Wegmans Pizza Crust - Review

It's "Product Review Friday," so it's time to share another product that we've tested in our kitchen!  Today, I'm reviewing "Wegmans White Flat Bread Pizza Crust."

Make your own pizza night is a favorite event in our home.  I love it too, and I love to make homemade dough, but this school year is kicking my butt with evening music lessons, gymnastics, Little Flowers, Blue Knights, social events...as the kids get older, I seem to be more of a chauffeur!  I recently came upon these ready made pizza crusts as I was cutting through an aisle I don't usually go down.  I noticed the "V" symbol, which - on Wegmans products - means Vegan.  That always catches my attention, because although we are an omnivorous family, Vegan means no dairy, no eggs!  After carefully reading the label, and finding no offending allergens, we gave these convenient crusts a try.  You can imagine what a hero I was upon arriving home, and announcing that we would have "make your own pizza night," commencing immediately! Just hand me my superhero cape. 

We topped ours with homemade sauce, which had been frozen earlier in the month, Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella, and Hormel Turkey Pepperoni.  

Pros: The crusts come in two sizes, 12 inch, and 16 inch, so we can make several smaller ones with different toppings, or a couple large ones to get eating quickly.  The texture is great, they are pre-baked and soft, but after 12-15 minutes in the oven, the crust is crispy and golden.  The crust didn't get soggy with the copious amount of sauce my kids like to load on!  Also, it's a Wegmans "Food you feel good about," so there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  Easy convenience for an allergy family who consumes very few convenience foods on a regular basis! 

Cons: I'm not controlling all the individual ingredients as I would with homemade, and it isn't an organic, non-GMO product.

Bottom Line:  Although I'm still a huge fan of homemade, for a quick dinner, this got thumbs up all around! I'll be buying them again and again this year as we negotiate our busy evenings!  These crusts allowed us to have dinner together on a night that we normally wouldn't have time to bond over a meal! 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Cauliflower Potato Soup

This soup is great on it's own or as a base for other dishes!  I serve it as a meal with some freshly baked bread, oyster crackers, or a salad. It's creamy and mild, which also makes it a great base for my "chicken-pot-pieless", casseroles, or any other "cream-based" soups that you might want to make dairy-free! 

*This soup recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free fish-free, and shellfish-free. Top 8 Allergen Free! I've also included a vegan option! As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Divvies Chocolate - Review

I recently attended the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference, in Las Vegas.  When I arrived to register at the conference, I was greeted with two bags of swag!  Coupons, pens, magnets, magazines, and oh so many samples of allergy friendly products!  Of course, I needed to do my duty to you, my dear readers, and try each sample...um, did I mention there were several varieties of chocolate?  Yum! So, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in. Today's review: Divvies Chocolate!

Included in our Swag, was a Divvies Crispy Rice Crunch Bar. I planned to just eat a little nibble, but...click here to see an Instagram of what was left of my Divvies wrapper as I was pulled into this divine treat!  (Don't forget to follow me on Instagram!) Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:  It's like a Nestle Crunch bar, but WAY better!  The Crispy Rice is delicate and just the right texture, and the chocolate has a creamy mouthfeel.  No waxiness in the chocolate, just rich and smooth! The chocolate is dairy-free, egg-free, and peanut-free. This unique little bar is divided up into parts: one for you, and one to share!  I love that concept in an allergy friendly food!  

Cons: I really don't have any cons for this one!  It's a winner all around! 

Bottom line:  This chocolate is top of the line and perfect for sharing!  I will most definitely be purchasing Divvies chocolate for my family! 

For more information on the whole line of Divvies products: click HERE to 

visit their website!  

Please read all labels when purchasing products for your food allergic family and friends, to ensure that the product meets your allergy needs.  

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Turkey Slop - I swear, it's better than it sounds.

When I was in high school, there was one meal that was legendary, and we called it "Turkey Slop." This might sound like a questionable moniker, but in reality there's just nothing wrong with a scoop of mashed potatoes, scooped out with an ice cream scoop, and hot gravy...with the Turkey. Right. In it. This is the warm comforting goodness of a Thanksgiving meal at its most efficient.

I have taken this humble meal and elevated it to a Fall family favorite in our home.  As soon as the leaves start to turn, and the air gets a little chillier, the kids start begging me to make Turkey Slop. And yes, I do use an ice cream scoop to dish out the mashed potatoes.

