Keep It Simple

Thinking back to what I've come to call the adjustment period, I think the best advice I received was to keep it simple. Don't get caught up looking for replacements or specialty products which may come and go, or require trips all over town to purchase.

I remember talking to a good friend after returning from the grocery store broken and near meltdown. Feeling wiped after reading label after label, and coming home almost empty handed. Her advice:  Keep the ingredients simple! Funny thing is, her husband partially overheard the conversation and thought she was being too hard on me - absolutely not!

There are more convenience foods available today than ever before. They can be great in a pinch, but add up quickly, and some even come and go. The easiest way to avoid many allergens is to simply stick with the basics: meats, fruits and vegetables

It's not as boring as it may sound, and honestly with a some tricks and a little practice, you'll be surprised what you can come up with. That's not to say we don't consume convenience foods, but we strive to limit them, and our family seems to even feel better when we do.

In our family we're avoiding wheat, corn, soy and dairy due to allergies. At times it can be difficult to tell if an item is truly free of all the allergens from the ingredient label. Corn and soy are hidden nearly everywhere, and corn is not an FDA mandated ingredient to call out for allergies, making it even more elusive at times.

Ever wonder what is in those natural flavors? Or from what source the maltodextrin was derived? Depending on allergen levels, best to email the manufacturer. I've had a 100% response rate, and all with helpful information. I've even received some free samples! Some companies do not know, or cannot guarantee the ingredients of the natural flavors or maltodextrin, as they purchase it from a third party. Either way, they'll have the information you need, from which you can make a judgement call.

So instead of a new recipe today, just head to the store (or your fridge), grab some whole-food-based products and be creative.

How do I get dinner ideas?
Pictures, not recipes. I scroll pictures on the AllRecipes app or web (I've heard Pinterest may also be a good resource). Once I see something that looks appealing, I'll often skim the recipe, and then use our allergen-safe ingredients to come up with something similar - or at times, completely different sparked by a combination of pictures. The key is not to try to make exactly what you've seen, and expect it to taste the same as it did when you were consuming ingredients which you've since eliminated. That will only lead to disappointment. Think in your head, of the ingredients you have on hand, what preparation methods and combinations sounds good. And don't be disappointed if they all don't work out - it's not magic, it's trial and error.

Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns

Hash browns anyone?

Looking at Allrecipes.com for inspiration tonight, searching spaghetti squash specifically, I stumbled across Spaghetti Squash Hashbrowns

The next time I make it, I'll measure and update the recipe, for now, all ingredients, but very few, have amounts listed:

Seasonings

• Salt
• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Fennel seeds (slightly crushed to release aroma)
• Marjoram
• Thyme
• Basil

Other ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• Butter or oil (I used Earth Balance Olive Oil buttery spread, soy free)
• ~2 - 3 tsp better than bouillon reduced sodium chicken base
• Nutritional Yeast
• Just shy of 1/2 cup flour (used pamela's artisan gf flour)

Directions

1. Cook and shread spaghetti squash
• cut ends off squash
• half squash, then scrape seeds until only hard portion remains
• place 1/2 open side face down in ~1 inch water in glass dish
• cover with glass dish or similar
• microwave for ~15 min or until outter shell gives slightly when pushed on
• while first 1/2 cools, repeat same cooking steps for second 1/2
• once cooled enough, use fork to shread into spaghetti like strands
2. Mix seasonings in small dish and set aside.
3. Mix 2 - 4 heaping tablespoons of butter and the chicken base
4. Toss shredded squash with butter/chicken base.
5. Begin adding seasoning mixutre, mix well and repeat to taste
6. Add nutritional yeast in same fashion.
7. Once adjusted to taste, mix in flour. Begin with 1/4, and continue adding until starts to thicken slightly. (will make hash browns firmer / crispier)
8. Heat frying pan with nothing on it on medium
9. While heating, prepare small ice cream scoop or soup spoon sized balls
10. Melt butter in pan and immediately add your first ball (I say first only because it may take 1 - 3 before you get the feel for how long each need to cook and the thickness you want)
11. Gradually flatten the ball with a spatchula until about 1/2 inch thick (if sticking too much, next one should have more flour)
12. Watch closely, flipping every few minutes, and flattening as needed, until you notice a traditional hash browh style pattern and browning. Some like crispier, others call it burnt :)
13. Each one takes around 8 minutes, depending on size and thickness
14. Once you get the hang of it, make multiple at a time, leaving enough room in the frying pan to flatten each ball as well as allow them to cook without touching, and flip without too much of a struggle.
15. Eat soon after cooking, or once the batch is complete, you may wish to quickly pan fry each side again to regain the fresh cripness.
16. We enjoy them with apple sauce on the side or topped with apple sauce. Think potato pancake :)

Great recipe site!

