The Healthy Cookie

Eating with digestive upset is not easy- but it is important as malnutrition is so common among people with IBS, Crohn’s and Colitis. Below is a running list of my favourites. Please be free to add your own modifications as you see fit. And please send me your favourite easy on the tummy recipes.

Note: The following recipes are free of dairy, sugar, wheat, yeast, gluten, vinegar, and tomatoes.

Recipe Index

Sauces

• Fresh Pesto
• Tahini Magic Sauce

Soups

• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Zucchini Soup
• Cucumber with Lemon Grass
• Sweet Potato and Broccoli
• Momma Patsy’s Amazing Chicken Soup
• Harvest Time Pumpkin Soup

Sides

• Butternut Squash Delight
• Sweet Potato Pancakes

Whole Grain Dishes

• Tahini Magic Sauce Rice Bowl
• Fridge Bits Pasta
• Vanessa’s Quick Quiona

Chicken

• Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Strips
• Gluten-Free Breaded Butterfly Chicken Breasts
• Homemade Chicken or Beef Burgers

Fish

• Gluten-free Salmon Patties
• Pan-Fried Lemon “Breaded’ Sole

SUGAR FREE / VINEGAR FREE YUMMY SAUCES

Fresh Pesto

4 cups fresh basil
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper

Add some olive oil to a pan and on low - medium heat toast the sunflower seeds until they are golden and crunchy. Place sunflower seeds in food processor and mash and grind until chopped. Remove basil leaves from stems, rinse thoroughly and chop finely. Mix seeds and basil together. Add minced garlic (use 1-2 depending on how much garlic you like), olive oil, salt and pepper and mix it all up. Allow pesto to sit for 2-3 hours before using.

Useful tip- since you have to buy fresh basil in such a large bunch, you often end up with a ton of pesto. A good thing to do with the leftovers is scoop into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once they are frozen, transfer into a Ziploc bag and store in your freezer until you want to use them.

Tahini Magic Sauce
(Why is it magic? It is magic because it is jam packed with calcium. No two foods have a higher concentration of calcium than tahini and parsley. Great for rice dishes, pastas, dipping sauce and salad dressing)

1/2 cup organic 100% sesame seed tahini sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic (minced)
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
In a small mixing bowl, combine tahini, parsley, garlic and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix. You may wish to add more or less water depending on how you want to use the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

SOUPS

You may wish to pour soup into small glass jars and once cool- seal the jars and freeze. Great for a quick dinner or to take for lunch.

Carrot Ginger Soup
1/4 c Olive Oil
2 md Onions; chopped
2 tb Grated peeled fresh gingerroot
1 1/2 lb Carrots; peeled and thinly sliced
6 c Chicken stock
3/4 c Water
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Black pepper

1. In 4 quart saucepan add olive oil and onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add gingerroot and cook 2 minutes longer
2. Add carrots and chicken stock to onions; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook carrots until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In blender, blend carrot mixture, in batches,until smooth. Return soup to saucepan and add saltand pepper. Heat soup over low heat until hot.
4. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Zucchini Soup
1 med onion — chopped
1 clove garlic — minced
7 med zucchini — sliced 1 1/2″ thick
1 can vegetable broth
2 1/2 c water
1 tsp salt
1/4 c parsley
1 tsp basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Saute onion and garlic in some oil. Add everything else> Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 15 min. Place 2 cup of soup in blender at a time. Puree.

Cucumber Soup with Lemongrass and Spinach

2 tb Unsalted butter
2 Ribs celery, strings removed with a vegetable peeler -chopped
1 sm Onion, minced
2 Stalks fresh lemongrass, - tender inside only, minced
2 md Cucumbers, peeled, seeded,- chopped
2 c Chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 c Spinach leaves
1/4 c Fresh cilantro leaves
Salt, pepper to taste

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes. Yield: 5 cups. 1. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add celery, onion and lemongrass. Cook gently until onion is tender, 15 minutes. Add cucumbers and stock. Heat to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until cucumber is tender, 10 minutes. 2. Strain solids from liquid, reserving both. Puree solids with spinach and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Add reserved liquid, cream, salt and pepper; mix until smooth. Serve warm or chilled.

