Cybele's Free-to-Eat cookies

I am so excited to find these at our local Kroger. I've been waiting since their launch to actually try them & they didn't disappoint! They are free of the top 8 allergens- dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, & shellfish. The last two seem like no brainers... fish in cookies? You'd be surprised what some ingredients are derived from! Anyway, these chocolate chip cookies were moist and tasty with a good texture. Nothing ruins an allergen free cookie more than a sandy texture! Although they were a little one the small side, there were 12 in the package, so I was ok with it (and they're probably the size cookies are supposed to be... not the behemoths sold in the bakery). Personally, I enjoyed them & will definitely look for these again!

Gluten Free Lentil Snaps

These little snacks are pretty tasty! I was skeptical at first because I thought they would just be baked lentil pods, which didn't entice me at all. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they're actually light, crisp, and airy. They're obviously made from an extruded lentil dough... like a cheese puff. I also tried their lightly salted Snapea Crisps, but I wasn't as impressed with those. They didn't have as much flavor. The Lentil Snaps have 120 calories per container (3 servings per container), 6 grams of fat, 85 mg of sodium, 5 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fiber. They do warn that they are made in a facility that also processes wheat, milk, soy, shrimp, and fish.

Dole Frozen Banana Dippers

All I can say is, "I love these things!" They come with or without almonds. I prefer the almond. They're like little bon bons without the dairy! I put them in my lunch and pop them in the freezer when I get to work. When it's time to eat, I take them out and by the time I get finished with my lunch they're the perfect consistency. Fresh out of the freezer, they can be a little firm, so you might want to let them hang for a bit before eating them. They are tasty, refreshing, and cheap! They cost about $3 for a box with 6 packs, and each pack has 4 banana slices. You can find them in the frozen fruit section of your grocery.

Banana & Peanut Butter "Ice Cream"

I have seen this recipe floating around the interwebs for a while, and it was even recommended to me by a friend not long ago. It just took me this long to break down and give it a try. I really couldn't see how it was going to translate to "ice cream". It was actually really good. I added chopped strawberries to mine & was very pleased with the outcome. It was very creamy and did an excellent job killing that ice cream craving. 

If you're allergic to peanuts try a substitute like Sun Butter. You could probably skip the peanut butter altogether and mix in other ingredients that sound good to you. It's super easy to make!

Here's what I did. 

Ingredients:

2 bananas (over ripe is ok)

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)

2-3 diced strawberries (optional)

Slice bananas & place in the freezer for a couple of hours. Blend in a good blender or food processor until creamy & smooth. Add peanut butter & cocoa. Mix thoroughly. Add strawberries or other add-ins.  Place in container & return to freezer to firm up.

Mine started to melt on me... It may not look appetizing here, but trust me, it was delicious! 

Chocolate Crack Cookies

I found the recipe for these little beauties somewhere on the interwebs, and I have to say they're amazing! These little gems are DAIRY FREE and FLOUR FREE! I was doubtful they would be any good, and I'm glad I was wrong! I'm not sure what they're really called, but I call them Chocolate Crack Cookies because the surface cracks when you bake them... and they're so good they're like crack!

Ingredients
3 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt

Stuffed Peppers

My apologies for the lack of picture to accompany this recipe.
This recipe came from Foodnetwork.com, and you can find nutritional information for this recipe at Yummly.com.

This is a very traditional stuffed peppers recipe, but it IS free of the top 8 food allergens. It can be changed up by substituting thyme and oregano for cumin and chili powder. Then add corn, black beans, and jalapeno peppers for a Tex-Mex flavor. I have also seen where people have substituted quinoa for rice, or go vegan and take out the meat.


Ingredients
1/2 cup rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 ounces ground beef
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
4 red or green bell peppers

Green Pozole Recipe

Made Pozole tonight... for the first time. For those of you who have never heard of it (which was me until about a week ago) it's a Mexican soup made with hominy. I had never had hominy aside from grits, but I was pleasantly surprised by this soup. I found a big drawn out recipe that included cooking and grinding pumpkin seeds, but I simplified it with great success!

1-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
2 32oz containers of chicken broth
8-10 tomatillos (peeled)
1 small white onion (quartered)
1-2 Serrano peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
2 cans hominy
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

(A jar of salsa verde can be substituted for tomatillos & peppers)

Combine all ingredients except hominy and cilantro in a large pot. Heat until chicken is cooked through and tomatillos are dark. Remove onion, pepper, and tomatillos & purée in a blender with 1-2 cups broth from the pot (add garlic and salt to taste). Remove chicken shred once it's cool enough to handle. Return tomatillo purée (salsa verde) and chicken to the pot with broth. Add hominy and cilantro. Heat until hominy is warmed through.

Garnish with cheese, avocado, or lime.

I added sweet corn to mine and it worked well.

Allergy Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Adapted from the Rachael Ray Show. The site includes a video clip showing how to make these.

Ingredients
1 pound ground white meat chicken
1/2 small onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s)
3 scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced
Store-bought, dairy free ranch dressing for dipping
A couple of handfuls celery sticks
A couple of handfuls carrot sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the onion, garlic and parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flatten out the meat in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Shape each portion into four balls – you should have sixteen meatballs in total. Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick sheet pan and drizzle them with EVOO. Place in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. While the meatballs are baking, melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and spike each one with a toothpick or serving fork. Place the dressing in a small serving bowl and garnish with scallions. Serve the meatballs with the dressing, celery and carrot sticks alongside.

Pumpkin Fluff Recipe

This recipe is from All Recipes.

This is one of my favorite fall treats. It's quick, easy, and not too heavy. I normally make this recipe with prepared pudding instead of just adding the powdered mix to the pumpkin and whipped topping. There's just one problem... if you're sensitive to dairy, most pudding mixes will not set with any milk other than real milk. Jell-O brand says on their website that you can make the cooked pudding with soy milk, but the consistency will be thick. It's all rather frustrating if you ask me. Let's hope this recipe is just as tasty and works well!

You serve this as a dip with graham crackers, ginger snaps, or any other cookie of your choice. I'm going to try it with some allergy free ginger snaps or vanilla cookies. Can't wait! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Gluten Free Donuts

As fall nears and we welcome back cooler temperatures my thoughts drift towards comfort foods that traditionally are not very allergy friendly. I have found something that has me excited and hopeful! The Bob's Red Mill site offers recipes that utilize their products. I was hoping to find something different to make with the GF Pancake Mix I have, and I did! Here's a recipe taken from the BRM site for donuts! I plan on modifying the recipe slightly by adding chopped apples and cooking them up like fritters. Enjoy

Gluten Free Donuts


A gluten free recipe to use with the Babycakes Donut Maker. This recipe was not tested by Bob's Red Mill. Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Low Cal, Low Fat.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups GF PANCAKE MIX
1-1/4 cups Water
1-1/2 Tbsp Oil
1 Egg
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions
Combine all ingredients well to make donut batter. Pour batter into donut molds and cook until toothpick comes out clean, about 5-7 min. Cool donuts on a wire rack and top with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or an icing of your choice.

Serves 8.

Notes
3 mini donuts is 1 serving.
Be sure donut maker is completely preheated.
Cook time is per batch.

Mexican Bean Salad Recipe

I found this recipe on Yummly.com. I know it as Texas Caviar. It's a great salad and works well when eaten with tortilla chips (kind of like a salsa).

Ingredients
15 ozs black beans (rinsed and drained)
15 ozs kidney beans (drained)
15 ozs cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
10 ozs corn kernels (frozen)
1 red onion (chopped)
1/2  cup olive oil
1/2  cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsps white sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4  cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp black pepper (ground)
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dairy Free "Ice Cream"

From: Live Free Gluten Free

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk, chilled
3/4 cup Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, chilled (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions
Blend together coconut milk, almond milk, agave, and cocoa. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.  Meanwhile, microwave peanut butter for a few seconds to make it runny.  The last 5 minutes of freezing, pour peanut butter into ice cream in streams that will swirl through the ice cream.

Meatloaf Cupcakes

These "cupcakes" cook up quickly and taste great... not to mention, they're just fun!

Meatloaf
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 Tbsp water
1 chopped bell pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp garlic powder
Cooking spray

Galumpki (That's Polish for Cabbage Roll)

My Ukrainian grandmother made the most delicious galumpkis. I can remember how excited my brother, sister and I would get when we would find out that Gram had brought us a batch. Ohhh and I can still remember how the smell would fill our nostrils the moment we walked through her door. Grandmas' houses always smell like good food, don't they? I did my best to watch my Gram make her famous galumpkis and learn from her. I know I can never quite match the flavor of hers, so I don't try. She gave me a base to build on and I've learned to make them my own, to suit the tastes of my husband and myself. Gram didn't have a recipe written down, as is the case with most good dishes that have been handed down through the generations. This is my best attempt at what my grandmother taught me during the short time I lived with her.

This recipe makes roughly 10 rolls. Double all quantities for a larger batch.
Ingredients
1 lb ground meat (my grandmother used 2 lbs - one lb each of ground beef and ground pork)
1 cup cooked rice (white is what Gram used, but brown rice will work too)
1 egg (optional)
1 head of cabbage
1 green bell pepper
1 can tomato soup (some recipes use tomato paste instead)
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Remove the core from the cabbage and boil the entire head of cabbage until the outer leaves start to become transparent. Set aside and allow to cool. In a large bowl combine ground meat, rice, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato soup. Carefully pull apart cabbage leaves keeping the entire leaf intact. Stop when the leaves are too wrinkled and firm to peel off. Cut remaining head (inner core) into 1/4 and save for cooking. Cut the top off the bell pepper and scoop out the seeds. Fill with meat and rice mixture and place in the center of a baking pan, crock pot or pressure cooker. Form a meatball-size portion of meat and rice into a log shape and place on the leaf near the core end of the leaf. Fold core end of the leaf over the meat mixture and roll about half way up the leaf. Fold in the sides and continue rolling until you get to the end of the leaf. Place in pan (or whatever device you are using) around the stuffed pepper. Cover with remaining tomato soup (or paste) and 1 can of water (can substitute stock). You can add garlic, onion, salt and pepper to the tomato mixture as well if you choose. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. If you're using a pressure cooker this process takes about 20-30 minutes. Cook on low 4-6 hours in a crock pot.

