Getting Back on Track & Fish Tacos (No Egg, No Dairy)

During the summer, life slows down.  Without homework to complete, team sports practices to rush off to, or school volunteer commitments, you would think our lives are stress-free during the summer.  But as the weeks go on, a subtle regression takes place to a life where any semblance of a schedule is nonexistent.

Yep, sneaky little thing, the fall to chaos.  And then you're back dealing with the same old stuff you're dealing with during the school year: the repetitive dinner dishes, kids want to "help," but you have very little time to shop or prepare, and everyone's food allergies and disparate tastes exacerbate the situation.  Time for a change of pace.

First, get everyone back into a routine by making sure they understand their daily roles and responsibilities.  I am a true believer in incentives.  I found this website called Kidspointz where you can assign each child tasks/responsibilities/chores using a points and rewards system.  Kids can help develop their online charts, along with the rewards they are coveting (right now, the kids are really into computer time, online game subscriptions, special outings, etc).  We are into week two and beds are still made, daily reading time is still observed, and whining is down to a minimum.  Eventually their responsibilities will be habit and their rewards will come naturally--that's the hope, anyway.

As for the perpetual question, "What's for dinner?" we recently tried a simple recipe for fish tacos with much success.  The kids were able to help, the bulk of it can be made in advance, and the use of frozen fish sticks buys me an extra day or two between grocery store visits.

The key to making this recipe allergy-friendly is finding frozen fish sticks and a mayonnaise that work for your family.  We use Trader Joe's Lightly Breaded Fish Sticks Reduced Fat.  They contain wheat, but are dairy, egg, and soy free, which are the usual fish stick culprits.  If your kids are fish allergic, try substituting allergy-friendly chicken nuggets or grilled fish or chicken for a gluten-free option.

As for the mayonnaise, for this recipe we tried Nasoya Vegan Nayonaise.  It seemed to separate a bit in the jar and had a yellowish tinge, but when we made the coleslaw dressing, it was smooth as silk.

For picky eaters, try a plainer coleslaw (my 8-year-old swears by just cabbage, sugar, salt, pepper, apples, and raisins), and try creating a plate instead of putting it together into a taco.  Your kids might surprise you by piling everything together anyway (see exhibit A below).  Have the kids help you cook, or try adding in a favorite ingredient to make trying something new a bit easier.  I also added a bit more sugar to taste, and substituted apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar.

"Exhibit A:" She started off with everything separate, but quickly moved on to a taco.

Easy Fish Tacos (NO Dairy, NO Egg)

Ingredients:

Coleslaw, adapted from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Coleslaw Recipe

1 cup mayonnaise, like Nasoya Vegan Nayonaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 store-bought bag of shredded green cabbage (8 oz)
1 store-bought bag or shredded red cabbage (8 oz)

Fish sticks (like Trader Joe's Lightly Breaded Fish Sticks Reduced Fat)

Corn tortillas
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven and pop the fish sticks in to bake on a foil-lined baking pan.  Bake as directed on box.

2.  Make the coleslaw by combining all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, then tossing it with the cabbage.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Pan fry the corn tortillas and set aside for serving.

4.  Allow kids to assemble the tacos and enjoy!

Bakery-style Chocolate Chip Cookies - free of the top 8 allergens

If you have followed Get Allergy Wise for awhile, you know that most of my recipes are adaptations of preexisting recipes.  I definitely need other recipes as road maps and realize how lucky I am to be able to search the web to find much of what I am looking for.  Recently acquired some parsnips but never cooked with them?  Search for recipes on the internet!  Only have carrots, onions, salsa, and a bag of rice in your cupboards?  Get meal ideas on the internet!  Seriously, we are spoiled with convenient, expansive information these days.

Despite the internet's bottomless pit of great recipes, I am still a fiddler by nature.  I can't help but play around with recipes -- sometimes a little and sometimes a lot -- to fit the needs of my milk-allergic, nut-allergic kids or to lower the sugar content, or to fulfill our family's lifestyle choice of eating more plants and less meat.

So it says a lot (and is pretty rare) when I do *not* find a thing to change about a recipe.  One such recipe is vegan author Dreena Burton's recipe for homestyle chocolate chip cookies.  The recipe is a favorite cookie recipe of mine.  When I first discovered it online two years ago, I think I made batches of it for three months straight, I was that addicted.  I love that the cookie uses oil rather than vegan margarine or shortening and also uses a good amount of maple syrup as the main sweetener.  Even Dreena's estimated bake time (11 minutes) was exactly right for my oven.  Okay, the one thing I did change was that I omit the molasses but that is because I never have any on hand.  Besides that, I couldn't find anything to change about this recipe!

I love Dreena's chocolate chip cookies but the tinkerer in me was curious.  I wondered if I might be able to do something about the wheat-based flour that the original recipe calls for.  Could I replace the flour with something that would be safe for those who are allergic to wheat or gluten-intolerant? 

I've tried the popular gluten-free flour blend of brown rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch.  But I seized the opportunity to go off the beaten GF trail and combine some flour alternatives that have accumulated in my pantry, flours that I must have bought after seeing recipes that I wanted to try but sadly haven't gotten to yet.  I opted for a more protein-rich mix of garbanzo flour (boy, I have a lot of that around!), potato starch, and quinoa flour.


The cookies turned out delicious!  Texture-wise and tastewise, they were very similar to the original recipe.  These cookies were able to attain a more golden brown color than when I make the original homestyle cookies.  (Perhaps the molasses that I always omit usually helps with browning?)  I think the quinoa flour adds a slight nutty flavor but this works fine with the chocolate.  And I don't know why, but big chocolate chunks elevates these cookies to another level.

Bakery-style Chocolate Chip Cookies - free of the top 8 allergens
Adapted from Dreena Burton's homestyle chocolate chip cookie recipe featured on her Vive La Vegan! blog and cookbook of the same name

Dry ingredients:
1 cup garbanzo flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup turbinado "raw" sugar

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup Enjoy Life mega chocolate chunks or 1 cup of safe chocolate, coarsely chopped
Extra sea salt (flakes are great) for sprinkling, optional

1. Preheat 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease or line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  Make sure any clumps of flour or starch are broken up to ensure even mixing.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the well and mix the wet ingredients together.
4. Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring through the dough so that there are no pockets of dry ingredients left.  The dough will be a little thin, not as sticky and thick as a typical gluten-full cookie mix.  Then stir in chocolate chunks. 
   
5. Spoon out 1 to 1.5-inch balls of cookie dough on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sea salt flakes if you so desire.  Leave 2 inches of space between each cookie -- these cookies do spread quite a bit!
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes or until cookies begin to turn golden.  Promptly remove from oven and let cool.

I find these vegan chocolate chip cookies -- Dreena's original or this gluten-free alternative -- very easy to prepare.  We are planning to do some cookie sales this summer to raise funds for the FARE Walk for Food Allergy.   Adding chocolate chunks versus chips is a fun touch to look more professional.

Baking Therapy--Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: No dairy, egg, or nuts

I apologize for how quiet it's been around here.  May means both days and evenings are packed with various end-of-the-year activities and events that are fun and exhausting.  So even though it feels quiet out there, there's plenty going on around here.

Logan is finishing up his soccer season, Tristan is knee-deep into Little League playoffs, the kids are preparing for final rehearsals for their annual dance recital, and I am busy shuttling them around to all of these things.  I am looking forward to lazy summer beach and playground days, trips to the library and museum, and picnics and bike rides in the park; but before the reprieve of summer, there's still so much to do!

A few days ago, I was up all night with a migraine.  My headaches are the one thing that can slow me down.  My body is telling me to drink more water, eat regularly, get more sleep, and reduce the stress!  As moms, we know we frequently become last priority.  So the next day, I headed to the gym, then came home and decided to leave the messy house and piles of laundry alone--some baking therapy was what I needed!

