Last week I spoke with a lovely woman who was having a hard time sticking to her allergen-free limited diet.  She said she would do great for a while, start to feel healthy and then she would start to eat the things that make her feel bad again.  She  said she missed the carbs and craved breads so this is where she would cheat.

Does this sound familiar?  I personally went through this up and down roller coaster for years before I was able to stay on the diet I’m on now.  It is simply very hard living in a world that offers you food left and right that may taste good to you but will ultimately make you feel sick.

For me, I convinced myself that I could eat wheat and other foods in moderation and that I was okay with this model.  But in truth, I was pretty much in denial because I had a terrible mystery rash on my legs that wouldn’t go away as well as many other physical and emotional issues.

But to tell you the truth, I didn’t want to give up the things I loved to eat.  It seemed too hard, too restrictive and I just didn’t want to go there for a long period of time.  This continued until I came to the point where I either had to change or else go down a road that lead to a lot of misery.

I know this is a big struggle for many of us living with food allergies so I thought I’d make a list of things that help me to stay on the diet I’m on.  If you have more ideas to offer, I’d love to hear from you.

1.  Have a reality check: This is going to be different for you depending on if you’re just starting a limited diet or if you’ve been on one for a while.

Either way though, having a reality check is looking at your life, your body, and your overall well-being and happiness and seeing where you are, and where you’d like to be.  If you’re thinking about starting a limited diet at least for a short period of time, you can make a list of physical or emotional problems that you might hope would be helped by changing your diet.

If you’ve been on a limited diet for a while and it’s helping you feel better – but you find yourself cheating now and then which in turn makes you feel bad again, doing a “reality check” can help you focus on what you really want instead of what looks good in the moment – like, the bagel.

Before I have gone on any kind of limited diet, I have done a “reality check” so that I’m focused on what can improve from my diet change instead of how hard it is to give up certain foods.  I usually think about the problems I’m having – and then give myself a little pep talk about how my life might just get better if I am able to stick to the limited diet.

This works for me because it makes me want better health and happiness MORE than the muffin or bread.  So while I may come face to face with muffins and cereals everyday, when I see them, I tell myself, “That is only going to make me feel _____________ (fill in the blank) if I eat it.”  When I think about the consequence, it’s SO much easier to resist something that looks so tempting.

Of course, if you’re just starting out and don’t know what life is like on the “other side,” it’s a little harder to imagine how you might feel.  But if your doctor is recommending this diet, then they probably know that the diet change will make you feel better.

2.  Make a commitment to yourself and your health: This has to come from inside your heart and mind.  And if you don’t want a limited diet, but want better health and happiness, this is what you can focus on.  It’s a commitment that only you can give yourself.  No matter what your doctor is telling you to do, you still have to decide to do this crazy diet if you want to see if it will help you or not.

This may take time.  I spent over 13 years trying to convince myself that my problems were not that bad and that it wasn’t really the food and that I could eat wheat and gluten in moderation, la de dah de dah!

But you’ll know when you’re ready.  It might be at a very low point in your life where you realize that something has to change.  It was for me.  But unfortunately, sometimes it is because of the hard stuff in life that we are forced to change and take better care of ourselves.

But even if your issues are just mildly annoying to you right now, you can still make a commitment to change your diet.  Either way, you can simply do this internally or you can physically write down your commitment.  This may be helpful if you keep pushing off starting the diet.

So, mark the calendar of when you want to start.  Next to it write out your commitment to yourself to follow the diet and what you’d hope to change by doing it.

3.  Prepare!  Prepare!  Prepare! This is just as important as the reality check and the commitment process.  If you’re not prepared, you probably won’t last but a day on the diet.

If you live alone, going on a limited diet is MUCH easier than when you’re a mom or dad and cooking food for the whole family.  If you’re the only one on the limited diet, this is very difficult because you are around people all the time who are eating foods that you’re supposed to avoid.

However, here are some tips.

Organize your cupboards and fridge so that you create a space that has food that you can eat.  This is very important because once you start your diet, you will most likely be hungry and looking for something to eat.  But if you have an area in your fridge and pantry that has food you can eat, this will make things much easier for you.

Here are some “snacks” that may be helpful to have on hand:

• Lara Bars
• other raw “protein” bars with whole ingredients
• soaked and dehydrated nuts and seeds
• Coconut butter
• Almond, sunflower, cashew butters
• Sardines and canned salmon
• Yogurt
• Fruit
• Hard boiled eggs
• Breads, muffins and crackers made out of coconut flour and nut flours such as almond and hazelnut
• Homemade beef jerky
• Raw granola bars
• Hemp protein powder to make smoothies with

Cook one meal for the whole family as much as possible. Even if your kids and spouse aren’t following your diet, you can still (most likely) cook meals that everyone can eat.  Of course this totally depends upon the degree of limitation of your diet.  But if you can, find recipes that everyone can eat to make cooking easier.

Bake goodies for yourself and your family. Yes, you’ll be craving bread and sweets and everything in between.  So get prepared.  Find recipes that work for your new diet and start baking.  This is the only way you’ll get through the first part of eliminating certain foods from your diet.  And most likely the only way you’re going to stay on the diet for the long run.

And even if you can’t eat dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, grains, yeast, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, you can still most likely have baked goods.  Really?!  Yes!  But just be prepared to make them yourself!  If you’re looking for recipes, you can check out the different weekly menu planners I have available.  I am also more than happy to email recipes to people so if you’re looking for something specific, don’t hesitate to ask or contact me.

