# What did you eat for dinner?



## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

I belonged to another support group for a condition with a very restricted diet (so sooo different from fodmaps) and this was a fun and useful idea for a thread, since we are all looking for new ideas. Currently I am on a beginner's elimination diet, so my menus have been pretty basic. I guess it is worth noting if your meal includes something that's controversial or not tolerated by most, since it's clear our diets all become pretty idiosyncratic. So here's what I had for dinner tonight. While cooking I snacked on olives that were cured in olive oil and no other ingredients (from a vendor at the farmers' market). I roasted some red bell peppers in the broiler, steamed them briefly to peel them, cut them into strips and marinated them with olive oil that I had infused with garlic plus sea salt and pepper. I made plain basmati rice, which is the rice I always cook since I think it has more flavor than other kinds of rice. Then I took a large fresh wild halibut steak and marinated it in sesame oil, grated ginger, a tiny bit of soy sauce (I don't actually know if the soy sauce is gluten free), Chinese rice wine and sliced green tops of scallions. I covered it with foil and baked it in the oven for about 12 minutes; it produced just barely enough sauce to flavor the rice. Never made this recipe before, but it's very plain and simple and if you have a good quality piece of fish, very satisfying. Love to hear what others are doing to get creative with the low fodmaps diet. What did you eat for dinner?


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## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

But what did you actually eat for dinner? I think specifics help give us new ideas, not only what to eat, but how.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The non-responsive post was removed because it appeared to be spam, that may be why it wasn't really answering the question all that well. They often don't.


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## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

Awww, no one wants to play? Okay, here's what I had for dinner tonight. I made a stir-fry using my wok with breast meat chicken, strips of red bell peppers, baby bok choy, green scallion tops and thai basil. I served it over white rice. The original recipe calls for rice noodles, but I had take-out Vietnamese spring rolls for lunch. Really, the fodmaps diet is pretty congruent with Asian cooking. When I get depressed about the limits of my diet I try to find something to eat that isn't every day food. For me that's the bok choy and thai basil. Yummy.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I had baked Pollock with steamed baby green beans.


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## zesbe (Sep 7, 2012)

Shredded or cubed chicken breast and cheddar cheese put into warmed corn tortillas and toasted in a pan until crispy (with or without an approved oil). That is my kids favorite. You can add tomatoes while cooking or add taco toppings after that are approved. We love tex-mex type foods, so I try to find foods in this category that do not involve beans, onions, garlic, or any other items not allowed including foods I shouldn't have with an active ulcer like tomatoes (which are a staple in our house!)Also, fajitas that are homemade without the flour tortillas or unapproved vegetables are a good choice. Again, you could warm some corn tortillas and toast them with the filling inside or you can eat it without the tortillas, especially as a fajita salad over shredded lettuce!Roast, vegetable or chicken vegetable soup are also good if you only use allowed ingredients. The meats make their own broth and common vegetables in both are allowed on the plan like celery, carrots, and potatoes.Roasted potatoes and baked potatoes are also good. Loaded mashed potatoes are good with approved ingredients (be sure to measure the ingredients that require measurement and not combine too many of them at one meal).I haven't tried any rice recipes yet, but that would be a good place to start too. My problem is that my kids tested positive for a rice allergy a few years back (they need to be retested). In other words, even though rice is a good choice for me, it isn't for them. I like to make one dish rice recipes, so that means I have to make two meals. I try to work with all of our dietary needs and make foods we can all enjoy together (which doesn't always work out).


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## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

Zesbe, I'm glad you posted. I would love to adapt some Mex recipes to be more fodmaps friendly. Sadly I have to restrict cheese of all kinds and fatty meats (boo hoo no greasy roasted pork). How exactly do you crisp up corn tortillas? Do you fold and stuff them with cooked meat etc right out of the package and then do all the crisping in the pan?So sorry your kids have rice allergy! Making two dinners is a lot of work and I sympathize.Last night I made a sort of Viet chicken soup--otherwise known as Pho Ga. The day before I made a large pot of asian style chicken stock that I can freeze in quart containers. Asian chicken stock just means that I simmered the meat and bones with cilantro, a little ginger, and a stalk of lemongrass. I heated two portions of the stock in a pan, simmered some bok choy in it, and poured it over rice noodles and chicken meat. Give it a squirt of lime juice and throw in some torn thai basil, and it's a really satisfying meal. A good salad on the side would be sliced cukes with a little rice wine vinegar and sesame oil but I got lazy at the last minute and didn't bother.


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## zesbe (Sep 7, 2012)

Goldfinch said:


> Zesbe, I'm glad you posted. I would love to adapt some Mex recipes to be more fodmaps friendly. Sadly I have to restrict cheese of all kinds and fatty meats (boo hoo no greasy roasted pork). How exactly do you crisp up corn tortillas? Do you fold and stuff them with cooked meat etc right out of the package and then do all the crisping in the pan?So sorry your kids have rice allergy! Making two dinners is a lot of work and I sympathize.Last night I made a sort of Viet chicken soup--otherwise known as Pho Ga. The day before I made a large pot of asian style chicken stock that I can freeze in quart containers. Asian chicken stock just means that I simmered the meat and bones with cilantro, a little ginger, and a stalk of lemongrass. I heated two portions of the stock in a pan, simmered some bok choy in it, and poured it over rice noodles and chicken meat. Give it a squirt of lime juice and throw in some torn thai basil, and it's a really satisfying meal. A good salad on the side would be sliced cukes with a little rice wine vinegar and sesame oil but I got lazy at the last minute and didn't bother.


