Chicken Enchiladas

Yes, there is an enchilada under there, and it is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and garlic! It is hidden partly because we LOVE our toppings (on a good day it would have had guacamole and fake sour cream too) and partly because when I took it out of the pan it kind of fell apart. I am going to write the "standard" recipe below, but just for the record Emily's enchilada was made with plain tomato sauce, no chili peppers, and no garlic powder...she's not really into spicy food and she's allergic to garlic. Also, for my friends who are allergic to chicken, this is really yummy with beef or pork too. Just use a nice fatty/tender piece of meat like a chuck roast or the darker meat pork chops.

1 1/2 lbs Boneless chicken (or other tender meat)

4 c Water

2 t Bullion (that's one cube of Harvest Sun brand)

1/2 t Chili powder

1/4 t Garlic powder (better yet a fresh crushed clove of garlic)

1/2 t Onion powder (again, about 1/2 of a finely chopped fresh onion would be great)

1/4 t Black pepper

1/4 t Sea salt

1 4 oz can of diced green chilies

1 Can of enchilada sauce

4-6 Corn tortillas (depending on how full you like them stuffed)

1/2 c Grated Vegan Rella Cheddar flavored rice cheese (or other "safe cheese")

TOPPINGS: lettuce, tomatoes, red or green onions, black olives, avocado/guacamole, salsa, and Tofutti Sour Supreme are all good!

Before I start the recipe I would like to remind you to please read the labels on all of your ingredients. The bullion, chili powder, canned chilies, enchilada sauce, tortillas, and cheese substitute (and any others I may have missed) can all potentially contain the top 8 allergens.

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and cover it with the water. Bring to a simmer over med-low heat. If you boil it too hard your meat will be tough. Stir in the bullion, chili powder, onion (powder), garlic (powder), salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat until meat is tender enough to shred with 2 forks making a scissor motion. Start checking for tenderness at 30 minutes, depending on your cut of meat it could take up to an hour or even an hour and a half. Most of the water should have evaporated too. For a longer cooking time you may need to add a little more water, or if it seems too wet just take the lid off while simmering for a few minutes. Add the canned chilies and continue to pull and shred the meat until it is in small pieces (about 1") and the chilies are mixed in.

Preheat oven to 350. Set up your assembly line... pour half of the enchilada sauce into a shallow dish, microwave your tortillas for about 30 seconds to make them pliable, grab the meat, and have ready a casserole dish to put them in. Dip a tortilla into the enchilada sauce and then lay it in the casserole dish. Put a large scoop of meat (maybe 1/4 cup?) down the center and roll it up. Continue with each tortilla, laying them side by side, until the filling is gone. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top of them all. Bake covered for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheese substitute (this can also be omitted entirely if you don't care for fake cheese) over the top. Place back in the oven and continue to bake, uncovered ,for another 15 minutes.

While the enchiladas are baking get all of you toppings and condiments chopped and ready. Remove from the oven and load on the toppings! Or, if your family is finicky like mine, let them choose their own toppings and add them individually.

Italian Sausage and Peppers

First of all, how cute is that Tinkyada Little Dreams rice pasta?! I couldn't help myself, I had to take a picture. That being said, it also goes great with sausage and peppers. My Italian mother-in-law taught me how to make this. It is a family recipe and was certainly never labled as "allergen free", that's just a bonus. This dish is quick and simple with minimal ingredients, and it is so delicious! (I just hope there's some left when my husband gets home) I like mine served over the top of my pasta, but this picture is of Emily's plate and she is 6...that "don't let my foods touch" stage. I hope that your family will love this as much as mine does. Bon Appetito! :)

1 Package of Jenni-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (or other "safe" sausage)
1 Large red bell pepper sliced into strips
1 Large green bell pepper sliced into strips
1 Medium onion sliced into strips
1 15 oz Can of safe tomato sauce (we used Hunt's 100% natural)

Fry the sausages in a large frying pan over medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides. Add the peppers and onion and stir fry for another 5 to 10 minutes until the veggies are tender-crisp. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve alone or with your favorite pasta.