Make a list of foods you CAN eat: This is also a vital step.  This will help you immensely when it comes to meal planning.  If you’re focused on the foods you can’t eat, you won’t get very far.  But if you focus on the vast array of food that is available, your options begin to show themselves to you.

I personally have an Excel sheet with almost every kind of (“common”) food available.  Then I check off all the things that I can’t eat so that I’m left with the foods I can eat.  From there, I can search for recipes that include those ingredients which I can eat.

If everyone in your family has different limitations, it will be important to make a chart that shows who can eat what.  Then make a master list of what EVERYONE can eat and try to create as many menu options with these as possible.  This way you’ll cut down on the cooking and you won’t have as many foods around the house that you can’t eat.

Look for recipes and experiment:  Before you fully commit to the diet, just start doing some research by finding some recipes that work for you.  You can use your list of “CAN” foods for you and your family and start brainstorming some ideas.  If you’re still stuck, you can check out one of menu planners.  You can also search for recipes through all of the great cooking websites available these days to find recipes that work for your diet.

Once you have a list of recipes that you think will work for you and/or the family, go shopping.  Then start cooking some foods and recipes that may be new to you.  You should do this before your “commitment date” so that you have already started experimenting with new foods before you start.

Menu plan: Once you have made a few new recipes, you will want to plan for an entire week of meals so that you don’t start your diet not knowing what you will eat during the week.  You probably already have some ideas from your experimenting stage.  So add to the list and create at least 5 meals for the week for dinners and possibly breakfast and lunch ideas if these are needed as well.  Make a shopping list too, so that it’s easy to do the shopping when you’re ready.

It’s also very helpful to print or copy all the recipes you plan to use for the week and put them in a folder in the kitchen.  Also print your menu plan so that you know what you’re making during the week.

4.  Take your time and ease into the diet: Once you have done all of the above steps, it would seem obvious to start the diet cold turkey.  But what if this new diet is free of so many foods that you’re used to eating everyday?

The best way I find to go on a very limited diet is to take it in steps.  If you eliminate everything, you will shock your system, probably have a lot of die-off, feel miserable and then want to go back to eating what you ate before – because you actually felt “better” before this crazy diet!

What is die-off? This is the process of the overgrowth of yeasts in our bodies “dying off.”  It’s a good thing and happens when you go on an elimination diet, eat coconut oil, take probiotics or other lacto-fermented foods.  But what can happen is your body is trying to get rid of the toxins faster than it is able to.  So, for a brief time – or up to a few days – you can have symptoms come back stronger than before and you can feel pretty awful.  But this is a GOOD sign!  This is not a sign that you’re doing something wrong.  But it may be a sign to slow down on the probiotics or on your diet.

So in order to avoid incredible periods of feeling miserable from die-off, you can take things slow and at your own pace.  For me, I was on a gluten and dairy free diet.  Then I was introduced to GAPS and slowly eliminated grains.  Then I eliminated all starches and sugars.  Eventually I eliminated eggs, and I am finally gearing up to do the “Intro” diet for GAPS.  This is meant to be done at the beginning of the diet, but for me, it wasn’t the right time yet.  I also feel that I won’t have as much die-off this way since I’ve been eating Full GAPS for almost a year now.

5.  Focus on the positive and seek support: I may have touched on this before, but I’ll say it again because it’s important – focus on the postitive.  Even if you’re feeling awful when you first start, try to stay focused on the fact that you will start to feel better in time.  Everyone is different so I can’t say what will happen for you.  But for many, once they get through the initial detox period, they do start to feel better by being on a limited diet.

The other really important aspect is seeking support from other people.  These can be your family, friends, or people you don’t know who are on the same diet as you.  One resource for people doing the GAPS diet is the GAPS Yahoo support group.  It is very supportive and if you have questions, it is a great place to find answers.

There are also a lot of forums out there for specific diets, so you can try doing a search for you specific diet plus forum.

I think that is it for now.  I’d love to hear from you if you need help with your limited diet or if you have any other helpful suggestions for people on limited and allergen-free diets.

Have a great day!

Hooray and thank you for all who participated in the Free Give-away for the Holiday Menu Planner and Just Desserts for Limited Diets recipe e-book.  The winners of the give-away are: Tina, Emily, Michele S, Rebecca and Robin.  Congratulations and I hope the book and planner bring a wealth of goodness to you holiday season!

GAPS update:

As for me, I feel like I’ve ran a dessert marathon these past few weeks.  I have never baked or created so many sweets in such a short amount of time. I have to say that my enthusiasm, energy and ability to get this done in time is largely due to following the GAPS diet.  I have never had so much energy, been so even-minded, centered, happy, and enthusiastic for such long periods of time.  Yes, and it is all because I am no longer eating grains, starches, and refined sugars (only honey).  I plan to write a lengthy post about all the changes I have been experiencing on GAPS soon!

Thanks Mom!

I also really have to give my mom some credit here because she helped me test/create several of the candy recipes and a cookie recipe.  I was a little over-zealous with how many recipes to put in the e-book so it was so great to have her help with this project.  She used to make lollipops for us when my sister and I were kids and I still have a vision of her making them over the stove with the star and heart molds.

My flops:

I have to share a few of my flops while testing recipes for the Just Desserts for Limited Diets recipe book.  I unfortunately didn’t take pictures of them.  I cleaned out the refrigerator tonight and tossed them in the compost.

