Red meat isn’t something I eat on a regular basis; it’s never been a food that I’ve craved often. I am more into chicken and turkey or any kind of seafood. I think it’s due to the fact that lean meats and fish have just been historically good to my gut. With that said I don’t consider myself really good at cooking red meat, though I am making an effort because I am after all, married to someone who’s culture is largely made up of meat-eating happy dancing people…can you guess the country? One hint – they dance the samba :).
Valentine’s Day always makes me think of steak and red wine. I’m not sure why. Could it be from all the advertisements growing up or what I’ve seen in the movies? That romance means dining at steakhouses? Italian food also makes me think of romance. My husband were both on solo trips when we met in Rome and we had a very romantic affair with food and wine – we drank tons of red wine and enjoyed tons of Tajarini Al Tartufo and nutella. Ahhh the days before my low-FODMAP Life!
Wondering what low-FODMAP foods you can enjoy on Valentine’s Day? Take a look at my tips from last year
So in the spirit of our LOVE holiday coming up, I created and tested my recipe for Low-FODMAP Sirloin Tip Roast with some zucchini and tomato quinoa (recipe below) and my husband and I enjoyed a little Cabernet Sauvignon from my friend Bridget who is a Certified Sommelier and currently working towards her Advanced Sommelier exam (lots and lots of nerdy wine knowledge and tasting needed). Side story – I met Bridget while working at a wine shop in San Diego. One day while stacking bottles we managed to figure out that we had both once lived in Boston, in the same exact areas, on the same street and in the exact same apartment but lived there at different times! We’ve had many other things in common since then (like buying the same exact pair of purple heels – how many times will you buy purple shoes in your life?) and Swanson Vineyards is one of them. It’s probably one of her favorite vineyards and it’s the location my husband chose to ask me to marry him – on her birthday no less. My husband didn’t plan where he was going to ask me to marry him, it was just that everything at Swanson was perfect. I had tried some wines before actually visiting Swanson but the experience being there was ethereal. Imagine sitting underneath swaying maple trees next to a french-looking barn with an all-women staff walking around in long bohemian dresses, filling glasses and placing chocolate on your table. You can smell and see pink roses peaking around the corners of the barn and a man with a raspy voice playing an old instrument and singing in French (we were told later he was the voice for the French car in the movie Cars).
If you are making a trip to Napa definitely go and see Swanson but call ahead for a tasting reservation. Also I need to note that Vosges is one of my top favorite chocolate brands (from Chicago) and they make the Alexis bonbons offered at Swanson – grab a box of those too!
Low-FODMAP Sirloin Tip Roast and Zucchini Tomato Quinoa
- 1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon truffle salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (3 pound)grass-fed sirloin tip roast
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1/2 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 medium zucchini
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir in olive oil, and allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place roast on prepared baking sheet, and spread herb and spice mixture on all sides using a spoon.
- Roast 1 hour in preheated oven, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 145°F. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing into long thin slices.
- Meanwhile while roast is in oven, prepare quinoa. Place quinoa in a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and cover. Peel and cut up zucchini into small chunks. Add to pot along with tomatoes and olive oil. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Serve with a cabernet sauvignon or a pinot noir and enjoy some dark chocolate (5 squares or 30 grams) for dessert! Enjoy lovers!!
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Be good to yourself and your gut!
Colleen Francioli
FODMAP Life 