Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinners

Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cinnamon Masa Waffles

If you are looking for a unique breakfast to serve those with a host of food allergies, find out if corn is okay, and whip up these easy chocolate cinnamon masa waffles. We loved them. These were developed for a certain little boy who has developed new allergies to rice, soy, and legumes. If you’re in the same boat, consider purchasing an inexpensive bag of Masa. Masa is corn flour that is much finer than cornmeal. It is sometimes called Maize, that is usually sold in the ethnic food isles. Make sure it says gluten-free on the bag. Otherwise, you cannot be guaranteed that the food manufacturer didn’t grind the corn in the same equipment as wheat flour.

A few things to note about masa is that is is very tender and does not need the addition of starches like potato starch or tapioca flour. We found out the hard way that treating masa like rice flour by adding the starches (usually required for rice flour mixes) resulted in a very gummy end-result. Also, masa absorbs twice the amount of liquid as other flour mixes. Therefore, you will need to double your liquid when working with masa as a baking flour replacement. Remember that masa is intended for making tamales and soft tortillas.

Also note that your masa mixture will be kind of thick as a baking replacement. But don’t worry, you want that. Since eggs are eliminated, you want this mixture to be very thick and this stuff tends to hold very well together without the eggs.

Lastly, there is a distinctive corn flavor with masa but it pairs very well strong spices and flavors such as vanilla, caramel, cinnamon or chocolate. Up the ante on the spice, and also on the sugar a little, too. But not too much sugar. With masa, it’s a very fine line between not-sweet-enough and way-too-sweet. It takes some experimenting, but it won’t be long before you’re working with masa like an old pro. Bonuses: It’s inexpensive compared to rice flour, you get a lot more for your money, and you don’t need to add other flours to it.

Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cinnamon Masa Waffles

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine:

1.5 cups (12 oz or 150 grams) Masa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Then add:

3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 cups (16 oz.) water or your favorite non-dairy liquid such as coconut-almond milk

Following the instructions of your waffle iron manual, heat and prep the surface of your waffle iron. TO AVOID SOY, do not use a spray cooking oil. Instead, use a brush to apply a light coating of vegetable oil to the iron.

Mix together the ingredients above with a fork until ingredients are well-combined and lumps are removed. You will notice that the mixture will be very thick, almost like you’re going to make brownies. This is good and exactly what you want.

Using a 1/3 measuring cup, ladle waffle mixture onto each waffle section of the iron. You do not have to fill every square entirely or else the mixture will spread and overflow during the baking time.

When your waffle iron light indicates that the cycle of baking is complete, lift the lid and use a fork/tongs to pull up a corner. The waffles might need a little coaxing out of the iron. Cook a little longer if you’re having a hard time getting them out of there.

Top with bananas or strawberries and an extra dusting of cinnamon.

These are also great without the cocoa powder.

Extremely Satisfying Vegan Taco Salad

Most of you probably already make this in your own way. If you haven’t made it in a while, let me just remind you that this is great quick meal idea. This hearty vegan taco salad, made with a seasoned mixture of beans and rice instead of meat, had us all walking away from the table feeling very full and satisfied.

We worked with the pot of black beans we made the night before (see Working with Dried Beans). Just season the beans and rice and assemble your favorite taco salad ingredients together.

How to Season the Beans & Rice

In a large skillet, warm up 2 cups of beans and 1 cup of rice with enough liquid to almost cover.

Add 1 Tablespoon of chili powder and 1-2 teaspoons of ground cumin. Add salt to taste. (Always taste it to make sure you like it). If you want a more tomato tone to it, add an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce or tomato paste. If it needs a little acidity, add a bit of lime or taco sauce.

Once the beans and rice are seasoned and warmed up, assemble your plates something like this:

I use spinach instead of lettuce for almost everything calling for some greens, and this is just one of the applications. It’s easier to work with, has more nutritional value and provides the same crispy texture that lettuce does. (And it’s a prettier green, don’t you think?) It also stores easily if I want to use the spinach for several dinners.

We topped this with 3-Minute Fiesta Dip and ALDI’s prepared guacamole.

Add veggies of choice, some Daiya brand cheddar-flavor shreds if you have them, some taco sauce and it’s an easy dinner. Enjoy!

