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Daring Bakers | Pastel de Tres Leches

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Because I didn’t have enough going on, I decided to join up with the Daring Bakers challenges starting this month. Actually, the reason I joined up was that with the “alternative” baking I’ve been doing, it’s easier just not to and there’s so much out there to experiment with. I figure the challenges will help push me to test my theories of Low-FODMAP baking while getting back to a bit of my pastry chef-roots.

Inma of la Galletika was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet airy, super moist but not soggy… just plain delish!

Low-FODMAP Pastel de Tres Leches cake

Low-FODMAP Pastel de Tres Leches cake

I have eaten Tres Leches before but I’ve never made it myself. Nonetheless, making it for the first time in a Low-FODMAP way wasn’t all that daunting for 2 reasons:

  • The base is a sponge cake and sponge cake is more about technique than ingredients. I have successfully made sponge cake before.
  • While 3 milks (the translation of tres leches) may be asking a lot of someone who needs to avoid lactose, it’s different than needing to be actually dairy-free, so I had some wiggle room.
the steps

Top row: The golden brown sponge cake and the spongy texture inside.//Bottom row: Rather than a brush, I used the small ladle that came with my gravy boat to gently spoon the three milks syrup onto the split cake layers and my carefully arranged mandarin oranges in the center.

The Sponge Cake

The recipe we were given to use started with 5 separated eggs and used only 1 cup of flour. That’s why I think a sponge cake is a great type of cake for gluten-free or Low-FODMAP baking because the whipped eggs whites are providing both the leavening (lift) as well as the majority of the protein structure, so I was able to use my go-to 5-Flour Blend and 3/4 tsp of xanthum gum (though I probably could have left that bit out) with no problems.

The technique for a sponge cake involves whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks and then gently folding the rest of the ingredients without deflating the whites. That’s where the danger lies. If you’re too forceful with that mixing, the eggs will lose the air trapped inside, the air that holds the place until the threads of protein coagulate (that really is the technical term) and can hold up the cake, and your finished cake will be dense and heavy and super-chewy. On the flip side, if you don’t mix it enough, you’ll have a streaky mess on your hands that won’t look or taste appetizing.

The Three Milks

No matter how well-made, a sponge cake is so named because it does have a texture than reminds one of a sponge and is usually a bit on the dry side. Which is why you should beware any recipe that does not come with or suggest a syrup or some other liquid be applied when the cake is still somewhat warm.

For Tres Leches the syrup is comprised of three milks, usually evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream, and our version suggested flavoring with cinnamon and rum. Since evaporated and condensed (evap + additional sugar) milks concentrate the High-FODMAP lactose levels, they were definitely not going to be in my version of this cake.

Instead, I opted to use 1 (13.5 oz) can of unsweetened coconut milk, 1 cup of lactose-free whole milk, and 6 oz of Velvet Cinn (a Horchata with rum and cinnamon made by Cruzan–reviewed on my cocktail blog). Now, the Velvet Cinn does contain milk, so there’s a little lactose in there (and rum is the only spirit not allowed on the Elimination phase of the diet, so can be problematic for some), but if you figure that a 9 inch cake yields 9 servings and there’s only 6 ounces of the liqueur in there, that’s under an ounce per serving and should be within tolerances for all but the most sensitive. Most of the alternatives I saw searching around included soy and almond milks, which aren’t really great from a Low-FODMAP standpoint. Rice milk is a good option, but you have to be careful which kind you get it to avoid High-FODMAP additives or sweeteners.

In the end, my syrup was thick and rich and soaked into the cake beautifully and I had no adverse reaction to the Velvet Cinn component.

A nice, respectable serving.

A nice, respectable serving.

The End Result

The Tres Leches cakes I’ve had in the past were not filled with anything and I don’t remember them being topped with anything other than maybe a swirl of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. For our version, mandarin oranges were suggested and since citrus is one of the easiest options on a Low-FODMAP diet, I decided to run with it. For the topping I suppose I could have used non-dairy whipped topping but I really wasn’t wanting to go such an artificial route, I guess? So instead I mixed another can of coconut milk with some powdered sugar for sweetness, arrowroot to help thicken a bit, and a splash of vanilla. It wasn’t a thick topping, more of a glaze, really, but it worked.

After chilling for a few hours I cut a slice for a pretty picture and because I was curious to taste how it turned out! That first night there was still quite a lot of coconut presence which is really no surprise with the coconut milk x2 and even some coconut flour in the cake. The next day, however, when I brought it out for our gaming group, the Velvet Cinn’s influence had asserted itself and the flavor was much more mellow.

Overall it was a fabulous first-go with the Daring Bakers and I look forward to next month’s challenge!

Review | Healing Fatty Liver Disease

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fattylivercover

***This is a sponsored post. A copy of Healing Fatty Liver Disease by Raman, Sirounis, and Shrubsole was provided for the purpose of review. No other compensation has been received. All opinions expressed are my own. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

A few years ago, as I was dealing with a number of converging health issues, an abdominal ultrasound revealed some “fatty infiltration” of the liver. At the time this was the least of my concerns and I joked that I was “foie gras.”

Fatty Liver Disease isn’t much to laugh about in all reality. Having measurable fat deposits in the liver may not progress to any sort of decrease in liver function, or it may progress so far as NASH or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (which is to say, liver disease with inflammation and scarring), not to mention an increased risk of developing cirrhosis. And while fatty infiltration can be detected, to an extent, by ultrasound, a liver biopsy is necessary to determine the extent of the infiltration and the severity of the disease.

Since I was already going in to have my gallbladder removed, my surgeon opted to do the biopsy then, which is when we found out that while there is fat in my liver, I also have A1AT (alpha-1 antitrypsin) deficiency–a rare, genetic condition that makes both my lungs and liver more susceptible to disease. Thankfully, regular liver function testing since then shows that my liver is just fine for now and we’ll continue monitoring it, probably for the rest of my life. And I need to not antagonize my liver too much to help keep those levels where they need to be.  This is one of the many reasons I jumped at the chance to take a look at Healing Fatty Liver Disease: A Complete Health & Diet Guide by Dr. Maitreyi Raman, MD, MSc, FRCPC; Angela Sirounis, BSc, RD; and Jennifer Shrubsole, BSc, RD.

Like many similar guides from the Robert Rose publishing house, the first part of the book is chock-a-block full of basic information about the role of the liver and general health information, as well as the ways the liver is affected by Fatty Liver Disease in particular. Since weight and it’s related contributions to daily life plays a part on the stress put on the liver, managing weight is a large part of the idea behind the Healthy Liver Diet.

Healthy Liver Diet Program Principles:

  • Low-calorie
  • High-fiber
  • Balanced food groups
  • Rich in micronutrients
  • Sustainable

Which is pretty much the same advice given to anyone advised to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner. The question for many, though, is how.

Since fatty liver disease is not something that’s looked for in the general way–it’s  usually discovered as a result of another health inquiry–most people are dealing with more things than just a liver concern, and it seldom surprises me (what with the massive food marketing pushes out there that often based on profit margins and not health) that folks don’t know how to go about refitting their daily needs to a liver-healthy (or heart-, etc.) diet. The authors apparently share this view, and that’s why they’ve not only included recipes that will work to that end but even 2-week menu plans that include 3 meals and 3 snacks a day based on 3 different calorie needs.

The recipes focus on “increasing total and prebiotic fiber, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D” and minimizing omega-6 fatty acids and saturated fats. In fact, this book included the most clear and concise explanation and examples of the difference between the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They do use margarine in some of their recipes, which I usually balk at, but at least these days there are better options for buttery spreads that do not include trans-fats.

Of course we tried out a few of those recipes, and I think they do a good job of showing that meals designed to meet the above requirements don’t have to feel like restrictions and can be tasty and satisfying.

Local Veggie Egg Scramble served with bacon and half a gluten-free English muffin

Local Veggie Scrambled Eggs served with bacon and half a gluten-free English muffin

The Local Veggie Scrambled Eggs (p.148) are almost more like a frittata than scrambled eggs, but they were very tasty nonetheless. For another meal we made their Oatmeal Banana Pancakes (p.149) and while they had a more waffle-batter texture than pourable pancake batter (something we’ve found to be pretty common in the “healthy” pancake recipes), the oatmeal was a nice touch and made for some very filling pancakes.

