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Two recipes that will show your gut some love

In this Love Your Gut Week, Dr Joan Ransley, co-author of Cooking for The Sensitive Gut, shares some advice and recipes to give your gut the love it deserves

Eating gut-happy foods is one way to give your digestive system the care and attention it deserves
Eating gut-happy foods is one way to give your digestive system the care and attention it deserves Eating gut-happy foods is one way to give your digestive system the care and attention it deserves

GUT health is so important and these two recipes from Dr Joan Ransley which were created for the Love Your Gut campaign and Love Your Gut Week (September 4-10) will help you show your gut some TLC.

AVOCADO, PEAS AND FETA ON TOAST WITH POACHED EGGS

(Serves 4)

Avocado, peas and feta on toast with poached eggs
Avocado, peas and feta on toast with poached eggs Avocado, peas and feta on toast with poached eggs

Peas are a good source of dietary fibre and some complex carbohydrates which gut microbes thrive on. Avocados also provide dietary fibre and a rich mix of micronutrients needed for health. Sourdough bread is made using a long fermentation method which helps break down gluten and some of the carbohydrates to make it more digestible.

120g frozen petits pois or peas

1 ripe avocado

Juice from half a lime juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

80g feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped

4 thin slices of rye sourdough, toasted

4 fresh eggs

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Pea shoots to garnish

Cook peas in a little boiling water for five minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scrape out the flesh, taking care to extract the thin, very green layer next to the skin. Place the avocado, peas and half the lime juice in the bowl of a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds.

Add the crumbled feta cheese and chopped mint to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse the mixture until well mixed. Season to taste. Spread each slice of toast with a generous amount of mixture. Top with a poached egg and garnish the dish with pea shoots.

MANGO AND LIME SORBET

Mango and lime sorbet
Mango and lime sorbet Mango and lime sorbet

(Serves 4)

Mangoes contain polyphenols and dietary fibre. In the human gut polyphenols help to keep the lining of the gut wall healthy and free from disease.

500g frozen mango chunks

1 lime, zest and juice

100ml coconut water

1 tbsp caster sugar (optional)

200g fresh raspberries

100g fresh coconut shavings

Fresh mint to garnish

Place half of the mango into the bowl of a food processor and add the juice and zest of the lime. Begin to process the mango and juice and gradually add a little coconut water until you form the sorbet. Taste and if you want to add a little sugar do so at this point. Gradually add more mango and coconut water until you achieve the consistency you like.

Place a few raspberries in the bottom of a tall glass and spoon the mango sorbet on top. Decorate with more raspberries, shaved coconut and fresh mint.

:: For more advice and recipes visit loveyourgut.com