Family Food for Feast and Feria - wheat_egg_and_dairy_free

A Problem Solved!

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:23:17 -0400

One of our staples in our wheat free pantry is Tinkyada Rice Pasta. We use it to replace all pasta, noodles, spaghetti, etc. It was an easy transition, and we all enjoy the pasta at our meals. I try to make extra for lunches or dinners for my son, particularly if we are out or traveling. I usually make a whole bag, which can last for two dinner meals and extra lunches.

I follow the package directions for cooking. I drain and rinse the pasta well (otherwise it just sticks together). After that I add vegetable oil or Smart Balance margarine. I reheat the noodles briefly in the microwave before serving (if I'm serving alone as a side dish -- rinsing makes them cold).

The problem is leftovers. Rice pasta doesn't always reheat well. It can get hard and not palatable. But this week I made a discovery that will revolutionize our leftover pasta dilemma! (Those who do not use a microwave can just skip this entry.) Perhaps we're the only family with this problem, but the problem is solved.

On Thursday I was reheating a half batch of noodles I had made on Monday. They were cold and hard. My first attempt at just heating them for a minute in the microwave warmed them, but did not soften then. But then I added some canned chicken stock, just a tablespoon or two to the noodles, heated for a minute or two and eureka! Soft palatable noodles, like they were just cooked. Water might work, but the chicken stock added a touch of flavor.

For a smaller batch, like an individual serving for my son's lunch, I'll cover the dish with a dampened paper towel and reheat for about 30 seconds to refresh the noodles. When you don't do sandwiches, you have to come up with some tasty carb alternatives.

Easter Ham

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:34:37 -0400

Christ is risen, Alleluia! He is risen, indeed, Alleluia!

My mother hosted our Easter family celebration this year. For the main meal, she decided to have roast beef and ham, and I offered to bring the ham and bake it for her. I think I've mentioned this before, but many glazes on hams have allergens, particularly wheat. Some hams have injected juices, so it's important to read labels before buying ham.

I bought one at Costco. I follow the reheating instructions, 325 degrees at 8 minutes per pound, but I do not use the glaze packet, instead I follow the recipe from the old version of Joy of Cooking for Spirit Glaze for Ham. This is really taste, keeps the ham moist, and is my family's favorite. When serving dinner, the question came "Is this Jenn's ham? Allright!"

Spirit Glaze for Ham

1/2 to 1 cup dry red wine
1/2 to 1 cup bourbon whiskey (I use Maker's Mark)
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar
6 bruised cloves
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan until sugar is melted. Pour over the ham and baste throughout the cooking cycle, about every 15 minutes.

The best thing about ham is that it can do double or triple duty for meals. So this ham was part of our Easter feast on Sunday, then a repeat meal on Easter Monday at home. On Wednesday we had Red Beans and Rice, one of my favorites.

Good Friday Meal

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:05:00 -0400

I ran into some friends (a married couple) one Friday this Lent and we started discussing what kinds of meatless meals we served in the family. Usually a Friday meant tunafish, either tuna salad or tunafish casserole (with rice, not noodles). The husband is Italian, and his family grew up with beans and rice for Friday meals...but not the Louisiana Red Beans and Rice that I love to make, but an Italian version. I pestered for a recipe of sorts and made it this Good Friday.

Italian Rice and Beans

Marinara sauce (I followed Giada's without the carrots
Cannellini Beans (canned is an option)
Rice

First you make the marinara sauce, let it simmer, then add cannellini or any other beans. If using canned, make sure you drain and rinse the beans well. Add some water or stock and let it simmer up to an hour. Season to taste as you go along. Don't let it become too thick, add some liquid periodically.

Cook the rice separately (I use short grain), until it is about done, or al dente. Add the rice to the bean and tomato mixture. The rice will absorb the sauce so add near the end, close to serving.

This was so tasty. My only change would be to use dried beans instead of canned...or find another brand. The beans were a bit mealy, and I like them to be a bit firmer. But I know dried would require some extra steps and time.

Safe Corn Bread

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:00:00 -0500

I've mentioned before that because my son is allergic to wheat, eggs and milk, baking is one of the more difficult areas to find just the right combinations. If you're used to having breads with your meals, imagine how hard it would be without them.

