Category Archives: Recipes

January 29, 2012 · 8:29 pm

Curried Sweet Potato Stir Fry

In the mood for something a little different this weekend, I made a curry stir fry.  I used tofu, sweet potatoes, and red peppers.  I know that tofu is not everyone’s favorite… so this recipe would be just as good with chicken.  And for those that are afraid of curry… this would be a good recipe to dip your toe into.  It has great curry flavor, but isn’t too overwhelming.  I think that is what is so great about stir fry… you can always tweak it to what your individual tastes are.

Curried Sweet Potato Stir Fry

Pieces:

  1. one block of tofu, cut into bite sized pieces and dried on towels
  2. 2 tbsp. olive oil
  3. 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
  4. 1 large red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
  5. one half of an onion, cut into bite sized pieces
  6. 2 tbsp. yellow curry powder
  7. 2 tsp. cinnamon sugar (or 1 tsp. of each)
  8. 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  9. salt and pepper to taste
  10. one half cup dried cranberries

Process:

  1. To prep the tofu… cut into small blocks and set in between two towels for an hour to dry out.
  2. In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and tofu pieces.
  3. Let sit on medium high heat for about 4 minutes…then flip the tofu to brown the other sides.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes, red pepper, onion, curry powder, cinnamon sugar, paprika, and salt and pepper.
  5. Stir every few minutes to make sure that all sides get browned.
  6. When everything is just about tender, add the dried cranberries and stir for the last couple minutes.
  7. Serve hot.  Can also serve over rice.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!  Try something new.

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January 26, 2012 · 4:55 pm

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

I have always been a big fan of dessert, but when you take wheat and dairy out of your diet… sweets become tougher to come by.  I have slowly found my favorite sweet treats… such as allergy free homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and coconut milk ice cream.  My venture this week was a coconut cookie… chocolate dipped coconut macaroons.  They do have egg whites in them, but I don’t seem to have a reaction.  Major plus!  Although tempting to eat the whole batch, I won’t push my limits!  In addition to being delicious, they are also super easy to make.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Pieces:

  1. 3 cups flaked coconut
  2. two thirds cup white sugar
  3. one quarter cup gluten free flour
  4. 3 egg whites
  5. 1 tsp. vanilla
  6. one quarter tsp. almond extract
  7. 2 cups dairy free chocolate chips

Process:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour, egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir well to combine.
  2. In a greased cookie sheet, drop rounded spoon fulls of the batter.  You can use your hand to shape them.
  3. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the tops start to turn golden brown.
  4. Let them cool completely.
  5. In a double boiler or similar, melt the chocolate chips over medium heat.  Stir the melted chocolate until smooth.
  6. Dip half of each macaroon into the chocolate.
  7. Let sit, cool, and harden on wax paper.

Happy Allergy Free Desserting!

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January 24, 2012 · 7:11 pm

Oodles of Thai Peanut Noodles

I love Thai food… there are so many meat and vegetable possibilities for someone with food allergies, and the spices offer amazing flavor. When eating out, my favorite Thai dish is Pad Thai… with anything “honey sesame” close behind.  But at home, I love making Thai Peanut Noodles.  They are rich, filling, and exploding with those great Thai flavor combinations… peanut oil, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger… yum!

I took an existing Peanut Sauce recipe that I have under my Recipes section, tweaked it a little (cooking is always an experiment in progress!), and made it noodle ready.  The result?  A delicious dish that I could enjoy at my own table!  It is also very, very easy… just cook some pasta, stir the sauce ingredients together, and combine.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Pieces:

  1. one and a half cups smooth peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural)
  2. 4 tbsp. rice vinegar
  3. 2 tbsp. honey
  4. 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  5. 2 tbsp. wheat free soy sauce
  6. juice of one lime (put it in the microwave for 10 seconds to get it really juicy)
  7. 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
  8. 1 tsp. red chili flakes
  9. 2 tbsp. ginger
  10. rice noodles (or your favorite pasta)
  11. one half cup of the water the pasta cooked in
  12. chopped scallions, about 2 tbsp.
  13. one carrot, shredded into fine strips using a vegetable peeler.

Process:

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  (When the pasta is done cooking, be sure to reserve one half cup of the water that the pasta cooked in.)
  2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, red chili flakes, and ginger.  Stir well.
  3. When the pasta is done cooking, pour the one half cup of pasta water into the peanut sauce.  Stir to combine.
  4. Add more warm water if you want to thin out the sauce even more, to your liking.  If you don’t have any pasta water left, regular warm water is fine.
  5. Stir well and pour over the pasta.
  6. Top with chopped scallions and shredded carrot.
  7. Serve hot… or cold the next day!