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free (using soy free Earth Balance), fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

If you already have tried and true recipes for roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy, then simply chop up the turkey meat and add it to the gravy.  Serve over mashed potatoes!  If you don't know how to roast a turkey, or need some assistance in the gravy department, keep reading!  If you need a recipe for mashed potatoes, click HERE! 

Ingredients for Simple Roast Turkey:

Whole turkey (I like to stay under 12 pounds)
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil
1/2 onion
1/2 lemon

Directions for Simple Roast Turkey:
*I make the turkey the day before I want to serve the turkey slop. No need to try to do everything all in one day!  Relax, take your time, enjoy the process!

• Make note of how many pounds your turkey is before you throw away the packaging. 
• Remove neck and giblet pack from turkey
• Place the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan, pat the outside dry with paper towels.
• Let the turkey sit (out on the counter) for about an hour (this will dry the skin out a bit, and yield a crispier skin, and bringing the meat closer to room temperature will yield a juicier turkey!) 
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
• Season the cavity with kosher salt and pepper
• Stuff cavity with 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a lemon
• Rub outside of turkey with olive oil and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper
• Roast at 450 for 20 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 degrees F
• Continue roasting 13-15 minutes per pound at 350. *If the outside seems be getting too brown near the end of cooking, cover the breast of the turkey with some foil. 
• Insert a meat thermometer into the outer thigh, inner thigh, and breast.  All places should have a temperature of 165 degrees F or above. 
• Let the turkey rest before carving!

Ingredients for Simple Turkey Gravy:

*I make the stock early in the day.

Turkey stock (Click HERE for a crock pot stock recipe - substitute                  the word "turkey" every time you see the word "chicken")

Flour

Fat (dairy-free margarine, canola oil, turkey fat skimmed from the top of the turkey stock, schmaltz, etc.)

Directions for Simple Turkey Gravy:

To make a delicious gravy in a large amount or small amount, you need only memorize a simple formula: 2T fat + 2T flour + 1 cup stock = gravy!  

• First, know how many cups of stock you have to work with, that will determine how much roux you will need to make.
• Heat your stock to a gentle boil and in the meantime....
• Make your roux.  The roux is the thickening agent, it is the combination of the fat and flour, cooked together. (Cooking the flour in the fat gets rid of that raw flour taste, and allows it to incorporate more smoothly into the stock.)
• To make the roux, melt/heat the fat in a saucepan, and whisk in the flour.  *Equal parts fat and flour!  Cook for a couple minutes. 
• Whisk the roux slowly into the stock and then bring the whole thing to a simmer.  It will start to thicken right away, and you can continue simmering away to continue thickening.  
• Check your seasoning - gravy requires a decent amount of salt and pepper! 
• Add in the chopped turkey and serve over a scoop of mashed potatoes! 

Trust me, this is heaven in a pot! 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Enjoy Life Plentils - Review

Hey everyone!  It's "Review Friday," so let's get down to the nitty gritty!  Today, I'm reviewing "Enjoy Life Plentils."

I recently attended the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference, in Las Vegas.  When I arrived to register at the conference, I was greeted with two bags of swag!  Coupons, pens, magnets, magazines, and oh so many samples of allergy friendly products, including Garlic & Parmesan Plentils! 

My children love Enjoy Life products and I really wanted them to try these, but I had a 4 hour wait at the airport on the way home from the conference...the Plentils were gone well before I got on the plane.  That should give you a hint as to their taste and quality....

Pros: Crunchy, flavorful, and satisfying!   Free of the top 8 allergens, Plentils are safe for every person in my household. And, these tasty chips are made from lentils, so they are packed with protein and deliver goodness that an ordinary potato chip can't.    

Cons: My local grocery store doesn't carry them. 

Bottom Line:  I'm a fan, and I'll be ordering some so my children can enjoy them too!

Click HERE to check out all the awesome products that Enjoy Life Foods has to offer!  All free of the Top 8 Allergens! 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Concord Grape Jam

Fall is in full swing in Upstate New York!  One of the amazing, fragrant offerings of this season is the dusty, gorgeous Concord Grape. A hefty amount of grapes arrived in our CSA crate, and I was inspired to try my hand at making and canning Grape Jam.  My kitchen has never smelled so sweetly delectable!  (Can you tell that I'm in love with the smell of Concord Grapes?)

