Spaghetti Carbona- Allergen Free

 This is one of my all-time favorite meals. I always requested it for my birthday dinner growing up. Now that we are on an allergen free diet, I have avoided it.  Not because we can't use gluten free pasta, but I just wasn't sure of using the dairy free cheese.  But I have gotten used to eating it in small amounts.  My mom avoids pretty much all carbs and sugar.  She had tried my favorite recipe using spaghetti squash and she and my dad devoured it.  I HATE squash, meaning even the thought of it gags me! When we were out visiting my parents at Christmas, she had put spaghetti squash in her soup- I tried it.  Not too bad!  I cooked some in with an Asian noodle mix I made the other day- couldn't really tell it was in there.  So we decided to try the ultimate test using the remainder of the squash!  The results were quite surprisingly tasty!  The baby ate 3 heaps.  The oldest ate a good sized toddler serving.  My husband ate it, saying if he hadn't known that it was squash in it, he wouldn't have suspected.  The middle son doesn't count;)  He doesn't eat much for noodles to begin with, and prefers mostly bland food, so not surprisingly he said he didn't like it!  Our whole pot of it was gone by the end of dinner though!  The following is the recipe I used.  The original recipe calls for mushrooms and onions.  I didn't add those because I was trying to get the boys to eat it!

Ingredients:
3/4 of spaghetti squash
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/8 c Earth Balance non-dairy, soy free butter
1/8 c. Chedder Daiya cheese
 3 egg yolks beaten

Step 1. Cook spaghetti squash in microwave by slicing 1 side and placing sliced side down in 1/4 c water and microwave for 7 minutes. While it is cooking, cook bacon so it is crispy. When done, break into small pieces. When squash is done, slice open and remove seeds.  Use a fork to pull out the 'spaghetti.'
Step 2. Saute green pepper (and if you choose to, onions and mushrooms)
Step 3. Place 'spaghetti' in pot and cook until soft and most of the moisture is out.  After cooked, melt butter in pot.
Step 4. Add bacon and peppers and toss well.
Step 5. Add cheese mixing well and allow to melt.
Step 6. Add pepper to taste.
Step 7. Add egg yolks and toss everything together.
Serve and ENJOY!

Allergen Free Ritz-type Cracker

When we switched our diet to allergen free, finding a good tasting cracker was hard.  Most of what we found in the stores either had soy or milk as an ingredient in the crackers, or tasted like cardboard.  Having young kids, crackers have been an easy, quick snack.  My middle really liked the Ritz crackers, so I tried to find a recipe.  There is 1 gluten-free recipe I could find, but dairy was still in the recipe.  The following I adapted from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring to also be dairy/soy free.  I have taken a lot of time to perfect this recipe.  While mine do not seem quite a flakey as the original recipe, this is a go-to snack for our boys, who are quick to choose these over any other cracker choices in our house.  They are often eaten very quickly.

UPDATE:  I tend to make a triple batch so it can last awhile.  The boys like these crackers for snacks.  I recently made my best batch yet, more light and flakey than what I typically get.  The ingredients below reflect what I use for a triple batch.  Made around 200 crackers!

 

Ingredients

 

9 Tbs cold, Earth Balance dairy free, soy free butter

3 Tbs Spectrum shortening

3 c.  Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free baking mix

1 Tbs + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbs + 1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 Tbs olive oil

3/4  c. cold water

 

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

 

Step 2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, paprika, and salt.

 

Step 3. Add butter and shortening.  Mix with pastry cutter until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Add the vegetable oil and use pastry cutter until incorporated.

 

Step 4. Add the water stirring constantly.

 

Step 5. Divide into 4-5 sections and use an entire section before starting on the next.  Roll out on a floured pastry sheet to about 1/8" thickness. Use small cup or cookie cutter to cut into circles.  Use metal spatula to lift crackers off pastry sheet and place on baking sheet.  I don't leave any space between the crackers, as they do not spread.  Use fork to make an X on each cracker in the center.

 

Step 6. Bake 18-20 minutes until starting to brown.  If you can tap with your nail and it gives a little in the center (feels a little soft), bake for a few more minutes. 

 

Step 7. While baking, melt 2-3 Tbs butter in a bowl.  When crackers are done baking, brush with butter and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to cool on towel. ENJOY!!

 

 

Dairy Free and Gluten Free Asparagus and Ham Quiche

Eggs... oh how we have missed eggs.  We have added eggs back into our diet on a sporadic basis.  Our middle son's belly didn't seem to take to eating them with breakfast on a daily basis.  But, my husband and I will enjoy them on occasion!  We used to like making a ham and asparagus quiche.  It was a yummy breakfast, and the leftovers were actually pretty tasty- and I don't particularly like leftovers.  But now that we have diet changes, I had to find a way to modify my original recipe.  The result was pretty tasty, and pretty close to the original, dairy and wheat version!

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
3/4 pound cooked ham
1/2 c green onion
swiss slices Daiya cheese
6 eggs
2 c rice milk
1 1/2 c Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbs Parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper

Step 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 2, 9 in. pie plates.
Step 2. Chop asparagus, ham, and onion into small pieces (I use a food chopper).  Layer them into the bottom of each pie plate.  Crumble cheese slices on top.
Step 3. In bowl, beat eggs.  Add milk, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, oil, parsley, and pepper and mix well.  Pour over layered ingredients in pie plates. 
Step 4. Bake 45 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly then cut into slices. 
Step 5. Serve and ENJOY!  We like to add a little salsa on top!  Enjoy as leftover, as well!

