muffin-pan-chicken-cups: a recipe

We're always messing around and creating/tweaking new recipes, and this one was too delicious not to share! I'm not really sure what to call them, so if you've got a good name, let me know!

For now, let's call them muffin-pan-chicken-cups (quite a mouthful, both the name and the actual food!)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped veggies**
• 6 oz mozzarella cheese, chopped into small cubes
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder 
• 1.5 tsp dried basil
• A dash of salt and pepper

**This time, I chopped two bell peppers and 1/4 of a Japanese kabocha (pumpkin-like squash) into thumb-nail sized pieces. You could really use any veggies you like, though!

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Grease a muffin tin (we used coconut oil on a paper towel).
• Chop the veggies and the mozzarella into small chunks. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until everything is combined.
• Using spoonfuls (or handfuls) to scoop mixture into the muffin tin. Press down a bit to fill the cups. (I was able to get 10 muffin cups filled to the top with this mixture.)
• Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes.
• Let them cool, and then enjoy!

 

antibiotics and anti-inflammatories: a story and a "pudding" recipe

Some of you may know that I have been battling an awful kidney infection since early December. I was lucky that the doctors diagnosed it so quickly when I finally broke down and went to the emergency room!

What followed, though, is what I find to be the biggest difficulty of living with non-top-8 food allergies, especially while being overseas. I needed an antibiotic  in order to heal, but everything the doctor tried to prescribe to me was full of either corn or gluten. Most of the time, the labels did not say "corn," so alerting the pharmacist and medical team that I had to avoid corn made no difference. The doctor gave up pretty quickly, so Ben and I had to spend hours after my appointment on a late Sunday night, researching the medications they had in stock at the pharmacy. Luckily, the pharmacist was patient and did not seem to mind taking out all the pill-based antibiotics there so we could examine the ingredient lists, check websites, and compare them to the very small database of possible "corn-safe" and "gluten-safe" medications others with my allergies have been able to tolerate. The few we did find were cross-reactive to penicillin, and I have a penicillin allergy in my file. (Later on, we did a lab test, since I had a bad allergic reaction last time I had penicillin. The penicillin  test came back negative a few weeks later, so I finally have confirmation that the previous reaction was due to the corn in the meds and not the penicillin itself!) We finally found one, and the pharmacist convinced the doctor to write out another prescription.

Because of the severity of my allergies, she suggested that I take the meds under a doctor's care, so I had to make a follow-up appointment with a family practice doctor before I could start my course of antibiotics. This appointment also took hours, but this time the doctor and pharmacists worked with me to try and find something that was effective and also safe! The issue is that we didn't yet have the penicillin results back, so I was limited by the food-allergies in addition to a possible penicillin allergy. I did have some minor allergic reactions, but after several hospital visits and hours of research, we finally found an antibiotic that was safe for me to take! Unfortunately, though, it was not the best antibiotic for getting rid of a kidney infection. We finally agreed that I would take the full course and then make a follow-up appointment in January if it didn't work.

Fast-forward two weeks, and the kidney infection that had started to go away was now back in full force. Luckily, I received the penicillin labs the same day as my doctor appointment (negative, yay!) and I was able to get a large (4 shot) injection of a strong antibiotic that I was assured should do the trick. The medical staff also recommended taking anti-inflammatory medication (which, of course, I can't take because of the allergies) and to use any home remedies for inflammation that I could find to help the antibiotics do their job.

So, here is the reason for this post! I did some research on several anti-inflammatory foods to help kidney functions, and then put a bunch of them together to create some new recipes. Below is my favorite - even once the infection is gone for good, I'll definitely be using this one. It makes a great, healthy breakfast or snack!

Anti-Inflammatory, Paleo-Friendly Pudding (it's not actually pudding...it's more the consistency of fro-yo or ice cream. I have no idea of what to call it! If any of you dear readers end up making it and can come up with a stellar name for it, let me know!)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup thick coconut milk (I use this one!)
- 1 frozen banana
- 10 frozen cherries
- 1/3 cup fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

**Optional:
- 1 tbsp flax meal (great anti-oxidant with lots of Omega-3's, and excellent for inflammation)
- 1/2 tsp D-Mannose (excellent for treating a UTI in case you ever have one)


Directions:

Simply place all of your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth! If you want a thicker, fro-yo sort of texture, put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes before eating.

**Optional: Since I've been making this concoction every day for the last week or so, I've been experimenting with some ways to change it up a bit.

- Exchange 1/3 of the coconut milk for 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt, especially if you're taking antibiotics! That "good" bacteria is important!
- After blending, add some mix-ins! I like to add some crunch to mine, so I've added different combinations of the following: cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, granola, or even a few chocolate chips to satisfy a sweet tooth!

parties with panache: pizza recipes!

I've learned a great deal of things since finding out about my food allergies, and one of them is that social gatherings almost always include food of some sort! It was something I never really put much thought into before it became a matter of survival, and I think it's only when someone is put into that position that they realize how much of our sociality revolves around food. Holidays, birthdays, reunions, family gatherings, parties, end-of-week work gatherings, and even staff meetings include snacks, potlucks, meals, barbecues, and even restaurants. Because of this, those with food allergies have a lot more to think about and prepare for when it comes to being social.

Some venues are easier than others. Potluck picnics and beach barbecues are easy because the allergic person can simply bring their own food. When it involves work functions, friends' houses, and restaurants, though, things can get a bit more difficult.

