Roasted vegetables

Roasting vegetables is a lovely way to introduce new flavours and textures into a restricted diet. It is also hands-off cooking so once the vegetables have been prepared you can sit back and let the oven do all of the work!

This colourful tray includes;

White zucchini, halved

Radishes, whole - contains Vitamin C, a natural antihistamine

Potatoes, quartered – minimal intake if oxalates are an issue

Jap pumpkin – good variety for those with FODMAP issues

Garlic cloves, unpeeled – great for added flavour. Minimal intake

Carrots, halved

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Dry the cut potatoes well using a tea towel or paper towel to enable maximum crispness.
3. Drizzle olive oil or melted coconut oil over the top
4. Get your hands in and rub the vegetables so that they are lightly coated
5. Sprinkle a couple of pinches of both sea salt and dried oregano over the top

6. Roast in moderate oven for 20 minutes and then check to see if they are done. If not, use a metal spatula to move the vegetables around, sliding it under any that have stuck to the tray. Return to the oven for short intervals until done

If only some of the vegetables are cooked to your liking, remove those and return the others to the oven. Potatoes and carrots can take longer than the softer vegetables. I generally cut softer vegetables larger and hard vegetables smaller. On this night it worked, with everything reaching perfection simultaneously.

Enjoy! ❤️ 

More than just histamine...

I have been quite pleased with my low histamine journey - following the guidelines the majority of the time and being rewarded with better health on most days. So yesterday came as a bit of a shock when, seemingly out of nowhere, my symptoms returned with a vengeance. 

Thankfully I always record what I eat and so I scanned my diet from the previous day. The only anomaly I spotted was the generous bowl of my beautiful quinoa porridge. When I scanned back a bit further, I noticed that I also had an increase in symptoms the day after my last quinoa porridge breakfast.

Quinoa is listed as a safe food with regard to histamine and so it now seems very likely that I may also have a problem with oxalates. Most foods high in oxalates are not listed as safe foods anyway, but sadly this now also means I may need to restrict or eliminate quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes and beetroot from my diet. 

Anybody else following a low histamine journey should keep oxalates in mind as a potential issue and should absolutely keep a food journal to help identify triggers. 

Onward and upward! x

Quinoa porridge

Low blood sugar is a huge trigger for me so I generally start each day with a substantial breakfast. Not only does this make me feel better but it enables me to take my handful of supplements without feeling nauseous.

This porridge is unbelievably fast to make and fills me up brilliantly.

QUINOA PORRIDGE
40g quinoa flakes (around 3/8 of a metric cup)
150ml coconut milk (I like Pureharvest coco quench for it's lack of additives)
Pure maple syrup (optional)
Brazil nut (optional)

1. Tip flakes and milk into a small saucepan

2. Cook on medium heat until creamy - only a minute or two! 

3. Transfer to bowl and top with your favourite sweetener and/or nuts. I like a splash of pure maple syrup and a chopped up Brazil nut for a little bit of crunch.  

The taste can be a little bitter for some but that is easily fixed with an extra splash of maple syrup, a pinch of sugar or even an extra dash of coconut milk.

Enjoy! ❤️ 
POST SCRIPT: It is worth reading my post regarding histamine and oxolates for anybody who is still figuring out their triggers. 

Roasted pumpkin seeds

When your option for flavours is limited, every simple idea matters!

I made soup yesterday (recipe to come!) and absolutely hate to waste anything. As I trimmed the pumpkin I saved the seeds and turned them into a delightful snack and also a brand new flavour topping.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds - that's it!

1. Remove seeds from the pumpkin and drop them into a small bowl of water

2. Let them soak for a little bit and then swish them around to dislodge the last bits of pumpkin

3. Dry seeds with paper towel

4. Spread on a tray or in a metal baking dish and bake in a moderate oven (180°C/350°F)
5. Check on your seeds every five minutes or so and remove them when golden
6. Get them off the tray straight away (or they will continue to cook) and cool
7. Eat them as they are (a fabulous snack!) or blitz them in a blender to make pumpkin dust which is fabulous on vegetables or sprinkled on soup.

