Flying Saucers

I wanted to share a new recipe we tried this week which is stuffed sunburst squash. I received the sunburst squash from my co-op and was at a loss of what to do with it. So I looked up several new recipes and combined bits and pieces of them to create this allergen-free version. Also, when I pulled them out of the oven I told my sons that we were having "Flying Saucers" for dinner. This generated a lot of excitement!

They turned out to be much better than even I had imagined. The squash was nice and tender, and it was fun to create something new. The recipe is quite flexible, for our version we used cooked red & white quinoa and italian pork sausage. Enjoy!

Stuffed Sunburst Squash
8 sunburst squash
1/2 c. cooked quinoa or brown rice
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or sausage
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, chopped
1/2 c. tomato, diced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 fresh lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook quinoa or rice according to directions. Cook meat of your choice with diced onion. Drain off excess grease. Bring one-inch of water in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add sunburst squash (stem & blossom removed). Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the skin with little resistance. Drain and slice off the top 1/3 of the squash. Use a melon scoop to scoop out the center seeded section, while being careful not to dig through the bottom. Lightly salt the inside of each sunburst squash.

Mix together the cooked quinoa or rice with the meat, zucchini, tomato and cilantro. Top with fresh lime juice. Stuff the sunburst squash with the meat mixture. Drizzle the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Add stuffed sunburst squash. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes or until squash are heated through.

Birthday Parties?

When your child has food allergies it can be awkward being invited to birthday parties. Most of our friends are already aware of our allergies, however I always call to find out what they plan to serve and I bring our safe alternatives with us.

To make life easier, I always bake a full cake mix into cupcakes (we like Namaste vanilla or spice cake). I then freeze the cupcakes, unfrosted, in groups of three. The day before the party I defrost the cupcakes and freshly ice them. Here's our favorite icing recipe:

1/2 cup palm oil shortening (we like Spectrum)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. rice milk

Mix with a beater until well blended and creamy. We keep ours in the fridge and it will store well for several weeks. Because we avoid artificial colors, we leave our frosting white. However, we do use India Tree naturally colored sugar sprinkles.

We also trade our kids for the candy they receive in the goody bags from the party (also for Halloween and Valentine's Day). We either trade for naturally colored/flavored Yummy Earth candy, or money to visit the dollar store or football/baseball cards. Now get out there and have fun at all those birthday parties!

Wheat, Milk & Egg Substitutes

I've compiled a list of useful substitutes from various sources over the years. Hopefully you'll benefit from it as much as we have.

1c. white/wheat flour =

• 7/8c. brown or white rice flour mixed with 1/2-1 tsp. xanthan gum

1c. milk =

• 1 c. rice, soy, almond milk
• 7/8 c. Vance's Darifree
• 1c. fruit juice
• 2/3 c. water, 1/3 c. canned coconut milk

1c. butter =

• 4 T. applesauce, 2/3c oil
• 1 c. + 2 T. shortening, 1/2 t. salt (for salted butter)
• 7/8 c. oil, 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. coconut oil

Regarding eggs, sometimes you have to determine what role the egg is serving in the recipe & then make the substitute accordingly.
1 Egg (As a Binder) =

• 1 T. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T. water
• 1/2 large mashed banana
• 1/4 cup apple sauce or pureed prunes
• 1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, and 1 t. baking powder
• 1 pkt unflavored gelatin, 1 c. boiling water (3 T. of this mixture equal one egg)
• 1 T. apricot puree

1 Egg (As Leavening) =

• 2 T. carbonated water, 2 t. baking flour
• 1 t. baking powder, 1 T. water, 1 T. vinegar (add vinegar separately at the end for rising)
• Dissolve 1 t. yeast in 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 T. bean flour and 1 T oil
• 1 T arrowroot powder mixed with 3 T. water
• 1 T. cornstarch mixed with 3 T. water
• 2 T. flour, 1 1/2 t. corn oil, 1/2 t. baking powder, and 2 T. water

1 Egg (For Whipping) =

• 1/4 t. xanthan gum with about 1/4 c. of water. (let stand, it thickens, and can be whipped like an egg white.)

Ham & Potato Skillet

I received this recipe from my Grandma and it has been a family favorite. It took us awhile to successfully modify it from its' original dairy-laden ingredient list, but we have perfected it, and my husband (who has no allergies) loves it too! Enjoy.

Ham & Potato Skillet
1 lb. sliced ham (we use Hormel natural choice, gluten & nitrate free)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/4 c. rice milk
2 T. tapioca starch
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash seasonings (we use celery powder, garlic powder, basil)
3 c. potatoes, peeled & sliced
1 c. carrots, peeled & sliced

In a 10-inch skillet, brown ham with coconut oil & brown sugar. Pour ham & drippings in bowl. In same skillet, mix rice milk, tapioca starch, onion, salt, pepper & seasonings. Stir in potatoes & carrots. Cover, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Pour ham & drippings over vegetables. Cover & cook about 10 minutes more.

(Allergen-Free) German Pancakes

This is one of our family favorites which we enjoy every Saturday morning. We went without these for quite awhile until we figured out how to adapt them to meet our diets. Now I would say our allergen-free version is just as good as the original! We like to top it with fresh berries and drizzle with agave nectar or pure maple syrup. Enjoy.