There are definite social changes that happen when you develop food allergies. Those weekly meetups with friends at the local restaurant become awkward, either on the part of the allergy person who can't eat anything on the menu, or the friends who then feel sorry for them. I noticed this shift when I was finally diagnosed and suddenly had no safe restaurants. The invitations became few and far between in the name of not making me feel bad that I couldn't eat anything on the menu. Instead, it felt isolating to be constantly left out of fun events.

For this reason, we often hosted the parties and game nights at our house. We always had a "safe" area for my food and a potluck area for everyone else. It worked for a while and we loved being able to play host and hostess on special occasions and book clubs and get togethers. This became a nightmare though, when I realized that I was so sensitive that the food my friends brought over was causing cross contamination issues. Ben and I started experimenting with snacks and meals that could be made fairly easily and would feed several people so that having a get together didn't have to be food-less, but also wouldn't mean a Thanksgiving-like event with a whole day of cooking involved. It had to be something that adults would enjoy, but their kids would also eat. It had to be free of multiple allergens and something that could also be served for our vegetarian friends. We started with pizza: the quintessential and easily-customizable party food. After our first party serving the pizza, we had several friends requesting to come over again so they could partake again! Each time, we make a few favorites and try something new, so I thought I'd share some of our favorites in case you ever find yourself in a pizza rut!


The Basics:

For most of our pizzas, we prefer to use the Chebe flour mixes, because they are grain free and are pretty versatile. Many other blends are too watery or too starchy (or don't hold up well as leftovers). Each pizza also uses about a cup of sauce and 1.5-2 cups of mozzarella cheese (I use the Organic Valley brand).


The Sauce:

My favorite prepared sauce is the Organicville pizza sauce. It's got a nice flavor and thickness, and the vinegar is sourced from sugarcane and not corn like most other sauces. I purchase it from Vitacost, and for those of you in the states, I've seen it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Natural Grocers as well.

I often prepare my own sauce, which is great because I can adjust the thickness and spices as needed. Because we have typically lived in places where fresh, organic tomatoes were not always available, I had to search for a while to find a good substitute. I love the Bionaturae tomato paste, an organic product from Tuscany.

Ingredients:

• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 cup water (adjust for preferred thickness)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp basil
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, adding the water last. Stir and add water to the thickness you prefer. For the best results, let the sauce rest for an hour to enrich the flavor. Then, spread it on the dough. Remember not to add too much sauce, as you don't want your dough to become soggy! I add my favorite spices to the following toppings and then bake the pizza at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

**Tip: If you're going for a more creamy sauce, substitute the water with a nice, thick coconut milk! These are the two I use most often: Native Forest and Aroy-D.

The Toppings:

There are several different topping variations we've used with the basic sauce and cheese combination.

• Pepperoni and black olives. Before I was as corn sensitive as I am at this point, I was able to use pepperoni. This is no longer an option for me, but I still do have a safe brand of sausage, so we use sausage with black olives now.

• Pineapple and peppers. This has been a favorite with our friends - simply dice some different colors of bell peppers along with some pineapple slices for a colorful and tasty combination!

• Yakiniku meat. We make yakiniku pretty frequently (thinly sliced, grilled beef) and sometimes use the leftovers as a pizza topping. This tastes delicious with black olives, pineapple, and/or bell pepper slices!

• Cream cheese. This is an idea we got from a Japanese pizza shop. After putting the sauce on, but before adding the cheese, drop some small dabs of cream cheese around the pizza (no need to spread!) I use the Organic Valley cream cheese, as it's the only one I don't seem to be allergic to. 

• Cream cheese and kabocha. A bonus addition to the previous entry that we recently discovered is kabocha (Japanese winter squash). Slice the squash into quarters and then slice one of the quarters into thin slices. After layering the sauce, cream cheese, and mozzarella, add the squash slices and some garlic to the top before baking.

Stay tuned for some non-red sauce based pizzas, coming up soon!

the joys of crockpot cooking: a chicken casserole recipe

Nine years (and five days) ago, we got a crock pot as a wedding gift. Six months ago, I used it for the first time. I always had great intentions of making these great meals with it, but I just never really had the knowledge (or motivation) to learn how to use it correctly. Plus, there was always that worry that I'd inadvertently burn the house down.

Nowadays, though, I make just about everything from scratch and my crock pot has become my kitchen savior! I'm kicking myself for all the years I could have been making delicious and healthy meals with this quintessential kitchen appliance.

Weekends and breaks from school have become times for crock pot experimentation and I figured it might be beneficial to post a few of my favorite concoctions for future use (and for anyone who might be reading!)

The following recipe is gluten free (as always, use safe-for-you brands and ingredients!) and could fairly easily be made grain free or paleo by substituting some of the ingredients. I plan to try it out with spaghetti squash or cauliflower "rice" in future variations. It was delicious with the rice, though, and if you are okay with grains I'd suggest following the recipe the first time and then playing around with it later on.

Cheesy Crock-Pot Broccoli Chicken

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts, thawed
8 oz chicken broth
6-8 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 heads of broccoli (or 1 head broccoli and 1 head cauliflower)
1 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup coconut cream (or cream cheese)
2 cups cheese
Spices to taste (I use garlic powder, onion powder, marjoram, oregano, a pinch of rosemary, salt, and pepper)

Steps:
Grease the crock pot with a small bit of butter or oil (I use about a teaspoon of coconut oil and a paper towel to spread it). Place the chicken breasts in the bottom. Dump the carrot chunks in, along with the chicken broth and greek yogurt. Make sure the chicken is at least mostly covered. Then, add the spices. I don't measure the spices as I add them, but I would estimate a teaspoon of garlic powder, a half teaspoon onion powder, a half teaspoon marjoram, a half teaspoon oregano, a pinch of rosemary, a half teaspoon of salt, and a quarter teaspoon pepper. I make sure the chicken is covered in the combination of spices and then cook on high for four hours or on low for six (depending on your crock pot's settings, the times may vary).

