Citrus, Fennel and Asparagus Salad
Serves 2
Gluten-free, 100 calories
Eating bitter leaves, such as rocket, watercress or spinach, or sharp citrus fruits before or with your main meal helps get the digestive process going.
8 large asparagus spears
1 large orange, sliced
1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
2 handfuls of bitter leaves
4 tbsp Lemon Buttermilk Dressing (recipe below)
Sear the asparagus on a very hot griddle for 4-5 minutes, turning it frequently, then transfer it to a plate and slice it in half lengthways.
Place all the other ingredients in a salad bowl and toss them together with the dressing.
Tip: to make this salad more substantial you can add 40g crumbled goat’s cheese and 50g toasted hazelnuts (add 250 cals per portion).
Lemony Buttermilk Dressing
A great dressing for salads and slaws. It delivers a double hit of different gut-friendly microbes from both the buttermilk and the preserved lemons. Whisk the buttermilk and mustard together in a bowl and gradually add the olive oil, followed by the maple syrup if using, and the preserved lemon. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves about 4
140ml live cultured buttermilk (or kefir)
½ tsp English mustard
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp maple syrup (optional)
½ tbsp Preserved Lemons, finely diced (or juice and grated zest of ½ small lemon)
½ tsp xanthum gum (optional thickener)
Whisk the buttermilk and mustard together in a bowl and gradually add the olive oil, followed by the maple syrup if using, and the preserved lemon. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Steak with Guacamole and Blistered Tomatoes
Serves 2
Dairy and gluten free, 470 calories
Pounding the steak before you cook it, particularly if it’s an economic cut or is fairly thick, will tenderise it and make it easier to digest. Marinating it, especially in an acidic element, such as lemon juice, will aid this process, and also enhance the flavour.
2 x 120g steaks, skirt or sirloin
1 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado, diced
½ red onion, diced
½-1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp fresh coriander or basil, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
If using thick steaks, place them on a wooden chopping board and pound them with the rough side of a mallet. If you don’t have a mallet you can use the end of a wooden rolling pin. Bash from the middle outwards. Don’t pound the meat too hard or you will shred it.
In a bowl, mix together the cumin, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Place the steaks in a shallow dish and pour the mixture over them (turning them to make sure they are well covered). Leave them to marinate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the guacamole by mashing together the avocado, red onion, chilli flakes, coriander and lime juice. Season it with salt and pepper and set it aside.
Place a griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Cook the tomatoes, cut side up, for 3-4 minutes, until the skins are blistered. Remove them from the pan and add the steaks. Fry them for approximately 3 minutes on each side (for a medium steak).
Slice up the steaks, top them with the blistered tomatoes and serve the guacamole on the side.
Chocolate Eggplant Cake with Pear and Walnuts
Serves 8
Dairy-free, 370 Calories
1 medium eggplant skin on, diced
150g dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
60g coconut oil
6 0g pitted dates, chopped
½ tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
80g ground almonds (or 100g gluten-free brown flour)
80g walnuts, chopped
1 ½ pears, cubed
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Steam the eggplant for 15 minutes or until it is soft. Then place it, still hot, in a bowl. Immediately add the chocolate and coconut oil and stir until they have more or less melted. Then mix in the chopped dates.
Blitz with a hand blender to obtain a smooth paste. Add the salt, eggs, baking powder and ground almonds and whizz one more time, then stir the walnuts and pears into the mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake it for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.
Extracted from The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book by Dr Clare Bailey with Joy Skipper, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP AU$39.99 and NZ$39.99. www.simonandschuster.com.au
