deliciously weird trail mix

 

If you like the heat of wasabi, this trail mix is amazing. Be sure to read the ingredients in each item. Check to make sure the wasabi peas don't have wheat. Mine are made with corn starch. Also check your roasted, salted sunflower seeds because some brands add seasonings like onion and garlic powder. Keep it simple, just salt! And for IBS, go easy on the amount of dried pineapple you include since too much dried fruit can be a trigger even though pineapple is a fodmaps friendly fruit. That said, for a little snack, this one packs a punch! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/8 cup or more of roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1/8 cup or less of wasabi flavored dried peas

1/16 cup of dried pineapple

pork chop with almonds, rice, and carrots

ingredients:
pork chop(s)
olive oil
salt
oregano & basil
rice
bagged baby carrots
slivered raw almonds
cayenne pepper

what to do:
pour small spoonful of olive oil into baking dish
add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp basil & oregano
place one or more raw pork chops in oil and flip until coated
cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center of a chop is not pink
boil rice per instructions & set aside
boil baby carrots in water for 10 minutes or until soft
add to plate the slivered almonds & dusting of cayenne pepper to taste

notes:
you can also lightly brown the almonds on a low stove setting in a drop of olive oil

make your own frozen veggies

This idea came up when I wanted frozen red bell pepper and the grocery only had green pepper, red pepper, and onion mixed together -- two of the three aren't low fodmaps. I tried cooking with the combo anyway, and well, the results were painful.

You can find a few low fodmaps frozen veggies already packaged at the grocery: carrot coins, peas, green beans, spinach. But for more variety, buy low fodmaps veggies fresh and then take a moment to cut them up and put them in freezer storage bags.

My favorites are frozen zucchini, frozen red or orange bell pepper, and frozen bok choy. These are great in soups, Chinese, Italian and Mexican (not the bok choy but the others) and on pizza (the bell pepper is anyway). It's easy to do and also helps me not to waste fresh produce, which I very often forget about when it's way down in the crisper!

cheddar beef sandwich with fries and soda

this is my solution to my fast food craving!

ingredients:
1-2 slices of Rudi's original gluten-free sandwich bread
1 slice Boar's Head vermont cheddar cheese
2-4 slices of deli roast beef
1 serving frozen french fries (check ingredients for gluten)
Simply Heinz ketchup (has no corn syrup)
1 can 8.45 ounce Perrier water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice concentrate

what to do:
cook french fries according to package instructions
the bread can be toasted first or un-toasted depending on your preference
lay one slice of the cheese on one slice of bread
lay the beef folded on top of the cheese
top with the other slice of bread or leave the sandwich open-faced
microwave 30-60 seconds so cheese melts and beef browns
eat sandwich and fries with ketchup of course
for a sprite/7-up style beverage stir sugar and lemon juice into Perrier

notes:
you can find Rudi's bread typically in the freezer section of Kroger and they carry the Boar's Head vermont cheddar cheese which is lactose free at their deli

quiche and salsa

ingredients:
3 Rudi's gluten-free plain tortillas
a little olive oil
1/2 cup Lactaid milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced zucchini
two 1" cubes of Boar's Head Vermont cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp each of salt, cumin, and cayenne

what to do:
sautee the red bell pepper and zucchini in about a tsp olive oil until tender-crisp
set veggies aside or in refrigerator to cool (because you don't want them to cook the egg)
use a small amount of olive oil to oil the bottom of an 8" or 9" round baking pan
press 3 tortillas into baking pan, overlapping, so that they form a crust with an edge
crack 4 eggs into a bowl and add the milk, salt, cumin, and cayenne, beating well
shred the 2 cubes of cheese into the egg mixture and mix well
add the cooled, sauteed vegetables into the egg mixture and mix
gently pour the egg mixture into the crust, preferably not spilling over the tortillas' edges
bake the quiche on 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until a knife poked in center comes out clean

makes:
4 amazing servings

notes:
we still can't get over how very good this is!
top it with my fodmaps friendly sweet salsa: 1/2 cup drained, canned petite diced tomato mixed with small chunks of canned pineapple and a 1/4 tsp white vinegar with a dash of salt and cayenne

breadsticks & nacho cheese sauce

ingredients:
1 Kinnikinnick gluten free pizza crust
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp Kroger grated parmesan cheese sprinkles
3 1" cubes of Boar's Head Vermont orange cheddar cheese
1 tbsp Newman's Own pineapple salsa

what to do:
spread olive oil over the top of the pizza crust evenly
spread the parmesan over that evenly
bake according to package instructions
microwave cheese cubes for 30 seconds or until melted in small microwaveable cup
stir salsa into cheese and microwave for 15 more seconds if needed
cut cooked crust into four long strips and dip into sauce

notes:
hard cheese like Board's Head Vermont cheddar are lactose free
nacho cheese may not be smooth as it starts to cool so warm it up again if needed
these breadsticks are also good dipped in my fodmaps friendly pizza sauce