Working with Dried Beans. Tip: Think “All Day” (not Overnight) to Soak*

We’ve had a great first week in eating according to our allergies and our new goal to omit meat for humane and environmental reasons. We are already in the practice of eating a lot of beans so our bodies are already used to them. I was fairly adamant that my son eat beans early on. It took the standard 8-10 separate “tries” before he decided he liked them. Now he eats them with gusto! You have no idea how happy this makes me that he eats beans.

Beans are so good for the body. So high in fiber, protein, vitamins, antioxidants and low in calories and zero cholesterol. Click here for a great article from WebMD on the wonderful nutritive value of beans.

Not only do they have all of those nutritional and health benefits, but they are immensely economical. For $1, a bag of beans will yield the equivalent of about 8 cans of the 14oz cans of beans. Even though dried beans are more economical, I get both dried beans and canned beans (without EDTA added in the cans). The dried beans take some time to work with but with a little planning, which we’ll talk about in this article, the process can easily be worked into a busy schedule. If I’ve been too busy with college coursework, blogging, job searching, mothering and volunteer activities, and I have forgotten to start a dried bean cooking process, the canned beans are great to have on hand. Canned beans are super fast – even faster than meat. Open a can, saute’ the beans in some vegetable broth with veggies and leftover cooked rice or gluten-free pasta (or even shredded potatoes) and you have a good, filling, hot meal.

So here’s the tip about the soaking that I put in the title, (it’s pretty straightforward):

Start soaking the dried beans in the morning. By the time you get home in the evening, they will be ready to cook. That’s it.

*You can do an overnight soak, but if you do, put the beans in a crock pot in the morning. Do not soak the beans more than 8-10 hours.

Either way, if you plan soak and cook into your schedule, it’s not such the arduous process that people think. Here’s a nifty pic of my black beans. Notice how they double in size (they expand even more during cooking).

If you do the daytime soak and cook the beans when you get home, don’t think that they will be ready for dinner. So eat sandwiches and do your bean cooking. Since they simmer for two hours, there isn’t much to it but checking in on them from time to time to see if they need more liquid. But if you use enough liquid, you won’t have to. Think of it this way: these beans are going to make your life EASY for the next 3-4 days of dinners. I do my college homework while cooking beans.

So, back to how to do it: once soaking is finished, cook them in a pot, with plenty of water (about 3-4 inches above the beans), and drop in two cubes of gluten-free vegan vegetable bouillon cubes. If you have vegetable broth, that’s great! Use that! But I’m looking to be extremely economical and the picture above is a package of bouillon cubes that I got for $2.69 at Kroger. (Sweet!) That equates to about .33 cents for each 16 ounces of liquid broth that I make with the cubes.

So, bring the beans to a boil (with the 2 bouillon cubes), cover and simmer for two hours. Turn off the heat. Put the whole pot in the refrigerator to cool and to use for the following three days for all kinds of things! Bean salads, bean burgers, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, beans n’ rice… to name a few.

I like to make a lot of rice on the same nights that I’m doing all of this bean cooking. I do the same thing to the rice when it’s done, I just put the whole pot with lid in the refrigerator and get what I need for the next few meals.

By doing all of this, you have PLENTY of beans on hand for various meals that will feed you and your family for roughly around $5 for each meal depending on what other ingredients you use along with those two ingredients. That’s less than what it would cost to get a really crappy fast food burger. And WAY BETTER for you and your world!

If you don’t think you’re going to use all of the whole pot of beans anytime soon, ladle into jars (with 2 inches of head room) and freeze. You can recycle jars and lids from salsas, pasta sauces and the like for this purpose (no need to buy plastic containers).

When you want to use the frozen beans, simply transfer them from freezer to refrigerator about two days before.

Here’s a handy recipe for you to get started (I’ll add more recipes as we use up our first batch):

Black Beans and Rice with Kale and Red Onions

2 cups black beans

2 cups cooked rice

1 red onion, large dice

1/2 bunch of kale, torn and washed

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

drizzle extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil

Directions:

Coat a large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil, just a thin layer.

Ladle about 2 cups of your black beans (with veg broth liquid) and red onion. Cook until red onions are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add cooked rice and a little more liquid from the bean pot.

Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

At the end, stir in kale until just wilted but still bright green and turn off of the heat.

Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the olive oil and stir.

Serve. Enjoy!

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: “Cheesy” Chicken and Rice

This is reminiscent of the broccoli, cheese and rice casserole that is popular in Oklahoma and which was usually present at nearly every potluck I attended as a child. I looked forward to potlucks for this very dish. I loved the creamy combination of rice and cheese. If I could compare it to another delicious dish, I would say that this is a Southwest version of a delicious risotto. The version I made here does not have broccoli because I didn’t have any on hand, so I subbed red bell pepper and celery and it was a hit. You may decide on different veggies as the base of this is pretty versatile.

I made this in the skillet, but you could certainly bake this in a casserole dish after browning the meat and onions, and keep it warm until guests come over. Add some gluten-free breadcrumbs and put it under the broiler for a bit for browning. My family went back for seconds AND thirds, so I don’t think they missed the real cheese. 🙂

Make ahead notes for quicker weeknight dinner prep: Make large batches of rice on the weekend and freeze in 2 cup portions. You can also do the same for mashed or grated potatoes. For your protein, keep three packages of meat thawing in the refrigerator at all times. When you use one, get another package out to thaw and keep rotating. Use the one that has been thawing the longest. Fish usually thaws in one day, so you may want to plan differently for fish. Having rice handy and meat thawed out will make your dinner prep quicker and easier. Use canned beans for meatless nights (try to get the canned beans that do not have EDTA as a preservative. Ingredients should just be beans, water, salt.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground chicken

1 small yellow onion or 1/2 of large white onion, chopped

2 cups cooked med or long grain rice

1-2 cups of water

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon, dried sage

1/2 teaspoon, dried thyme

2 ribs, celery, chopped large

1 red bell pepper, chopped medium

1-2 cups daiya vegan cheese

2 Tablespoons earth balance vegan margarine (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 slices of allergen-free bread, toasted dark golden brown, crumbled

or 1/2 cup Mary’s Gone Crackers’ Herb Flavored Gluten-Free crackers, crumbled

Directions:

1. Brown ground chicken and onions in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Put your frozen rice in the middle (if you made it in advance) and add some water. Cover and let boil and steam, stirring occasionally to break up the rice, add more water if needed.

3. When rice is hot and incorporated, remove lid and add spices and veggies. Let simmer until water is mostly evaporated.

4. Turn heat to low and add the vegan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning and amount of cheese to your liking. If you do not have vegan cheese, try using a combination of vegan margarine and nutritional yeast.

5. (Optional) For a crunchy breadcrumb topping, process some Mary’s Gone Crackers Herb-Flavored gluten-free crackers in a small food processor and sprinkle over top. Or, you could toast a slice or two of gluten-free bread, process in a food processor or crumble over top.

Garnish with fresh parsley, basil or rosemary or add hot sauce if you like.

French Fries From Scratch – Much Easier Than I Thought

Most food-allergy sufferers cannot order french fries, even if they can eat potatoes. Why is this? While they sit and watch their friends and family enjoy heavenly crispy morsel after another (french fries are very popular for a reason), the food-allergy sufferer must think of all of the allergens that have been in the frying oil such as breaded chicken, dropped bits of beef, cheese and (for people who suffer from nut allergies) the oil itself is in question. Many restaurants cook french fries and other things in peanut oil. For peanut-allergy sufferers, they can’t even walk into a restaurant using the oil because it gets everywhere. Soy oil is also problematic.

And even if one could go into the restaurant and be okay, how horrible is it to sit there and take in the intense and tempting aroma of golden fries right out of the cooker? I am no psychology expert, but I can say first hand that it is a special kind of torture. And the longer it goes on, the more intense it is. For this reason, food-allergy sufferers have altogether stopped going into fast food chains and restaurants because it’s just too depressing not to be able to order the fries. Lucky for my family, my strong cravings for these things became a bit overwhelming , resulting in a strong intent to learn how to make them once and for all.

Honestly, french fries shouldn’t be unfriendly to the food allergic. When simply prepared in the right oil, they are crispy, salty, delicious hot morsels of heaven that are safe for everyone. And what joy is this? To master the art of preparing french fries? I really thought it was going to take me several weeks to months (as has the gluten-free baking experiments). Ultimately, it was not as overwhelming of a task as I had thought.