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends! 

Ingredients: Concord grapes (at least 2 quarts), water, sugar

Directions:

First, separate the skins from the pulp.  If you've never peeled Concord Grapes before, you're probably thinking that peeling all these little jewels will take FOREVER.  And while it does take a little time, it's not as hard as one might think.  Concord Grapes are a "slip skin" variety of grape, which means a little squeeze at one end of the grape, sends the pulp right out of the skin!  

Place the skins in one large bowl, and the pulp in another.  The pulp will have seeds, but you'll be separating those out after you've cooked it down, trust me, it's easier that way.

Cook the skins over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, with just enough water to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Cook the pulp down, over medium heat, until it is very soft.

Once the skins have cooked down, I like to use my immersion blender to break them up even more. (You can chop them before cooking them, but I find it to be VERY messy.)

I also use a potato masher to break up the pulp while it's cooking.

Strain the pulp through a mesh sieve (or use a food mill, if you're fancy like that), into the pot with the skins.  I prefer to use a wooden spoon to mash the pulp through, so I'm truly left with only the seeds and really stringy pieces in the sieve.

At this point you may want to stop and wipe the drool off of your chin so it doesn't contaminate the jam.  Oh, and resist the urge to put your face in the pot to smell the goodness...this stuff is hot! (Although, a "Grape Steam Facial" does sound like something you'd pay a lot for at a spa...)

Stir the skins and pulp together and add up to 6 cups of sugar per 2 quarts (starting measurement) of grapes. We prefer our jam to be a little more tart, so I cut the sugar to approximately 4 cups per 2 quarts.

Gradually bring the mixture up to a boil, and continue stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue stirring while boiling rapidly until the jam reaches the gelling point.  

I test the gelling point by placing a little jam on a cold plate and bringing it to room temperature by cooling it rapidly in the freezer. Once cooled, drag your finger through the middle, and see if the jam holds the separation you've made. 

Ladle into glass jars that have been warmed in a hot water bath. (Hot jam in cold jars = broken glass!!) 

*If you are planning on canning/preserving the jam, leave 1/4 inch headspace and process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

*Photo credits: All photos taken by Aidan Van Horn

Quick Stir Fry

It's 5 o'clock, everyone is asking me what's for dinner....I don't have a clue. (Every mom knows the feeling, right?) Our family has multiple food allergies, therefore we can't just "order out" in a pinch, so where do I go?  To the fridge!  I pull out some napa cabbage, scallions, oranges, leftover roast chicken, and bok choy. Dinner just revealed itself to be  Quick Stir Fry! Rice, soy sauce, garlic, and chicken stock round out the ingredient list, and now I'm feeling confident. 

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, fish-free, shellfish-free, and egg-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Suncups Review

I recently attended the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference, in Las Vegas.  When I arrived to register at the conference, I was greeted with two bags of swag!  Coupons, pens, magnets, magazines, and oh so many samples of allergy friendly products!  Of course, I needed to do my duty to you, my dear readers, and try each sample...um, did I mention there were several varieties of chocolate?  Yum! So, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in. First up? Suncups!

Suncups are a peanut free alternative to the Reese Cup. I tested the Dark Chocolate Variety, and let me tell you, it was heavenly!  Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:  Delicious, great texture, fantastic flavor, nostalgic (As a peanut allergy mom, with no peanut allergy myself, Reese cups were a favorite of mine growing up, but I haven't eaten one in almost 10 years.) Suncups are free of peanuts, tree nuts, corn, soy, eggs, and gluten. 

Cons: Just one: Contains dairy....BUT...after speaking to the Suncups representative at the conference, AND checking out the Suncups website, I am beyond excited to say that Suncups with be launching a DAIRY-FREE version later this year, or early in 2015. 

Bottom Line:  This product is great, as is, for me and my husband, who both sometimes long for a peanut butter cup. When the dairy free version launches, I'll be first in line to buy an obscene amount of these beauties for my children!  

For more information on Suncups: click HERE to 

visit their website!  

Please read all labels when purchasing products for your food allergic family and friends, to ensure that the product meets your allergy needs.  

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Dessert Hobo Pies

Ok, ok...wipe the drool off your face, and start gathering up the firewood for this camp classic!

