Chilli Chicken and Parma Ham Pasta

Quick and light. Perfect for just after work.

Serves 2

150g Gluten Free Pasta

1 chicken breast, poached, diced*

4 slices parma ham

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely diced

Handful rocket lettuce

2 Tbsp garlic oil

½ lemon, juiced

Parmesan, to serve

Cook pasta as per packet instructions, refresh under cold water. Heat a frypan over medium heat. Add parma ham and cook until crispy. Remove from heat.

Add spring onions, cherry tomatoes and chilli to pan. Fry for a couple of minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add chicken and rocket lettuce and cook for about 1 minute, or until rocket has wilted and chicken has heated through.

Add pasta, garlic oil and lemon juice to the pan and combine. Season to taste.

Serve in bowls topped with parma ham and parmesan.

* If you don’t have time to poach, dice chicken and fry in a little oil after cooking parma ham.

Trout, Dill and Goats Cheese Risotto

The plan here is to make a fish stock to use for the risotto. This avoids any unfriendly ingredients in the packet stuff. If you're short on time, find a FODMAP-friendly fish stock and then bake the trout in the oven at the same time as cooking the rice.

Also, leek tips are apparently fine for FODMAPs – just avoid the white parts*

Serves 2

2 trout fillets, skin on and deboned

2 Tbsp garlic infused oil

4 spring onions, green parts only

4 bay leaves

1 cup Aborio rice, washed and dried**

1 leek, green tip only, finely sliced*

1/3 cup dry white wine

Handful of baby spinach, washed

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 tsp lemon rind

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp shaved parmesan

80g goats cheese or fetta, torn

Fresh dill sprigs and lemon wedges, to serve

Preheat an oven to 165C. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the trout on the foil and drizzle garlic oil all over, then sprinkle a little salt. Cover tray with foil and seal to minimise steam loss. Bake in the oven for 8-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Once cooked, carefully unwrap the fish and remove from the baking tray. If there are any juices in the pan, pour these into a small bowl and keep for later. Remove the skin from the trout and flake flesh into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Place trout skin, spring onions and bay leaves in a pot and cover with 750ml water. Cover pot and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes.

Heat a frypan over medium heat with a little oil. Add leek tips and cook until softened. Add rice and cook, stirring, until glassy.  Reduce heat to low. Add white wine and stir until the liquid has almost been absorbed.  Add ¼ cup stock liquid at a time to the rice and cook, always stirring, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Cook like this for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender but firm to the bite. You should use about 2½ cups liquid in total. If you run out, switch to hot water.

Once rice is cooked, add the juices from the trout, dill, lemon rind, lemon juice and parmesan. Adjust the flavours as desired and season to taste. Then, add the spinach and cook, stirring until wilted. Fold through trout and goats cheese.

Serve in bowls with lemon wedges and topped with extra dill.

* Monash University studies show that the green tips are low in FODMAPs. I found making this recipe that I may have cut a bit much into the whiter parts of the leek and that triggered some symptoms for me. If you can’t find super green leeks or don’t want to risk it, simply omit and substitute with your favourite onion-alternative (such as spring onion tips)

** Wash the rice right at the start and set it aside to dry while you prep everything else.

Steak with Zucchini Fritters and Salad

A delicious summer meal and a great way to fancy up steak and salad.

Serves 2

2 steaks of choice, seasoned

1 zucchini

1 white potato, peeled

2 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced

1 egg, beaten

4 Tbsp cornflour

70g fetta

Salad leaves

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

10cm cucumber, finely diced

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

Squeeze of lemon

Grate the zucchini and potato. Using a fine mesh sieve, squeeze as much liquid out of the vegetables as possible. Let it sit for a few minutes, then repeat*. Combine the zucchini, potato, spring onions, fetta, egg and flour in a bowl.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan. Drop large spoonfuls of mixture into the pan, then carefully shape using a spatula, then press down on top of the fritter. Let fry for a few minutes, or until golden around the edges and crispy on the bottom. Carefully flip and fry the other side. Cook in batches and keep warm in the oven. Should make about 6 in total.

Combine salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and sunflower seeds in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon and a little salt and pepper. Toss salad with dressing.

Grill steaks a couple of minutes each side, or as per your liking.

Serve steaks, fritters and salad on plates.

* If you don’t get the water out of the vegetables, you’ll likely end up with a watery mess, then overcook the fritters and burn them. Like I did.

Lemon Chicken Risotto

A recipe that can’t be made in a hurry; slow cook that chook and give the risotto some long-term love for best results. Best of all, you don't have to rely on finding onion-free, gluten-free stock!

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, skin off

4 bay leaves

6 spring onions, green parts only

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp garlic oil

1 cup Arborio rice, washed and dried*

1/3 cup white wine

Handful of rocket lettuce

1 lemon, zested and ½ juiced

1/3 cup parmesan, finely grated

Put 4 cups water, bay leaves, 2 spring onions and salt in a pot, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, gently drop chicken breasts in, then cover and let sit for 45 minutes.

After this time, check if they are cooked and if not, return to the stock for another 5-10 minutes. Heat the stock to a simmer over the stove if necessary. Once cooked, remove chicken from water and set aside.  Once cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces. Keep the stock at a low heat for the risotto.

Chop the remaining spring onions into fine slices. Heat garlic oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced spring onions and rice and cook for 2 minutes, or until rice grains appear slightly glassy.  Reduce heat to low. Add white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until almost absorbed. Add ¼ cup poaching liquid at a time to the rice and cook, always stirring, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.  Cook like this for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender but firm to the bite. You should use about 2½ cups poaching liquid in total. If you run out, switch to hot water.

Add chicken, half the lemon rind, lemon juice, rocket and parmesan to the rice and stir to combine. Once the rocket has wilted and chicken is warmed through, remove from heat and serve into bowls. Season to taste.

Top with more shaved parmesan, a few rocket leaves and lemon rind.

* Wash the rice just after you’ve put the chicken on to cook, then set aside to dry before cooking.

Chilli Prawn Pasta

Serves 2

150g gluten free spaghetti pasta

4 slices salami, sliced into strips

3 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced

1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely diced

2 Tbsp garlic infused oil

200g cooked prawns

Brine juices from prawns

1 can diced tomatoes

10 basil leaves, roughly chopped

½ lemon, juiced

Shaved parmesan and chopped parsley, to serve

Heat a pot over a medium heat with garlic oil. Add salami, spring onions and chilli and fry until oils have released from the salami. Add can diced tomatoes, basil and a little brine from the cooked prawns and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened. Add lemon and prawns and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until prawns have warmed.

Cook pasta as per packet directions. Drain and refresh under a cold tap. Add pasta to sauce mix and stir through. Serve in bowls topped with parmesan and parsley.