Blog - Allergy Free Menu Planners

16Nov

Healthy Traditional Green Bean Casserole (Gluten-free, dairy-free and grain-free)

November 16, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 42 Comments

Gluten and Dairy free Green Bean Casserole

I have to admit that when I think Thanksgiving, I don’t think about the traditional Green Bean Casserole. I didn’t grow up eating it and so I tend to think about dishes like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie! But I received a few requests for this dish on the Thanksgiving Menu Planner so I thought I would take the challenge to create a healthy, gluten-free and dairy-free version.

Most recipes I found called for canned onions loaded with sugar and wheat as well as the all-famous Cream of Mushroom soup. Well, neither of these ingredients are anything close to allergen-friendly or healthy so I knew everything had to make from scratch!

I found one recipe at Eating Well that caught my eye. Here is the description of the dish:

“This is not the no-mess, super-easy recipe of yore, but it is low in fat and high in flavor. To go one step further, substitute 1/2 pound fresh green beans for frozen. Simply trim and cut into 1-inch lengths. Then blanch the beans for 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water, refresh under cold water and spread in the baking dish.”

So, I took this recipe, which called for milk, sour cream and breadcrumbs and made it gluten-free, dairy-free and grain-free! I will say that it is no longer low in fat as claimed by the original recipe. But it is all healthy fat from nuts and healthy oils.

This recipe is part of my Thanksgiving Day Menu Planner, but I decided to make a blog post about it and share the recipe because I think there are a lot of people who would love a healthier and allergen-free version of this traditional but not so healthy recipe!

So here’s the recipe!:

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13Nov

Thanksgiving Menu Planner is now available! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free

November 13, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 1 Comment

Gluten-free and Dairy-free Pecan Pie

Hooray! Thanksgiving is coming and if you have a limited diet, you will have some amazing and delicious recipes to make! The Thanksgiving Menu Planner is now available and it is specifically for limited diets that are free of foods like gluten, wheat, dairy, corn, sugars, starches, nightshades, and peanuts. If you’re egg-free or nut-free, you’ll also find some great options to create a beautiful allergen-free menu for the holidays!

I want to thank my subscribers who gave me some wonderful ideas and recipes!

Lori – she had to idea to have snacks for hungry children on the menu
Sarah – pumpkin bars with “cream cheese” frosting
Rebecca – stuffing and cranberry sauce recipes
Sarah – traditional green bean casserole – I made a healthy version!
Holly – whipped coconut cream recipe
Rahma – sauerkraut – I included a lacto-fermented version so that people have a digestive aid on Thanksgiving
Andrea – pumpkin dip with apples recipe
Anonymous – Pecan Pie
Ann – Butternut Squash and Apples
Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS.com offered her Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie as well as the Coconut Icing

Here is the final menu:

10Nov

Gluten-free Goodies: Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Green Bean Casserole, Goat Yogurt, and more…

November 10, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 7 Comments

tuesday-twister-collage2
It’s been another busy week in our kitchen. I feel somewhat obsessed, like I just can’t get enough of cooking, creating and trying out new recipes. I read about a recipe or want to make something that I would normally buy and it’s like a bookmark is created in my mind and a few days later I find myself making it.

However, I really feel like this obsession is actually a healthy one for me. Because I presently feel healthier than I have – physically, emotionally and mentally – than I have for a while. I feel as though the GAPS diet is like taking a chill pill for me. I really need to write a separate post about this because it’s a long story. But I will just say here that I am finding that being grain-free, starch-free and sugar-free is giving my mind, heart and body a much needed break and time to heal in a way that it just hasn’t had a chance to for many years.

Like I said last week, I’ve been in the kitchen a lot. I was actually in the kitchen all day Sunday this week except for a walk that I took with my husband and toddler. But it doesn’t really tire me out because I love it so much. It doesn’t even feel like work to me, until I get tired of doing the dishes.

