Pear Chutney + Vegan Chive Dressing

|Katie Layland
Sauces, spreads, dressings and chutney....what would this world be without them. Offering a 'flavour delight' to an otherwise boring meal, sauces certainly bring flavour to a dish. But for those prone, to skin flares, they may also bring more then what we bargained for such as itchy skin, flare-ups, stomach upsets and headaches. 
             
Many store-bought sauces contain ingredients high in itch promoting food chemicals such as salicylates, MSG and amines. Therefore, these are not an option for many following my Eczema Detox programs which exclude ingredients that have been shown in research to be quite problematic for may eczema sufferers.
            
BUT sauces are still a MUST in my books, so we have two new options for you to jazz up a meal. 
                

The health benefits:

Pears have a unique combination of insoluble and soluble fibre, which helps reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases. Pears are also a good source of vitamin C which is an important cofactor in the synthesis of collagen and maintaining healthy skin.
     
Spring onions (also known as shallots and scallions in some countries) are a part of the onion family and contain histamine lowering, anti-inflammatory quercetin which can help reduce allergies. Like garlic, spring onions also possess antioxidants that convert to allicin when crushed or cut. Allicin has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Spring onions are also one of the richest sources of vitamin K, which is vital for skin health.
NOTES: 
If you are following the FID program (Food Intolerance Diagnosis program from The Eczema Detox). Pear chutney is suitable for FID; however, you may need to test ascorbic acid individually to see how the skin responds. 
       
Cashew nuts can be left out of the Vegan Chive Dressing if you are following the FID program. 
              
For the Pear Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 peeled pears - about 1 cup (discard core and chopped into cubes)
  • 1/2 cup of washed leeks, finely sliced into thin circles then cut into quarters 
  • 1/2 tablespoon of rice bran oil
  • 1/4-1/2 cup of maple syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/2 -1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid
  • 1/2 teaspoon of good quality salt (such as Celtic sea salt)

METHOD:

Place a pot on medium heat and add leeks with the oil and saute until soft and starting to colour. Add chopped pears and stir until soft and coloured.

Add 1/4 cup of maple syrup and bring to a soft boil then reduce heat to a light simmer and add in garlic powder, ascorbic acid and salt. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 40-50 minutes. 

Stir the chutney a few times while it is simmering, add more maple syrup or water if the mixture is getting too thick. 

After 40 minutes of simmering, taste and adjust if needed depending on if you prefer a more sweet or savoury chutney. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

Transfer the chutney to a sealed jar and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. This chutney would go nicely on toast or topped over dished such as chickpea and rice or chicken dishes. 

For the Creamy Vegan Chive Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup of finely sliced spring onions
  • 2 heaped tablespoon of finely diced chives 
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup of cooked or canned white beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup of rice milk
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of raw soaked cashew nuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid
  • 1/2 teaspoon of brown rice syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon of good quality salt (such as Celtic sea salt)

METHOD:

Soak the raw cashew nuts in boiling water to allow them to soften for about 20 minutes. 

Place a medium sized pan on medium heat and add crushed garlic, shallots and chives to the pan with a dash of oil (or water). 

Once they have softened, add in the white beans and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the rice milk and bring to high heat then reduce to a simmer for a couple of minutes continuing to stir together. 

Take off the heat and allow to slightly cool. Then add the mixture to a blender or nutri-bullet with the soaked cashew nuts, salt, ascorbic acid and brown rice syrup. Blend until mixture is smooth and adjust taste if needed. 

Transfer to a sealed jar and store in the fridge for 4-5 days. This dressing would go nicely in salads, as a dip for vegetables, or a sauce for crispy chicken (found in the Eczema Detox book). 

 

Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

    

 Recipe food photos and recipe by Katie Layland  

The Eczema Toolkit

the holistic way to clear skin

The Eczema Detox is Karen Fischer's latest best-selling eczema manual designed to help you find relief. Through her work she found some patients needed a special program to identify personal triggers, so the FID Program was created. The Eczema Clear Skin Toolkit combines gut health and nutrition with soothing, barrier repair skincare and supplements to calm the itch and support skin repair, the immune system and more. If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is the skin calming toolkit you've been praying for.

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Eczema Friend

the itch buster  |  rash cream

The low pH eczema cream that helps to relieve itchy skin, red skin rash and mild eczema and dermatitis. Suitable for all types of rashes. It's the cream you'll wish you had tried first.

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Frequently asked questions

Does food allergy trigger eczema?

Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
Do food allergy tests help eczema?

Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
About the authors

Ren Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, mother of two, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestsellers The Eczema Diet and The Eczema Detox. Fischer is also a peer-reviewed published researcher, and is currently undertaking eczema research as part of a Master's by Research at Bond University. Combining clinical research with real-world experience, she is dedicated to advancing evidence-based care for eczema.

Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment.