I developed this recipe as an alternative to making tuna salad with mayonnaise. Ceviche is a Peruvian dish of raw fish mixed with vegetables and citrus juice. The citrus juice ‘cooks’ the fish. For our low spoons version we are using canned fish – tuna or salmon – and adding the fresh, tasty flavors of ceviche.
This ‘ceviche’ is fantastic on corn tortilla chips. You can buy them or make your own. You can of course also enjoy it on toasted low FODMAP bread or low FODMAP crackers. Also makes a yummy soft taco filling.
Low FODMAP Ceviche-Style Salmon Salad
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 (5-ounce) cans of salmon or tuna, drained
1/4 cup scallions, chopped (green parts only)
2 med tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 med green bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
1 English cucumber (~1.25 cups), peeled, seeded, and chopped
a handful cilantro, chopped, plus several sprigs for garnish
1 lemon or lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
avocado slices (optional)
GF tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
Place salmon in a bowl. Add scallions, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, and drizzle with lemon or lime juice and combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
To serve, top with fresh sliced of avocado and serve with GF corn tortilla chips.
Canned tuna is super convenient and cost-effective, making it a great center of a low effort meal. However the usual go-to tuna salad with mayonnaise is not something I eat on purpose. I don’t mind it for nostalgia’s sake once in a great while, but generally I’d rather have something else. I decided to try to come up with a new recipe using ingredients I’d normally have on hand that was nothing like mayo-based tuna salad.
What I came up with was a Tunisian-inspired tuna salad that’s nothing like the old standard. Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you have for this. Use your choice of olives. Black pearl olives have a mellow flavor. When I use them, I skip the scallions. The much stronger flavor of kalamata olives is complimented scallions. It’s up to you to make it yours. Lemon juice is the better choice of acid, but if you don’t have any on hand, red wine vinegar makes a decent substitute.
Low FODMAP North African Tuna Salad
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 – 5oz can tuna, drained
1 tbsp lemon juice (preferred) or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
5-6 black pearl or kalamata olives, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
2-3 scallions, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
tomato slices (optional)
fresh arugula (optional)
Instructions
Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, capers, olives and oregano in a mixing bowl.
Add the tuna, scallions and parsley and mix well. Taste and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir.
When you live someplace cool and rainy, you tend to develop a fondness for soups. A local favorite soup here in Seattle (and the rest of the Pacific Northwest) is Salmon Chowder. Some folks use smoked salmon for their chowder, others use a combination of unsmoked salmon plus bacon. However it’s made, smoke flavor adds a nice dimension to this creamy soup. If you tolerate sourdough, salmon chowder is wonderful when accompanied by a chunk of bread. It’s even better served in a sourdough boule bread bowl.
For this easy recipe you can use either canned skinless, boneless salmon (plus optional bacon if you can swing the effort) or you can use hot-smoked salmon. Just be sure your hot-smoked salmon contains no high FODMAP ingredients. Be aware that some ‘traditional’ types of canned salmon contain skin and bones. Look for cans that are clearly labeled skinless and boneless to avoid any texture unpleasantness.
Concerned about heavy cream? It turns out that heavy cream is high enough in milk fat and low enough in lactose to be low FODMAP. I admit I was nervous trying it for the first time, but I was fine. However, everyone’s tolerances are different. If a particular type of plant milk works better for you, by all means use it. Because this soup is thickened with flour, it doesn’t need the cream to stay thick.
If you don’t have Old Bay on hand or you don’t feel like making a copycat version, you can add 1/8 teaspoon each of paprika and celery seed.
2 – 5 oz cans boneless, skinless salmon, drained plus 4 strips bacon, cooked (optional) and crumbled OR 8 oz hot-smoked salmon, chopped into bite sized pieces, skin discarded
1 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Melt the butter then add leek, carrots, celery and corn. Stir in sea salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they start to soften.
Sprinkle the sweet rice flour and pepper over the buttery veggies and stir until coated. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid clumps.
