Coconut Caramels and Traditional Christmas Treats

Tis the season for sweets and treats.  Many times, these treats hold special meaning due to tradition, heritage, or just because they are our favorite things.  Living with food allergies can be a barrier to enjoying the delights of the season.

It is my life’s quest to provide my children with the same opportunities, tastes, and experiences as others, so I tackled homemade caramels this season with delicious results.  I referred to a master of the art of cooking, Martha Stewart, and adapted a recipe of hers titled Classic Caramel Candies.  I did not use the exact amounts of ingredients as described in her original recipe, but it was at least a starting point. I substituted full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream and Crisco for the butter.  My other attempts at these caramels used a butter substitute, but those did not have same tasty results.

Coconut Caramels

1 cup of full fat, canned coconut milk

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Crisco

½ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

Lightly brush bottom and sides of an 8x8 inch rimmed baking dish with oil. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides; lightly brush parchment with oil.

Bring coconut cream, sugar, Crisco, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes.

Immediately remove caramel from heat, and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour caramel onto baking sheet, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Lifting by parchment overhang, transfer caramel to a large cutting board. Cut into bite sized pieces; wrap each piece in waxed paper or cellophane.

A Christmas tradition that I enjoyed as a child was making Spritz cookies with my mother and sister.  The Spritzer was originally my grandmothers and my mom passed it along to me.   After 60+ years, this marvel of a cookie press still works and these cookies continue to be a favorite with the young and for those who remember the original cookie press.

My mother’s recipes for spritz cookies all contained egg, so I did a google search for a recipe that was egg free.  I finally determined to try the following recipe because it was egg free, and I felt like it would be a good recipe when using a wheat/gluten alternative because it contained cornstarch. The cornstarch helps to lighten the texture of gluten free flour. Here is the link for the original recipe.

Vegan Spritz Cookies

1/2 cup Crisco, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar.

1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk alternative

1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour

Sprinkles, for decorating

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat together the Crisco, powdered sugar, and corn starch, using an electric mixer, on low speed until well mixed.

Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the milk alternative.

Fold the flour in 1/2 cup at a time until a dough forms.

Spoon the dough into the cookie press and press cookies onto 2 ungreased cookie sheets, decorating with sprinkles if desired.

Bake until just lightly golden brown, about 11-12 minutes.

Another tradition of ours is to make chocolate covered pretzels.  Two years ago, I introduced a recipe for making gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate covered pretzels.  I wanted my son to be able to enjoy this special treat just like everyone else.  This year, we made both milk chocolate and dairy free chocolate pretzels.  To be able to determine the difference between the two types, I used two different types of pretzels.  Here is the LINK to the recipe. 

Cashew Cream and Pumpkin Butter Pies

Everyone has traditional foods that define the holiday for their family.  Traditional pumpkin pie and whipped cream are a typical part of the Thanksgiving tradition, but food allergies to eggs and milk often remove this dish from the menu. 

An alternative is to make pumpkin butter and a cream based sauce made from cashews. 

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin pie is loaded with eggs, dairy, and wheat.  This option is vegan and wheat-free. 

Two 15 ounce cans of unsweetened pumpkin puree

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup apple cider

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees   Place all ingredients a large casserole dish and stir to blend.  Place casserole dish into the oven.  Stir every 15 minutes until the pumpkin butter has thickened over a period of 1 1/2 hours.  Allow the pumpkin butter to cool and place in an airtight container.  Refrigerate.

Cashew Cream

1 cup of raw cashews

½ cup of water

1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 tablespoons of white, granulated sugar

Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with water for about 3 hours.  Drain water from cashews.  Place cashews in a food processor with water, salt, vanilla, and sugar.  Process until smooth, scraping the sides periodically. 

The left over pumpkin butter and cream will be a great addition to oatmeal in the morning.

Thanksgiving Countdown-Braised Greens

Modern art from my grandfather

Thanksgiving is nearly here and I have a few new recipes to try this year.  In the coming days, I will be posting about new recipes, but also some posts for inspiration and reflection for the holiday.



A simple green and vegetable side to try this year is braised greens.  I did a test recipe recently and watched in amazement as a two year old cleaned her dish and was reluctant to share.  The greens can be kale, collards, and/or mustard greens.  





Braised Greens


1 sweet or yellow onion, thinly sliced into rounds
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch of greens, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces
sea salt and black pepper to taste











Add the sliced onions and garlic to a large, shallow pan. Saute on medium high heat until slightly browned and soft. 

