Some yummy recipes

On this blog, along with information, new studies, and new ideas for treatments for people suffering from Crohn's, I also post recipes that I find and have tried and tested a few times, and know that they do not cause my disease to flair up.

Every person's body is different and every person's IBD and Crohn's is different. What works for me and you, may not work for the next person to view this blog. So please keep that in mind when trying any of these recipes.

(None of these recipes call for medical marijuana)

Light and Lemony Pasta Al Fresco

Developed by Joy Bauer, RD, for Everyday Health

My vegetarian pasta dish is light and lemony, and provides ample fiber thanks to the whole-wheat pasta. The flavorful sauce also provides a good dose of nutrition; heart-healthy olive oil and white wine blended with garlic, scallions, fresh basil, chopped tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, white and green part, chopped
¾ cup dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth)
Juice of ½ large lemon
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 box whole-wheat pasta (use angel hair, spaghetti, or linguini)
½ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish
Note: If you’re experiencing a flare-up, use regular white pasta and consider omitting the chopped basil and parsley. The Parmesan cheese should be tolerated in people experiencing lactose sensitivity since Parmesan is very low lactose. 

Preparation
1. In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook for 2 minutes or until the garlic is golden.
2. Next, add the wine (or broth) to the pan and simmer for approximately 3 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by half. Add the lemon juice, pepper, salt, and the chopped tomatoes. Stir well and remove the pan from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente (follow directions for al dente on package). Drain the pasta and place back in pot or large serving bowl. Toss pasta with the tomato mixture, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with optional chopped parsley. Serve immediately, and top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Serves 6.


I love this stuff, and it tastes great, and is decent filling. The other great plus, is that for me it does not make my Crohn's disease flair up. Sorry, forgot to gab a picture the last time I made it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is another recipe by the same person, and the reason why I love this one? My husband can't tell it's turkey!

Turkey Florentine Mini Meatloaves

Developed by Joy Bauer, RD, for Everyday Health

Ingredients
1.25 pounds ground turkey (at least 90% lean)
1 10-oz box frozen, chopped spinach (cooked and drained)
2 egg whites
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Note: If you’re experiencing a flare-up, skip the spinach. Many people experience symptoms of lactose intolerance during a flare-up, however most can eat Parmesan cheese as it has very little lactose in it—less than 1 gram per serving.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey with cooled spinach and egg whites.
3. Meanwhile, preheat medium skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat.
4. Sauté garlic until slightly brown, approx 1 minute. Cool slightly.
5. Add sautéed garlic, onion powder, and Parmesan cheese to turkey mixture and thoroughly mix.
6. Divide turkey mixture evenly between 8 standard muffin tins. Bake for 23-25 minutes.
Serves 4. Serving Size: 2 mini loaves

The first time I made these I made them just like the recipe directed, and they came out okay. The second time I made them I took the spinach out, as I don't like the taste of it in the meat loaf, but to each is own and I did add ketchup to the top after about 10 minutes of baking, and then again about 5 minutes before I pulled them out of the oven to give them a nice glaze, and where I come from ketchup is a staple in meatloaf! I think the meatloaf turned out much better without the spinach and with the ketchup, but try either way and see which you like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oven-Poached Salmon Fillets

2 tablespoons wine, dry white
1/4 teaspoon saltpepper, black ground, to taste2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped (1 medium)lemon, wedges, for garnish

Your diet plan should include lean protein from chicken, fish, and plant sources. In this recipe, the salmon is poached, or simmered in liquid without extra oil, which is a low-fat cooking method.

Ingredients

1 pound fish, salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions, skin removed if desired 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-inch glass pie pan or an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with wine.

3. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with shallots. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

4. When the salmon is ready, transfer to dinner plates. Spoon any liquid remaining in the pan over the salmon and serve with lemon wedges.

I can almost always eat fish, and salmon is a favorite. The only thing in this recipe I change is the white wine. I don't use it as a majority of the time alcohol, of any kind, causes my Crohn's to flair up. In stead I replace it with apple juice, that I water down, making it 2 tablespoons apple juice and 1 tablespoon water. 

This is not one of my photos, but poached salmon looks just about the same anywhere you are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This recipe is a favorite with my husband, and it's fast and simple. So if you don't have time to make a big meal... hear ya go. For me gluten is not an issue/trigger for my Crohn's, but for many people this is, but I have made this with a gluten free pasta, and it comes out pretty well too. I included a picture of it as well, so that you can try and find it at your local food store. I am only able to find this pasta in the organic/natural markets. 

Ziti with Elk Sausage Red Sauce

Boil amount of pasta desired till aldente, or till you desire

1 jar of Classico pasta sauce, this is the brand I prefer but you can use any brand you like and any flavor you like

1 pound of spicy elk sausage, obviously not everyone likes or can get elk, so any type of sausage will do. When I don't have elk I use the natural, organic sausage found at the natural market, both have no artificial preservatives, which can cause me to have flair ups. 

Fry up the sausage in a large skillet, when fully cooked add the jar of pasta sauce and heat till simmering. Place desired amount of pasta into dish, and desired amount of sauce over the pasta. You can of course sprinkle cheese on it, I only sometimes use cheese, at it also causes my Crohn's to flair up.