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Tree Nut-free – Page 18 – surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

Tag: Tree Nut-free

Does not contain any tree nuts or coconut.

Cure your own Corned Beef
Cure your own Corned Beef

You may remember that we posted a Stout Braised Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe way back in the depths of time. Well, that was in the time before my wheat and corn allergies were diagnosed. At the time, since Mary Kate had issues with gluten, and a lot of our readers are gluten-free, I had put in the modifications needed to make it gluten-free. But once my corn allergy hit, I couldn’t find a safe brand of corned beef that I could buy, because of the dextrose, sodium erythorbate, and other corn ingredients that tend to show up in commercial versions. A while ago, I came across a beef brisket while shopping, and it occurred to me that maybe I could research how to make corned beef, just like I had for learning to cure bacon. Worst case scenario, I’d cook it as brisket if it didn’t work. So I bought it, but I didn’t have time to deal, so I threw it in the freezer. During my most recent “vacation” otherwise known as “food prep week”, I finally decided that it was time. So I looked at recipes from Alton Brown on the Food Network and the Wellness Mama, and modified and added things based on my other research.

I prepared the brine, then I brined the brisket for 10 days, and cooked it according to my original recipe, but using the gluten free tweaks, and without cabbage, because I forgot to buy any. And it was corned beef, and it was good. Even my husband (no food allergies) said it was good. So I’m sharing.

Just a note, this takes a long time. And it’s probably best to do the brine the day before you’re actually going to start marinating, because it has to be completely chilled. Also, be aware that it’s not the right color because we’re not adding curing salt or saltpeter, but it still tastes right.

Cure your own Corned Beef after curing and cooking

Cure your own Corned Beef after cooking and slicing

Cure your own Corned Beef
- 2 quarts of water
- 1 cup of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces (I used a zip top bag and a rolling pin and smacked it a couple of times)
- 1/2 Tablespoon of brown mustard seeds
- 1/2 Tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds
- 1 Tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves, broken into bits
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger or 1/2 Tablespoon of crystallized ginger (whichever you have on hand)
- 2 pounds of ice
- 1 cup of fresh celery puree (Take 5-7 stalks of celery and put them through a food processor or blender until they are pureed)
- 1/4 cup of juice from sauerkraut made from red cabbage (optional – just an attempt to get the correct color since I’m not using curing salt)
- 1 – 2 1/2 gallon zip top plastic bag (They have these now! They are brilliant for marinating and knitting projects!)
- 1 – 4 to 5 pound beef brisket
In a large stockpot, add the water, salt, sugar, cinnamon, both kinds of mustard seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, bay leaves, and ginger, and mix to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat until salt and the sugar have dissolved completely. Remove the stockpot from the heat, and add the ice. Stir the mixture until the ice has melted. Put the brine in the fridge until it has completely chilled. And I mean it, completely chilled, so that could take several hours or it might even be the next day.

Once the brine is completely chilled, mix in the celery puree and the sauerkraut juice. Place the brisket in the 2 1/2 gallon zip top plastic bag and add the brine mixture to the bag. Push as much of the air out of the bag as you can and seal it. Place the zip top bag in a container that allows it to lay flat and put it in the fridge for 10 days. You want to check it daily to make sure that the brisket is completely submerged and to flip the bag to stir the brine. After 10 days, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse it off using cold water. Discard your brine, it can’t be used again. Now you have corned beef brisket to cook as described in our original Stout Braised Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, or to cook it how you normally cook corned beef.

Enjoy!
October 6, 2014
Greens and Beans: Swiss Chard and Cannellini
Swiss chard and cannellini@ beans

I am not quite sure who figured out that beans and greens is an excellent combination, and that almost any greens and beans can be used, and that, if the beans are cooked (or canned, if you can use them) and the greens aren’t collards (which really do take time), this is a quick and healthy and satisfying meal. I’m a fan because I like greens and often forget how much — until I make another version of this and wonder why I don’t eat this regularly.