I won’t lie, it isn’t initially easy if you don’t know the art of the fryer. But, aside from my continuing biscuit experimentation, this is a much quicker learning curve. Potatoes are a little finicky. They need time and/or surface area to cook. At first I tried to oven fry them and that took way too long – mostly because I cut them too big. And then I tried a soak and oven bake method, along with a frying method while I was waiting for the oven fries. All of those fries came out with decent results but the process was just too long and time-consuming. I don’t have time to soak and dry and all of that. When you want fries, you want them ASAP. So, I skipped all of the soaking that my tome of cooking wisdom instructed me to do and cut them smaller (which creates more surface area for cooking), and everything came out just the way I wanted.

So, here is how to do it. Remember, it’s an art. So forgive yourself as you learn the nuances of how the oil behaves according to your burner. And don’t walk away from the fries… ever. (Trust me on this).

Directions:

Note: don’t let the oil get too hot because once it reaches the smoke point, your fries are going to taste burnt. Once your oil reaches the frying temperature of “water test” (when you put a tiny drop of water in the oil and it sizzles), keep it at a medium to med-high.

So, learn that, know it, and fry some heck out of your fries.

You will need

– russet potatoes (a 5 lb bad will do). Figure about 1.5 potatoes for each person.

– canola oil or a vegetable oil that has a high smoke point (do not use olive oil)

– salt

– ketchup (if you like it)

1. Peel, wash and cut your potatoes into french fry shapes (about 1/4 inch thick). If they are too big, they are going to take longer to cook. I cut about 4 russet potatoes for the 3 of us.

2. Warm about 1 inch of oil in a heavy bottom large deep skillet. (Do not use non-stick skillet as it will warp – they are not meant for deep frying).

3. Drop the french fries in the pan, but not too many. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan as you want all of the fries immersed in the oil.

4. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Look for a very deep golden brown color. If they are light brown, they might be soggy.

French Fries Ready — This is the color you want before you take them out.

5. Scoop them out and set onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Salt fairly generously – be careful with the salt. Too much and they’re ruined. You can always add a little more and a little more. Salt while they are hot or the salt won’t stick to the fries. I used the edges of the paper towels to shuffle the fries around in the salt.

There you go! Fries craving = Satisfied. (The boys loved them, too).

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Chicken and Gluten-Free Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Homemade pesto is as versatile as it is easy to make. This allergen-free recipe uses sunflower seeds in place of the pignola nuts (a.k.a. pine nuts) that is commonly used in pesto. The sunflower seeds add the depth that a bold pesto requires, while garlic, salt and oil bring out the brightness and aromatic flavors of the fresh herbs.

Parsley is often more readily available and is also a great economical choice at about one dollar per bunch. I will say, however, that it is quite peppery when prepared this way, so you’ll need a bit of sweet basil (or dried basil) to offset that peppery bite of the parsley. Or… you could mix in 1-2 of your reconstituted dried tomatoes.

The sundried tomatoes were well worth the extra 10 minutes in the store to find and acquire. They add the acidic tang to round out the flavors of this classic Italian-American dish. My son does not like fresh tomatoes but loves these dried tomatoes.

And while mushrooms are depicted in the image (they *are* pretty aren’t they?), my fiance and I both agreed that a more spring flavored roasted veggie, such as asparagus would go a little better with the parsley pesto. The mushrooms weren’t bad – it’s just that they weren’t the optimal choice. So, instead, roast some asparagus, green beans or broccoli in lieu of the mushrooms. (Once I make this again with asparagus, I’ll update the picture).

Ultimately, this was very flavorful and satisfying. All family members devoured it and leftovers barely made it to the next day.

Chicken and Gluten-Free Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1-2 pounds of chicken tenders or breast, cut into cubes or sliced in strips

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped medium dice

1 Tablespoon fresh cracked pepper, salt and dried Italian Seasoning or Dried Basil

1 16-ounce package of gluten-free pasta

1 8-ounce package of sun-dried tomatoes (either in dry package or in oil, either will work)

4 cups (32 ounces) of parsley, packed (set aside some for garnish)

2 cups (16 ounces) of fresh basil, packed

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of sunflower seeds (check for allergens), or 2 Tablespoons of sunflower seed butter

1 peck of mushrooms, roasted at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (optional)

1 bunch of asparagus, roasted at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (optional)

2 Tablespoons of Earth Balance or your favorite dairy-free margarine (make sure that it is totally free of whey, casein, and all milk proteins)

2 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

1. Wash and chop all of your veggies and herbs.

2. In a large skillet, cook the chicken and onion in some water with and seasoning such as salt, pepper, dried Italian seasoning or dried basil. While the chicken is cooking (put a lid on it to keep warm once finished cooking), reconstitute the dried tomatoes and prepare the pasta according to package directions. Also, roast your mushrooms and/or asparagus if you like.

