Lifestyle | Just For Fun

Odd Combinations That Are Actually Delicious!

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Some combos are tried-and-true, like peanut butter and jelly – for Americans anyway – but for some in other areas of the world the mere thought of those two ingredients is perplexing. We asked a bunch of foodie friends for recipes that feature odd combinations that are actually delicious and they responded!

Lemon and Salt?

preserved lemons
Preserved Lemons. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Preserved lemons are simply a combination of whole lemons and salt. After they sit for a while, you are rewarded with the most flavorsome condiment! Once you make our Preserved Lemons, you will want to put them to use, such as in our Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons & Olives.

Pickled Shrimp – with Steak Seasoning!

Low FODMAP Pickled Shrimp in a glass jar with ingredients alongside
Pickled Shrimp – with Steak Seasoning. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

This pickled shrimp recipe makes the best hors d’oeuvres, and even though it sounds fancy, it is really just a dump and mix kind of recipe. But the trick is that we used steak seasoning! Steak seasoning is typically a mixture of salt, pepper, spices and herbs, already combined in one shaker jar. Ours contains salt, pepper, dill, coriander and a little spicy red pepper. Perfect! Get the recipe for Pickled Shrimp – with Steak Seasoning.

Whole Espresso Coffee Beans & Chocolate

low FODMAP cold brew oat latte popsicles, bite taken out, held in hand
Cold Brew Latte Pops with Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Did you know that there is such a thing as chocolate covered espresso beans? Once you discover them, your life will change. Dramatic? Well, just think about the mental and physical energy you get from both chocolate and coffee, and that you get to enjoy them at the same time, and our statement will make sense. We present to you our Cold Brew Latte Pops with Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans.

Tuna & Macaroni Salad Combined

Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad closeup
Tuna Macaroni Salad. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

We love good old tuna fish salad, and we love macaroni salad, too. We thought, would it be too weird to combine them? Once we tasted the combo, we were thrilled, and you will be, too. Get the recipe for Tuna Macaroni Salad.

Eat Whole Lemons

slice of lemon almond cake on a blue and white platye; pink and white flowers in background along with lemons
Lemon Almond Cake. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Speaking of whole lemons, how about a cake that uses every part of the lemon, rind and all. Might sound odd but the result is a moist and lemony cake that is easy to make, and gluten-free, too! Get the recipe for Lemon Almond Cake.

Macaroni & Coleslaw Partnered

closeup of macaroni slaw in a green bowl
Macaroni Slaw. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Another example of a “mash-up” recipe, in this case of traditional macaroni salad and coleslaw! Once you try it you will be wondering why the heck this hadn’t occurred to you before. Get the recipe for Macaroni Slaw.

Chicken & Papaya

Low FODMAP Chicken Papaya Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing on oval platter; marble surface
Chicken Papaya Salad. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Think chicken salad is boring? It can be, especially if you are going the mayo and celery route. Why not jazz it up with fresh juicy papaya, baby greens and a sweet poppy seed dressing! Get the recipe for Chicken Papaya Salad.

Maple & Mustard

pork loin with maple mustard sauce closeup
Pork Loin with Maple Mustard Sauce. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Pork is so versatile and goes with so many flavors. But a combo of maple syrup and mustard? You bet! Our One-Bowl Maple Mustard Sauce takes mere minutes to make. You can make it with pure maple syrup and Dijon mustard, or to make it fancier, use maple syrup, some Dijon and some coarse-ground mustard. That’s it! You could slather it on chicken, too. Get the recipe for Pork Loin wth Maple Mustard Sauce.

Espresso & White Chocolate

Three espresso white chocolate chunk cookies on a plate, waiting to be eaten!
Espresso White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Photo credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

And then we have a buttery, brown sugar dough with real ground coffee added to the dough, holding chunks of white chocolate and hazelnuts. A sophisticated chocolate chunk cookie. The bitter edge of the ground coffee tempers the sweetness of the white chocolate. Think you don’t like white chocolate? Try our Espresso White Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Cinnamon and Cucumbers

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Photo credit: Amy Roskelley.

Cinnamon Cucumbers, while it sounds strange, is surprisingly delicious and under 25 calories per serving. With a cucumber, ground cinnamon, and zero calorie sugar, you can make this today. Amy tells us she almost didn’t share the recipe for fear it sounded too strange. She told us, “If you really think about it, cucumbers really don’t have much of their own flavor. They adopt the flavors of the foods you are eating it with pretty well. So, I figured, cucumbers with cinnamon weren’t that different that apples with cinnamon! So, I thought I’d try it”. Get the recipe for Low Calorie Cinnamon Cucumbers.

Eggplant and Apple

eggplant-apple-quesadillas-title-pin.
Photo credit: Kristin King.

We love Kristin King’s recipes, so we will have to trust her on this one. Eggplant and apples? Together? This unique and totally tasty eggplant vegetarian quesadilla recipe contains savory eggplant, tart apple, and melted cheese stuffed between two crispy whole grain tortillas! You will love this mild earthy and slightly salty flavor combination! Try it today! Get the recipe for Eggplant Apple Vegetarian Quesadillas.