German Pancakes
6 eggs
1 cup rice milk
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)
6 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil

Add eggs to mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add rice milk, flour, xanthan gum & sea salt. Mix on low, just until flour is mixed in. Melt coconut oil in 9x13 baking dish. Pour batter in, stir gently with melted coconut oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Coconut Oil

We are head-over-heals in love with coconut oil. When we first went dairy free we switched to dairy free margarine. However, I knew that margarine wasn't exactly healthy, so I began searching for a better alternative. We discovered coconut oil and have never looked back.

It is fantastic drizzled over lightly steamed vegetables of any variety. My husband uses it on Sunday morning for his scrambled eggs and homemade potatoes. We love it in cookies. It really works well as a butter substitute. In fact, given the choice (setting allergies aside) I would pick coconut oil.

In addition to being great tasting, it also has numerous health benefits. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. The fatty acids in coconut oil, the medium chain triglycerides, do not raise serum cholesterol or contribute to heart disease, but are in fact very healthy. So get a bottle of virgin coconut oil and try it today, you won't regret it.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pizza

Is it possible to actually make a pizza that is free of dairy & gluten. Isn't that what pizza is all about, the crust and that nice cheesy topping? Well, we've mastered it, and frankly we enjoy it (maybe it's from being without for so long). Anyway, here's how we do it. We like to use Kinnickinnick gluten-free pizza crust or Nature's Highlights gluten-free pizza crust (made with only whole grain brown rice & potato). Both are frozen.

We then brush them with olive oil, add tomato sauce to part of them (only olive oil for my 2 year old) and add chopped fresh spinach, gluten-free (Hormel Natural Choice) ham, and chopped brocolli.

Now, drum roll please. Here's the moment you've all been waiting for. What in the world do we use in place of cheese? We tried a couple of cheese substitutes including rice cheese (yuck!) only to finally abandon cheese altogether and just go for a look alike. We use peeled & grated zuchinni & apples and sprinkle them on top. They don't melt like cheese, but it at least looks like there is grated cheese on the top. Try it, you just might like it!

Keep Food Fun

One of the things I've definitely learned in this journey is that just because our food is allergen-free, that doesn't mean it can't still be fun. We try and make shapes using cooke cutters, or funny faces. Here are some examples of nutrient dense foods that we feed the kids.

• Carrots/Celery with sunbutter or cashew butter
• Mrs. May's cashew crunch
• Lundberg rice cakes (brown rice plain, apple/cinnamon)
• Larabar (all are dairy, soy & gluten free, my boys like lemon, cashew cookie, key lime, cherry pie, pecan pie)
• Sunbutter/Jelly sandwiches or crackers
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Sweet Potatoes
• Applesauce with ground flax seeds in it
• Natural fruit leather
• Dried fruit (sulfite free)
• Lettuce Wraps - ham or turkey lunchmeat wrapped around green leaf lettuce
• "Blueberry monsters" - safe cracker topped with sunbutter & then blueberries for 'eyes'

Green Smoothies

We have recently discovered green smoothies and love them! We have been having smoothies regularly since last fall, and I had been adding liquid chlorophyll to the boys smoothies, but had never considered actually just adding a bunch of fresh greens.

We recently joined an organic fruit/vegetable co-op and are using the abundance of fresh greens at our fingertips to add a lot of healthy things to the boys diets. We typically start with a blender full of spinach and 1/2 cup of water. After blending this we add our fruits, it varies each time but we like to add bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, hemp milk and frozen acai. The past two weeks we have also been adding kale, which from what I've learned can absorb toxins from the body. We have also been adding one-quarter of a raw beet to the smoothie, and the boys have said "yum" each time.

I say we're making green smoothies, but a lot of times after I'm done adding our berries, beets and acai they are more like reddish-brown smoothies. But hey, I'm not in it for the color. It's all about pure nutrition! You can see how much my boys enjoy the smoothies by checking out their smoothie mustaches ;-}

Here is some information I received when joining the co-op about green smoothies and some good combinations. Happy blending!

1. Green smoothies are very nutritious. I believe that the ratio in them is optimal for human consumption: about 60% - ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% - organic green vegetables.
2. Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients, the green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.
3. Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber.
4. Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for all humans of all ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40 the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time the green vegetables balance out the sweetness of the fruit, adding nice zest to it. Green smoothies are simply the best tasting dishes for the majority of adults and children.
5. By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated. The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion.
6. Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Many people told me that they do not consume green juices on a regular basis because it is time consuming to prepare green juices and clean the equipment after juicing, or to drive to the juice bar.
7. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother’s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
8. When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.
9. Regular consumption of Green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens. Several people told me that after a couple of weeks of drinking green smoothies, they started to crave and enjoy eating more greens. Eating enough of green vegetable is often a problem with many people,
especially in children.

Some good greens to add to green smoothies: parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine. Good fruits for green smoothies are: pears, peaches, nectarines, bananas, mangoes and apples. Strawberries and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, when combined with ripe bananas.

Delicious combinations.
Mango-parsley
2 large mangos
1 bunch parsley
Water

Peach-spinach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Mango-weeds
2 mangos
1 handful of lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc
Water

Strawberry-banana-romaine
1-cup strawberries
2 bananas
½ bunch romaine
Water

Apple-kale-lemon
4 apples
½ lemon juice
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

Kiwi-banana-celery
4 very ripe kiwis
1 ripe banana
3 stalks of celery
Water

Pear-kale-mint4 ripe pears
4-5 leaves of kale
½ bunch of mint
Water

Finger banana-spinach
10 finger-bananas
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Bosc pear-raspberry-kale
3 bosc pears
1 handful of raspberries
4-5 leaves of kale
Water