Hamburgers???

Well, I guess you could call this a hamburger...or a buffalo burger (is it still a "burger" if it's in a tortilla?)

The picture doesn't exactly do it justice, but in real life, the burger looked as good as it tasted.

I made spelt tortillas (per the "Ultimate Food Allergy Survival Guide"), pan fried some ground bison/buffalo, added ketchup and arugula and it was delicious and easy served with a side of frozen squash & green beans.

Gingerbread Cookies

I know it's way past Christmas, but winter is not over here in New England. My daughter really wanted to make gingerbreads, and we had not make them yet this year. I had to think about what I would do for a recipe - I knew I wanted no dairy, refined sugar, or wheat - so that we could eat them together as a family and they would be semi-healthy. I used the oatmeal cookie recipe as a guide in the "Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook," which is excellent by the way and you will have to get the book or borrow it from the library to try it. However, here is my version for gingerbread cookies.

1/2 c. vegetable shortening (make sure it doesn't have soy...try Spectrum's brand)
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla

Cream the above 4 ingredients with an electric mixer.

1/2 c. rye flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1 c. oat flour
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder

Stir into creamed mixture. I used a little of the dough at a time to roll out on a generously floured (I used oat) surface, then cut out my little gingerbread people. We decorated the cookies with raisins and unsweetened coconut. Bake about 7-8 minutes on 350 degrees.

Kid's Stir-fried Rice (no soy necessary, but I did use eggs)

The kids needed something fast and nutritionally decent one day, so I decided to make them stir-fried rice. They loved it!

1 crown fresh broccoli, broken into bite-size pieces
2 carrots, shredded or grated
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups of cooked brown rice
3-4 T. sunflower oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten (or you could use silken tofu with tumeric)
1 T. sesame seeds

In a wok, stir-fry broccoli in sunflower oil until soft enough for kids to eat (or crunchy if you like). Add carrots, scallions, and rice. Stir-fry a few minutes until hot. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Note: I recently read that a lot of the proteins people are generally allergic to are found in the whites, not the yolks. My husband, who can't tolerate eggs, has just started eating the nutrient-rich yolks without any adverse effects. Slightly scramble the eggs, when they are no longer runny stir them into the rest of the rice/vegetable mixture. Then make another well in the center and add the sesame seeds. When they are toasted (a few seconds), stir them into the rest of the dish. You can put wheat-free tamari soy sauce on if you can tolerate soy, or my daughter had hers with a little white-wine vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette (from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook):
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 T. dijon mustard
salt/pepper
sugar (I used a little honey)
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Vegan Carrot Cake

Food is so social. We've been having lots of birthday parties lately, and of course, everyone HAS to have CAKE! It's difficult when you have multiple food allergies in social situations - like the donut breakfast at work, friend's birthday party, a wedding dinner, ordering in restaurants, etc., etc. How do you explain to your co-workers/host that you can't eat what they offer to you? I tell my husband to just say that he's vegan (he can't eat eggs, dairy or most "normal" animal products like beef, turkey or chicken). I mean no offense to all the vegans out there - you have made such great strides as a movement that being vegan is no longer viewed as strange. Being vegan/vegetarian just seems much more accepted and it's something people can generally understand. When my husband tells people he can't have this or that because he's allergic, you see the wonder in their eyes and their brains working to try to explain it. Couldn't you just have a little bit? Who ever heard of someone who couldn't eat tomatoes?

Anyway, I was lucky enough to receive "Vegan with a Vengeance" for Christmas - thank you Gail! The first recipe I tried was awesome - it was the Ginger - Macadamia - Coconut - Carrot Cake. I left out the macadamia nuts and spices on half for my kids. The only criticism I have is that it uses refined sugar (3/4 cup) and powdered sugar in the frosting. I guess you sometimes have to give in somewhere. Next time I would like to try to substitute a finely ground date sugar or maple sugar.