Letter from Santa

This is such a cute idea from FARE, I had to share! It's a letter from Santa to a child with food allergies that you can personalize.  I'm printing one for Cody now.

http://blog.foodallergy.org/2013/12/06/a-letter-from-santa-to-your-child-with-food-allergies/

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Icing

I saved my favorite holiday cookies for last. I can't think of many things that go better together than chocolate and peppermint! I started making these before Cody came along and adapted them to make them allergy friendly.

You'll need crushed candy cane for this recipe. TruJoy Sweets makes a good one that is allergy friendly.

This will probably be my last post for the year. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

See you back here in 2014!

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free) and vegan.

Chocolate cookies with peppermint icing

Cookies
1 1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing
I use this recipe: "Best White Icing Ever"

Use peppermint extract instead of vanilla, and I used pomegranate juice instead of water to make the icing a little pink.

Crushed allergy friendly candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt.

In another bowl combine the shortening, applesauce and vanilla.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Roll dough into one inch balls, place on a prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake 8 -10 minutes.

Let cool completely and use a knife to spread the icing on each cookie.

Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Allergy Friendly Ginger Cookies

As promised here's another recipe for holiday treats. We all love these and Cody asks for them all the time!

The first time I made these, I had another one of my baking misadventures. I love using parchment paper. It makes baking so much easier. I use it to line baking sheets and to roll out dough, but this time I accidentally used wax paper instead of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Not good! I knew something was wrong when it smelled like the kitchen was on fire. I opened the oven and it was full of smoke. Luckily nothing was on fire, but it made for a smelly kitchen and most sad of all is that the cookies had to be tossed. The moral of the story is, don't confuse wax paper with parchment paper!

Enjoy!

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free) and vegan.

Ginger cookies

2 cups oat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh, grated ginger

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl mix the remaining ingredients.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. 

Place the dough on a surface with parchment or wax paper and roll out using a rolling pin.

Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.

Place on a prepared baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 min only. Don't overcook. These cookies will harden as they cool.

Let cool and decorate with the icing.

Here's the link to the recipe I use for "Best White Icing Ever".

To make drop cookies using maple syrup instead of sugar:

Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups

Replace sugar with maple syrup

Don't add water.

Combine ingredients and place spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet. 

Cook as directed above.

Allergy Friendly Caramel Apple Pie

Hi, I'm back!

I wore myself out with all of the Thanksgiving recipes, so I took a little break. Below is a picture of Cody at the table with our top 8 allergen free Thanksgiving meal. We had a great day and it made me feel good to know Cody could try everything I made, even if he didn't like it. :) 

I am just going to post a few recipes for holiday treats I wanted to try.

The first is apple pie. Apple pie is my husband 's favorite, so I wanted to come up with a good one. Plus I really wanted to use some of that great caramel I made and posted about earlier. He thinks this came out delicious and so do I. So far Cody will only try the topping. He didn't spit it out, so that's a good sign!

Enjoy!

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free) and vegan.

Caramel Apple Pie

Pie Crust

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chilled vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum Organic shortening)

4 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling

10 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons oat flour

1/2 cup caramel (click here for link to recipe and my substitutions for ingredients)

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup shortening 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Crust

In a food processor, combine the flours and salt until well blended.

Chop the chilled shortening into pieces, add to the food processor and blend until you have small clumps (like breadcrumbs).

Slowly add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until a ball starts to form.

Test by pinching some of the dough between you fingers. If it stays together it's ready.

Place the dough in the pie pan and use your fingertips to press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Filling

In a large pot combine the apples and other filling ingredients (except caramel). Stir until apples are coated.

Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Melt the caramel (if not already melted) in a small saucepan.

Stir caramel into the apple mixture.

Topping

Put all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just combined.

Pour apple filling into the pie crust and sprinkle topping over the apples.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 - 40 minutes until topping and crust are golden brown.

Thanksgiving Maple and Cider Turkey

Last but not least, the turkey!