Add the potato, salmon and bacon to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in the heavy cream and warm until heated through. Serve topped with a little parsley.
This simple, earthy soup is easily made with pantry ingredients and takes about ten minutes start to finish. It’s a perfectly serviceable and easy meal in its most basic form for those low spoon days, but the beauty of this recipe is its modular nature. Adding fresh ingredients boosts both flavor and nutrition if you can manage the effort. This soup makes an excellent meal-for-one option.
You can customize this soup with a variety of proteins and vegetables based on your preferences or what you have on hand. Recommended veggie and protein options and how to prepare them follow the recipe. Select 1-3 vegetables and 1-2 proteins for the best results. Alternatively, substitute a suitable frozen low FODMAP vegetable medley for fresh veggies.
When serving this soup, I do so Asian style by providing both chopsticks and a ceramic spoon. Personally I am comfortable using chopsticks in my dominant hand while using the spoon in the other. If you find it’s tough to eat this way, you can break or cut the noodles into smaller lengths so it can be eaten with just a spoon. Be careful when breaking noodles by hand as they can cut you. Break a small number noodles at a time. Alternatively you can use cooking shears to carefully cut the noodles once they’ve softened in the boiling water.
A bowl of noodle soup with shrimp, boiled eggs, bok choy and scallions. Just needs sesame seeds.
Combine water and broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, 4-6 minutes (see noodle packaging). Stir occasionally to keep noodles from sticking.
Add chosen vegetables and proteins when recommended. (See below).
When the noodles are fully cooked, remove the saucepan from heat and add sesame oil, garlic-infused oil and tamari. Stir well. Ladle soup into a large bowl. Top with sesame seeds, a pinch of white pepper, and any other garnish you’re using.
Veggie Options
If you have other fresh or frozen vegetables on hand, these are some that work well with the flavors of this soup.
Romaine Lettuce – Romaine lettuce holds up great in a hot soup. It doesn’t get mushy or slimy and provides a little crunch and freshness as well as nutrition. Slice a large leaf into thin strips that cross the rib. Top soup with them just before serving.
Baby Bok Choy – According to Monash up to one cup of bok Choy is tolerated by most. Quarter 2 baby bok choy and add them in the last 1 minute to 30 seconds of cooking.
Broccoli Florets – According to Monash up to 3/4 cup is tolerated by most. Use fresh or frozen. Add in the last minute of cooking for tender crisp doneness. Add a minute earlier if you prefer more tender broccoli.
Julienned Carrots – Add julienned carrots in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. If julienning the carrots is too much work, try using a vegetable peeler to make thin strips. Toss the strips in when there’s just one minute of cooking left. Monash recommends limiting carrots to 1/2 of a medium carrot.
Fresh Spinach – Add a handful or two of spinach leaves just before removing from heat. Stir in.
Scallions – Slice one scallion into rings (green parts only). Top soup with them just before serving.
Protein Options
Shredded or Cubed Cooked Chicken – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Rotisserie chicken works great.
Thinly Sliced Steak – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. This is a great use for leftover steak.
Cooked Ground Pork – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
Halved Boiled Egg – soft, medium or hard boiled, it’s up to you. Add to your bowl of soup just before serving.
Poached Egg – poach the egg separately from the rest of the soup. Add to finished soup just before serving.
Shrimp – cooked shrimp can be added in the last 2-3 minutes. Thawed raw shrimp require 4-5 minutes at a slow boil.
Tofu – use extra firm tofu that has been cut into cubes. Add tofu in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
A Meximelt is a discontinued Taco Bell menu item. It was a soft flour tortilla filled with seasoned ground beef, lots of melted cheese and salsa. For our version we swap out the flour tortilla for corn and use low FODMAP Pico de Gallo to make gut-friendly cheesy goodness.
The Meximelt, now gone from the Taco Bell menu.
Meximelts are meant to be extra cheesy, almost like a TexMex grilled cheese. You can use a Mexican cheese blend or you can try half cheddar and half Monterey Jack cheese. If you tolerate pepper Jack cheese, that could work as well.
