Caraway chicken

The histamine list I refer to took a bit of working out in some instances. Thankfully, I have Google on hand to uncover the mysteries of unfamiliar ingredients. Persian cumin (not to be confused with regular cumin which is rated very poorly) was one I had never heard of and was very keen to discover given that it was noted to have a positive anti-histamine like effect. When I discovered it was actually caraway seeds, I was more than pleased! 

Needless to say, I have been using caraway seeds in plenty of my cooking, particularly since I gave up salt completely. This meal (which did have an enormous salad on the side!) was fast to make and had a lovely, gentle flavour.

CARAWAY CHICKEN

1 chicken thigh fillet

coconut oil spray

caraway seeds

1. Cut chicken into very small pieces (for faster cooking to keep histamine to a minimum)

2. Spray with coconut oil 

3. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of caraway seeds

4. Heat a small frying pan until quite hot

5. Tip chicken in pan and quickly stir fry until cooked through

Enjoy with plenty of salad or vegetables for dinner or as a snack on its own ❤️

Simple fried rice

Hooray for a fabulous and tasty dinner! 

In a disappointing turn of events, I have recently discovered that salt does not appear to be agreeing with me. That's ANY type of salt including sea salt and Himalayan. Given that it had become my go to for flavour on most meals, there is definitely a chance that I was simply overdoing it but just to be sure I have decided to abstain altogether at least for now. So this lovely little recipe uses caraway seeds for flavour but of course salt could be substituted if preferred and tolerated. 

The best thing about this meal was that I was able to quickly make two versions, one for me and one for the family. It was lovely to (almost) eat the same thing for dinner and I was able to use the egg whites in the other version. The amount and type of vegetables can be modified but this is what I used. I was REALLY hungry.

SIMPLE FRIED RICE

80g/2.8oz Brown rice

4 sticks celery

2 carrots

Small piece fennel

1 mushroom

1 small zucchini/courgette

1/4 green capsicum/bell pepper

1/4 red capsicum/bell pepper

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 egg yolks

1. Cook rice and set aside

2. Chop vegetables quite small

3. Heat coconut oil in a large pan (medium heat) and then add the vegetables and caraway seeds

4. Stir fry for just a few minutes 

5. Add yolks, stir through quickly and then add the rice

6. Stir for a couple of minutes, ensuring everything is thoroughly combined

Enjoy ❤️

Salad days - Boiled egg yolks

Salads have becoming something of an obsession so I thought I would share my hot tips for making them taste better.

🥬Chop everything into tiny pieces, maximising the potential for multiple flavours in each mouthful.
🥬 Use a container with a lid for easy tossing. I never did get the hang of using salad servers which usually end up with me flinging bits all over the floor and bench.  

🥬 It doesn't make anything taste better, but I have found that some vegetables are easier to clean with a quick wipe with damp paper towel rather than rinsing. Celery is a good example of this.

🥬 Add herbs or vegetables with strong flavour such as fennel or radish.

🥬 Add as many interesting bits as possible! Today's tip - egg yolks.

BOILED EGG YOLKS

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water

2. Gently bring to the boil to reduce the risk of the shells cracking

3. Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 8 minutes

4. After 8 minutes, remove from the heat, drain and cover with cold water to stop the cooking process

5. Peel. Remove the whites (keeping them for somebody else!) and revel in yolks which should be set but ever so slightly moist

Enjoy ❤️

The importance of fresh

Freshness is by far the most important thing to keep in mind when eating a low histamine diet. Sourcing produce which is of good, fresh quality is well worth the research for anybody who suffers when histamine levels are elevated. I have been lucky enough to discover Biviano and Sons, a brilliant fruit and vegetable store the next suburb across from us who not only have produce of outstanding quality, but prices which are also incredibly reasonable. Given how much fresh produce I now eat every day, this is definitely a bonus in my household. 

Like the proverbial cherry on top, in the last few months Bivianos has started a home delivery service. COVID-19 has been an insidious intruder in our societies but some of the new practices we have adopted, such as an increase in home delivery, have definitely yielded some benefits. Not only have I been slightly more nervous about going out lately due to the pandemic, but there are days when my health just doesn't support a trip to the shops. If it is not the fatigue or dizziness that gets me, sometimes it is the worry that one of my joints will give out as I lug my shopping back to the car. Which particular joint will fail can be a bit of a lucky dip but this week the likely winners are my right shoulder, both elbows and a few floppy ligaments in my left hand. 

So, it is with enormous enjoyment that I now order all of my fresh vegetables online, knowing they will be delivered the next day. For those in Melbourne's inner north, I can highly recommend this service (no, this is not a paid promotion!) and for anybody else, I highly recommend you jumping on board the produce delivery bandwagon if it is an option in your area. 

Juice - Apricot and lettuce

It is no accident that I feel better when I eat zero rated foods in their natural state. Most forms of cooking will raise the histamine in foods and so I have been eating so much raw food lately that my jaw muscles are fatigued. Enter juices!