If you can tolerate sea salt, this dust is lovely with a tiny pinch added.

Enjoy ❤️ 

Post script: A plain bowl of rice is fabulous with a pinch of sea salt and pumpkin dust!

Pumpkin dust on my soup! Delicious.

Chia eggs

I have missed eggs so very much and so almost cried with happiness as I ate this lunch - as close to a normal scramble as I am likely to get in some time. 

The white is the histamine loaded portion of an egg and so this recipe absolutely includes the fabulous, protein packed yolks. I replicated the consistency of the absent whites with a simple mix of chia seeds and water which, when combined, create a fabulous and nutritious little pile of goop. Even better, it is goop low in histamine!

The vegetable additions are completely interchangeable but I have shared what I added into my lunch today.

CHIA SCRAMBLE
16g / 1 tbsp chia seeds
2 egg yolks
Coconut oil
90g yellow capsicum/bell pepper, diced
30g carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
Pinch sea salt

1. Mix the chia seeds in a small bowl with 2 tbsp water. Stir until the chia absorbs the water

2. Add the yolks and stir to combine. You now have a chia egg!

3. Spray a non-stick pan with coconut oil

4. Tip in chia egg, vegetables, salt and another tablespoon of water and stir fry on medium heat until the chia egg is creamy.

Enjoy! ❤️ 

Close enough to regular scrambled eggs...and FABULOUS! 

The sandwich files - Nut butter and salad

Not every post is going to be complex (or good looking!) because the aim of this blog is to share everything I have found that I can eat without a problem. 

My one piece of bread for today was sliced in half and made into a sandwich. The bread was home-made by my youngest (loving home based learning!) and so was fresh, fluffy and devoid of nasty additives. My spread was home-made macadamia butter which I topped with very thinly sliced young Gouda (not aged!), iceberg lettuce and a huge pile of alfalfa sprouts.

I wasn't convinced about nut butter with salad but the combination was delicious. It would also be fabulous eaten on a slice of Granny Smith apple for those who are not able to tolerate bread.

Beetroot/beet chips

We have a lot of movie nights on the couch, which is the place I am most famous for my snacking.  I can often be seen rummaging through cupboards prior to the movie starting, on the lookout for something I can mindlessly shovel into my mouth as we watch. Shredded iceberg lettuce and air-popped pocorn are my regulars nowadays, but on this night I was craving something a little bit different.

Enter beetroot/beet chips!

I had one large beetroot/beet left in the fridge which I peeled and then sliced very finely with a mandoline. Of course the slicing can also be done with a knife, but the thinner the slices, the faster they will dehydrate. The slices went into the dehydrator which I turned up to full power as I like to cook my foods as quickly as possible to keep histamine development to a minimum. A low oven would also work, perhaps set to fan forced and with the beetroot on racks or spread in roasting tins in a single layer.

There is no set cooking time - mine took a couple of hours but it will depend on the method you use and also how finely you have sliced the beetroot. I simply checked on mine every half hour to see how they were faring.

The surprise for me was how naturally salty the chips tasted even though I had not added a thing - a revelation given that I am trying to keep my salt intake to a minimum.

Macadamia butter

I do well with flour and bread as long as I keep my intake low. Starting the day with carbs makes me feel better and so toast is one of my go to choices for breakfast. This morning I had my favourite combo - homemade bread with macadamia butter. This recipe was inspired by the fact that I REALLY miss peanut butter and needed an alternative to stop me from staring longingly at the peanut butter every time I opened the pantry door. 

MACADAMIA BUTTER (easily halved or quartered)

Macadamias - any amount

1. Blitz macadamias well in a blender. The longer they are blended, the more the oils will be released.

2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge

Enjoy ❤️ 

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Macadamias are rated 0

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tip!