I am always looking for a new and easy chocolate dessert recipe.  I love cookies in particular because they are easy to transport, package, and eat without too much fuss (if you have a four-year-old who only likes the frosting off of cupcakes, and two boys who don't like frosting at all, you know what I'm talking about).  They are perfect for bake sales, teacher's gifts, and cookie jar fillers.  And who doesn't like a good chocolate chip cookie?  Especially when it's a chocolate chocolate chip cookie, free of dairy, egg, and nuts.

I modified this Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from food.com to make it egg and dairy free.  I feel like it would do well with a gluten-free flour mix, too.  Now if you have been really good at watching your diet in the hopes that your tropical vacation in a couple of weeks will include something remotely resembling a bathing suit (ahem...), you might want to forgo baking these cookies.  They're incredibly addicting, especially for the chocoholic.

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies-- NO EGG, NO DAIRY, NO NUTS modified from food.com's Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

1-1/4 cups Earth Balance

2 cups sugar

2 egg equivalent of Ener-G Egg Replacer (1 T. Ener-G plus 4 T. warm water, whisked together in a small bowl)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour (or gluten-free flour substitute)

3/4 cup cocoa (I use Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I use Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chips.  Try Enjoy Life mini chips or mega chunks for a variation)

Directions

1.  Cream together Earth Balance and sugar.  Add 2-egg equivalent of Ener-G Egg Replacer and vanilla extract.

2.  Stir in cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

3.  Add the flour and fold in the chocolate chips.

4.  Bake at 350 on parchment lined baking sheet for 8 - 9 minutes.

The Pure Pantry Saves Valentines Day

Until this year, I think the kids still truly believed that Valentines Day was all about spending a few weeks creating lovely tokens of friendship for their classmates, and not about candy.  We thankfully still had the homemade cards, which I was so grateful for.  In fact, it was Addi's first year exchanging Valentines cards, and when the morning came, she got a bit teary-eyed over the thought of parting with her 30 painted and glittered hearts.

Who can blame her for not wanting to part with her creations?

 

 

 

 

She begrudgingly brought her Valentines cards to school, but quickly had a change of heart--yes, a change of heart--when she realized she had received 30 lovely cards, many with candy attached. 

Back at home, with all of her cards scattered in front of her, some ripped open envelopes (why is it so difficult for children to open envelopes?), and a pile of lollipops, chocolates, and other confections, I finally relented and gave her a lollipop. 

And then there were two.  Two holidays she now associates with getting a piece of candy.

She's the lucky one without food allergies, but it was heartbreaking after so many years of a strict 'no candy rule' to see the kids wanting it more and more.

As for my MFA (that would be Multiple Food Allergic) boys, I was rushing around the kitchen at 8 am on Valentines Day trying to whip up chocolate cupcakes, only to discover I was low on pantry staples like flour and sugar. 

In a pinch, I dug out one of the mixes I'd picked up at the Gluten & Allergy Free Expo last weekend.  We are not gluten-free, but we do avoid egg, dairy, and all nuts (except coconut), and it was really eye-opening to sample lots of products that were free of the top 8.  I am a gluten-free novice, but found the cake at this booth so incredibly rich and delicious that I had to buy a bag to see for myself.

The Pure Pantry Mixes at the GFAF Expo were beautiful to look at but are even better to bake with.

 

In a blind taste test, I would've never guessed that the Pure Pantry Wholegrain Dark Chocolate Cake Mix was anything free.  How they managed to get such a moist, rich, and delicious cake with a true dark chocolate taste out of this mix is beyond me.  To prepare it without egg, I used Ener-G Egg Replacer according to the directions.  I also opted for coconut oil, as I had used it in Irene's brownies, and was impressed by the results.  I liked how the directions included dietary modifications, and some recipes for frostings.

