I have been extremely busy for the past few months as I am currently doing a MSc in clinical and public health nutrition hence the lack of posts. The degree has been quite challenging with ongoing coursework deadlines and exams so I haven’t been experimenting much with recipes. Since I have been in such a rush all the time meals have been a bit boring. However, a few weeks ago we had an international party at university where each of us made a dish from our home countries. A friend of mine from Palestine brought in some chicken wraps which were absolutely delicious! Obviously I made a few little tweaks to her recipe to make it low FODMAP. Best of all, this recipe is very quick and easy to prepare so it is perfect for my current busy lifestyle. Here it is…

Middle eastern kebabs with salad, zaa’tar tortilla and yoghurt dipping sauce

Middle eastern chicken kebabs with salad and zaa’tar tortilla

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp curry powder*
• 1/2 tsp sumac/sumaq**
• 1/2 tsp 7 spice*
• pinch black pepper
• drizzle garlic infused olive oil

*check the ingredients and make sure they are free from onion and garlic

** sumac hasn’t been tested for FODMAP content yet. I have never had any issues with it, however if you’re weary from trying it, the recipe is still great if you omit it.

Sides:

• 2 pitta bread or tortilla***
• 1 tbsp zaa’tar
• rapeseed or olive oil
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 tomatoes
• a few parsley and basil leaves
• dash of red wine vinegar
• salad leaves (optional)

*** GF pitta bread or corn tortilla. However 1 wheat tortilla may be tolerated as 1 slice of wheat bread is low FODMAP

Yoghurt dipping sauce:

• 2 tbsps natural lactose free yoghurt
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1/2 tsp tahini

Method

1. Chop the chicken breasts into bite size cubes.
2. Drizzle with olive or rapeseed oil, add the spices and mix until the chicken is well coated with the spice mixture.
3. Put the chicken cubes on skewers. (You may skip this step and fry the chicken in a pan instead.)
4. Place a grill pan on the hob or pre-heat the oven.
5. In the meantime, prepare the salad by chopping the cucumber and tomatoes. Mix together. Add the chopped parsley and basil. Drizzle with a dash of red wine vinegar. Add salad leaves if you like.
6. Put the chicken skewers on the heated grill. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
7. While the chicken is cooking. Place the zaa’tar in a little bowl and cover with olive oil. With a brush mix it together and then brush the mixture onto a tortilla or a pitta bread.
8. Heat a pan. Once hot place the tortilla or pitta bread in. Lightly toast it on both sides until slightly golden and fragrant.
9. Finally make the yoghurt dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
10. Serve!

PS: Insoluble fibre found in raw vegetables is a common IBS trigger. If this is the case for you substitute the salad with some low FODMAP cooked vegetables. Peeling and de-seeding can also help reduce the amount of insoluble fibre.