Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
If you’re looking for a great vegan Gluten-Free flour tortilla recipe, that doesn’t crack, with great wholesome flavor, then look no further! These also freeze really well, so make up a big batch, freeze the extra, and defrost on demand with 20 seconds in the microwave.
Also, just a reminder that I’ll be teaching “Comfort Foods to Warm Your Soul” on Saturday at the Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo in Chicago, and signing copies of The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook, both Saturday and Sunday at the Vendor Fair. See here for more info, and come take my class! Learn how to whip up Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free Red Velvet Cake and Old-Fashioned Mac n’ Cheese!
Allergy Free Roasted Asparagus Soup
Today’s recipe for Allergy-Free Roasted Asparagus Soup marks the beginning of a series of recipes I’ll be posting over the next several weeks, to help make it easier to celebrate an allergy-free Easter and Passover.
Springtime to me means merging the best of my varying culinary background. With a mother of Roman Catholic and Protestant decent and a Jewish father, I grew up celebrating both Christian and Jewish holidays. To complicate matters further, my father is half Ashkenazi (Jews of Central, Northwestern and/or Eastern European descent) and half Sephardic (Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent). This hybridized childhood strongly influences my cooking today. You will find that the following series of recipes are suitable for either Easter or Passover dinner. Plus, they take advantage of seasonal farm-fresh ingredients to guarantee a healthy, wholesome allergy-free spin on your favorite old-fashioned standards.
Allergy Free Sopa de Lima (Mexican Lime Soup)
Allergy-Free Sopa de Lima (Mexican Lime Soup)
Sometimes the challenge of eating allergy-friendly and gluten-free is all about making smart choices. You begin to look at certain types of cuisine with a fresh eye because they just might be naturally free of certain allergens. For example, Mexican food relies heavily on the gluten-free grain corn. So it’s a pretty safe bet that you can find traditional recipes that are already gluten-free. This lovely Mexican chicken soup derives from the Yucatan, and is naturally allergy-friendly. If you choose your chicken stock wisely, it’s also easily gluten-free.
If you are allergic to corn, but can eat gluten, instead of corn tortillas, swap out regular flour tortillas. And if you can’t eat either, well then, try my recipe for gluten-free (corn-free) tortillas, here.
Rice Milk Ranch Dressing
Rice Milk Ranch Dressing (Allergy-Free and Vegan too!)
First order of business, to see the winner of the Free For All Cooking cookbook giveaway, please see the video drawing here: Free For All Cooking Giveaway. Thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm! Congrats to the winner!
Now, on to the food! Is your kid a dunker or a dipper? Do veggies need to be disguised as the vehicle by which the dip or dressing is transported to the mouth? Then this Allergy-Free Gluten-Free Ranch Dressing is the perfect ruse for you!
Allergy Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Allergy-Free Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
It’s cold out, even by Los Angeles standards. So I’ve been thinking a lot about soup. This week, I was drawn by the lure of “mock” cheddar. That’s right  Mock Cheddar.  If you haven’t already heard, there’s a new kid in town, by the name of Daiya, and it’s changing the face of dairy-free living.
Daiya is a new dairy-free, vegan, soy-free cheese product that has revolutionized the way I think about pizza, pasta, and in this case, cheese soup. Daiya’s greatest strength is that it melts, just like normal cheese, which up till now has been virtually impossible with vegan cheeses. I chose to whip up an Allergen-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup, to see how this new product would perform when it was required to not only melt, but to disappear into the soup completely. Suffice it to say, it rose to the challenge, and then some.
Allergy Free Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes
Delicious, Allergen-Free Turkey Day
On Thanksgiving, we gather and we eat for upwards of four hours, all the way from pre-dinner snacks to post-dessert dessert. But a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is literally one of the most allergen-laden meals possible.Whether this is your first allergen-free Thanksgiving or your twentieth, the following tips will help make it festive, mouthwateringly delicious, and safe.
Talking Turkey:
Did you know that many fresh and frozen turkeys contain hidden allergens? Most conventional, “self-basted” turkeys have been injected with butter, water and salt, and may also contain gluten. If you’re going to go the conventional turkey route, always verify ingredients with the manufacturer before purchasing. A safer option is a “Natural” turkey, which hasn’t been treated with any artificial colors or flavor enhancing ingredients. Look for “Organic” natural turkeys at websites like Local Harvest, or stores like Whole Foods.
Another good option: natural “Kosher” turkey. Guaranteed to have no dairy injected, the benefit of a Kosher turkey is that it has already been salted, and thus doesn’t need brining. I recommend Empire, the taste test winner selected by Cook’s Illustrated Magazine. Empire turkeys are also gluten-free. If you’re a die-hard foodie, take the adventurous (albeit, most expensive) route and look for a “Heritage” turkey, which is one of the pre-World War II breeds of turkey, like Narragansett and Bourbon Red. Slow Food has a great listing of independent farmers raising Heritage turkeys, state by state. Looking for something similar to what our forefathers might have eaten? Save yourself the hunt, check out D’Artagnan, to purchase a wild bird.