I topped the cupcakes with an egg and dairy free cream cheese frosting that I made with soy cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, but quickly found that the frosting wouldn't hold up without remaining chilled.  Nevertheless, frosting-less cupcakes were a hit with the boys, as well as with my littliest sweets monster.  We've been frosting them and gobbling them up for dessert in the last few days.  I've managed to eat my fair share of the two dozen I baked, telling myself I'm doing it for the good of the team.  :)

In the end, I think the spirit of card-making and giving still won out over the candy.  Addi's lollipop was never even finished before it was dumped into the compost bag, and, even after the candy came and went (into the compost bag alongside a half-eaten lollipop), the cards and memory of a day filled with love remain.

I hope you and yours had a fabulous and safe Valentines Day.

Dai Fat Go--Cakes for a Prosperous New Year

Most of our mothers and grandmothers have literally perfected a few to several dozen specialty Chinese dishes; but most do very little home baking.  This is not to say that they are immune to the wonderful smells wafting out of the doors of the Chinese bakeries on Stockton, Clement, or Irving Streets--the don tats (egg custard tarts), char siu baos (steamed pork buns), and the gai mei baos (cocktail buns).  But let's just say that my mother-in-law's oven is most popularly used to store over-sized pots and pans--not for baking.

It's nice to have a big wok with a lid for steaming.  It will fit a 6 muffin tin.

So it was fun to see how her eyes lit up when she realized she could make a simple cake using equivalent amounts of just four simple ingredients, after a friend gave her the recipe.  The "fat" in the name of the little cakes means prosperity [think: gung hay fat choy], so, they are typically made around Chinese New Year.  This year, the first day of the year of the snake lands on Sunday, February 10.

I rivaled my mother-in-law's excitement with the realization that the recipe is naturally egg and dairy free, two of the main food allergens in our household. My mother-in-law has been making the cakes all week, and the kids have been enjoying fresh muffins for breakfast.  I've found they go especially well with my afternoon cup of coffee.  They are really moist, spongy, and slightly sweet.

What gives these cakes their pretty flower shape is that they are steamed, not baked, so I guess my mother-in-law will be keeping her pots and pans tucked safely away in her oven for the time being.  Steaming muffins was a first for both of us.

Before I give you the recipe, you should know a few things about my seldom-baking mother-in-law. When someone says to add 1 cup of something, she uses a dry measuring cup, not a liquid one.  And when someone says to add brown sugar, packing the sugar is optional.  So even though the original recipe said to add one cup of brown sugar, packed it was equivalent to 3/4 of a cup.  This recipe couldn't be easier.

Logan had a blast helping his grandmother with the cakes.  Way too much fun for a sick day.

Dai Fa Go--Big Prosperous Cake  (No Egg or Dairy)

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1 cup dark brown sugar, unpacked (or about 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed)

1 cup Bisquick

Stir the ingredients together, pour into lined muffin pan, and steam on a plate in a large pan or wok covered for 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 little cakes

A big prosperous Chinese New Year to all of out Get Allergy Wise families!  Time to go clean the house...

Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles--egg-free, dairy-free

Snickerdoodles are such a fond remnant of childhood.  I rediscovered them on our Sacramento trip on the Polar Express ride, as they served hot cocoa and snickerdoodles on board as a holiday treat for all of the passengers.  Since the boys couldn't partake in the treats because of their food allergies, I was immediately determined to bake my own version.  They were the perfect conclusion to our Christmas Eve dinner, and consequently served double duty as a delicious snack for Santa, alongside some baby carrots based on Tristan's insistence that Santa needed to eat a bit healthier (not going to vouch for that pairing).

When searching for allergy-friendly recipes, I usually search the Web for a top-rated recipe, and see if it's simple enough to try a few substitutions to make it allergy-safe for my kids (egg, dairy, nut, and shellfish free).  Since this snickerdoodle recipe has only 9 ingredients, it was easy to modify.  And because it's a chewy cookie, I didn't have a problem with a crumbly texture as with some baked goods when eggs are omitted.

I replaced the eggs with Ener-G Egg Replacer, and the butter with Earth Balance.  To make it soy-free as well, you may use soy-free Earth Balance.  I thought I had enough cream of tartar for the recipe, but because I only had half of what the recipe called for, I added double the baking soda.  I haven't had time to try it again with the right amount of baking soda, but plan to.

