IBS? I Be Sick of it

This post is going to be a little different to my others here on BGB. Perhaps a little more personal. Sharing is caring, right? This touches on the topic of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) - something I spend a lot of time thinking about, and wishing I knew more on. This also relates to food - so thought it was still relevant to the blog. It's a long one. You've been warned :)

Not long ago, I was heading home after a fairly rough day at work. It was quite a stressful Monday, and I'd had a bit of an "indulgent" weekend so to say I wasn't in the mood for my impending stuffy commute is an understatement. I remember walking onto the platform at Picc Circus, clutching my aching belly, and looking up to see that the next train wasn't due for six minutes. For anyone that doesn't live/work in London, this equates to about 124 normal minutes (slight exaggeration). I was Not. Happy.

A couple of stops into my journey, while standing in the middle of the carriage, I noticed a lady sat in front of me mini-waving to catch my eye. I looked over and she did the whole "would you like to sit down" speak-with-no-sound mimic to me. Initially, I thought, "Why is she asking me if I want to sit down? I am about 25 years younger than her!".

Why? Because she thought I was pregnant.

What ensued then, was the most awkward 15 seconds imaginable, consisting mainly of half finished sentences, such as "are you-","oh, you thought I was-".... "but I'm not-", "oh my god, I thought-", "no, no don't worry it's fi-"

In her defence, I wouldn't blame her for making that assumption. At that moment in time I was wearing a fairly unforgiving fitted blouse, and my belly was so swollen and bloated, that I could have easily passed for a woman in her second trimester. I also I reckon I looked rather uncomfortable.

IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It's Bloody Shit. For any fellow IBS sufferers reading this, you’ll understand just how rubbish it can be, especially when you flare up. The pain and discomfort varies, depending on what has induced it – be that stress, something you have eaten or drank, or dehydration - but it’s never something that goes unnoticed.

Usually when I flare up, I am admittedly Overly aware of it and am very good at covering it up. I naturally cover my belly and wear baggy clothes. So for me to leave myself so exposed like I did on that train is very rare. I put it down to being completely knackered-tired.

I got home that evening and threw on my running gear in the hopes that a pacey jog would help me feel better (it usually does). I went to tie my hair up in front of the mirror and spotted my massively convex tummy, just poking out for all to see. It was sore and solid as a rock. I felt so, utterly fed up. I sat down on my bed and had a big cry.

For those who might not know what IBS is, it is a common condition of the digestive system that essentially causes bouts of stomach cramps, horrific bloating, diarrhea and constipation.

IBS affects at least 20% of us and is the #1 diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder. Unfortunately, it is often not taken seriously and ridiculed by many people, health professionals included.

A little bit of the science for you... our guts are controlled by the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), the operation of which isn’t fully understood, which would explain why there is no specific test for it as yet, and perhaps why the aforementioned "health pros" are happy to dismiss it.

One of my best friends, Tara, is a fellow IBSer. We swap experiences and tips quite a lot (i.e. we moan to each other), and every now-and-then we'll even swap "look how preggo I look today" snaps. Here is a snap Tara has kindly let me share, just to give you an idea. I'll stress that this isn't a case of her pushing her belly out at all. This is her comfortable, letting it all hang out! I've also seen her a LOT worse (sorry Tara). I can't count on fingers, how many times I have called or messaged her to ask her an IBS related question. It's nice to have someone to chat to, who can genuinely relate. Thanks for letting me use this picture here, Tara :)

Tara's IBS Belly

I suffer quite badly, and it seems to be worsening so I am in the process of undergoing some tests to see if there are any other issues, like IBD, Crohn's and Colitis, that I may be suffering from as well. I have made the HUGE mistake of delaying these tests for a long time now, and I regret this massively. Health should always, always come first. Essentially, it is the King of everything else.

There was a time when my bloating would be quite rare, and even then it wouldn’t always be that uncomfortable. I was able to eat reasonable amounts of dairy and wheat with no real issues, and alcohol didn’t affect it that much at all. These days, it’s a different story. I can’t eat most types of bread (I still do), I really can’t eat dairy (I still do), gluten in general is a no-no and any refined sugars -even in small amounts - set me off (look at my blog, I like sugar), and the only alcohol that doesn’t bloat me is vodka and white rum (I like wine. A lot). Even certain vegetables and fruits you’d assume would be a safe bet like broccoli, sweetcorn, peppers, cabbage and any seeded fruits are on the no-no list for me… and this list goes on and on. As does my inability to steer clear of all of the above.