While all of that is cooking, prepare the parsley pesto:

Add the parsley and basil to the food processor with the oil, garlic and sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter. Add more oil or water if needed. Process until smooth.

Drain the soaked dried tomatoes and chop. (Note: they are large chop in the picture but we liked them better when we diced them smaller and had more bites with dried tomato flavor.)

Drain pasta, chop chicken and add to the pasta. Stir in the parsley pesto, dried tomatoes, earth balance and nutritional yeast. Taste and add salt as needed.

Serves 6-8

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Blackened Chicken with Orange-Jalapeno Coleslaw

A vibrant slaw made of purple and green cabbage with shredded carrots, spring onions and jalapenos are tossed in a bright teriyaki-orange vinaigrette and topped with blackened chicken to make for a gorgeous late summer dinner that is just as much fun to eat as it is to see. My son loved it and asked to have some for his lunch.

If you are allergic to sesame: replace the 1/2 cup sesame oil with 1/2 cup fragrant olive oil mixed with a Tablespoon of sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter. (Sunflower seed butter often has soy in it, ask if anyone has a soy allergy). And then replace the sesame seed garnish with plain shelled and salted sunflower seeds (make sure you check the ingredients label on this because roasted sunflower seeds are often roasted with allergenic ingredients such as wheat and dairy).

If you are allergic to chicken: Replace with another protein of choice, or omit it entirely as this is very good by itself.

Blackened Chicken with Orange-Jalepeno Coleslaw

For the chicken:

1 2-lb package of skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer)

2 Tablespoons of chili powder

1 Tablespoon of powdered garlic

1 teaspoon of ground coriander, cardamom or allspice (one of those will add a touch of sweetness)

1 teaspoon each of ground mustard, ground ginger, onion powder, salt and pepper

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil of choice (make sure the oil is allergen-free) and heat to medium high heat. Then mix the spices on a plate and coat each piece of chicken with the spices. Place the chicken in the hot oil and let cook for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly seared and blackened. Turn the chicken and sear for a minute or two. Add a little water, cover the skillet and let simmer while you are preparing the slaw. A long simmer will thoroughly cook the chicken and if you cook it long enough, it will break down and become “shreddable.” Just make sure you check on it often and add water if needed.

For the coleslaw:

1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced very thin or shredded in a food processor

1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced very thin or shredded in a food processor

~(feel free to try different varieties of cabbage for fun and/or add other greens)~

4 carrots, coarsely grated

4-6 green (aka “spring”) onions, slivered

4 jalepenoes, slivered (Note: Cut around the seeds. The seeds will burn your fingers and will add significant heat to your slaw. I omit the seeds for this reason but you may add a few if you want the heat. Use gloves if you are not adept at avoiding the seeds.)

1/2 cup raisins (or dried cherries, cranberries, mangoes, or apricots) – omit if you don’t like dried fruit in your salads

For the dressing:

1/2 cup (gluten-free) sesame oil or 1/2 cup olive oil mixed with 1 Tablespoon of sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter

1/2 cup gluten-free rice vinegar (both seasoned and unseasoned will work, always check for allergens)

1 Tablespoon of gluten-free tamari (This is important to get gluten-free. Most soy sauces are made from wheat. Gluten-free soy sauces are made from soybeans instead of wheat – always be careful with soy sauce and ask if the people you are serving have a soy or gluten/wheat allergy. If you there are allergies to both soy and wheat, omit the soy sauce and substitute with 1 teaspoon of salt mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard)

1 Tablespoon of orange zest

1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2-3 dashes of Sriracha sauce (optional)

For garnish: 1/2 cup of toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (check label for allergens)

Chop and wash your veggies and combine in a large bowl.