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes--very thick and fluffy when done!

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes–very thick and fluffy when done!

Ever since I first encountered jicama during my stint at the Plantation, I’ve been in love with it’s crisp, bright flavor and crunchy texture. Consequently, the Beet, Orange and Jicama Salad (p.187) was a bit hit with me. Meanwhile, the dressing on the Greens with Strawberries (p.189) salad was quite a hit but the sprouts in the salad part didn’t go over quite as well.

Greens with Strawberry Dressing

Greens with Strawberries

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Crust served with a baked potato and steamed bok choy.

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Crust served with a baked potato and steamed bok choy.

As entrees go, the Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Herb Crust (p.198) was positively decadent yet very simple to prepare, similar can be said for the Sweet and Sour Pork (p. 204), it’s always a good staple recipe to have on hand. 

Sweet and Sour Pork served with Ginger Carrots

Sweet and Sour Pork served with Ginger Carrots

Chicken in Butter Sauce served over Basmati rice with green beans on the side

Chicken in Butter Sauce served over Basmati rice with green beans on the side

The Chicken in Butter Sauce (p.210) is similar to what you’d find at your local Indian restaurant and filled our home with wonderful aromas. Continuing with the updated ethnic cuisines, I’d been craving Pad Thai (p.212) for a while, so when I saw that there was a version in this book I had to try it out. The sauce was possible the best I’ve tasted and did not use peanut butter so I didn’t even have to make any substitutions (Todd’s preferences).

Pad Thai with Beet, Jicama and Orange Salad

Pad Thai with Beet, Orange, and Jicama Salad

Thai Turkey Stir-Fry

Thai Turkey Stir-Fry

The Thai Turkey Stir-Fry (p.213) (recipe below) needed truly minimal adjustments to fit a Low-FODMAP diet (as with many of the recipes, the biggies were subbing garlic oil for garlic and the occasional onion substitutions) since bok choy and red bell peppers are already a-okay. Even though I subbed angel hair for the linguine (gf pasta availability is a bit hit-or-miss at our usual grocery store), the Linguine with Chile Shrimp (p. 230) was still quite tasty, though somewhat on the small side, portion-wise. All the more reason to serve a filling side dish!

"Linguine" with Chile Shrimp

“Linguine” with Chile Shrimp

Eggplant Lasagna tasted a lot better than it photographed!

Eggplant Lasagna tasted a lot better than it photographed!

Roasting the long, thin slices of eggplant for the Eggplant Lasagna (p.240) was a different way of going about thing but I can see where it helps move the cooking along and adds to the flavor. This dish was a bit of a mess when it was served up, but the flavor was hard to beat. And whereas you’d expect Ginger Carrots (p. 253) to be sweet, their recipe leans more to the savory–another nice change of pace.

By combining more than 100 pages of good, solid inner-working information and 100 recipes to get someone into the habit of cooking healthy meals, I think the authors have put together a good reference manual for someone who’s left the doctor’s office with a diagnosis of Fatty Liver Disease and wondering what to do next. I appreciated their candor when they talked about the non-sustainability of so many of the diet plans on the market today and the solid information they’ve presented, even if it can be a bit dry at times (it’s a tough road, making liver function interesting, so I don’t hold it against them too much). The only thing I wish they would have done is fill out the case studies they included throughout the learning section of the book with more information on the results, not just the decisions that the patients and the doctors made.

An online friend of mine, Tea Silvestri of The Word Chef, was recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease as well as a few more issues that part of the whole package. I suppose the real question about this book is whether I would recommend it as a reference for her own situation and, yes, I definitely would.

National Guacamole Day Dip & Sip? Challenge Accepted!

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Sponsor of the Dip & Sip Challenge: Piedra Azul Tequila

Sponsor of the Dip & Sip Challenge: Piedra Azul Tequila

I’ve always loved playing hostess at parties and I’m so lucky to have found, in Todd, a willing accomplice to party perfection. We try to throw at least one good-sized party a year (with written invitations, party favors, etc.) but with this year’s bash being the wedding (in 47 days–holy cats it’s getting close!), at-home entertaining has taken a back-seat. Sure, we have our group over for regular game nights but it’s just not the same.

