Hue Lemongrass Skewers with Bok Choy and Pickled Carrots

I've been recipe picking and meal prepping for decades at this point. It got pretty boring eating a rotation of the trendy foods like broiled fish, farm to table sausage and pulled pork accompanied by scented quinoa, fresh salads and avocados (still love avocados, but...)

Don't get me wrong, that is beautiful nutrition, but, I was booored!

If you follow us on Instagram, you'll have seen lately an array of bright, fresh and different recipes that originate from gorgeous Vietnam. We wanted to feel inspired, excited and look forward to our meals and meal prep. When we carry that kind of energy while we handle food it increases dopamine (happy hormone!) as well
as improves digestion and absorption of nutrients by giving the body time to execute a series of actions that support digestion:

Amylase, an enzyme that breaks down carbs, increases (think salivation!), your digestive organs begin to prepare/secrete digestive enzymes and bile and your small intestine prepares to accept those beautiful nutrients.

A very different picture than throwing food together in a rush that you aren't necessarily looking forward to, then eating mindlessly while just trying to side-step hanger. Know what I mean?

It's so important to increase joy, excitement and reduce stress in order to overcome IBS and SIBO. The work is different for everyone, though easily identifiable if you raise your awareness.

Consider this: Is your body tense while recipe picking, grocery shopping and meal prepping? Is your gut tight, spine sore, shoulders tense? Are you thinking about what you have to do next, how inconvenient meal prepping is or how you'd rather be ordering uber eats?

If these things are happening and you're feeling tense, stressed or resentful, chances are your body is in fight or flight and will not be able to digest, absorb and repair the gut. That happening over and over is the perfect opportunity for SIBO to occur.

We need to get you to find your happy place. Find your peace. Joy. CALM.

Breathe and try to relax as much as possible - we find mindfulness meditation really helps with this.

I've been so excited about these recipes that I've actually gotten amped up to a point where I've had to practise mindfulness and breathe deeply. :P

I hope this recipe inspires you and excites you as much as it has me. This recipe is ideal for the detox portion of our 12-Week Gut Restore Program due to its content of high FODMAP ingredients. I've outlined how to make this low FODMAP below.

Hue Lemongrass Skewers

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 ounces/ 100 g minced (ground) beef
• 7 ounces/ 200 g minced (ground) pork
• 1 1/2 tablespoons/20 g minced pork fat 
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced (1 tablespoon) (omit of on low FODMAP diet)
• Chopped shallots (omit of on low FODMAP diet)
• 1/2 tablespoon raw cane sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 12 lemongrass stalks, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use garlic infused olive oil for low FODMAP version) 

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, minced pork, pork fat, garlic, shallots, sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and fish sauce.
2. Knead for 5 minutes until all ingredients are well combined. Cover, then refrigerate 1 hour for the flavours to develop.
3. Heat a barbecue grill or char grill pan. With wet hands, divide the mixture into 12 even portions and roll each portion into a sausage shape. Thread the beef sausages onto each lemongrass stick and brush with a little oil. Place on the hot grill and cook the beef skewers for 6 minutes, turning every few minutes, until cooked.
4. I liked adding this on top of steamed jasmine rice, pickled carrots, chopped bok choy and a half avocado with a drizzle of avocado oil and rice wine vinegar. It would also be beautiful on
   vermicelli, or if on a carb free diet, straight bok choy, radish, pickled carrot and bean sprouts would be lovely, too.

If you're suffering from chronic IBS, SIBO, gas, bloat and/or alternating constipation/loose stool, we would love to hear from you. We specialize in repairing the gut post-IBS and/or SIBO and
can help at any stage of your journey toward gut health using our 12-Week Gut Restore Program.

From my IBS-friendly kitchen to yours,
Cassandra Hope, RHN