According to Monash, up 3 corn tortillas are tolerated by most people on the low FODMAP diet. Supermarket chili powder often contains garlic and onion. Look for chili powder without garlic and onion online. Some ethic brands of chili powder are also free of those ingredients. If you can’t find it, replace with more paprika.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and 2 tbsp water. Cook the beef, stirring and breaking up the meat, for 5-6 minutes. Pour off excess fat and water. Stir in garlic-infused olive oil and cook for another minute.
Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, pepper, oregano, salt, cornstarch and scallions. Stir until well combined. Add the water and broth concentrate, stir, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Ingredients: Pico de Gallo
1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, sliced (green parts only, about 4 scallions)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of half a lime (about 2 tbsp)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions: Pico de Gallo
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. It can be served right away, but for best flavor refrigerate for at least an hour.
Ingredients: Assembly and Cooking
16 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend
10-12 corn tortillas
prepared Salsa Cruda (see above)
prepared Seasoned Ground Beef (see above)
Instructions: Assembly and Cooking
For each Meximelt: Place a slightly damp paper towel on a plate and lay a tortilla on it. Add shredded cheese to just half the tortilla in a half moon shape. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of seasoned beef, spreading it evenly over the cheese. Add a spoonful of salsa cruda. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over.
Wrap the paper towel around the filled tortilla. Microwave for 1 minute or until melted. Serve.
Alternate cooking method: Heat oven or toaster oven to 425. Move rack to the highest position. Place unfolded Meximelt on a lined baking tray and bake 3-4 minutes or all the cheese is melted. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and fold in half. Serve.
Most of my experience making mashed potatoes has been preparing them for holiday dinners. They’re a big favorite so I usually make a lot at a time. It occurred to me recently, however, that I wasn’t sure if I knew how to make a small batch.
You can certainly use this recipe to make as many servings as you like of course; in that case this recipe will help you more accurately plan how much to make. But I developed this recipe with a time- and effort-saving trick for smaller dinners and smaller appetites. (Don’t worry it works on big recipes too.) This recipe features a unique step involving a baking rack. If you don’t have one a sieve, colander or other food safe wire rack could work.
Up to 2 cups of potato should be tolerated by most people following the low FODMAP diet, but a typical single serving of mashed potatoes is around a half cup.
Low FODMAP Easy Mashed Potatoes for 2
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
1 pound russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half (2 large potatoes)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 tablespoons
Add halved potatoes to a large pot then pour over enough water to cover potatoes by 1″. Add 1 tsp sea salt. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook at rapid simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife or fork – about 10-20 minutes. Drain. Let cool until able to be handled comfortably – 5-10 minutes.
Arrange a clean baking rack over a large mixing bowl. One at a time place the potatoes cut side down on the rack and gently press so the flesh falls into the bowl but not the skin. Discard the skins or save for another use.
Mash potatoes by hand with a potato ricer or beat on the lowest speed possible with a mixer.
Add the butter, milk, garlic infused oil and 1/8 tsp salt. Mash/beat until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve warm.
There’s no denying the pleasure of a simply prepared salmon cake. A nice fish cake with light bit of crust and a moist interior can be very satisfying. However the addition of Indian spices can elevate a simple fish cake into a culinary delight. These golden-toned salmon cakes are packed with flavor. Serve them as a main course or as an appetizer.
This recipe was developed with canned salmon in mind. Be aware that some types of canned salmon contain skin and bones. They are soft and edible but some people dislike the texture. If you prefer no skin or bones, be sure to read the packaging carefully. Look for the labels ‘boneless’ or ‘deboned’. You can of course use any leftover salmon fillets you may have on hand. The rest of the ingredients are usually found around most kitchens, making this an ideal ‘pantry meal’. The resulting salmon cakes are light and moist. They’re great on their own, but some folks prefer theirs with a bit of sauce.