Chicken Curry

A while back Tracy asked me about dinner recipes and it got me thinking. I really don't have many dinner "recipes" for Emily (my 6 yr old) because our family (generally speaking) does not share her food, so her dinner is almost always something I can just heat up or throw together quickly. Now I know at this point some of you are shaking your heads at me in dissapproval. I know that a lot of families sit down and eat allergen free food together and I applaude them! In this family, however, it just isn't feasible. I have a husband and daughter who are red meat eaters, one daughter who is allergic to red meat but eats turkey, chicken, and pork, and one daughter who is a vegetarian...me, I'll eat anything! Then we add in food allergies and the fact that everyone here has DIFFERENT food allergies...well, I just can't do it! This brings me to my latest recipe. My oldest and youngest daughters pretty much don't touch each others food, their eating habits are the least similar in the family, but this weekend Amanda (my 14 yr old) made an incredible chicken curry that the three of us sat down and ate together and it was so nice! (my husband hates curry and Nikki my 12 yr old had leftovers, but I'm happy with 3 out of 5!) This is is an Americanized chicken curry so it's not too spicy and very child friendly. Before I get into the recipe I also wanted to make a note to Tracy: I think you can do this one if you use cubed pork instead of chicken and veggie broth for the chicken broth.

3 c Cubed cooked chicken
2 T Olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 T Curry powder (we used The Spice Hunter salt free organic curry seasoning)
1/2 t Salt
1 Granny smith apple, chopped
1/3 c Golden raisins (regular raisins are fine and much cheaper!)
1 c Chicken broth
Prepared rice, shredded coconut (we use sweetened to balance out the spice of the curry), and chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook over med heat until soft. Stir in curry powder and salt and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken, apples, raisins, and broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve over warm rice. We put out our cilantro and coconut separately so each person can add to taste. Quick, simple, and so delicious!

Crepes...Yes Crepes! Gluten Free, Egg Free, and Dairy Free

Crepes are basically made from wheat flour, lots of eggs, milk, and butter, so obviously an exact replica is out of the question. Sometimes I have a hard time knowing just how good a recipe is because my only willing taste testers are myself (a little biased seeing as I am the chef) and my 6 yr old who has never had anything standard to compare it to. I made 4 different versions of this recipe before I came up with one I am happy with, but I still am not positive it couldn't be better. If anyone tries this recipe please give me some feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated. I am putting the recipe for the crepes themselves first, then a few filling ideas. Because these don't have any sugar in them they are great for both sweet and savory fillings. If you have never made crepes before the swirling motion may take a little practice. I hope you enjoy them! :)

CREPES:
3 Eggs worth of prepared egg replacer
3/4c Soy milk (or rice milk for soy free)
3/4c Water
3T Melted Margarine (or Spectrum Shortening for soy free)
1/3c Rice flour
1/8c Sweet rice flour
1/8c Potato starch
1/8c Tapioca flour (starch)
1/2t Salt

Preheat an 8” omelet pan to medium-high. Here are the keys to success:
1. Use a heavy duty Teflon coated pan, brand spankin’ new if possible.
2. Keep an oiled paper towel next to you and give the pan a wipe with it after the removal of each crepe, re-oiling the paper towel as needed.
3. Make sure the pan is fully preheated or the first crepe won’t brown… then again there is the old saying “the first crepe is for the dog”, which pretty much means your first crepe is just for practice.

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and blend for 1 more minute.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, then lift the pan off of the heat and swirl it until the bottom is covered and the batter has stopped flowing. Set the pan back on the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, until the edges are all curled up away from the pan and the bottom has browned a bit. Gently flip the crepe over and brown the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and lay on a piece of plastic wrap. Continue layering crepes with plastic wrap as you remove them, this will make them more pliable and keep them from sticking to each other.

Fruit Filling:

Since I was a little girl it has been a tradition in our family to have fruit filled crepes for breakfast on the morning after a birthday sleepover party. I don't have recipes per say, but these are our 2 favorite fillings.

1. Strawberries: 1 pint of chopped fresh strawberries with a few spoonfulls of sugar and a few spoonfulls of water mixed until sugar is dissolved and a syrup is formed. If you prefer an easier version just buy the frozen presweetened strawberries, my girls actually prefer them.

2. Apples: chop up a few apples and put them in a pot with just enough water to cover. Add a little sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water is gone and apples are tender.

Put a line of filling down the center of each crepe and roll it up. Top with whipped soy cream (Soyatoo) if desired.

Savory Filling:

Here is the recipe for the filling used in the picture above, but really you can fill them with just about ANYTHING you like.