04Nov

Red Lentil Soup, Mashed Butternut Squash, Raw Onion Bread, Pumpkin Pie Bread, and more!

November 4, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 6 Comments

tuesday-twister-collage

Somehow I missed out on the Tuesday Twister Carnival at GNOWFGLINS last week so I’m making up for it this week! I haven’t really been keeping track of everything I’ve been making, so I had to sit down and think about what exactly I’ve been doing in the kitchen lately. It seems as though I spend half my time cooking or cleaning so there had to be some things I could write about today! (A day late!)

When I started making my list, I realized that yes, I spend A LOT of time cooking. But I’m grateful for it and it feeds my heart to be creating nourishing food for my family. Being on the GAPS diet, I am finding that I am in the kitchen even more than I used to because I have to make so many things from scratch. I still haven’t made the mayo yet, but I don’t miss it because I don’t use it that much in my cooking.

So here’s the run down. Many of these dishes were made the past week, except for a couple of baked goods. I’ll start with the soups.

23Oct

Do you need an Allergen-free Thanksgiving menu plan?

October 23, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 18 Comments

Grain and Gluten-Free Apple Pear Pie

I am planning on doing a Thanksgiving menu planner for people on limited diets and who can’t eat a lot of the ordinary foods that are usually on a Thanksgiving menu. I personally want to plan some dishes to make because otherwise, I won’t be eating much that day. Unfortunately, this is the experience of so many people. And when we arrive at our relatives’ or friends’ home for dinner, we usually have to pick and choose what we will have for dinner.

My current plan is to create a yummy and beautiful menu plan for Thanksgiving day that is free of the following food allergens:

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

no gluten – all grains and products containing gluten

limited grains – I may include a recipe for wild rice stuffing for people who can eat it, but I would also have a grain-free stuffing recipe as well. All desserts will be grain-free.

no sugar – only natural sweeteners will be used on this menu plan for Thanksgiving, such as raw honey and maple syrup

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

limited starches – on top of a recipe for dairy-free Mashed Potatoes, there will be options for Mashed Cauliflower “Potatoes” and Mashed Butternut Squash in place of regular potatoes and yams

no corn

no beans and legumes

egg-free options – I will have at least one egg-free dessert and most of the other dishes will be egg-free

What kinds of foods will be used:

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

Here are some ideas I already have but if you are looking for something specific, give me a shout!

Thanksgiving Turkey
Wild Rice Stuffing (egg-free)
Savory Bread Stuffing
Garlic Herb Mashed “Potatoes” and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Savory Rolls/Bread
Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Butternut Squash with Apples and Cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie (egg-free)

So let me me know if you have any favorites as I put this together. Also, if there is another food allergen you can’t eat, then please let me know and I can work this into the menu planner. If you have some ideas for the menu, please leave a comment or email me.

Get the Thanksgiving Menu Planner for FREE?
Again, I would love to hear suggestions or some favorite recipes people would like to have included in the menu planner. So, if I use one of your recipes or suggestions in the Thanksgiving menu planner, you can get the menu planner for FREE! Thanks so much. I look forward to hearing from you!

Get the Thanksgiving Menu Planner for FREE? How?

1. Think of a dish you’d like to include on the Thanksgiving menu planner.
2. If you have a recipe or even just an idea for the planner, write to me by midnight (PST) of Monday, November 2nd.
3. If I use your idea or recipe in the planner, you will get the planner for FREE!

How much is the menu planner?

I want to make the planner affordable for anyone who would like to use it to create an allergen-free Thanksgiving!

So, for only $4.95, you can buy the menu planner and create a beautiful dinner for your family.

You can pre-order the menu planner here!

If you pre-order, the menu planner will be emailed to you on or before November 12th, giving you plenty of time to look over the menu and the shopping list.

You can also purchase the menu planner starting on November 12th, and you will receive it immediately in your email.

Either way, I hope you have a beautiful and splendid Thanksgiving this year, no matter what you diet is!