You could also top with chopped peanuts, or shredded chicken.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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January 22, 2012 · 7:16 pm

Eeeek! Leeks!

I have always been intrigued by leeks and yet have never cooked with them… until now.  I bought two intimidating looking leeks and thought long and hard about how to cook them and with what.  Chicken seemed like a natural choice, and something that I couldn’t mess up.

After chopping off the green stalks and slicing the leeks into small rounds, they seemed less intimidating.  To go with my new friends, I cooked two chicken breasts in white wine, dijon mustard, butter, and thyme… and added sliced mushrooms and the leek rounds in at the end.  I was pleasantly surprised at the result!  The mushrooms and leeks went very well together and it only took about 30 minutes total.  I see another leek recipe in my future.

Leek and Mushroom Chicken with White Wine Sauce

Pieces:

  1. two chicken breasts
  2. 2 tbsp. olive oil
  3. one and one half cups white wine
  4. 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
  5. 2 tbsp. vegan butter
  6. 1 tbsp. thyme
  7. 1 container sliced mushrooms
  8. 2 leeks, sliced into small rounds and rinsed

Process:

  1. In a large saute pan with some olive oil, start to cook the chicken breasts on medium heat.
  2. Flip the chicken after 2 minutes.
  3. Add half of each of the white wine, dijon mustard, butter, and thyme.  (You can estimate the measure, and just pour it in there… it will mix while cooking).
  4. Cover and let simmer for about 7 minutes.  Watch that the wine doesn’t totally evaporate, and if it does, just add more.
  5. After 7 minutes, flip the chicken again.  Stir up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
  6. Add the remaining wine, mustard, butter, and thyme as well as the mushrooms and leeks.
  7. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
  8. Serve chicken with heaping spoonfuls of the leeks, mushrooms, and sauce on top.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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January 12, 2012 · 7:26 pm

Bacon and Onion Twice Baked Potatoes

Bacon.  Onion.  Potatoes.  What a seriously delicious combination.  I was looking for something hearty to make for dinner during these cold winter nights, and nothing sounded better than a combination of bacon, onion, and potatoes.  Twice baked.  Mouth watering.

Bacon and Onion Twice Baked Potatoes

Pieces:

  1. 1 potato
  2. 1 tbsp. olive oil
  3. 2 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
  4. one quarter of an onion, cut into small pieces
  5. 2 tbsp. chives, chopped

Process:

  1. Cut the potato in half, length wise.
  2. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until tender.
  3. While the potato is cooking, saute the bacon and onion bits in a saute pan until browned.
  4. When the potato is tender, scoop out the inside with a spoon… to leave just a hollow skin.  Put insides into a bowl.
  5. Combine the sauteed bacon and onion with the potato insides.  Stir to combine.
  6. Scoop the bacon, onion, and potato mixture back into the hollowed out potatoes.
  7. Sprinkle with chopped chives.
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
  9. Serve hot.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

 

 

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January 10, 2012 · 6:52 pm

Blood Orange Quinoa Salad

Always looking for lunches that don’t involve a sandwich, I often turn to quinoa.  Quinoa is a grain that is gluten free and full of fiber and protein (about 5g fiber and 9g protein per serving).  It really is an underestimated (and under eaten!) grain.  You cook it like pasta, but it has much greater staying power than pasta does because of its high protein content.

This week, I cooked a pot of quinoa and roasted red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant in the oven to make roasted vegetable quinoa salad.  It is a filling lunch that gets me going through the day.  Just toss over lettuce and you have a variation on your regular standard salad.

But, my favorite part of my lunch this week was the vinaigrette that I tossed the salad with.  I used blood orange vinegar and fresh blood orange juice with some olive oil and ginger… yum!  It really added a nice zing to the salad.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

In a bowl or salad dressing shaker, combine:

  1. 3 tbsp. blood orange vinegar (I easily found it at Whole Foods)
  2. juice of one half of a blood orange
  3. 2 tbsp. olive oil
  4. 1 tsp. ginger
  5. salt and pepper to taste

Whisk and pour over roasted vegetable quinoa salad or your favorite salad.

A delicious and spring like break to winter!

