Soft & Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Are you ever in the mood for a chocolate cookie that is dense, soft, and chewy all at the same time? Here's one that I would say is almost brownie-like in consistency. Not the gooey kind, but the slightly raised dense cakey variety. The added touch of raspberry flavor also works well with the chocolate. It's a recipe from the book Veganomicon, which as the title suggests, makes these dairy-free, egg-free, and, in this case, nut-free. I agree with the authors who say that these would work great as ice cream sandwich cookies. After I bit into one, I did think that a scoop of vanilla ice cream paired with it would have hit the spot.

These are also simple enough to make with kids. I made these with my children and they enjoyed pressing (or rather in their case, smashing) the dough balls into flat cookie shapes. I think you could also roll the dough out and use cookie cutters.

RECIPE for Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Late July Organic Sandwich Cookies

I've been meaning to create a running list of packaged cookies and snacks that are good as well as dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free. Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time to sit down and do it. However, I thought I'd make a note of one cookie that would definitely be included on this list. It's Late July's Organic Vanilla Bean with Green Tea Sandwich Cookies. Much healthier in comparison to an Oreo cookie with no hydrogenated oils, no transfats, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial anything, the list goes on. I've tried a number of allergy-friendly Oreo-like cookies including Whole Foods 365 Sandwich Cookies and Trader Joe's Joe Joe's cookies, but I have to say that this one is my favorite so far. I like the vanilla flavor and the consistency of the cookie (not too light and brittle). I can't say that I really taste the green tea part, but I imagine it must be enhancing the flavor in some mysterious way. This is a cookie everybody can enjoy. You can use it at kids parties, mash it into some dairy-free ice cream, or just have it around for general snacking.

(Note: The allergy information on the box reads "Made in a plant that also processes milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.")

No-Cheese Macaroni Bake

I stumbled across this recipe one day while surfing the internet. It's one of the first dairy-free casseroles that I've been able to find that does not from the outset try to clone its cheesy counterpart. While admittedly it looks like macaroni and cheese and apparently has even fooled some kids into thinking so, it was created to be tasty on its own merits. It's healthy too, with pureed cauliflower being the main "creamy" component of this dish.

The recipe is by Lucy Waverman, a well-known Canadian culinary personality. I especially like the fact that her approach to cooking for food allergies is similar to mine. She says, "My recipes are made with natural ingredients and are not intended to imitate the more conventional recipes. They make superb eating on their own." This one is definitely good eating on its own and will appeal to both kids and adults alike.

I found this recipe at the Canadian Epipen site. You will need to register for free to get the recipe. There are other dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free recipes as well which you may want to try.

RECIPE for Creamy Macaroni Bake by Lucy Waverman

Grilled Peaches and Pork

I love peaches. Everything about a fresh, plump, ripe peach just beckons you to partake and enjoy. Now that we're well into summer, the peaches are plentiful at my local farmer's market. Each time I go, I pick up several to last me the week. However, I'm now finding that the little mouths to feed in the house have also developed a taste for fresh peaches and before I know it, my store of these luscious, sweet fruits are depleted. I guess that means this mom needs to haul more back from the market each week. They're good, but good grief, they sure can get heavy to lug around with all my other produce purchases!

Anyway, here is a great dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free recipe for those days you'll be doing some summertime grilling. The peaches here are paired with boneless pork chops and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar sauce. It's very yummy and gives you a different way to enjoy your peaches. You can also use nectarines instead of peaches if you prefer.

RECIPE for Grilled Peaches and Pork by Cooking Light

Fine Dining at Home - Osso Buco

So I was wandering around my neighborhood grocery store and came upon a "special today" for veal shanks. Now I don't usually buy veal, but this deal could not be ignored. There were only 3 packages sitting on the refrigerated shelf for only $3.99/lb! After careful inspection, I determined that the rock bottom price was not due to the meat being spoiled or anything bad like that so I snatched up two packages and resolved to finally try a recipe for osso buco, a dish I had, up until now, regarded only as "fine dining" fare. Well that notion could not have been farther from the truth. After making my way through the recipe, it seemed to me that osso buco is simply a glorified beef stew with very little difference in preparation technique.

For the recipe, I chose to go with Giada De Laurentiis' osso buco recipe based on the 5 star reviews. I was pretty happy with this dish. It wasn't difficult to make and the resulting tender morsels of veal were flavorful and satisfying. I think this makes a great dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free entree that would be excellent for guests or if you just want to treat yourself to something different from the usual routine.

