My family loves tacos, and just about anything with "taco" flavoring on it. However most store bought taco seasonings have so many additives or milk and wheat that it is hard to find one if you have food allergies. So, after checking out many homemade ones I finally came up with one we like and will stick with.
Easy Allergen free taco seasoning
1tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Mix all and store in a container or shaker. This makes about as much as you will find in a store bought packet.
Now it is pretty simple to make tacos or taco salad for people with food allergies by just replacing the taco shells or chips with something that person can have, but if you like these dishes a lot it can get a little pricey and sometimes the available substitutes just aren't that great tasting. So this last month as I was in save save save mode I decided to try something different. I used sweet potatoes instead of chips in a taco salad. The hubby and kids liked it and I think I will make taco salad this way from now on.
"Taco" salad
4 to 5 large sweet potatoes
taco seasoning
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 c leftover cooked shredded chicken (turkey, ham or leftover roast work just as well)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion and just a pinch more brown sugar
Wash and cut up your sweet potatoes, you can slice them like you would for a chip, or cube them like you would for thanksgiving, whatever you prefer. Toss them with just enough olive or canola oil to coat then add your tacos seasoning, toss, add brown sugar and toss once more. Bake at 400 for about 15 to 25 min, turning as needed, depending on how you cut your potatoes and how high or low your oven cooks. When the potatoes are about done Take out your leftover meat and shred it up and put it in a frying pan with a little water or oil. Sprinkle with the Cumin and Onion and the pinch of brown sugar, stir well and heat through.
You can serve this all combines, potatoes, lettuce, meat, tomatoes or, just put everything in separate bowls and let people add what they can eat or like.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Conversion Charts Galore!
So last night came and went with just one parent and two cranky toddlers, and the promised conversion charts disappeared amid several runs of Winnie the Pooh. So, tonight while the kiddos are having a camp out with Dad in the living room I am getting to add these in quiet :) I hope you will find them helpful!
To replace eggs (I rarely have to do this since no one here is allergic to eggs, but if you are here are some things you can use instead)
Applesauce 1/4c unsweetened=1egg
Baking Soda and Vinegar (if you do this one add it last and place straight in oven!)
1tsp baking soda+1tsp cider vinegar=1 egg
Banana 1/2 banana mashed=1egg
Egg replace Ener-G egg replacer is manufacturer in an allergen free facility and the instructions can be found on the package.
Flaxseed Meal 1 tbsp flax meal mixed with 3tbsp water=1egg
Prune Puree 5oz=1egg
Soy, Coconut, or Rice Yogurt 1/4c = 1egg
To replace dairy
Rice, Soy, Almond, Coconut or Hemp Milk...the options are rather endless. So read the ingredients well, find one that you like and just use it cup for cup in place of cow's milk
To make your own butter milk add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or cider vinegar to 1 cup of your nondairy milk and let sit for 5-10 min then use in your recipe.
There are rice, soy, and coconut yogurts that can be used measure for measure in recipes.
In place of butter you can use Canola oil, Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, or Sunflower Oil 1/3c oil =1/2c butter
Earths Best also makes a dairy, corn, wheat and soy free spread that comes in a red tub, we can even find it at Walmart!
Spectrum Shortening is allergen free and can be found through the internet or a natural grocery store.
The best replacement I have found for peanut butter is Trader Joes SunButter. It doesn't contain any soy and is just plain good! If you don't have any other nut allergies tho there are hazelnut, almond and cashew butter options out there as well.
If you can't have any gluten then there are many flours out there to try, but be aware that most of them can't be used alone, they need to be combined with other things.
Here they are : rice, corn, potato, tapioca, bean, garfava, sourghum, quinoa, millet, buckwehat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, montina and flax flours.
I haven't experimented to much yet and for just a general all purpose flour I mix 4c white rice flour with 1 1/2c potato starch anad 3/4c tapioca flour. And I don't pay for the rice flour in the stores! I just buy some plain (not quick cooking) white rice the throw it in the blender on grind and then in a coffee grinder and tada! Much more cost effective for the same thing!