Miso and Chocolate

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Photo credit: Sheri Silver.

Miso is not just for savory dishes! It lends the most amazing salty-umami flavor to these easy browned butter chocolate chunk blondies. Get the recipe for The Best Miso Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies!

Corned Beef Egg Rolls

Corned-Beef-Egg-Rolls-6.
Photo credit: Lori Yates.

Corned Beef Egg Rolls are the tastiest combination of corned beef, Swiss cheese and cabbage with a creamy mustard dipping sauce. Use leftover corned beef or deli meat for this Detroit specialty! Get the recipe for Corned Beef Egg Rolls.

Dijon and Carrot Cake

Dijon Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting hero wm.
Photo credit: Renee Pajestka.

Mustard in a carrot cake? Yes siree. Zesty Dijon mustard gives this carrot cake recipe from scratch extra flavor, without overpowering the taste! Carrots, golden raisins, coconut, walnuts and of course, Maille ® Rich Country Dijon give this moist (and lower fat) carrot cake pizzazz! If you are a mustard fan, you are going to love this easy carrot cake recipe featuring Dijon mustard! Get the recipe for Dijon Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Bacon and Pumpkin

easy-bacon-pumpkin-pasta-title-pin.
Photo credit: Kristin King.

This healthy Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta comes together so deliciously with a creamy pumpkin puree sauce and tasty chunks of bacon. All you need are a few pantry ingredients to make this hearty and filling family dinner! Nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground sage provide a subtle, earthy flavor that blends perfectly with the saltiness of the bacon and mildness of the pumpkin. Get the recipe for Bacon Pumpkin Pasta.

Sweet and Tangy

Amish-macaroni-salad-2wm.
Photo credit: Renee Pajestka.

This delicious recipe for creamy Amish Macaroni Salad is a great side dish recipe for your spring picnics, summer BBQs, and all your potlucks! Sweet and tangy, with just the right amount of crunch, this Amish Macaroni Salad recipe will become your GO TO macaroni salad recipe! Get the recipe for Sweet and Tangy Amish Macaroni Salad.

Cinnamon, Paprika & Chocolate

cinnamon-paprika-chocolate-chunk-cookies-1.
Photo credit: Sheri Silver.

Cinnamon is a common baking ingredient, but paprika? Yes. The combination of the 2 in these chocolate chunk cookies is subtle yet so so good! Get the recipe for Cinnamon Paprika Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

6 Rich And Fudgy Brownies That Will Make You Want To Lick The Bowl

Nutella Brownie. Photo Credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

In our opinion, you can never have enough brownie recipes. We have gathered our top 6; the brownie recipes you don’t have – yet. And you do need them; trust us. Nutella. Peppermint. Toasted almond & Coconut. S’Mores. PB & J – and even a super quick One-Bowl Brownie. Get ready to be inspired. Click for 6 Rich And Fudgy Brownies That Will Make You Want To Lick The Bowl

85 Desserts For The Chocolate Lover In Your Life

horizontal image of Low FODMAP Blackout Cake on white plate
Photo Credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Welcome to the largest collection of desserts for the chocolate lover in your life. Each of these are also gut-friendly so that you don’t have to worry about bloating, or a noisy belly when getting romantic! All of these desserts are gluten-free and low FODMAP! Click for 85 Desserts For The Chocolate Lover In Your Life

The Crazy Best and Easy Cookie Recipes Ever!

Low FODMAP One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk Cookies closeup
Photo Credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

Cookies – small, large, soft, chewy, crispy, chocolaty, peanut buttery, elegant, homespun, one-bowl, drop, rolled and shaped – we’ll take them all. You can never have enough cookie recipes and ours are all created in our very own Test Kitchen; these recipes work! Several can be prepped in the time it takes to preheat the oven. Click for The Crazy Best and Easy Cookie Recipes Ever!

Looking For Dairy Free Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts?

Image Credit: FODMAP Everyday

This article will discuss the low FODMAP ice cream and frozen desserts that you can find in supermarkets and restaurants, as well as our own exclusive recipes, and will include information on dairy based as well as alt milk frozen desserts and recipes. Click here for Dairy Free Frozen Desserts Recipes.

20 Strawberry Recipes That Will Make You Berry Happy!

whole strawberry glazed NY style cheesecake on white pedestal with gold forks alongside
Photo Credit: Dédé Wilson from FODMAP Everyday®.

These days, depending on where you live, you might be able to get decent strawberries all year long. Spring, however, brings fresh, new batches and we are always looking for new ways to incorporate these delicious berries into our diet. From drinks to cakes, crisps, cobblers, bars and even a salad, frozen desserts and a salsa, we have 20 strawberry recipes for you. Click for 20 Strawberry Recipes That Will Make You Berry Happy!

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