🔥 Use macadamia butter as a dip, a spread or to bulk out your smoothies

Ginger biscuits

I realise I am posting two sweet recipes in a row, but finding sweets I was able to eat became incredibly important to me once I realised my beloved chocolate was off the menu. I was creating a layered cookies and cream dessert for my family (loaded with chocolate) and decided to make myself a substitute with crumbled ginger biscuits, cream and white chocolate. As it turned out, there was no need to add anything to these fabulous biscuits which are wonderful straight from the tin.

200g butter

1C brown sugar

½ C golden syrup

3C plain flour

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1. Tip butter, sugar and golden syrup into a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until melted.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk/beat until light and fluffy. I used the KitchenAid for this.
3. Sift flour, spices and soda together in a separate bowl and combine well.
4. Tip dry ingredients onto butter mixture and stir/massage until completely combined.
5. Roll mixture into tbsp sized balls and arrange on two trays lined with baking paper, allowing space between each ball.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180°C/350°F or until golden. The biscuits will still be very soft when you take them out and will become firm as they cool.
7. Cool on trays then transfer to a sealed container.

Enjoy! ❤️

White chocolate and ginger muesli bars

I was very happy with these bars which are crunchy and also hip-enlargingly good (based on solid personal evidence). The ingredients are absolutely interchangeable, but I would highly recommend keeping both forms of ginger as they give the bars a kick that (slightly) offsets the incredible sweetness. These are great eaten as is or crumbled over sweets or porridge/oatmeal. 

350g oats (GF if required)

1tsp ground ginger 

½ tsp baking powder

45g Uncrystallised ginger (crystallised is fine, but sweeter!) 

185g macadamias (salted is fine)

100g white chocolate

150g pure butter, chopped

80g Soft brown sugar

85g Honey

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F  

2. Combine oats, ground ginger and baking powder in a very large bowl
3. Chop the uncrystallised ginger, macadamias and white chocolate into small pieces and add to the bowl. Combine well
4. Place butter, sugar and honey in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until melted
5. Pour over oat mixture and combine well
6. Line a 20x30cm tray with baking paper (or sustainable alternative!) and tip in the mix, pressing down well
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool in tray (it will still be soft)
9. Once cold, cut into pieces (a serrated knife is best)
10. Store in an airtight container or freeze with small pieces of baking paper between the bars

Enjoy! (in moderation) ❤️

Ingredient information (based on advice by SIGHI)

- Ginger is rated 1 - small amounts are well tolerated by most. Be sure to check that your ginger is sulphite free

- The cocoa butter in white chocolate is rated 0 (mostly well tolerated) - I do well with Milky Bar brand

- Honey is rated 0 but contains benzoic acid and so is not tolerated by some people

- All other ingredients are rated 0 without caveats

0 - Well tolerated, no symptoms expected at usual intake 

1 - Minor symptoms, occasional consumption of small quantities is often tolerated 

2 - Incompatible, significant symptoms at usual intake 

3 - Very poorly tolerated, severe symptoms

Hot tips!
🔥 Spray the tin with a little oil so that the paper sticks to the sides
🔥 Make your own gluten free baking powder with a 2:1 mix of cream of tartar and bicarbonate/baking soda

Why this blog was born...

This page is for anybody following a low histamine diet, in particular (but not exclusive to) those living with MCAS, hEDS and POTS. 

This is the disease cluster I live with and which I have begun to successfully manage with a reduction of histamine in my diet. Cooking and food are passions of mine and so I understand the pain of living with a severely restricted diet. My aim is to share my tips for creating as much flavour and variety for others on the same journey as me. 

The information on the internet regarding histamine in foods is confusing and conflicting. The only advice I have found to be helpful and aligned with my own triggers/flares is the guidance provided in this attachment. 

Ingredients posted on this page are generally rated zero (no expected symptoms) or one (minimal/no symptoms if eaten in small quantities). This works very well for me and keeps my symptoms under control but as every individual is different, there is no guarantee that my approach will work for everybody. 

 - Kate x