After the four (or six) hours, or about an hour and a half before you want to eat, add the broccoli, cauliflower, and rice. With the rice, add about a cup and a half of water and make sure the rice is submerged. (You could also just cook the rice separately and add it when you're ready to eat if that's easier for your situation.)

Five to ten minutes before serving, add the coconut cream or cream cheese and then stir in the cheese until the mixture is nice and creamy. Your amounts may vary depending on the type of rice you use and the humidity where you live.

Hope you enjoy! My husband suggested putting the mixture into a pot pie next time instead of adding the rice, so we plan to try that next!

it's not Prego, it's alfredo!: a paleo alfredo recipe

When you are trying to stay away from gluten, corn, and dairy, it becomes nearly impossible to buy packaged food products. Simple dinners with packaged sauces are a thing of the past.

It took many tries to recreate one of my favorite dishes, chicken alfredo over pasta. I had to try out  numerous types of specialty flours/starches and dairy substitutes before finding the perfect combination to make a homemade alfredo. I use this sauce on pizza, pasta, and chicken with broccoli frequently, and it's so quick and easy to make! The sauce is dairy free, gluten free, corn free, and is perfect for a paleo diet, but substitutions can be made for other dietary needs.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of heavy, full fat coconut milk. (I use Native Forest, because it doesn't have strange chemicals and it has a creamy, smooth texture!)
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch (tapioca starch can be used as well)
- 2 tablespoons ghee butter (or real butter)
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder (or 7-9 cloves of fresh, pressed garlic)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (or 1/2 onion, finely chopped)
- oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to taste
- optional: a dash of nutmeg, mace, or even roasted red pepper to give your alfredo a unique taste! (don't use all of these together though!)

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat, whisking continually. Continue to heat until thickened to the desired consistency.

an allergen-friendly thanksgiving

Most of you probably know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's always been a day full of tradition for our family, from the parade to the decorations to the food. Since moving so far away, we have developed some of our own traditions while trying to keep up with the old. Having to go gluten (and corn) free has spurred even more change, especially when it comes to the cooking and who we spend our day with.

Last year, we decided to bypass a traditional Thanksgiving, and we spent the day at Tokyo Disney (where we were lucky enough to find turkey legs at the park). This year, we were ready to tackle Thanksgiving cooking again, knowing that because of the corn issues, I would have to spend more time revamping almost every dish to fit those needs. Even the dishes from our first gluten free Thanksgiving had to be analyzed and changed again. I think we ended up with some great eats though, and this blog is just as much to save the recipes as it is to share with anyone else who is interested!

The turkey: I had to get a special turkey this year, since the turkey we got from the commissary a while back made me sick. I found a great vendor who imports specialty meats from different countries, and I was able to score a French turkey that looked to be organic and free range. It was only a four pound bird, so it only needed to be cooked for a short amount of time.

The stuffing: I used a variation of my mom's old recipe, with ingredients that were safe for me. I cubed and dried a loaf and a half of homemade bread that had been made a few days earlier. Three slices of that bread were separated while drying to make the breadcrumbs for the green bean casserole. The recipe also calls for Italian sausage, but I have not been able to find one that is safe for me to consume. I did, however, test Jones Dairy Farm breakfast sausage ahead of time, and since I didn't react, I cooked a few packages of that to add in place of the Italian variety.

Ingredients:
- one bag of carrots, peeled and chopped
- one bag of celery, rinsed and diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- one yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of oil (I used avocado)
- 1-1.5 loaves of bread, cubed and dried
- 1 pound sausage, cooked and chopped
- 1 handful of walnut, chopped (optional)
- Spices to taste: salt, pepper, marjoram, rosemary, thyme
- 1 box of chicken broth (though you may not use all of it)

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Chop, dice, mince (etc) the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion. Heat the oil and saute the chopped mixture over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add spices and half the box of chicken stock and cook for 3-5 more minutes. Spread the bread pieces in a 9x13 casserole dish and pour the saute mixture over it. Turn over gently (and add more chicken broth) until the bread is moist. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Green Bean Casserole: I searched and searched for recipes, and couldn't find one that I liked, so I kind of made this up as I went.

Ingredients:

- 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed with the ends sliced off

- 1 yellow onion, diced

- 1 cup bread crumbs

- 2 tablespoons of butter (I use ghee butter)

- 11 oz cream of mushroom soup (recipe for homemade cream of mushroom can be found here!)

- 2 cups cheddar cheese 

Steps: Preheat the oven to 350°.

Green Beans: Rinse and slice the ends. Place in a pot of boiling, salted water and boil for approximately 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water to halt the cooking.

Topping: Melt butter in a skillet and add the onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes and then add the breadcrumbs.

The finishing touch: Mix the green beans and the cream of mushroom soup in a glass 8x8 casserole dish. Add the topping mixture, cover with cheddar, and bake for 30 minutes.

The mashed potatoes: I found a few websites touting recipes for crock pot potatoes, so I decided to try it out. I wasn't sure I liked what I found online, so again, I kind of made it up as I went along.