Sarah

21Oct

Homemade Ketchup

October 21, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 9 Comments

Homemade Ketchup and Roasted Carrots

Something I’ve been mulling over this past week is the difference between “made at home” and “homemade.” It seems as though a lot of the food “made at home” these days is food that has already been prepared in one way or another and then we fix it up at home to be a part of our meal.

For me, I have come to realize my dependence upon certain products (even “health food products”) lately that I simply can’t have now that I’m following a much more limited diet. I like to believe that I made all my food at home and that nothing was pre-prepared. But I now see how dependent I was on things like: almond milk, canned coconut milk, canned organic tomatoes (Muir Glen Fire Roasted is my favorite), breads, tortillas, yogurt, kefir, crackers, snacks, ketchup, mayo and canned beans when I was in a hurry.

Now, I’m grateful for these changes to our diet and that I am preparing much more of our food at home. If you want to know more about why I’m beginning to make these foods myself, check out the GAPS diet. There are a lot of limitations on what kinds of food you can eat and how it is made. Canned food (except fish) is out as is commercial yogurt. Ketchup doesn’t work because it has sugar in it, etc.

So, this weekend my project was to make homemade ketchup and mayo. I didn’t get to the mayo yet but I did do the ketchup. My son loves it and calls it “cheppy” so I’ve been wanting to make it for the past few weeks. We also can’t have potatoes or sweet potatoes any longer, so I roasted some sliced carrots to go with it.

I could almost believe (with my eyes closed) that I was eating a sweet potato fry with real ketchup. It really was quite yummy and satisfying. My son gobbled them up both times I made them this week!

19Oct

Recipes for Grain free and Gluten free Homemade Tortillas

October 19, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 5 Comments

almond-flour-tortillas7

Update: If you’re looking for step by step instructions with photos on how to make grain-free almond flour tortillas, click here to see my photo tutorial of my grain-free tortillas.

Nothing beats homemade, especially when it comes to tortillas. I’ve made corn tortillas and they were simply nothing like the ones you buy in the store. I also decided to venture into the art of making gluten free tortillas and experienced the same thing – homemade is simply yummier. I really don’t mind the Food for Life brand of Brown Rice Tortillas – they are great in a pinch. But if you can, plan some extra time to try to make your own sometime.

The brown rice tortillas I used to make are based on Bette Hagman’s recipe from The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Food. I really love them. However, since I last made them, I started soaking my flours first over night. Without retesting this recipe, I wouldn’t know how to adapt it. I am also grain free now which takes on a whole new meaning. However, here is the original recipe I used to use:

(See pictures here!)

Here is the recipe:

Brown Rice Gluten-free Homemade Tortillas
Servings: 4-6
Prep and cook time: 35-50 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups GF mix*
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
2 tsp real maple syrup or honey
1 tsp salt
2 tsp almond meal
1 cup warm water

*GF Mix: 2 parts brown rice flour
2/3 part potato starch
1/3 part tapioca flour

15Oct

Is “Leaky Gut Syndrome” one of the causes of Autism and Depression?

October 15, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 10 Comments

Is there a way to heal the gut, to alleviate the symptoms of autism, depression and other mental illnesses?

First of all, the brain isn’t separate from the rest of our bodies. Of course this is obvious when we look at the human body. But somehow, we have been led to believe in our culture that our stomachs and the food we eat don’t really affect our brains and how we think.

In Five Element Acupuncture, the body is viewed as an intricate whole. There are separate systems but each one of these systems or elements affects and relies on one another. It is also said that the Earth element, which is connected to the stomach and the spleen, is the most important element, or the Mother of all elements. If out of balance, this can lead to many other imbalances within the body, mind and spirit of a person.

To understand this, you only have to imagine the Earth. When the Earth is diseased – unhealthy plants, too many toxins, pesticides, etc. – this has a detrimental affect on the living organisms on the planet. We have seen the result of pollution on the Earth over the past several years and can attest that an unhealthy planet leads to diseases in plant, animal and human life.