I hope these are time and stress savers!
To replace eggs (I rarely have to do this since no one here is allergic to eggs, but if you are here are some things you can use instead)
Applesauce 1/4c unsweetened=1egg
Baking Soda and Vinegar (if you do this one add it last and place straight in oven!)
1tsp baking soda+1tsp cider vinegar=1 egg
Banana 1/2 banana mashed=1egg
Egg replace Ener-G egg replacer is manufacturer in an allergen free facility and the instructions can be found on the package.
Flaxseed Meal 1 tbsp flax meal mixed with 3tbsp water=1egg
Prune Puree 5oz=1egg
Soy, Coconut, or Rice Yogurt 1/4c = 1egg
To replace dairy
Rice, Soy, Almond, Coconut or Hemp Milk...the options are rather endless. So read the ingredients well, find one that you like and just use it cup for cup in place of cow's milk
To make your own butter milk add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or cider vinegar to 1 cup of your nondairy milk and let sit for 5-10 min then use in your recipe.
There are rice, soy, and coconut yogurts that can be used measure for measure in recipes.
In place of butter you can use Canola oil, Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, or Sunflower Oil 1/3c oil =1/2c butter
Earths Best also makes a dairy, corn, wheat and soy free spread that comes in a red tub, we can even find it at Walmart!
Spectrum Shortening is allergen free and can be found through the internet or a natural grocery store.
The best replacement I have found for peanut butter is Trader Joes SunButter. It doesn't contain any soy and is just plain good! If you don't have any other nut allergies tho there are hazelnut, almond and cashew butter options out there as well.
If you can't have any gluten then there are many flours out there to try, but be aware that most of them can't be used alone, they need to be combined with other things.
Here they are : rice, corn, potato, tapioca, bean, garfava, sourghum, quinoa, millet, buckwehat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, montina and flax flours.
I haven't experimented to much yet and for just a general all purpose flour I mix 4c white rice flour with 1 1/2c potato starch anad 3/4c tapioca flour. And I don't pay for the rice flour in the stores! I just buy some plain (not quick cooking) white rice the throw it in the blender on grind and then in a coffee grinder and tada! Much more cost effective for the same thing!
I hope these are time and stress savers!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Let's try this again!
Wow, I have to admit i forgot totally and completely about this blog! Between Baby #2, a cross country move, and the crazy that is food allergies it got lost in the shuffle, but I found it again today and am going to be faithful to it from now on!
By way of an update, Neil allergies have flexed and changed but at this point we have reached a stabel place with them. He can't have nut or dairy products of any kind, and any kind of melon now breaks his face out in a rash so we have given those up as well. Wheat, corn, soy and food dye give him skin rashes, behavior issues and intestinal discomfort so we are avoiding those.
What in the world does that leave? Well nothing much pre packaged or under thirty minutes that's for sure! My cooking skills have gotten a workout in the last 2 years, i have fallen deeply in love with my crock pot, and we have returned to real food. We aren't that picky about foods being organic, and on one income couldn't afford to be anyway, so we do what we can, but do use fruit and veggie wash regularly!
I hope what i have learned in the last year will be helpful to you, please feel free to contribute and comment !
(conversion charts for nuts, dairy, wheat flours, and eggs coming later today!)
By way of an update, Neil allergies have flexed and changed but at this point we have reached a stabel place with them. He can't have nut or dairy products of any kind, and any kind of melon now breaks his face out in a rash so we have given those up as well. Wheat, corn, soy and food dye give him skin rashes, behavior issues and intestinal discomfort so we are avoiding those.
What in the world does that leave? Well nothing much pre packaged or under thirty minutes that's for sure! My cooking skills have gotten a workout in the last 2 years, i have fallen deeply in love with my crock pot, and we have returned to real food. We aren't that picky about foods being organic, and on one income couldn't afford to be anyway, so we do what we can, but do use fruit and veggie wash regularly!
I hope what i have learned in the last year will be helpful to you, please feel free to contribute and comment !
(conversion charts for nuts, dairy, wheat flours, and eggs coming later today!)
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