Shrimp Creole

This has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. This is my grandfather's recipe and it reminds me of him every time I smell it! Luckily, one of my favorites is also dairy and soy free!

1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 pieces bacon, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can of okra & tomatoes (or you can use diced tomatoes and frozen okra)
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 small can mushrooms
1 pounds medium shrimp
salt & pepper

Sautee the veggies and bacon in olive oil until tender. Add the okra & tomatoes, tomato paste and mushrooms. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook slowly for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Today I put it in the slow cooker on high.... if you want to cook longer turn the slow cooker down to low. I usually do it on the stove on low but decided to try the slow cooker for a change. So far it's working out great! Add shrimp last and cook for about 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink. If you like your shrimp creole spicy you can add Tabasco or other hot sauce. I usually serve over rice!

It's over...

Lately it's been damn near impossible to get my little guy to settle down enough to actually nurse in the mornings... so I've been making him bottles right after nursing him because I know he's not eating enough. The thing is.... he'll semi-nurse for 20 minutes and then get uber excited when he sees the bottle. This is how I knew it was time to stop nursing him. I was severely limiting my own diet just so I could nurse him once or twice a day and that wasn't even providing him with nourishment! Besides... I still have over 100 ounces of breast milk in the freezer I can give him...

So yesterday morning I nursed my baby boy for the last time...on his 8 month "birthday" and then proceeded to have chocolate for breakfast, oreos for lunch and half of a pizza with extra cheese for dinner! Don't worry, though. Little man can't have dairy or soy for the next 10 months so I'll still have plenty to write about.... plus there are still some recipes for me that I haven't posted yet so I'll be sure to get those on here too!

Speaking of food for baby! Hubby and I had summer squash and zucchini with dinner the other night. I just slice them up and boil them until tender. I threw the leftovers in the blender and pureed them for my son. He loved it! The other thing I've made recently is peaches... just peel, puree and voila! I do believe that if your child is under 7 months you should cook the peaches first though....

Turkey Burgers

You know, I never liked turkey burgers until I made my own patties. The ones that you can buy premade were dry and chewy. Hubby and I decided to decrease our red meat intake so I bought a big package of ground turkey and used it like I would ground beef... spaghetti, burgers, etc.

I add onion salt, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to the meat, mix it with my hands and form into burgers. I also use this combination for ground beer. You can either grill them or cook them on the stove in a skillet. They turned out wonderfully! I ate mine plain but Hubby liked his on a bun and I'm sure they'd be great on a plain bagel (Pepperidge Farm has no dairy or soy in their bagels but I've just discovered that the Kroger brand is just as good, costs much less and also has no dairy or soy!).

Baked Oatmeal

This is, hands down, the preferred breakfast at our house. I found this recipe on Money Saving Mom and modified it to meet my no-dairy, no-soy needs. Click here for the original recipe.

Here is my version, which is pretty much the same as the original, just no milk!

1 cup oil (can sub. applesauce)
1.5 cups sugar (can reduce)
4 eggs
6 cups oats (not the quick-cook kind)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. I have a sprayer that I can fill with whatever oil I choose. I use olive oil. Or you could just put oil onto a paper towel and grease that way. DO NOT use cooking spray as ALL of them contain soy. Bake at 375* for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. Can refrigerate overnight before baking. I serve with fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc).

Superbowl Food

So what's a dairy-free, soy-free gal to eat when there's such an abundance of queso dip and such? Here are a few ideas!

Last night I had potato skins topped with salt, bacon bits and salsa (read the label as always), Chili (OK as long as you make your own) with Fritos, Avocado spread onto mini bagels (you could also make guacamole without the sour cream... I'm just not a fan of guacamole) and Rice Krispie treats (made with olive oil instead of butter)!

See, with a little imagination you can join the crowd and enjoy yourself!

Pork & Sauerkraut

Last night we had a couple of friends over for dinner and I made pork and sauerkraut. Usually I just do pork chops, cover in sauerkraut and bake until done but last night I was ambitious. I made an actual pork loin for the very first time and it turned out fantastic!

In a large, oval casserole dish I did the following: Put a little bit of the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish to prevent the meat from sticking, place loin on top of that and season with a little bit of black pepper. Cover the loin with the rest of the sauerkraut and bake at 350 for 2 hours. My pork loin was just under 3 pounds and I used a meat thermometer to be sure it was done. I was shooting for a core temp of 170 degrees but I ended up with 185. I was afraid the meat would be dry but it was surprisingly moist and everybody loved it!

I served it with mashed potatoes. I made the regular version with milk and butter for everybody else and made a smaller amount with chicken broth for myself. Be careful, though. Some brands of chicken broth contain soy! I use the Progresso broth.... no soy and it has a great flavor.

My girlfriend brought over a salad and some fresh green beans that she sauteed in olive oil and Morton's Nature's Seasons, which I had never tried but it was great! On the salad I used some balsamic vinaigrette that I made myself. To make this I combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. I also shake in a little bit of garlic powder. All of this is to taste, I don't have an exact recipe.... but I do know that this is a strong dressing and a little bit goes a long way!