1st of attempt at Butter Cream Frosting:

I was following a recipe from Nourishing Traditions for Butter Cream Frosting – pretty traditional.  It consisted of butter, rapadura (sugar), egg whites and vanilla.  Many people can have butter even if they can’t eat other dairy products so I thought I would give the original recipe a try, substituting honey for the rapadura.

It didn’t work!  I don’t know if I just didn’t get the butter warm enough, or if this recipe just doesn’t work with honey.   Basically what happened is no matter how much I beat the mixture, the butter and the honey and egg white just wouldn’t gel together.  When I refrigerated it, it just got worse.  It was very runny, even after I tried mixing it again.  It tasted good – who doesn’t love sweetened butter?  But it was definitely a no go for a cake.

I am suspicious that I was careless with the temperature of the butter and maybe this would still work out.  I may have to try it again when I have some extra butter.

I ended up created a whole new recipe with coconut milk and coconut butter that was so yummy!  This goes with the Spice Cake recipe in the desserts book.

1st attempt at Almond Brittle with honey:

Unless you like extremely sticky candy that is almost impossible to get off your teeth, this was also a flop.  My mom tested this one and I told her just to use honey and almonds to see what would happen.  Even when it cooled all the way, it was way too sticky to eat.

I ended up adding coconut oil to the honey and it was much better.  Butter worked even better to make it more like almond brittle.

Fortunately, these were the worst of the crew.  I had other recipes I had to adjust but I was happy that they most turned out yummy.

More cakes?

I thought I was done making cakes, but my husband’s birthday is this coming Saturday.  Actually I knew I was going to have to make another one, but I have to be honest that I am a little “sweeted out”!  But I’m looking forward to creating the cake my husband has requested.  He wants cake make with coconut flour with a lemon flavor and a cream cheese frosting.

Fortunately, we are all doing great on the homemade goat yogurt I’ve been making every week.  And from yogurt, you can make lacto-fermented cream cheese that is not only much better for you than the processed stuff but also tastes much better in my opinion.

I made an extra batch of yogurt yesterday so I’m going to be “dripping” the yogurt through a sieve and cloth tomorrow.  It takes several hours but you end up with whey in the jar and the cream cheese in the cloth.  I’m going to follow the cream cheese frosting recipe in Nourishing Traditions once I have my cheese.

For dinner we’re going to have Chicken Parmesan and Eggplant Parmesan (some family members are vegetarian and I don’t do well with eggplant).  For the breading I am going to use almond flour and for the cheese, I’m going to use Manchego Sheep’s cheese.  We’ve been doing well on this cheese.  It is aged for several months and so there isn’t any lactose in it.

Anyway, that’s enough updates for now.  Stay tuned for a recipe for Almond Rocha!

If you’re looking for healthy, sugar-free and gluten free dessert recipes and a delicious allergen-friendly Holiday Menu Planner this season, you won’t want to miss the 20% OFF pre-order offer that will be expiring tonight at midnight PST.

All of the recipes on both the Just Desserts for the Limited Diet recipe e-book and the Holiday Menu Planner are free of the following ingredients:

no gluten

no wheat

no grains

no starches or nightshade veggies

no refined sugar – only honey is used

no dairy – butter is used but coconut oil can be substituted

no soy

no corn

no peanuts

egg-free options and dessert recipes are on both the menu planner and dessert e-book

Some of the recipes that you won’t want to miss out on include:

Dairy-free Egg Nog

Egg-free Egg Nog

Gingered Cranberry Raspberry Relish

Dairy and Gluten-free Coconut Cream Pie

Gluten free Pecan Pie

Gluten free Pumpkin Pie

Gluten free Cookie Cutter Cookies

Gluten free Cookie Press Cookies

Spice Cake with “Butter” Cream Frosting

Walnut Torte with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

Almond Brittle

Almond Rocha

and many more!

Also, the desserts e-book and the holiday menu planner make great gifts for the holidays for someone who is limited in their diet.

To read more about the allergen-friendly Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts for Limited Diets recipe e-book and to pre-order, click here.

I hope you’re having a relaxed and blessed holiday season!

Cranberry Raspberry Relish from Eatingwell.com

I had so much fun with the Thanksgiving Menu Planner that I am very excited about creating menu planners for the coming holidays as well!

So excited, that I am actually going to create both a Holiday Menu Planner as well as “Just Desserts” recipe booklet for people on limited diets.

I grew up celebrating Christmas, but if this is not the holiday you celebrate, these menu planners and recipes could most likely work for any festive celebration and holiday.

The Holiday Menu Planner:

I think for many families, having a nice breakfast on either Christmas morning or another special day during the holidays is very common.  So I decided to include a breakfast menu to the holiday menu planner as well as a dinner menu.

Once again, the menu planner is going to be free of the following foods, so that it can work for almost any limited diet:

no dairy -  (butter may be used in some recipes but there is always another option that is dairy-free)

no wheat or gluten – all grains and products containing gluten

no grains

no sugar - only natural sweeteners will be used, such as raw honey and maple syrup

no soy – no soybean oil, lecithin, and other soy products

limited starches

no corn

no beans and legumes

egg-free options

What kinds of foods will be used:

Chicken, eggs, vegetables (non-starchy), nuts, seeds, fruit, honey, coconut, and other whole food ingredients.