Feel free to add a grain of your choice, but I usually skip that. Brown rice is particularly complementary. But in a rush, which I kind of feel I always am lately, beans and greens is enough.

This makes two large servings, three “normal” sized servings, and is great leftover.

Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans
- 2 Tablespoons oil of your choice
- 1 can (or 2 cups) cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (if canned)
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons dry sherry, dry white wine, or water
- 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic (if using crushed from a jar, use about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard, rainbow if you can get it, stems chopped, leaves chopped (separated)
- 1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (beware “caramel coloring” or other additives) or lemon juice
Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot.

Add oil. Heat until shimmering.

Add beans. Cook maybe 5 minutes, until they start to crisp a little.

Add pepper and sherry/wine/water. Cook until the liquid you just added is reduced by half.

Add chopped stems and garlic and stir well. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Add chopped chard leaves in handfuls, stirring each handful in as it wilts and adding the next. When it’s all in, add the vinegar or lemon juice, stir well, and let cook another minute. Taste, and add salt, pepper, or olive oil as needed to finish.
September 29, 2014
Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce
Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce (and my pathetic attempt to do a smiley face with the hot sauce bottle dripper)

So remember earlier this summer when I went berry picking with Mary Kate and I made the blueberry barbecue sauce? Well, I also made this Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce. Just a warning that the outset, when I say hot, I mean hot. This is not a sauce for the faint of spice. Please be advised that my taste buds no longer think that Sriracha is all that hot, and I use it like ketchup, so when I say this is hot, I freaking mean it. Now with that out of the way, it’s really good. I really like the fruity spice combination and it was great to kick up my portion of the ribs we made with the Blueberry Barbecue Sauce to acceptable spice levels. Also, it was really good when I dipped marshmallows into it. I used to have a hot sauce collection in the long ago and far away time before corn, and I had a blueberry hot sauce in it. It’s really nice to get it back.

Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce

Makes about 4 cups.
- 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup of lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 10 habanero peppers, seeds and stems removed, chopped.
Combine all ingredients, except for the habaneros, in a saucepan and bring to a medium boil. Cover the saucepan, and gently boil for 10 minutes.

Place the habaneros and the contents of the saucepan in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

You can either can this recipe in a water bath as described here – or you can store in the refrigerator or freezer. Also if you’re worried about using up this much hot sauce, you can make half the recipe.

Go blister your taste buds, it’s yummy!
September 22, 2014
Soy-free, gluten-free "Tamari Sauce"
Soy-Free Gluten-Free Tamari

Despite being diagnosed with a likely soy allergy and confirming it with a food challenge, I also challenged gluten-free tamari separately and decided I could handle it. But paying a little more attention to the fact that I felt lousy the day after Denise and I would have sushi, and also when I’d make stir-fry, I started experimenting with making my own soy sauce substitute. I did try coconut aminos. I didn’t like them. Your mileage may vary, but coconut aminos can also be a bit on the pricey side. Regardless of what you find that works for you, I think that soy sauce is a handy flavor to have in your arsenal for so many uses.

I looked at and tried a variety of recipes online, but none were quite exactly what I wanted, taste-wise. This recipe is my version — I’d suggest trying it in this size (makes a little less than a cup) and then seeing what you might want more or less of in your own final version. Then, if you find you use it regularly, double it. So far, it seems to last safely about a month in the fridge. None of mine has made it past that.

This sauce works best, in my opinion, in cooked or mixed recipes, so stir-fry, teriyaki, marinades of all sorts (like jerky), rather than as a dipping sauce for sushi. Although, hey, it works there, too, but it shows its differences a little more.

Soy-free, gluten-free Tamari Sauce
- 1 cup of beef or mushroom stock*
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (be sure this is free of “caramel coloring”)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (free of sweeteners)
- 3 teaspoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns (lightly smash one or two if you really like pepper flavor)
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or one large clove, smashed
- 1 large chunk of ginger — approximately 1 inch square, but chopped into 4 or so pieces
- 1 pinch of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (or so) of salt
In a saucepan, mix all the ingredients except the salt. A fork or whisk seems to work best to incorporate the onion powder and fully blend the molasses.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a high simmer (it should still be bubbling briskly) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until reduced by 1/3 in volume.