Which is why, when I was invited to participate in the Dip & Sip Challenge in honor of National Guacamole Day (today, September 16) and sponsored by Piedra Azul Tequila, I jumped at the chance. The idea was that, as participants, we invite folks over to share some delicious guacamole and tequila cocktails and blog about it–it was just the kick in the pants I needed to stop focusing on the wedding for one night! Participating bloggers received a bottle of Pedra Azul Tequila, a copy of Gaby Dalkin’s new Absolutely Avocados cookbook, and a $25 gift card to Whole Foods (ours opens in less than a month and I can hardly wait to have one nearby, finally!).

Cheers!

Cheers!

For the past few months I’ve been hosting craft nights every other Wednesday, so I decided to capitalize on the fact that I was already planning to have friends over on the 11th and described the evening (in the Facebook invite) as “A Very Special Mid-Week Create Break.” Apparently I should have started theming the nights way before now as this week’s craft night garnered loads more interest than previous ones! (Even though a few girls had to bow out at the last minute due to life–unfortunate that life should get between us and tequila, but that’s the way it goes some days.) Our usual m.o. is to open a bottle of wine, pop in a chick-flick, and craft and chat for a couple of hours. This week’s wine would be a new tequila cocktail and this week’s movie would be Selena–though sometimes we talk more than watch, it’s nice to have something on in the background.

Gaby Dalkin, author of Absolutely Avocados, will be judging our Dip & Ship Challenge experiences!

Gaby Dalkin, author of Absolutely Avocados, will be judging our Dip & Ship Challenge experiences!

Reading through Absolutely Avocados for inspiration, there were just so many good ideas I found it difficult to limit myself to just one or two items. So I said to hell with it and ended up making 9 of her recipes to make sure we had a good smattering of avocado options and guarantee that there’d be something that each guest would love. I needn’t have worried, though: everything went over like gangbusters!

Now, to make this work on a weeknight (without taking a day off of work, that is), I did some preliminary staging on Monday night along with making my shopping and prep lists. There may have been spreadsheets involved. (Okay, there was definitely a spreadsheet involved.) Back at the beginning of the summer I’d received a box of goodies through Oriental Trading Company‘s Blogger Outreach program and (again, the whole lack of entertaining thing this year) hadn’t had a chance to use them. Since the plates, bandanas, cutlery, cups, and lanterns were all in these great spring greens and such, I figured they’d be a great way to dress up the serving area for our tasty treats and pull everything together nicely.

A rough draft of how the food table would look.

A rough draft of how the food table would look.

Tuesday night saw me picking up the last few necessary ingredients and doing all the food prep I could possibly do. I baked the cookies, made the salsa, and blind-baked the crust for the quiche as well as all the other slicing and dicing possible–storing most things in quart-sized baggies, some in recycled take-out soup containers–short of actually cutting the avocados. Since they brown so easily, it was enough to get everything else done so that the next night would just be a matter of assembly and final cooking.

What 5 hours of concerted effort looks like.

What 5 hours of concerted effort looks like.

Wednesday night I chopped about a dozen avocados (my success rate for cleanly getting the pits out of the avocado halves is about 1 in 3 at this point). I started the quiche in the oven, set up the rice cooker (one less thing to monitor over doing it on the stove), and got the blender and food processor going. As soon as the quiche came out the turkey sliders went into the oven and as each item was completed, it could immediate go out into the serving area. Because I’d decided where and on what each item would go the night(s) before, there was no mad scramble at the end to make everything fit. By the time most of our guests arrived at 7:30, I was simply waiting for the sliders to finish as Todd put the cookies out and I mixed the veggies and dressing in with the finished rice.

I hope everyone's hungry!

I hope everyone’s hungry!