My husband bought me a Nutribullet a few years ago for Christmas and at the time I was a bit nonplussed. I get that regular juicing can be bad for me given that all of the fabulous fibre is removed in the process, but the idea of simply blitzing fruit and vegetables for enjoyment was a bit lost on me. Fast forward a few years and I absolutely love it as a great way to prepare a healthy snack that can be downed in minutes. Of course a blender will do exactly the same thing, the only benefit the Nutribullet has is that it rinses clean quite easily. 

I am not much of a fruit eater due to quite severe FODMAP issues but can tolerate little bits here and there. This juice is a wonderful representation of that. Those without FODMAP issues should feel free to add more apricot! 

APRICOT & LETTUCE JUICE 

Apricot - Half

Iceberg lettuce - Good handful

Coconut water - 210ml/7 fl oz 

Sprinkle of chia seeds and flaxseed (optional)

1. Put all ingredients into a blender or Nutribullet and blitz. 

Enjoy ❤️

Coconut ice

As ever, my sweet tooth has been seeking satisfaction and so I thought it was time I created a low histamine version of an old favourite. Coconut ice is a British sweet which has been modified and popularised in Australia. It is usually pink and white but I decided to leave out the food colouring and add gorgeous little dalmatian spots instead - the result of replacing the egg white with chia goop. 

After a quick internet search, I have discovered that copha is only available in Australia and so if there is any interest, I will create a second version of this recipe that is more global friendly. It tastes of very sweet coconut and the texture is quite firm. Due to the sugar content, one of these per day is plenty.

COCONUT ICE

8g chia seeds

1 tbsp water

1 tsp pure maple syrup

250g pure icing sugar

1½ cups desiccated coconut (354ml in the US)

65g copha

1. Mix chia seeds and water together in a small bowl, stirring until the water has been absorbed

2. Stir in maple syrup 

3. Pure icing sugar can go lumpy and so I blitz mine in a blender before using. Alternatively, push it through a sieve. Place in a large bowl

4. Add coconut to sugar and combine well

5. Melt copha in a saucepan or in the microwave and add to coconut mixture

6. Add chia mix

7. Combine very well with a spoon and then get your hands in there and squash the mixture until it comes together well enough so that you could make it into a large ball. It will seem as if there is not enough moisture. Keep squeezing and persevere!

8. Press into silicone moulds* if you have them - I use cake pop moulds. Otherwise line a cake or bread tin with cling wrap and press the mixture in evenly. Wrap a stick of butter in cling wrap and use it to squash the mixture flat, ensuring it is very well packed 

9. Refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight

10. Pop out the pieces if using moulds. If pressed into a tin, lift out and slice into pieces with a serrated knife. Store in an airtight container in the fridge/refrigerator.

Enjoy (in moderation) ❤️

*molds in the US!

To eat or not to eat...

Given the astoundingly low number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria, restrictions were recently lifted allowing home visits to occur. So last weekend we accepted an invitation to a socially distanced dinner party with four of our friends. 

I have been self-isolating for months, unsure of the impact COVID-19 would have on my already challenging health issues. In that time, I have switched to a very restrictive low histamine diet as a result of much research and the subsequent discovery that the worst of my symptoms are undeniably aligned with the amount of histamine I ingest. I was nervous about catching up with people, but most of all I was worried about how I was going to navigate a meal cooked by somebody else. I decided I had a number of options to choose from. 

Don’t go. A safe option to be sure, but unsustainable. And let’s face it, not a great way to maintain friendships. 

Ask the cook to divulge every ingredient that went into the meal. Not only would this be awkward, but I have discovered that many people will unintentionally omit ingredients they don’t consider important such as stock/broth and table salt – both huge triggers for me. 

Take my own food. This might be a good option in future but on this night I spent so long trying to figure out how to handle the situation I ran out of time to prepare anything appropriate. Vegetables alone would not fill me up and meat must be eaten immediately after cooking to keep the level of histamine as low as possible. In addition, there is the awkwardness of producing your own meal and having to explain to everybody why you decided to BYO at a catered event.

Catch up for after dinner drinks instead. I did consider this but realised that food generally dominates the dinner parties I attend, with three courses generally stretched over almost the entire evening. And I am not a night owl at all so by the time we would have been ready to head off either the gathering would have been almost over or I would have been nodding off on the couch. Or both. 

Eat beforehand and abstain at the dinner party. This is the option I chose and it was both good and bad. My husband cooked for me as I was getting ready and I ate just before we left. So far, so good. I had told the host of my dilemma on the phone, although I still can’t remember if I mentioned that I am eating a restricted diet for medical reasons. Either way, of four of our friends, only one of them was aware that I would not be participating in the shared dinner. Needless to say, as the eating started, I began to feel a little awkward. So awkward in fact, that I helped myself to a couple of pieces of potato and pumpkin even though I had no idea how they had been prepared. I regretted it within hours as I ended up with a reaction before we even left the table; the right side of my face being an embarrassing barometer of a higher than expected ingestion of histamine. 

