So now that uni is over, I’ve finally got the chance to sink my teeth into a bit more baking! As it’s currently that weird time where it’s too cold for a bbq and too hot for a roast or bangers and mash, I thought I’d give making a quiche a go.

Now back in school I remember making these all the time. My teacher would ask us to experiment with flavours and not stick to a boring cheese quiche, however I think there’s something pretty spectacular about the humble quiche Lorraine.

First things first, I had to google why a quiche Lorraine is called a quiche Lorraine. Because honestly that’s baffled me for years. Now I thought it might be named after it’s inventor and have an amazing backstory. ‘Lorraine was born in Yorkshire and she loved pastry’ or something along those lines but quite frankly the real explanation is rather dull.

The quiche Lorraine is named after the ‘Lorraine’ region of France, where they put a pastry case with bacon, eggs and cream’

You see, very boring. I personally might stick to the fact a woman somewhere in the north of England made it by accident when she had too much pastry one day. It sounds far more fun. Did you have any ideas about where the Lorraine name came from before reading this? I want to know if there are anymore crazy ideas!!

Back to my delightful quiche Lorraine for now though. In homage to my great home economics teacher at school, I did use pancetta instead of bacon. I did this purely for convenience though as the packet came pre diced and it meant I have cubes of bacon in the quiche as opposed to thin slices.

For the pastry I used the genius shortcrust pastry which I know I use a lot but it really is the best one on the market in my opinion and I still can’t make my own!! You’ll need to blind bake your pastry so make sure you have baking beans or some rice on hand!

The cheese, is pretty basic for this. A block of Arla lactose free cheddar, because it’s one of the few cheeses I tolerate! If you’re feeling more adventurous though, try a feta, a mozzarella or even a brie. Of course, switch up the other ingredients too, feta and bacon doesn’t sound like a great combo. Sundried tomato and mozzarella however sounds like perfection. If it’s near enough to Christmas bacon and brie might be nice or if you’re feeling Italian, maybe spinach and ricotta. Spice it up, do what you like, just make sure you don’t over do it!

Both the milk and the cream I used were also lactose free. I’ve not played around with milk alternatives too much so I’m not entirely sure how they would bake, but maybe have a play if you’re dairy free and let me know if you have any success!

Now my top tip for quiche making, is layering. I know that sounds odd, but regardless of your toppings layer them instead of just throwing them in. By doing this you’ll have an even dispersion of ingredients and not just a blob of bacon at the bottom! I always start with the bacon, then cheese, then bacon, then cheese and so on!

It’s a relatively simple recipe, so I hope you all manage to have a go! Remember to let me know you’re first thoughts on the quiche Lorraine name! I look forwards to hearing them!! As always the recipe card is just below!

Happy baking,

@myibsandme x

I’m sure my fellow Britons would agree that the weather here in the UK has been slightly bipolar over the last few weeks. This always leave me in a dilemma with dinners for the week! How can I plan what to have if one day it could be 24 degrees and the next it could be 12! My answer to the drastic weather change is a lovely wholesome pie, which will fill you up on a cold night but isn’t to overbearing in the heat of spring. You can pair it with whatever sides you want! I went for chips and broccoli as it was sort of normal spring temperatures but you could have it with mash and peas in the winter or with a simple salad in the summer. It’s deliciously flavoursome but isn’t too heavy so really you can eat it all year round.

Now when I made this, I was reintroducing mushrooms. So normally no, they aren’t fodmap and I would advise anyone in the elimination phase to not use them in this recipe (simply add more carrot or use oyster mushrooms which are low Fodmap). If you’re trying to reintroduce like me, (god helps us all) you might want to do a combination of low fodmap mushrooms (oyster, dried porcini or dried shiitake) alongside some which contain higher levels of polyols, or feel free to go the whole way and test them out. There’s 300g of mushroom and 4 servings so you eat about 75g of mushroom in each serving. I use chestnut mushrooms because I prefer the flavour and actually I found that they caused me fewer IBS related problems than a classic button or portabello mushroom. Have a play around and do what suits you.