Heard of this site?

Great recipes at www.ohsheglows.com

Just purchased her book, and got a bonus set of recipes as well.

They are all vegan, with many soy-free and gluten-free options as well.

My favorite is the butternut squash mac and cheese!

A Gluten-Free Bread that actually rises!

Gluten, Corn, Soy and Dairy Free Bread

Notes

This recipe was created and baked at 6200 feet altitude, and in a very dry climate. Less yeast may be required as well as less moisture at lower altitudes. This recipe may also be possible with wheat-based flour, but then use only 1-2 tbsp yeast.

Despite the number of steps, it's actually a fairly quick and easy recipe. Just a lot of details I've noted to make it work best.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 cups all purpose flour*
• *Gluten, Corn, Soy and Dairy Free
• we use Pamela's, but it contains sorghum flour, which bother some
• 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup white rice flour
• 1/6* cup tapioca flour
• *not a typo, just approximate, filling the 1/3 cup half way
• 1/6* cup sweet white rice flour
• *not a typo, just approximate, filling the 1/3 cup half way
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 heaping tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder*
• *feather-weight baking powder if corn-free
• 1/2 cup sugar
• this may be too sweet for some
• if you choose to reduce, recommend not less than 1/4 cup (and may not rise as well)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
• Just shy of 1/3 cup olive oil
• Roughly 1 cup warm water

Supplies needed

• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• Spatula
• 2 cup liquid measuring cup
• teaspoons and dry measuring cups
• lid (large dinner plate) for mixer bowl
• 2 bread loaf pans (one to serve as lid of other)
• larger oven-safe pan to hold water
• cooling rack

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl: yeast, all purpose flour, brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca flour, sweet white rice flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder
2. Mix by hand with spatula, making sure yeast especially well mixed (tends to stubbornly remain at bottom)
3. If yeast was refrigerated, wait 15 minutes before proceeding to next step (allows yeast to reach room temperature)
4. Attach bowl and dough hook to stand mixer
5. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup combine vanilla, egg, milk and oil
6. Gently stir until egg mixes into liquids
7. At this point you should be around 3/4 cup of liquid
8. Add warm water to the liquid mixture until you reach 1 3/4 cups total liquid
1. liquid should still be warm, but not hot, when combined with the other cold liquids. because of this, use slightly warmer water than you would when adding luke warm water to a bread recipe independently
9. Place stand mixer between stir and 2 and slowly pour the liquid into the bowl
10. If you mixer can take it, increase speed to between 4 and 6
11. Periodically stop mixer and push down sides and scrape from bottom using spatula to avoid uneven texture
12. Once the dough is well incorporated it should appear almost soft and sticky, but semi-smooth
13. Unplug mixer and remove dough hook
14. Use the spatula and/or your hands to combine the dough together in a single mass, mostly making sure excess is combined and not left on the side or bottom of the bowl
15. Cover mixing bowl with dinner plate and let sit for 1 hour
16. An hour later, clean and prepare an empty space on your counter
17. Lightly dust with the all purpose flour
18. Hold bowl upside down over floured surface and shake gently until mass lands on counter
19. With your hands also lightly dusted in flour, pat dough until approx. 1 - 2 inches thick, and then gently roll, forming a lengh-wise loaf shape
20. Gently adjust the length and width of the loaf to match your bread pan
21. Fill large oven-safe container with water and place on bottom rack of oven
22. Select loaf pan to hold loaf, and place empty in oven on upper rack positioned in middle of oven
23. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
24. Allow load to rest for 30 min (also allowing oven to reach temperature and heat pan and water)
25. Remove empty loaf pan from oven
26. Place on cooling rack
27. Gently reform loaf to approximate size of loaf pan (or slightly smaller), and place in hot loaf pan
28. Place loaf pan back in oven with dough inside, and cover with second loaf pan
29. Bake for 30 minutes
30. Remove loaf pan cover, and bake another 15 minutes
31. Remove loaf from oven and immediately place on cooling rack

salmon topped tomato and spinach sauce with pasta

Salmon Topped Tomato and Spinach Sauce with Pasta

General
Serves approximately 2 adults and 2 small children. Timing on this recipe is key: You want the salmon to finish just minutes before the noodles are ready. My timing is approximate, is based on a gas stove and noodles which take approximately 15 minutes to cook.

I don't intend to scare anyone off, this recipe is really easy.

Allergy Information
This recipe can be made free of wheat/gluten, corn, soy and dairy. Our family uses brown rice spaghetti noodles and bouillon cubes free of all aforementioned allergens.