The really frustrating thing I have found about IBS is that can be managed, but only if:

• You are not stressed
• You keep well hydrated (but not overly so)
• You exercise regularly

Why is this frustrating? Because it can be quite tricky to just not be stressed - life is full of stress for all of us and that can be hard to control at times. Also, I don’t know about everyone else but when I am stressed I drink less water, so I'll end up dehydrating myself. I do exercise very regularly, but that has been to my own detriment in a few cases. Sometimes your body just needs to rest, and I am not a very good rester. I tend to push myself even more when I am suffering with my IBS, so ultimately I am creating a vicious circle - stressing my body out unnecessarily.

So what’s an IBSer to do? Especially one that has a fairly hectic work-life, a massive appetite, and a serious penchant for baking?

In my personal opinion, I think everyone has a little IBS in them, and what a lot of it is down to, is our human body’s way of saying “PLEASE STOP PUTTING THIS PROCESSED SHITE INTO ME OR I'LL CAUSE YOU PAIN, LIKE THIS.”

With this in mind, I've been giving Paleo a go recently, and it seems to be working for the most part.

The premise of Paleo is simple: you eat the foods that would have been available in the time of cave-people, aka the Palaeolithic era. So, you eat things like meat, fish, veg, nuts and berries, and you avoid grain-based foods, pulses, dairy products and refined sugar. If the Flintstones couldn’t have it, avoid it. If it’s “made” in a microwave, it is a big no-no. You get the idea. For me, this isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle choice. I'd fail miserably if it were a diet, and I find diets to be stupid anyway.

I am in the early stages, but it's something I aim to crack on with for the foreseeable. I have had quite enough of the shit that IBS brings (or sometimes doesn't... duh dun dun chhh). That was a constipation joke if anyone missed it. Sorry mom.

I'm more than willing to be as proactive as possible to minimise the negative impact IBS has had over me, and I'm happy to share my personal experiences, even if some of them are a bit rubbish. Above all, I'm hoping I can spread the love to fellow IBSers by sharing lots of my IBS-friendly recipes here. I LOVE my food, but this is something I've always struggled with - I feel like I rotate the same 2 - 3 "safe" meals all of the time and I am sick of it. Going from recent conversations, I don't think I am the only one!

So, over the next few weeks and months I'll be tracking my 'Becca Vs IBS' progress here on BGB. I'll be cutting out various different foods to pin-point what sets me off most, and trying and testing lots of new recipes. 

Watch this space :-)

Bx

Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut & Courgette Cake with Strawberries and Cream Coulis

Quite a mouthful, right?

So, I know the question on about 85% of the minds of those reading this right now - "What in God's name is she doing making a chocolate cake with courgette?"

Well, take a seat, grab a cuppah, pull up a chair... I'll tell you exactly why.

Comfy? Great.

When it comes to baking, there are few things that piss me off as much as a slice of dry, dull cake. This is particularly true in the case of chocolate cake. Personally, when I choose chocolate cake for my dessert, I mean serious dessert ordering business. And that business involves a requirement for a rich, flavoursome, moist, dreamy, chocolate party in my mouth. Does it have to be a big portion? Absolutely not. In fact, you'll know you are eating a perfectly baked chocolate cake when one medium-sized slice is just perfect.

.....What?

With that said, I genuinely had to stop writing this after typing the above, to go and grab myself a(nother) slice. See the bowl in the picture there? See the way it still has chocolate residue in it? About 2 minutes after this was taken.... clean as a shiny new whistle.

So, where were we....

After a recent unforgivable chocolate cake eating experience, I took it upon myself to come up with a recipe that would result in the chocolate cake of Willie Wonka's dreams. After a couple of hours research, and about .5 litres of saliva generation, I came across an article on using certain fruits and vegetables as a 'moistening agent'. The usual suspects were listed - Banana, Apple, berries, carrots and even beets. Tick, tick, tick, tick and tick. I'd tried all of these before and I use them regularly in many different recipes, but with them comes their flavour, and that's not what I was after. I wanted a magical, invisible, tasteless ingredient that could help me to turn my chocolate cake recipe into something quite special!

Enter the mystical and clandestine Courgette.

Now, I did a bit of a number on this recipe. Traditionally, chocolate cake is meant to include, or be covered in, chocolate icing. However, I decided I wanted to "Summer-ize" this a bit, and so came up with the idea of my strawberries and cream coulis.