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Soup
Yes, I know it sounds a bit icky but I promise it is delicious
1 med onion — chopped
1 head + stem of broccoli, chopped
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
6 c Chicken Stock
2 c water (though you may want to add more or less depending on how think you want the soup)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Saute onion and garlic in some oil. Add chicken stock and sweet potato. Bring to boil, then add broccoli. Reduce to simmer and cook until veggies are completely tender (about 20 min.) Place 2 cups of soup in blender at a time. Puree. Return all soup to pot and add water, salt and pepper as desired.

Momma Patsy’s Amazing Chicken Soup

1 chicken cut in 8, skin removed. You may want some extra pieces of white
meat with the bone for cutting up later.
3 large carrots peeled and cut
2 parsnips peeled and cut
1 Onion cut in 4
1 Bunch of Dill
1 Bunch of Parsley (optional)
Whole Garlic cloves peeled
2-3 Celery stalks cut up.
2-3 Leeks and/or parsnips (optional)
Amount of vegetables depends on how much you can fit in the pot. You can use
as much as will fit.
8 Cups of water

1. Put the chicken in a pot covered in cold water and bring to a boil (this is to remove and cook away the blood and icky stuff).
2. Pour out the water, rinse the chicken, clean the pot.
3. Put everything into the pot including about 8 cups of water, salt and pepper
4. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer for about 2 hours.
5. Let it cool down and pour through strainer.
6. Remove from strainer any chicken, carrots or other boiled veggies you wish to add back in to your soup
7. Place in fridge over night to allow fat to settle to the top
8. Skim fat off surface of soup with a spoon and paper towel
9. Heat and serve.
Harvest Time Pumpkin Soup
1 large onion, diced medium
3 stalks celery, diced medium
2 carrots, diced medium
1 large leek, diced medium
2 cups pumpkin, fresh, cooked or canned
6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of clove
pinch of nutmeg
salt, to taste

1. Add all ingredients into a stock pot over medium high heat.
2. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes and remove from heat.
4. Let cool for 15 minutes.
5. Puree soup in blender and return to pot.

SIDES

Butternut Squash Delight
1 medium sized butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1/2 medium onion cut in half and sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Cut squash into cubes and steam in a steamer with a tight fitting lid until al dente, about 5-6 minutes
2. Heat 1/2 cup of broth in a medium pot. Saute onions in broth for 3 minutes over medium heat stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic and spices and mix well. After about 1 minute add rest of broth and begin to simmer gently.
4. When squash is al dente, almost done, but still firm on the inside, add to simmering sauce and cook together for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 sweet potatoes
6 tbs rice or quinoa flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lemon
3 tbs olive oil
1 cup cold water
1 cup organic sugar free apple sauce (or pureed apple)

1. scrub skin of sweet potatoes clean, grate (with skin) into bowl, fill with cold water and let sit.
2. In second bowl, mix together flour, eggs, baking soda, salt, cinnamon lemon juice.
3. Drain sweet potato, pat dry and mix in with other ingredients
4. In frying pan (or bake in oven at 400) form sweet potato mixture into whatever size your little heart desires and let cook. You may need to add some oil to the pan but the moisture and oil in the pancakes should be sufficient to keep them from sticking.
5. Serve with apple sauce.

WHOLE GRAIN DISHES

Tahini Magic Vegetarian Rice Bowl
1 1/2 cups (or one serving) cooked brown rice
3/4 cup grated carrot (lightly steamed or raw)
3/4 cup raw fresh parsley
1/2 cup Tahini Magic Sauce (see above)

In a soup size bowl, layer the freshly cooked, hot rice along the bottom. Add 1/2 of the tahini sauce over the rice. Place carrots and parsley over the rice and add remainder of sauce. That easy and so delicious.

Fridge-Bits Pasta
‘Fridge-Bits’ is the food left in the fridge towards the end of the grocery shopping cycle. Fridge bits pasta includes food left from past meals or a few veggies that need to be used up.