In place of egg to thicken sauce, potato starch or other thickening agent may work (not confirmed)

Ingredients

• Olive oil or your preferred cooking oil
• 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 4 handfuls fresh spinach, sliced in ribbons
• 6 - 10 golden cherry/mini tomatoes, halved
• 6 - 10 red cherry/mini tomatoes, halved
• 1 roughly 14 ounce can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large salmon filet
• 4 (roughly) servings spaghetti noodles
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube or similar seasoning equivalent
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Prepare garlic, onion, spinach, tomatoes and egg and set aside
2. Prepare salmon filet, removing skin (assumes not frozen)
3. Warm frying pan (large enough for filet) on medium without placing anything in it until fully heated (roughly 3 min on gas stove)
4. Add approximately 2 tablespoons oil to pan and allow to warm
5. Add salmon, cooking 2 min on each side. Careful of oil splatter. Works well observing with glass lid.
6. Set salmon aside
7. Remove remaining grease from frying pan
8. Return frying pan to stove on medium heat
9. Add approximately 1 tablespoon oil to pan
10. Brown onions and garlic (roughly 5 min)
11. While onions and garlic browning, start boiling water for pasta with single bullion cube. Once water is boiling, add pasta (assumes pasta takes approximately 15 minutes)
12. Once onions and garlic browned, add fresh tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for roughly 3 minutes
13. Add canned tomatoes and juice and simmer for roughly 2 minutes
14. Add spinach, and continue simmering and occasionally stirring
15. Once spinach softened, add salt and pepper to taste
16. Return salmon filet to pan and mostly cover with sauce
17. Allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes
18. Remove salmon from pan and wrap in aluminum foil to keep hot
19. Simmer sauce until noodles are done (should be just a few minutes)
20. Stir in beaten egg and continue stirring until well incorporated and sauce begins to thicken
21. Combine sauce and drained noodles
22. Serve immediately, topping noodles and sauce with salmon

fresh salsa you’ll love

i can’t claim this recipe as my own. i tasted a salsa made by my former co-worker’s wife, asked a few questions and then went from there. her tip was to think of the colors on the flag of mexico when remembering ingredients. i don’t recall her exact ingredients, but here’s what it’s evolved to since then:

ingredients

• ½ red onion
• 2 large tomatoes (or the equivalent of smaller tomatoes. roma tomatoes work well for example.)
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 - 2 limes
• 1 - 3 jalapeños depending on spice desire (1 will make mild/medium)
• 1 - 3 canned chipotle peppers (optional, and also in place of jalapeños for slightly sweeter spice. 1 pepper, when not combined with jalapeños, will make mild)
• 2 cobs of corn
• 1 mango (optional - creates a sweetness in the salsa)
• 1 small can black beans (optional. doesn’t add much in the way of flavor, but adds protein)
• cilantro (really depends on how much you like, start small and if you forgot to pick it up, not really a game breaker)

preparation

1. boil corn, cool, and cut from cob
2. in a medium size mixing bowl, add ¼ cup water and the juice of one line. segments that fall into the water from the lime add great flavor. use your own digression if you’d like a second lime. or add later once you’ve tasted the result.
3. cut 1 - 3 chipotle peppers into small pieces and add to bowl
4. dice 1 - 3 jalapeños and add to bowl
5. stir and set aside
6. dice tomatoes, avocados, red onion, cilantro and mango. add each to bowl as diced, mixing upon adding each ingredient.
7. drain black beans and add to mixture
8. add corn (typically i perform last to allow to cool as much as possible)
9. serve immediately or chill and serve within 24 hours. longer and the avocado will brown.
10. i never add salt of pepper, as the ingredients stand on their own. salt lovers may disagree.

serving suggestions:

• just salsa and chips. good with scoops or hint of lime chips especially
• my kids will eat it simply as a snack in a bowl without anything else
• topping on tacos
• bake or grill fish or chicken
• flour tortillas
• sour cream
• fresh spinach
• shredded cheese

heart-attack corn on the cob

make sure to try both versions

version 1:

ingredients:

corn on the cob

butter

mayonnaise

shredded mexican/fiesta cheese mix (or cotija cheese if you can find it)

cayenne pepper (for spice)

lime (1/4 lime per ear of corn)

directions:

1. grill corn
2. spread butter on each cob
3. liberally spread mayo on each cob 
4. sprinkle with mexican/fiesta shredded cheese
5. lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper (be careful - gets spicy quickly)
6. serve with lime wedges, or lightly sprinkle with lime  (optional)

i found this receipe (and slightly modified it) at http://www.recipezaar.com/251152

version 2:

ingredients:

corn on the cob

butter

queso fresco

cayenne pepper

lime (1/4 lime per ear of corn)

directions:

1. grill corn
2. spread button on each cob
3. liberally spread queso fresco on each cob
4. lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper (be careful - gets spicy quickly)
5. serve with lime wedges, or lightly sprinkle with lime (optional)

i had something similar to this at a denver restaurant called kiva, which sad to say is now closed :(