I do hope that Snickerdoodles become one of your children's favorites as they did mine.

Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles--No egg, dairy, or nuts (can be made soy-free), adapted from Soft Snickerdoodles Cookies

1 cup Earth Balance (regular or soy-free)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 4 tablespoons warm water, whisked together

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2.  Mix Earth Balance, sugar, and Ener-G and water mixture together.

3.  Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

4.  Stir the dry ingredients into the Earth Balance mixture.

5.  Chill the dough and the baking sheets in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

6.  While the dough and sheets are chilling, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

7.  Roll the dough into one inch balls, then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

8.  Place on the chilled baking sheet lined with parchment, and bake for 10 minutes.


After about 10 minutes, the cookies may not seem done, but if you give them a couple of minutes to cool on the hot baking sheets before moving them to the cooling racks, they will come out perfectly.  Try not to leave them in the oven longer than 12 minutes.  They will be nice and chewy while hot, but will harden too much after they have completely cooled.

Easter for the Egg Allergic

Now I know you must be wondering what our egg-allergic family is doing for Easter this year.  Well the answer is: not much.  We've been so busy with trip after event after trip and getting back into the swing of things over and over and over.  Not to mention Tristan's first standardized test is right around the corner, and both of us can't wait to be over and done with these practice test packets.

We still have lots of goodies for you from last year, along with a new idea for a sweet Easter treat.  Hopefully, you'll still find the inspiration you're looking for.

Last year, Michelle showed us how to glitter our plastic eggs, which proved to be a fantastically fancy and kid-friendly way to decorate eggless eggs.



At our house, we thought up a few more ways to adorn our plastic eggs using stickers, stick-on gems, and decoupage, googly eyes, and felt.  My hope was that this year we'd try out Eggnots, a new dyeable, ceramic egg, but I dropped the ball on that one, and will have to save it for next year.

Decoupage your Easter eggs for some fun texture and color

Add all sorts of stickers

Stick-on gems adds sparkle

Last year, Irene made beautiful Easter chocolates, perfect for stuffing Easter baskets.

Allergy-friendly Easter chocolates

I attempted some Rice Crispy Eggs using some extra plastic eggs I had as molds.  The kids couldn't get enough of these.

Rice Crispy Eggs

I was able to dig up an egg/nest project that Michelle had prepared for a baby shower we threw a few years back.  I thought it would work perfectly for Easter, too.  You can make them with just chocolate or a chocolate and soybutter (or another allergy-friendly butter) mix.  Just melt about 12 oz of chocolate chips (we use dairy-free Trader Joes semisweet chocolate chips) with 1/2 c. of soybutter, and mix with a box of shredded wheat.  Line a cupcake pan with foil or paper liners and shape mixture into nests.  Let cool.  Add allergy-friendly jelly-beans.

Shredded wheat nests
Photo credit: Michelle T.

So you see, there is still plenty of time to whip up some egg-free treats for your cuties this Easter.  Have fun and most importantly, try to spend some quality time with family!

Coconut Chocolate Chocolate Chip Scones

Stephanie Stein is the mastermind behind egg-free baking at the Happy Girl Kitchen Co. in Pacific Grove.  Because of her, fresh blueberry scones are now a breakfast staple at our house.  Not only is she an incredible baker, her creativity and approach to baking inspires any novice to experiment and bake with her instincts.

I've been a bit obsessed over the chocolate coconut combo, and came up with the idea of doing coconut chocolate chocolate chip scones.  Sounds decadent?  Utterly!  Mmmm...

Using Stephanie's basic scone recipe, I made a few alterations to make it dairy-free, and tried out my interpretation of a coconut chocolate chocolate chip scone.

Here goes:

Coconut Chocolate Chocolate Chip Scones (NO egg, dairy, nuts)

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose baking flour
1 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa (I use Natural Unsweetened Hershey's Cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of Earth Balance
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips (I use Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup soy milk plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (the vinegar acts to curdle the milk--mix together and set aside)
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375.
1. Add all of the dry ingredients (all the flours, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) except for the rolled oats.  Combine.
2. Work in chilled Earth Balance using a pastry cutter or your hands.  Should resemble small pebbles.  Don't overwork the dough.
3. Next, stir in the oats.
4. Add in chocolate chips and shredded coconut.