We sampled:

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  • Avocado Quiche Lorraine (p.41)
    So incredibly rich; I used a pre-made gluten-free pie crust and subbed plain Greek-style yogurt for the heavy cream. The latter reduced the lactose-load, making it more Low-FODMAP friendly. It did take a bit longer to bake than the recipe specified, but that could be partially because I’d mixed the filling the night before and it was still a bit chilly when it went into the oven.

jwalker_nb_guacday_supersmoothies

  • Avocado Super Food Smoothie (p. 46)
    The serving size said “2” and since I wasn’t really sure how big the servings were I prepped a double batch just to be on the safe side. One batch was plenty as it made an entire blender-full, but the extra has not gone to waste. I’ve been sipping on it as an after-work “snack” as well as subbing it for my usual breakfast oatmeal once or twice. It was a big hit with our guests, too! (And subbing cane syrup for the honey/agave nectar was an ideal Low-FODMAP solution, though I’d bet you could leave it out entirely and not be disappointed in the smoothie one bit.)

jwalker_nb_guacday_baconcotijaguac

  • Bacon-Cotija Guacamole (p.55)
    Oh, man. Bacon, cheese, and avocados–there is nothing whatsoever wrong with that combination! This is a hearty guacamole that is so good I’ve found I can only eat a little of it at a time. Like really good chocolate or really rich ice cream. A little goes a long way, even though you don’t want to walk away from it for a moment.

jwalker_nb_guacday_kopanisticrudite

  • Avocado Kopanisti (p.67)
    One of the ladies I’d invited doesn’t eat pork, so I wanted to make sure I had a alternative dip and this feta and roasted red bell pepper concoction really fit the bill. Not only did it offer a change in flavor from the usual guacamole, it also offered a change in color as well. Since the recipe calls for both fresh garlic and olive oil, I substituted garlic-infused oil to get the flavor across without pushing this into High-FODMAP territory.

jwalker_nb_guacday_avocrabquesadilla_avotomatillosalsa

  • Crab & Avocado Quesadilla (p.103)
    While I know everyone liked these, they were what I ended up with the most of as leftovers and let me tell you I am not complaining! Since there were already green onions in this recipe, I skipped the red onion entirely and used brown rice tortillas instead of flour. I’d heard some not-so-great things about the brown rice wraps in general, but I think for something like quesadillas they worked perfectly and, as a bonus, they stayed crisp even after being refrigerated (which made the leftovers all the easier to munch on). Served with the Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa (p.66) they were both bright and rich, a perfect combination. And the salsa? I’ve been noshing on that all weekend with chips, it might just be my new favorite thing.

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  • Cheese-Bellied Guacamole Turkey Burger (p.138)
    Can I just say that I love the phrase “cheese-bellied”?! It’s such a fun alternative to the usual stuffed burgers, and fun food is half the battle, sometimes. Anyway, these spicy burgers (which I made slider-size to continue our tapas-esque offerings) get a cooling assist via some of the Bacon-Cotija Guacamole on top. I served them with a tiny crouton of toasted gluten-free bread to keep them just this side of mini-meatball territory. And while the recipe calls for garlic salt, I just used a couple of pinches of Kosher salt and some garlic-infused oil–with lean turkey meat I’ve found you’re going to want a bit of additional fat anyway.

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  • Vegetarian Avocado Sushi Bowl (p.175)
    Studded with veggies and tossed with a slightly sweet dressing (again, cane syrup for the honey is a great Low-FODMAP option, or you could use maple syrup–it could definitely hold it’s own with the gf tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame oil), this made a great option for something more filling, along the lines of the quiche, but without the pesky animal proteins–always good to have a veggie option on hand, after all. About the only thing I might have done differently (and will, if I make this again) is to add a chiffonade of nori on top, just to bring the sushi vibe home. Alas, this was also the one dish that just didn’t hold up quite so well as leftovers. (Still tasty, just not quite as pretty to look at the next day.)

jwalker_nb_guacday_avochocchipcookies

  • Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies (p.178)
    How could I not include a dessert item made with avocados?! I was a little apprehensive about this one at the beginning: the creamed butter, sugar, and avocado was a rather icky greyish green color, but as the rest of the ingredients went in the color lightened until there was just the barest tint in the finished dough and none whatsoever in the baked cookies. Chilling is super-important for this dough and even then was very sticky. My usual Low-FODMAP flour blend and 3/4 tsp of xanthum gum worked perfectly in these cookies and the avocado (in place of a good portion of the butter) made for dense, moist cookies that everyone absolutely adored.