My son calls it "special bread" and always loves it when I make something he can have. Recently I tried making these Basic Biscuits again. He was so excited...and then so disappointed. They just weren't any good. He was so polite and just simply said "I don't like these, Mommy." I felt so bad that I couldn't make something tasty for him.

A few days later, he came in to the office. "I'm sorry, I still don't like them, Mommy." I had some leftover biscuits in a plastic bag on the counter and he tasted them again. He later told Daddy at the table "I really wanted to like them!"

I was so happy that the next batch of "special bread" I made for him had better success. I have already posted this recipe as a side dish with Red Beans and Rice. The original recipe was from my Aunt Cathey, and a family favorite when I was growing up. I've tweaked the flour combinations again and liked this result in the muffins much better. And so did my son!

Cathey's Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal (white or yellow)
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 cup soy milk or rice milk
1 Tbsp Egg Replacer with warm water
1 tsp. xanthum gum
1/2 tsp. soy lecithin
Safe margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (for glass pan, 450 for others). Grease a 9x9x2 pan or 12 muffin tins. Mix all ingredients except unmelted margarine until all lumps are removed. Do not overmix. Pour into greased pan or muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees about 20-25 minutes. Melt margarine on top after removing from oven.

Makes 12 muffins.

(When doubling only use 6 teaspoons baking powder.)

Chicken Piccata

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:25:15 -0500

One cooking area that I'm still trying to find the right substitute flour is breading, especially chicken breasts. A few of our regular recipes before the allergy diagnosis included this step, and pounded, breaded cutlets do make for moister chicken breasts. Some of my other attempts have just made the coating soggy, or didn't even stick to the chicken. But for this recipe, I found a good combination. It coated the breasts well, it browned, and kept the chicken moist. It's not a crispy outside, but much better than my other attempts. My husband declared it delicious and a keeper...so into the files it goes for rotation.

A random fact about me -- I'm mad for artichokes. I love artichokes, and anything cooked with artichokes. Some evenings I just get a taste to serve them and scrounge to find a recipe. So last week I found this original recipe from Robin Miller and adapted it for our allergy needs. With the artichokes, capers (dh loves) and the lemon, it's a tangy, tasty meal. I made regular brown rice cooked in chicken stock. Next time I make this meal, I will serve brown rice pasta, such as spaghetti.

Chicken Piccata with Lemon, Capers and Artichoke Hearts

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup drained capers

Place chicken in zip-top bags and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until 1/4-inch thick. Remove chicken from bag and season all over with salt and black pepper. In a shallow dish (or plastic bag), combine sweet rice flour, corn starch lemon zest, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat. Remove chicken from flour mixture and shake off excess flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add lemon juice, wine and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Add artichoke hearts and capers and simmer 1 minute to heat through. (I had to keep on the stove a bit longer until dh came home, but that just made the sauce thicker. It didn't overcook the breasts.)

Roast Chicken

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:40:00 -0400

When I placed the roast chicken on the table last night, dh declared "Wow, this looks like it should be in the pages of a food magazine, it looks that good!" With that kind of praise, I thought I would share the recipe. It's from the book Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even If You Don't Know How by Leanne Ely. Last week I reviewed the book.

Roasting is an area I'm learning. Or rather "relearning." "Roast Chicken" conjures images hovering around the oven, basting juices and the results are dry overcooked meat. Leanne Ely turns those ideas on their head. She says:

I don't recommend basting. Ever. There is no earthly good reason to baste anything. Basting steals the heat, doesn't improve the flavor, and causes you to cook something longer than you should.

And after different trials, I would have to agree with her. I made this recipe last night, with only a few minor changes. First of all, I didn't make the gravy. I think dh would be in heaven if I would start making real gravy, but I'm an au jus type of gal. If wheat was allowed in our diet, I think I would be more willing to try, but I'm just not ready to embark on the allergy-free gravy test. I have a few other things to trial first.

Secondly, I didn't use a roasting chicken. I used what was organic and on sale, and that was a fryer, I believe.

Thirdly, I drizzled a bit of olive oil before putting it in the oven, and I added some white wine to the pan towards the end of the cooking process for a flavorful gravy without the fuss.

So, now I can make a hands-free delicious roast chicken. Skin comes out a little crispy, just the way dh likes it.

