Tacos

While strolling through the aisles of the grocery store, I realized that I can have corn taco shells and thus, this recipe was born. I looked at taco seasoning packets for spice direction, but really just threw stuff together and it turned out to be delicious.


Turkey Tacos (serves 4)
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 large white onion, minced
1 1/2 tomatoes, diced
1 lb. ground turkey
2 1/4 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. salt 

1 1/2 tsp. grains of paradise
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. paprika

Hard corn taco shells

Broccoli Slaw (shredded broccoli and carrots, found at Trader Joe's; shredded lettuce would also work)

1. Heat oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until onion is just soft.
2. Add tomatoes, ground turkey, cumin, salt,  grains of paradise, oregano and paprika. Cook until turkey is done, about 10 minutes.
3. Add mixture to taco shells and top with broccoli slaw.

Recipe note: I topped it with corn in the picture, but it was way too sweet. If I had had any peppers in my house to add some heat to the flavor, I think the corn would've gone well. Also, the spice measurements are guesstimates.

Live by the Sword(fish)

It's been about 2 months on my diet and it's starting to get a little easier. I've been able to eat out at Elephant Walk, Pho & Spice and any place that has sushi (though I bring my own gluten-free soy sauce along). I've had a few stomach aches, but it's only been after eating something that I haven't made all of. So, presumably, there was something present that I wasn't aware of.

Swordfish with White Wine Cranberry Sauce


4 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. white wine
2 Swordfish steaks
8 oz. asparagus
1/2 c. dried cranberries or cherries
Salt

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add white wine and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
2. Cut asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Salt swordfish steaks. Add swordfish and asparagus to pan. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Flip swordfish, add cranberries or cherries and cook covered for another 3 minutes or until fish is done. Salt to taste.
4. Serve with a side of rice.

Note: this would be great with a bit of lemon too, however, lemon is not allowed in my diet.

A Recipe from Mom for Mother's Day

My mom made this salad several times when I was growing up, though we usually just had it as a side. I added chicken to the mix and, voila, instant entree. It's a delicious, easy to make summer salad.

Strawberry Kiwi Salad

Mixed greens (a bag should serve 4)
Kiwis (~1 per salad you're making)
Strawberries (~5 per salad you're making)
Cooked chicken
Raspberry Vinaigrette (Olde Cape Cod brand is Michelle-friendly, but any will do if you don't have to worry about such things)

1. Slice strawberries in half, or thirds if large. Peel and cut kiwis into thin slices.
2. Place mixed greens on a plate and top with kiwis, strawberries, chicken and raspberry vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Another Venture into Vietnamese Cooking

I've discovered that the Vietnamese cookbook that my friend Hillary left behind is quite amenable to my diet. Speaking of Vietnamese food, I had an interesting encounter with basil at the Vietnamese restaurant near me (Pho & Spice). I ordered the pho ga, a very good chicken soup (which I will be attempting to make at some point), which I knew had basil served on the side. I thought that as long as I didn't eat it, I'd be ok. To my surprise, the flavor of basil has transferred to the bean sprouts which were in the same bag (I had this to go) and as I ate the bean sprouts, my tongue went numb. I guess I really am allergic to basil. Anyway, here's the crabmeat and asparagus soup I made from the Vietnamese cookbook:


Crabmeat and Asparagus Soup (serves 4)
8 oz asparagus
4c. chicken broth
1 tsp. oil
2 spring onions (white part only)
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. cooked crabmeat
2 tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsp. water
Salt
1 tsp. grains of paradise
1 egg, beaten
2. tbsp. coarsely minced cilantro

1. Cut off bottom third of the asparagus spears. Reserve the top parts for later and cut the bottom third into short lengths.
2. Bring the chicken stock and bottom parts of the asparagus to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain the stock using a fine sieve and discard asparagus ends.
3. Cut the reserved top parts of the asparagus into short lengths and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and stir-fry the green onions for 1-2min until fragrant and golden brown. Add the clear stock, increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, seasoning with the fish sauce and sugar. Add the asparagus and simmer uncovered for about 1 minute, until just cooked, then add the crabmeat and mix well.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, until the soup is slightly thickened. Season the soup with salt and grains of paradise.
6. Pour the egg into the soup in a slow stream, stirring gently until it sets. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro.

Good Gravy (with Chicken and Biscuits)!

This dish is a play on chicken with biscuits and gravy, only milk- and gluten-free. The recipe called for peas, but since I have to avoid those, I chose edamame for a nice texture addition.

Chicken with Biscuits and Gravy


Biscuits (makes 10)
2 c. Bisquick Gluten Free mix 
1/3 c. ghee (clarified butter, found at Indian markets and some supermarkets; can also use butter or shortening)
2/3 c. soy milk
3 eggs


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cut ghee into Bisquick mix, using fork until particles are the size of small peas. Stir in remaining ingredients until soft dough forms.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 13-16 min, or until golden brown.


