These elimination diet-friendly recipes are just as tasty as regular food, and they ease your woes as you work within your restrictive diet trying to find out if you have any food sensitivities or allergies.
Whether you’re on an elimination diet, have some digestive troubles or just want to watch your waistline, the following 3 recipes are sure to be pleasing in more ways than one. They are super easy to make and if you’re like me, you’ll be expanding your food repertoire at the same time.
Millet is a grain similar to quinoa but less expensive and a little less tasty (quinoa has a nutty flavour while millet does not). Washing these two grains is tricky. The easiest way is to purchase a sieve but if you don’t have one handy: put the grain in a pot of water, swish it around, strain with your fingers and repeat at least once more before cooking.
This Asian-inspired recipe was adapted from The Vital You’s Ultimate Holistic Cookbook:
Miller’s Supreme Millet & Veggie Dish
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup millet (washed)
4 – 5 large stalks of asparagus
2 large stalks of broccoli
2¾ cup water
¼ tsp to taste
1 tsp tahini (sesame paste/butter)
To Cook: Add salt to water and cook millet under low heat until water is consumed. Millet should be slightly crunchy. If not cooked enough, add just enough water, gradually, until cooked. Set aside.
Saute onion in oil with low heat.
Add asparagus and broccoli, and continue sautéing with low heat until veggies are slightly soft but still crunchy.
Add cooked millet to veggies. Mix well. Cook 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Drizzle tahini to millet and veggies, and mix well.
This tart and Spanish-inspired black bean spread comes from the CCNM’s Brown Rice Cookbook and works well as a yummy dip for rice crackers as an appetizer:
Black Bean Spread
2 cups cooked or canned black beans
1 small chopped red onion
3 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 roughly chopped garlic clove
1 tbsp mixed herbs (I used oregano and basil)
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lime juice (or water if you don’t want to cheat and can’t have citrus)
1/8 tsp salt
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Makes approximately 2 cups.
For dessert, how ‘bout some chocolate pudding? Ok, it’s not really chocolate pudding, but close enough considering its texture and hint of cocoa. Adjusted again from The Vital You’s cookbook:
Kinda Like Chocolate Pudding
Blend:
12 dates
12 figs (unsweetened)
1 quart of purified water (more or less depending on the dryness of your fruit)
1 tsp of raw carob powder
Use less water to begin with. For this recipe, I actually tripled the fruit and carob powder they call for when using a quart (or 1 liter) of water.
Blend together in a blender.
YUM! Kinda like chocolate pudding!
Related posts:
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Take my word for it, the spread is yummy! thanks for sharing Steph!
You’re most welcome, my Friend!
kinda like chocolate pudding is a sweat lovly pudding made for the whole family
Just starting an elimination diet because the doctor’s cannot find out what is wrong with me. I do not digest food well, am alway tired and in pain, am always hungry (even when I’m full/in pain) and I DO NOT use the washroom anymore. I’ve tried being on a gluten free diet and it helped a bit, but not fully. Now I am on the most strict elimination diet and I cannot even eat rice or rice milk, no dairy, no eggs, no sulphites, no chicken or beef, legumes, peas, gluten/wheat, etc etc.
Do you have any suggestions for breakfast and dinner?
I think I have ideas for lunch and snack, but breakfast and dinner I am stuck on.
Thanks a bunch,
April
Hey April! Great timing, I’m gearing up to try the elimination diet again myself.
Our diets are a little different, though. For instance, brown rice is ok for me to eat.
Here’s 3 suggestions:
1) If you haven’t already, check out Live Lighter’s `allergy-friendly recipes’. Your doc probably gave you a diet guide to follow that lists foods in “yes” and “no” categories.
2) Many of the Live Lighter hypo-allergenic recipes were adapted from other recipes to suit the elimination diet my doc gave me to try. This was the fun part! Necessity breeds creativity and I got to play in the kitchen! I tried totally new foods (like quinoa and millet), chose interesting, tasty alternatives and invented different meals.
3) You can also list all the foods you are allowed here in the comments. Let’s give readers a chance to create brand new recipes right here on Live Lighter!