Add washed greens to pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium low.  Continue to steam for 5-7 minutes or until greens are soft and wilting.

Transfer to a serving dish and season with cracked sea salt and black pepper.

For a added palate treat, add pickled red onions on top.  If you chose to not eat the greens, I encourage you to try the onions. Recipe link: Pickled Red Onion.

Oatmeal Cookies "The Best"

A little love

Baking is an endeavor of love.  People who bake are usually thinking of another person and their gift of baked goods is meant to cheer, comfort, or show appreciation.  

Food allergies presents a problem if love comes in the shape of cookie.

As a child, I had a whole list of cookies to choose from when someone asked me what was my favorite cookie.  I usually defaulted to any cookie that contained chocolate, until my mom started making "The Best" oatmeal cookies. If someone asked my kids that same question, they would likely answer "Newman O's".

Today, when my kids some home from school, I can offer all of them homemade oatmeal cookies . This is a revision of the same recipe that my mom used when I was child.  Her recipe called for 3 eggs, but I substituted the eggs for flax eggs for a great result.  

Oatmeal Cookie "the best"

Oatmeal Cookies "The Best"

2 flax eggs, link:  Flax Egg
2 tablespoons rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup non-dairy butter or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour or gluten free flour mixture
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oatmeal

Prepare flax eggs.

Tips for flax eggs:  combine the ground flax seeds with the Ener-G egg replacer with a fork to combine well.  Add 1/2 cup of boiling water and stir to mix well.

Combine raisins, flax egg, vanilla, and rice milk and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to sugar mixture and mix well.  Blend in raisin and flax mixture followed by oatmeal.

Using a small size cookie scoop, drop cookie dough evenly onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes.

Great for your next hike

Harvest

This morning, I stepped outside and found fallen Aspen leaves next to a sand dollar.  The two together were a perfect match for this season of transition from summer to fall.  This past week we witnessed the moon in a lunar eclipse and I was reminded of the harvest moon and the festivals in the fall that center on the harvest.

Most every place has its harvest festival and the foods it celebrates.  Near to me are festivals for chile and beans (aka as frijoles), apples, and grapes for wine.  We also have a local farmer’s market where I load up on vegetables that I would otherwise be incapable of growing or buying at a regular market. 

The harvest is a great time to be together with friends and family sharing in the abundance of season, I hope you are inspired by my favorite selections and recipes.

Chile: The local festival celebrates its iconic vegetable, the green chile. Don’t be too afraid, chile comes in all levels of intensity.  Chile can be added to any soup, sandwich or bread either chopped or pureed. I even saw a sign enticing me to try a green chile mocha.  I enjoy a green chile with a tortilla and some cheese.   

I love beans

Frijole: I have been going to the Chile and Frijole Festival for at least 15 years, and this is the first year that I actually purchased frijoles.   I am so glad that I did, the beans were the best!  Soak 2 cups of dried beans in plenty of water over night.  The water should rise about 2 inches above the level of the beans.  The next morning, rinse the soaked beans and add to the crock pot, with 2 inches of water above bean level, and cook on low all day.  Suggested additions are a red chile pod, anise, and/or garlic.

Okra: I would have never touched an okra as a kid and only recently started touching them as an adult.  I have living in the south to thank for my appreciation of okra.  A local farmer has the best okra and it cooks up great with a little corn flake breading.  Rinse and slice okra into ¼ inch disks.  The okra secretes a natural sticky substance that allows for battering without needing to use an egg, it sticks right to it.  Pan fry in canola oil for about 5-7 minutes each side and salt and pepper as needed.

Collards:  This is another vegetable that gained my appreciation from living in the south.  It looks a little unfriendly in raw form, but becomes tender and sweet once cooked.  Tear the leaves into 2x2 pieces, removing the rib.  Wash and rinse the leaves.  Slice ¼ of a large yellow onion and sauté until soft and beginning to brown.  Add cleaned collards to the pan, setting them on the onion layer.  Cover and steam over medium heat until leaves are soft.

Eggplant:  Try making Eggplant Parmesan, enough said. Here is the link: Eggplant Parmesan

Cucumber: I visit my farmer weekly and purchase about 20 little pickling cucumbers.  My children eat them as snacks, packed in lunches, tossed in salads, and occasionally as refrigerator pickles.  To make refrigerator pickles, peel, wash and slice about 12 little cucumbers.  Peel and slice a small white onion.  Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons sugar with ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of water.  Add in the cucumber and onion and allow it to marinate for 4 hours before serving.