Low FODMAP Indian-Spiced Salmon Cakes
Makes 8 small cakes or 2-3 servings.
Ingredients
10 oz cooked salmon (2 5 oz cans)
6 tbsp gluten-free panko
2 tbsp real mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans recommended)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions (green parts only)
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp low FODMAP chili powder (if tolerated)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
Combine the panko, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, scallions, cilantro, spices, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Drain the salmon well and gently stir in, leaving some large chunks of fish. Add enough egg to be able to form patties that stick together and mix until even. If it becomes too runny, add a little more panko.
Divide the salmon mixture in half, then repeat 2 more times so that there are 8 equal portions. Form each portion into a small cake about an inch tall.
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil. When hot, add the cakes to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Do not overcook.
Serve hot, with or without sauce, accompanied by lemon wedges.
Troubleshooting
Having trouble with cakes that don’t hold together? Let’s figure out why.
Too chunky – it’s great to leave larger chunks of fish for texture, but there must be enough fish mashed with the panko and eggs to hold together. Try leaving fewer chunks.
Too dry – there must be the right amount of beaten egg in order for the mixture to hold together. Add a little bit of egg at a time, mixing well, until you can form a patty.
Too wet – sometimes there’s too much egg and it becomes too wet to hold shape. In this case add small amounts of panko until the mixture becomes sticky enough to hold together.
Don’t overdo it – if you wind up adding a lot of egg and panko, this can cause the resulting fish cakes to become dense and heavy. Use a light touch when adding egg or panko.
Kebat is Burmese dish of of usually chicken or steak and tomatoes prepared in a light curry sauce and served with rice. Restaurant versions of kebat can be quite complex featuring a vast array of herbs and spices, while homestyle kebat keeps it simple. Burmese food is not very well known in the United States unfortunately. It’s a shame because there’s so much to love about it. The flavors of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent meld in Myanmar to create a uniquely delicious cuisine. This easy home-style dish is an excellent introduction to it.
The most authentic curry to use for this dish is Madras curry. Madras curry is on the hotter side of curry powders. If you tolerate chilis and spicy food, find a low FODMAP version that does not contain onion or garlic and use that. If, like me, you don’t do well with capsaicin, you can make your own low FODMAP Curry Powder and customize it to your liking. It’s just as delicious. Really though, any curry powder (Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, etc) you can tolerate will taste great.
Combine curry powder, fish sauce, 1 tbsp garlic infused oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken and mix until evenly coated. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
Chop the white ends off the scallions and discard. Take the top 1/3 of the useable portion of the scallions and chop them. Cut the remaining sturdier lower portions into 2” lengths.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil. When it is hot, add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the water and the chopped scallions. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes more.
Add the long-cut scallions and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 1 minute more. The scallions should be wilted with a bit of crunch. The tomatoes should still be solid, not squishy. Do not overcook.
Remove from heat. Dish out portions. Top each with fresh cilantro. Serve with hot jasmine rice, lime wedges on the side.
I’d almost given up on salmon cakes. The recipes I’d tried in the past always seemed to deliver dry fish-flavored pucks. It occurred to me that Maryland crab cakes are usually moist with a light crust. Fish and crab behave similarly in the kitchen. Why not try making salmon cakes the same way? As it turns out, the results were pretty good.
There’s a lot of debate as to exactly what constitutes an authentic Maryland crab cake, but the most basic crab cake is simply lump crab meat mixed with a little mayo and mustard with some kind of starchy binder mixed with egg. The trick to making it delicious is to keep it simple. Preparing salmon in a similar fashion results in an inexpensive, quick meal or an easy appetizer.
This recipe was developed with canned salmon in mind. Be aware that some types of canned salmon contain skin and bones. They are soft and edible but some people dislike the texture. If you prefer no skin or bones, be sure to read the packaging carefully. Look for the labels ‘boneless’ or ‘deboned’. You can of course use any leftover salmon fillets you may have on hand. The rest of the ingredients are usually found around most kitchens, making this an ideal ‘pantry meal’. The resulting salmon cakes are light and moist. They’re great on their own, but some folks prefer theirs with a bit of sauce. Try low FODMAP Tartar Sauce, Basil-Balsamic Mayo or serve with eggs and 2-Minute Hollandaise Sauce.