Ingredients:

- 1 bag of potatoes (between 8-10 potatoes)

- 3 cups chicken broth

- butter (I use ghee butter)

- spices to taste: garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, marjoram, salt, pepper, dill or chives

- milk (I use coconut milk)

Steps:

Rinse, peel, and cube potatoes. Place in the crock pot with 3-4 cups of chicken broth. Add spices, and if using non-dairy milk, add 1 cup now (if using real milk, add this later). Set the crock pot for six hours on low (or 4 hours on high). An hour before dinner is ready, use a vegetable masher to smash the potatoes down a bit and check the liquids. A few minutes before dinner is served, use the vegetable masher to smash them fully and ensure there are no lumps. At this point, you can add optional ingredients, like greek yogurt, sour cream, additional butter, dill, chives, or whatever else you like on mashed potatoes, and then scoop the potatoes out and serve!

Cranberry Sauce: I was never a fan of real cranberry sauce when I was younger, I only liked the canned stuff. It took years to find a way of making cranberry sauce that I actually enjoyed eating. Bonus, it's fun to make, because the exploding cranberries are entertaining to watch!

Ingredients:

- 16-20 oz fresh cranberries

- zest and juice of one orange

- 1-2 cups additional orange juice (I make my own)

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)

Steps:

Add all ingredients to a covered sauce pan over medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, dispose of the cinnamon stick, and use a vegetable masher to crush any un-popped cranberries. Cool on the counter for at least 15 minutes before serving.

**Optional steps: Put in the fridge for an hour and serve cooled. Also, if you prefer a smooth texture, you can blend the sauce for a few minutes once it's cooled.

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Pudding Parfaits: These are a great substitute for pumpkin pies, and don't require any baking! This recipe can make 4 smaller parfaits or 2 large ones. We made 4 and they were the perfect size.

Ingredients:

- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (I use the Farmer's Market brand) - make sure this is NOT pumpkin pie filling!

- 1 cup coconut milk, divided in half

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided in half

- cinnamon powder

- pumpkin pie spice (recipe here)

- 1 ripe banana

- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder (I use Navitas Naturals...or you can use cocoa powder if you prefer it)

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

- 1 teaspoon coconut oil 

- graham crackers (optional)

Steps:

Pumpkin layer: Place the pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Mix together with a whisk or fork until smooth and then distribute equally into your glasses. **Optional: Crush graham crackers to place in the bottom as a "pie crust" for your pudding.

Chocolate layer: Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 45 seconds until smooth. Set aside. Place the banana in a mixing bowl and mash with fork or spoon. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, cacao powder, and one teaspoon cinnamon powder. Mix it until smooth, add the chocolate chip/coconut oil blend, and continue to mix until smooth. Equally distribute to the glasses on top of the pumpkin layer. Top with a dash of cinnamon and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. The longer you refrigerate, the better these will taste!

I hope that if you are planning a Thanksgiving meal, that one or more of these recipes might come in handy for you!

summer dreamin': a grain-free quesadilla with avocado dipping sauce recipe

I'm sure I get like this just about every year at this time.

The best way to describe it is stir-crazy.

The weather keeps taunting us. For two or three days, it will be bright and sunny and warm enough to melt most of the snow. We get to the point where we can almost see the ground through the sheets of snow and ice. People will start putting their winter clothes and boots away.

I like to pretend that I'm boycotting winter, but I also realize that it's pointless. As soon as they all happily finish packing away the winter gear, Japan's clouds will roll in and dump three more feet on us. This is merely a short-lived respite from the six-month winters of Northern Japan.

That was this weekend. Granted, this time it was only inches and not feet. It was enough, though, to send everyone scrambling to their closets for their newly-packed-away winter gear and to keep the less intrepid from venturing outdoors.

For me...well, it just made me antsy. It's difficult for this beach-loving, snow-hating girl to endure the seemingly never-ending winters. This was the kind of storm that got me reminiscing about driving with the windows down, looking at pictures of warmer times, and longing for summer recipes.

So today for lunch, I am boycotting winter and making a summery meal: black bean quesadillas with a cool avocado dipping sauce.

These recipes will make three quesadillas with the perfect amount of dipping sauce to go with them.

Quesadilla Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup zucchini, chopped (I use my hand chopper for a perfect consistency)
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained (We use Eden Organics - they come in a BPA free can and don't have all the chemicals most canned beans come with. If you use another  brand, you probably won't need to add the salt that I used.)
• 2 cups Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (see note on the black beans)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 6 tortillas (we sometimes use Chebe bread mix and modify it for chalupa-like tortillas, or use this paleo recipe)
• 1 mini can diced black olives, drained and rinsed (optional)
• Avocado dipping sauce on the side (see below for instructions)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan or a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring to keep from scorching. After 2-3 minutes, add the other spices, lemon juice, zucchini, and beans. Saute until soft, stirring constantly (between 5-7 minutes). Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Make your tortillas (or get out your prepackaged tortillas). Add one tortilla to the pan. Spread 1/3 of the filling and add a small handful of cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and flip as necessary until cooked to your desire.