5. Pour in the soy milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, and the vanilla extract, and combine with your hands.
6. Cut dough into two even pieces and flatten them so they form 2 round discs, each 2" high.  Sprinkle with sugar and cut into 6 wedges.
7. Place on parchment lined baking tray, and bake 18-25 minutes.  They will be sturdy on the outside but still soft on the inside.

These scones provide a wonderful chocolate fix, any time of day.  The crunchiness of the oats and coconut, with a crisp outside and moist and gooey inside is the perfect balance.  Any chocoholic's dream!

Review: HomeFree Treats

When my kids and I attended the BJ Hom Jr. Memorial 5K and FAAN walk in October, we had a terrific time.  The weather was gorgeous, there was music and a bounce house.  We were able to meet new people and learn about some unique allergy-friendly businesses including Generation Allergy whose customizable allergy education videos were showcased at our Food Allergies Rock event.  And of course, my milk- and nut-allergic boys were able to eat!  There were so many tasty, safe snacks at the FAAN event that my boys really were like kids in a candy store.

I was familiar with most of the walk sponsors like Dr. Lucy's Cookies and Sunbutter.  However, one sponsor, HomeFree Treats, was brand new to me.  HomeFree donated packs of mini chocolate chip cookies for the event.  Being the chocoholics that we are, the kids and I opened these first before any other treat.

Oh my.

I can't tell you the last time I had Famous Amos but I do remember the taste.  And HomeFree chocolate chip cookies definitely reminded me of those!  They were crunchy like Famous Amos but lighter, more airy.  They had just the right balance of cookie versus chocolate chips to be satisfying.  I reached the end of my bag and wondered if we had picked up any extras that I could sneak-eat.  (Yes, when you're obsessed with little cookies, the idea of sharing with your kids falls to the wayside!)

HomeFree Treats was begun by Jill Robbins, a clinical psychologist mom of a food-allergic child.  Robbins understood first hand the impact on kids when they are excluded from birthday treats and other special occasion sweets due to their food allergies.  Robbins was inspired to create delicious, wholesome products that can be enjoyed by most everyone.  HomeFree products are made in a dedicated facility that is free from dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and seeds as well as fish and shellfish.  The facility was built for HomeFree from the ground up so none of the aforementioned allergens have ever come into their facility.  The company takes pride in its stringent practices and their continued efforts to prevent cross contamination through frequent random testing for allergens.

The vanilla mini cookie is the 2011 winner of Shape Magazine's award for Best Snack.

HomeFree Treats are made with natural and organic ingredients.  All products are free of dairy, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts and cookies are available as gluten-free.  In addition the vanilla mini-cookies and oatmeal cookies are soy-free while the soy in other HomeFree products is limited to soy lecithin.  Mini cookies are sold in boxes of about 32 or in sets of 10 single-serving packs containing 6 cookies apiece.  The single-sizes would be perfect additions to your child's school treat box for those unplanned class celebrations and parent-donated birthday cupcakes!

We tried vanilla, chocolate chip, and chocolate chocolate chip -- all three delicious!

Originating on the east coast, HomeFree is now making its way into California specialty stores such as Whole Foods Markets in Southern California and independent health food stores.  Can't find them on your store's shelves?  Talk to your store's manager about carrying HomeFree Treats and submit a written request form such as this.  Customer requests can make a big impact on what products stores decide to sell.