So far, this is the menu I have, but it is subject to change, based on feedback I get:

Breakfast:
Egg Frittata
Apple Clafoutis
Egg-Free Banana Muffins or Fig and Nut Spice Bars
Festive Fruit Salad with Almond Crème

Snacks:
Squash Fries
Holiday Pecans
Egg Nog or Almond Nog

Dinner:
Pomegranate Mandarin Salad with Creamy Poppy seed Dressing
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Rosemary Roasted Chicken
Cranberry Raspberry Relish
Steamed Green Beans with Sliced Almonds
Roasted Veggies with Honey Mustard Glaze
Coconut Rolls

Dessert:
Spice Cake with Butter Cream Icing
Egg-free option (TBA)

Just Desserts Recipe e-Book

I got a little carried away with the desserts on the Thanksgiving Menu Planner that I decided that for the holidays, I would create a booklet of holiday dessert recipes.

I think when anyone thinks of Christmas and food, sweets come to mind.  I grew up with my mom making peanut brittle, peppermint bark and lots of other delicious desserts.  These made great gifts for friends and family and we also really enjoyed them!

I already have a long list of candies and desserts that I want to include in the booklet.  And they’re all going to be free of refined sugar, wheat, gluten, grains, soy, corn, and dairy.  Most of the desserts will also be free of chocolate but I may include one or two for people who can eat chocolate.  Here are the ideas I have so far for the Just Desserts Recipe e-book:

Candies and Nuts:
Holiday Pecans
Rosemary Walnuts
Toffee Candies
Almond Brittle
Almond Joy Coconut Bark
Peppermint Patty Coconut Bark
Honey Caramels
Cinnamon Truffles
Almond Rocca
Fudge

Cookies:
Gingerbread Men and other Christmas Cut-out Cookies
Christmas Cookies
Cookie Press Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Fig and Nut Spice Bars

Cakes:
Christmas Fruit and Nut Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Spice Cake with Butter Cream Frosting
Walnut Torte
Flourless Carrot Cake

Pies, crusts and toppings:
Berry Almond Pie Bars
Berry Pie
Coconut Mousse Pie
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Almond Pie Crust
Coconut Pie Crust
Coconut icing
Coconut whipped Cream
Cashew Cream
Butter Cream Icing

Free Give-Away of the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book!

Last time for the Thanksgiving Menu Planner, I offered it free to people who offered ideas and recipes for the planner that I ended up using.  Thank you to all who participated and gave me your ideas!

For the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book, I am offering a FREE give-away to 5 people who would love to receive them for their holiday planning.  That means, five people will receive both the Holiday Menu Planner as well as the Just Desserts recipe e-book for FREE!

How to Enter the Giveaway

There are 7 possible entries

1. Take a look at the menus for the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book in this blog post and then leave a comment telling us what you think about them and why you’d like to win them.
2. Twitter about this giveaway. Link to (http://bit.ly/7lTKeh) and mention me @Heartofcooking so I can track it.
3. Follow me, Sarah Schatz, on Twitter: @heartofcooking.
4. Share a link to this give away post on Facebook. (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)
5. Send an email to a friend about this giveaway. Give them the URL to this post. (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)
6. Subscribe  to my blog via email or blog reader.
7. Blog about this giveaway. Refer your readers to this post: (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)

As you complete each item, come back here and leave a comment letting me know. You can also leave one comment saying everything you did.

Who Will Win?

Five readers will win FREE copies of the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts Recipe e-book .

Menu Planner Release and Free Giveaway Dates

The Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book will be available for pre-order starting the first week of December.  People who pre-order will receive them in their email the day they are uploaded to my website, the 16th of December.  They will be complete and available for purchase on Wednesday, the 16th of December.

The deadline for the Free Give-Away will be Monday, the 14th of December. The winners will be announced by the 16th of December.  So, you have over two weeks to share and spread the message of the Holiday Menu Planner and Just Desserts recipe e-book for a chance to win a copy of each for your holiday planning.

So, let’s get going!  Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Sarah

Our lovely cherry tomatoes

I have been enjoying the Tuesday Twister blog posts by Wardeh Harmon at Gnowfglins.com for the past few weeks or so ever since I found her website.   These blog posts have been a synopsis of her week in the kitchen and what has been twisting in her cooking.  I love reading them, mostly because she focuses on nourishing, whole foods!

Last week she announced her new Blog Carnival, the Tuesday Twister Carnival and her invitation to participate in the weekly postings.  I started thinking about doing this and then a couple days ago, inspiration struck I finally decided to give it a go.  I can’t promise I’ll do it every week, but we’ll see what happens.

My Meal Un-Plan

I started thinking about my week in the kitchen and what it is normally like during our busy days.  And what stood out to me the most was the fact that I hardly ever meal plan.

Okay, so I menu plan for my clients and I create different menu planners for different diets.  But I have to be honest with you.  Rarely do I plan my whole week in advance before I go to the store each week…which usually turns into 3 x a week visiting the store.

What usually happens is I look around in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry, think about what I’d like to make, then see what I can make with what I have.

Sometimes while I’m shopping I will get ingredients for something I have been wanting to make (like my tomatillo salsa) but oftentimes, dinner is a creative process of coming up with something new, yummy and healthy for the family.

Curried Chicken Salad with Coconut Milk

So this week’s menu which is gluten-free, dairy-free, legume free and I think soy-free…

Of course, the menu was created after the fact…

Tuesday: Garam Masala Lamb burgers and Sauteed Zucchini

Wednesday: Chicken Legs with Caramelized Onions, Basmati Rice and the Tomatillo Salsa I had made on monday.  My mom was having dinner with us and she loved it.