Last, to keep your turkey allergen-free, baste with olive oil. There is no need for butter, and in fact I prefer turkey with olive oil.
Savory Side Dishes:
Make baked sweet potato and potato dishes using canola oil instead of butter, and orange juice or rice milk instead of milk or cream. I prefer yams/sweet potatoes without marshmallows, but if like them, look for Allerenergy marshmallows, or try vegan brands like VeganSweets, made without eggs or gelatin, but be forewarned that they contain the allergen SOY. Instead of plain rice, mix and match with old world gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, brown rice, wild rice, and buckwheat. All of these combine well with legumes like lentils or chickpeas, and are wonderful when enhanced with fresh herbs like thyme and sage. Dip into the plentiful array of winter squash available this time of year–not just butternut and acorn, but delicata, red kuri, and sweet dumplings.
Gravy can be made with olive oil instead of butter, and alternate flours, such as brown rice flour for thickening, instead of traditional wheat flour. See my recipe for Allergy-Friendly Gravy below.
Try making roast brussel sprouts this year instead of drenching them in butter or hollandaise sauce. To roast, cook at 450 degrees on a baking tray, tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper, for 25 minutes, shaking once or twice until a crispy golden brown on the outside, and tender on the inside.
For cranberry sauce, omit walnuts (tree nuts), and use thinly sliced tangerines or mandarin oranges, keeping the rind on, to add texture and color.
For Pie, check out my cookbook, The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook for any number of wonderful allergen-free pie, crumble, and crisp recipes, from Pumpkin Pie, to Apple Cranberry Pie. Or see my new Allergy-Friendly Sweet Potato Pie recipe.
Remember: if you’re only doing a few allergen-free dishes rather than a whole allergy-friendly meal, be aware of cross contamination and cross contact while cooking and serving. Consider labeling dishes with ingredient cards. If the meal is going to be served buffet-style, serve the food allergic person first to avoid cross contamination.
Allergy-Friendly (Gluten-Free) Cornbread and Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Serves 4-6.
This stuffing can be made vegan or non-vegan, depending on personal preference. Either way, it is rich-tasting, exotic, healthy, and delicious.
- 3 cups allergen-free cornbread (my recipe follows), preferably stale so it’s dried out a bit
- 1/2 cup diced nitrite-free pancetta (optional, omit if making vegan — otherwise, look for artisanal brands at stores like Whole Foods)
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 5 large shallots (both halves), minced fine
- 2 large stalks celery, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. wild mushrooms (I like shiitake, but you could also use chanterelles or morels, quartered, or cut into eighths if very large)
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup rice milk
- 1/3 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if making vegan — Kitchen Basics is Allergen-Free
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cornbread into 1-inch-thick slices and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and dried out a bit, about 10-15 minutes, turning the slices once. Keep a close eye on it, because you don’t want it to burn. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once pan is really hot, add the pancetta and cook until crispy.Remove pancetta from pan and set aside. (Skip this step if making vegan).
3. Add olive oil to skillet, then shallots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, about 4 minutes. Add white wine and cook, stirring until it’s been absorbed, about 1 or 2 minutes. Add rice milk and cook about 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat.
4. Crumble the cornbread and measure out 3 heaping cups. Add to the pan. Add the crispy pancetta bits (if using). Toss gently. Oil a 9×13-inch pan (or whatever you’ve got that’s comparable) with olive oil. Spoon in the stuffing and drizzle with chicken broth or vegetable broth. Bake at 350 degrees until crusty and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Allergy-Friendly Cornbread and Wild Mushroom Stuffing
© 2010 by Cybele Pascal
Allergy-Friendly (Gluten-Free) Skillet Cornbread
Serves 8
Cooking cornbread in a hot cast iron skillet gives it that coveted crust on the outside. This cornbread tastes just like my Southern grandmothers’, but it’s vegan, allergen-free, and gluten-free! Make it for the holidays, or any old time!
- 1 cup King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour, or Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend, or my Basic Gluten-free Flour Mix )
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups rice milk
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. honey
- 3 tsp. Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 4 Tbsp. rice milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat the pan, along with your oven, this will give you a nice crust. I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet (the traditional way), but you may also use a similarly sized baking pan, square or round, it doesn’t matter.
2. Combine flour mix, cornmeal, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. Combine rice milk, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk well. Set aside for 10 minutes. Combine egg replacer with rice milk. Add rice milk/lemon juice mixture to flour mixture, along with egg replacer and canola oil. Beat until smooth.