If they aren't yet in a store near you, HomeFree products including cookies, coffee cake, and cookbooks are available for purchase online on the company's website.  Consider putting them on your list of allergy-friendly gifts or stocking up on safe treats for this holiday season!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

The holiday season is now in full force.  Our family celebrates Christmas and I love this time of year and all...but it always seem like a sprint between the end of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day!  All of the sudden I'm behind on decorating and gifts and booked solid on the weekends.  With all the big gatherings, big meals, and big cleanup, I feel like I'm twice as busy as before.  Are you feeling as tired as I am already?  :)

When I'm pressed for time, I love to prepare a meal in the slow cooker.  I recently put a favorite recipe for chicken tortilla soup to the test.  I had no more than 15 minutes to prepare the meal before rushing off for preschool pickup.  It came out delicious as always!

Taking this photo took 3 minutes of my prep time!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Betty's Chicken Tortilla Soup V submission to AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry black beans or 1 cup cooked black beans
2 fresh chicken breasts (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup sugar plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 jar (16 oz.) chunky salsa
32 ounces of vegetable broth or chicken broth
4 to 6 corn tortillas, torn into smaller pieces

1. Lay black beans then chicken breasts on bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Stir in all other ingredients except the corn tortillas which are best to add in an hour before serving if you have the chance.  If you must add that in the beginning because of time constraints, it's still going to be delicious but just a thick, stew-like soup.  I loved it this way!
3. Turn on slow cooker to low heat if you have time to cook for 6-8 hours.  If you don't have that much cooking time to spare, heat on high for 4 hours.
4. About 30-60 minutes before the end of cooking time, break down tomatoes with a fork or potato masher.  Also, add corn tortilla pieces.
5. After another 30-60 minutes, check black beans for tenderness.  If they are not tender enough, cook an additional hour and recheck.
6. Garnish soup with extra cilantro, strips of corn tortillas, crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese (or Daiya Vegan Shreds), or avocado slices.

The soup was simple to make and hits the spot on a cold evening.  It can also be cooked in a saucepan in you don't have a slow cooker.  (Check out the above link to the original recipe for cooking directions.)  This made for a perfect meal in a week so crazy busy that I forgot to take a picture of the final product!

Oh My! Pumpkin Pie!

For your Thanksgiving feast are you planning to cook traditional dishes?  Or do you like to put a different take on the ol' holiday stand-bys?

Whether you're dedicated to popular turkey day foods or like to experiment, cooking with respect to food allergies can make either experience more challenging than usual.  This is especially true concerning desserts.  Below are two pumpkin recipes -- one traditional and one not so much -- that can be made deliciously without the top eight most common food allergens and with the help of some fragrant spices and coconut milk.

Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from Bryanna's Pumpkin Pie recipe

Ingredients:
15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup canned coconut milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

1 unbaked pie crust (if you have a wheat or gluten allergy, check Whole Foods Market for this)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Combine all ingredients (except for pie crust) in a large bowl.  Blend until smooth and well combined.
3. Pour mixture into pie crust.  Cover edges of pie crust with foil to prevent premature burning.
4. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 45-55 minutes until pie starts to darken.  Cool the pie completely and then refrigerate before serving.                   

The pie will probably not be set when you take it out of the oven.  My pie did not pass the "Insert the knife, is it clean?" test.  But since the top was on the brink of burning, I took it out.  After cooling and refrigerator time, the pie did set.


For a fun change of pace, consider making pumpkin pie ice cream instead!

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Adapted by Hannah Kaminsky's pumpkin pie ice cream recipe

Ingredients:

15-ounce can of pumpkin puree

14 ounce can of coconut milk + 3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp arrowroot starch

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. Prepare your ice cream per the directions of your ice cream maker. Serve immediately or freeze.  You'll need to defrost frozen solid ice cream for 10-20 minutes on the counter before serving.

Happy pumpkin-eating with your little pumpkins!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Are you as shocked as I am that Thanksgiving is right around the corner?  Usually I attribute this shocking feeling to the fact that stores get their shelves and displays ready for the big holidays a couple months in advance.  But this time it's different.  Seriously.  Thanksgiving.  Next week.  Yikes!

We usually have Thanksgiving with either my husband's family locally or mine in Southern California.  I love to experiment with new recipes before the big feast so that I can make sure that (1) what our big family eats is delicious and (2) I do not have any one dish that will take up all of my time and energy.  There's nothing worse than a bottleneck at the oven or kitchen sink when you're trying to have 8 dishes ready, all at the same time!

