½ cup Parmesan; grated
  • 2 tablespoons feta (or other similar cheese)
  • some freshly ground Pepper (about ⅛ teaspoon)
  • Some veges, I used cooked up a cup of broccoli and a handful of spinach leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat skillet over medium high heat
  2. Place milk and bran/crumbs in separate shallow bowls
  3. Dip chicken in milk, and then coat with bran/crumbs
  4. Add chicken to skillet with ½ of the butter about 5 min
  5. Add remaining butter flip chicken and cook another 5 min until chicken is cooked.
  6. Remove and keep warm
  7. Add chicken stock to skillet bring to boil over medium heat
  8. Stir in cream, capsicum, and tomatoes; boil and stir for 1 min
  9. Reduce heat, add both cheeses, basil and pepper; cook and stir until heated through.
  10. Add your cooked veges into the sauce or plate them beside the chicken,
Serve chicken with sauce poured over.

Sunday 7 December 2014

Quick Egg Breakfast Muffins

Saw this one on Facebook, don't know the original source.


Pasted verbatim:

"These tasty breakfast egg muffins are a great alternative and can be made in advance! You decide what meat, cheese and vegetables you want to put it in making the combination possibilities endless. And since you make a bunch in advance you have ready to go breakfast options all week.

I love these. They are filling and so much healthier than your muffins, bagels, donuts, and whatever else you grab with your morning coffee."

Ingredients

  • Spring onion as required
  • Chopped tomatoes as required
  • Onion as required
  • Cheese as required
  • Green chillies
  • Fresh coriander


You can add chicken or other lean meats, spinach, ricotta cheese, bell peppers, and lots more as per your taste.
Eggs 6 beaten with 2 tbsp milk, black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven at 200C
  2. Grease your muffin tin
  3. Add vegetables of your choice along with cheese (if you choose) 
  4. Pour beaten egg mixture on it
  5. Place muffin pan on the center rack of a preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins are light brown, puffy, and the eggs are set.
  6. Let muffins cool for a few minutes before removing from the muffin pan or cups. 
  7. Loosen gently with knife if they seem to be sticking.
  8. Eat immediately or let cool completely and store in plastic bag in refrigerator or freezer.
The Egg Muffins can be reheated in the microwave


Sunday 30 November 2014

Chicken and rice muffins



From http://planningwithkids.com/2012/10/08/rice-patties/


Ingredients
3 cups cooked rice (I used brown)
1 cooked chicken breast (shredded)
1 carrot (grated)
3 spring onions sliced
1 1/3 cup grated cheese
3 eggs

Mix all ingredients together, leaving some cheese to sprinkle on top.

  1. Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.
  2. Slice chicken breast in half width ways, so it will cook through quicker.
  3. Heat oil in a medium frying pan and cook chicken breast until it begins to brown.
  4. Remove from pan and shred chicken using a fork and set aside.
  5. Grate carrot so you have at least 1 cup.
  6. Finely slice spring onions.
  7. Lightly beat the eggs.
  8. In a large bowl add cooked rice, chicken, carrot, spring onions, eggs and about ¾s of the cheese and mix well.
  9. Spray muffin trays with cooking spray and then spoon mixture into the trays. Top with remaining cheese.
  10. Place in the oven for 15 minutes until the tops turn golden brown.
  11. Let them sit in the trays for a few minutes before removing to rack to cool. Use a knife to work around the edges of the rice patties to make removing them easier. This recipe made 12 Chicken and Rice Patties.


Try adding zuchini too!

Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice

A combination of two recipes here and here makes a quick and easy meal!

Ingredients


Chicken

  • teaspoons curry powder
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 500 grams)
  • teaspoons five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rice

  • 1.5 cups water
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 1.25 cups Jasmine Fragrant (or White) Rice 

Let's cook!

Rice

  1. Place water and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  2. Add the rice, return to the boil
  3. Reduce heat to medium and stir well.
  4. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. (start on the chicken while you wait)
  5. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes.
  6. Drain and fluff with a fork.


Chicken

  1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, 
  2. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. 
  3. Add coconut milk and cook until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. 
  4. Toss together the chicken, five-spice powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. 
  5. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. 
  6. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry the chicken until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. 
  7. Stir in the coconut curry sauce. Serve over the rice.

Monday 24 November 2014

Hoisin Chicken with Coconut Rice Variation

Due to a series of unfortunate events, a recipe at Taste.com.au got modified/simplified/mangled into this delicious and very easy recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  A few handfuls of spinach

  • ... and you'll need a rice cooker.

Monday 18 August 2014

Beef Lasagna, No grains!


I saw this recipe in a book my Girlfriend's mother had and just had to try it.

It came out amazing.

Texture is slightly different, but it tastes just like normal lasagna!


My customisations and their reasons:
  • I switched out onion for spring onion (Low fodmap)
  • I switched out the tomato puree and plum tomatoes for a 400g tin of diced tomatoes, a small tub (140g) of tomato paste and some water (easier).
  • I used all dried herbs (easier)



I'll give credit to the book this recipe came from when I remember to get the name of it.

Crispy Skin Fish (Barramundi, Salmon)

Crispy Skinned Barramundi
Amazing Barramundi



Last night I cooked some Barramundi following Gordon Ramsay's instructions in the video below, and it was one of the best fish I'd ever had. Best fish I've ever cooked by far.