Apples: Peel and chop 2-4 apples and place in a sauce pan with one small, lunch size container of applesauce (or 1/4 cup of applesauce).  Add water if needed and cinnamon and sugar to taste. Cook on low heat until apples are soft.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

School has started and routines are getting reestablished that were ignored with the long days of summer.  Bedtime is earlier, bathing and cleaning behind ears are more closely inspected, back to packed lunches, and battles at breakfast.  My children are not cereal eaters and each of them has their own needs and preferences.  One is allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts, the other needs lots of fiber, and another dislikes cereal.  I have been in a habit of making breakfast muffins for my child with multiple food allergies for a few years. My other children would gaze across the table with envy for a “cupcake” for breakfast.   In general, breakfast is not a simple or quick moving part of our day.

The Slow Breakfast Crew

Since making it to the bus stop in time is essential for everyone’s commute to school, I cannot be in a battle for finishing breakfast every morning.  I recently allowed muffins for everyone at breakfast since my new muffin recipe has the best of both worlds: It’s free of allergens and has fiber!  I was inspired by a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread that my mom made when I was a child. 

Some might say that I have lost all pride allowing chocolate at breakfast, but I think the generous serving of vegetables for breakfast and making the bus on time, is a great trade. 

I spent part of my day off to make both the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (link) and this new recipe.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Yield: 24 muffins or 2 loaves

2 cups of shredded zucchini, well drained of excess water

2 cups flour (wheat or wheat/gluten free blend)

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 Super Eggs (link)

½ cup oil

¾ cup buttermilk (dairy free version is 2/3 cup milk alternative and fill to ¾ cup level with apple cider vinegar)

                                                     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sifted flour and cocoa

First, prepare three medium sized zucchini by washing and trimming ends.  The zucchini can be shredded with the medium size grader or by placing in a food processor.  Zucchini contains natural water and it is important to allow the excess water to drain prior to placing the shredded zucchini in the mix.  Place shredded zucchini in a colander and allow it to rest for 10 minutes prior to pressing the liquid out. 

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. 

Combine the Super Eggs (link) with sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. 

Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients; fold in the 2 cups of shredded zucchini.  

Bake for 17 minutes in mini muffin tins

Place batter in muffin tins/muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or bake in greased and floured loaf pans for 45-50 minutes. 

The original recipe included 3 eggs and buttermilk, but with the proven alternatives of my Super Egg and old kitchen trick to make buttermilk on short notice, this recipe took the substitutions very well and the muffin does not fall apart.  It also tastes great and helps to make breakfast more enjoyable for all.

Food Allergy Hacks of the Summer

Great Sand Dunes National Park

I have been long gone from my blog all summer.  My family has been in constant motion since summer break and I even started a new job. During our adventures this summer, I relied on some of my stand-by ‘hacks’ for managing food allergies and learned some new tricks along the way.  I have included more photos than usual so I hope you enjoy reading and viewing about what we learned and did this past summer.

Colored Cups from Ikea

Color Coding:  In my house, we drink cow milk and rice milk, but since they are both white, it’s hard to tell them apart once they are in the cup.  We solved this problem by purchasing colored cups and assigned a color for each kid in the house so my son knows (and we know) which cup belongs to him.  We use similar strategies while away from home and around other children.  I do not bring my cups on vacation, but I do search for cups, unlike the other glasses and water bottles that the other kids are using, to help avoid drinking from the wrong cup.

Aspen

Rubber Bands: Can’t find a different cup or water bottle? Place a rubber band around the glass or bottle to make it stand out from the others.

Muffins:  I make breakfast muffins and brownies in muffin tins to have available for every day, travel, and celebrations.  Try shopping at TJ Maxx for muffin tin liners.  They usually have an assortment of brightly colored, unique designs for muffin tin liners.  I am not responsible for all of the other things you buy after shopping at TJ Maxx.

Slope Side on West Spanish Peak, CO

Amazon Prime: I bit the bullet and signed up for Prime with Amazon.  Besides having face cream delivered to my door, I can also have hard to find specialty foods delivered to help avoid a trip out of town searching for my favorite pancake mix.  This is great if you live in a more rural area and have limited access to specialty grocery stores.

Mini Can:  Mini-cans of beans, vegetables, juice, coconut milk, etc have saved the day for traveling out of town, packed lunches, or for camping trips.  Most cans have pop tops and a can opener is not required.