At least once a summer, we break out the pie irons, and make pizza hobo pies.  We use homemade sauce, Earth Balance to grease the irons, safe bread, turkey pepperoni or sliced Al Fresco chicken sausage, and Follow your Heart Vegan Cheese Alternative.  Delish!

This year, we really wanted to make dessert pies too, and here's what we came up with:

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free,  fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

"Not S'mores"  (we couldn't come up with a better name, it was late...)

Ingredients: (makes 2 dessert pies)

4 slices white sandwich bread
Earth balance bars
graham crackers
enjoy life chocolate chips
Sunbutter - creamy
Dairy-free mini-marshmallows
Cinnamon Sugar
Cast iron pie iron (ours is a double, so that's how I'm writing this recipe)

Directions:

1. Make a campfire!  Let it burn down a little.  You won't need a big flame, but you will need hot coals. Also, make sure you have a safe place to put the iron down when it comes out of the fire, and also a potholder or "Ove' Glove". 
2. Heat the pie iron in the fire.
3. Pull the iron out and open it.  Grease the inside of both sides of the iron with Earth Balance.
4. Place two pieces of bread in the cavity of one side of the iron.  
5. Place a graham cracker on each piece of bread.  Top generously with mini-marshmallows chocolate morsels.  
6. Spread a layer of Sunbutter on the remaining two slices of bread and top off the sandwiches in the iron. 
7. Carefully close the pie iron and place among the hot coals of the campfire.  Do not put the iron in the direct flames, it will burn the bread. 
8. After a few minutes, flip the pie iron.  
9. Cooking time will vary depending on how hot your coals are! Check after 5 minutes.  The pie is done when both sides are golden brown.
10. Remove pie irons to your heat safe surface.  Open the irons and slather just the top side of the pie with Earth Balance.  Then, sprinkle on a generous amount of cinnamon sugar!
11. Serve and enjoy!!!

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Epic Tomato Soup

I am generally not a fan of tomato soup.  I REALLY don't like tomato soup out of can, and I was hesitant to try this next recipe.  BUT!...I knew I needed a few new "go-to" meatless recipes for Lent, and I am always encouraging my children to give the new menu offerings at our house a fair try, so I jumped right in!  I'm thrilled to report that I love this soup and it was a cinch to make!

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Ingredients:

4-5 TBSP bacon fat
4 finely diced onions
6-8 cloves of garlic
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2  28oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup orzo or ditalini pasta
2 TBSP corn starch mixed with 2 TBSP cold flax milk
2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the bacon fat.  Add onions and cook
    on medium-low until soft and just golden.  10-15 minutes,
    stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes,
    and cook for one more minute, just until garlic becomes fragrant.
2. Before adding in San Marzano tomatoes, break them up by hand
    in separate bowl. Then add to the Dutch oven along with the
    chicken stock and salt.
3. Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer for 15
    minutes.
4. While soup is simmering, bring a medium pot of water to a boil 
    and cook pasta for 7 minutes.
5. Drain pasta and add to soup.
6. Cook for 8 more minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Make the slurry of corn starch and flax milk in a small cup.  Stir
    into the soup and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Serve with toast for dipping, or oyster crackers.  Or, if you want to be classic, make a grilled "cheese" sandwich with Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella Cheese!  (use olive oil in place of bacon fat for a vegan soup)

I'm telling you, the balance of the smokiness from the bacon fat, the richness of the San Marzano tomatoes, and the small bit of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes will have you going back for seconds!  Enjoy!
.

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Brownie Stackers - Video tutorial!

Wondering if there's a special sweet treat you can serve for the "big game"?  Here's a tutorial for:

Brownie Stackers - 3 Ways!

 

 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Leek tops - another valuable freebie!

One of my family's favorite winter dinners is Potato Leek Soup with homemade artisan bread.  The recipe calls for a lot of leeks, which leaves me with a counter full of beautiful bright green leek tops. I try to make the most out of each food item I purchase, so I always save my leek tops for making stock.  Here's how I do it!

 

 

 

Rise them just as you would the white tender part that gets cooked.  Fill a deep bowl with cold water.  Roughly chop the leeks and add them to the water.  Agitate them a bit with your fingers and then let them sit for 10-20 minutes while you give yourself a manicure. (Just making sure you were paying attention there...) The leeks will float and the dirt will sink to the bottom.

