I'm in love!

I don't normally peruse the organic section of the grocery store while I'm there but for some reason I decided to just browse the other day. I think I should do that more often! I found butter!! Well, not really butter but a "buttery spread" that tastes just like margarine!

When I saw it I thought "how good could this be?" but decided to give it a try anyway. I can't tell you how awesome it has been to have a delicious butter substitute to put on veggies and potatoes! OMG! Potatoes! A baked potato just isn't as good without butter. I've been eating it for a few days now with no reaction from Mini whatsoever!

Anyway, it's called Earth Balance and you have to be sure to get the red container because that's the one that's soy free too!

Fried Squash

Here's an easy one and it's allergy friendly unless you're allergic to corn! Even if you are allergic to corn you could use flour instead of cornmeal.... if you're allergic to both this probably isn't the recipe for you.

I never measure so I'm just going to tell you the ingredients and process.

What you'll need:
yellow summer squash
yellow cornmeal
onion powder
garlic powder
salt & pepper
oil (I use canola)

Place cornmeal (enough to coat however much squash you use), onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper (to taste) in a gallon zip top bag. Chop the squash roughly into 1 inch square pieces and place in bag. Shake bag to coat squash. Cook over medium high heat, turning squash occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.

That's it! It's so easy and soooo yummy! Even my toddler eats it!

Oatmeal Cookies

If you're like me, one of the things you miss the most is cookies. I discovered that Oreo cookies don't contain dairy... but they do contain soy. I was devastated! This is my mom's recipe for oatmeal cookies but I substitute oil for butter and they're fantastic!

2 sticks butter (I use 1 cup oil)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter (oil in my case), brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and vanilla (wet ingredients). Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (dry ingredients). Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

I can't eat these now that I've cut eggs but thoroughly enjoyed them the last time I had to restrict my diet!

Tomato Sauerkraut Casserole

I know this sounds disgusting but it's delicious, I promise! My mom made this for me yesterday. She got the recipe from one of the ladies in her sewing group and it's the only way my mom will go anywhere near sauerkraut!

1 can sauerkraut, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup sugar
4 pieces of bacon, chopped

Combine the sauerkraut, tomatoes and sugar in a casserole or baking dish. Stir well. Top with the chopped bacon and cook for 2 hours at 300 degrees.

So easy! However, you might want to skip the bacon if your little one is sensitive to milk derivatives.
I apologize for not having a picture. I didn't take my camera with me to my mom's house yesterday and I can't find a picture online anywhere.

Fish!

PHOTO TAKEN FROM WWW.STARKISTSEASATIONS.COM

I grew up on the coast and still live there so frozen fish isn't something that's ever really appealed to me. Actually, I've only started buying fish at the grocery store recently but I've always bought fresh fish. The problem with that is that I like to eat it the day I buy it so that means we rarely had fish!

In an effort to incorporate more fish into our diet I thought I would try frozen fish fillets. Now, most of them are breaded which, on a dairy and soy free diet, is a no-no. But, I did find these by StarKist. They're called Seasations and come in several varieties but the only one that was dairy and soy free was the Mediterranean Tomato & Basil so I picked it up.

A few nights later I was pleasantly surprised! Not only was it delicious but super easy too. Just a few minutes in the microwave and it was done! Even my DH and toddler liked it. Well, Monkey wouldn't eat much of the actual fish but loved the sauce and dipped everything else on his plate in it!

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!

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!).

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!

Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

We had this last night and it was awesome (sorry I couldn't find a picture for you)!

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (any kind will do as long as it doesn't have soy... I used KC Masterpiece original)
1/2 cup applesauce.
3 chicken breasts
6 strips of bacon

Wrap two pieces of bacon around each chicken breast and place in crock pot. Mix BBQ sauce and applesauce and pour over the chicken. Let cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.... so easy and sooo yummy! The bacon gives this dish a really great flavor!

I served ours with rice and green beans but you can do whatever side dishes are appealing to you!

Cranberry Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

This isn't what we're having for dinner tonight, although we are having pork chops of some variety (I haven't decided what to do with them yet). But, this is one of my favorites and my husband likes it too!

In a small pot I combine some apricot jam (jam because I like little bits of apricot in it... but you can use jelly too), a tiny bit of water to thin the jam and some Craisins. Simmer on low heat while you cook the pork chops in a skillet. Place apricot glaze over the pork chop on the plate, not in the skillet.

I usually serve with rice and a green veggie of some sort. but you can serve whatever you want as sides.

If I come up with something truly interesting to do with tonight's pork chops I'll be sure to post it...but it's been kind of a rough day (dentist before 9 AM, a cat who did not like going to the vet for shots... and let me know, and a 7 month old baby with a mouth injury... don't worry, he's going to be fine) so it will probably be just a pork chop, browned in the skillet with a side of rice and a veggie. I'm too tired to be creative tonight!

Bread

As I typed in the last post, Pepperidge Farm bagels are A-OK. Then I realized that they deserve their own post! I always get the plain mini-bagels and sometimes I even get the cinnamon raisin mini-bagels as a treat! Here are a few of the things I do with bagels:

- Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches (natural PB doesn't contain soy)
- Hamburger buns (always make your own patties, though)
- toasted with jelly in the morning
- dip in spaghetti sauce
- I like them just plain for a quick snack

I'm sure there's a lot more that can be done with them since that's the only "bread" I'll have for a while.... I'll post more as I think of more.

Spaghetti!!

So I've always been a fan of Ragu spaghetti sauce. I was heartbroken when I discovered that every version I've seen contains soy. But after a few months of not having spaghetti, which is one of my favorites, Prego isn't so bad! I get the Mushroom version and prepare as follows:

Brown meat (ground beef or turkey) in a skillet along with half of an onion diced and a couple of cloves of garlic, pressed. If I use fresh mushrooms I'll put those in when the meat is about half way done. If I'm using canned mushrooms I add those with the sauce. Drain the fat off of the meat and pour in the jar of spaghetti sauce. I can't think of an easier meal! Tonight I prepared it with ground turkey, onion, garlic and canned mushrooms.... so yummy!!

If you like to have bread with your spaghetti, might I suggest Pepperidge Farm bagels.... either regular or the mini-bagels. It's the only form of bread I've found that contains neither dairy or soy!