A Perfect 10

Can of frosting:  I could probably whip up a batch of homemade frosting, but I’d rather not for every birthday party or classroom celebration.  Try taking a look at pre-made frosting, I have been able to find frosting that does not contain milk.  It may not be good for you, but it holds sprinkles well and can brighten a kids’ day.

Rating System: I am always on a quest finding the next great food or recipe that my kids will eat.   Recipes catch my eye and if it looks like something my children can have, I try it.  My enthusiasm has been crushed many times by my picky eater.   Now that they are older, I have them rate the food on a scale of 1-10.  I get a lot of 5’s (Ice cream made from bananas), often an 8, and an occasional perfect 10. (Link: Cheese-less Enchiladas)

Crestone Needle, CO

Bring Plenty of  (whole) Food: After hiking, biking, camping, and playing all day everyone is hungry and usually a bit dehydrated. Pack a cooler and have plenty of snacks on hand.  

My Big Knife

One of our hikes this summer was a bit spur of the moment, and ended up lasting  close to 7 miles, and taking much longer than expected. We ate every morsel of food on our hike and didn't have much left once we made it back to the car.  At the base, we were so happy to have met someone with a watermelon.  She brought her own knife and started cutting into it for all to enjoy. It was truly delicious. It is my practice to not allow my son to eat food that has been cut by someone else due to the risk of cross contamination.  Most people do not consider food allergies when cutting vegetables or fruit for a party and might be using the same cutting board or knife that also was used to cut cheese, nuts, or other allergens.  I advise him to look for whole foods that come in their own packaging like bananas and oranges.  I asked the fellow hiker about her knife and she assured me that it was the first use and was clean...so my son enjoyed it also.  Now, I relish the opportunity to bring my big knife and a watermelon...it's a great way to make friends.

Make it Different: When my son first started school, I tried to think of ways for him to know which food and drink belonged to him.  I sought out thermos containers that were not the standard issue from Target and I sent him to school with reusable utensils that were not the basic white plastic spoon and fork.  I found these utensils at a local natural grocer and they are made by “Light My Fire”.  

4th of July on Puget Sound, WA

This also applies to foods that may look similar, but might have an ingredient that will cause an allergic reaction.  For instance, since chocolate is essential to our diet I make sure that the size and shape of the different types of chocolate that I buy look different from each other.   My son’s chocolate chips from Enjoy Life are either mini chip size or chunk shaped, so I avoid buying chocolate chips that contain milk in those similar shapes.  

My nephew, Evan

Educate: Explain your reasons, actions, and hacks to your child with food allergies.  The more they know about how to care for themselves, the more they will be able to care and advocate for themselves.  Kids do grow up; a sense of confidence and independence is a natural part of learning how to live in the big, wide world.

Nicole's Super Egg

 I found out the hard way that my daughter was allergic to eggs.  As soon as she was able to eat soft foods like pancakes, I started making them for her.  As it happened, she got sick to her stomach and vomited every time she ate pancakes or waffles.  I attributed the bouts of illness to a bug she picked up from daycare.   It wasn’t until I tried feeding her a whole egg at the age of one that I discovered that she was allergic to eggs.  She had hives, vomiting, and breathing problems and it explained the prior vomiting and “croup” she had as a baby. 

My daughter, cake in question featured with candle

This discovery of her egg allergy happened days before her first birthday.   We were planning a big family gathering to celebrate, and I was looking forward to the big moment when she would eat her first bite of cake.  Immediately, I started researching how to bake without eggs.  I can’t even remember what I first tried, all I remember is that my daughter took one look at her cake and threw it on the floor.  I was devastated.  I tried eating it and the cake was just, plain awful.  That was 11 years ago. 

Fast forward to today, and I am still trying to master the art of baking without eggs.  I have used mashed bananas with success in making banana bread, but not for cookies.  I have purchased or have been given boxes of Ener-G Egg Replacer hoping for the magic bullet; overall, I was unimpressed.  I tried my hand at chemistry with baking soda and vinegar for a great, chocolate cake, but it didn’t work well with pancakes, breads, or cookies.  I started using ground flax seed over the last few years and I found that it was a great overall egg replacer for breads, cookies, and pancakes, but did nothing in a brownie.  I recently tried a new combination of Ener-G Egg Replacer and ground flax seed (remember all those boxes that I have purchased?).  To my delight, and to the delight of my children, it worked better than anything I have tried before.  It even worked great for brownies.  