We usually do a turkey brined and roasted with green chile, something my family has always done, but I decided to do something different this year that might be more to Cody's liking, assuming I can get him to try it!

To brine or not to brine? I say brine! I really think it makes all the difference in flavor, but be careful. Many brines have way too much salt and you also have to make sure you don't get a turkey that has already been brined. No one wants a salty turkey! I often cut the salt in brine recipes in half at least.

Here's a tasty and allergy friendly recipe for cider and maple brined and glaze turkey.

Enjoy! Good luck with your meal preparation and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah! 

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free).

Maple and Cider Turkey

Brine

4 cups apple cider

4 cups water

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 large onion, cut in large chunks

4 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 orange, sliced

1 tablespoon peppercorns 

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bunch fresh sage

1 star anise

Glaze

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup veggie broth

Salt and black pepper 

Brine

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. 

Stir while simmering until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Rinse turkey, place it in a large stockpot and pour in the brine. Add water and cider, if necessary, to cover the turkey.

Let the turkey brine overnight.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. 

Rub olive oil over the turkey and, since I am not a turkey cooking expert, click here for cooking directions.

Glaze

Combine the maple syrup, cider and broth in a sauce pan. 

Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about half.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Baste turkey periodically during the last hour of cooking.

Allergy Friendly Stuffing

I love that Thanksgiving is full of traditions. We use recipes that have been in my family and my husband's family for years and ones that are becoming our own new traditions.

This is another recipe from my husband's family, adjusted to make it allergy friendly.

I used three types of bread in this. My homemade oat and potato bread, millet bread and oatmeal bread. This is much better if the bread is hard. Leave it out for a day, or toast the diced bread in the oven for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free) and vegan (if you omit the ground beef).

Stuffing

1 loaf of bread (use bread that works for your allergy set), diced or torn into small pieces.
1/2 lb. ground beef (omit to make this vegan)
One onion, diced
Two stalks of celery, sliced
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups vegetable broth (click here for recipe)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put the bread pieces in a baking dish.
In a large skillet cook the ground beef until cooked through.
Add the onions and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft and the meat  is browned.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the meat and vegetable mixture, cranberries/raisins, chopped herbs and broth to the bread in the baking dish.
Add some more salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
Bake, covered, for 45 min.
Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover and cook for about 5-10 minutes more until the top is browned.

Allergy Friendly Green Bean Casserole

It's a Thanksgiving staple. Some love it and some hate it. If you didn't like it before, give this one a try. It tastes so much better made from scratch and without those canned, fried onions I always thought tasted weird.

My husband doesn't like mushrooms (sad for me because I love them!), so I left those out and I added a cup of peas and shredded carrots. Peas and carrots are Cody's favorite foods and I think he's more likely to try it with those in it. I can't believe I use peas to try to get him to eat things. I'm sure one day he will hate peas, so I'll enjoy it while I can!

Enjoy!

This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens (egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, fish-free and shellfish-free) and vegan.

Green bean casserole

Fried shallots

Vegetable oil for frying (be sure to use a high heat oil like sunflower oil)

2 large shallots, thinly sliced into rings

1/4 cup oat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Green beans and sauce

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces

2 large shallots, diced

1 cup diced mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons oat flour 

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup oat milk (or other dairy free milk you like)

Salt and black pepper

Fried shallots

Combine the flour, salt, paprika and pepper in a bowl.

Toss the the shallots in the flour mixture until well coated.

In a heavy pan suitable for frying, heat a few inches of oil over medium high heat to 350 degrees.

Add the shallots, but be sure not to crowd them. You may have to do more than one batch.

Fry until golden brown, about a minute.

Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Green beans and sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the green beans and cook to desired tenderness, about 5-7 minutes.

Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to stop cooking and retain the color. 

Drain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook until just softened about 4-5 minutes. 

Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes or until they start to release some of their liquid.

Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and stir in the green beans.

Top with the fried shallots and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, until bubbly.