Kale is a true super food hero. This nutritional powerhouse is packed with Vitamins A, K and C and loaded with essential minerals - calcium and iron. It also packs a hefty protein punch as well as being a good source of essential fatty acids.

This simple little recipe utilises this beautiful ingredient to create a refreshing side dish. The sharpness of the lemon with the kale makes it a great accompaniment to heavier meat dishes and works really well alongside my Spanish lamb and patatas bravas.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

100g kale
The juice of 1 whole lemon
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
A good pinch of himalayan or sea salt.

Method:

Add your kale to a pan of boiling water over a medium/low heat and cook until tender. You want to retain the vibrant green colour and not over cook this.
Once the leaves are tender transfer to a colander and drain off all excess water.  Add your kale to a serving bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Massage the seasoning and oil into the kale so the leaves take on all the flavour of the dressing. 

Serve immediately.

If you are embarking on a Paleo diet and looking to improve your digestive health, you will no doubt have found gelatin and bone broth to be a recurring theme.
Lets get the ugly bit out the way first. Gelatin is a fine powder formed from the dehydrated skin, bone and tissue of animals. Now let's move on swiftly........as unappealing as this may sound, gelatin's health benefits are not to be sniffed at. It's powerful soothing and healing properties can help form a strong foundation from which to re-build your digestive health and support the healing of autoimmune conditions. You can use the powdered variety of gelatin throughout your cooking to thicken sauces, set desserts and make gummies (recipe below). Alternatively you can get your gelatin quota from bone broth. The gelatin is extracted during the long, slow cooking process that breaks down the bones and cartilage.

What are the benefits?

Digestion - The amino acid content assists in repairing a leaky gut by soothing inflammation and restoring a healthy mucosal lining. It enhances the production of gastric acid secretions which support the healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients. Gelatin also draws water into the digestive tract promoting better intestinal transit.

Joint health - Gelatin can reduce symptoms caused by arthritis and osteoporosis. It's anti-inflammatory properties reduce bone and joint pain and support the growth of strong bones.

Skin - Gelatin provides amino acids vital to the production of collagen. Collagen is integral in giving your skin a youthful, healthy glow and for preventing the much loathed cellulite. It can even help reduce wrinkles and protect the skin from UV damage. 

Sleep - Gelatin is a rich source of glycine, known to contribute to improved sleep quality and anxiety management. Consuming gelatin to improve sleep is a gentle alternative to over the counter medications that come with additional side effects.

What type do I buy?

Making your own bone broth is undoubtedly one of the best ways to get gelatin in your diet. You can have it in place of tea as a warm drink and to form the base of soups and stews. If you are histamine intolerant however I urge caution with bone broth. Firstly the slow cooking process will elevate the histamine content as will the acidity of the vinegar used to break down the bones.

If you are squeamish about boiling bones or simply crave a gelatin quick fix, then buying a powdered form to add to gummies and desserts is the perfect gut healing solution. I highly reconmend Great lakes gelatin (see the link below). Great Lakes Gelatin is grass fed and from humanely raised animals and contains no additional nasties - this is not like the gelatin you pick up from the supermarket baking aisles. The red cans are great to add to liquids you wish to set. The green can is perfect to add to hot or cold liquids - stir a tablespoon into your tea or smoothies for an added tummy soothing boost. 

For a little gelatin boost, these gummies make for a healthy replacement for store bought sweets and ideal to make with kids. They are so simple and the choice of flavour combinations is endless. You can experiment with fresh or frozen fruit. I choose to stew my blueberries first because I think it intensifies their natural flavour and sweetness.

This mixture made 20 gummies using my heart shaped mould. If you do not have any moulds you can simply let the mixture set in a suitable container and cut into any shape you like. Within reason of course.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh blueberries
half a cup of water
3 dessert spoons of maple syrup
3 dessert spoons of grass-fed gelatin (please see link above)

Method:

Add your blueberries and water to a small saucepan on a medium heat. Once the water begins to simmer, the blueberries will  begin to break down and liquify.  Turn the heat down and let them bubble gently in the pan, stirring regularly to help break down the blueberries. After about five minutes you should be left with a rich, blueberry syrup with a little fruit pulp remaining. Strain through a sieve to remove the pulp and allow the liquid to cool.

Once cool return you blueberry syrup to the saucepan. Whisk in your gelatin and maple syrup to create a thickened liquid.

Turn the heat on to low and continue to whisk your mixture until it thins and everything is thoroughly combined. This will take about 6-7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour into your moulds.

Place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour to set.

Enjoy :)

My good lord this is such a treat. Being restricted to an AIP and low FODMAP diet means desserts are virtually non existent. If you're like me, you've probably scoured the internet for days in the hope that someone somewhere has replicated every flavour of Ben and Jerry's and adapted them to suit your dietary requirements. But the truth is, they haven't. I actually couldn't find any low FODMAP and AIP compliant desserts that I could tolerate at all until fairly recently. Now I have a whole repertoire to share with you lucky people. I'll also be recreating some classic British puds so stay tuned for those.

This dish is somewhere in between a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake and it tastes so damn good. The base is just like a classic cheesecake base and the filling is sweet and almost caramel like with hints of spice. It keeps really well and tastes even better the next day when its had a good while to set in the fridge. This is AIP compliant with an adaptation for low FODMAP.