Ground Flax (left) and Ener-G Egg (right)

Nicole’s Super Egg 

yield: substitution for one egg

2 tablespoons of finely ground flax seed

1 ½ teaspoons of Ener-G Egg Replacer

¼ cup of hot water

Combined Flax and Ener-G Egg Replacer

Stir until combined then whip with a fork or a whisk.  Allow it to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before combining into your recipe.

I have used this Super Egg for recipes like cookies and muffins for which the basic flax egg performed well.  My nemesis with egg free baking has always been the brownie.  Brownies just seemed to need an egg, until now.

I recommend using Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix.  The mix is dairy free, only calls for one egg, and accepts the super egg without problems.   I live at high altitude, so I added the extra ¼ cup of flour that was recommended on the box, but excluded adding the additional liquid.  Follow the directions on the box and add the Super Egg and bake as directed.

Remember, when you bake without eggs, everyone can lick the beaters!

See for yourself and let me know your thoughts on my Super Egg!

Tacos, Baked Alaska, and the all Essential Margarita

Three more days and counting.  That is how many more days of school that are left in the 2014-2015 school year.  Overall, the school year has been successful, both academically and with the management of the food allergies.  School is one of the most challenging territories for a child with food allergies.  Not only are there a variety of foods at lunch time to defend against, but the presence of food in the classroom is more and more common.  I will share with you our moments of success and our moments of stress that we dealt with during one day at school this past week.

 

As an assignment for my daughter’s Spanish class, she needed to research, translate, prepare, and bring an entrée to share with her class.  She did a great job and picked a recipe for chicken tacos that was even safe for her brother.  We prepared it for dinner since we had to make it for her to bring to school.  

Citrus and Tomato Chicken Tacos

1 small can of diced tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds chicken thighs

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried parsley

12 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Diaya mozzarella style shreds

Salsa verde, any brand from a jar

2 avocados, diced

½ cup red onions, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, diced

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 cups of cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes with the lime juice, water, and

salt. Transfer the puree to a large re-sealable plastic bag, add the chicken thighs. Seal the bag, pressing out the air.

Refrigerate the chicken for 6 hours or overnight.

2.  Preheat the grill to 350 degrees.  Brush chicken thighs with the oil, sprinkle with the paprika and parsley, and place chicken thighs, skin side down on the grill.  Grill for 10 minutes.   After 10 minutes, place chicken on one of the grill and turn the heat off on that side.  Increase the heat on the remaining burners to maintain 350 degree cooking temperature and close lid.  Convection cook (indirect heat) the chicken for another 20 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken to a work surface and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken skin.  Cut the chicken thighs into strips and serve with the warmed tortillas, cheese, salsa verde, avocados, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and a side of rice.

The intention was for my daughter to share this meal with her class, but she wasn’t able to because of a food allergy reaction at school.   Earlier in the school day, a student offered the social studies class homemade yogurt parfaits.  My daughter asked what was in the parfait and determined that she could have it without a problem.  After her first two bites, she knew something wasn’t right, and asked again about the ingredients.  This time her friend remembered that it also had marshmallow cream in the ingredients.  Then my daughter knew  sure she was in trouble.  She is allergic to egg and marshmallow cream has egg.  She was escorted by her friend to the office and the allergy plan was followed. Needless to say, she missed sharing her tacos with her Spanish class and was ill for the remaining of the day.

Earlier that same day, I was at a different school with my son’s class to assist in the making of “Baked Alaska”.  I was there because of the risk of cross contamination, presence of food allergens with project, and to provide my son with similar ingredients from home so he could participate.  The experiment went well and my presence helped make sure that the project was a safe experience for my son.  As an added bonus, we have a new dessert for his sweet tooth.

Baked Alaska

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees

3 soft baked snickerdoodle or ginger snap cookies (Trader Joe's or Enjoy Life brand as allergen free and gluten free cookies)

1/3 cup of coconut ice cream (link)

As many marshmallows* as they can handle.

In an oven safe ramekin or homemade foil pan, form the soft baked cookies into a disk with a shallow, sunken center.  In the center, place a scoop of coconut ice cream and place marshmallows on top of the ice cream. 

*marshmallows and marshmallow cream are not created equal

Bake for 3 minutes and serve with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. 

Again, my week had its share of success and stress, which is why I end this post with this final recipe:

Margarita

1 part limeade

1 part tequila

½ part triple sec

1 lime, quartered

Add ice a water into the mix until it tastes right for you and add a squeeze of lime.