4T Margarine

2T Sweet rice flour

1c Chicken broth

1/2c Chopped cooked chicken

1/2c Chopped cooked broccoli

Melt margarine over medium heat, add sweet rice flour, cook while stirring for 3 minutes (it will look grainy-it's ok). Add a little of the broth at a time, whisking thoroughly with each addition, until all broth is added and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Stir in chicken and broccoli. Cook until heated through. Put a line of filling in the center of each crepe and roll it up. Top with a little of the cream sauce if desired.

Well, there you have it, an extremely long post for Emily's gluten free, egg free, dairy free, *soy free crepes. I hope the length of this post won't scare everyone out of trying them. It's really pretty simple for a special occasion food. Again I ask that if you do try these please let me know what you think of them. Thank you for sharing with me in our family's special tradition. Enjoy! :)

*My versions of this recipes contain soy, but it is all easily replaceable. Soy milk=rice milk/chicken broth, margarine=Spectrum shortening, omit Soyatoo whipped cream, and make sure all of your ingredients (ie chicken broth, or any fillings you are choosing to use) are soy free.

Nonuttin-Give Them a Try

You may know that I usually stick to recipes, I'm not much of a writer, but I have a story I feel compelled to share. Nonuttin (http://www.nonuttin.com/) is an allergy friendly granola bar company in Canada who's products are free of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, egg, wheat, barley, rye, (and now gluten), trans fats, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives-including sulfites, GMOs, and animal by products. I applaud them just for that, but their customer service is beyond anything I have ever experienced!
About 6 months ago I ordered a sample pack from the Nonuttin company. Admittedly it is difficult for most of us to shell out the $50 required for the minimum order, but they do offer 3 different trial packs for $10 each and these can be ordered without meeting the $50 minimum. We got our sample pack and devoured it in one day. Everything was delicious! I held on to their address so that someday when I had an extra $50 laying around I could order more...I haven't gotten around to that yet. A couple of days ago, out of the blue, I got a letter from the company detailing some problems they have had recently with their new gluten free oats and with it came a free granola bar so that we could taste for ourselves that the problem had been rectified. It has, once again it was soft, chewy, and absolutely yummy!
Apparently the owner of the company herself was tasting the products one day and realized they had a somewhat sour taste. Long story short, she found out there was a problem with the shelf life of the new oats. Production was halted and all reachable customers were notified and their products were replaced. Then they proceeded to send out these samples to all customers (even me, who had only placed a $10 order to begin with) along with a very detailed letter about what had happened and what had been done to fix it. Needless to say, they lost a lot of money in this process and I have decided it is time for me to dig deep in my pocket and make that $50 order. Not only am I ordering wonderful products that my family will love, but at this point I also feel like I am supporting a cause. This is the kind of company that all businesses should strive to be like. I want to help ensure that the Nonuttin company continues to grow and be successful. I hope that anyone reading this will also consider placing an order, even a trial pack. I want to see good people triumph!

"Allergen Free" Banana Bread

It's done, it's done, and oh my gosh is it good!!! I looked everywhere for a banana bread recipe that was gluten free, egg free, and dairy free with no luck. Finally I pulled out a classic old recipe and proceeded to change every ingredient. Whaddya know...It worked! Not only did it work, it's incredible (if I do say so myself). Now I will admit this photo is a little bit deceiving, I think it makes the loaf look taller than it is. The actual loaf of bread is 2 1/4" tall. It is pleasantly dense and moist with a fine crumb and it holds together well. My 12 yr old, Nikki, fed it to her friends and none of them knew it was "allergen free". Can you tell I am beaming with pride right now?! :)



1/2 c Brown rice flour
1/2 c Sorghum flour
1/2 c Potato starch
1/4 c Tapioca starch
2 t Baking powder
1/4 t Baking soda
1/2 t Salt
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Xanthan gum
1/3 c Dairy free margarine, softened (or Spectrum shortening)
2/3 c Brown sugar
1 T EnerG egg replacer mixed with 1/4 c warm water (equal to 2 eggs)
1 c Mashed ripe bananas (this is about 2 large bananas, if you’ve mashed your bananas and find you are just short of a cup you can make up the difference with applesauce)
2 T Applesauce
1 t Vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5” loaf pan.


Measure all of the dry ingredients (the first 9 ingredients) into a bowl and blend well with a whisk. Set aside.