Here is the first of several recipes to consider for your Thanksgiving feast.  Apple cranberry crisp is tart, sweet, and beautiful.  It's a perfect choice for dessert or even an autumn brunch treat.  And you could even make it a day in advance and reheat it although I'm not sure if you will want to do this since you might have a 20-pound turkey that demands a lot of fridge space.  Keep this recipe in your back pocket for the day after Thanksgiving if you have a lot of cranberry sauce left over.

Trader Joe's cranberries are $2 for 12 ounces.

The flavor and texture of Granny Smith apples hold up well in baking.

Trader Joe's certified gluten free rolled oats, 32 oz bag for $4

Apple Cranberry Crisp
Adapted from Diana Rattray's recipe which appears at About.com
Ingredients:

Filling:
Cranberry sauce
12 oz. bag of cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2-thick pieces

Topping:
3/4 cup rolled oats (buy certified gluten-free oats if you are allergic to wheat or gluten)
1/2 cup flour or gluten-free flour blend*
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp vegan margarine, softened and cut into small chunks (Earth Balance makes milk-free, soy-free varieties)

It was looking quite lovely before I baked it.

1. Combine cranberries, orange juice, and granulated sugar in saucepan.  Cook over medium heat partially covered.  Stir occasionally.
2. Cook until most berries have burst and a thick sauce has developed.
3. Remove sauce from heat.  Mix in apple slices until they are fully coated with sauce.
4. Pour apple cranberry mixture into a greased 13"x9" pan or equivalent. (I used a pretty round dish that was less than 2 inches deep and sauce bubbled out onto the oven.  Yikes!
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
6. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry topping ingredients.
7. Add chunks of softened vegan margarine into dry mixture until coarse chunks form.
8. Drizzle topping over fruit mixture completely covering the fruit. 
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until topping is golden brown.

A delicious but macabre mess from my too shallow dish.

How to make Gluten-free Flour Blend 
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch

1. Thoroughly mix flour and starches together.   Store in an airtight container.
2. You may want to double the recipe so that you have a good-sized stash of GF flour blend for your future baking needs.
3. Although I think it's not necessary for the above crisp recipe, usually you need to add xanthan gum or guar gum when you use a gluten-free four blend.  Xanthan gum (which contains corn derivatives) and guar gum work as binders for baked goods.  

  Use the following rule of thumb for adding xanthan gum or guar gum:

• 1 tsp per cup of flour mix = sandwich bread/pizza crust
• 1/2 tsp per cup of flour mix = cakes/muffins/quick breads
• 1/4 tsp per cup of flour mix = cookies

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix: Egg, Dairy, Nut-Free

TJ's has some seasonal products, and their Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix is one of them.  When it starts to appear on shelves, I admittedly stock up to ensure our family has pumpkin muffins any time of year.  As pumpkin muffin consumption almost entirely falls in my hands, it's crucial I take advantage of the autumn season and get them while they last.  So the next time you're at our local Trader Joe's, and see a lady frantically filling up her cart with this muffin mix, come up and say "hello."  :)

I love baking mixes that I can actually easily modify to make safe for my kids.  Sometimes, you find an allergy-safe mix that just doesn't turn out right when you add the Ener-g and other substitutions.  It's really hit or miss. 

Which is why I love this mix.  It still turns out deliciously moist and pumpkiny with the egg replacer, without too much of the overbearing spices that pumpkin recipes sometimes serve up to scare away little kids.  And obviously, adding chocolate chips (we use dairy-free Trader Joe's Semisweet Chocolate Chips) to any recipe adds instant appeal in our household.

Just add water, oil, and egg replacer like Ener-g Egg Replacer according to the box, bake, and enjoy! 

By the way, I'm thinking for my next batch I'll top my muffins with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting.  Use a dairy-free margarine like Earth Balance and Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese in place of traditional dairy products.