Kicked Up Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't love Sloppy Joes?  This is an often requested dinner in our house.  Here's my original recipe for Kicked Up Sloppy Joes.  I replace the "pre-made" Manwich sauce with tomato sauce and spices for a relatively additive-free meal!  I also use organic ground beef for a more tender texture and frankly, better flavor.  (Ground turkey works well too.) Organic meats can be expensive, but buying organic ground meat is a budget conscious way to get a higher quality meat into the menu rotation, even for a big family like ours!

*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:
2 pounds organic ground beef
1 15oz.can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves minced garlic
chopped parsley
kosher salt

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Remove from skillet,
    and set the beef aside.
2. Sauté peppers and onions until slightly softened.
3. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
4. Add beef back into the skillet.
5. Add 2 cans tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, and a
    hefty pinch of kosher salt.
6. Heat through, finish with parsley and serve! (Serve on top of      
    your family's favorite buns!)

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

Our Visit to Chipotle - Review

Go eat here!

We had an amazing experience the other day.  I took my four oldest children to Chipotle.  My son, 10 years old, is allergic to eggs and peanuts, and he carries an Epi-pen, and my 7 year old has behavior issues when he eats dairy.  I knew that some food-allergy friends of ours has successfully eaten at Chipotle, and I didn't have dinner planned, so we decided to try it out. 

I looked up the online menu for Chipotle, and it was pretty impressive how allergy-aware they are. They even have a tab on their website for special diet information. The chart of ingredients was very clear.  When we got to the head of the line, I did ask the server if there were any eggs, peanuts, or  dairy other than the sour cream and cheese.  She made sure to double check with manager, and she changed her gloves before working on our order.

My 10 year old was SO excited that he could order ANYTHING off the menu without fear. For food allergy families, this is truly amazing.  I had to hold back tears as my son kept repeating "I really can eat anything off the menu?!  I love this place!"

As an added bonus, the food was fantastic!  Everything was flavorful and fresh, and the chips and salsa were the best I've had in a long time at a restaurant!  We ate without incident, and we had a wonderful experience!  I highly recommend eating a meal at Chipotle! 

Can I make you a meal?

Food is a language.  We speak it in our family, our community, our culture.  We speak a language of celebration through food at birthday parties, holidays, awards banquets, date nights, graduation dinners, and any number of accomplishments that deserve a "special meal".  We speak a language of community through food in church potluck suppers, fundraiser pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, neighborhood barbeques.  Every culture is loaded with food that speaks a distinctive language of spices, textures, techniques, and flavor profiles.   The tradition of breaking bread together is universal.  It strengthens the bonds of a family, or of a community, of a culture. 

So what happens when food allergies change the way we participate in that food conversation?  Well, a lot happens.  People may feel left out, put out, worn out, and decide to just sit it out.  I'm sure we could share countless stories of family members and friends who just don't understand, church or school functions that become a stressful maze of dangers to be navigated, and traditions that seem impossible to carry on and pass down in a safe way.  The honest truth is that the weight of food allergies is sometimes heavy and burdensome. Sometimes the weight of life events are heavy and burdensome too, or in other cases, happily unwieldy. When that happens, my instinct is to cook.  To nourish and feed the soul through food. 

I don't know about you moms out there, but nearly every "moms group" I have ever belonged to has a well oiled automatic "food brigade" that rolls into action with every birth, death, and major life event in the families of the member moms. "Judy had her baby?  I'll make her a meal!", "Norma's father died?  I'll make a meal for her.", "Susie's husband will be out of town for a month?  I'll bring her a meal while he's gone!"... does any of this feel familiar?  

When we had our twins, so many people  asked if they could cook for us, and truthfully, most of the time I turned them down. It's too hard to know if someone REALLY understands that "just a little", or even just cross-contamination could send us to the ER. Nearly all the women whose offerings I accepted and fed to my family have food allergic children of their own.  Unfortunately, the people who offer and get turned down get their feelings a little hurt, and that's not good either. So what's the answer?  Well, there are a few ways to handle this without hurt feelings, and without isolating yourself and your family in times of "big life stuff". 

First, get prepared for the people who want to help, but don't understand how to safely cook for your family.  Make a list.  Make a list of things that would be helpful that don't include cooking. The list might include things like:
- taking your kids to the park, to give you a break,
- coming over in the evening and folding laundry with you and
  keeping you company,
- ask if they would be willing to go to the grocery store for you,
- in the case of a death in the family - ask a few close friends to
  make phone calls for you,
- in the case of a birth, ask someone to come and hold the baby so
  you can take a shower!
- anything that would ease your burden or make life a little easier.

Then, get prepared for the people who want to help, and that you trust to cook for your family.  Have a file saved on your computer that lists your family's food allergies.  When someone you trust to cook, calls and says "Can I make you a meal?" say YES!, and send them the file as a reminder of the foods that need to be avoided.

Last, but not least, cook for others!  We all build up that network of food allergy families in our lives, so be sure to cook for them when the going gets tough! They are probably saying "no" to countless, well-meaning friends, so be the friend they can say "yes" to!

Here are my tips for making a meal for a food allergy family:

- Ask for a list of foods to avoid.
- Use new containers of ingredients if possible, to avoid the risk of 
  cross-contact.
- Double check the labels on all ingredients you will use.
- Make something freezer-friendly.
- Freeze in a family sized portion, and also in a few individual sized
  portions so a family member can grab a quick hot lunch.  (This is
  especially helpful for new moms, and nursing moms!)
- Use disposable freezer containers so no one has to get a dish back
  to you!
- Write out the list of ingredients (including brands), or the recipe,      and attach it to themeal, so the family knows exactly what's in the    meal.  During times of stress, what you say on the phone or at the    door about the ingredients might not be remembered when it's          time to make dinner.

 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"!