So I've hit a serious food-wall. I have had no desire to cook or be creative in the kitchen for the past couple of months. It all started when my schedule got shook up after graduation, and it was perpetuated by traveling and performing. I've learned that when ANYONE offers me a way out of having to cook for myself (and mostly out of having to dirty dishes that I'll later have to clean, because I HATE doing dishes), I jump at the opportunity. So when you're never home because you're always in rehearsal, eating out becomes the standard. And this is a HUGE challenge for someone with food allergies.
If you have a mild case of food allergies or food sensitivities, you know that occasional cheating is sometimes worth it. Suffering through a mild case of indigestion is worth having that croissant with your coffee or that gluten-filled beer with lunch. Inevitably, these choices are unhealthy and have ramifications that you never really consider at the time. But once you cheat a little here and a little there, it snowballs into cheating everyday out of convenience.
This is where I found myself before I came home to Rochester two weeks ago. I hated to be the wet blanket, constantly having people ask me what they could make me or trying to accommodate me, but never quite being able to do it properly. But you want to reward their effort, so you eat the wheat-free but rice-filled crackers or pasta. And where has two months of this behavior gotten me? My tummy is angry and my energy level is at a record low. I'd love to blame it on summer, but I know it's what I'm putting in my body.
But how do I get back on the wagon? I think the answer is small steps. For instance, last night I went over to my best friend's house for dinner. Her father is an amateur chef, and he loves using his fancy kitchen toys and complicated recipes to wow his family and friends (and he does...his cooking has been rocking my world since the 6th grade). My friend, a food allergy sufferer herself, asked me if I could eat cous-cous, because he was planning on making a Moroccan cous-cous dish. I seriously debated just going along with it, but I stood up and said, "No, I can't, but I could substitute quinoa. Why don't you just set aside a small portion of the spices and ingredients, and we can add some to cooked quinoa?" Score one for getting back on track!
Another good way, now that it's summer, is to rely on fresh, seasonal dishes to fill you up and not worry about cooking so much. I adore salads and since they require very little forethought, they're perfect for someone who's currently lacking lots of creativity. One that I've been making almost every day is a simple romaine, tomato, basil, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, and hot banana pepper salad. I dress it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. It might sound odd, but 1-2 oz. of cheese gives you protein and makes it filling. This is also good if you're on a budget, since cheddar is more wallet-friendly than fresh mozzarella.
Other salads/dishes you could try:
- Cucumber salad: 1 whole cucumber sliced thinly. Dress with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. You can also add minced fresh dill if you'd like.
- allergen-free pasta salad: mix cooked pasta (any shape will do except spaghetti) with chopped red onion, cubed cheddar cheese or crumbled feta, black olives, chopped tomato, and chopped bell pepper. I used to just marinate it in store-bought Italian dressing, but almost ALL bottled salad dressings contain soy. I now dress it with a balsamic dressing (approx 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (all to taste), 1/2 tsp minced garlic, splash of lemon juice).
- a simple fruit salad with local, in-season fruit. Hit up a Farmer's Market for super fresh and affordable produce.
- Watermelon. Not a salad, but it's seriously one of the best fruits of summer. It fills you up, its super refreshing, and its low in calories. Go get some! (that's what she said).
- Tabbouleh: this cold salad dish is traditionally made with bulgar wheat, but is really bangin' with quinoa. You can modify this recipe however you'd like, but this is how I make it:
TABBOULEH:
1 cup dry quinoa, cooked (makes approx. 4 cups)
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped olives (kalamatas work best)
mix these together and then dress with the following (mix and marinate the dressing FIRST, then let it set while you cook the quinoa and chop the veggies)
1 minced shallot
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (curly or flat leaf work, although I usually use flat leaf)
1 tsp dried mint
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate. I think it tastes great hot OR cold, but it's supposed to be served chilled.
Ok, I think that's all I've got for today. Next on my list is finding a recipe for allergen-free angel food cake and a post about vegetarian/allergen-free grilling. I wanna make strawberry shortcake someday soon, and I've eaten some killer grilled dishes recently that I'd love to share :)