Assorted Vegetables: You may use any, all, or a combination of the following- broccoli, zucchini, sweet peppers, asparagus, carrots
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cooking or sweet onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 servings of pasta (try for whole wheat or brown rice pasta)
1 can of tuna (or leftover cooked salmon, leftover grilled or roast chicken etc).
2 tbs olive oil

1. If your vegetables are not already steamed, lightly steam them.
2. While veggies are steaming, boil some water for the pasta.
3. While the pasta is cooking, pour some olive oil into the pan and add the sesame seeds.
4. Once the sesame seeds are browned, add the onion and garlic.
5. Stir fry for five minutes.
6. Add the semi-steamed veggies and mix together.
7. Add in the protein (fish, chicken) and mix together.
8. Once pasta is ready, drain and rinse and return to pot.
9. Add the vege mix to the pot of pasta and mix. And there it is.

Vanessa’s Quick Quinoa
(Courtesy of Vanessa Farquharson)
1 cup quinoa (makes 4 cups when cooked)
2 cups water
2 cups peas or edamame (cooked)
1 can chick peas
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 of a red onion, diced fine
3 tbsp tahini
1 tsp grated ginger
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh chopped parsley

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but you can always leave stuff out or
add more of your own; this salad is super-flexible (it also works with brown
rice), and once everything is prepared you just throw it all together.

1) Boil the quinoa in the water for about 15-20 minutes or until all the
water is absorbed. Let stand to cool.
2) Toss everything together in a large mixing bowl; adjust seasoning if
necessary.

Store in the fridge.CHICKEN

Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Strips

4 Chicken breasts
1 cup Almond Flour
1 tbs Parsley Flakes or 2 tbs fresh parsley
1/2 tsp Paprika
Salt/Pepper
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350f
2. Cut chicken into strips approximately 1 inch wide by 3 inches long
3. Pour almond flour onto a large plate or counter top and mix in parsley, paprika, salt and pepper
4. crack egg into a bowl and beat until mixed (you may wish to use just the egg white)
5. Take strip of chicken, dip into egg and then coat each side in the almond flour mixture and place on cookie sheet or baking tin. Repeat with all the chicken
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Gluten-Free Breaded Butterfly Chicken Breasts

4 Chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Paprika
Additional spices of your choice (basil, oregano etc)
Salt/Pepper
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350f
2. Butterfly your chicken breasts- meaning, cut them through the middle so you will be left with two thin/flattened pieces of chicken of equal size.
3. Pour almond flour onto a large plate or counter top and mix in paprika, salt and pepper
4. crack egg into a bowl and beat until mixed (you may wish to use just the egg white)
5. Take chicken, dip into egg and then coat each side in the almond flour mixture and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with all the chicken
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Homemade Chicken or Beef Burgers
Ground Chicken or beef
Almond flour
1-2 eggs
Chopped onion
Chopped sweet pepper
Garlic
Basil
Toasted sunflower seeds

Amounts have not been indicated as it depends on the amount of chicken you have, and how much extras you want to include.

1. Put ground chicken or beef into large mixing bowl
2. Add in chopped, onion, pepper, garlic, basil and toasted sunflower seeds
3. Beat egg in separate bowl and add to mixture
4. Pour in almond flour. Add small amounts at a time until the mixture gets very sticky.
5. Use a spoon or your hands to form patties with the mixture
6. Put on your grill or lightly fry with olive oil in a pan
7. Cook until patties stick together and are lightly browned on both sides.

FISH

Salmon Patties

16 ounces pink salmon, canned
1 egg
1/3 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 lg. or med. sweet peppers
chopped celery

Drain salmon. Mix together salmon, egg, and onions until sticky. Stir in flour, onion, lemon juice, sweet peppers and chopped celery. Form into small patties. Fry in olive oil or grill until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Keep in mind that if you add too many veggies- the patties won’t stick together.

Pan-fried Breaded Lemon Sole

4 average size sole fillets
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
2 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lemons
1 tbs olive oil
Rinse fillets under cold water. Cut one lemon in half and the other into thin slices. One a large plate mix almond flour, parsley flakes, salt and pepper. Coat the fish on both sides in the flour mix. Place frying pan over stove on medium heat. Add olive oil and the juice from one half of the lemon. Place remaining lemon slices in the pan and lay sole over them. Allow fillets to cook for about 5-8 minutes on the first side and then flip (try and keep the lemon slices with the fish). Once fillets are flipped, squeeze the juice from the second half of the lemon. Let cook for another 5 - 8 minutes. Ready to serve.