Allergen Free Pretzel Bites

I am always trying to find yummy snacks that the boys will eat, that also fit into our allergen free lifestyle.  They are always wanting things they can't have, so I wanted to find something different that would pique their interest.  One of our favorite treats at when we go to the mall is soft pretzels.  But that is not an option right now.  So I thought I would try to find a recipe for soft pretzels so we could try it, incase I really needed it for future! I found a pretty tasty recipe, that I tweaked for our needs.

Ingredients
1 c warm water
1 Tbs quick acting yeast
1 Tbs honey
3 1/2 c Bob's Red Mill 1:1 baking flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/4 c oil
1/3 c warm water

    For Later...
10 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
Sea salt for sprinkling on top

Step 1. In a small bowl, add the 1 c of water, honey, and yeast.  Let sit for five minutes until it starts to bubble.

Step 2. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk until blended.  And oil and yeast mixture. Mix until ball of dough forms.  Add 1/3 c water, then mix for 1 more minute to knead the dough.

Step 3.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 5. Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in large pot.

Step 6. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a thick rope. Slice each rope into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Step 7. Drop pretzel pieces into the boiling water and boil them for 30 seconds until they start to float.. Remove the pretzel pieces from the water using a slotted spoon, allow to drain, and place them on the baking sheets.

Step 8. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Step 9. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Step 10. Serve and ENJOY- with dairy free nacho cheese!!

Strawberry Cheesecake (Non Dairy, Gluten Free)

Today was my birthday! I ALWAYS have cheesecake for my birthday- it's my favorite!  But since we are on an allergen free diet, that kinda eliminates the option for cheesecake.  So I set out to make one that was non dairy and gluten free.  I make my own graham crackers, so the crust would be easy enough to replicate, but I didn't have any made- ARGGHHH!  So I had to come up with a better plan.  The result was pretty tasty!

Ingredients

Cheesecake
2 c cashews
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c honey
1/3 c coconut oil melted

Crust
2 1/2 c gluten free chocolate chex cereal
3 Tbs non-dairy butter, melted

Topping
2 C thawed strawberries
2 Tbs sugar

Step 1. Boil cashews in 5 c. water for 1 hour. In the meantime...
Step 2. Crush cereal.  Mix in melted butter and coat well.
Step 3. Spread into bottom of pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Step 4. When cashews are done, rinse and place cashews in blender.  Add lemon juice, honey, and coconut oil to blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Step 5. Pour over crust.  Place in fridge to allow to cool and set-up overnight. 
Step 6. Mash thawed strawberries and mix with sugar.  Spread over cheesecake.
Step 7. Serve and ENJOY!

Bell Pepper Nachos (Dairy Free)

I am constantly trying to come up with ways to add more veggies into our diet- like many families, I'm sure!  Even if we do have good ways to do it, we are not very good about planning ahead to get them cooked.  When I was searching for recipes for nacho cheese, I skipped over a site that had bell pepper nachos.  Their recipe used regular cheese, so I didn't think much about it after that.  Then it dawned on me that I could make it my own way.  I never paid much attention to what was in it after seeing the cheese, but remember they looked a lot like traditional nachos, subbing the bell pepper for the chips. So here is my, rather tasty, bell pepper nachos!

Ingredients
mini bell peppers (enough to fill a baking sheet or whatever size baking pan will feed you/your family)
1 can traditional refried beans
chopped chicken
Dairy free nacho cheese
1 avocado

Step 1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cut heads off mini bell peppers, remove seeds, and cut in half length-wise.  Place on baking sheet.

Step 2. Using a butter knife, spread a thin layer of refried beans inside bell peppers.  Sprinkle chopped chicken on top of refried beans.

Step 3. Prepare Dairy free nacho cheese as directed.  Drizzle over 'nachos.'
Step 4. Place in over on bottom rack, and bake 7-8 minutes until bell peppers are hot, but still crunchy.
Step 5. Remove from oven and place on plate.  Cut small pieces of avocado and distribute over 'nachos.'

Step 6. ENJOY!!

Dairy Free Nacho Cheese

Fall.  It is one of my favorite  times of year.  The leaves changing color, the air becoming cooler, and football!  With football comes finger foods, and the best finger food is nachos!  Nachos has been one of our Sunday football lunches for as long as I can remember.  My dad and I would make our nachos and sit together watching whatever game was on. 

Since we are currently on an allergy free diet, traditional nachos is not something I am able to enjoy.  So I went on a mission to find a dairy free alternative.  I searched all sorts of sites, and even took to Pinterest- which is not something I do often!  I tried a couple recipes, one from cashews, but it just didn't quite satisfy my nacho cheese craving.  So I developed my own concoction.  The problem is that it has to be fast to make, because with 3 kids, I don't always have time sit and make a nacho cheese that takes an hour to make.  It also has to be something that my 9 month old, 2.5 year old, and 4 year old can all enjoy, along with a husband who is not fully compliant with our allergy free diet.  I hope you can enjoy this cheese as much as we do!

Servings:
This was enough to make 2 adult plates of nachos, 2 toddler plates, and a small amount to mix with chicken for the baby's lunch.

Ingredients

3 Daiya chedder slices
1/4 Daiya jack style block
3 rounded Tbs nutritional yeast
2 rounded Tbs mild salsa
splash of rice milk

Step 1. Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
Step 2. Microwave on high for 45 seconds.  Stir.
Step 3. Microwave another 30 seconds or until melted and all ingredients are combined.

Step 4. ENJOY!  Drizzle over chips, use for dipping, add chili for chili cheese, etc