The Ingredients:

The Cake - 

350g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp mixed spice

175ml extra-virgin olive oil

375g golden caster sugar (yep, I know. Woah.)

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

500ml grated courgettes (measure by volume in a jug, but it's about 2 medium courgettes)

140g hazelnuts roughly chopped (bonus flavour points if you can find roasted ones)

The Coulis -

150ml double cream

2 tbls honey (use a light honey)

About two handfuls of strawberries (this can vary depending on personal taste)

The Method:

Cake -

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt. Make sure everything is sieved
• In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette.
• Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted hazelnuts. (see pictures below)
• Line a cake tin – ideally about 22 – 24 cms - with greaseproof paper, then pour in your mixture.
• Bake for about 40-50 mins, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out nice and clean.
• Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool

See for yourself - two full courgettes!

A note on baking with courgettes: These fellas can hold A LOT of water, which can affect your bake in a not so scrummy way. If your grated courgettes seem watery, place them into a dry, clean cloth and wring out some of the liquid. Then add the courgettes to the cake mixture as normal. 

Strawberries and Cream coulis –

• Place double cream into a bowl and whip. Bear in mind that this s double cream, so it will whip very quickly. It needs to be quite thick (I’ll explain why in my next point) but just make sure you don’t over-do it
• Mash the strawberries (a potato masher works well) in a separate bowl until liquefied with some bumpy bits still present
• Add in honey and stir
• Combine double cream, folding it all together
• You should be left with a thick, but still quite watery, baby pink coulis that smells like heaven’s smoothie shop
• Leave it to sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes – you’ll see it will thicken back up slightly

The Moozic:
I may or may not have gotten caught by my poor neighbours shaking my booty to Pharrell and Robin Thicke's new cracker  a lot, during the making of this yummy monster. Also had Young and the Giant's self titled album playing. It has a really nice Summer sound to it. I am particularly in love with the song entitled 'Strings'. THIS acoustic version is excellent; about as refreshing as my coulis ;-)

One of your 'Five a Day' right there ;-)

When the cake has cooled down, take a big, non-serrated knife, and cut a slice. As much as you may want to do otherwise at this point, I'd advise you don't risk death (or coma) by chocolate, and cut a reasonable size. You'll understand why I say this when your about half way through your first slice. This cake has a lot going on. You simply won't require a big slice. I revert back to my point above - if a chocolate cake is done right and done well, you won't feel the need to stuff your face with it.

Whether you do or not... well, you're only human.

This is another cake that keeps very well, once refrigerated. If you can maintain self-control, it will last up to a week in the fridge after you bake it, and still taste amazing. The courgette works in your favour here.

    

My Cookery Masterclass with Celeb Chef Rachel Allen

Yesterday was a very good day for Baby Got Bake. A very good day indeed.

Chef Rachel Allen and I. Pals :)

After entering a competition with Sprite (The #SpriteRecipeChallenge) - which involved submitting your own take on a classic recipe, but with a healthy twist - I was picked (by someone very special!) as a winner.

The prize? A cookery Masterclass with the special one herself, the lovely Rachel Allen - A fantastic celebrity chef, who just so happens to hail from the homeland. The homeland is Ireland, for those of you reading who may not know I am all about the Eireannach. I have survived living away from home in London with the help of Rachel's cook books, and I grew up watching my mother baking recipes made famous, by Rachel's Mother in Law, the very well known and highly regarded Darina Allen.

So, this is how my very good day went...

I was picked up by a lovely chap, who brought me in his Prius to a beautiful venue in South East London, called Food at 52.

Food at 52 operates from a unique and atmospheric cookschool in the heart of Clerkenwell on Central Street. It is clear to see, from the moment of entry, that great care has been taken to create a homely and relaxed environment for visitors to learn how to cook in. The interior is beautiful, reminiscent of a country home, with an eclectic, urban curl.

In classic Becca style, I was the last person to arrive for the class. When I walked through the door, Rachel was sat with the seven or so other bloggers, sipping on champagne and chatting away. I introduced myself to everyone and the first thing she said - in that unmistakable posh South Dublin accent - was, "oh Rebecca, you're the one who wrote the hilarious post about your cookie recipe". I felt my face go bright red and immediately regretted the "casual" style that most of my blogposts tend to take. I am pretty sure the word 'Bollocks' features somewhere in that particular post. Oh well. She seemed to enjoy it.

After a few minutes we were ushered downstairs to the cookery area, where we took our positions around a vast, custom built oak and stone table. 

Class in session!