Chicken and Gravy
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. edamame (shelled)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. grains of paradise
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. gluten-free flour
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 c. soy creamer
3 c. cooked chicken


1. Cook onion, carrots, salt and grains of paradise in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 min.
2. Sprinkle gluten free flour over vegetables and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth and thyme and bring to a boil, stirring, then boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
4. Add soy creamer, chicken and edamame to gravy and gently stir until chicken and edamame are heated through, about 3 minutes.


To serve, spoon chicken in gravy over biscuits.

Vietnamese Cooking

My friend, Hillary Nguyen Merritt, recently passed away at the young age of 23. We had met at the Arthur Murray Worcester Studio about 6 years ago when I first started and instantly became friends. A few years later, she became my roommate. When she moved out about a year later, she left behind a brand new wok and a cookbook "Vietnamese Cooking Made Easy". She told me to hang on to these items, as I would probably get more use out of them, and hang on to them I did, though I have yet to use the wok (it kinda scares me) and just recently dove into the cookbook.

I must say, there are several recipes within the book that are friendly to my diet (or easily substitutable). I figured it was a fitting occasion to celebrate the life of my little Vietnamese friend by cooking from the recipes she left behind several years back. Needless to say, the first recipe I tried was delicious and I can't wait to try more. I give you:

Cabbage Roll Soup

Serves 4-6

16 cabbage leaves, blanched in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until soft, the drained, for wrapping

16 spring onion greens, blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds until soft, then drained

6 C. chicken broth

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 portion Fish Sauce Dip

Filing

8 oz. ground turkey (the recipe calls for pork, but any ground meat will do)

8 oz. fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

16 spring onion bulbs

3 tsp. dried cilantro or coriander leaves (or 3 tbsp. fresh)

2 tsp. fish sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grains of paradise (recipe calls for black pepper)

1/4 tsp. five spice powder

1. Prepare the fish sauce dip (recipe below)
2. Prepare the filling by grinding all ingredients to a smooth paste in a blender, set aside.
3. To make each cabbage roll, place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling along one edge of a blanched cabbage leaf. Fold the leaf over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Tie the roll securely with a blanched spring onion green. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a total of 16 rolls.
4. Bring the chicken broth and fish sauce to a boil over high heat in a stockpot. Add the cabbage rolls and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat.
5. Serve hot in individual serving bowls with a bowl of fish sauce dip on the side.

Fish Sauce Dip (yield 1 cup)
2-3 finger length chilies, deseeded and sliced
1/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt

Grind the chilies to a coarse paste in a mortar or blender, then combine with all the other ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved.

**Note: the fish sauce dip calls for 3 garlic cloves. While it tastes good without, I imagine it's great with them as well, if you're not allergic like me. Blend garlic with chilies and then follow directions as written.**

Mmmm...Bacon (Risotto)

Gotta love me some bacon. My newest creation:

Bacon Asparagus Risotto


1/2 lb bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb asparagus spears, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 c. organic chicken broth
3 tbsp. butter
1.5 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. dry wine (I used sherry, but whites would work well too)

1. Cook bacon in large saute pan over medium high heat until crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving bacon grease in pan.

2. Cook asparagus in bacon grease until crisp-tender. Set aside.

3. Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep warm.

4. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan. Add rice and stir about 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 c. hot chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 c. at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes.

5. Add asparagus and bacon and stir until heated through. Remove from heat. Salt and grains of paradise to taste.

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Soup

My most recent creation: Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Soup. I've adapted the recipe from a Thai cooking class I took with Mark DesLauriers. I highly recommend his classes...it's a small group class, with tons of instruction and most importantly, good recipes.

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Soup
4 c. coconut milk
1 c. chicken stock
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, bruised and minced
2 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 shallots, chopped
1.5 lbs. chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
.5 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsbp. palm sugar (substitute brown sugar if unavailable)
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces if large
8 oz. carrots
3 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
cilantro to garnish

1. Put the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemongrass, ginger and shallots in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.

2. Add the chicken, shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar, and carrots and simmer, stirring constantly for 5 min, or until the chicken and shrimp are cooked through.

3. Add the tomatoes, lime juice and crushed red pepper in the last few seconds, taking care not to let the tomatoes lose their shape.

4. Taste, then adjust seasoning if necessary, This dish is not meant to be overwhelmingly spicy but to have a sweet, salty, sour taste. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Trader Joe's to the Rescue

I had been lamenting the fact that I would no longer be able to eat prepared meals, when I happened upon this little gem at Trader Joe's. The Super Spinach Salad contained: spinach, cherry tomatoes, carrots, quinoa, dried cranberries, chickpeas, edamame and pumpkin seeds. The item I was most excited about was the carrot ginger miso dressing, which had no ingredients that I have eliminated from my diet. I will have to check the Joe's next time to see if they bottle this goodness.