Fabulous Roasting Chicken

1 roasting chicken (5-6 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
1 celery stalk, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper (I used Lawry's Salt)
Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse and pat dry chicken, putting aside the chicken neck.

Place celery stalk, onion, and carrot into the chicken cavity; place chicken in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. (I used a Pampered Chef Stoneware casserole pan, which worked marvelously.) Depending on the size of the bird, it should take about 1 1/2 hours to roast. When the chicken is down, the leg will move easily in the socket. (I use a digital thermometer which also saves the oven heat and my worrying as to whether it is cooked.)

Gravy (optional)

chicken neck
1 carrot
1 celery stalk, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup water

While the chicken is cooking, place chicken neck and vegetables in a 2 quart stockpot. Cover with water and cook on low for 30 to 45 minutes to make additional stock for the gravy. Set aside.

Remove the bird from the roaster and keep warm. Pour the cooking juices out of the roast and into a bowl to cool. You can speed this process by putting the juice in the fridge or freezer; the fat will glob up on the top and then you can skim this nasty stuff off and throw it away. Return the de-fatted pan drippings to the roasting pan.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the flour and water into a smooth paste.

Heat the cooking juices, then add the neck stock and the flour-water paste. Using a wire whisk, whisk over a fairly high heat until mixture starts to look like gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a gravy boat. (Come to think of it, I don't even own a gravy boat!)

Birthday Party (And Cake) Success

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:55:00 -0400

Finally! I'm happy to report on our successful Birthday weekend. Thank you to all that have followed my whining posts about testing and finding a decent birthday cake recipe that is free of wheat, eggs and dairy and tastes semi-acceptable...and my birthday cake Trials 1 and 2. Thanks for the love, support, and recipes that you have given!

My son turned 3 on Friday. Dh and I spent the day with him, and I did a small (trial cake #3) cake for that day for just the immediate family. After all, you have to blow out candles on the actual day, right? This was a yellow layer cake, made with the combo of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch and xanthum gum as the flour mix, and Egg Replacer. It actually passed the DH Taste Test, although we had to laugh at the rubbery texture to cut into the cake. The texture was fine to eat, but it was hard to even cut it with a fork. But I used this recipe for the Birthday party, also.

On Sunday was his extended family birthday party. It was a party of 17, with 7 of his cousins that live nearby. One family couldn't make it, or the number would have been 23. Because it was my son's party, I strove to make everything allergy and kid friendly. There were only two things my son couldn't eat, but he usually chooses not to, anyway.

Birthday Party Menu:

Appetizers:
Tortilla chips and salsa and hummus
Potato Chips and dip (This was based in sour cream, so he couldn't eat it. I could have made it with Tofutti sour cream replacement, but since ds isn't interested in it, I didn't bother.)
Raw veggies: carrots, last of the garden cherry tomatoes and celery sticks

Dinner:
Chicken in Beer. I used the broiler, and used a variety of chicken parts.
Mashed potatoes--margarine, chicken stock, salt, pepper and garlic powder to add to the potatoes for flavor. I didn't use enough salt this time, but otherwise okay.
Broccoli Salad -- I used the recipe from my mother-in-law, although less sugar and raisins. I couldn't find an egg-free mayo, so this wasn't safe for ds.

Dessert:
Birthday Cake
Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies .
Popsicles (although I forgot to serve them)

The goodie bags were filled with safe candy: Skittles, Nerds and lollipops.

The cake was a huge success. I pulled out my decorating tools and did a quick job, a bit rusty, but it was a big hit. I haven't decorated a cake for two years. I hung up my decorator's hat after my son's 1st birthday party and his (then) new allergy diagnosis. I'm so happy to have found safe and tasty alternatives and now know that he can still have pretty cakes. I'll get to practice some more.

All the stress over finding the right cake recipe, I found out what my son really wanted was the icing. He's the icing monster. So going the extra step making the frosting and decorating the cake was exactly what he wanted. This cake was less rubbery in texture than Friday's, so it was the best by far. The cake is sweet, and combined with the frosting, it's VERY sweet. It's dense in texture, but moist.