*******************************************************************************

Don't forget the dipping sauce! This is a light, flavorful guacamole that's perfect with these quesadillas.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, ripened
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 cup unflavored Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 small tomato, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon strained tomato)

Instructions:

Cut open the avocado and scoop the insides into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mash/whip to your desired consistency with a fork. Place in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving (or serve room temperature if you don't like your sauces cold.)

memories and maple syrup: a paleo barbecue sauce recipe

I've never been a fan of barbecue sauce. Living in Reno for so long, I always loved the summer activities. The Balloon Races, Hot August Nights, the Air Races...and the Rib Cook-off. With 500,000 visitors and dozens of barbecue-rs each year, I was bound to eventually find a sauce that tasted right to me.

Ribs + friends = a good day

I remember the year I finally found a sauce that I liked! After getting married and moving, my mom would get me a bottle nearly every summer to put in my Christmas stocking.

The only barbecue sauce I've ever liked!

After going gluten and corn free, most sauces were suddenly not safe for me to consume. Most of them contain soy sauce (which has wheat) or corn syrup or maltodextrin, which are all red flags in our household.

My hubby does enjoy a good barbecue sandwich occasionally, though, so finding a safe version was something I always knew I would eventually need to find. In doing so, I realized that I could make a version that I might actually enjoy too!

I've always liked my barbecue sauce more sweet than tangy, so I tried experimenting with maple syrup. You could probably use honey in lieu of the maple if you prefer a more honey mustard-y vibe. (I'll probably try it next time I make this.) Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you try it with a different combination!

Paleo pork sandwiches with the maple barbecue sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ketchup (I use Organicville, which is gluten and corn free!)
• 4 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup 100% maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion or onion powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard 
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Use immediately or refrigerate in a glass jar for later use.

my fajitas! (a grain free tortilla recipe)

One of my favorite scenes from Friends - I always

think of it when I make fajitas! 

Last month, we decided to try and gradually cut grains out of our diet. While going gluten and corn free was 100% necessary for me, I tend to feel better when I also limit my grain intake.

We started with one grain-free day a week for a month, and now we are at two. We're working our way to the point where most of what we eat is grain free. (At this point, I don't see the need to go 100% Paleo, but we're in an experimentation phase so I suppose that could change.)

Since going gluten free I've been trying to find a tasty and (at least somewhat) easy recipe for tortillas. We used to live off of Mexican food, but it's nearly impossible to find decent wheat AND corn free tortillas. That means no enchiladas, no nachos, no burritos, no tacos... (Are you drooling  yet? Yeah, I kind of miss Mexican cuisine!)

The experiments have gone...well, so-so. The rice or sorghum based recipes we have tried tasted dry and felt as stiff as cardboard. After many trials, we were able to create something pliable and tasty, but it had more of a chalupa-esque consistency. It works well as a flat-bread, but not for tacos or enchiladas.

We have made cauliflower tortillas several times, and while they are delicious, they are labor-intensive and don't really work if you're short on time. They also haven't held up well for leftovers.

So I've been experimenting and putting together different recipes to find an easy and delicious tortilla. This recipe will work to make tortillas OR flat-breads - the only difference is how much batter you pour into the pan!

Today I was craving fajitas, so I doubled the recipe (for leftover purposes) and whipped these up! They held perfectly and tasted delicious. 

(For the pineapple chicken recipe to stuff inside your tortillas,
click here!)

*Note: It's been nearly two years since I have had a wheat tortilla. I think these grain free tortillas taste fabulous, especially compared to the other recipes I have tried. Ben still eats at Taco Bell occasionally and he says that these taste good and have the right consistency and pliability, but taste a bit different than regular tortillas. I played around with the recipe and he liked them better the second time. Just want to give you a disclaimer that you will probably notice a difference between these and regular tortillas!*

Grain-Free Tortillas - Recipe makes 4 tortillas or 3 flat-breads (using a 6-inch skillet)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond flour (you can buy almond flour or use a coffee grinder and grind your own!)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
• 2.5 tablespoons water
• 4 egg whites
• scant 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
• coconut oil for the pan (I use a tiny bit of coconut oil for each tortilla because it adds a nice flavor. You can use whichever oil you prefer...)

Instructions:

Mix all of your ingredients (except the oil). I use a small six inch skillet - you will want to use something small, as your batter will be thin and will fill the space you pour it into. Heat your skillet on medium-low and place a dab of coconut oil. Once it melts pour 1/4 (about one small ladle-full) of batter into the skillet and make sure it spreads evenly. 

The tortillas are thin and will cook quickly, so don't leave them on the pan for too long! When first removed from heat, the tortillas will seem stiff (don't worry - after cooling for a few minutes they will be nice and pliable!)

Hope you enjoy! Leave a comment if you try them and let me know how they worked!

a little bit of hawaii: a paleo chicken recipe

I have a secret.

Okay, well it's not really a secret...but I LOVE pineapple.

I think it's the perfect chilled summer fruit on a hot day. It's great in the winter to remind me of summer. It's amazing in smoothies. On top of ice cream. On pizza. Basically, it's one of the most diverse fruits I know of and I love to cook with it.

I have another secret.

Until a year ago, I had never cut a pineapple.

I feel silly saying this now, but it was so easy to buy pre-cut pineapple or even canned chunks of the delicious fruit. With all of my food sensitivities now, I find that the more self-preparation I can do, the more secure I feel that I won't get sick.

Plus, pineapples aren't as difficult to chop up as I always thought they would be! My dream for next summer is to find a pineapple corer to make the process even easier (and to help keep down the amount of pineapple wasted by cutting it up with a knife.)

We picked up a pineapple a few weeks ago, so I decided to do a bit of experimenting. It was more of an "add a bit of this and a dash of that" situation, but it was delicious! It's similar to a Hawaiian-shoyu chicken casserole. I made it again today and wrote it all down so I could share it with you! You can alter any of the ingredient amounts to taste.