Using a jar with a lid, shake the teriyaki-orange vinaigrette until well blended and pour over the coleslaw. Toss the coleslaw in the vinaigrette and serve on plates topped with the warm blackened chicken and garnish with the sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Serves 6-8

(Make extra chicken if serving more than 6)

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Italian Sausage, Peppers and Rice

Short and simple. Filling. Tastes good. This recipe utilizes a product that I know is safe for us to eat. A Simply Nature Mild Italian Chicken Sausage from ALDI that is labeled Gluten-Free and Lactose-Free. Lactose-free does not mean Dairy-Free, so I have to be careful with that indication. After careful examination of the ingredients, it appeared totally dairy-free, so I decided to go ahead and prepare this easy one-skillet dish.

The good news: we’ve enjoyed this sausage in several meals now with no problems.

While we did very well with this sausage, always be careful of your food, always check the ingredients label and check with your dietitian or doctor if needed. Here’s what’s in this:

Italian Sausage, Peppers and Rice

1 package of allergen-free mild italian sausage

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 14-0z can of diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2-3 dashes of your favorite allergen-free hot sauce (or a dash of cayenne pepper), optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. (Preferably cooked in broth for extra flavor).

While rice is cooking, add the sausage, onion, and green bell pepper to large skillet set to med-high heat with a little allergen-safe oil. Saute until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender.

Add the spices, tomatoes (with juice) and minced garlic to the pan and let simmer until flavors have melded and liquid has thickened.

That’s it. Dinner is finished. Here is a picture of the sausage and the ingredients label:

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Chili Lime Tortilla Soup with Red and Black Beans

One of my favorite things to eat when I was younger was white chicken chili from a pub around the corner from my college. It was loaded with lots of butter, milk and cheese (of course). But I haven’t stopped craving those flavors. With this version, the green chili and lime flavors, along with a bit of the meal from the crumbled tortilla chips or taco shells, add the body and flavor that I’ve been wanting. If I don’t post this now, I’ll forget how I made it.

The lime juice makes it, so if you can, try to get a lime. If you don’t have a lime, use your favorite vinegar based hot sauce to add the acidic component that this needs to be just right.

Chili Lime Tortilla Soup with Red and Black Beans

Serves 2 – Double or triple the recipe for a family

In a medium saucepot, add the following ingredients:

1.5 cups of broth (CHECK FOR ALLERGENS BEFORE USING)

1 (14 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz) can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz) can of green chilis

2 taco shells or a handful of tortilla chips or fritos style chips crumbled into the soup (CHECK FOR ALLERGENS BEFORE USING) – this will thicken the soup as it cooks.

1 Tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil, then turn down heat to simmer for about 15 minutes to develop the flavors.

Take soup off of heat . Add 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk and the juice of one lime. Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve in bowls and give your family more taco shells or tortilla chips for crushing. Enjoy!

Easy Allergen-Free Weeknight Dinner Series: Savory Beef n’ Quinoa

This warm, filling, savory dish of beef, onions, and fresh string beans is simple, quick and takes advantage of standard pantry items. And so begins this series of easy allergen-free weeknight dinners to help those needing some ideas of what to whip together in a hurry.

Quinoa (pronounced: Keen-wah), is really quite an easy side dish to prepare. The ratio is the same as rice, and so is the cooking technique: 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of liquid. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until grains have absorbed the liquid. Drain any excess liquid (do not overcook or it will be mushy). And there you have it.

The most essential tool needed for quinoa is a fine mesh strainer as you will need to rinse before cooking. The purpose for this is that there is a coating on the quinoa seeds that will taste bitter if not rinsed off.

Savory Beef n’ Quinoa

Prepare quinoa according to package directions using beef, chicken or vegetable broth. Add a little salt if desired. While the quinoa is cooking, in a large deep skillet:

1. Brown 1 pound of ground beef.

2. Add 1 yellow or white onion, diced

3. Add 3 cloves of garlic, minced

4. Add a little water and season with fresh cracked pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder.

5. Add a generous amount of string beans (fresh or frozen) and stir fry with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar until beans are crisp tender.

Plate with sliced fresh cherry or grape tomatoes.

That’s it! You may also want to consider adding mushrooms, leeks, green onions or other favorite vegetables that pair well with beef. I recommend adding a dash or two of gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if you have it. If not, this dish is good on its own.

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