Thursday: We went to the Farmer’s Market and bought fresh produce.  But I didn’t much feel like cooking so I took some frozen dairy-free and gluten-free pizza out of the freezer that I had made.  We enjoyed it with fresh corn on the cob and watermelon.

Friday: I was craving Tortilla Lasagna, even though I knew the oven would heat up the house.  Made a special trip to the store for the ingredients, and made it with ground turkey, spinach, olives and tomato sauce.

Saturday: Made my first batch of Pot Pie muffins for Elijah.  We took them to Surreybrook Farms for an incredible outing.

For dinner:  Made Chicken Curried Salad and Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes.  I usually would add celery to this salad, as well as green onions, maybe even cherry tomatoes.  But I had none of these so I steamed some green beans, and cut them into 1-inch lengths and put them in the salad.  It was tasty.

Sunday: Made my second batch of Pot Pie Muffins.  I liked these much better.

Made the Chicken Salad again because my husband loved it so much and his parents came to visit.  Also finished off the last of the Tomatillo Salsa.

Monday: My husband made Wild Salmon and Sauteed Zucchini with Marjoram ( nice not to cook every now and then!)

Our first garden harvest (well besides the sugar snap peas):

Sunday was also a day of harvesting our first crop of potatoes.  My husband planted blue, yukon gold, and fingerling and he harvested some of the yukon and fingerling.

Yukon and Fingerling Potatoes from our garden

This week, our beautiful and big Kuri Squash plants became infected with a white mold.  We treated them with a garlic spray and some baking soda.  However, we don’t think they liked the baking soda because they started to wilt shortly after.  But at least we have received two beautiful Kuri Squash from the plants.  Here’s one with some wilty leaves:

‘

One of the two Kuri Squash

We ended up harvesting the squash on monday and getting rid of the dying plants.  We also discovered that our yellow (not red like we expected) cherry tomatoes were actually ripe and we enjoyed some of the first ones.  There was a few left for a picture with the squash.  (The zucchini is from my in-law’s garden.)

Kuri Squash with Yellow Tomatoes and Zucchini

I think that’s all I have to report for the week.  I’d love to hear about other people’s week in the kitchen!  And please do check out the Tuesday Twister Carnival.

I receive a lot of emails from people who have found my site and are looking for ideas for their very limited diet.  Some of these people are at a complete loss as to what to eat because their diet is so limited.  I received one of these emails from someone last week inquiring about a diet for her daughter.

Here was her list of foods that her daughter was told to avoid:

gluten (wheat, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, tricale, and all products containing gluten such as soy sauce, etc)
grain (includes rice, millet, teff, and other gluten-free grains)
dairy
egg
soy
corn
banana
kiwi

This is a similar list to many of the people who come to me.  There are definite variations and more limited diets like those without any meat or fish, legumes, nuts, all fruit, etc.  But I thought I’d start with this diet to give you some ideas on where to start.

So what do you do when you get a list like this?  My hope is that in this post, I can give you my process for starting to come up with some foods and recipes you can eat when you receive a long list of foods you should be avoiding, even temporarily.

I am also working on compiling my recipes into menu plans for different diets such as this one so that people can have a menu planner for their specific limited diet.  I am also going to start writing some blogs about how you can start to do this for yourself!

1.  Focus on what you can eat, not what you can’t! Make a long list of all the foods available in your grocery store, farmer’s market and local health foods store.  Make categories for the main food groups and list all the foods under them that you can find.

Categories would include: meat, seafood, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, glutenous grains, gluten-free grains, grain-free “grains,” condiments, nuts, seeds, legumes, and sweeteners.

The most difficult part of receiving a list such as the one from this woman for her daughter, is that you have to be very creative when it comes to having foods that resemble grains, baked goods and pastas.

As a little help in the grain and grain-free department, here is a list that you can start with.  There may be others on the list I haven’t thought of or forgot to include:

Wheat-free grains:
spelt, oats, kamut, rye, barley plus all gluten-free and grain-free “grains”

Gluten-free grains and flours:
rice, all varieties
brown rice
corn
gluten-free oats
teff
millet
sorghum

Grain-free “grains,” flours and seeds
buckwheat

quinoa

amaranth

chia seeds

potato starch

sweet potato flour

yam noodles

pumpkin seed flour

coconut flour

almond meal

pecan meal and other nut meals (made from grinding any nut very finely)

blanched almond flour

flax seed meal

hemp seeds (great as protein powder)

tapioca – this is made from the cassava root

arrowroot

besan or chickpea flour

sunflower seeds (can be ground)

sesame seeds (can be ground up as well)

As you can see the grain-free list is pretty long!  I could probably keep going but I’ll stop there.  It’s really just a matter of knowing what to do with these ingredients once you figure out that there is quite a bit of variety out there!

2.  Highlight all the foods you can eat on the list. Focus on these foods and what you can create from them.  This first step will help you immensely if you can get through it.

3.   Going  back to the example diet that I listed before, here are the things that her daughter can eat based on doing this process.

All meat and seafood - this is a huge plus if you’re in this boat.  The challenge with this is some kids just don’t like meat or won’t eat it.  But if you aren’t a vegetarian but have a limited diet, this helps a lot with meal planning.  Also, you can bread fish and chicken with almond or pecan meal and it makes it more appealing to children.