4. Remove hot pan from oven and quickly spray with canola oil spray or other oil of choice. Pour in batter and set pan in center of oven. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn heat down to 300 degrees and bake another 10 minutes or so until set in the center. Remove from oven. Let cool about 15 minutes before slicing into squares or pie-shaped wedges.
Allergy-Friendly Skillet Cornbread
© 2010 by Cybele Pascal
Allergy-Friendly (Gluten-Free) Creamy Gravy
Makes 1 1/4 cups
Gravy is one of those things that everybody loves. Even the thought of gravy can make you smile. In fact, the term gravy, in slang, means happiness, stable goodness, and a state of complacency.Gravy also means cool, okay, and all good, as in “It’s all gravy, baby”. If something is better than gravy, it’s gravy on eggos or gravy on rice. Who doesn’t want some of that coolness poured onto their plate?
But beloved gravy is also highly allergenic. Yup, it’s loaded with no-nos for those with food allergies. Butter (dairy), wheat (gluten), and cream/milk (dairy again). It’s also often chock-full of soy derivatives.So I took on the challenge to convert beloved gravy into something allergy-friendly. Just pour this yummy goodness over rice, potatoes, turkey breast, or do like me, and eat it with a spoon!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 14 cup fine brown rice flour
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- pinch of dried thyme
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup warm beef (or chicken or turkey) broth or stock (Kitchen Basics is allergy-friendly)
- 1/2 cup warm rice milk
1. Heat canola oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add brown rice flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes, until golden and aromatic.
3. Add onion powder, pinch of thyme, pinch of cayenne pepper, pinch of salt, and a couple turns of freshly ground pepper. Cook about 1 minute more, stirring.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Using a whisk, whisk in the warm beef broth, in three batches. Whisk vigorously, to smooth out any lumps. Add warm rice milk, whisking, and bring to a simmer. Cook stirring often, until thick and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Allergy-Friendly, Gluten-Free Creamy Gravy
© 2010 by Cybele Pascal
(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)
SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns beforeconsumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.
Allergy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
Allergy-Friendly Cream of Mushroom Soup (no dairy, eggs, gluten, or soy)
A few months ago, a reader asked me to come up with an allergen-free version of her favorite baked casserole, which was dependant on Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. I told her to sit tight, I’d get to it, and made a mental note to come up with a substitute for condensed soup. So when “alleycat” challenged me to come up with Cream of Mushroom Soup on my Food Allergy Recipe Challenge over at Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily, I jumped at the opportunity to work on two requests at once.
I guess I bargained that on some subconscious level, I’d been working on the recipe for several months already. Thankfully, I was right, and the soup is truly delicious. The challenge here was to replicate the creaminess of cream (and oftentimes, egg yolks) that cream of mushroom soup is dependent upon. Also, I needed to find an alternative to all-purpose wheat flour, which is the traditional thickening agent. Luckily, tapioca starch/flour is a great gluten-free thickener, and quick-cooking tapioca can create the richness, and texture of the cream and eggs. I left this recipe kid-friendly in flavor, but if you like, feel free to top off each bowl with a Tablespoon of dry sherry, and a sprig of fresh thyme. (more…)
Allergen Free Gluten Free Pasta with Roast Cherry Tomatoes Grilled Chicken and Nut Free Pesto
Allergen-free, Gluten-Free Pasta with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Chicken, and Nut-Free Pesto
Summer is the season for tomatoes and basil! But with pesto usually off-limits for people with food allergies — it traditionally contains tree nuts and dairy — I set about creating an allergen-free version of the original. The sweet and tangy roast cherry tomatoes are the perfect compliment to the earthy flavor of the basil, and the smokiness of the grilled chicken. As an added bonus, I’ve used hemp seeds in place of the traditional pine nuts or walnuts, boosting protein and omega 3 essential fatty acids. Upon tasting this recipe, my son Monte asked, “Can I have this for lunch tomorrow too?” There is no greater compliment.
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 1/3 cup shelled hemp seeds (Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds are allergen-free)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup gluten-free bread-crumbs (I like Hol-Grain for this recipe, they’re very fine and made from rice)
Roasted Tomatoes:
- 1 lb. cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh ground pepper
Grilled Chicken:
- 1 lb. chicken breast (if you’re short on time, buy it pre-grilled)
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1 lb. rice or corn-quinoa penne or spirals or shells
- 6-8 large basil leaves to garnish
♥♥♥
Place hemp seeds in food processor and grind to a fine meal. Add garlic and puree. Add basil, and blend till finely chopped. Pour in extra virgin olive oil, a little at a time, till pesto is nice and smooth. Add salt and gluten-free bread crumbs. Combine thoroughly and set aside. (This can be made in advance. Makes 1 heaping cup.)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cover a baking tray with aluminum foil, scatter tomatoes on it, drizzle with 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss till all the tomatoes are coated.
