allergy-free

Allergy-Free Holiday Food

So it's that time of year. First it was Thanksgiving, then the Christmas parties and now it's almost time for 3+ trips you make to all of your families while they stuff you with gluten-filled, illegal for your tummy food. So what do you do? 

I've learned that the ONLY way for me to stay on track during the holidays is to bring my own food. Nowadays most people are at least use to hearing of gluten allergies so they don't mind, but they still can't wrap their head around my yeast, dairy, egg, almond, and sugar thing. That's when the stares usually take place...

So like I said, I bring my own and I don't care what people think, for crying out loud, if I did eat their food they would feel so terrible with 30 minutes later I'd be cooped up in the bathroom for the rest of the night...that's just not cool for anyone. 

So here are a few recipes I've tried and tested that are sure to help you get through the next few days of holiday madness.

1. Stuffing from Rudi's Bakery (this stuffing is not only gluten-free, but it's free of yeast, eggs, and diary) If you have to stay away from yeast just substitute for the yeast-free bread.
 

  • 16 slices of  (About 8 cups) of bread
  • 2.5 cups vegetable stock or broth
  • ½  tablespoon kosher salt,
  • ½ teaspoon fresh sage
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup sautéed onions 
  • ¼ cup of celery

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F and cube the bread. 
  2. Spread the diced bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Give the pan a shake midway through so the cubes brown evenly. Remove pan and let the bread cool.
  3. Transfer the toasted bread, chopped herbs, celery and onions to a large bowl. 
  4. Now, drizzle a bit of the stock over the bread cubes and gently mix. Repeat until all the bread is moistened but not soggy.
  5. Oil a baking dish, transfer the dressing to the dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crispy. Serve warm.

2. Cranberry Sauce - We all know that cranberries (dried and in sauce form) are loaded with sugar. It's crazy, actually. So I usually make a small batch for myself. I grab my mini-crockpot, place a cup or so cranberries in there and a splash of orange juice or a drop of orange essential oil as well as a few teaspoons of stevia. Then you let is cook until the cranberries pop. Super easy and it goes great on the turkey or dressing.


3. Chocolate Tofu Pie - I have to admit I was skeptical about this one, but it wasn't bad. I'm sure it would be A LOT better if I could have used the non-dairy chocolate chips instead of the ones sweetened with stevia, but regardless it was satisfying.


4. Cashew Cream Sweet Potatoes - These were amazing. Enough said.

5 Must Have Food Items for an Allergy-Free Diet

This week I'm bringing you some AMAZING products for allergy-free diets. I've discovered a few of these and they have significantly changed my outlook on missing old favorites. 

1. So Delicious No Sugar Added Ice Cream - Let's just say, that life will never be the same. I had given up on ice cream a LONG time ago, because even if I found a dairy free alternative it was still loaded with sugar! Now there is a new player in town. This ice cream comes in several flavors and only has 1 gram of sugar!! What?! I know. I've tried the mint chip and butter pecan and so far it's SO Delicious. ;) 

2. Brown Rice Yeast-free Bread by Ener-G - While finding gluten free bread is pretty easy these days, finding yeast-free bread is nearly impossible. I did finally find one yeast-free bread only to get it home and discover it contained wheat. Can we say #fail? But I ran across this guy at Central Market and figured why not. Surprisingly I found it really good. I even had a few slices on my plate for Thanksgiving this year. I will say I had other taste it and they weren't as impressed, but I figure when you are eating yeast rolls at Thanksgiving there's probably not much that can beat that! But for a gluten-free, yeast-free, no sugar added bread this is your choice! It's even better when you slather it with the next product: dairy-free, soy-free butter.

3. Earth Smart Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Butter - I was never a butter person. In fact, I use to hate it! But as I got older I started using butter for toast and of course baking. While I can't tell a big difference from this product I wouldn't be surprised if some butter snobs out there would disagree. Regardless I've used this for my bread and in a few recipes. So far, I'm a fan!

4. Beanitos Chips - I love these guys! I use them to dip into my hummus and for putting in my chili or soup. I love having a little a crunch in there, but don't want to depend on corn. If you're paleo or whole 30 I'm sorry, these may not be for you as they are made from beans...

5. Canyon Cut Kettle Cooked Chips - Just want some salt and something to snack on? Then meet your new best friend. Only three simple ingredients: potatoes, avacoado oil, and sea salt. Just be careful not get any of the other flavors (like cracked pepper) it contains yeast and some other no-nos.

There you have it! My top 5 for an allergy-free diet. I'd love to hear of any products you all have found. Comment below and share a link to your favorite! And stay tuned for next week as I post my Thanksgiving recipes and how I managed to survive two Thanksgiving meals in one day!