Before you begin you will need:

A food processor
A 15 inch loose bottom cake tin
7 of my gingernut biscuits for your base

Ingredients:

For the base
7 gingernut biscuits
3 dessert spoons of melted coconut oil

For the topping
2 packed cups of baked, soft sweet potato for AIP or 2 packed cups of roasted  soft sweet squash for low FODMAP ( I like coquina best as this can be incredibly sweet)
1 cup of tiger nut milk (or any lactose free milk you can tolerate)
2 dessert spoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of gelatin
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
A pinch of ground cloves

To make the base, place the gingernut biscuits in a bowl and give them a good bash with the end of a rolling pin. Keep breaking them up until you are left with a bowl of crumbs. Add the melted coconut oil and stir thoroughly ensuring the crumbs are lightly coated in the oil. Pour the crumb mixture into your cake tin and press firmly to form an even base layer. Place this in the fridge to set for 40 minutes.

To make your pumpkin pie layer,  add your cooked potato or squash to your food processor with the ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Add your tigernut milk to a saucepan and sprinkle your gelatin powder evenly over the surface. Allow this to bloom  (let the gelatin go translucent as it absorbs the milk). Turn the heat to medium and stir gently ensuring there are no clumps of gelatin. Once the milk is beginning to simmer, remove it from the heat. It should be slightly thickened and creamy.  Add the milk mix to your blender with your potato/squash and then add your maple syrup.

Blend the mixture together until fully incorporated and you have a thick creamy liquid. Taste the mix and add extra maple syrup if you want it sweeter.

Remove your cheesecake base from the fridge and pour the mixture on top. Place this in the fridge for a minimum of four hours to set.

This will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

I stopped eating cabbage on the assumption that this would be a massive FODMAP no no. After all  green cabbage has the power to bring even the strongest digestive system to it's knees and I never really liked it that much anyway. I did however enjoy a nice braised red cabbage, there's something very autumnal and warming about it when combined with oils and spices. I decided to check it out on my Monash FODMAP app and low and behold, red cabbage is low in FODMAP's. Anything new that I can add to my limited repertoire excites me immensely, so I set about making up for lost time with this beautiful vegetable.

As a a cruciferous vegetable, red cabbage is loaded with antioxidants, rich in fibre, and packed with essential minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium.

Aside from the nutrient count, it tastes delicious and the vibrant purple makes any plate look beautiful.

Serves 4 small side portions or 2 large sides.
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Ingredients:

1 medium sized red cabbage cored and finely sliced. 
4 rashers of bacon, sliced into strips.
Half a leek for AIP or the tops of two leeks (green parts only) for low FODMAP, finely chopped.
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger. Ginger soothes and calms digestive complaints, is rich in magnesium, potassium and copper and is a potent anti-inflammatory.
The juice of half a large lemon
1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
A good pinch of sea salt

Method:

Add the olive oil to a heavy casserole dish and turn the heat to medium. Add your bacon strips and cook until they just start to crisp around the edges. Once they are cooked, remove them from the pan and keep to one side. Add your sliced leeks, salt and ginger to the oil and cook until they soften and the flavours infuse - about 5 minutes. Once the leek is soft, add your coconut oil and let it melt. Add your sliced cabbage and stir at a medium heat coating it in all the oils and flavours from the pan. let this sizzle for about ten minutes, stirring regularly to ensure nothing sticks to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon juice, bacon and cinnamon. Put the lid on and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes stirring at regular intervals.

This makes a great addition to your Sunday roast if you are able to resist eating the whole lot straight from the pan. 

These were the very first treat I made myself when I launched into my low FODMAP, AIP diet and I was shocked by how well they turned out. I'd begun to believe that treats and desserts made using alternative ingredients were either doomed to fail or taste like some form of toxic sludge. My first experience of this was way back when I was on my superfood kick and I simply blended an avocado with some raw cacao powder and expected a superfood miracle to occur. I savoured every second of my first mouthful expecting it to taste just like the chocolate mousse I so enjoyed in my childhood.  With every spoonful I fervently tried to convince myself that it did. My  husband however didn't even try to play along. He just outright declared it disgusting and made a bee line for the bin.

But we are back with the trusty tigernut for this recipe as it is yet to let me down. These biscuits are warm and spicy and perfectly crunchy. They taste like the real deal so you can enjoy them without forever being reminded that you are on a restricted diet.

Makes 14 gingernuts

Ingredients:

1 level cup of tigernut flour (please see below for my favourite brand)
1/3 of a cup of arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
Just shy of half a cup of melted coconut oil
Two dessert spoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of gelatin powder. I have included below the brand that I use.
2 dessert spoons of ground ginger (This will give them a warm kick, add more if you like them really spicy)
1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon
A pinch of ground cloves

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees or 180  for fan assisted.

Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.

Start by adding all your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and throughly combine. You want to make sure the spices are evenly spread throughout the flour. 

In a separate bowl add your maple syrup to your melted coconut oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle your gelatine powder over the surface of the liquid and whisk immediately with a fork to ensure thoroughly combined with the liquids. You do not want this to solidify.

Pour your liquids into your dry mix and fold together. I fold slowly in a figure of eight whilst turning the bowl to ensure everything is completely combined. You should start to see a dough form. Use your hands to form small balls of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place these onto the baking sheet and use your hands to press them into biscuit shapes. They will spread slightly when cooking so leave some space between each biscuit.

Put these in the middle of your oven and bake for 15 minutes. After this time they will be starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and firm up.

Dunk in a nice cold glass of tigernut milk :)