In a mixing bowl cream together margarine and brown sugar. Add prepared egg replacer, mashed bananas, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Slowly stir in dry ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl, until fully incorporated. Beat on medium speed for another minute.


Pour batter into greased loaf pan and smooth the top if needed ( a metal spoon dipped in water will smooth it without sticking to it). Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with crumbs instead of goop.


Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cool on a rack. Now you can slather it with margarine while still warm, wait until it cools (yeah right) and eat it like snack cake, or try it toasted tomorrow morning. This is one of the few allergen free breads that is just as good the next day even without toasting or warming.

It's Rising!

Is it a sad statement on my life that everytime I bake something for Emily the rest of the world stands still? I fall into my own little space while calculations of cutting recipes into fourths and what ratios of GF flours to use and how much xanthan gum will be required swirl around in my head. I am writing this now, in fact, because I am baking banana bread and I need something to keep me preoccupied so I don't feel the need to keep checking it's progress every two minutes. I just got a new (used) oven...and it works! It still feels like a dream. No more slamming the oven door every 10 minutes to keep the oven turned on, no more opening the door to see what's happening to my bread (this one has a working light!), and no more guessing that my temperature dial needs to be set about twenty five degrees higher than called for. The problem is that now I have too much time on my hands! I find myself sitting on the floor with my oven light on just gazing at my bread while it bakes...wow, that IS sad. I suppose I could do the dishes...nahhhh. So here I am..... looking for a little distraction.....thank you for joining me. :)

Ham and Bean Soup

OK Tracy, this ones for you, a dinner. I made this soup from our leftover Easter ham and canned beans...so quick and simple! The funny thing is I made this recipe free of gluten, dairy, garlic, etc. so Emily could have it and then she didn't even want to try it. The rest of the family however cleaned out the pot in one night. It was sooo yummy!

1 Meaty ham bone

1 14 oz can of chicken broth (or vegetable broth, beef broth might even be good)

1 14 oz can of water

2 15 oz cans of white beans (we use S&W brand in light seasoning, so unseasoned may result in a different finished product)

1 Large carrot

1/2 t pepper

Place your ham bone in a large pot with the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour. (Now at this point I'm thinking I should retract that part about this being quick. How about if at the end I give you the shortcut version?)

Take the ham out of the pot and set aside to cool a bit. Pour one can of beans with juice into the pot with the broth and water in it. Blend with an emersion blender or mash well by hand. Keep simmering.

Remove ham from the bone and chop into small pieces. Chop carrot into small pieces also. Put ham and carrots into the pot. Pour the other can of beans with juice into the pot. Add pepper and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1/2 hour or until carrots are soft.

Now for the shortcut. This will be a little less salty and a little less "hammy" but still delicious and a lot quicker. Skip the whole hambone thing and just buy a thick slice of ham at your deli counter. Put the broth, water, and one can of beans into your pot and blend. Add the ham (chopped), carrots, pepper, and the other can of beans and stir well. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.

There ya go, quick and simple. :)

Rice Pasta Salad

This is not a recipe so much as an idea for those times when you just want something different or when you just want to clean out the fridge. I have forced it into recipe form for practical purposes, but really I just throw in handfuls (my handful is about ¼ cup) of this and that until it looks good. Keep in mind that if you can’t have rice pasta there are also pastas made of corn, quinoa, amaranth, and, well, even wheat (lol). This colorful pasta salad is full of flavors and versatile enough to be made free of all allergens that are unique to you, so let your creative juices flow. By the way, these are just the ingredients I had on hand last night. Some of our other favorite additions are: broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, red onion, green onion, cubed cheese substitute (my daughter who can have dairy likes grated parmesan in hers), any canned beans, sugar snap peas, and canned chicken or tuna.

