Eat Freely: A Food Allergy Struggle

Hey all!!

Once again, another year of school is coming to an end. I apologize once more for not updating regularly. I am a full time college student and I have a job and boyfriend on the side so I don't have much free time. BUT... this year is almost over! I have a few finals and papers due this week and next week is finals week. Then I have summer classes through mid-June and a practicum/internship all summer along with my job. But I will have much more free time this summer!

I don't exactly have time right now to post a recipe but I just wanted to update you guys!

I have an appointment with my gastroenterologist tomorrow and an appointment with an allergist Tuesday. I am still having slight reactions so I'm going to have another allergy test. I mean, what allergist doesn't test for fish, shellfish, and tree nuts!? Those are three of the top eight allergens! Anyways, I will be on in a few days to let you know how it goes!

Also, has anyone tried Namaste foods? They're amazing! All of their products are gluten, wheat, soy, potato, corn, dairy, casein, tree nuts, and peanut free. They're also Kosher, have no genetically modified foods, and are made in a dedicated allergy free facility. I've had the pleasure of tasting all their pastas and they are awesome! I haven't tried any of their baked goods yet though because they require eggs, but I am going to try them with an egg replacer. I'll let you guys know how those are too.

Also, check out Cybele Pascal's website. I love love love the two books she's published and she periodically posts recipes. I am also featured on one of her posts (4/22/11)!

Hey everyone! Guess what? I finally got a mixer!
My wonderful parents bought me a stand mixer and breadmaker for my birthday! So now I'm back up and running; sorry for the delay!
I've also gotten about 5 more cookbooks since the last post.

Today I'm posting Fettuccine Alfredo from Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger. It's a great book for picky eaters like me.

Also, I didn't realize I spilled flour/starch everywhere until after I took the picture. Whoops!

Fettuccine Alfredo: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, shellfish, and gluten/wheat free.

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients:

• Two 8-ounce boxes fettuccine or penne pasta (I only used one)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon or desired amount of fresh chopped garlic
• 1 cup alternative milk beverage (I used rice milk)
• 4 teaspoons corn, tapioca, or arrowroot starch
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (Mine was dried)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, stirring frequently to ensure even cooking. Strain noodles and rinse with cold water.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk alternative and starch. Pour into the saucepan with the sauteed garlic and oil; bring to a boil over medium heat until thickened.
3. Rinse noodles with hot water and strain into a bowl. Pour warm sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley or chives.

Hey all! I wanted to say thank you so much for everyone's support, and if you know anyone with food allergies or just anyone who likes to bake/cook, send them my link!

I just figured out that I didn't have a follow button on my page! So it is now posted on the right or you can click the link in the previous sentence. You can also subscribe to me too.

Also, who knows a good gluten free bread? When I had my allergy test, I reacted to oats, though not enough to be considered allergic. But I started feeling kinda crummy so I've recently eliminated oats from my diet. Most gluten containing breads use oat flour and/or soy so I've switched to gluten free bread. And let me tell you.... it's disgusting! It's all crumbly, hard, and tiny pieces. So I was wondering if anyone has found a good one. I might have to start making my own!

Anyways, today I'm posting Curry Pork and Rice. I know a lot of my recipes involve baking and sugary foods. And well, being a nutrition major and baking is not a good thing. And I'm gaining weight! So I tried out cooking for a change. This recipe is from Allergy-Free Cookbook by many authors. It originally called for cauliflower couscous but I don't really like cauliflower so I used rice instead, but I'll post the cauliflower couscous if you want to make it. Also check out my Chicken Saltimbocca from this cookbook. Both of these recipes are amazing!

Pork Curry: Dairy, egg, soy, nut, fish, and wheat/gluten free.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds pork, cubed (boneless shoulder, loin, or chops)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 large head cauliflower (optional)

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry powder and garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is golden.
2. Add pork; cook and stir 5 minutes or until pork is browned. Add bell pepper and vinegar; cook and stir 3 minutes or until bell pepper softens. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced and pork is tender, adding additional water as needed.

4. OPTIONAL: Meanwhile trim and core cauliflower; cut into equal pieces. Place in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process using on/off pulsing action until cauliflower is in small uniform pieces about the size of cooked couscous. Do not puree.
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add cauliflower; cook and stir 5 minutes or until cooked crisp-tender. Do not overcook. Serve pork curry over cauliflower.
6. OPTIONAL: Instead of cauliflower I made rice. I just put desired amount of white rice into boiling water and cooked until desired texture.