The truth is that these friends are absolutely lovely and probably had no idea how uncomfortable I was throughout the meal. If I am honest, the manner in which I deal with my next shared dining experience has still not been resolved. Food dominates so many of our social interactions – from catching up for coffee, sharing cake at celebrations and of course dinner parties that are so common for people of my age. No matter how I play it, I think there will always be awkwardness on my part while my dietary restrictions are in place.

Of course, this makes me even more determined to stick to the diet. My understanding is that there is every chance that at some point I may be able to eat more normally again if I can manage to reduce my histamine levels to a more reasonable state. Right now, I would settle for the ability to withstand the occasional unrestricted meal, symptom free. 

Watch this space ❤️

Flatbreads

For those who can tolerate small amounts of oxalates, these flatbreads are a fabulous treat. With regard to histamine, often the problem with bread is the proving process and so breads with a longer prove time (such as sourdough) may cause a more significant reaction. Given that there is no yeast in this recipe and also no proving process, I find I can tolerate a small amount of flatbreads every now and then. This recipe works best if you have a mixer but with a bit more time and effort could also be made by hand. It can also be easily halved. 

Hot tip: When measuring water, the amount can be measured in grams or millilitres - the number will be the same. 

FLATBREADS

620g plain flour*

50g olive oil
½ tsp sea salt

600g/ml boiling water

1. Add flour, olive oil, salt and boiling water to the mixing bowl
2. Mix until the majority of the heat has dissipated and the ingredients have come together as a dough
3. Split the mixture into 20 pieces (each will weigh around 62g)
4. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten it with your hand on a lightly floured surface.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll into a thin, flat circle about the size of a small plate 
6. Heat a frying pan to medium-high and put in the first raw flatbread
7. Fry (dry) until large bubbles appear (the first one doesn’t always puff very much) and the underside is dry with no wet looking spots
8. Flip it over and cook until there are no wet looking spots on the second side.
9. Remove and repeat!

I like to keep the cooked flatbreads inside a clean tea towel which I have sitting ready beside the stove top. Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Enjoy (in moderation) ❤️ 

*Which flour to use? If all plain flour is used, the flatbreads will puff more in the cooking process and will be slightly easier to make. If some wholemeal/wholewheat flour is included, the flatbreads will be better for you but will turn out a little bit heavier but with (in my opinion) a slightly better taste. I like a mix of 420g plain four and 200g wholemeal/wholewheat flour. If you are a beginner cook, I would recommend using all plain flour the first time you make these.

So you fell off the wagon...

I made an interesting discovery recently.

Having had a rough couple of weeks health-wise I am very sensitive to anything that makes me feel better - even by a small amount. On a particularly bad day I was interested to note that eating an enormous bowl of zero rated foods appeared to effect a positive bump to my sense of well being. Specifically, the fatigue lifted just a little, my breathing improved and walking across the room was no longer something to be dreaded. 

Unsure if this was a coincidence, I have tried this tactic several times and each time have been rewarded with a significant improvement in symptoms. Not only is this a reminder that eating zero rated foods is the best choice for me right now, but it also made me realise that falling off the wagon food-wise is not the end of the world and can be rectified to a certain extent. The main point I guess I am trying to make is that even if adhering strictly to a low histamine diet is not your thing, there could be benefit in adding as many zero rated foods to your diet as possible.

Perhaps similar to a FODMAP intolerance, tipping my dietary balance in favour of low histamine is the key to easing my way back to a normal diet when the time is right. Yes, I definitely live in hope that once I reduce my histamine load - and therefore my symptoms - I might once again enjoy the taste of chocolate and home-made lasagne.

One can dream.

Spiced chicken legs

Finally, a meaty recipe! 

I don't always eat the same meals as my family, but on this night we all enjoyed this delicious and inexpensive meal. The trickiest thing about eating meat on a low histamine diet is making sure it is as fresh as possible and is eaten right away after it is cooked. Oh, how I miss those meaty leftovers! Thankfully these legs were so very good there were no leftovers for me to drool over the next day. This recipe can be halved or doubled etc as required.

SPICED CHICKEN LEGS

8 chicken drumsticks

1 tsp sweet paprika (not hot)

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground coriander/cilantro

1/4 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F

2. Combine sugar and spices in a bowl, mixing really well
3. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towel and roll in the spice mix
4. Using your hand, rub legs all over to ensure they are evenly coated  
5. Cook in the oven on a tray or baking dish for 30-45 minutes - all ovens will vary

Check on the chicken after 30 minutes and if they are not done to your liking, simply return them to the oven for 5 minute intervals until cooked. I like my chicken well done which means an internal temperature of 85°C/185°F. 

Enjoy straight from the oven ❤️