I paired it with some vegetables, added some rosemary, and it was a tasty and relatively easy Sunday night meal.


To create a perfectly crispy skinned fish, simply check out the Gordon Ramsay video posted below!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Bacon and pumpkin soup


I've not made this yet, but it seems simply enough.

Bacon and pumpkin soup with a dollop of cashew cream - huge family pleaser and NO dairy!
  • 1.5kg jap pumpkin
  • 4 rashers bacon
  • 6 thin slices of chilli pancetta or normal
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp black pepper ground
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 3 stems of flat leaf parsley 
  • 1/4 cup organic coconut cream
Soup:


  1. Boil pumpkin for 25 mins or until very tender. 
  2. While pumpkin is boiling cook off the bacon that has been cut into thin slices. 
  3. Then also cook off the pancetta until crispy and leave to cool on a side plate. 
  4. Once pumpkin is cooked remove half the water out of the pot. 
  5. Add in the coconut cream, parsley, ginger, salt, pepper and bacon.
  6. Then use a hand mixer to blend all the ingredients in the pot until smooth.
  7. Then place a dollop of cashew cream and broken up pancetta pieces in the soup once served.


Reproduced from Yum. Gluten Free Magazine as I couldn't find a way to pin it easily.



Thursday 13 February 2014

Mexican style Chicken - rice optional (Low FODMAP)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • chicken breasts (500-600grams)
  • Salsa (My salsa recipe is here)
  • grated cheddar cheese for topping
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic (leave out if needed)
  • 1 tsp chili powder (optional if using my salsa)
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 diced red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Cut chicken into thick strips.
  2. Combine salsa, oil, garlic, chili powder, basil, oregano, lime juice, peppers in a bowl.
  3. Place the chicken in the mixture, cover and marinate in the fridge 8 hours or overnight (I only had it in for 2 hours and it was good, not sure how much 8 hours would affect the flavours)
  4. Put chicken mixture in aluminum foil boats 
  5. Add some marinade and seal boat/pocket
  6. Cook for approximately 30 minutes at 175°C.
  7. Top with grated cheddar and serve.

Simplified Mexican Rice (LOW FODMAP)

Original at: Mexican Rice @ food.com

Total Time: 
55 mins
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 or 3 spring onions (lower half, without most of the green part)
  • 2 cups long grain white rice
  • 1/3 cup canola oil (I used half vegetable-half coconut oil, use garlic oil if no garlic can be used)
  • 4 minced garlic cloves (leave out if necessary)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh corriander (cilantro) minced, or a tbsp dried

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 175C.
  2. Process tomato and onion in a blender until smooth. 
  3. Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear - about 1.5 minutes. Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water. 
  4. Heat oil in Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. 
  5. Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready.
  6. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.
  7. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook while stirring, for 1.5 minutes.
  8. Stir in broth, pureed mixture, and salt.
  9. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
  10. Cover pan and transfer to oven to bake for 15 minutes.
  11. Stir well then cook for a further 15 minutes.
  12. Stir in coriander and serve.

Low FODMAP Salsa

Simplified FODMAP Free Salsa 

Original: FODMAP Free Salsa by Sue Daoulas @ fodmapliving.com
Prep time:  
Cook time:  
Total time:  
Serves: 8
 
Salsa without onion or garlic! Now FODMAP free dieters can enjoy chips and salsa with the easy to make recipe! Just in time for the football game!

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
  • 3 spring onions — green part only, diced
  • 1/8 cup dried parsley
  • 1/8 cup fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (400g)
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice (about half a small lime)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, mix together chili powder, parsley, salt & pepper.
  2. Chop cilantro and add to seasonings.
  3. Dice green onions, chives, red peppers and add to seasonings.
  4. Pour in diced tomatoes, including the liquid.
  5. Add the lime juice.
  6. Mix well.
  7. Refrigerate in an air tight container for at least 2 hours for the flavors to combine. The flavor will get stronger the longer it sits!
  8. Makes approximately 2 ½ cups salsa.

Saturday 8 February 2014

Low FODMAP pasta sauce

Mirrored fromThe Healthy Diva. That site is down and I don't know if it is coming back up so I grabbed it from The Wayback Machine

Prep Time: 15 mins            Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 6
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
  • 500g lean mince beef
  • 1 bunch chives, finely shopped
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 1 large zucchini, grated
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp marjoram
  • Pinch of thyme
  • Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
  • 500g jar tomato passata with basil (check label to make sure no onion or garlic)
  • 2 x 400g cans Italian tomatoes in juice (No added salt/sugar variety)
  • Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
  • Gluten free spaghetti/pasta to serve
Method
  1. Heat 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil in a pan over medium meat.  Add beef mince, and cook for several minutes until brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Heat remaining olive oil in pan and add chives, carrot, zucchini and celery.  Cook for 5 – 6 minutes until fragrant.  Add remaining spices and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add tomato passata, canned tomatoes, and beef pack into pan.  Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
  4. Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and let sauce cook on low for 30 minutes.
  5. Turn off heat and let sauce sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
  6. To serve: Reheat sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook gluten free pasta according to package directions, top with sauce and serve with a big green salad.