After the chicken is cooked, I put it in the warmed tortillas and put them in the pan flipping them back and forth to crisp them. I don't use oil on mine or the kids, but I do use olive oil on my husband's.I am not suppose to have a lot of fat either, so I use chicken or lean beef usually. During hunting season, if my hubby gets a deer, the backstrap and the ground meat is really lean and works well for tacos and fajitas.I can use the hard cheeses, thank goodness! I love cheese. I cannot have walnuts due to an allergy, which means I am not suppose to have tree nuts, but I do eat almonds and such anyway, just not walnuts. It is a real bummer because I grew up eating walnuts, especially in brownies. I'm not suppose to have chocolate or caffeine either, so that's a double whammy with the walnut brownies! So I can sympathize as well...I just got over food poisoning, so I did not eat a low-fodmap diet today since I haven't eaten for almost three days! :-( Anyway, I am back on it tomorrow and have no clue what I will be cooking yet.


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## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

I'm in NY this week, a moderate challenge cooking for my 94 yr old mother, my husband and my nephew. The challenge is more my diet than anyone else's, frankly. Here's the easiest fish dish I know--I made it last night. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, add sliced garlic til golden, remove garlic and toss. Cut up two red bell peppers into thin strips, or one red and one orange. Add the peppers to the hot oil, cook a few minutes med-low heat. Throw in a T of tomato paste, a little hot red pepper flakes if you like that, one diced tomato (fresh if you have a nice one, but in the winter I always used canned Italian tomatoes), a handful of chopped cilantro, a little salt. Then add water, like maybe a cup at most. Simmer low, covered 20 min. At this point you can just let it sit, and it just gets better if you don't use it right away. Prep a pound of nice flaky white fish. Cut into portions or large pieces, salt and pepper, and let sit 15-30 min. I've used halibut, cod and sablefish all with great results. Reheat the sauce in the pan and when it starts to simmer add the fish. Gently spoon over the peppers and sauce, cover and cook at a very low simmer another 10 to 15 minutes total, depending on type of fish and thickness. If the sauce doesn't cover the fish, halfway through you could gently turn the fish, again cover with broth and peppers. Serve at once over rice. Enough for two or three in my neck of the woods. It's a delicate low fat dish, really simple and if you are too lazy to make a side salad at least you are getting some vegetables.


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## RarrRarr (Oct 25, 2012)

I made a homestyle indian chicken curry. I covered the chicken breast in tumeric, garam masala & some pure curry powder (no garlic, onions or any other baddies) and rubbed it in to the chicken with a teaspoon of olive oil. I them cooked it till the chicken browned and added a can of crushed tomatos, some lactose free milk and a dash of cinnamon. I let it simmer for approx 30 min then i threw in some pumpkin and carrot. Simmer for another 30 min and just before serving a scrambled 2 eggs into the curry to thicken but also add addition protein to the meal. Eaten happily with some gluten free bread.


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## whiterose1713 (Feb 4, 2012)

RarrRarr said:


> I made a homestyle indian chicken curry. I covered the chicken breast in tumeric, garam masala & some pure curry powder (no garlic, onions or any other baddies) and rubbed it in to the chicken with a teaspoon of olive oil. I them cooked it till the chicken browned and added a can of crushed tomatos, some lactose free milk and a dash of cinnamon. I let it simmer for approx 30 min then i threw in some pumpkin and carrot. Simmer for another 30 min and just before serving a scrambled 2 eggs into the curry to thicken but also add addition protein to the meal. Eaten happily with some gluten free bread.


That sounds DELICIOUS!


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## Goldfinch (Sep 9, 2012)

The other night I had a simple but satisfying vegetable rice casserole that can be infinitely adjusted to your taste or diet.

4-5 cups cubed zucchini. If you have time, salt and drain and then dry the cubes, otherwise don't bother.
2 T olive oil. I like to infuse mine with garlic first, then remove the garlic pieces.
Big handful chopped green scallion tops
1-2 med tomatoes, chopped, with juices
Fresh basil, dry mexican oregano, paprika. I like smoked paprika for this, but you can use any herbs and spices.
1 cup white long grain rice. I like Basmatti because it seems to have more flavor than other rice.
Opt: 1/2 cup more of less grated cheese for those who eat dairy. Even a couple of Tbsps of aged hard cheese adds a lot of flavor.
 I have used jack, cheddar, and my personal fave, pecorino fresca, but I have to cut back on dairy, so I use very little.

Cook the rice al dente, set aside to cool. In a large skillet saute the cubed zukes and scallions over med heat. After a few minutes salt and pepper them. Soften but don't brown, so a total of about 5-8 minutes. Add coarsely chopped basil, stir another minute, remove to cool. Mix everything together: cooled rice and zukes, chopped tomatoes w juices, liberal sprinkling of oregano and paprika or other herbs. Add the cheese; you may save aside a small portion of the cheese for topping if you like. Taste for salt, add as necessary. Mix gently, and put into a casserole dish. Mine is about 4" high. Top with cheese, bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Done!

This is a very forgiving dish. You could add other veggies, like roasted red bell peppers or sauteed artichokes or whatever. I'm happy eating vegetarian many nights a week, but this could easily be your carb and veg alongside any animal protein. It sounds pedestrian, but it is very good, and adapts to your favorite fresh herbs. I have used dill (not on the low-fodmaps list) or thyme. And if I have them, I will throw some minced fresh chives into the mix. This recipe makes enough for about 4 portions, so my husband and I usually have plenty for leftover, and it's just as good.


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## 00200293 (Oct 30, 2012)

I had chicken breast with a healthy dose of steamed spinach and a bit of olive oil!


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