4 c Cooked rice pasta veggie spirals (Tinkyada)

¼ c Each (basically 2 c total):
Kosher dill pickles, diced
Black olives, sliced
Carrot, grated
Cucumber, diced
Celery, diced
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Ham, julienned
Red onion, chopped

¼ c Kosher dill pickle juice

¼ c Safe Italian dressing (we use Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette, it is sweeter than regular Italian so if you are using a standard vinaigrette then you may also want to add a pinch of sugar for the kids)

¼ t Black pepper

OK…Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up, that's it! If you can wait then refrigerate for about an hour to chill and to blend the flavors...personally, I like it room temperature straight out of the pot. :)

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

OK, if I do say so myself, these cookies are amazing! I'm talking dangerously good! Although, I have to say as cookies go they are pretty darned healthy. They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and nut free. They are high in fiber and protein, not to mention the vitamin C in the applesauce and cranberries! This recipe is adapted from the fabulous original recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies created by Karina the Gluten Free Goddess at http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/08/vegan-oatmeal-raisin-cookies.html
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do...just be sure you know when to quit...ughhh!
*Please note that some of the harder to find items in this recipe have links to their home page. They are also all availabe in bulk through my Amazon links to the right.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. (a few dabs of shortening between the cookie sheet and the parchment paper will hold it in place and keep it from rolling up.)

Combine in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy:

2/3 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light olive oil

In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour (certified gluten-free Lara's Oats)
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup vanilla rice protein powder (Nutribiotics)
1 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, beating to combine. When the dough is smooth, add in the following:

2 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free Lara's Oats )
1/2 cup allergen free white chocolate chips (Veganessentials)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Use a 1 1/2" spring action ice cream scoop to measure out the dough and place on the cookie sheet about two inches apart. Do not flatten. Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until they are golden. They will be quite soft until they cool. Using a thin spatula, remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Support for Families With Food Allergies

About a year ago I stumbled upon an online support group for families of children with food allergies. It is the most extensive, well organized, amazing allergy website I have ever encountered. They have a forum for just about any allergy related subject you can think of, and if they don't already have it you can start a new one. All of the other parents there are caring supportive people and I have come to feel like they are part of my family. The name of the site is Kids With Food Allergies and the link is http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/index.html
There is a fee for joining, but if you cannot afford it a simple letter is usually all it takes to have the fee waived.
I'm sure there could be a smooth transition here but I'm a little foggy this morning. Anyway, I also want to take a moment to address eosinophilic disorders. The first time I had ever heard of this type of thing was in Kids With Food Allergies and I have to say (although I know none of us is looking for sympathy) it broke my heart. Now, since I have had this blog, I have met several new people who have food allergies and eosinophilic disorders so they obviously go hand in hand. Because I am only just learning about this myself I will not try to explain it, but I would like to share with you the links to two other sites that will. Please visit these women if you are looking for support or if you would just like to be educated on the subject. The first is
Mothers Encouraging Mothers of Eosinophilic Children and the second is
Winning Against Eosinophilic Esophagitis . Thank you both for your work! Also, Kids With Food Allergies has an entire forum devoted to eosinophilic diseases, and a subsection for children with feeding tubes.
I realize this post is disorganized and random but I felt a need to share this information immediately instead of waiting for my creative side to wake up. I hope you all have a lovely day. Happy spring!

Yayyyy Brownies!

Guess what, I found another Pamela's product that does not have dairy in it! This could not have worked out more perfectly. A few weeks ago I was browsing the shelves at my local health food store, doing my usual label reading, when I came accross Pamela's Chocolate Brownie mix (http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Products_frames.html) and realized Emily can have it (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and nut free). At the time I was making a multitude of practice birthday cakes so brownies weren't really a priority and I stuck the mix in my cabinet and forgot about it...until this weekend. My husband brought home some of those "cosmic brownies" by Little Debbie, you know the ones. dense and fudgie with bright colorful candy sprinkles on top. Now what 6 yr old is not going to want one of those when she sees Daddy eating them?! Suddenly I remembered my mix. I whipped up a batch using EnerG egg replacer (http://www.ener-g.com/store/detail.aspx?section=8&cat=8&id=97) and sprinkled some jimmys on top. They are fabulous! (Yes, I'm eating them too.) I have included this mix in my Amazon Favorites and I have to tell you that I myself will definitly be buying them by the case. Yeah brownies!!!

Dairy Free Ranch Dip

I am so excited to have finally come up with a recipe for dairy free ranch dip! It was so easy to make I can't believe there isn't already something like it on the market. My daughter loves it, but more amazing is that I love it too (I can have dairy, and ranch dressing is one of my favorite "foods"). I think a little garlic in it would be lovely, but Emily is allergic to garlic so I didn't even try it.

I would also like to point out that my photographer is back! My 14 yr old daughter Amanda has a new camera and I am so glad. :)

Thank you for the pics Amanda!