Remove from heat, whisk in salt. Allow the mixture to cool, then strain and bottle. Store in the fridge.

*I would not highly recommend veggie stock for this, although if you really roasted the veg good and brown, it might be okay. Mushroom broth or stock has a richer flavor in the right direction for a soy sauce replacer, though, so if you want to make this vegan or vegetarian, and you’re not allergic to mushrooms, check out that option. There is at least one boxed brand on the market, or Vegetarian Times has a recipe.

If you tweak this to your tastes, please let us know! Post your recipe or a link below in the comments.
September 15, 2014
Grilled Peach Salsa
Grilled Peach Salsa – Photo by J. Andrews

When Mary Kate and I began to plan the cookout we held several weeks ago (grilling, friends and lots o’ posts for the blog, what could be better?), we started with thinking about what ingredients were in season and could be grilled. We wanted to do a dessert, but I couldn’t figure out anything with my restrictions by the time we were solidifying the menu. I had seen a recipe for peach salsa for canning, but I wondered what it would be like grilled instead, because it would bring out the sweetness of the peaches and combine it with some lovely caramelized, smokey flavors. So we tried it. It’s good. And for those of you that can’t have chips like me (the corn chips are only to make the picture pretty in my case, although Mary Kate can eat them), this salsa is really good on pork chops as a sauce. You could also use it as a marinade or a glaze on pork or chicken, depending on how finely you chop the ingredients or just put it in the blender for a peach barbecue sauce. This is a low heat salsa, so don’t be afraid because I’m posting it. For the chili heads, don’t worry, I’ve got a hot sauce coming up in few weeks that blows my head off, and will have appropriate warnings.

Grilled Peach Salsa
- 1 pound of peaches, grilled
- 1 small red red onion, grilled
- 1/2 of a orange bell pepper, grilled (If you don’t know what to do with the half of orange bell pepper you’ll have left over, de-stem and de-seed it, put it in a freezer zip top bag and put it in your freezer. Peppers need no additional prep to freeze. Use it the next time you make a soup, stew, chili or marinara sauce.)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, grilled
- 1/2 of a bulb of garlic, with top cut off and with most of the outer layer peels removed (Grill the whole bulb and put the remainder in the fridge to use for mashed potatoes or something else where roasted garlic would be awesome)
- 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil or other safe-for-you oil
- 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
**Please keep in mind as you look at the pictures that I was cooking a whole lot of other things the day we were grilling, so the pictures do not reflect the correct amounts of the ingredients shown, or may show additional ingredients. Also, my original recipe made a holy ton of salsa, so we cut the ingredients in half for the purposes of this post.

De-stem and de-seed your peppers.

Peppers de-stemmed and de-seeded – Photo by J. Andrews

Place the peppers on the grill and grill until they get a bit tender and have a bit of char on them.

Peppers on the grill – Photo by J. Andrews

Peppers and Garlic on the grill – Photo by J. Andrews

Take your garlic bulb, slice off the top so that the cloves are exposed a bit (see the picture and description in our previous Grilled Salsa recipe), and place it on some aluminum foil large enough to wrap the garlic in as shown in the picture above. Drizzle the olive oil over your garlic bulb, and wrap the aluminum foil around it and place it on the grill. Roast the garlic until the cloves are cooked and mushy.

Trim and peel your onion and then slice it in about half to one inches slices and place on the grill. Grill until you have a bit of char, and the onion is tender. (Ours were a bit more charred probably than strictly necessary, we were having issues with the grill, totally user error.)

Sliced Onions – Photo by J. Andrews

Sliced onions on the grill – Photo by J. Andrews

Sliced onions on the grill just before they got a bit too done – Photo by J. Andrews

Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit. On some of them I had to cut the peaches in quarters to get the pit out, but it’ll still work, it’s just halves are a little easier to manipulate on the grill. Place the peaches on the grill and grill until they are a bit more tender and have some nice charring on the outside.