Moving away from the mushroom debate and onto pastry. I use the genius shortcrust pastry which I leave to thaw during the day ready for baking at night. Now genius isn’t the only pastry on the market, but I find the Jus Rol gluten free pastry to leak oil and no body wants an oily pie [this isn’t an add for genius, just a mere opinion]. If you’re brave of skilled enough to make your own gluten and dairy free pastry then you could also do this (if anyone has good pastry recipes let me know as I haven’t mastered it AT ALL, yet!). I only put the pastry on the top, all be it that I got some backlash from my brother for this. Apparently it’s not a pie if it only has a pastry top. In my defence, it’s still a pie it’s just not the Pukka pie he’s used to! If you’re like my brother and want a pastry bottom and sides, then you’ll need 2 blocks of pastry as opposed to one. You’ll also need to blind bake the bottom and sides for around 15 minutes with baking beans or rice so that you don’t get any soggy bottoms.

So without further ado, here is my beloved chicken and mushroom pie recipe! Feel free to adapt it (I use the same recipe with different meat and veg in all the time…lamb and carrot, steak and kidney to name a few). As always, let me know how your pie turns out! Happy baking!

@myibsandme x

Whenever I find myself in the freefrom isle in the supermarket I almost always reach for the little packs of 4 Bakewell tarts. The shop bought ones aren’t strictly low fodmap because of the jam so I thought I’d have a go at making my own.

Now the jam was the hardest problem to solve due to the high amounts of fructants found in jam! However there were a few options. I chose the Sainsbury’s taste the difference black cherry conserve that cost me £1.50! It was the cheapest option and it worked a treat. It’s not completely low fodmap, but according to my app we should be able to tolerate it in small amounts. So it limits you to 21g per serving and all 12 of these bakewells contain 90g so that’s less than 10g a serving meaning your well within the limit!

So next we tackle the pastry! Feel free to make your own or simply pop to the shops and get your hands on the Genius shortcrust block! It’s found in the freezer so make sure you’re in the right section of the supermarket before you begin panicking that it’s not there! I use the Genius block because I know it works and it tastes great but if you prefer a different brand then go for it!

The frangipani sponge was so much easier to make than I thought. I used almond flour that I got in Holland and Barrett but you can also use ground almonds that are available in most supermarkets. Don’t skip the tbsp Of gluten free flour! You do need it surprisingly to achieve a light and well combined sponge.

By far the trickiest part of this recipe is the feathered icing. If you know you tolerate glacé cherries feel free to pop them on top instead. If you’re like me and need an alternative feathered icing works a treat. You basically put your white icing on first, then pipe lines of pink icing about 1cm apart. Use a skewer and gently score the top of the icing, going horizontally across the pink icing which lies vertically. Simple but effective!

Quick note on the blind baking! I use baking beans but rice works just the same. Just make sure you put a layer of grease proof paper or tin foil in between the beans/rice and the pastry otherwise it’ll all mix together!

I hope you guys enjoy making this as much as I did! Let me know how it goes! As always the recipe card is below!

Happy baking

My IBS and Me x

One of the hardest meals to recreate using only low fodmap ingredients is a bolognaise. It’s also one of the most common dishes in my household and many others across the UK as it appears we’re all pretty fond of this Italian classic.

So why is it so difficult to make a tasty bolognaise without fodmaps? Well the answer really lies in the classic recipes from Italy which are called ragu bolognaise. Like most Italian sauces a Ragù bolognaise is made using a soffritto; a blend of finely diced onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Now, I’m sure you’ll easily be able to identify why a sauce using a soffritto would cause us low fodmappers problems! The onion and garlic are big no-no’s and we should only eat celery in moderation. Therefore our low fodmap soffrittos use only carrot and half the normal amount of celery! That means we’re taking out nearly 3/4s of the original ingredients. No wonder getting flavour into a bolognaise is so hard!

So how do we get around this? There’s lots of ways people do it, a pinch of asafoetida, reduced celery, green parts of spring onions etc etc. I opt for a combination of reduced amounts of celery and a good amount of chives. This gives you a similar flavour to the Soffritto that the Italians use and so you know you’re going to be pretty close to the classics.

