snacks

The hardest thing about having food allergies is being able to snack.  Finding quick munchies on-the-go or things to shove in your mouth before you run out the door (that's what she said) is a serious challenge.  And for those of us who are concerned with eating wholesomely and getting the best and balanced nutrition packed in every little bite, choosing wisely becomes tedious. 
Some of my favorite quick snacks include:
low fat cheese sticks from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's
clementines ESPECIALLY now that they're in season
Wallaby yogurt (I'm a total sucker for this brand, and if you haven't tried it, go to Whole Foods...it's only $.99 per cup and they have deliciously unusual flavors)
allergen-free cereal
dried fruit
...and corn chips with hummus.  

Now I used to exclusively buy the Trader Joe's jalapeno and cilantro hummus or Tribe brand jalapeno hummus because I really like that southwestern flavor when I'm eating it with corn chips.  Also, I'm just an absolute fanatic when it comes to spicy food.  But today I realized that I'm out of hummus and that I had both a can of jalapenos and a can of garbanzo beans.  So, if you want a high-protein snack to tide you over this week, grab your food processor and try out this recipe:


Note: this recipe is tahini free, so it is safe for people with sesame allergies
JALAPENO HUMMUS

1 can drained garbanzo beans
1 clove fresh garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole canned jalapeno pepper, or as many canned sliced jalapenos as you wish
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 dashes of cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in your food processor and grind it as finely as possible.  Stir it a few times to make sure all your beans, peppers, and garlic get chopped evenly.  Transfer to a tub and refrigerate OR transfer to several small tupperware containers for a quick on-the-go serving to throw in your lunch box.  Oh, and if you don't have a lunchbox, go to Whole Foods...they might be hiding one behind the customer service counter if they're not on the floor.  Whole Foods has insulated lunch boxes for literally like, $2.  Then run to Target and get some little ice packs.  I use mine pretty much every day and it has made eating when not at home a complete walk-in-the-park :)

from No Mein to Lo Mein (sorry...I know its corny but I couldn't resist...)

I love greasy Chinese(-American) food...the greasier the better!  But also the more painful later on :(
I've pretty much put a self-imposed ban on all Chinese and Japanese food because of all the soy, egg, wheat, and rice...it's chalk-full of allergens for me, and it's just brutal on my weak-ass tummy.  I had always wanted to try to make some of my favorite dishes on my own, but you just can't get the flavors right without soy....UNTIL NOW!!!!!  Introducing Coconut Aminos to the soy-allergic population!  I stumbled upon this little bottle in Whole Foods while I was looking at all the fun Asian cooking sauces I couldn't use.  It tastes a lot like soy sauce, but it's made from coconut.  Imagine if Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Soy Sauce had an allergen-free baby.  It's not cheap, but mixed with some chili sauce, ginger, honey, and citrus, it makes a BANGIN' base for stir fry dishes.  So go get some and then try my Lo Mein.

ALLERGEN-FREE LO MEIN (SERVES 2)

1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked Quinoa or corn spaghetti, cooked with 1 bouillon cube - DO NOT COOK ALL THE WAY...it will continue cooking in the stir fry pan, and you don't want the noodles to fall apart
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/8 cup chopped carrots
1/8 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
4+ tbsp coconut aminos (to taste) mixed with 2 tsp honey, 1 tsp Sriracha or chili sauce, and 1-2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 tsp ginger powder OR fresh minced ginger
1/4 tsp curry powder

First, cook your spaghetti to the al dente stage in water with 1 bouillon cube (I use Rapunzel brand vegan bouillon).  Drain, rinse, and set aside. 
While that's boiling, you can chop up all your veggies.  These measurements are very loose...use whatever veggies you've got that you want to include, and you can always add more or less.  Mix the coconut aminos, honey, chili sauce, and spices in a separate bowl and whisk/fork them together.  When your pasta is cooked and the veggies are ready to go, heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over med-high heat.  Add the garlic and then the onion, and cook until translucent.  Then add the celery, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms each in turn.  Keep stirring it around, making sure all the veggies are getting cooked and coated in oil.  They can maintain a little of their crunch for texture...they don't need to be cooked till soft.  Then add your noodles, give them a stir, and promptly add your sauce.  You only want to cook all the ingredients together for a minute or two...no mushy noodles!  You can top with bean sprouts if you'd like.  If you want a Thai twist, try adding fresh basil and chopped peanuts.  And if you're egg tolerant, scramble an egg with your veggies, as that's the traditional method.

Yay for AF Asian-American goodness!!!!

things to be thankful for...