Rachel gave us a brief introductory chat, and explained that we'd be making the classic Pasta Carbonara dish (big fan!) and a light Strawberry fool for dessert.

The idea of the day was to create some beautiful, flavoursome dishes in a way that was a healthy, lighter alternative to how they are usually prepared. Sprite partnered with Rachel for this, after changing their own recipe, so it now contains about 30% less of the bold stuff, but still has that signature, refreshing taste we all know and love.

Tsssssss.. ahhhh!

We learnt how the drink contains the natural ingredient - Stevia extract - which at plain sight, looks like a grounded down herb, but is a zero-calorie sweetener from natural origins. We even got to taste the teeniest, tiniest little bit of this, and my goodness was it sweet!

In keeping with the Sprite theme, and to my initial horror, the Carbonara would not contain any cream or butter or pancetta, but would be substituted with pasta water (the water that the pasta is cooked in), extra egg yolk and green vegetables. It also meant that the strawberry fool, which is usually packed with sugary meringue, cream and syrup, would instead contain organic greek yogurt, a very small bit of light cream, fresh strawberries and a dash of Agave syrup.

At first, I was quite sceptical, and wondered how this could possibly compare to the dishes I was all too familiar with... I was soon to be enlightened by Mrs Allen.

Pasta Scarf?

Rachel did a wonderful job at showing us just how easy it is to make pasta from scratch. Now, there is a bit of elbow grease involved, as the pasta dough needs to be kneaded and rolled until paper thin, but I must say, I actually found that part of the process quite therapeutic.

It was really interesting to learn how this delicious Italian dish, a favourite amongst so many, has actually morphed into something quite different than how it was originally prepared by its creators. Carbonara didn't traditionally include cream, mushrooms, onion or meat - it was all about the egg yolk and pasta water, supported generously by green vegetables done al dente, fresh basil and a feck load of black pepper. 

Not as tricky as it looks :)

While we hung out our pasta strips, we very quickly prepared the Strawberry fool. It was all so simple. First, we mashed strawberries - which are in season at the moment, so packed with yummy, juicy flavour. The smell they released when we began mashing them was mesmerising (and a little drool enhancing, if truth be told). Second, we lightly whipped a very small portion of cream and folded it into some greek yogurt. We then added a dash of light Agave syrup.

Dessert, fool!

Finally, we mixed all of the above together very lightly and placed in the fridge for later. It was tough to say goodbye, if only for a short time. I am pretty sure I actually waved a solemn farewell when Rachel's assistant came to take it away.

We then got back to the pasta dish. There wasn't much left for us to do at this stage, but throw the veg onto the hot pan, and place the pasta into the boiling water. The vegetables - baby courgette and broad beans - went first, because with the pasta being fresh, it takes all of a few minutes to cook.

Rachel instructed us to be ready to eat our pasta at the very moment that it was ready to take off the pan. I had no problem with this whatsoever (in fact, she caught me eating direct from the pan, then joined in). She explained that this is when pasta should be eaten, as for every moment you wait at this point, will effect the consistency of the pasta. In simple terms - it will dry up very quickly. If this does happen, you can simply add more pasta water and a small bit of beaten egg yolk to loosen it up again.

So, how did it taste? Let's just say I will never appreciate a non-fresh pasta dish as much as I may have in the past. Fresh pasta, when done right, is absolutely exquisite. I cannot wait to try this again myself.

Done!

Something that really took me by surprise, was that as someone that suffers from IBS, and typically struggles to digest white pasta, this gave me no problems at all. In fact, I went for a run in the evening, and felt I had the perfect level of energy for it.

I enjoyed every minute of this day, and learned so much about how to transform a classic, delicious, but typically heavy dish into something just as mouthwatering - with half the feeling of guilt that comes with it.

I also got to chinwag with the delectable Mrs Rachel Allen, about food, running, marathon training, back home in Ireland, my perfect mother (and no.1 favourite chef), and - more randomly - our mutual love for rose gold jewellery. 

Thanks so much to the Sprite crew for a truly memorable day! 

B x

Nostaligia-licious Upside-down Pineapple Cake

Ah yes, the good old Upside-down Pineapple Cake. When I started baking this one, I got what seemed to be the same feedback from everyone...

"Ah, no way, that cake reminds me of -

a - My mom"
b - My Gran"
c - My Gran's house"
d - My Gran's house in summer when I used to stuff my fat little face with pineapple cake"

... And if it isn't Gran or mum, it's aunt or great aunt.

