Quinoa, Veg & Caramelised Pecans – low FODMAP and gut friendly

This recipe is super tasty, high in protein, gut friendly dinner that is low FODMAP so great for anyone with bloating or indigestion. It takes 30 minutes to make and will serve 4 people. It is one of our most popular recipes on our online Gut health revolution course which we run with Consultant gastroenterologist Dr. Alan Desmond and dietician Rosie Martin.

Takes: 30 mins | Makes: 4 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner

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Here we cook the quinoa in water and then cook the veg by adding them in on top of the cooking quinoa. Its an easy all in one dish excluding another pan for caramelising the nuts. Quinoa is a total super food, a pseudo grain that is in fact a seed that is packed with protein, fibre as well as lots of other nutrition. We use peas here to give a lovely contrast of colours and we cook the quinoa with some turmeric in it to give it a vibrant yellow colour while also adding loads of mighty antioxidants too.

We use the green part of a leek here instead of an onion as the green part of a leek is low FODMAP which means low in fermentable carbohydrates which means it is gut friendly when compared to onions and garlic. Try to choose a leek with plenty of green stalk on it.

FAQ – frequently asked questions

Where do I get quinoa?

You can get quinoa in most supermarkets or health food stores. It stores for a long time like most grains and comes in multiple colours such as black, red and white. You can cook quinoa in veg stock to give it more flavour.

Can i use other veg instead?

Absolutely! You could use whatever other veg you have in the fridge, the veg are very much interchangeable. It would go great with squash or pumpkin, peppers, courgettes, mushrooms..whatever veg you have!!

Can i freeze this dish?

Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great. We suggest freezing it in portions so you only have to reheat what you need so it avoids wastage.

How am i best storing this?

Allow it to cook and store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for at least 2 days in the fridge.

Why do you only use the green part of the leek?

We only use the green part as it is lower in Fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPS) so easier to digest while also delivering a lot of flavour.

How long does this dish last in the fridge?

It will last for at least 2 days in the fridge

How to cook quinoa

Cooking quinoa is quite similar to cooking a lot of other grains. We usually add 2 part water to 1 part grain (by volume) into a suitable sized pot and put it on a high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat, put a lid on, ensuring to leave it slightly ajar so that the steam can evaporate and continue to boil until nearly all the water has evaporated (till there is approx 2cm of water left at the bottom). Put the lid on to cover the cooking quinoa and turn the heat off. Leave the quinoa to cook in its own steam for 5 minutes. This will make the quinoa to puff up and become lighter and fluffier.

Caramelising nuts

Here we caramelise pecan nuts. We use pecans as they are lower in FODMAPs than other nuts.

Serving suggestions for this dish?

• This quinoa dish goes great with tofu – here is lovely recipe of 3 ways to cook tofu
• Although from a very different food background – these Mexican tacos are next level!
• If you are looking for a dessert to go along with this we have loads, this 5 ingredient chocolate salted caramel cake is easy to make and tastes fab!

Other gut friendly low FODMAP recipes

• Here’s another low FODMAP gut friendly Easy Veg Korma
• Delicious low FODMAP gut friendly muffins – these go great as a snack and even for breakfast 🙂
• A real classic using lentils is this easy to make low FODMAP Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese

Quinoa, Steamed Veg & Caramelised Pecans

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A delicious tasty recipe using quinoa. It is low FODMAP so really friendly for your gut. It is easy to make and is one of the most popular recipes on our gut health revolution course. It works great with whatever veg you have in!

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Takes 30 minutes minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

• 2 tomatoes 360g / 360g tinned
• 200 g greens of leeks (green part of 2 leeks)
• 40 g fresh ginger
• 250 g sweet potato
• 1 red pepper
• 3 carrots 300g max
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2.5 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 275 g quinoa 1 ½ cups
• 800 ml veg stock garlic and onion free/water (3 cups)
• 2 bay leafs
• juice of half a lemon

Topping

• 80 g pecan nuts A small handful
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 3 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

 

• Finely chop the leek greens and the tomatoes. Peel and finely slice the ginger. Finely chop the sweet potato and carrots and slice the red pepper into long thin strips.
• On a high heat, put 2 tbsp of oil into a pan. Once oil is hot add the prepared leek, tomatoes, and ginger, and the salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to stop the veg sticking to the bottom.
• Then add the turmeric and curry powder, and mix through the veg. Add the quinoa, veg stock/water (add a second tbsp of salt if using plain water), sweet potato, carrots and the bay leaves. Bring to the boil.
• Once it boils, reduce heat to a simmer, put the lid on, leaving slightly ajar to let the steam out. When the water level drops below the top of cooking quinoa (about 10 minutes in), add the red pepper. Simmer until just about all the water has evaporated (approximately 15-20 minutes total).
• Turn the heat off, put the lid on and leave to sit for about 5 minutes, this will puff up the quinoa and make it nice and fluffy.
• In the meantime, roughly chop the pecans. Heat another pan for the topping and put the pecans into it along with the tamari and the maple syrup. Stir continuously for 4 minutes or until pecans start to get golden colour and the liquid starts to dry up. Watch this very carefully as it will overcook and burn easily.
• Mix the veg well through the dish, squeeze the lemon juice through it, and serve each portion with some of the caramelised pecans on top. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper if you think it needs it. Chilli flakes will also go great sprinkled on top if you like a bit of heat!

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 15gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 2342mgPotassium: 1257mgFiber: 13gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 19246IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 6mg

Video

Keyword 5 Minute Low FODMAP Vietnamese Coconut & Tempeh Curry, Double Chocolate Vegan Beet Brownies, high protein, Low FODMAP Quinoa, Steamed Veg & Caramelised Pecans

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