Still rather bummed about not being able to hit up a fast food joint when I'm in the mood, or have pizza, but I didn't really have those things on a frequent basis in the first place.

An update on my health: I've noticed far fewer stomach aches and no bloating after eating meals. Good progress for sure.

First Restaurant Visit

Last night, my friend and I went to one of my favorite restaurants, The Elephant Walk. For those of you who don't know, The Elephant Walk has both Cambodian and French cuisine, with traditional and original dishes. I chose this restaurant, not only because it's delicious, but I knew they had a gluten-free menu. Normally, I'd order either: 

• Roasted bone-in chicken breast with potato gnocchi in a white wine cream sauce; with tomato coulis and sautéed spinach 

          or

• Rice noodles sautéed in a sauce of shredded chicken breast, tofu, garlic, salted soy beans, pickled shallot, Chinese chive, bean sprouts and red bell pepper; topped with shredded omelet

My mouth is watering just thinking about those dishes, but unfortunately, I could not have either. Looking over the gluten-free options, I thought I spied a dish that would be safe in terms of the ingredients listed, but knew I had to confirm my selection with the waiter.

When our waiter approached to take our order, I simply said "I have quite a few dietary restrictions and was wondering if you could tell me what's in a dish I'm considering." His response was a much better way to handle things. "Tell me what you need to avoid and I will guide you to the right dish." 

I gave him the biggies, figuring if he can avoid those, I can pick anything else out: gluten, olive oil, garlic, black pepper and basil. He was incredibly knowledgable about the menu, informed me that most items are pre-marinated in either oil or pepper, but that he'd go speak with the chef to see what they could do. 

Within a few minutes, he was back and I was in luck. They had a special on the menu that had nothing pre-made, so we could pick and choose ingredients. I ended up with Poulet Malika: Sliced chicken breast sautéed with lemongrass, shallots and garlic; with cubanelle peppers, tomato, jalapeños & Asian basil. The chef simply left out the garlic, basil and jalapenos (not an allergy, just an aversion to hot peppers). What resulted was very good:

Thanks, Elephant Walk!

Lettuce Eat!

I've started to realize that if I want to succeed with this diet, I'm going to have to stop trying to make a dish that is a fake version (i.e a gluten-, cheese, garlic-, basil, etc.-free pizza) of what I love and just cook what I know tastes good.

I've also realized that trying to buy items that make cooking a bit easier, like already cooked chicken, is proving to be a difficult task. Turns out, pre-cooked chicken has lemon in it. I'm definitely going to miss the convenience of fast or already prepared meals and will have to get used to eating leftovers for many days/nights in a row.

On that note, I made a big batch of lettuce wrap filling last night. I ignored the recommendation for iceberg lettuce and chose Boston lettuce instead which turned out to be a big mistake as the Boston lettuce didn't stand up to the weight and saucy-ness (yes, I make up words) of the filling. I ended up eating most of it with a fork and served it with jasmine rice.

Chicken and Tofu Lettuce Wraps (recipe adapted from here)

1 head fresh iceberg lettuce (this type works best for this recipe)
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
1 red chili, minced, OR 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
1/4 red bell pepper
1 broccoli head
1 egg (omit if vegan)
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
1 cup cucumber
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar (I used sherry vinegar because I had it)
1/4 tsp. sugar

TOPPINGS:
1/3 cup fresh dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped or ground

OTHER: 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

1. Drizzle oil into a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add galangal (or ginger), chili, and shallot. Stir-fry one minute, or until fragrant.

2. Add tofu, chicken, carrot, red pepper, broccoli, cabbage, and spring onions. As you stir-fry, add the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sprinkle over the sugar. Stir-fry about 1 minute.

3. Push ingredients to the side of the wok or pan, and crack in the egg. Stir-fry quickly to break the yolk. Mix in with the other ingredients.

4. Add the cucumber and stir-fry briefly to mix (avoid over-looking or it will go limp). Remove from heat.

5. To assemble, take a whole lettuce leaf and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Top with a sprinkling of peanuts. Then wrap up and eat! (For those who like it extra spicy, fresh-cut chili can be added as another topping.) ENJOY!

Tomato Sauce Success!

I must admit, when I first looked over my list of ingredients to avoid, my first thought was: how will I ever eat Italian food again? I should add that I love me a good pasta dish. Anywho, I made it my mission to make a red sauce-based pasta dish and was able to come up with a delicious meal.

