The Tempting Tempeh

I recently had a friend who is a new vegetarian tell me that she loves begin vegetarian because it has opened up so many new options for her. That statement made me smile because being a vegetarian is fun; it forces you to get creative in the kitchen.

One of my vegetarian staples is tofu. I usually make it at least twice per month, but every time I pick up a block of tofu at the supermarket, I see tempeh staring at me. It's kind of like it's secretly judging me for never cooking it before. It's like it's saying, "What kind of dietitian are you?". So finally, one day, I gave in. I picked up that tempeh and yelled, "I OWN YOU NOW, TEMPEH". Okay, well, I didn't really yell that, but I definitely thought it in my head. So then I needed to figure out what the heck to do with it. 

Read more

Gluten Free + Low FODMAP Banana Bread

This past Sunday I went to the grocery store earlier than usual. Typically, I roll out of bed whenever I wake up, get a workout in, and head to church. Sometime in the following 3-4 hours I head to the grocery store. This past Sunday was different and I was able to get to the store early in the morning. For most, this doesn't mean a thing; but for me, this means that the discounted $0.99 bananas were still available! Yes, the jumbo bag of brownish bananas that are sold for only $0.99. I was so excited that I picked them up without a plan of what to do with all these bananas. Hence, this post. 

Trying to find a healthy banana bread is a challenge. Trying to find a healthy banana bread on the low FODMAP diet is darn near impossible. I have a favorite banana bread recipe from Betty Crocker that I have been making for years but it is neither low FODMAP nor gluten free. So, I scoured the internet for recipes that looked semi-healthy and I started playing around with them to make them healthful and low FODMAP. The Bob's Red Mill website gave me the inspiration for this recipe.

This recipe uses Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour and a gluten free oat flour. The oat flour I used was just gluten free oats put into my NutriBullet and blasted until it became a flour. This recipe also does not use eggs! This is a big deal for all of your out there that have an egg allergy. Can I get an AMEN?

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup oat flour (take 1 ¼ cup rolled oats and pulse them in a blender)
  • 1 cup Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil**
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (FODMAPers, use Enjoy Life brand)
  • 3 very ripe bananas

 INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F
  2. In a large mixing bowl stir together oat flour and gluten free baking flour
  3. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to mixing bowl and mix together
  4. In another bowl, use a potato masher to mash the peeled bananas
  5. Add mashed bananas, chocolate chips and melted coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix gently
  6. Spoon mixture into a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan**
  7. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is lightly
  • *Non-FODMAPers, you can substitute applesauce for the coconut oil
  • *These can also be made into muffins
  • *You can also toss in some walnuts if that's your thing

Enjoy with a warm cup of coffee or tea for max deliciousness. 

Dreaming of the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean has been on my mind lately. It might be because my husband and I frequent Aladdin’s Eatery or because we just booked a cruise to the Greek Islands. So, when I was asked to bring something to a get-together at a friend’s house, I knew I wanted to create a Mediterranean recipe. Cue the Mediterranean peppers I made. The funny part of this recipe is that I strongly dislike peppers. I have tried them time and time again and just do not like the flavor—no, it doesn’t matter which color they are. I still don’t like them. So, this recipe was only tested by my husband and friends; and I am happy to report it passed with flying colors.

Read more

Miso Soup

To say that I have become more adventurous in the kitchen is an understatement. Recently, I have learned to make my own sushi, I have frequented the Asian aisle in the grocery store, I have played around with different flours to create delicious bread, and I have developed a small obsession with fermented foods. Getting back to the point of this post…I want to talk about the fermented food called miso! Miso is a paste that is made from fermented soybeans and barley or a rice malt. It is most popular in Asian cooking. The reason I love miso so much is because it’s an excellent probiotic (you known—that good bacteria!). 

Read more

Ginger Salmon Burgers

I am a lacto-ovo-pescatarian, but I tell most people I am vegetarian, because, well, it's a lot easier. Being a lacto-ovo-pescatarian means I eat/drink milk, eggs, and fish products. With that being said, I don't make hamburgers in my house. They just don't exist because I do not eat them nor do I enjoy cooking them. My poor carnivore husband suffers (insert incredible sarcasm because I still make him deliciously healthy food). Although I may not make burgers with beef or turkey, I love making burgers from salmon. I have an all-time favorite wasabi salmon burger recipe that I will share in the future, but for now, I am sharing this ginger salmon burger recipe. The spiciness of the ginger mixed with the creaminess of the salmon goes together like peas & carrots. 

Read more