You can also make chicken puree and slip this into things like potato pancakes.  More on this in a future post.

All veggies and all fruit except for corn, banana and kiwi.  It’s also helpful that her daughter can still eat potato as this is in a lot of foods and can also be used as a starch in baking.  Vegetables and fruits are so versatile – a great opportunity for creativity.

All beans except for soy. Beans are hard to digest in general so this may be something that she would eat every now and then but it also depends on her health issues.  Chickpeas can be ground into a flour as well as others such as fava beans.  I personally don’t like the taste and find them hard to digest as flours but they are an option.

All nuts and seeds. This is extremely helpful that she can still eat nuts and seeds.  Peanut butter isn’t even on her list (though this is a legume).  Nuts can be used as nut butters, flours, nut milk ( which would be a good option for her for a milk alternative since she can’t have soy or rice), cheese (though commercial brands have casien in them), as breading on chicken or fish, dairy-free cheese sauces (cashews) or just eaten whole as a great snack.  They are most digestible however if they are soaked and then dehydrated.

Most condiments: mustard, ketchup, vinegars, lemons and limes, oils.  As far as mayo goes, you can find an egg-free version but it’s made with soy.  I have a recipe for mayo made from cashews but I haven’t tried it yet.

All herbs, spices, chocolate and carob: You can make a meal with a piece of fish or chicken, some garlic and onions, vegetables and some fresh herbs and spices.  Very simple but very good.  There are infinite ideas and recipes out there in terms of just using meat or fish, vegetables and fresh herbs and spices.

She can also still eat chocolate and carob as long as it’s dairy-free and grain-free.  You could make grain-free chocolate or carob muffins, cookies, cakes, etc (search for grain-free and egg-free dessert recipes).  Even make your own hot chocolate with some cocoa powder, nut milk and a sweetener.

All sweeteners: also another plus.  Try to stick to raw honey, agave, molasses and real maple syrup.

Some alternatives for what she can’t eat:

Eggs: This can be a tough one if you’re used to baking with eggs or having them for breakfast.  However, there are several egg substitutes you can use when you’re baking, as long as you’re not making a quiche.  There are egg-free quiches but they are made with tofu, and she can’t have soy, so that is out.

As far as some other breakfast items, this is going to be more challenging without the eggs, grains and dairy-products.  But here are some ideas:

turkey or chicken sausages
grain-free pancakes
amaranth bread
turkey bacon
quinoa or buckwheat muffins, made grain-free, egg-free and dairy-free
nut butter on grain-free crackers
fresh fruit – smoothies, fruit salad

Dairy-free alternatives: This is really a topic in and of itself, so I won’t go into this completely.  But as I mentioned earlier, her choice milk would be almond or another nut milk or hemp milk.  You can make your own nut milk very easily.  Coconut milk would also be a good option.

As far as cheese goes, here is a good dairy-free cheese that is also grain-free.

Some people can eat ghee in place of butter, which is clarified butter.  Also, coconut butter is a great alternative to butter.  It is delicious!

She can also eat coconut yogurt and coconut ice cream, great alternatives (and yummy too) since she can’t have dairy, soy or rice.

Cornstarch alternative: Arrowroot powder can be used part for part in baking recipes that call for cornstarch.  You will also need to find a corn-free baking powder for baking.

Soy-free soy sauce: One last tidbit I’ll leave you with.  Here is a recipe I recently came across for soy-free soy sauce.  It looks very good to me but I haven’t tried it yet.  A good alternative for someone who loves asian food but can’t have soy.

4.  Get organized: Once you have compiled a list of recipes you’d like to try that fit your new diet, the next step is to organize them for them week.  Print them out or make copies from cookbooks.  Then look through the ingredients to see what you need to add to your shopping list for the week.  Then, yes, go shopping, or order unusual ingredients online.

5.  Be brave and take baby steps: Take the last step and be brave to try something new.  It can seem daunting at first to use unusual ingredients you’re not used to using in cooking and baking.  But start with something most familiar to you and go from there.  Take baby steps.  Try one or two new ingredients a week so you don’t get overwhelmed by too many choices.

6.  Don’t get too discouraged: Expect to have some flops.  You’re learning something new and it may take some time to learn some new tricks of the trade.  But be patient and keep trying.  Pretend you’re on an adventure and your next meal is your next mission.  This may sound corny but if you can get excited about creating new and delicious foods, you will most likely have better results than if you think you’re making another disaster.

Good luck!  I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment about your own adventures in allergen-free cooking and baking!

All the best,
Sarah

Risotto with Artichokes and Leeks

Coming home late from work, Beth walks into her home with a toddler in tow, and remembers with a flash
that she had her personal chef come and cook meals for her family today.  A sigh of relief and a feeling of excitement fill her body as she looks forward to trying the delicious meals awaiting her in the refrigerator.

Her husband comes home just as she is heating up some of the meals for them to enjoy for dinner.  Everything looked so good, it was hard to decide what to try first.  Without having to cook anything, they settle down to the table and enjoy their meal together with their daughter.

This is the kind of experience that I give people when I cook for them as a personal chef.  I started my business, Sarah’s HeART of Cooking Personal Chef Services in 2006 and quickly started cooking full time.  However, I also became pregnant in March of 2007, slowing me down quite a bit, to say the least.