If you prefer spicier food add some cayenne or red pepper flake to your meat mixture. I have also had success adding spice mixes like Tony Chachere's.

Corn Pasta Update

I had originally posted a  review of this pasta on July 5 and referred to it in the Great Noodle Debate. Although I still stand behind my statements, I have found one drawback to this particular pasta. It's texture changes when it's cold. I have cooked this pasta, stored it in the refrigerator, and reheated it with no problem. It will return to the proper texture when it's warmed thoroughly, but it becomes firmer and a little gritty when it's cold. This isn't a huge problem if you're planning on eating it warm, but it can cause a big issue if you're wanting a cold pasta salad. I made that mistake recently and ruined a big bowl of shrimp. The pasta was hard and chewy making the salad extremely unappetizing. Learn from my mistake and chose an alternative pasta for your cold pasta dishes.

Sanissimo Corn Crackers

My husband found these Sanissimo Salmas crackers at the grocery store and I was intrigued. These are thin, crispy corn crackers that actually are quite good. If you're expecting a saltine or butter cracker you'll be a bit disappointed. These crackers do not pretend to be anything other than what they are... corn. They have the flavor of a tortilla chip, but the texture of a water cracker. They have a hint of salt, and go well with savory items like tuna salad, chicken salad, pico, cheese, guacamole, hummus, etc... I like that they come wrapped in individual packets. You can grab a pack and stick it in your lunch or bag and off you go! There are 3 crackers to a packet and 8 packets in a box. They were a little pricier than normal crackers. I believe I paid around $4 for these, but I've enjoyed them and plan on taking some with me on my up-coming vacation! The Sanissimo website has information about their products, but good luck unless you can read Spanish. Google Chrome gave me the option to translate it, but a lot of the information did not translate because it was in the form of images, not text.

Black Bean Cakes

Adapted from Mia's Domain. This site has some WONDERFUL recipes! Check it out!

Crispy Black Bean Fritters:

3 cups black bean, cooked

1 large yellow pepper, remove seed, chop into small pieces

1 small white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large tomato, chopped into small pieces

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons gluten free flour (see recipe here or use your favorite store bought version)

2 eggs, room temperature (1/2 cup Egg Beaters or equivalent amount egg replacement product)

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)

Refrigerator Cucumber Salad

From Recipes We Love - This site has images to guide you through the steps.

Ingredients

4 thinly sliced cucumbers

1-large  sliced red onions

1-large  sliced green peppers

1-tbsp salt

2-cup white vinegar

1 1/2-cups sugar

1-tsp celery flakes

1-tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set a side. Put vinegar, sugar, celery flakes and pepper flakes  in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and  add 2 handfuls of ice until melted. Place all veggies in large mouth canning jars (2 quarts or 1 half gallon jar). Pour mixture over cucumbers,  store in refrigerator. Will keep up to 2 months. Makes 2 quart jars.

Allergy Free Breakfast Sausage

I'm always happy when I can find recipes that meet my dietary needs, but I know how incredibly frustrating it can be to not find what you're searching for. A good friend of mine has a son with food allergies and while she's been a great resource and support for me, I feel frustrated for her when she responds, "but is it soy free?" Well, my friend, this is a SOY free, WHEAT free, GLUTEN free, DAIRY free, EGG free breakfast sausage recipe I found on Yummly. This recipe originally came from AllRecipes. Hope this helps!



Ingredients
2 tsps sage (dried)
2 tsps salt
1 tsp black pepper (ground)
1/4 tsp marjoram (dried)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (crushed)
1 pinch ground cloves (optional)
2 lbs ground pork (You can substitute ground turkey) 
*For a spicy sausage add 1-2 tsps each garlic and onion powder and cayenne pepper to taste. You may also want to consider reducing or eliminating the amount of brown sugar. 
*For maple sausage replace brown sugar with 1-2 tbsps maple syrup.

Chipotle Turkey Breast

Spice is king in my house and chipotle is one of our favorite flavors. I'm really excited to try this recipe!


This recipe came from Yummly... originally posted on Food.com


Ingredients
2 chipotle peppers (rehydrated stemmed and seeded)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (fresh ground)
1 tsp olive oil
4-6 lbs turkey breast (fresh)