Smooth on the stomach

The Fodmap Friendly Kitchen, by Emma Hatcher, Hachette NZ, $39.99
The Fodmap Friendly Kitchen, by Emma Hatcher, Hachette NZ, $39.99
Frustrated at the lack of recipes available for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, Emma Hatcher decided to do something about it.

More and more people are having trouble with their gut and discovering food intolerances are to blame.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is becoming more common, affecting one in seven people on a daily basis, according to the Australian Fodmap Friendly programme.

A diet low in Fodmaps - fermentable (quickly broken down), oligosaccharides (fructans like wheat or onion), disaccharides (lactose like milk), monosaccharides (fructose like apples, honey) and polyols (sugar alcohols like mushrooms or apricots) - has been shown to improve people's symptoms.

Emma Hatcher became popular for her blog ''She Can't Eat What?!'' in which she shared her experiences with IBS.

When her dietitian introduced her to a low Fodmap diet, she found her symptoms improved dramatically.

The only issue, she said, was finding easy, nourishing recipes for low Fodmap food.

So she started experimenting in the kitchen and posting the results in her blog which, in turn, led to her first cookbook, which is backed by the Fodmap Friendly programme.

In her book, The Fodmap Friendly Kitchen, she includes advice and information on Fodmaps, Fodmap-friendly ingredients and how to cook them, as well as recipes including desserts, treats, breakfasts and lunches that she hopes people with IBS or sensitive stomachs can use.

''Because if you do have food intolerances, allergies or a delicate gut, you shouldn't have to feel restricted in what you eat.''

 

Photos: Supplied.
Photos: Supplied.
Buckwheat risotto with macadamia cream

Mushroom risotto used to be one of my favourites and the aubergines here are a great substitute that provide a very similar texture. Warming and satisfying, this is real ''bowel'' food.

The buckwheat groats cook in a third of the time of a standard rice risotto, so that you can get more time away from the stove. Plus, its creaminess comes from the macadamia nuts, instead of the butter, offering a different texture and a lovely richness.

Ingredients
1 large aubergine, chopped into small chunks
2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
255g buckwheat groats
80ml dry white wine
470ml vegetable stock or hot water
150g spring greens
juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

For the macadamia cream
40g macadamia nuts, soaked for 5 hours or overnight
35g sunflower seeds
160ml water
½ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method
To make the macadamia cream, add all ingredients apart from the water into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.

While the processor is still running, pour in the water bit by bit, until you reach a thick, cream-like consistency. Leave to one side while preparing the rest of the dish.

To make the risotto, heat the garlic-infused oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and saute for about 10 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add the buckwheat groats to the pan. Toss and let cook, ''toasting'' the buckwheat, for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the wine, stir and let cook until completely absorbed. Ladle in the vegetable stock, a little bit at a time, keeping the mixture at a low simmer.

Each time the liquid is absorbed by the buckwheat, add a bit more, until you've used up all the stock and it has been absorbed fully by the buckwheat. Have a quick taste. The buckwheat should be tender at this point, but not mushy.

Add in the spring greens and lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir the macadamia cream.

Divide into bowls and serve topped with parsley, lemon zest, and a little Parmesan, if you like.

 

Lemon and mint loaf

Light, fresh and zingy, the mint lifts this lemon loaf to give another level of flavour. The buckwheat flour addition reduces the amount of almonds, making it lower in Fodmaps, and I've used olive oil instead of the usual butter too. Drizzle over the sticky syrup when the cake is still warm to let it really soak in.

Ingredients
3 eggs
160g brown sugar
80ml olive oil, plus a little for greasing
juice and zest of 2 lemons
190g polenta
45g ground almonds
30g buckwheat flour
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
leaves from 3 sprigs of mint, finely chopped

For the syrup
50g brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
35ml water

Method
Preheat the oven to 150degC and line and grease a 900g loaf tin (about 23cm x 13cm x 7cm) with a little olive oil.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and pour in the sugar. Beat together until light and creamy (keep going for about 4 minutes or so). Continue to whisk and slowly pour in the olive oil until all of the oil is combined. Whisk in the lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, stir together the polenta, ground almonds, buckwheat flour, baking powder and salt. Sieve this mixture over the eggs and sugar in stages, alternating with the lemon juice and folding until just combined.

Coat the mint leaves in a little buckwheat flour (this stops them from rising to the top as much) and add them to the bowl, gently folding once more until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin (the batter should come roughly half way up the side of the tin) and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

To make the syrup, place the sugar in a small saucepan along with the lemon juice and water. Heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat, boil for 4 minutes until slightly reduced and syrupy, then remove from the heat.

Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool briefly in the tin. While it is still warm, turn it out of the tin, peel off the lining paper and put the loaf on a wire rack set over a baking tray or similar.

Use a skewer, or a cocktail stick, to poke holes all over the surface of the warm cake. Pour the lemon syrup over the cake, letting it sink in.

Decorate with lemon slices, lemon zest and mint leaves.

-Recipes extracted from The Fodmap Friendly Kitchen, by Emma Hatcher, Hachette NZ, $39.99

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