 

 

Lift the leeks gently from the water, place them on paper towels, and pat dry.

 

 

Look at all the dirt left in the bowl!  That definitely doesn't belong in my soup!

 

Portion the leeks out into several quart sized freezer bags.  I always label my bags with a "Use By" date so I don't end up with a freezer full of freezer burned foods.  (I have a full sized, stand alone freezer, so I'm pretty comfortable with 1-3 months for most of my frozen foods.)

 

Next time you are making stock, add a bag of frozen leeks instead of an onion! Leek tops are another valuable "freebie" in my kitchen!

 

 

 

 

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

The Most Valuable Freebie in my Kitchen...

There is one food "freebie" that I use religiously in my kitchen.  It is...bacon fat!  I'm going old school right now, and suggesting that all of you, my dear readers, maintain a jar of bacon fat.  Once you start cooking with it, you'll be seeing that beautiful white deliciousness as culinary gold. 

To collect it, simply drain the fat out of the pan, or out of one of those nifty microwave bacon racks, into a heat safe container, I usually use a bowl.  Allow the fat to cool a bit before moving it to a mason jar.   Then, cover and store. I prefer to store mine in the fridge, but you could store it in the freezer if you have a copious amount that you won't use within a month or so.



There are two camps on whether or not to strain out the little brown bits from your bacon fat. Some cooks always strain it, and some never do.  If you are going to use it fairly quickly, I vote to leave those golden brown bits in for the extra flavor they bring to the party.  However, if you'll be storing the fat for a while, strain them out, as they contribute to turning the fat rancid more quickly. 




Apple Maple Chicken Sausage browned with bacon fat. 
Breakfast doesn't get much better than this.

 *I also suggest using organic bacon.  Yep, I used the "o" word.  Calm down, I know, I can hear you now..."It's so expensive!"  Yes, it is a bit more pricey than "regular" bacon, BUT, you are getting a quality product that does not contain synthetic chemicals, additional nitrites and nitrates, or GMO laden ingredients. AND if you save the rendered fat, you'll have beautiful organic cooking fat for other dishes. This is one instance where I recommend consistently buying organic.

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Crock Pot Stock

For years, I've been making delicious homemade chicken stock in my giant pot.  And, if I need a LOT all at once, I'll still do it that way.  But, recently, I've started making amazingly rich stock while I sleep.  Yep, while I sleep.  This isn't some kind of domestic diva transcendence, I'm just putting that workhorse of the kitchen to good use: the humble slow cooker, a.k.a. the crock pot. I make one or two whole chickens per week in the crock pot.  I use them for chicken salad, sandwiches, for chicken with pasta, to provide tender meat for the babies, etc.  I have done this for a long time, and I always got a little bit of concentrated stock in the bottom of the crock pot.  In the past I would save it, freeze it, and then add it to the "big pot" when making a big batch of stock.  No more, readers, No. More.  Now I have realized I can get a whole crock pot full of that amazing, concentrated stock with very little extra effort!  Here's how:

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Crock Pot Stock

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (3 lbs-ish)
1 bay leaf
Kosher Salt
2 peppercorns
2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 slow cooker
1/4 cup water

Stock bubbling away - I wish you could smell it! Yum!

Directions:
1. Place the carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
3. Add bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and water to the slow cooker.
4. Salt liberally with kosher salt.
5. Put the lid on, turn on the slow cooker to low and cook for 4
    hours.
6. Remove just the chicken from slow cooker and strip all the meat
    off the bones. Use this for chicken salad, sandwiches, fajitas, etc.
7. Place all the bones and skin back into the slow cooker and fill
    with water.
8. Cook on low overnight, up to 24 hours.
9. Strain solids out of the stock. 
10. Place stock in a container and refrigerate until the fat coagulates
    on the top.
11. Skim off fat and store it in a mason jar in the fridge for future
    cooking.
12. Now, your stock is ready to use or freeze! ( I usually get
    between 4-6 cups per crockpot)

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

 

My first cookbook!

I am SO very pleased to announce that my first cookbook is now available for purchase!  I know I've been away from the blog for a while, but for good reason.  I have been working on developing and perfecting dessert and baked good recipes that are free from all dairy, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts.  These recipes are now all available to you in "Love Letters from My Kitchen" !!!