Last year I continued cooking for a few of my clients but I didn’t go back full time like before my pregnancy.  I also started my online service, the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner, so that I could start to serve people from home and on a wider scale.

My family and I have been living in Berkeley Springs, WV, but as of the end of this March, we will be moving to Frederick, Maryland.  My husband is from the Baltimore area so one reason why we are moving is to be closer to his family. Once we move, I will once again cook for my clients on a regular basis.  I am also accepting new clients so if you are looking for someone to do all the work and you live in or near Frederick, give me a  buzz.

One of my clients from Arlington, Virginia told me that I was the only personal chef she could find in the area that was willing to work with her limited diet instead of a fixed menu.  Because of a health condition, she had a long list of foods that she couldn’t eat.  When we started working together I used her “good” list and created a menu that worked for her body as well as her taste buds.

Indian Style Eggs

Another client who I cooked for last year who suffers from congestive heart failure said that the first personal chef he approached wasn’t willing to “sacrifice taste” by making salt-free food to cater to his low-sodium diet.  I created a menu for him with low-sodium foods and made meals that were still very tasty.

I also have many clients who simply want to eat healthy and nutritious meals.  They don’t have time to plan, shop and cook their meals because of a work schedule and enjoy having this done for them in the safety of their own home.

For me I love being able to give people the gift of healthy, organic, home-cooked meals free of preservatives and chemicals.  Many people simply don’t have the time or desire to cook and end up eating restaurant food or frozen meals.  Unfortunately, this diet can affect one’s health.  I offer a great alternative – home-cooked meals without having to do any of the work.  My clients love it!

Underlying my services is a deep belief that the quality of the food we consume is an intrinsic part of our well-being.  Food affects us on more levels than just the physical – it nourishes our hearts, minds and our spirits!  Furthermore, it offers us deep healing qualities that one can find only by eating certain foods.  To me, it is very amazing to think of the bounty that the earth gives us every day in order to nourish and heal our bodies.  This philosophy coupled with my wide knowledge of cooking for limited diets makes my service unique.

Pecan Crusted Amaranth Bread, Grain and Egg-free

But what if it doesn’t turn out?

I am usually a very experimental cook, but I do find myself stalling sometimes; stalling to try something new in cooking or baking.  The reason is simple; it’s entering into the territory of the “unknown” and that little question, hiding in the background, seems to take precedence over my best intentions sometimes.

The little question?  “But what if it doesn’t turn out?”  For some reason this stops me, and many others, from trying something new and dabbling in a little creativity.  Our minds simply don’t want to deal with the risk that something terrible might happen if we actually get up the nerve to try coconut flour or egg-free baking.

And if we really think about it, the worst that can happen is that something doesn’t turn out and we are left with a pile of tasteless crumbs.  Or maybe they are tasty crumbs that need to be eaten with a spoon.  Either way, if we actually face this question straight on, we see that it is just a small part of ourselves that is a little afraid of something new.  And that’s okay, because we all have a comfort zone that is, well, comfortable.

But what happens when life hands us a different set of cards and we find ourselves with less ingredients to work with because of an allergy or condition that limits a food group from our diet?

I have always loved eggs.  They are great protein and fill my tummy up very well if I have them for breakfast.  I even gave egg yolks to my son starting at 6 months old because they “supply cholesterol needed for mental development as well as important sulphur-containing amino acids.”  I used all organic eggs from pasture-raised chickens, which are rich in omega-3 amino acids.  These fatty acids are essential for the development of the brain and are also found in mother’s milk.  I learned this from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (pg.600).  Egg whites however, should be avoided in a baby’s diet until at least one year of age because they can cause an allergic reaction if introduced too early.

However, though not officially tested yet, Elijah breaks out around his mouth now, even after eating just an egg yolk, even worse if he has egg whites.  So, while I have always been hesitant to use egg replacements, simply because I haven’t had a problem with eggs and because it is easier just to throw in an egg, I have started using some of the many concoctions that are great for replacing eggs in my baking.

And the foods I am creating egg-free are still turning out great!  In this week’s menu planner, I included a recipe I adapted from an Arrowhead Mills package of amaranth for Amaranth Date Pecan Bread.  The original recipe had wheat flour and eggs and butter in it (I used butter but you can easily use grapeseed, safflower or coconut oil) and I converted it to be egg, wheat, gluten and grain free.

At this point, it was almost a fun challenge to see if I could make it grain-free and still taste good.  So I made up a quinoa blend with tapioca flour and potato starch.  The result was surprising!  Chewy, a little crunchy, and sweetened with dates and honey, it was a real treat.  It was very yummy and even Elijah agreed.  It ended up being great as a snack, breakfast, or slightly sweet treat.

So next time you notice a part of yourself stalling in someway to try something new in cooking or baking, take a step back and just notice the question or thought that might be getting in the way.  Then tell it to take a break and have some tea and you’ll get back to it when you’re done with your little experiment.  (Or not!)  Even if something does turn out to be a flop, you will always learn something from it.  And the best medicine I’ve found for being disappointed with an experiment?  Laughing!

Amaranth Date Pecan Bread (Grain-free)

Servings:  4

Prep and cook time:  1 hour and 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dates
½ cup amaranth, whole
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs or egg substitute*
½ cup honey, agave or maple syrup
¼ cup butter or safflower oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups Quinoa blend**
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans

* I used 2 Tbsp flaxmeal in 6 Tbsp boiling water.  Let sit for 10 minutes or until thick
** Grain-free mix – 2 cups quinoa flour2/3 cup potato starch1/3 cup tapioca flour

A reminder about egg replacements:
Use for 1 egg:

• 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce (or another fruit puree) + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp flax seed meal + 3 Tbsp hot water.  Let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until thick.  Use without straining.
• Egg Replacer, according to directions.