Yellow Birthday Cake

4 Tbsp. Egg Replacer
7 Tbsp. warm to hot water
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup white rice flour
1 tsp. Xanthum gum
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or shortening (I used Earth Balance Margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla (I used Cook's vanilla, which has no alcohol)
1 cup rice drink
4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (with safe flour) 2 round 8" cake pans.

In mixer, add the Egg Replacer and warm water and whip until fluffy. Set aside. Meanwhile, sift all dry ingredients except baking powder.

Cream margarine, sugar, and vanilla. Add rice drink and sifted dry ingredients except baking powder and mix well. Mix in baking powder until blended, but don't overmix at this point. Fold in the whipped Egg Replacer.

Divide batter into half and spoon into pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and cake bounces back after touching middle. It will not brown, but be light in color.

Batter can also be used to make cupcakes, cooking for less time, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove when done, cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Then remove and place on racks to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting
To avoid hydrogenated oils, I used Earth Balance margarine and Earth Balance or Spectrum Shortening.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup shortening
2 tsp. vanilla
soy or rice milk (small amounts)
2 pounded powdered sugar
pinch salt

Cream margarine, shortening, vanilla and salt. Slowly add in powdered sugar, beating slowly with mixer. Add in milk in small splashes until reach desired consistency.

Set small amounts aside for coloring and decorating and ice cake with remainder of frosting.

Next hurdle: Allergy Free Speculaas cookies for St. Nicholas Day and safe cookie frosting.

Postscript to Mary's Birthday

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:05:00 -0400

Otherwise known as Birthday Cake Trial Number 1.

I've asked my son what he wants for his birthday. "Ribbons. Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing (inspiration from Chrysanthemum). Lots of frosting."

When the cake is so important to the celebration, I have to keep trialing.

I made a visit to our local health food store and got a few ingredients to try different recipes. I also found a cake mix from Cherry Brook Kitchens. It's Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Peanut, Egg and Nut Free. The ingredients completely reflect a simple cake recipe, no preservatives or chemicals, but just a quick way to make a cake. All the ingredients that you need for gluten free and egg free baking takes a while to measure and sift. I was thrilled, and thought that would be our first trial. I made the chocolate cake mix for Mary's Birthday. It was just one layer, and I used a simple cake decorating buttercream icing (but no butter used). These proportions cover just one layer cake.

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1-2 Tbsp rice or soy milk
dash almond extract or liqueur of some flavor

Beat all ingredients together until creamy. If too liquidy, add more sugar. If too thick, add more milk

I didn't have time to make a beautiful picture -- my son was eager to get into the frosting. So just simple candles in the shape of an "M". We lit the candles, sang "Happy Birthday" and "Immaculate Mary" to Mary and cut the cake.

The Verdict? Deep chocolate taste, but dry. Not crumbly, but dry like sticks-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth-dry. But not inedible. In a pinch I'd do it again. I was wondering if I could doctor the cake mix like I do other mixes -- sour cream, pudding, chocolate chips, etc. (all those would be dairy free).

The frosting was good. At least to ds. It turns out, ds doesn't seem to LIKE chocolate cake. I think he wants yellow or vanilla. Back to the drawing board.

Everything's Coming Up...Tomatoes!

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 19:10:00 -0400

I posted for the Loveliness Fair of Elegant Simplicity in the Kitchen a picture of a basket of our homegrown tomatoes.

I, for one, never tire of fresh tomatoes. For dh and me, the tomatoes are the reward for the work in the garden. It's the treat of summer.

But what do you do with all those tomatoes?

Even though our garden is producing many tomatoes, I don't think it's enough. ;-) What I mean is it's perfect for daily eating, but I don't have enough to do canning or freezing yet...nor have I tried that. We eat too many to get enough to make a large batch of sauce. Did I mention that we LOVE tomatoes?

Inspired by Donna Marie's upcoming Carnival of Yum I want to share our summer tomato treats. Keep in mind that we avoid wheat, eggs and dairy, so that limits our combinations.

Sliced tomatoes: The easiest and tastiest way to serve a ripe, homegrown tomato is to simply slice and serve.

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: I like to have eggs in the morning, and a nice change was scrambling eggs with chopped tomatoes. Add green onions and garlic (either a dash of garlic powder for a hint of taste or small amount of minced garlic) and keep stirring until eggs are cooked. One could do an omelette, but I like the scrambled eggs better.