Ingredients:

• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pineapple
• 2-3 bell peppers (I like to get three different colors to make it more festive!)
• The juice of 1 large orange (or approx. 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice)
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce if you're not worried about being Paleo)
• 2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed (or two tsp. minced garlic)
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Cube the chicken and pineapple; put in a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Slice bell peppers and add them to the dish. 

In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients. Spoon the mixture over the chicken, pineapple, and pepper mix. Stir well to coat chicken. Cover and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  (Note, our oven cooks a bit differently than others, so your timing may be slightly different.)

I've put this over rice (of course, that would negate the Paleo-ness of the recipe) and over cauliflower rice. Today, I used it as the stuffing for grain free fajitas (click here for the tortilla recipe) and it was delicious!

pumpkin spice and everything nice: an ice cream recipe

It's almost my favorite time of year: autumn!

The recent typhoons have brought cooler weather and our thoughts are on what comes next: leaves falling, sweater weather, and pumpkin spice everything!

I've been experimenting with ice cream flavors and decided to try out a pumpkin spice. It's like autumn in a bowl!

Ingredients:

-1 can full fat coconut milk (I prefer Native Forest - it makes the creamiest ice cream out of all the kinds I've tried.)

-2 T. raw cacao powder

-1/4 cup agave nectar, coconut nectar, 100% maple syrup, or even pure honey (I only use 1 tablespoon, but I don't like my ice cream very sweet)

-2 T. pumpkin spice blend**

Whisk until blended and then pour into an ice cream maker. **If you don't have one you can put in the freezer for six hours, stirring every hour.**

If you are looking for some crunch, I sometimes add a few Enjoy Life crunchy cookies after pouring the mix into the ice cream maker. Crumble 'em up and toss 'em on in!

**Pumpkin Spice: I make my pumpkin spice blend in bulk but you can put less of each in the batch if you don't use it often:

-1/3 cup ground cinnamon

-1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

-1 tablespoon ground ginger

-1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

-1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

grain free pancakes, for the win!

We've been experimenting with paleo recipes, trying to stay as grain free as we can throughout the week. One of the recipes we tried out was for grain-free pancakes from PaleOMG. 

The first time we made them, they were light and fluffy but lacked much substance, so we altered a few ingredients. The second time, they were perfect!

I also tried making some vegan whipped cream to go on top! Below are the altered pancake recipe, in addition to the whipped cream recipe!

Pancakes:

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, peeled
• 3 eggs
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Place bananas in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Then crack eggs into food processor and mix together.
3. Add the coconut flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Puree until smooth.
5. Heat up a non-stick pan. We use a ramen spoon for the batter - it's about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons.
6. Wait until each pancake begins to form bubbles on the surface, then flip. If you keep the pancakes smaller, they will cook more evenly and flip perfectly.
7. For an added bonus, I use Enjoy Life non-dairy mini chips. They are perfectly-sized for these mini pancakes!

Whipped Cream:

Ingredients

• 1 can of coconut milk, full fat (refrigerated)
• 1 tablespoon honey or 100% pure maple syrup (if you're going for vegan, choose the maple syrup option)

Instructions

1. Refrigerate coconut milk overnight (or for at least two hours)
2. Open can and scoop out the creamy part. You can save the thinner coconut juice for flavoring other things, like smoothies or ice cream!
3. With the creamy coconut in a bowl (don't use a shallow bowl!), use a hand mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes, or until it resembles whipped cream. 
4. While beating, add the honey or syrup. This step is optional, but gives your whipped cream a sweeter taste. 
5. Serve or refrigerate immediately. If you refrigerate, it's best to beat it again for 20-30 seconds before serving.

celebrational tzatziki: a story and a recipe

For those of you who have been following my celiac story, you know that there have been quite a few bumps in the road. Having to go 100% gluten and lactose free was hard enough, and then in December, realizing something else was wrong was a hard pill to swallow.

Through a series of eliminations, I realized that corn was also an issue, and I've been corn free for about a month now. I'm in the process of eliminating soy as well, which was a blow, seeing as how we live in the soy capital of the world.

So when I come across little triumphs, they are taken with a lot of celebration!

As I was researching gluten/Celiac/symptoms all those months ago, I had read from many sources that lactose intolerance was often a byproduct of untreated Celiac Disease.

BUT

Those same sources said that (UNLIKE GLUTEN) some Celiacs may regain the ability to tolerate lactose after letting their bodies heal for a while. For some, it was within months. For others, it took decades. (And for many, lactose was out for the rest of their lives.) Being the ever-positive (or, should I say, blissfully naive??) person that I am, I was hopeful that this would be something that would get better.

The lactose intolerance didn't have nearly the same side effects as if I were to consume gluten, but it was still uncomfortable. And if I wasn't able to easily tolerate it, I wasn't going to put myself through consuming it on a regular basis. But I figured that if I didn't occasionally check, I'd never know if I had regained the ability to digest it.

So every month or so, I'd try just a little bit. Maybe a small spread of cream cheese, or a shot glass of milk. Some hard cheese or some feta sprinkled on a salad. And every time, I'd pay for it. So I cut it back and figured I'd check once a quarter. Just a little bit, to see.

