Earlier this year, my Naturopathic Doctor suggested that I try an elimination diet to help find the source of my digestive problems. To recap, an elimination diet eliminates all foods known to cause allergies or food sensitivities.

Eating hypo-allergenic foods gives your digestive tract a chance to heal itself. It also cleanses your body of offending foods so that it becomes more sensitive to detecting them. After a specific time (TBD by your doc), you slowly reintroduce foods you eliminated and note any reactions.

It’s a strict diet and I had troubles sticking to it in the Spring, so I decided to put it on hold for the Summer. It’s Fall now and since I’m trying to conquer my addictions, I thought I might as well do it all at once. I have a plan to completely cleanse my system, eliminating cravings for addictive substances and any possible foods causing me trouble.

There aren’t a lot of elimination diet-friendly recipes out there, so I’d like to share some recipes that I have in different print sources, some adaptations to them, and even some that I’ve created myself! Here are a couple to try, even if you’re not on an elimination diet. They are super healthy, nutritious and very yummy.

Steph’s Easy Broccoli Quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
2 broccoli stalks
½ cup diced red onion
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

1. Put quinoa in a small pot with water to rinse well, tickling the grains with your fingers and discard rinsing water. Repeat at least twice more.
2. Pour fresh water in pot with rinsed quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Steam broccoli for about 10 minutes.
4. Let quinoa and broccoli cool.
5. Once cool, combine with remaining ingredients.
6. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Steph’s Roasted Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

I can black beans, rinsed
3 roasted garlic cloves
2 tbsp red onion
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Peel outer layers of garlic bulb, leaving individual garlic clove skins intact. Chop off entire top portion of bulb, about ¼ to ½ an inch off the top of the cloves.
3. Coat the exposed cloves with olive oil, wrap bulb in tin foil and place in oven for 30-35 minutes.
4. Take out and let cool.
5. Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
6. Serve with rice crackers and raw veggies.

And for dessert or a snack idea, try a plain rice cake with almond spread on top!