Peaches in halves and quarters – Photo by J. Andrews

Peaches on the grill – Photo by J. Andrews

Once all your grilled ingredients are cooked, squeeze out the roasted garlic from the cloves, and put the garlic, peppers, onions, and peaches in a blender or food processor, and process until chopped to the level of chunkiness that you like. I used the manual food processor from Pampered Chef because I wouldn’t have to truck everything back inside or find an electric outlet (no affiliation, I just like it). You are likely going to have to process in batches. Place all the chopped ingredients in a large bowl and add the white wine vinegar, brown sugar, cumin and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Completed Grilled Peach Salsa – Photo by J. Andrews

Enjoy!
September 8, 2014
Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Photo by J. Andrews

When Mary Kate invited me to go berry picking earlier this summer, I had already done a good bit of canning with blueberries. So when I wound up about 6 cups of blueberries, I decided I want to do something other than jam and syrups, since I had already made syrups and blueberry butter. In poking around online for ideas, I found a canning recipe for blueberry barbecue sauce. I make some tweaks to it in order to make it safe for me, and reduced the amounts by half to make a more reasonable amount for those of you who aren’t into canning. If you do want to can it, the original recipe is here. This is a low heat sauce, as verified by others, so don’t worry that just because I’m posting it, you won’t be able to handle it.

Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Makes about 2 cups.
- 1 3/4 cups of fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup of safe-for-you ketchup (I don’t have a corn safe one so I make it myself)
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
- 1/8 of a teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Penzey’s Cajun Seasoning
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a medium boil. Stir and lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a hand blender to puree all the ingredients, being careful not to splash, or pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.

Once the sauce has cooled you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use it. When grilling, I prefer to use a dry rub first, and then once the meat is almost completely cooked, I use a silicone pastry brush to coat the meat with the sauce and then grill each side to warm and/or char up the sauce.

Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Photo by J. Andrews

Brushing pork with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Photo by J. Andrews

Grilling each side after coating with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Photo by J. Andrews

Boneless pork ribs with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Photo by J. Andrews
September 1, 2014
Fresh Corn Stew
Fresh Corn Stew

I hate writing recipes I know Denise can’t eat, but that’s one of the things we deal with with food allergies — I almost feel guilty eating things someone else can’t. But I also know not to push that guilt on them. So sorry, corn-allergic friends and readers, but this one isn’t for you.

With our CSA share, we are currently getting a ton of corn — about 6 ears a week. And I get all of it (which, I think works out — Denise has taken all the lettuce because I don’t eat it.) Corn on the cob is awesome (if you’re not allergic), but frankly, it gets boring quickly. Using up all the leftover corn gave rise a few variations to this recipe, a corn stew, though I’m not entirely sure about calling it a “stew.” It’s not primarily broth, like a soup, but it’s not a chowder because there is no cream or milk in it (though if you stir in the cashew sour cream suggested as a topping, BAM: chowder!). So we’ll go with stew. English. So imprecise sometimes.

If you’ve never taken corn off the cob, here are some ideas about how to do this. I just use my largest cutting board and a long thin knife and clean up the mess.

This stew is completely vegan, but depending on the toppings you choose, you might alter that. I suggest considering, as toppings: avocado, crumbled bacon, scallion greens, cashew sour cream, cheese (vegan or not, as you decide), and cilantro. You sure don’t need all of these, but this stew kind of begs for a topping or two. In any case, it highlights the sweet corn that says “summer” to so many people.