jwalker_nb_guacday_mixingup

While my friends began to nibble on all of the above, I got to work on our cocktail of the night. I teased a picture of it on Friday’s Sips column, but here’s the full scoop. It’s the love child of a margarita and a mojito, which I call…

The Guajito

1-2 sprigs Cilantro
pinch Kosher Salt
pinch Raw Sugar
5-6 cubes Avocado
1/2 oz Piedra Azul Blanco Tequila
3 oz Lemon-flavored Sparkling Soda

In the bottom of a low-ball or stemless wine glass muddle the cilantro, salt, sugar, and avocado pieces enough to break up the avocado and release some of the oils from the cilantro. Fill the glass 3/4 full of ice, pour in the tequila and soda and stir to combine. You may want to serve with a spoon so that your guests can make sure not to miss the avocadoey goodness submersed in the drink.

jwalker_nb_guacday_theguajitococktail

Because it was a weeknight and the ladies would be driving home (eventually–we went a full hour over our usual time) and we all had to work the next morning, I wanted a cocktail that had the warmth of a traditional margarita but would still be light enough that no one had to worry about a hangover. The Piedra Azul Blanco is assertive enough to not be missed, even though it’s the smaller of the two liquids in the drink. The soda I used is lightly sweetened with cane sugar (no High-Fructose Corn Syrup here!) and was light and refreshing. I would not suggest using the usual lemon-line sodas for this, it would be too cloying; go for something a little nicer and you’ll be well-rewarded.

Time absolutely flew by! We must have spent at least an hour eating, drinking, and chatting before putting the movie on amd doing a bit of crafting. Before we knew it, it was 10:30!  Some doggie-bags were made and I wished my friends a contented “good night and drive safe” before teaming up with Todd (okay, he did most of the heavy-lifting) to un-wreck the kitchen. Finishing 8 dishes in 2 hours makes for a bit of a mess, but thankfully it only looked bad. No one was up til the wee hours scrubbing and polishing anything, I promise!

Thank you, Piedra Azul for sponsoring our little Avocado-Fest 2013!

Low-FODMAP Seeded Chicken Salad

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jwalker_nb_seededchickensalad_crackersA lot of living with a medically-necessary restricted diet, is finding ways to enjoy our favorite foods in ways that fit our new needs. Some ingredients post more challenges than others, it’s true, but often it’s just a matter of knowing your ingredients.

Chicken salad–either as a salad topping, sandwich filling, or snack with crackers–used to be one of my favorite things to whip up for picnics or a weekend lunch. My preferred version’s not-so-secret ingredient used diced apples for their bright flavor and crunchy texture. Sometimes I’d also add walnuts, but not often. Since apples are ingredient-non-grata on a Low-FODMAP diet (they’re naturally high in fructose, fructans, and polyols), I needed to tweak my go-to recipe. And while walnuts are fine, in limited quantities, they don’t show up in our home very often due to Todd’s dislike of them.

Low-FODMAP Seeded Chicken Salad

1 celery stalk, small dice (~ 1/2 cup)
3 green onion tops, sliced (~ 2 Tbsp)
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2 Tbsp hulled sunflower seeds
1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/3 – 1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Serve atop mixed greens or with crackers. Makes about 2.5 cups.

Make sure that your mayonnaise is low-FODMAP–many include onion or garlic for flavor and if you’re sensitive to fructans this could be an issue for you. Hellmann’s seems to be a reliable choice (we buy the olive oil variety) but you need to always check the labels as formulas can change. Of course you can also make your own mayo or even substitute a lactose-free Greek-style yogurt for some or all of it.

You may not need a lot of additional salt if your sunflower seeds can fill that role, and the grapes add a touch of sweetness.

You may not need a lot of additional salt if your sunflower seeds can fill that role, and the grapes add a touch of sweetness.

To make this a quick recipe, I like to keep a few 13 oz. cans of chicken breast (water-packed) on hand. Drain the chicken and then break up the meat with your fingers and it’s perfect for a dish like this where you want the chicken distributed throughout the salad and not in chunks.