Roast until tomatoes collapse in on themselves, about 30 minutes (it will be less if the tomatoes are really tiny).
Put water on to boil, and cook pasta according to instructions on packet.
Pound the chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper with a meat mallet till it is 1/2-inch thick. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill over high heat about 3 minutes per side. Dice into 1-inch peices.
Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to coat in a large pasta bowl. Add the pesto and chicken. Toss. Add the roasted tomatoes and gently toss one more time. Scatter 6-8 basil leaves over top. MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Allergen-Free, Gluten-Free Pasta with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Chicken, and Nut-Free Pesto © 2010 by Cybele Pascal
(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)
SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns before consumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.
Dairy Free Fish Chowder
I’m allergic to shellfish. This is somewhat tragic, as I come from Wellfleet, MA, home of the world famous Wellfleet Oyster. That’s right, I’m originally a “Wellfleetian”.
When I was a kid, I could eat shellfish, but at some point, in my 20s, I became allergic to most types of shellfish. I first discovered this while out to dinner with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, Adam, at an Italian restaurant in the East Village in NY. I ordered a spicy seafood/shellfish soup, and promptly broke out in total body hives.
I am also allergic to several types of fish. I am allergic to Halibut, Trout, and to a lesser extent, Salmon. That I know of. I say “that I know of”, because you never know when you might have developed a new allergy when you are a food allergic individual. Always proceed with caution. What I do know, however, is that so far, I can still eat Cod, Haddock, Flounder, Tuna, Bluefish, Mahi Mahi, Anchovies, and Sardines.
And this is where I say, “DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, FOLKS!” If you have shellfish or fish allergies, don’t go trying this recipe willy-nilly without guidance from your allergist. I know, through a lot of trial and error, that there are certain fish that I don’t have a reaction to. For whatever reason, I’m allergic to the trout/salmon family’s protein, but not the protein in cod and haddock, etc. I know this from many years of very careful experimentation, always with an epi-pen nearby.
I really hate to exclude anyone in the Food Allergy Community with one of my recipes, so forgive me, fish allergic people. This following recipe is not for you. And I never do this. I have a mandate to write recipes that exclude ALL THE TOP FOOD ALLERGENS responsible for 90% of food allergies. This one just slipped through the cracks, for once. But I have a reason… let me tell you why….
I am sitting here on Cape Cod, and I am reading the news. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has now made it to Texas. It is forecast to travel up the entire east coast of the US as a kind of plume, whipping through the Atlantic Ocean. And killing our fish. The fishing community, here on Cape Cod, (and everywhere else, I’m sure) are literally overwhelmed with sadness and fear. We don’t know if we’ll still have fish in our waters next summer. And so, people are eating as much locally sourced, still-healthy seafood as possible. To go out in style, so to speak. And I, who usually forgo it, am also giving it a last hurrah. I hope they’re wrong in their projections about where that oil plume will travel, but if they’re not, I don’t ever want to think that I missed the last summer that we still had lovely safe Cod, on Cape Cod.
GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, SOY-FREE FISH CHOWDER
This recipe is really an Ode to the lovely fish of Cape Cod. May they continue to swim in good health! Makes 8 Servings
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
- 3 large stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- big pinch of dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato, skin on, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 ear of fresh corn
- 8 peppercorns
- 8 cups fish stock (Kitchen Basics “Seafood Stock” is Shellfish-Free and Gluten-Free; see their allergen-statement)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 cups leftover cooked Cod Fish, and/or Haddock, and/or Flounder, flaked or cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, or rice milk (or heavy cream, if you can eat dairy)
- pinch of saffron
- gluten-free toast spears (optional)
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes, until onions have softened a bit. Add celery and carrots, cooking a few minutes more, until starting to soften. Add thyme, parsley, bay leaves, cayenne, and cook stirring until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium-high heat, and add white wine. Cook stirring, about 3 minutes, until reduced slightly. Add cubed potato, stirring to combine. Cut corn kernels off of cobs and add to pot. Add peppercorns. Cover all with fish stock, add salt, and few grindings of fresh pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Crumble in the saffron. Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, until potato is softened. Add bell pepper, and fish, stirring gently to combine. Simmer about 15 minutes, until bell pepper is tender. Taste broth, and adjust salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste.
3. Add coconut milk (or rice milk, or heavy cream), and heat through until piping hot, without letting it boil. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a couple of gluten-free toast spears, if you like. This soup is even more delicious day two, so don’t fret the leftovers!
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Fish Chowder © 2010 by Cybele Pascal
For a great dessert to follow this recipe, Check out my new recipe for GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDING
SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns before consumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.