Autoimmune Autumn recipes
Many of my clients tell me that they appreciate recipe inspiration, and that they would like to know more about what I eat, so here are some meals that I am enjoying at the moment…
They are all dairy and gluten free, and most of them are low in histamine. They are also plant-based, so they are accessible for everyone, however it is easy to add meat or fish alongside them.
For each recipe, I’ve tried to describe its main appeal.
Nigel Slater’s Sweet potato and lentil bake - a warming comfort dish as the weather gets colder
Takes 50 mins (25 mins prep, 30 mins bake), feeds 4
This dish always surprises people; the spicing is amazing and it’s very comforting on a cold night. Please don’t be put off by the sweet potato. I am not usually a fan as I find it too sweet, but it’s brilliantly balanced by the spicing in this dish. It is worth trying to get orange vegetables in your diet, particularly if you’re plant-based, as the beta-carotene supports a healthy gut lining, and many of us with autoimmune conditions can be low in this nutrient.
If you find lentils difficult to digest, try soaking them for 8 hours beforehand, then pop a piece of seaweed, such as wakame, into the cooking liquid to help neutralise the lectins. Alternatively you could use a mix of rice and cannellini beans instead of lentils.
I use passata rather than chopped tomatoes to avoid the skins which can irritate the gut.
Ingredients
Dried red lentils (soaked for 2 - 8 hours beforehand) 250g
Ground turmeric 1 tsp
Veg stock 1 litre
Sweet potatoes 750g
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Ginger 60g
Garlic 2 cloves
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom pods 10
Chilli flakes 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 12
Ground cayenne 1 1/2 tsp
Passata 400g
Method
Rinse and drain the pre-soaked lentils. Put them in a medium pan with the stock and turmeric. Make sure the stock covers the lentils easily (about an inch above), so add a bit more stock if necessary. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the lentils are very tender (to aid digestion - around 25 minutes, depending on how long you pre-soaked them for).
Meanwhile, slice the onion and sauté in oil for around 15 minutes until golden.
Set the over to 200 degrees.
While the onion is cooking, peel and slice thinly the sweet potatoes. Steam or boil them until soft to the point of a knife. Remove from the heat.
Grate the ginger and garlic and add to the onion, along with the cumin. Cook for three minutes.
Crack open the cardamom pods, extract the seeds, and grind in a pestle and mortar. Add to the onion mixture, along with the chilli flakes, curry leaves and ground cayenne.
Season with pepper and salt and stir for a further two minutes.
Stir the tomatoes into the lentils, then add the onion mix and the cooked sweet potatoes, mix everything gently so that it is evenly spread, then remove from the heat.
Bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
Sue Radd’s Black bean, orange, coriander and mint salad - can be prepared in advance and works well in a lunchbox. Goes well with fish on the side.
Takes 15 mins, feeds 3-4
This salad is easy to eat and there is a great balance of protein, fat and fibre in the black beans, as well as many useful nutrients. It saves well, so you can make it in advance. You could also add avocado to this dish if histamine is not a problem for you.
Ingredients
2 x 440g cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion
1/2 diced red pepper
2 large oranges, peeled and diced
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
Method
Place the beans, onion, pepper, oranges and herbs in a large salad bowl
Mix the dressing ingredients and combine with the salad.
Sichuan-style hot and numbing tofu with ancient grains (adapted from Tim Anderson’s recipe) - a high protein dish with lots of spice
Takes 30 mins, feeds 4
Our family became addicted to this dish for a while… If you experience energy / mood dips in the mid afternoon, it may be that you are not eating enough protein earlier in the day. Some people with anxiety find that eating more protein, along with ensuring they get sufficient B6, helps them with their serotonin production, a calming hormone that also goes on to increase their melatonin production for sleep. This may be because the amino acid tryptophan is needed for serotonin and melatonin. Tofu and quinoa are both complete proteins, meaning they contain all the amino acids we need from our food.
Ingredients
2 packs firm tofu (Dragonfly brand works well) - drain in a tofu press if you have one
100g cooked quinoa
1 tsp chilli flakes
4 tbsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves
10g root ginger, grated
1 leek, halved and cut into thin slices
1 tbsp fermented black bean paste (optional)
40g miso paste
40g chilli bean paste
500ml stock
1 1/2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with a little water
Tamari soy sauce
Small handful coriander, torn
Method
Cut the tofu into large cubes and poach in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and leave to air dry.
Add some oil to the frying pan, then add the chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, leek, black bean paste if using, and the cooked quinoa. Fry until the leeks slightly soften.
Add the miso paste and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the stock and the rest of the sesame oil. Bring to the boil, then add the cornflour mixture. Continue boiling for a few more minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Add Tamari to your taste. Gently stir in the tofu and warm through.
Service with the coriander on top.
Georgina Hayden’s Artichoke Tava - a baked rice base in a mediterranean sauce that makes a very comforting one pot wonder dish
Takes 55 mins, feeds 3
The artichokes are quite low key in this dish, so please don’t let this ingredient put you off if you are not sure about them. They are brilliant for feeding beneficial gut microbes that help to repair our gut lining and promote immune tolerance.
