Cucumber and Mint Salad (serves 4)

Cucumber and Mint Salad by The Fat Foodie

I’d say it’s fairly well known that I prefer my salads to be on the robust, substantial side, so it’ll not come as a surprise to you that this Cucumber and Mint Salad can be eaten either as a side dish to accompany a piece of grilled fish or chicken or on its own as a fresh lunch.

This Cucumber and Mint Salad in itself is very simple, comprising of just cucumber wedges, sliced bell pepper and cubes of salty feta cheese, but it’s elevated to something quite wonderful by the minty vinegarette it’s dressed in.

The standard vinegarette ingredients of white wine vinegar and olive oil are enhanced by the addition of dried mint and lime juice, creating a salad dressing which is tart, but herby at the same time. I’m not a big fan of salad dressings with a strong vinegar flavour, so I tend to make my vinegarette on the conservative side, but feel free to add more white wine vinegar or dried mint to yours, if you wish.

I make this Cucumber and Mint Salad a great deal because it’s perfect on the side of a piece of grilled salmon or chicken breast, but it also satisfies my appetite as a packed lunch at work. It’s just a great all-rounder salad choice.

Ingredients for the Salad Base:

1 cucumber (diced)

160g feta cheese (or non-dairy cheese)

1 red or yellow bell pepper

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing:

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp dried mint

The juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Prepare the salad ingredients as directed and then place them in a large bowl.

Mix all of the salad dressing ingredients together and then toss it through the salad and serve.

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Cod and Potato Traybake (serves 4)

Cod and Potato Traybake by The Fat Foodie

This Cod and Potato Traybake is one of those all-in-one traybake dinners that are really handy for weekday meals. Aside from prepping the vegetables there’s actually very little work involved in making it because the oven does the work for you.

I like to use cod for this traybake because it holds its shape well upon cooking and I feel that the delicate flavour of the fish allows the vegetables to sing, but feel free to substitute cod for any other fish you prefer.

I sometimes feel a bit bored with eating meat throughout the week, so a meal based around fresh fish makes a delightful change. Particularly one which is so easy to make!

I use a mixture of new potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes for my roasted vegetables, but you could add other vegetables to suit your own tastes too. For example, whole broccoli florets and green beans are very tasty roasted (both are low FODMAP up to 75g per serving) and I never tire of the natural sweetness that can be found in roasted carrots.

I like to make a quick tartare sauce to accompany my traybake which is simply made by mixing chopped gherkins and capers into mayonnaise and then squeezing a little lemon juice into it. A sprinkling of dill never goes amiss in the mayo either.

If you’d like a low FODMAP fish dish for dinner I’d highly recommend this Cod and Potato Traybake. It’s tasty, filling and can be made in under an hour. What more could you need during the week?

Ingredients:

600g new potatoes (thinly sliced or diced)

1 red bell pepper (cut into bite-sized pieces)

1 green bell pepper (cut into bite-sized pieces)

4 tbsps green spring onion tips

4 common tomatoes (diced)

4 tbsps olive oil

1 lemon (sliced)

4 cod fillets

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F/Gas mark 6 and have a large baking tray to hand.

Prepare the vegetables as directed and then coat them in the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for 35-40 mins until the potatoes are soft and then place the cod fillets on top and sit the lemon slices on top of the fish.

Bake in the oven for 6-8 mins until the fish is cooked to your liking and then serve.

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Chicken Coconut Curry (serves 4)

Chicken Coconut Curry by The Fat Foodie

Some time ago I’d been visiting my young granddaughter and needed to make her some dinner. Her Dad always has a brilliantly stocked pantry that’s full of herbs and spices and he’d also left plenty of healthy and nutritious ingredients in the fridge too, so after assessing what I had to play with I came up with this Chicken Coconut Curry.

This Chicken Coconut Curry was going to be served to a toddler therefore, it couldn’t be too spicy overall, so I made it a creamy and aromatic curry instead. It’s delicately flavoured with mild garam masala spice and toasted cumin seeds, all of which is enhanced by the warming effect of fresh ginger.

This Chicken Coconut Curry makes a delicious dairy-free alternative to traditional cream and ground almond-based kormas, but without the horrible effects it has for IBS sufferers. It’s light, fresh and very delicious.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (diced)

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsps garam masala

The seeds of 6 cardamom pods (husks discarded)

20g fresh minced ginger

30g green spring onion tips

60g mangetout (cut into bite-sized pieces)

100g tinned baby corn on the cobs (cut into bite-sized pieces)

240ml tinned coconut milk

160ml lactose-free cream or non-dairy cream

2 tbsps cornflour mixed into 2 tbsps cold water

1 low FODMAP chicken stock cube

Rice (to serve)

Method:

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the spices and fry for 2-3 mins to release the aromas.

Add the diced chicken and fry for 6-8 mins before adding the coconut milk, cream, stock cube and vegetables. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked.

Add the cornflour mixture and stir through until the sauce has thickened. Serve with boiled rice.

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Saltimbocca (serves 4)

Saltimbocca by The Fat Foodie

Although I enjoy eating most meat I’m not a fan of veal at all. Leaving aside ethical concerns about how veal is raised and slaughtered, the fact is, I simply don’t enjoy the taste of it. I didn’t realise that saltimbocca is traditionally made with veal until I decided to make it one day, but after doing some research online I thankfully discovered that a lot of professional chefs believe that saltimbocca is actually far tastier when made with pork escalopes instead.

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