"Supermom Cinnamon Rolls", Sunday Mornings Will Never be the Same!

The welcoming smell of cinnamon, the feel of sweet orange icing oozing over fingertips, the decadent warmth of a cinnamon roll on a Sunday morning before the kids get up... Ok. Stop drooling, I'll share my secret to making this blissful scene a reality - without any dairy, eggs, or nuts!  My secret?

Serious Comfort Food Series - Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup This is a wonderful, hearty, healthy soup for a cold day.  My kids actually request leftovers the next day!  There isn't any dairy in this recipe, and yet blending the soup with an immersion blender yields a creamy potato texture.  Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock for a vegan soup. This Potato Leek Soup recipe freezes and defrosts beautifully, so make a pot and save some for later!

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, wheat-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. Top 8 Free! As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Serious Comfort Food Series - Sorbet Fruit Cup

Sorbet Fruit Cups

When I was a little girl, my doctor said that the best thing for a sore throat was ice cream.  My six-year old self loved him for that! But, with several dairy-allergic children, ice cream is not a possibility.  Sure, there are great soy-based alternatives, and even some coconut-based frozen treats, but they are in very tiny, very expensive containers.  I needed something that would be lower cost, safe, and maybe even healthy!  Made with only ½ cup of sugar for the entire batch, this recipe is healthy and packed with goodies like vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit! I came up with these Sorbet Fruit Cups and the kids loved them!!!   


Getting ready to make sorbet!

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Serious Comfort Food Series - Cream of Broccoli Soup

In honor of this flu and cold season, I'm going to post a series of comfort food recipes.  Often our favorite comfort foods are easy foods from a can, a box, or the freezer section; mac and cheese, any variety of soup, flavored noodle dishes, or frozen bag meals.  Just as often, these "pre-made" meals contain ingredients that are unfriendly or dangerous for those with food allergies. Make these flavor - packed, comfort food recipes and freeze in individual containers for an easy, safe meal when the "sickies" strike your family!

Let's kick off the "Comfort Food Series" with a personal favorite, Cream of Broccoli Soup.  I am going to give you my basic recipe AND the ingredient substitutions to make a dairy-free version that is just as yummy!

The version pictured here is non-dairy! Doesn't it look yummy and creamy?

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free (if following substitution list), egg-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Color me Converted to Chia!

When I first was learning how to bake without eggs, I learned the water+oil+baking powder substitute, and after the Ener-G company went nut free, I embraced their boxed egg substitute.  Because both worked fairly well, I never really experimented with any "new-fangled" substitutions...like flax or chia...boy was I a ninny!  Let me tell you, dear readers, I am impressed with my chia experiment!

I made delicious "Double Chocolate Cake Cookies" last week...

And then I made them again this week with chia gel instead of my standard water/oil/baking powder mixture.  The cookies were fluffier and more moist than my original batch! 

Fluffy, soft, cake-like...dairy-free, egg-free...chocolate nirvana!

Chia seeds are high in omega-3s, protein, and fiber. They can absorb up to 9x their size in liquid!  Once they are converted to a gel, they are tasteless and act as a binder in baked goods!

I found A LOT of different recommendations for the proper chia to water ratio for use as an egg replacer; these were the most common:

2 tbsp whole chia seeds to 1/4 cup water (equivalent to 1 large egg)
2 tbsp ground chia seeds to 1/4 cup water
1:9 ratio (standard chia gel recipe)
(Mix each of these combinations in a glass jar or cup and let stand for 15-20 minutes) 

For my cookies, I needed the equivalent of 2 eggs, so I started by adding 4 tbsp of whole chia seeds to 1/2 cup of water.  After letting it sit for 15 minutes, the gel was so thick, I didn't trust that it would add the needed fluidity to the batter, so I added 3 tbsp more water.  After about 10 more minutes, the consistency seemed right...it seemed, "eggy"! 

I was really pleased with the outcome! The cookies are dark chocolate, so I couldn't really see any "whole" dark seeds in the finished product.  I'm going to try the ground chia seed in my pancake recipe this weekend.  I'm hoping the yield will be fluffier pancakes than we've had since going egg-free! 

So...in the interest of full disclosure...I've been eating the chocolate cookies while writing this post! (Now that's dedication for you...)



As always, from "The Allergy Safe Kitchen", I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!