Easy-to-digest meals in a bowl

Come and join me for breakfast with a bowl of Creamy Buckwheat Porridge or scrumptious Scrambled Eggs. Lunch on Sardine Mash Pot or Savory Smashed Root Vegetables, or feast at dinner with a Salmon and Broccoli or Ratatouille Bowl. Pillowy, billowy comfort food has never tasted or felt so good.

◁ CHEESY MASHED CAULIFLOWER

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SERVES 2

Using cauliflower creates a light fluffy mash without the gut-wrenching irritable bowel symptoms that accompany potato. Flavor up this mild-mannered mash with nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste and a burst of B vitamins.

3 cups (13 oz/375 g) cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon (12 g) nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon (14 g) almond butter

1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon (20 ml) almond milk, optional

flat-leaf (Italian) parsley or micro parsley, to serve

Put the cauliflower in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and steam for 8–10 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the almond milk until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add the almond milk or a little filtered water.

Serve warm, garnished with parsley.

◁ SALMON AND BROCCOLI BOWL

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SERVES 1

Why wreak havoc on your digestive system when you can enjoy easy-to-digest bowls of goodness? Load up on this warm and filling, perfectly nutritionally balanced comfort food. Broccoli adds fiber, and the good fats in salmon will help deliver much-needed nutrients straight to your belly.

1 small turnip, peeled and diced

1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets

3 1/2 oz (100 g) fresh salmon fillet, skinned and deboned

1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) almond milk

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Cook the turnip and broccoli in a saucepan of boiling water for 8–10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Put the salmon in a small frying pan over medium heat and pour over the almond milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 7 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked.

Place the salmon, with the almond milk it was cooked in, and the cooked vegetables in a food processor and pulse to your desired consistency. If you prefer a smoother consistency, add more almond milk. If you prefer a chunkier version, omit the processing step and simply mix everything together in a bowl, as illustrated opposite. Serve with a grind of black pepper.

◁ CREAMY BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE WITH CASHEW MILK

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MAKES 2 1/2 CUPS (21 1/2 FL OZ/625 ML)

This recipe can be eaten as an occasional breakfast dish over the first four-week period if you’re craving a hot bowl of porridge, and then more regularly as your gut healing progresses.

1 cup (6 3/4 oz/195 g) creamy buckwheat, or regular buckwheat soaked overnight and rinsed

3 cups (26 fl oz/750 ml) filtered water

pinch of Celtic sea salt

1 cup (9 fl oz/250 ml) cashew milk

1 handful of fresh berries, to serve (optional)

Put the buckwheat, water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring regularly. Add a little more filtered water during cooking if necessary.

Add half the cashew milk and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the porridge has a thick, creamy consistency.

Spoon into a serving dish, pour over the remaining milk and top with fresh berries, if using.

◁ RATATOUILLE BOWL

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SERVES 1

There’s something wondrous about a perfectly cooked eggplant, and you can’t beat experiencing its tender silkiness in a bowl of steamy ratatouille. Eggplants also contain beneficial phenolic and flavonoid antioxidants that help protect against hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver toxicity.

1 tablespoon (20 ml) olive oil or butter, or 2 teaspoons ghee

1 scallion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 zucchini, diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 eggplant, diced

4 tomatoes, chopped

Heat the oil, butter or ghee in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the scallion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes or until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier version, and your tummy can take it, omit the processing step, as illustrated opposite.

◁ MUSHY PEAS

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SERVES 4

These more-ish mushy peas will undo any memories of colorless, flavorless pea splutter. This is a beautiful comfort food that will satisfy a sweet tooth, fill you up and clean you out, thanks to its high fiber content.

2 tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil or 1 tablespoon (20 ml) ghee

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 1/3 cups (1 lb 2 oz/500 g) frozen peas

2 tablespoons (6 g) chopped mint

1 tablespoon (12 g) nutritional yeast flakes, to serve

Heat half the olive oil or ghee in a small frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes or until softened.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the peas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the peas, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the peas are soft. Mash or stir gently with a fork. Stir through the mint and serve topped with the yeast flakes.

◁ SARDINE MASH

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SERVES 1

Sardines might not immediately seem like the most joyous of foods, but they’re so insanely beneficial you’ll be sure to fall in love with them. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids and energy-boosting vitamin B12, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. This mash is an inexpensive and nutrient-dense meal for when you feel like a boost.