1/2 C Vegenaise mayo substitute

( http://www.followyourheart.com/vegenaise.php )

1/2 C Dairy free sour cream substitute

( http://www.tofutti.com/ss.shtml )

1/8 t Dry dill (fresh would be great, I just didn't have any)

1/4 t Pepper

2 T Fresh parsley chopped fine

1 T Chives chopped fine

Just mix it all together, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour so flavors can combine. That's it! :) Happy Dipping!

Oh, I almost forgot, if you want it thinner so that it is more like a dressing than a dip just add a dash or two of water or milk substitute (soy, rice, etc.).

Kraft Style Mac and Cheese (Gluten and Dairy Free)

As you can see, Emily LOVES her rice cheese (although admittedly the rest of us have a hard time with the smell)! She also loves trying to be like her older sisters. My middle daughter Nikki eats a lot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (cut me some slack, some nights I have to cook 3 different meals to accomodate everyone) and Emily always used to look longingly at it and say "I wish I could have that" in her most pathetic little voice...the same voice that had spurred most of my creations for her. Well, anyway, here it is, Emily's dairy and gluten free mac and cheese. Who would have thought that was possible???
*Just for the record this dish will work better for a child who already has a safe cheese that they really do like than it will for a child who was just eating Kraft a few weeks ago before they were diagnosed with allergies...it is good...but it is different.

1 c Dry pasta (we use http://www.tinkyada.com )

4 oz Meltable dairy free cheese (PLEASE READ THE LABLE TO MAKE SURE IT IS ALSO CASEIN FREE) We use Vegan Rella, made by Panos, which is also soy free but is nearly impossible to find online. If you can have soy, I have tried Follow Your Heart brand and I loved it, but Emily doesn't care for it.

2 T Soy milk or rice milk

1 T Margarine

1 t Nutritional yeast

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Drain,rinse, and set aside. In the same pot (I am the queen of 1 pot dishes), over medium heat, melt the cheese with the milk substitute, the margarine, and the nutritional yeast. Once it is all melty and gooey add the pasta back in and stir until warm and well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Now, like I said, my kids actually prefer this pre-fab looking version of mac and cheese. If you want a homestyle mac and cheese then lay this in a casserole dish. Mix together a pat of margarine and safe bread crumbs. Sprinkle it over the top of the mac and cheese and then grate a lttle more cheese over the top of that. Put it under the broiler for a few minutes and voila!

Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix

I have added a new element to my blog, it is a list of my favorite items that are available through Amazon.com. Unlike my Google ads (which are generated by Google and some of which I love but also some of which I have never even heard of), my Amazon favorites are items that I have hand chosen because I use them myself and truely love them. At the moment I only have one item on my list. It is the Pamela's Amazing Bread mix that I spoke of in my post "The Staff of Life". This bread mix is gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free (top 8 free), however it is processed on shared equipment. I have found that by ordering it from Amazon a case at a time (6 bags for $23.00) I am saving about $2.60 per bag over my local grocery stores prices. That adds up quick! So, off to the right is the link if you are interested. As I add more items to my favorites list I will write an informative post/review to go along with it. I honestly don't know how I would deal with allergen free shopping if I didn't have my online resources! Happy shopping :) !

Help in the Fight to Cure Autism

I know that many of you living the gluten free life may be doing so because of autism. Even if autism does not directly affect you or a family member I feel this is an important cause and we need all the support we can get. I have one nephew with autism and another with aspergers .
The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.49 to Autism Speaks each time this video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214
Thank you for your support and good luck to everyone in your journeys to good health!

Need A Recipe?

You may have noticed that I usually put quotations around "allergen free" in my recipes. As I have said before, that is because everyone's allergies are different and therefore there is no such thing as a truely allergen free recipe. In the beginning of all this food experimentation my mother told me that she had read that rice was one of the only foods no one is allergic to, I have since read about people who are not only allergic to rice but some even anaphylactic. I use a lot of soy in my recipes because I can, but that was not always the case. I also used to use spelt instead of wheat until we found out Emily is allergic to gluten. Today I have a question to put forth to you...What are YOUR allergies? What recipe have You been looking for? I need some ideas for "new material" and I would love some input! I'm looking forward to hearing from you, and thank you! :)

"Super Duper Straw-Banana Pile Cake"

Hooray for fruit! This recipe was created by my friend Bella and her son ( at http://allergic2food.wordpress.com/ ). Bella's son has a dairy allergy so this is a dairy free recipe, but I love that it is also free of all other common allergens including gluten. Sometimes avoiding gluten doesn't mean going through some huge ordeal to "replace" it with an elaborate substitute, sometimes it just means avoiding it. In this recipe a thick round slice of apple visually replaces the traditional shortcake and creates a fruity and delicious dessert. That having been said...IF you have a piece of cake laying around that is safe for you allergies , by all means use it! Allergen free cake can be used instead of the apple and the drizzle of italian ice will soak into it making it moist and delicious.

