Pesto, tofu, noodles & zoodles

INGREDIENTS

Coriander pesto:

112g pine nuts, lightly roasted

4 cups fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsp lemon rind, finely grated

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 fresh long green chilli, seeded and chopped roughly (around 11cm long)

1/4 cup (60ml) garlic-infused olive oil (see note)

Veggies, noodles and zoodles:

1/8 cup (30ml) garlic infused olive oil

250 gram firm tofu, cubed

2 tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

8 yellow patty pan squash, halved

2 baby zucchini, halved lengthways

1 small zucchini (130g), use a grater to convert to zoodles using a julienne peeler

2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

180 gram dried soba noodles (made from wheat and buckwheat)

1 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves

1 spring onion, sliced, green tops only

METHOD

1.          Lightly toast pine nuts over medium heat. Don’t skip this step as it will intensify the flavour.

2.          Blend all ingredients together until (mostly) smooth. Season well with salt and pepper. Adjust lemon rind, juice and chilli to ensure the pesto packs a punch. If you prefer an extra zing, replace lemon with lime.

3.          Heat 2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook tofu for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Add 3 tbpn of gluten-free tamari in the last 30 seconds of cooking to give a caramelised texture. Remove from pan.

4.          Using the same frying pan, reheat the oil and lightly fry the yellow squash and halved zucchini until golden and tender. Add ginger. Cook for 30 seconds before adding 2 tbsp of additional tamari sauce (or soy sauce).

5.          Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender. Drain.

6.          Use a julienne peeler to make thin and delicate zucchini noodles. Cook for 1 minute in boiling water (or less if using a microwave). If you overcook the zoodles, they will go very soggy. They taste best when they’re just done, retaining their texture and taste.

7.          Return noodles and zoodles to pan, add pesto. Toss to combine.

8.          Serve noodles & noodles with veggies and tofu. Top with coriander, sliced spring onions and lemon zest (optional).

FODMAP NOTES:

Pine nuts - servings of 8 tablespoons per person (or 100g) contains high amounts of oligos-fructans which may cause gut health symptoms. 28g per person should be a safe serving size for people with IBS. However, if you are particularly sensitive to oligos-fructans, you could substitute with 160g of lightly roasted macadamia nuts.

Tofu – this serving size is low in fodmaps and should be tolerated by most individuals with IBS.

Zucchini – 65g per person is low in fodmaps and should be tolerated by most individuals with IBS. The recipe suggests using a small zucchini (under 130g) so that everyone can enjoy some zoodles without fructan stacking. And 2 grilled baby zucchini.

Olive oil – olive oil is free from fodmaps but high in fat which can trigger gut health symptoms in some people. If this is an issue for you, loosen the pesto with ½ oil and ½ water. In addition, you can reduce the amount of oil in the recipe by baking the tofu in the oven, rather than frying and grilling the baby zucchini and squash on the BBQ grill.