Artisan Nut Thins Group

When we have friends coming over it’s nice to put a bowl of this out with crackers. Wheat-free crackers often leave something to be desired, however, so I was pleased to receive samples of Blue Diamond’s Artisan Nut Thins to try with it. The crackers have a shiny look to them, are very crisp (almost brittle), but the flavors are quite tasty. I served up the chicken salad as a snack with some of the Sesame Seed, Flax Seed, and Multi-Seed Nut Thins and all seemed to go over very well. My favorite is probably the Flax Seed variety, though they’re all tasty.

jwalker_nb_lowfodmap_seededchickensalad_nutthins

(Keep in mind that Nut Thins from Blue Diamond are primarily almond flour, and almonds have recently been found to be higher in FODMAPs than originally thought. Because of this you need to gauge your own sensitivity to almond products, including Nut Thins.)

Review | Ultimate Nachos

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***This is a sponsored post. I was provided a copy of Ultimate Nachos by Lee Frank and Rachel Anderson for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own and no additional compensation has been received. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

Who doesn’t like nachos?

(That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. If you truly do not like nachos I’m not sure you should say anything, it might well color the way I think of you. No, really, just keep that to yourself.)

In case you didn’t catch that, I love nachos. They are fantastic snacks to munch on in a group setting and a fantastic light supper if you’re more in the mood for grazing. Of course, one of the downsides to nachos is the tendency of some to pile each item in a layer, leaving the bottom-most chips mostly or completely naked, but with a little forethought you can avoid that, too.

While the authors of Ultimate Nachos obviously have a high respect for a well-crafted plate of nachos, they seem to carefully walk the line of acceptable components and creativity. They eschew round chips (though I have no personal issue with those) and (rightly-so) the day-glow glop poured on them at convenience stores and movie theaters. On the other plate, they have salsas with fruit, guac with bacon, and nachos with a waffle-chip base! But it’s not all chips and toppings, the authors also include nacho-inspired beverages and desserts and everything is wonderfully photographed; designed to make your mouth water.

Nachos were originally created by Piedras Negras in Coahuila, Mexico, in 1943 for some customers who arrived after the kitchen was already closed. These Nachos Especiales were the utmost in simplicity: corn tortialla chips, shredded Longhorn cheddar cheese, and some pickled jalapeno slices. My, how things have progressed!

Sunny Side Nachos: sausage, chips, a fried egg and plenty of cheese!

Sunny Side Nachos: sausage, chips, a fried egg and plenty of cheese!

One night we tried out a breakfast option: Sunny Side Nachos (p 53). Breakfast casserole meets nachos in a wonderfully gooey combination of cheese and sausage. This would certainly make a sumptuous feast for a Cinco de Mayo brunch!

Not a true nacho per se, these Irish Nachos were still very tasty!

Not a true nacho per se, these Irish Nachos were still very tasty!

We had a friend over one night and cooked up a pan of their Irish Nachos (p 92) for an evening repast. With such a name you’d almost expect corned beef brisket and cabbage on these nachos, but instead it’s bacon and waffle-cut potatoes that make these “Irish.” (By the by, the Reuben Nachos (p 45) do use corned beef and sauerkraut, so if that’s what you’re hankering for, it’s there.) These actually resemble my own Stacked Spuds, which is a take-off of a restaurant appetizer in a now-defunct steakhouse chain, but there’s nothing wrong with that–great minds and all that.

The wonder that is the Chicken Chorizo Nachos--as decadent as they are delicious!

The wonder that is the Chicken Chorizo Nachos–as decadent as they are delicious!

We rounded out our nacho tour with their Chicken Chorizo Nachos (p 78) that also makes use of the Easy Pickled Red Cabbage (p 122) and Avocado-Horseradish Crema (p 120) from the Extras chapter in the back of the book (just past the Desserts and Drinks chapters). Of the three nacho recipes we’ve sampled (so far) these were the kind you just wanted to keep eating even at the risk of becoming ill from too much of a good thing. Seriously, the richness of the chorizo and crema tempered by the tang of the picked cabbage was just such an amazing combination it was hard to stop!

One of the great things about most nacho concoctions, though, is that they are naturally gluten-free, often vegetarian-friendly, and if you’re careful with the ingredients can easily fit into a Low-FODMAP lifestyle. So the next time you’re looking for inspiration to feed your friends or just your yourself something different, Ultimate Nachos is not a bad place to start.

Have a delicious day!