A few weeks ago we went to Sendai for a few days. We always start off road trips with a stop at Starbucks, but I can no longer have soy lattes. I hadn't tested lactose in several months and decided that I could use a little good news, just in case. And good news, I received! I ordered the smallest size (for those of you in the states, the Japanese have a size smaller than a tall -- called a short.) I tolerated it well, and even got one again the next day with no side effects!

Now, this doesn't mean that I'm going to start eating and drinking lactose-filled dairy products every day. But a little bit now and then is such a wonderful triumph with all the bad news I've had in the past several months!

So to celebrate, I made one of my all-time favorites: Greek Tzatziki sauce. This little condiment goes beautifully with meats (especially pork and lamb), on a burger, with fries, or even as a pizza dipping sauce!


Tzatziki Sauce (Yields about 2 cups)

12 oz (1.5 cups) Greek Yogurt
1 large cucumber, or 1.5 small ones
1 tsp pressed garlic (or 1 clove)
2 tsp chopped dill (fresh or dried)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper


1. Slice cucumber(s) down the middle. Gently drag a soon (facing down) along the inside of the cucumber to remove most of the seeds. Then, chop the cucumber into small pieces, discarding the seeds. (The seedy insides carry moisture, which will make your tzatziki sauce runny.)

2. Place the cucumber pieces on a large paper towel, and pat dry. Leave the pieces on the paper towel for a few minutes to let it absorb excess moisture.

3. Measure all the other ingredients and add them to a food processor or blender. Add the cucumber pieces.

4. Process until smooth (I usually blend for about 30 seconds.)

5. Taste the sauce and add more salt or dill if needed. (I'm a sucker for dill, so I usually add a bit more lemon juice, garlic, and dill to mine, but it's your call!)

6. Place in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving. This allows the ingredients to thicken a bit and to "rest," thus enhancing the flavor. I usually make the sauce the night before I plan to use it.


The recipe is pretty quick and easy, and makes a great addition to many meals! Enjoy!

a gluten-free thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a hit!

I will admit, I was worried.

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year and I was already feeling a bit blue about the whole thing, knowing that we'd (again) be spending it away from family. So messing up my first gluten-free Thanksgiving meal was not (do you hear me? NOT) an option!

Luckily, my fretting was in vain, because it was the best Thanksgiving dinner we've had since moving away and having to learn how to cook it all myself.

On the menu:

Turkey, of course! We roasted a lovely free-range turkey, stuffed with various fruits and vegetables. It was the most moist turkey we've had in a while.


Stuffing! My mom's favorite stuffing has all the best stuff. It's got celery and carrots. It's got onions and spices. It's got pancetta (which we found for the first time since we have lived here! Someone's looking out for us!!) and Italian sausage.

The tricky part was going to be the bread. I have been trying to bake a perfect loaf of bread since I was diagnosed as a Celiac in June...and it hadn't happened yet. I've made runny bread. I've made grainy bread. I've made perfectly cooked bread that tasted like cardboard (in fact, I would have preferred the cardboard).

Luckily, I discovered Jules gluten free flour, just in time. My first loaf of her bread was so good that I thought about NOT making stuffing so I could use the bread to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Yes, I'll admit that's a bit crazy, but I haven't had a piece of GOOD bread since June! I held out, though, and the stuffing turned out to be A-MAZ-ING.


Green Bean Casserole... Some of you already know the torment that cream of mushroom soup has brought upon me this month. Luckily, I had worked out how to make it already and was able to whip up my homemade-from-scratch cream of mushroom soup for the casserole. Then, I used a recipe from another gluten free friend for the casserole itself. It was the best green bean casserole I have ever tasted! It didn't have that fake-tasting onion topping. Instead, it had real grilled onions with gluten free coating. (The recipe is at the bottom of this post if you want it! You can do whether you're sticking to an allergen-friendly diet or not...it was that good.)


Mashed Potatoes. Thanksgiving isn't complete without mashed potatoes. There was really nothin' special about them; just plain ol' mashed potato-y goodness.


Cranberry Sauce! This year I made orange cinnamon cranberry sauce. It was surprisingly easy to make and it was fabulous. I usually don't like cranberry sauce, but I enjoyed this one. (The recipe is at the bottom.)


Pumpkin Pie and Gingersnap Ice Cream... Last week, I made homemade graham crackers for a Saturday-night-bonfire. They were great for s'mores and I used the leftovers for my pie crust. Delicious! I also saved a bit of my graham cracker/gingersnap dough to use for some ice cream to go with the pie! I used my typical vanilla ice cream recipe (recipe below) and added pumpkin pie spice to give it a nice flavor. Then, as it was churning, I added ribbons of the gingersnap dough. Oh goodness, the pie and ice cream together were a bit of Thanksgiving heaven!


So, we made it through our first gluten-free Thanksgiving, and will reap the benefits of not having to cook for the next several days!

RECIPES:

Green Bean Casserole, courtesy of Angela Glunt, my Thanksgiving hero!

**I substituted some Oikos greek yogurt in place of the sour cream since I have issues with lactose. I also used lactose free Kraft Mozzarella and vegan buttery spread instead of real butter.**


Casserole Ingredients: 

1 large bag of frozen green beans. (NEVER used canned!)

1 C. of Sour Cream

10 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (divided)

Morton Brand: Nature's Seasons to taste

1 Med. yellow onion, chopped and sauté in butter

3-4 fresh Garlic cloves or 1 Tab canned, minced and sauté with onions

4 oz jar of pimientos with liquid

Topping Ingredients: 

3-4 cups Corn or Rice Chex cereal. (I used corn and it was really good, not too overpowering.)