Okay, my creativity and hope for an allergen-free life have been restored.  Yes, I know I've been fallen off the face of the planet these past few months, but this Thanksgiving turned it all around for me.  Be prepared for new and improved allergen-free recipes :)

Backstory: I'm currently in a long-distance relationship, and the only option for me and my man to see each other this month was for us to both hike it to his parents' house in Stockton, CA, for Thanksgiving.  Luckily for me, his mother is a huge health food fanatic and was very supportive of us making allergen-free meal options for me.  Luckily for them, the allergen-free options were as good if not better than the traditional dishes.  Allergen-free Thanksgiving Dinner For the Win!!!!!

Here's what we made: Allergen-free, gluten-free cornbread stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, turkey (obvi) and AF gravy, yams, and then AF dual-layer pumpkin cheesecake pie.  It was totes amazeballs USA.


ALLERGEN-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD STUFFING

1 bag Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Cornbread mix
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1+ cup chicken broth
3 tbsp butter
salt, pepper, sage, thyme to taste (don't be stingy)


First, you have to make the cornbread the day before.  The package calls for eggs and milk to be added...just use allowed milk and the Ener-g Egg Replacer.  Bake it in a loaf or cake pan as the package directs you, and then let it cool for a few hours.  When it's completely cool, cut into crouton-sized cubes and lay out to dry overnight.  If you don't have the time, spread the cubes out on baking sheets and toast on about 325F, but make sure not to burn them.

Once you have your crunchy cornbread cubes all set, chop up your veggies and gather your spices.  Melt the butter in a large pot.  When it's lightly sizzling, add all the veggies and simmer them until they're tender.  Then add your spices (I'd recommend a teaspoon of each to start) and your bread cubes.  Stir gently until completely blended, then add the broth and more spices.  If you're using high sodium broth, be very careful about how much salt you add with your spices!!  We found that 1 cup of broth wasn't enough, so we added it in 1/4 cups until it was the right amount of mushiness.

Once all your ingredients are combined and spiced to taste, transfer to a greased baking pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes covered, then another 20 mins uncovered.  It's bangin.  Enjoy!


HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries
1 cup OJ (I recommend Trader Joe's fresh squeezed in the jug, no pulp)
1 cup sugar

Pour the OJ into a saucepan and warm over medium heat.  Stir in and completely dissolve the sugar.  Then add the cranberries and cook them until they all pop (about 10 mins).  Transfer to a Pyrex bowl and let stand to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve.  It's a fantastic recipe and it's the easiest thing in the world.


ALLERGEN-FREE GRAVY

Now I'm no expert on cooking turkey, but my man's mom is.  And when she realized that her usual gravy recipe called for regular wheat, she flipped and asked me what to do.  Then she decided to just try it with cornstarch, and guess what??  It worked beautifully!  So just take your drippings and add cornstarch over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency...I'd say add it by the teaspoon or tablespoon and whisk it in.  She made it...I didn't.  But it was tasty :)


YAMS

I hope J's mom doesn't mind me sharing her secret recipe, but these were PERFECT.  You could do this with sweet potatoes too.  Simply take each potato, poke it about 6 times with a fork, rub the skin in canola oil and wrap in foil.  Bake until tender...and they will be VERY tender!!!


ALLERGEN-FREE DUAL-LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PIE

1 allergen-free pie crust (we used almond flour and it was FANTASTIC...see recipe below)

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1 Tbsp.  cold fat-free milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

1-1/2 cups  thawed Lite Cool Whip

1 cup  cold fat-free milk

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin

2 pkg.  (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp.  ground ginger 

1/8 tsp. ground cloves 

First, you need to make the pie crust.  You can use any allergen-free pie crust, but this almond flour crust worked super well because it's press-in (no rolling required!) AND because the flavor and texture are very similar to a graham cracker crust.

ALMOND FLOUR PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups Almond Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill available at Whole Foods)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

2 tbsp agave nectar OR maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda...set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla, and agave or maple syrup (we used maple syrup instead because my boyfriend is allergic to agave...it worked perfectly!).  Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and mix thoroughly.  Then press the dough into a pie dish, spreading it as evenly and thinly as possible.  Bake 10-15 mins until golden brown and cool completely before filling.

Then, you make the two-layer delicious pumpkin cheesecake filling: Beat Neufchatel cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in (do not beat) whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust. Pour 1 cup milk into medium bowl. Add pumpkin, pudding mix and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (mixture will be thick). Spread over Neufchatel layer.  Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.


So there you have it.  A delicious and easy AF Thanksgiving dinner.  It required minimal extra preparation...we made the pie crust and stuffing a day ahead so the oven could be completely devoted to the turkey.  I swear, it was so easy and fun to cook with him and his family, and it was because they were supportive and willing to experiment.  I was fully expecting one or more of the recipes to completely flop, but they all turned out GREAT!  Here's hoping this kicks off a fantastic AF holiday season :)