Fresh Corn Stew is Versatile: with bacon, vegan, and with cashew sour cream

Fresh Corn Stew
- about 2 T oil or fat of your choice (if you are going to top this with bacon, consider using the fat!)
- 2 leeks, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 Italian pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 ears of fresh sweet corn, cooked and kernels cut off the cob (between 1.5 and 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or about 4 leaves fresh, chopped)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 16-20 oz. of vegetable broth or stock
- 3 small fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (between 3/4 and 1 cup)
Toppings, all optional:
- scallions
- cashew sour cream*
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- bacon, cooked and crumbled
- cheese or cheese substitute
- avocado
In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add leeks, stir well, and then add chopped pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add corn kernels, stir well, and then add basil, salt, and pepper. If you are using commercial broth, go light on the salt until you’ve tasted the broth. Stir seasonings in well.

Add broth and bring to a low boil. Add tomatoes, and when low boil is again achieved, turn down the heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes.

Top as desired, and enjoy. This soup is great the next day.

Cashew Sour Cream (modified from oh she glows!) (obviously this makes it not nut-free)
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight or in hot water for a few hours
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- pinch salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chives
Add cashews, water, and lime juice to blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in chives and salt. Refrigerate for an hour to thicken.

Enjoy.

Fresh Corn Stew with Bacon
August 25, 2014
Zesty Mexican Style Bean Salad
Zesty Mexican Style Bean Salad – Photo by J. Andrews

I modified this recipe from a recipe in an old Weight Watcher’s magazine. The original had raw green bell pepper and Great Northern beans in it instead, but back in the day before food allergies, I preferred it with roasted red pepper in a jar and garbanzo beans, and with some added spice enhancement. (Shocker, I know.) These days I can’t buy roasted red peppers at the store because of the citric acid, and I’ve been meaning to can my own so I could make this, but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet with everything else on my plate. So when Mary Kate and I decided to have a cookout, a light bulb went off that I could grill the red peppers and make this again. You could also broil the red peppers in your oven. (Not sure why that did not occur to me until I went to type up this post; I could have been making this all along. Sigh.)

Zesty Mexican Style Bean Salad
- 1 – 15 ounce can of black beans (Find a safe brand for you. I pressure can my own from dry beans.)
- 1 – 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans (Find a safe brand for you. I pressure can my own from dry beans.)
- 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup grilled or broiled red bell pepper (about one and half peppers)
- 1 cup of sliced green onions
- 1 cup of salsa (Make sure you use a safe for you brand. I used my home canned salsa.)
- 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Adobo seasoning (If you don’t have Adobo seasoning or you don’t have a safe version, mix 1/8 cup of paprika, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of ground black pepper, 1 Tablespoon of onion powder, 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 Tablespoon of ground cumin, 1/2 Tablespoon of ground chipotle, and 1/2 Tablespoon of garlic powder, this makes half a cup of seasoning)
- hot sauce to taste (Use a safe for you brand. I used my own homemade version of Sriracha.)
Cut your red bell peppers into quarters and seed and de-stem them.

Quartered and de-seeded peppers – Photo by J. Andrews

Place the red bell pepper quarters on a hot grill or under the broiler in your oven on a rack with a cookie sheet under it, and grill/broil them until they have a bit of char and are tender. When they are done, take them off the grill or out of the oven and let them cool a bit.

Peppers on the grill – Photo by J. Andrews

In a large bowl, place the chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, salsa, red wine vinegar, cilantro, salt, black pepper, and Adobo seasoning. Drain and rinse the black beans and garbanzo beans and add them to the bowl.

All ingredients except the grilled red pepper – Photo by J. Andrews

Now that your red bell pepper has probably cooled down a bit, either give them a quick spin in a food processor to chop them into small pieces, or chop them up finely with a knife, and put them in the large bowl.

Mix everything in the bowl together very well with a spatula or spoon. You want to make sure that none of the spices are clumping up. Taste it, and then decide how much hot sauce to need to add. Mix in the hot sauce really well.

Mix all ingredients together – Photo by J. Andrews

If you have safe chips, feel free to eat this with them. I don’t at the moment, but I’m happy just eating it with a fork or spoon. It also holds up very well in the refrigerator if you have leftovers.

Enjoy!

Zesty Mexican Style Bean Salad
August 18, 2014