Rice Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus in a Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce (I made quite a bit so I can freeze leftovers, about 4 cups worth)

28oz can whole tomatoes in juice, including juice (Whole foods brand)

1.5 C Organic chicken broth

6 tbsp yellow onion, chopped

1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped

1.5 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour into large saucepan and gently simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and skimming froth until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to about 4 cups, about 15 minutes.

Rice pasta

Cook according to directions on package.

Chicken and Asparagus (serves 3, or makes leftovers)

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 bunch fresh asparagus, chopped

Salt/Grains of Paradise* to taste

Grapeseed oil

Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Season chicken with salt and grains of paradise. Add chicken and asparagus to pan and cover. Steam for about 5 minutes and flip chicken over. Continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink in the center and asparagus are cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

Serve pasta, chicken and asparagus covered with tomato sauce. Bon appetite!

*As you might recall, I cannot have black pepper and have substituted it for Grains of Paradise (Whole Foods carries it), which I read about when searching for a pepper substitute 

Nutritionist visit

I  had my first appointment with the nutritionist today and had a lot of questions answered.

1. I should avoid all dairy for now since I had such a strong response to cow's milk, but I may find in 4-5 months that I can introduce some cheeses and maybe other animal's milk back into my diet.

2. Butter's ok since it doesn't have casein or lactose in it, but I should use it minimally in case there's something else in cow's milk I'm allergic to.

3. I should only use a small amount of onions/leeks since I had a strong reaction to garlic.

4. I don't have to be extremely careful with gluten...if the ingredient list doesn't contain gluten, I'm fine, even if it's manufactured/cooked in places where gluten is prepared.

She also gave me a helpful list of foods for GI health categorized as eat unlimited amounts, limited amounts and avoid. We made sure to cross off my food sensitivities. Finally, we went through my normal daily meals and she helped me come up with similar things that would fit my new diet.

As I still have some leftovers, I'm planning to try some new things tomorrow.

Interestingly, I've noticed the past few days that Pepsi now tastes sickeningly sweet to me. Not sure why that is, but nonetheless a change.

Grocery Shopping

I headed out to my local Trader Joe's last night to stock up on allergen-free foods, as most of my pantry contains at least one forbidden ingredient (I will soon be looking to donate the non-perishable foods to the needy and the perishable ones to friends). It was definitely a different experience, having to look at the ingredients of everything I picked up and the trip took much longer than my typical grocery shopping. I guess this will become much easier as I grow accustomed to brands that I like.

Anyway, one thing that threw me off was the gluten-free bread available at TJ's all had that it "may contain safflower oil", which is on my forbidden list. I'm hoping to find some bread where this is not the case, but until then, I have some pretty tasty gluten-free bagels (Udi's®).

Last night's dinner was very tasty:

Pecorino Crusted Chicken with Wine Sauce (Serves 4)

4 chicken breasts cut into strips

Salt to taste

Pecorino (Sheep's milk cheese)

2 eggs

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 C. white wine

1 bag of baby spinach

1. Whisk eggs in bowl and spread pecorino over flat surface. Season chicken with salt. Dip chicken strips into egg and then coat well with pecorino cheese.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on each side. Reduce heat and add wine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the spinach in the last 2-3 minutes and cook until wilted.

I served this over rice, but would also go well with gluten-free pasta.

I'll try to remember to take pictures of the meal next time. I have a meeting with the nutritionist tomorrow and am hoping to clear some things up, like why is cow's milk on the avoid list, but cheddar cheese is not and also, can I have goat's milk.

Day 1: The Diagnosis

I'm starting this blog to help others that may also have to avoid a large list of allergens by sharing recipes and the trials and tribulations of having to do without, but also providing updates on any changes in my health.

On Tuesday of this week, I received a letter from my physician:

"Your food sensitivity test results are attached. Items marked with a #2 or 3 should be eliminated for 4-5 months. #1 foods can be eaten in a 5 day rotation cycle."

I flipped to the next page, hoping to find very few 2s or 3s, but to my surprise, there were 21 items on the list and 7 items listed as a 1. Much to my chagrin, several of these items are ones that I would bring with me to a deserted island, as in, I could eat them everyday and be a happy camper.

So, here we go. The items that I will be eliminating for the next 4-5 months are:

• Basil
• Bean, Green
• Bean, Pinto
• Bran
• Cheese, Swiss
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• Garlic
• Gluten
• Honey
• Lemon
• Milk, Cow's
• Mushroom
• Mustard
• Olive, Green
• Pepper, Black
• Rye
• Safflower
• Wheat
• Yeast, Baker's
• Yeast, Brewer's

And these are the items I can only have once every 5 days

• Barley
• Cantaloupe
• Lobster
• Malt
• Peas, Green
• Sesame
• Yogurt