Happy Allergy Free Eating.

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January 8, 2012 · 6:23 pm

Sweets and Beets

Beets.  You either love them or hate them.  I found out that I love them a year ago when a close friend made me try a salad that had beets on it.  I was very skeptical, but took the first bite and couldn’t believe what I had been missing out on!  I love their smokey, woody taste because they are so different than any other vegetable.  I enjoy roasting my own beets in the oven, but wanted a beet recipe that didn’t take much time after a long work day.  And so came Sweets and Beets with Rosemary Garlic Sauce.  A great hearty side dish for any meal!

Sweets and Beets with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Pieces:

  1. 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into quarter inch rounds
  2. 2 cans beets (cut in rounds), drained
  3. olive oil for misting
  4. salt and pepper for seasoning
  5. 3 tbsp. olive oil
  6. 1 tsp. lemon juice
  7. 1 tsp. chopped garlic
  8. 1 tsp. chopped rosemary (preferably fresh)

Process:

  1. On a cookie sheet, spread the sweet potato rounds and drained beet rounds.
  2. Mist with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, until the sweets are tender.
  4. While the sweets and beets are roasting, make the sauce by combining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and rosemary. Whisk to combine.
  5. When the sweets and beets are done cooking, toss them with the rosemary garlic sauce.
  6. Serve hot.

 

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

 

 

 

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January 5, 2012 · 6:56 pm

Simple Roasted Broccoli

Looking for simple dinners this week to ease back into the swing of things after the holiday, I baked a couple turkey breasts and wanted a smokey side to go with them.  So I made Simple Roasted Broccoli, flavored with 4 spices.  My smokey spice choices were a good combination with the turkey, and it was so easy to make!

Simple Roasted Broccoli

Pieces:

  1. one head of broccoli
  2. olive oil for misting/drizzling, about 1 tbsp.
  3. 1 tsp. smoked sea salt
  4. 1 tsp. lemon pepper
  5. 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  6. 1 tsp. chili powder

Process:

  1. Cut the stems off of the broccoli so only the florets remain.
  2. Spread out the broccoli florets on a cookie sheet.
  3. Mist the broccoli with olive oil, or drizzle.  (I like misting because it lessens how much you use, and it spreads evenly.)
  4. Sprinkle the smoked sea salt, lemon pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder over the florets.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees, about 20 minutes, until the florets start to brown and crisp.
  6. Serve hot.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

 

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December 20, 2011 · 8:22 pm

Egg Nog Sweets

About this time of year, I buy more coconut milk eggnog than I can actually drink… purely because I can only buy it once a year.  So, looking for ways to use it, I made Baked Egg Nog Sweet Potatoes.  I love sweet potatoes, and the eggnog was a great seasonal way to enjoy them!

Baked Egg Nog Sweet Potatoes

Pieces:

  1. 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into very small pieces.  I cut them into disks, and then each disk into fourths.
  2. three quarters cup coconut milk egg nog
  3. three quarters cup brown sugar
  4. 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  5. 1 tsp. vanilla
  6. 2 tbsp. vegan butter

Process:

  1. Microwave the sweet potatoes pieces on high for 4 minutes to tenderize them.
  2. In a baking pan, combine the sweet potatoes, egg nog, sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
  3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
  4. Stir together and serve hot.

(If you want more of a casserole or souffle dish, add 2 tbsp. gluten free flour and 1 beaten egg)

 

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

 

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December 18, 2011 · 6:36 pm

Balsamic Chicken Kebabs

Just like everyone else this time of year, I had a Christmas party to go to in the few final days of December.  I wanted to make something festive for the season, as well as a finger food that I could eat.  So, I made Balsamic Chicken Kebabs… easy, flavorful, and quick.  I skewered them with artichoke hearts and roasted red pepper, to incorporate the colors of the season… but chicken kebabs have so much potential for any time of year… just change up the vegetables.

Balsamic Chicken Kebabs

Pieces:

  1. 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into bite sized pieces
  2. 1 jar roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
  3. 4 small jars artichoke hearts
  4. 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  5. one half cup brown sugar
  6. 3 tbsp. dijon mustard
  7. 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
  8. salt and pepper to taste
  9. 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour.

Process:

  1. Marinate the bite sized chicken pieces in the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper, for at least 2-3 hours.
  2. On the skewers, thread artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper pieces, and marinated chicken bites in an alternating pattern.
  3. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
  4. Serve hot, with an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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