3 Strawberries sliced
1/2 banana sliced
1 Round apple slice (about 1/2" thick and cored)
1 Italian Ice Lemon or Strawberry (or Ah!Laska Chocolate Syrup)

-----Place italian ice container in hot water
------Put apple or shortcake on plate
------Mix strawberries & bananas together and put on top of apple or shortcake
------Take italian ice out of water and drizzle melted juice over the mixture -------Drizzle with Ah!Laska Chocolate Syrup

Yummy!

Dairy Free Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is a recipe I created for my 5 yr old so it is creamy and rich but not spicy at all (you’ll notice I even had to hide the onions), so feel free to spice it up however you like. If you prefer vegetarian of course vegetable broth can be used. I just made my 2nd pot in 2 days because my 12 yr old ate the whole thing yesterday. This is a wonderfully warming winter soup! It is a little time consuming but worth it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

32 oz Chicken broth
4 c Chopped broccoli florettes
1 Med carrot, grated
1/2 Small onion, finely chopped or grated
4 T Dairy free margarine
2 1/2 T Sweet rice flour
1 1/2 c Warm soy milk, rice milk, or soup broth
Salt and pepper to taste. Also, if a little more flavor or fullness is needed a dairy and gluten free bullion cube (I use Harvest Sun) and/or an extra pat of margarine will do the trick

Put broth, broccoli, grated carrot, and onion in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Pour into a blender and set aside to cool, in the fridge gets the job done faster. If you like to have chunks of broccoli in your soup then remove about 1 cup of broccoli from the broth to be added in later.

Give the pot a quick rinse (a standard recipe would say to use a separate pot but I avoid using extra dishes at all costs!) and in it melt 4 T of margarine over medium low heat. Add sweet rice flour and stir with a whisk while cooking for 3 minutes. It will look grainy and weird but it will be OK, I promise. Add warm milk substitute (soy, rice, or broth), a little bit at a time, whisking thoroughly with each addition. Continue cooking and whisking until thick and creamy, like a gravy.

In the blender, puree the broth and veggies for about 1 minute. Add the broccoli puree (and the broccoli florettes previously set aside if you are making a chunkier soup) to the gravy and whisk together until well blended. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Give it a taste, you may want to add salt, pepper,additional spices, or bullion. Have a cozy winter, and enjoy!

Banana Muffins

I would LOVE to show you a picture, but my daughters new camera is broken. These muffins are dense and moist but not at all gummy. They are a bit on the sweet side since once again they were created for my 5 yr old...Oh, who am I kidding, I'm the one with the sweet tooth! Anyway, if you leave off the topping or reduce the amount of sugar in it these muffins will be much more "adult".

½ c Rice flour
½ c Sorghum flour
1/8 c Tapioca starch
1/8 c Potato starch
2 t Baking powder
½ t Baking soda
½ t Cinnamon
2 Bananas, mashed
1/3 c Brown sugar
¼ c Oil
1/8 c Soy milk (or rice milk)
1/8 c Applesauce
½ t Guar gum (or xanthan gum)
½ t Vanilla extract

TOPPING
2 T Margarine
¼ c Brown sugar
½ c Gluten free oats
A dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl mix topping ingredients until blended and crumbly, set aside.
Sift or whisk together rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
In another bowl mash bananas. Add brown sugar, oil, soy milk, applesauce, vanilla, and guar gum. Stir briskly with a whisk until well mixed. Add dry ingredients to wet and continue to stir until completely blended. Mixture will be very thick.
Put paper liners in muffin cups and using an ice cream scoop fill cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle on topping and gently pat it down so it will stick after the muffins are cooked.
Bake at 350 for approximately 25 minutes.
Makes 9 to 12 muffins depending on how large they are.