Now you could stop here, and enjoy your classic bolognaise. OR you could add in a few extra veggies and crank the flavour up to 50. You’ll get more of your five a day sorted and it tastes even better (personal opinion). So what do I add that’s different? Courgette and roasted red peppers.

I actually dice the courgettes up and mix them into the soffritto mix at the start, they add a slight natural sweetness to foods which is always good when your making a tomato based sauce.

Now, if you like a shortcut you can by roasted red peppers in a jar, but sometimes they’re stored in garlic oil so do be careful! If you’re home roasting, then simply pour some oil over the skin and bake in a hot oven for around 20 minutes. Once the skin is wrinkly take them from the oven and allow to cool. Then peel off the skin and You’ll have some lovely fresh roasted peppers, perfect for adding sweetness to the bolognaise.

There’s a number of reasons why I roast the peppers for this bolognaise. Firstly, it allows you to remove the skin which prevents the bolognaise from being bitty and you getting red chunks of peel stuck between your teeth. Secondly, roasting peppers deepens the flavours and so you get more flavour out of the same amount of pepper. Last but not least, roasting makes the peppers softer and almost mushy. This may seem an odd thing to want, but actually this mushy consistency helps to make the sauce a bit fuller and bolder too.

Now for the controversial bit. The beef. Now I know in Italy they tend to use a combination of beef and pork but i tend to just use beef. Even more controversially, the more fat content the better in this recipe. I use around 15% fat, it really enhances the flavour as well as your waist line! As much as you may think a 2% or 5% fat content is better for you, it will result in a dryer bolognaise with less flavour. I’ll let you make the decision though, it is your waist line after all!

I also use red wine in this bolognaise, which is totally optional but again it adds depth of flavour and makes this all the more authentic. It does get reduced down so you don’t need to worry about being drunk after a few bites!!

Now, I’ve left the serving suggestion open. You can use this bolognaise however you want. Spoon it into cannelloni sheets with some ricotta, pour it over some gluten free penne or use it as the Ragù for your lasagne. It’s fairly versatile and that’s why I love it!

As always let me know how it works out for you all, I love a good picture! I’ve popped the recipe card below so you can recreate this as and when you want to!

Happy Cooking Low Fodmap friends!

My Ibs and Me x

So you’re probably thinking, why on earth has she decided to make chilli Jam! You would be correct in thinking that, I know its a slightly obscure thing to make but trust me on this, once you’ve made it once you’ll keep making it. In all fairness, the quantities mean that you get quite a hefty amount of the stuff, so you might want to halve the ingredients if this is your first attempt and you’re not sure on whether you’ll like it or not. Saying that, once made this will last for 3 months in the fridge or the cupboard!

Now, you’re probably thinking that this all sounds great but when would I use it? Well to tell you the truth this can be used for just about anything…I’m talking the base of a stir fry sauce, something to dip your chicken nuggets or halloumi fries in, a salad dressing even! I dipped my ham and cheese toastie in it today and boy was that an experience!

The thing that makes this chilli jam different to your average shop bought Sweet Chilli Sauce, is 1) This is free from onion and garlic. 2) It uses lots of red peppers which make it really sweet and Moorish. 3) This is a little thicker, and packs way more punch without blowing your head off. You can definitely still use it as a sauce because its like a thick paste rather than a lump of jam.

The one down side is that it takes a little while to cook, and you need to watch it at certain points. It’s like a foetus, it needs a lot of attention while its cooking but as soon as its ready its a joy! Slightly graphic image there, I do apologise! One of the most high maintenance things about this jam, and others is that when its simmering you have to skim off any scum that comes to the surface. This happens a lot at first and then dies down. You’ll end up with a bowl of chilli scum which tastes great but wont set and would make your jam frothy if you left it in! Its easy to skim the jam, just use a table spoon and gently glide it over the surface, taking the scum away from the bubbling jam.

Once its had a good simmer, you have to cook it ferociously for around 15 minutes. Health warning, DO NOT TOUCH THE JAM AT THIS POINT. It might look super yummy and you might want a cheeky taste but at this point the jam is super hot and you will burn your tongue. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. When the jam is bubbling you want it to look like lava. For it to bubble properly, you need a really large pan. In hindsight I probably didn’t use a big enough pan and so I couldn’t let it boil too much because it would’ve boiled all over my cooker! So a big pan, no touching and skimming the scum are my three top tips when making this jam!