Everyone has a place in their hearts - and room in their tummies - for this cake. If I had my own restaurant, which I really hope to have some day, i'd have a mini menu, called "Comfort Food". It would have a half dozen savoury dishes, and a half dozen sweet dishes. This would 100% be one of the sweet dishes.

If Upside-down Pineapple cake were a person, you just know it'd give the best hugs, and tell the silliest jokes.

Ok, back to business...

My recipe for this treaty wonder is super simple, and it includes the classic caramel topping. Also, if you fancied whipping up an upside-down Apple cake, you can use the very same recipe and just sub out your pineapples for some good old granny smiths :-)

The Ingredients:

100g / 4oz margarine

100g / 4oz caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

200g / 8oz plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 medium eggs

100ml milk

1/2 pineapple or tin of rings (not chopped. Rings!) 

50g / 2oz soft brown sugar

The Moozic:
In the spirit of nostalgia, i've been rocking out to Flight Facilities. Treated myself to one of their epics mixes, which takes you through some of the 'whippest' tunes that were born between 1992 and 2002. And they do it chronologically... What more can you ask for? Fantastic stuff.

Try this on for size!

Bits n' Pieces

The Method: 

• Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ 360°F/ Gas Mark 4
• Grease an 8″ round baking tin
• Cream the margarine, sugar and vanilla essence together using an electric mix (until it's all soft and creamy and lush!)
• Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Add the eggs and milk
• Mix together until smooth, creamy and 'batter like'
• Sprinkle the baking tin with half of the brown sugar
• If you went the au-naturel route, peel and core the pineapple. Slice into thin rings and place half the rings into the baking tin on top of the brown sugar. If you took the lazy route and got a can, you really shouldn't need any direction
• Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar onto the rings after placing them down (check out my pic, it shows you the best way to set the rings - perfect for an 8" tin)
• Chop the remaining pineapple into fine pieces and stir into the batter
• Pour the batter onto the pineapples
• You're good to go! Cook for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. 10 of the slowest minutes in existence.
• Then gently run a palette knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the cake and turn it onto a cooling tray

Pineapply Goodness!

• Serve that bad boy with warm with double cream or custard
• Leave it to cool completely before putting whatever is left over (if there is anything left!), into the fridge.

Slice me off'a piece-a THAT!

This cake keeps very well, essentially because it is doused in so much sugar. It will keep, and be insanely edible, for up to a week after you bake it. Just make sure it is kept refrigerated.

Happy Baking :-)

B x

Moist-a-licious Walnut, Carrot and Orange Cake

Carrot Cake. One of my all time favourite cakes. I love making this. Nearly as much as I love eating it.

I've baked carrot cake a lot over the last year or so and I have tried a number of recipes. I liked all of them for different reasons, but failed to find one that ticked all the boxes - moistness, devilish cream cheese topping, spicey flavour, fluffy but rich texture - so, I went and designed my own recipe.

"Here's one I prepared earlier" ;-)

There is nothing like a perfectly baked, slice of moist and flavoursome carrot cake. I love to have mine with a yummy cup of peppermint tea.

The Ingredients:

Cake mix -
175g light muscovado sugar
175ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
140g grated carrots (about 3 medium ones will do!)
100g raisins
Grated zest of 1 large orange
175g self-raising flour
1 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)
1 bag of whole walnut halves

Icing mix -
200g soft cheese (one standard sized tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese does the job well) 

50g butter, softened

85g icing sugar, sifted

Pinch of ground cinnamon

The juice of half of 1 large orange

The Moozic:
The Morning Benders, Big Echo

A great sound to bake to, this will have you sauntering about the kitchen. You can check out my own little review of the album on my other blog, here

The Method:

For the cake...

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C
• Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. I find the easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and layer each strip crossways, covering the base and sides of the tin
• Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon
• Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind
• Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, into the bowl. Mix!
• Lightly mix all the ingredients - until everything is evenly mixed. The texture should be fairly soft and almost runny
• Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre
• Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool that bad boy on a wire rack

The look of concentration...

For zee icing...

• God I love this part... With an electric whisk, beat together the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth
• Add in the orange juice and continue whisking, but only until it looks mixed in - you don't want to over-mix 
• Spread over the top of the cake with a tool similar to the one I am rocking in the picture above
• Decorate with walnut halves. You can do this whatever way you want but for ease of slicing, the way I have done mine works well
• When this is done, take the the other half of the orange you squeezed for the icing, and grate/sprinkle some zest over the cake.

Aaaaaand done! :-)

B x