I am a huge fan of Cypriot food. In my early 20’s I spent a couple of weeks with a friend who lived in Nicosia, and I was completely bowled over by the delicious food they made from plants. The contrast with British food in the 90’s could not have been greater. I also became fascinated by Lebanese food, just over the water from Cyprus, which is still one of my favourite cuisines.
It is the cinnamon, contrasted with the cumin, that really makes this dish. Cinnamon has been shown in research to support good blood sugar control, and is anti-inflammatory. Parlsey is very high in B6, another key nutrient for autoimmunity.
Ingredients
1 lemon
1 medium jar of artichoke hearts
Roughly 15 pods of broad beans (out of season try cauliflower or cannellini beans)
4 carrots
1 white onion
5 ripe tomatoes
Olive oil
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200g long grain rice (other varieties also work well)
20g parsley
Method
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C /fan.
Drain and slice the artichokes. Pod the broad beans.
Dice the carrots and onion.
Put a flameproof casserole dish on a medium heat and sauté all of these vegetables for five minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the skins from the tomatoes by cutting a deep cross in each, plunging them in hot water for one minute, followed by cold water. The skins should peel off easily.
Roughly chop the tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes and tomato puree to the vegetables and sauté for a further five minutes.
Stir in the cumin and cinnamon, then stir in the rice so it is fully coated.
Season, then add around 500ml of boiling water, so that it just covers the mixture.
Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Check the rice is cooked, and stir through the parsley.
Serve with lemon wedges
Mango-avocado rolls (Jean-Christian Jury) - a fun lunch that uses rice paper rather than bread to make zingy wraps
Takes 15 mins, feeds 2
Using rice paper can be fiddly if you haven’t done it before. A bit of practice pays off though, because rice paper makes great wraps for sandwiches. The filling here hits all the taste buds and is good if you are feeling a bit lethargic and out of ideas.
Ingredients
1 cup diced avocado
Juice of one lime
2 tsp lime zest
1/2 diced bell pepper
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (Mouse’s Favourite cashew cheese works well here)
4 chopped spring onions
30g chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chilli sauce, such as sriracha
1 1/2 cups diced mango
1 cup alfalfa sprouts or bean sprouts or mung bean sprouts
8 Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
1 tbsp Tamari soy sauce
Method
Combine all of the ingredients gently in a large bowl.
Fill another large bowl with warm water. Soak one rice paper in the warm water for 10 seconds, then lay it on the work surface or board to rest for 30 seconds.
Arrange 4 tbsp of the filling mixture across the width of the paper with a 1-inch gap at each end of the line. Roll up the paper. Repeat with the other papers.
Protein and grain bowl - a meal easily assembled from the fridge that also works well for lunchboxes
Takes 15 mins, feeds 1
These self-assembly bowls can make a good basis for lunches when you don’t have much time. There are endless ways to adapt them. The trick is to get a good balance of protein, fat and fibre, and to hit all the taste buds. Here is an example.
Ingredients
100 g cooked quinoa or fonio (use any gluten free grain - mixes of two or three grains work well. Ready packs of cooked grains such as Quinola Mexican flavour work well here)
3 tbsp of humus
4 falafel (either pre-made or shop bought) warmed in the oven
4 tbsp pickled veg, such as cauliflower or beetroot
Kale - crisped up by sprinkling with olive oil and salt and cooking in the oven for 5 minutes
Tahini or Harissa sauce (tahini / Harissa paste thinned with lemon juice and water)
Chopped parsley and mint
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
Start by mixing the grain with the parsley and mint and drizzle some olive oil over this base.
Now build up the bowl with the humus, falafel and pickled veg.
Add the crispy kale, then drizzle the sauce on top.
Green Omelette (Gonzalo Baro) - a satisfying omelette / frittata type dish for those avoiding eggs
Takes 30 mins, feeds 2
This dish contains spinach, so it is quite high in histamine. It can be very satisfying though for anyone who misses being able to have an omelette, so I’ve included it here. It contains plenty of protein in the peas and chickpea flour.
Ingredients
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
250 g potatoes - wash and slice very thinly (use a mandolin if you have one)
70g frozen peas
250g frozen spinach
100ml water
5 tbsp chickpea flour
1 handful parsley, chopped
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees.
Line a baking tray with parchment and add the sliced potatoes, drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for around 25 minutes until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, sweat the onion in oil over a low heat until translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the peas in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes, Drain.
Put the frozen spinach into a pan on a low heat and defrost. Drain and set aside.
Whisk the chickpea flour with the water in a bowl. Add the potatoes, peas, spinach, onions and parsley. Mix thoroughly.
Heat one tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Pour the potato mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
Once the underside has crisped up, it is time to turn it over. Set a large flat plate over the pan and lay one hand on the plate. Use your other hand to hold the plate firmly. Turn the whole thing over. The omelette will now lie on the plate. Return the pan to the heat and slide the omelette back into the pan and cook the other side for around 10 minutes.