Hello again! Sorry I haven't been posting recipes as much as I used to. I've been so super busy with school and work I haven't had time to sit down.
A few nights ago I decided to make chili and cornbread! Well I got lazy so my friend Taylor made the chili and I made the cornbread, so here's how it turned out:

The chili recipe is from the Better Homes New Cookbook and the corn muffins are from The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki.

• 12 ounces ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 14-1/2 ounce can tomatoes, cut up
• 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Other beans such as pinto (optional)

1. In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Drain fat.
3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, and pepper.
4. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

• 1/4 cup dairy-free shortening, melted
• 1 1/2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar; let sit 5-10 minutes)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (Gluten free: Try a mix from any previous post)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with dairy-free baking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, thoroughle combine all ingredients. Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. 

First of all, I wanted to say thanks again for reading my blog! I'm up to 400 views now!

This recipe is from Allergy-Free Cookbook by many authors. This is one of the best chicken recipes I've tried! It was relatively easy and tastes amazing.

Chicken Saltimbocca: Dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, fish, and wheat free.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 slices smoked ham, cut in half
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup pasta sauce (check labels for soy)

1. Combine basil, chives, oil, garlic, oregano and sage in a small bowl.
2. Lightly pound chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap with flat side of meat mallet to 1/2 - 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Spread one quarter of herb mixture over each chicken breast.
4. Place ham slice over herb mixture; roll up to enclose filling. Secure with toothpicks.
5. Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray (watch out for soy). Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts, seam side up, 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until browned on all sides (Repeat turning to brown all sides). Add broth; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Remove chicken to cutting board, leaving liquid in skillet. Let chicken cool 5 minutes. Add pasta sauce to skillet; cook over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove toothpicks from chicken and cut crosswise into slices. Serve chicken topped with pasta sauce.

Hey everyone! I know I haven't written in awhile, I'm sorry!

• 1 1/2 cups chickpea/garbanzo flour (Or your choice; I used white rice flour because of allergies)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (Check labels for soy)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• Oil for frying (I used canola; vegetable oil has soy so check labels)
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half if large
• Curry Mayo Dipping Sauce (Optional; combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro)

1. Sift chickpea flour into medium bowl. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup water to make smooth batter. Whisk in additional water by tablespoons if needed until batter is consistency of heavy cream.
2. Meanwhile, add oil to a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 3/4 inch depth. Heat over medium-high heat until drop of batter placed in oil sizzles (350 degrees F)
3. Pat chicken pieces dry. Dip pices into batter with tongs; let excess fall back into bowl. Ease chicken gently into oil; fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until slightly browned and chicken is cooked through. Fry in batches; do not crowd pan. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with Curry Mayo Dipping Sauce if desired.

Hey everyone! Only a few more days to vote on a recipe (to the right)!

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds. I used tenderloins)
• 1 1/2 cups potato chips, finely crushed (check ingredients)

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch cubes and moisten with water or oil.
3. Roll chicken pieces in crushed chips to coat. If there are bare spaces, pat on additional crushed chips.
4. Place coated chicken pieces on baking sheet.
5. Bake about 20 minutes, or until chicken is done. If desired, use barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, ketchup, or honey for dipping.

Hello again! I want to thank everyone for the support.  This blog has been more popular than I ever thought it would be. So thanks everyone!

You have six more days to vote for which recipe you want. Look to the right under my picture and vote!

I just posted a big page on what to watch out for and labels. It's so long it takes up a whole page, so you might have to hit "older posts" at the bottom.

I'm also posting today to share another recipe! This recipe is from The Everything Food Allergy Cookbook by Linda Larsen, the cookbook I previously posted a pancake recipe from. If you know me, you know how much of a sucker I am for soup. You also know how much I love potatoes, which is why I included them in this soup. I've made this recipe many times, tweaking it as I go, sometimes producing waaaay too much rice. So make sure you measure! This recipe is great for winter too.

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup: Dairy, egg, soy, wheat, fish, and nut free.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped onion (I never use a full onion)
• 2 cloves minced garlic (I use powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I adjust salt and pepper in the end, usually adding more)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup long grain rice (don't go over!)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (I've never used these)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cubed (I never use a full pound)
• 2 cups frozen baby peas (I don't use peas because I'm allergic, instead I use potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (Just like salt and pepper, I usually add more in the end)