Recipes from The Two-Step Low-FODMAP Diet and Recipe Book by Sue Shepherd

• Sue Shepherd explains the low-FODMAP diet

Dr Sue Shepherd offers Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers a guide to symptom-free enjoyment of good food. Here's three great recipes:

Pork terrine

Serves 8-10

1kg pork mince
¼ cup chopped cornichons
200g stale gluten-free bread, crusts removed and crumbled
2 eggs, lightly whisked
⅓ cup lactose-free cream
½ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped tarragon
¼ cup garlic-infused olive oil
2 tbsp butter
½ cup dry white wine
freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices prosciutto
Dijon mustard, to serve
gluten-free bread, toasted, to serve (optional)
cherry tomatoes, roasted, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a large bowl, combine the pork mince, cornichons, breadcrumbs, egg, cream, parsley and tarragon.

Heat the olive oil and butter over a medium heat in a small frying pan. Add the wine and heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Pour the wine mixture into the pork mixture and stir until well combined. Season with pepper (the mixture will not need salting as the prosciutto will contribute salt while cooking).

Line an 8cm × 8cm × 20cm loaf tin with prosciutto, going width-ways first, then place the remaining slices cross-ways to overhang the long sides of the tin.

Spoon the pork mixture into the lined tin and smooth the surface. Fold in the overhanging prosciutto to encase the filling. Cover the tin with foil and place in a large baking dish. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to submerge two-thirds of the tin.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the centre of the terrine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Remove the foil and turn the tin upside down on to a wire rack over a tray to allow any juices to drain away. Turn the tin upright and recover with foil. Top with another loaf tin and place two or threeŠ heavy cans in the top tin to compress the terrine. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely for a few hours or overnight, to allow the flavours to develop.

To serve, turn the terrine on to a board and pat dry with paper towel. Cut into slices and serve with the Dijon mustard. Also serve with gluten-free bread and cherry tomatoes on the side, if desired.

If you can tolerate:

Mannitol, add 6 button mushrooms, finely chopped, to the mince mixture.
Lactose, you may use regular rather than lactose-free cream.
Fructans, consider using ½ clove garlic, crushed and sauteed in olive oil, rather than garlic-infused olive oil.

Braised beef cheeks creamy polenta

Serves 4

4 beef cheeks (about 800g), trimmed
5 tbsp gluten-free cornflour
⅓ cup garlic-infused olive oil
3 spring onions, green part only, sliced
1 cup red wine
2 cups gluten-free, onion-free beef stock
2 sticks cinnamon
3 sprigs thyme
2 star anise
1 small red chilli, seeded and sliced (optional)
2 × 1cm pieces ginger, peeled
2 tsp gluten-free soy sauce
½ tsp vinegar
1-2 tsp brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C. Toss the beef cheeks in the cornflour.

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the beef cheeks, two at a time, over a medium heat, ensuring they are sealed on all sides. Set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the dish and saute the spring onions. Add the wine, stock, cinnamon sticks, thyme, star anise, chilli, if using, and ginger. Bring to the boil and add the beef. Place a sheet of baking paper over the top of the beef and put the lid on. Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours, checking water occasionally and topping up if the level is low, to help prevent sticking.

Prepare the creamy polenta according to the recipe.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and vinegar, adding enough brown sugar to balance the acidity of the vinegar. Mix well.

Remove the dish from the oven. Discard the baking paper, remove the beef and set aside to rest, covered with foil. Pick out the cinnamon, ginger and star anise from the dish and discard.

Over a medium heat, stir to lift the residue Πoff the bottom of the dish and continue reducing until the sauce thickens. Add the vinegar and soy mixture and stir through until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the meat and braising juices over the polenta.

If you can tolerate:

Fructans, consider using 1 clove garlic, crushed and sauteed in olive oil, rather than garlic-infused olive oil. Or, you may like to use regular beef stock, rather than onion-free. Or, you may like to use the whole spring onion, not only the green part.

Creamy polenta

2 cups lactose-free milk
½ cup instant polenta
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan until almost boiling. Add the polenta and stir until the mixture boils. Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for a further 3-5 minutes until the polenta is cooked (it should be the texture of smooth mashed potato.)

Passionfruit brulee

Serves 4

600ml lactose-free cream
6 egg yolks
⅓ cup castor sugar
85ml passionfruit pulp in syrup (strain, reserving the pips)
⅓ cup castor sugar (extra)

Preheat the oven to 150C. Place four ½ cup ramekins in a baking dish.

Pour the cream into a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar using electric beaters until pale and creamy. Add the cooled cream and passionfruit pulp (plus some of the pips) and beat until well combined.

Divide the passionfruit mixture among the ramekins, filling to three-quarters full. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the brulees are firm around the edges.

Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and set aside to cool to room temperature (this will take about an hour). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight to set.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the brulees and place under a hot grill for about 1 minute until the sugar bubbles and caramelises. (Alternatively, use a kitchen blowtorch to do this.)

Set aside for 5 Žminutes before serving.

If you can tolerate: Lactose, use regular rather than lactose-free cream.

The Two-Step Low-FODMAP Diet and Recipe Book, by Dr Sue Shepherd. Macmillan. $34.99.