“Candida Can Be Fun” – thanks to Rebecca!

Via the magic world that is Twitter, I recently met the very fabulous Rebecca Richardson.  Rebecca suffered with candida overgrowth for many years before finally being put on the road to recovery by her Nutritionist.  A combination of detailed food planning and nutritional supplements helped her regain her health and wellbeing and she has now put together this wonderful book of recipes and food ideas for anyone suffering with candida overgrowth and gut dysbiosis.

All the recipes are free from sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, wheat and fruit – many can also be adapted to be vegetarian too.

To give you a taster of what Rebecca has to offer, I have put 3 recipes in the Recipe section of this site; enjoy cooking!

For more details on Rebecca and how to order her book click here

 

Stir fried tofu with chop suey & rice

gluten free, dairy free

Swap takeaway for this tasty stir fry & chop suey from Rebecca Richardson’s book “Candida Can Be Fun”

Serves 4

225g (8oz) of brown basmati and wild rice

200g (7oz) of fresh tofu (chopped into bite-sized pieces)

2 teaspoons of Bragg Liquid Aminos

2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil

2 large cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)

3 heaped teaspoons of freshly chopped root ginger

1 small red onion (peeled and sliced)

1 red or yellow pepper (cored, deseeded and cut into rings)

3 pak choi (trimmed and chopped)

175g of fresh bean sprouts

100g (3½oz) each of fresh baby corn and mange tout

3 tablespoons of Bragg Liquid Aminos

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

In a large pan which has a lid, pour in about 1½ pints of boiling water and a small drop of oil.

In a sieve, add the rice and rinse well with cold water then add the rice to the pan.

Cover and simmer on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25 – 30 minutes until cooked.

In a colander, drain the cooked rice then rinse well with boiling water until the water runs clear.

Set the rice aside for now.

Prepare the tofu by draining off the excess water and then cutting it into bite-sized cubes or strips.

Put the tofu pieces into a bowl and mix in 2 teaspoons of Bragg Liquid Aminos.  Stir well.

In a frying pan, stir-fry the tofu in a little oil for about 10 minutes until brown and crispy on the outside.

In a wok, heat the oil on a medium heat and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and onion for about 2 – 3 minutes.

Put in the pepper and pak choi and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the bean sprouts and 3 tablespoons of Bragg Liquid Aminos.  Stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

Turn off the heat.

In a steamer, steam the baby corn and mange tout for about 2 – 3 minutes, so they have bite to them.

Put some of the rice in a small cup and press it down until it reaches the top.

Then put your serving plate over the top and tip them both upside down, so the rice is a little mound.

Serve with the chop suey and side vegetables and then sprinkle the tofu pieces over the top.

Tabbouleh

gluten free option, dairy free, vegan

Another delightful recipe from Rebecca Richardson’s book “Candida Can Be Fun” this variation uses quinoa instead of bulghar wheat

Serves 3 – 4

200g (7oz) of quinoa

1 yeast-free vegetable stock cube

15 cherry tomatoes (chopped)

½ cucumber (chopped)

3 – 4 spring onions (trimmed and chopped)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 small clove of garlic (peeled and chopped finely)

½ teaspoon of ground cumin

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons of freshly chopped mint

3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

In a sieve, rinse the quinoa with cold water and drain.

In a wok, toast the quinoa on a low heat for a minute.

In a jug, make up the stock cube with 1 pint of boiling water.  Add the stock to the quinoa and stir well.

Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for about 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Stir the quinoa regularly to prevent it burning.

(NB – The grain will turn from white to transparent and the spiral-like tail will appear when it is cooked).

When the quinoa is ready, transfer it to a large salad bowl to cool.

Chop the tomatoes and cucumber into bite-sized chunks.  Thinly slice the spring onions.

Finely chop the parsley and mint.

In a measuring jug, mix the oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices for the dressing. Add more oil, if needed.

Add the vegetables and herbs to the quinoa.  Stir thoroughly.

Pour over the salad dressing (you do not have to use all the dressing if you do not want to).

Refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

Eat on its own, or serve as a side salad to some meat or fish.

 

 

 

Hungarian aubergine with polenta

gluten free option, dairy free

A spicy, warming dish from Rebecca Richardson’s book “Candida Can be Fun”.  Formulated for candida sufferers, the book is packed with tasty recipes everyone can enjoy

Serves 3 – 4

1 small aubergine (trimmed and sliced)

2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

3 large cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)

1 large red onion (peeled and diced)

1 orange pepper (cored, deseeded and diced)

1 large courgette (trimmed and diced)

2 sticks of celery (trimmed and diced)

1 yeast-free vegetable stock cube

4 fresh tomatoes (peeled, cored and chopped)

3 – 4 tablespoons of tomato purée

2 tablespoons of mild paprika

1 pack of ready-made polenta (or homemade)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Prepare the aubergine by trimming both ends off and slicing it into 1cm thick slices.

Spread the slices out onto a large plate and sprinkle liberally with a little sea salt on both sides.

Leave to sit for 20 minutes. Wash off the salt well with cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel.

This process removes much of the bitterness and can reduce fat absorption.

Cut the aubergine into cubes.

Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan with a lid.

Add about two-thirds of the garlic and all of the onion.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Then add the pepper, courgette, celery and aubergine.  Stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

In a jug, make up the stock cube with ¾ pint of boiling water and pour in the pan.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika and rest of the raw garlic.

Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Slice the amount of polenta required into thin strips and then chop up smaller again.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.

Add the polenta and stir continuously until it is a similar consistency to mashed potato.

Serve with a green salad.