Steps:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Soak dates and amaranth in boiling water for 15 minutes.  Beat eggs (or use substitute), add honey and butter (or oil).  Stir in remaining ingredients, except for the nuts, mixing well.
2.  Pour into oiled loaf pan and spread chopped nuts over top.  Bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean.

Substitutions: Whole amaranth: amaranth, qunioa or millet flour.  Quinoa blend: other GF blend, spelt, barley or wheat flour.  Pecans: leave out if allergic to nuts or use sunflower or sesame seeds.
Recipe inspiration: Adapted from recipe on Arrowhead Mills package of amaranth

Risotto with Artichokes and Leeks

This week’s menu:

• Hearty Fish Chowder and Carrot Raisin Salad
• Seven-Vegetable Pasta with Tarragon Glaze and Chicken and Sweet Pea Soup
• Greek Style Turkey Patties with Lemon Tahini Dressing and Green Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumber
• Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach and Wild Mushroom and Walnut Rice
• Risotto with Artichokes and Leeks with Chicken and Broccoli Cauliflower Bisque

Vegetarian Menu options:

• Hearty Quinoa and Veggie Chowder and Carrot Raisin Salad
• Seven-Vegetable Pasta with Tarragon Glaze and Almonds and Sweet Pea Soup
• Falafel Patties with Lemon Tahini Dressing and Green Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumber
• Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach and Wild Mushroom and Walnut Rice
• Risotto with Artichokes and Leeks with White Beans and Broccoli Cauliflower Bisque

Seven-Vegetable Pasta with Tarragon Glaze

This week’s menu planner is full of savory and delicious dishes, that are easy to make and should take no more than 30 minutes to prepare.  They are also very versatile – you can add chicken or fish or even beans or lentils to the dishes to fit your needs.

The Hearty Fish Stew is especially delicious – and I gave some to my son as well and he loved it.  The little bit of rice flour and almond milk makes it creamy and the nutmeg adds a savory flavor.  Enjoy!

Hearty Fish Chowder- mama and baby bowls

Hearty Fish Chowder

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown rice flour

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced potatoes

1/2 cup green peas

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 pound salmon fillet

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Steps:

1.  Heat olive oil in a large soup pot to medium-high heat and sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent.  Add the garlic, salt and flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2.  Slowly stir in vegetable or chicken stock, carrots, celery, potato, peas, black pepper and nutmeg and cooked, covered, for 5 minutes.

3.  While the vegetables are cooking, wash the fish and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Add to the vegetable mixture and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the fish is flaky.  Stir in almond milk, balsamic vinegar and parsley.  Heat through and serve.

Vegetarian option: Instead of adding fish, add 1 cup of quinoa to the soup when you add the vegetables.  Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Add the almond milk, vinegar and parsley at the end.

Substitutions: Salmon: mahi mahi, haddock, flounder, swordfish, etc.  Almond milk: GF rice milk, coconut milk or other non-dairy milk.  Vegetables: parsnips, blue potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, etc.

Nutritional info: Per Serving: 342 Calories; 10g Fat (25.1% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 1915mg Sodium.

Recipe source or inspiration: Meals that Heal by Lisa Turner

Hearty Fish Stew with Elijah -"I want some!"

But first, a little color lesson. If you have taken any kind of art class, chances are you have seen a color wheel.  It is basically a circle with each color of the rainbow.  However, the colors are placed so that opposite to each color is its complementary color.  Below is a quick drawing of a color wheel I made.

A color wheel can be very helpful when you are first learning how complementary colors work.  As you can see, orange and blue, green and red, and yellow and purple are all directly across from each other. These colors have the most contrast between them, making the colors stand out.  You can use them to create more dramatic presentations in cooking and in art.

Let’s make this more practical and think of some situations where you might see these complementary colors at work within the art of cooking. As you read each example, take a moment to imagine what the colors of the foods would look like together.

Red and Green: I can think of many different circumstances where red and green create beautiful meals.  There are so many because there are so many green as well as red foods.  Here are a few examples I can think of off the top of my head:

• Green salad with tomatoes, radishes, red bell peppers, strawberries, pomegranates
• In the Indian Eggs dish in this week’s menu planner, the red tomatoes and cilantro are another example.
• Red beans or red rice with green vegetables and herbs
• Radicchio and avocado
• Beets and greens

Yellow and Purple: This is a little harder because there aren’t quite as many purple foods but there is still a lot to choose from.

Yellow and purple peppers
Yellow summer squash and purple cabbage
Yellow nasturtiums (edible flowers) and purple greens

Orange and Blue: Again, blue is hard to come by in the food kingdom, but you can also think in terms of black foods, such as black beans and black rice.

• Blueberries or blackberries and oranges in a fruit salad
• Black beans and sweet potatoes
• Blue corn and butternut squash

As you can see, when you combine colors of foods together that are complementary, it creates a meal that is beautiful to look at and appealing to eat. This week, when you are cooking, begin to notice the different colors of foods and how they complement each other.  Notice how a meal can be changed dramatically simply by adding a sprinkling of cilantro or by choosing summer squash over red peppers.