Another example: Imagine a bicycle wheel and the spokes that come out from the center. The stability of the center is vital for the bicycle wheel to function properly. Now imagine a broken center, where the spokes don’t connect properly or there isn’t any real substance of the center to hold the spokes. So what happens? The wheel falls apart.

Now return to the human being. The stomach or Earth element is our center. It is the place where the nourishment and food we eat becomes digested and transformed into energy in order for our bodies to be healthy and happy (hopefully!). It feeds every cell in our bodies, especially our brains. So in essence, the food we eat fuels the way we think, how we feel, and how well we are able to accomplish a task at hand.

14Oct

A week of GAPS friendly Grain-free Goodies

October 14, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 18 Comments

Coconut Bread (GAPS friendly)

This past week, I guess you could say I was a crazy baker on a mission. This was week two of going grain-free and working myself into the Full GAPS diet (I will do the Intro once my son is weaned). And for whatever reason, I became very hungry and my cravings for carbs were intensified.

I am already through 5 pounds of blanched almond flour I received no more than a few weeks ago so you can do some calculations to see just how much I’ve been baking (I did use about a pound for a client so I guess I didn’t eat ALL of the baked goods!) And my boy and hubby do eat their share!

This past week I made the following (along with some good dinners which I can’t remember at this moment). Not very many pictures – I was usually not fast enough to capture the baked goods before they were gone!

Honey-Nut Bars/Granola
These turned into granola because I was greatly reducing the amount of honey in my diet. Kimi recommends a 1/2 cup of honey and this is really what keeps the bars sticking together. I did a scant 2-3 Tbsp. and it was plenty sweet. However, they did not hold together at all (except for the crispy edges) and it turned into granola. But it made awesome “trail mix” and cold cereal with home-made almond milk.
Banana Bread
I made this after I came home from cooking for a client and was looking for something fruit sweetened and bread-like. I made this recipe and modified it by taking out the honey and replacing it with a mashed pear. I also used the blanched almond flour instead of hazelnut flour. The result was very yummy, very moist and it was gone by the next morning. It tasted just like banana bread to me! Plenty sweet without the honey.
Continue Reading »

11Oct

Blueberry Grain free and Gluten free Muffins

October 11, 2009 by Sarah Van Sciver 6 Comments

Blueberry grain free and gluten free muffins

These muffins inspire me to thank the heavens and the earth for the deliciousness in which they create such amazing ingredients to make grain free and gluten free baked goods with. If it weren’t for recipes like these, I am not sure I would survive the day without grains. Honestly!

Not only gluten free, these delights are grain-free, dairy free and sugar free. The ingredients are so simple, they literally take 12 minutes or less to mix up. And while they bake, you will be brought back to a time when you ate blueberry muffins freely, from your mother’s oven.

While I will go into this more deeply in coming future posts, in short, my diet has gone the grain-free direction for many reasons and even quinoa and amaranth are out, even though they are technically seeds. So while I often create recipes for clients who are on a very limited diet, I have now found myself on one as well. So, yes, I want to again, thank the heavens and the earth for this recipe and other grain-free recipes that have been getting me through this beginning stage of forgoing all grains, all starches, and all sugars except for honey.

I will also deeply thank Carrie at Organic and Thrifty for this recipe. I found it last night at around 10:00 and decided to make them before I went to bed for breakfast the next morning. Yes, they are easy! And they were a big hit this morning and throughout the day. And they are all gone, every last little crumb.

My son even adored them who has been not as crazy about the grain free goodies I’ve been creating lately. And my husband says they are awesome, who is not even wheat-free. So that says something too!

So if you want to know just how good they are, make them. Make them now, and enjoy every last bit. My intention was to freeze half of them, but they didn’t last that long. Next time I’ll make a double batch.

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