Feeling a little spicy? Take your salmon cakes to the next level by introducing seasonings and fresh vegetables. Check out the Variation section for how to make a less simple salmon cake.
Low FODMAP Simple Salmon Cakes
Makes 8 small cakes or 2-3 servings.
Ingredients
10 oz cooked salmon (2 5 oz cans)
6 tbsp gluten-free panko
2 tbsp real mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans recommended)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp of Worcestershire
pinch sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
Combine the panko, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Drain the salmon well and gently stir in, leaving some large chunks of fish. Add enough egg to be able to form patties that stick together and mix until even. If it becomes too runny, add a little more panko.
Divide the salmon mixture in half, then repeat 2 more times so that there are 8 equal portions. Form each portion into a small cake about an inch tall.
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil. When hot, add the cakes to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Remove cakes to a plate lined with paper towels.
Serve hot, with or without sauce, accompanied by lemon wedges.
Troubleshooting
Having trouble with cakes that don’t hold together? Let’s figure out why.
Too chunky – it’s great to leave larger chunks of fish for texture, but there must be enough fish mashed with the panko and eggs to hold together. Try leaving fewer chunks.
Too dry – there must be the right amount of beaten egg in order for the mixture to hold together. Add a little bit of egg at a time, mixing well, until you can form a patty.
Too wet – sometimes there’s too much egg and it becomes too wet to hold shape. In this case add small amounts of panko until the mixture becomes sticky enough to hold together.
Don’t overdo it – if you wind up adding a lot of egg and panko, this can cause the resulting fish cakes to become dense and heavy. Use a light touch when adding egg or panko.
Variation
Old Bay Salmoncakes – Try adding 2 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper, 1 tbsp of finely chopped scallions (green parts only), 1 tsp fresh parsley and 1/4 tsp of Old Bay seasoning blend (if tolerated, contains capsaicin).
Old Bay Salmoncakes. I only wish I’d used red bell pepper instead of green.
The culinary term “Florentine” has historically referred to dishes made with spinach and meat topped with Mornay sauce, which is béchamel sauce supplemented with cheese. However over the years the meaning has changed somewhat, with cooks often dropping the heavy cream sauce from ‘Florentine’ dishes, but retaining the spinach and cheese.
Florentine Chicken soup with low FODMAP pasta variation.
This easy soup is packed with flavorful, healthy veggies, Italian seasonings and of course chicken. For this dish, you can chop the chicken before adding if you like, but I prefer to cook the pieces whole then shred them. Either method produces great results. Top each bowl of soup with a handful of Parmesan cheese to make a delightfully satisfying one-pot meal that’s ready in about 40 minutes.
The soup can be made as written or modified to your tastes. Following the recipe are several variations to try. Please note that this dish contains some ingredients that are not low FODMAP. Keep an eye on portion size.
Low FODMAP Florentine Chicken Soup
Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped (optional)
2 med carrots, chopped
1/2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 packed cups chopped fresh spinach or 5 oz of frozen spinach
Heat a stock pot over medium high heat. Add the celery, carrots, bell pepper, scallions, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken thighs whole. Simmer on low for 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a plate and shred using two forks, then return it to the pot.
Add garlic-infused olive oil and the spinach. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until spinach is wilted. Taste and add sea salt and pepper as desired.
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Variations
Need to extend the soup or simply want to mix things up?
Try adding 2 diced Yukon gold potatoes along with the other vegetables.
Try adding a can of diced tomatoes along with the other vegetables.
Try topping individual portions with cooked low FODMAP pasta.
Try topping with shredded mozzarella instead of Parmesan.
Forks, Lives and Spoons 
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