3 1/4 oz (90 g) can sardines in extra virgin olive oil, drained and well mashed

1/2 medium avocado, pitted and peeled

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

lemon halves, to serve

Put the sardines, avocado, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl, then mash with a fork until well combined or to your desired consistency. Season to taste and serve with lemon halves.

◁ SCRAMBLED EGGS

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SERVES 2

Eggs are one of nature’s miraculously complete foods, and you can indulge in their sunny-colored creaminess while watching out for your digestive health. Switching regular cream or milk for calcium- and vitamin E-rich almond milk will provide a dairy-free version for weekend brunch. With wilted spinach and avocado on the side, this is a fun meal to have once or twice a week when you’re healing in phase one – a chance to break away from soups for a day.

3 organic eggs

1 tablespoon (20 ml) almond milk

Celtic sea salt, to taste

1 tablespoon (20 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

pinch of nutmeg

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

snipped chives, to serve (optional)

Whisk the eggs and almond milk in a bowl until well combined. Add sea salt to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the eggs and move them around the pan with a spatula so they don’t stick to the bottom. When just set, add the lemon zest, nutmeg and some more salt, if desired. Serve immediately, garnished with pepper and chives, if using.

◁ SQUASHY YELLOW SQUASH

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SERVES 1

Squash made this way with gorgeous, beaming, yellow, garden-goddess-like buttons is hard to ignore. Take advantage of pattypan squash’s seasonal abundance. Enjoy this as a side dish alongside bowls or soups.

1 cup (4 1/2 oz/130 g) diced yellow button (pattypan) squash

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of Celtic sea salt

1–2 drops liquid stevia

Put the squash in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and steam for 5–6 minutes or until just tender. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor with the butter, lemon juice and salt. Process until smooth, then add stevia to taste.

NOTE: If not using right away, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

◁ GREEN BEAN, TOMATO AND MINT MASH

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SERVES 1

Super-simple to assemble, this faultless combo of highly flavor some vegetarian ingredients can be enjoyed as a sumptuous snack or satisfying side dish.

1 cup (4 1/2 oz/125 g) steamed green beans

1 large tomato, chopped

1 small handful of mint leaves

1 tablespoon (20 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons (40 ml) additive-free coconut milk (optional)

small cherry tomatoes, to serve (optional)

Process the beans, tomato, mint and oil in a food processor until finely chopped. Season to taste and add the coconut milk if you prefer a creamier mix. Garnish with cherry tomatoes if using, and serve.

◁ BROCCOLI MASH

GF WF SF

SERVES 3–4

Studies have linked broccoli in the diet with a decrease in gut levels of E. coli and other bacterial strains associated with irritable bowel syndrome. My yummy broccoli mash is an easy way to load up on these benefits and celebrate this classic green.

2 heads broccoli, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

dulse flakes, to taste (optional)

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, then add the broccoli and cook for 5–6 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes or until soft.

Process the broccoli with the onion mixture in a food processor until smooth or to your desired consistency. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with dulse flakes, if using.

MINTY SMASHED ZUCCHINI WITH GARLIC

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SERVES 4

Bad-bacteria-busting garlic, immune-boosting onions, tummy-soothing mint and antioxidant-rich zucchini are combined in this powerful medley. It will not only supply your tummy with an array of healing properties, but is an ultra-comforting and flavorful vegie dish to tuck into.

4 large zucchini, cut into 3 inch (7.5 cm) lengths

1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons (12 g) roughly chopped mint

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Put the zucchini in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and steam for 8–10 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash with a potato masher.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mashed zucchini and mint, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Season to taste and serve.

SAVORY SMASHED ROOT VEGETABLES

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SERVES 4

This would have to be my favorite way to celebrate the diversity and deliciousness of the vegetables of winter. Grounding and satiating, this mash brings the warmth and comfort your body will crave in the cooler months. When you’re in need of a sweet fix, this smash is better than reaching for a sugary treat.

1 medium orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-1 1/4 inch (2–3 cm) pieces

1 small turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch (1–2 cm) pieces

1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch (1–2 cm) pieces

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch (1–2 cm) pieces

2 tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil or butter

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/3 cup (2 1/2 fl oz/80 ml) additive-free coconut milk

2 tablespoons (24 g) nutritional yeast flakes

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Put the sweet potato, turnip, parsnip and carrot in a large saucepan, then cover with filtered water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Drain.

Heat the olive oil or butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and coconut milk, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Put the cooked vegetables in a food processor with the coconut milk mixture and yeast flakes, then pulse until smooth. Season to taste and serve.