3 or 4 stalks Green Onions chopped

Garlic Salt with Parsley-to taste

Onion Powder- to taste

*Blend cereal and seasonings in food processor until well chopped then add onions last and pulse until blended. 

Directions:

*Mix all ingredients in large bowl until everything is well coated. Put mixture into large greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 365 for 30 minutes, then add Topping and continue to bake for additional 10-15 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Sauce, Courtesy of the Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream (Note: I use an ice cream maker for this recipe!)

Ingredients

• 14 oz. coconut milk (I use Goya - it's certified gluten free)
• 1 cup almond milk or soy milk
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• Seeds of one vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Directions

1. Chill coconut milk and almond milk for at least a half hour prior to making. (Also, make sure you have your ice cream maker prepped.)
2. Mix all of your ingredients in a blender and pour it into your ice cream maker.
3. It takes about 20-25 minutes of churning, depending on your ice cream maker. 

**If you want to add toppings, wait until ice cream is about 2/3 of the way through the churning process. Then slowly add toppings to ice cream maker.

beef stroganoff, for the win! (a cream-of-mushroom-recipe)

For about three weeks, I have been craving stroganoff. Not anything fancy, just plain ol' cream of mushroom soup with ground beef and noodles (maybe some spices thrown in for good measure).

The problem is that our commissary doesn't carry any gluten free cream of mushroom soup. So online I went, only to find how difficult of a mission this would be. Not only do I need it to be gf, but it needs to be lactose free as well. I could find one or the other, but not both. Not anywhere.

So for three weeks, I have been craving in vain. Finally I decided I would just make it myself. It couldn't be that hard, right?

Oh, when will I learn?!

I found a lovely recipe for homemade cream of mushroom soup. The only drawback is that to make it, you have to have condensed milk.

Of course, our commissary does not have lactose free condensed milk. Lactose free milk? Yep. But not condensed.

So back to the interwebs I went, to search for a recipe to make condensed milk.

Why, oh why?!

Many of my searches for condensed milk used evaporated milk or milk powder as one of the ingredients. Really, internet? In this day and age, with all the allergen-friendly food recipes out there, there isn't an easier way??

After getting over my initial rage annoyance, I began looking at how-in-the-world one makes evaporated milk.

So I evaporated, and I condensed, and I creamed. FINALLY, I had some cream of mushroom soup to put in my stroganoff!

I was seriously worried at this point that it wouldn't taste like 'real' stroganoff and that the hours of torment and hard work were all for nothing.

Luckily, I was wrong! It was delicious, and now I will forever know how to make my own cream of mushroom soup completely from scratch.



I have put both recipes here, so if you have found this post on a frantic search for gluten free/lactose free cream of mushroom soup, you won't have to look any further!


Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• One small can of mushrooms (or a handful of fresh ones), rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 
• Pinch of sugar
• 8 ounces condensed milk** (see below for substitution)

Instructions

1. Using a blender or food processor, blend all of your ingredients. Pulse until mushrooms have reached the consistency you prefer. (I like them nice and small, so I tend to pulse longer than you might want to.)
2. Pour into a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl and microwave for two minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. Then, microwave for another minute. 

Condensed/Evaporated Milk (makes approx. 8 oz)

Ingredients

• 14-16 oz milk. This can be regular milk. I used Lactaid milk to cut out the lactose. I have not yet tried this with almond or soy milk, but probably will in the future.

Instructions

1. Put milk in a saucepan on the stove and bring it to a simmer. The purpose of this is to reduce the water, thus making your milk thick and creamy. Make sure to keep the milk from boiling in order to keep it from curdling, and make sure it doesn't get scorched on the bottom of the pan.
2. Continue simmering and stirring until milk has reduced by about half.

**Substitute**

If you are in a hurry, I have tried out this substitution and it's worked well. Instead of using condensed/evaporated milk, use 3/4 cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of softened butter instead. (Last time, I used 3/4 cup of almond milk + 3 tablespoons of vegan buttery spread and it worked like a dream.)

summer desserts: parfait

One fun thing about having to go gluten and lactose free is forcing myself to experiment with new recipes. I do like cooking, though I often have to remind myself of that when the busy days get in the way.

It's been extremely warm here in the last week and I was craving something sweet and fruity. I found a recipe for berry parfaits that used granola and pudding. I already have granola on hand all the time (my Sunday ritual involves making granola for the week), but I haven't ever made pudding before.

I found a few recipes and messed around with them to ensure they are allergy friendly, and here's the final product! (Ensure your ingredients are gluten and lactose free.)


Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups Lactaid milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
• 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Prep:

1. In a separate bowl, combine corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix until dissolved.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Over low heat, gradually stir in the milk. Keep over low heat for around five minutes; do not let it boil.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue stirring until chocolate chips are melted.
4. Add corn starch mixture and vanilla to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Continue stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens (it will continue to thicken as it cools). Once it reaches the thickness you prefer, transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the pudding surface to keep it from forming a thick skin.
5. Let set for 20 minutes; then refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

I will eventually write down how I've been making granola and post the recipe for that as well. (Let me know if you are wanting it now and I'll email you the general idea of how I've been making it.)

Once your pudding is chilled, put a spoonful at the bottom of a decorative glass. Make a layer of fruit over the top of it, and then a handful of granola. Continue to layer pudding, fruit, and granola until you reach the top of the glass. Place some fruit at the top to make it look pretty, and then have fun devouring it!