So, as usual the recipe card can be found below! I really want to know what your using this chilli jam to go with, I weirdly think it might be nice on a gooey dark chocolate brownie but I need to pluck up the courage to give it a try, maybe chilli jam and chocolate brownie is a step too far! What do you think?

Happy Jamming!!

My IBS and Me x

One of my favourite flavours is lemon. Just thing about all the great lemony treats in the world, lemon meringue pie, lemon drizzle, lemon sorbet, lemon shortbread, lemon and poppy seed muffins…need I continue? One of the problems with all these lemon filled treats however is that they’re filled with dairy and gluten and for us Low Fodmappers that really sucks. However, making your own lemon curd is a step in the right direction, spoon it onto a gluten and dairy free sponge, use it for the filling of your lemon meringue pies or if you’re after the easiest lemon fix, just spread some of the curd onto some toasted gluten free bread. DELICIOUS!

You may think that making a lemon curd would be really difficult and massively complicated but there isn’t much to it, in fact you can make it in three easy steps! You don’t need fancy equipment either, just a pan, a bowl (Not a plastic one because it will melt) and a jar to put the yummy goodness into at the end. See, I told you this was easy.

Ingredients wise you only need 4 ingredients…Lemons, eggs, sugar and dairy free butter. I use the VioLife Olive Butter Dairy Free Spread. I’m sure other dairy free spreads would work, including the other Violife spreads. I haven’t trialled them myself, so let me know how they work out!

As always, the recipe card is below! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! Let me know how you’re using your lemon curd!

My IBS and ME x

Lemon Drizzle is a family favourite in my house. However I thought it was about time, this old classic got a Low Fodmap revamp. I’m talking hits of limoncello, Fresh Lemon Curd and a sweet buttercream! Delicious, but don’t just take my word for it.

The cake itself is a basic dairy and gluten free cake. The trick to good low fodmap sponge is an extra egg to conventional recipes. I use 5 eggs, 250g butter, sugar and flour. Now this is a lemon cake so make sure you add plenty of lemon zest. The buttercream is made using icing sugar, lemon curd, limoncello and dairy free butter. I’m not a great lover of measuring out icing sugar because its messy and some people have a sweeter tooth than others. Therefore, its all about judgement. Add the wet ingredients and then keep adding the icing sugar until your happy with the sweetness and the consistency.

Now, this was my first time making completely low fodmap sponge, but I have previously made gluten free sponges that were flat, crumbly and just not right. Some people overcome this with xantham gum, however I found that just adding the extra egg which helps to bind all the ingredients together way more effective! The family were so shocked when I told them it was gluten and dairy free! They were very impressed and it meant we could all enjoy something that wasn’t going to make me ill, or that everyone else thought tasted like cardboard. Does anyone else’s family hate the way free from food tastes and always joke that eating paper is more appealing? I’m just relieved that for once they actually thought something low fodmap and sweet was yummy! My family really are harsh critics!

As you can see the sponges don’t look too different to wheat and dairy filled sponges. Please ignore the lines in the middle photo, the oven racks made slight indents on the cakes! So once you’ve got two sponge cakes, and you’ve made the buttercream using the lemon curd and limoncello you get to do the best bit. This is the drizzle element of most lemon drizzles, but in this cake its all about the booze. Use a tablespoon to gently spoon the limoncello over the cake, don’t overdo it! three table spoons per cake is plenty, too much and it’ll blow everyone’s heads off! Once you’ve got the limoncello nicely and evenly absorbed into the sponge place a layer of buttercream on one cake and then top with the other sponge. Then place another layer of buttercream on the top before putting a few blobs of lemon curd on top. Use a cocktail stick to gently swirl the curd into the buttercream to create a pretty swirl effect. Then all that’s left to do is cut a slice and tuck in!

I’ve attached the full recipe card below! Let me know how it tastes and what your friends and family think!

Happy Baking,

My IBS and Me x