Eggs in Purgatory is another way to use tomatoes with eggs. This could be breakfast or a meatless meal. I omit the cheese.
4 large tomatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 to 8 eggs
salt and pepper
3/4 cup (3 oz.) Jack cheese, shredded
Fresh parsley, chopped

Cut tomatoes into cubes and drain in a colander for several minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 10" to 11" frying pan, over high heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring until they are soft and juices have evaporated. Add tomatoes and stir to heat thoroughly.

With a spoon, make 6 or 8 nest spaces and break an egg into each space. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover evenly with cheese. Cover pan and cook on low heat until eggs are set as you like. Garnish with parsley. (Source: Sunshine Italian Cookbook, 1981)

Different Versions of Marinated Tomatoes: The cherry tomatoes are perfect to serve alone. I cut them in half and marinate them in various ways:

This version was my paternal grandmother's recipe:

Marinated Tomatoes
tomatoes, sliced or chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 clove garlic, cut real fine

Serve it just as is. The earlier you make it the better.

Lemon Dressing for Tomato Salad:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Add to tomatoes chopped red onion and fresh basil, mix the dressing and pour over tomatoes.

Marinated tomatoes or Tomato Bruschetta
I make a quick version of this recipe to serve just the tomatoes (since we can't have the French bread). I use less of basil and garlic for the quick treat, and no cheese, obviously. But it so yummy. For guests, serve the gusto with the bread, too. I suppose I could also serve with corn chips.

5 ripe tomatoes (on the vine), cut in small pieces and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Vidalia onion, chopped fine
hand full of fresh basil, chopped
4 tablespoons Olive oil
dash balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh mozzarella, tiny pieces, optional
Bread or Crostini
1 loaf French baguette slices, cut horizontally in thin slices
1 clove garlic, halved
olive oil

Mix first ingredients together (except mozzarella). Let tomato mixture sit 30 minutes or so to let ingredients seep together.

Take bread slices, rub each slice with halved garlic clove. Brush with olive oil and broil until crispy. You also can broil the bread and then add garlic and oil (crostini).

Serve with crostini, either on tray with each slice with tomato mixture added, or let guest put mixture on bread slices.

Chicken Sautéed with Fresh Tomato: I used our tomatoes for on St. Dominic's Feast Day. I didn't have time to let the sauce cook down further, but still it was sweet and delicious...definitely a different taste than canned tomatoes.

Pasta Salad

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
dash red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces pasta (such as macaroni, rotini)
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can kidney beans
1/2 medium vidalia onion, sliced or chopped

I didn't have this, but it would be nice to make this an antipasto salad, by adding some pepperoni. Broccoli florets would be a nice touch, also. Whisk first six ingredients together, then pour over cooked pasta. Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to soak up the marinade, then add other ingredients, toss together and serve.

Last but not least, my pièce de résistance is my homemade salsa. As soon as I mention my tomatoes are coming in, my family and friends start asking when will I start making a batch of salsa. It's that good. I use the food processor to make things chopped and even. Confession: I don't like cilantro, so I omit. But some love it, so I include it in the recipe.

Jenn's Own Salsa
8 ripe tomatoes, size medium to large, peeled and chopped
2 jalapeno chile peppers, finely diced
5 green onions, or one small yellow or Vidalia onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
cilantro, to taste
salt, to taste
1 lime, to taste
Dash of Tequila (optional)

Blanch and peel tomatoes. Remove core, seeds, and chop tomatoes. Drain in colander after chopped to reduce amount of juice.

Remove seeds and chop jalapenos very finely. Be sure to protect your hands (and eyes). I use rubber gloves when chopping. Also, taste the jalapeno for heat. Each one varies. Dice onions and chop/mince garlic.

Use food processor or chopper to make chopping a bit easier. Add all above ingredients until to consistency desired. Add juice of 1-2 limes. Add salt, cilantro and Tequila.

Chill for 30 minutes or so before serving. Taste again to see if more salt is needed before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips. I usually make large batches because it goes fast!

Corn Tortilla Time

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 19:34:58 -0400

Just sharing some photos of tortilla making time! Or "Forteetas" as ds calls it. Since I first mentioned this $2 investment back in May, we've made these several times with great success!

Our workstation

I can do it all by myself