RECIPE for Osso Buco by Giada De Laurentiis

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ok, for all you dark chocolate lovers out there, this is the cookie for you. It's very dark and very chocolatey with just a touch of oatmeal. And most importantly, it's dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free! Very easy to make and very yummy to eat. I took the advice of some of the recipe reviewers and rolled my cookies in sugar before I baked them, however, I think they would also do quite well without this added touch.

RECIPE for Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Bon Appetit

Recipe Notes:

• To make this dairy-free, substitute non-dairy margarine (I recommend Earth Balance) for the butter.
  
• Refrigerate the dough about 1/2 hour or more before baking to prevent too much spreading.
  

Grilled Steak/Chicken & Asparagus

I think grilling is a great way to produce a variety of dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free meals. With just some basic seasonings and marinades, you can create easy and great tasting food that everyone in the family can enjoy. As the weather has started to warm up a bit, we've begun firing up our grill more often. Here are two allergy-friendly grill recipes that my family really enjoys.

RECIPE for Grilled Flank Steak With Rosemary by Bon Appetit

Recipe Notes:

• The marinade in this recipe is very flavorful and can be used on other meats. As you can see from my picture, I like to apply it to chicken. When using chicken breasts, I like to pound the meat to about 1/2 inch thickness prior to marinating.
  
• I have found, along with other reviewers, that the additional salt in the recipe is not necessary and can result in an overly salty end-product depending on the thickness of your meat.

RECIPE for Grilled Asparagus With Balsamic Vinegar by Cooking Light

• This makes a great side. Just a very tasty way to cook up some asparagus.

Simple Teriyaki Chicken

If you enjoy Asian foods, there are many dishes that you can make that are dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. Here is one of those classic dishes - Teriyaki Chicken - that is allergy-friendly, very easy to make, and simply very good. It's from Ellie Krieger, the health-conscious celebrity chef on the Food Network. I really like her version of the teriyaki marinade. You can use it on other meats or tofu too.

RECIPE for Teriyaki Chicken Thighs by Ellie Krieger

Recipe Notes:

• If you are allergic to or avoiding seeds, omit sesame seeds.
  
• If you don't prefer the spiciness, omit the red pepper flakes. It tastes fine without them.
  
• For kid-friendly eating, try this with chicken drumsticks. I've done this many times. Rather than broil I like to roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes.
  

Shall We Try Some Spice Cake?

Spice cake is usually not my first choice for dessert. Just hand me a slice of chocolate fudge cake and I'll probably be happy 90% of the time. However, now and again, I like to venture into less charted baked-goods territory and experience a change of flavor.

I came across this recipe recently and based on all the positive reviews thought I'd give it a go. It requires some very basic substitutions to make it dairy-free/egg-free/nut-free, but otherwise it's really quite easy to make. The recipe is actually written for a double-layer cake with frosting, but I decided to halve the recipe to make a simpler one-layer cake and quartered the frosting portion, adding just a bit more liquid so that I could just drizzle it on my cake. The resulting cake was quite good. It was moist with a good balance between the sweet frosting and the slightly less sweet cake. Raisins were a nice touch, but could easily be omitted if you don't prefer them. I would say this definitely makes a good alternative to your standard chocolate or vanilla cake.

Give this dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free spice cake a try if you're in the mood for something just a little different. I can easily see this working as cupcakes or muffins too (I think I just might try that next time). Just be sure to adjust the baking times accordingly.

RECIPE for Applesauce-Raisin Cake With Caramel Icing from Cooking Light

Recipe Notes:

• To make this dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free shortening and margarine (such as Earth Balance) and substitute soymilk for the milk.
  
• To make this nut-free, omit pecans.
  
• If you're going to try making this in another form such as cupcakes or muffins, use the trusty clean toothpick as your guide to when it's done (I would guess cupcakes/muffins would take about 25 minutes).
  

Braised Asian-Style Spareribs

Here's a really good dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free sparerib recipe everyone in my family enjoyed. It's sweet and sour Asian-style and fall-off-the-bone tender (yum, yum !). It makes a great addition to a multi-course meal or you can just serve it with some vegetables and rice.

RECIPE for Sweet-And-Sour Spareribs by Bon Appetit

(The recipe is for standard size spareribs, but I like to get my ribs cut smaller cross-wise. This makes the ribs easier to handle and easier to fit on any size or shape serving platter.)

One Of The Best Dairy-Free/Egg-Free/Nut-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes I've Found So Far

I have been looking for a good dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long long time. I've tried several recipes, even attempted to create my own, all resulting in cookies that fell below expectations. Either they were too thick and dense, too cakey, too doughy, looked unappetizing, or simply didn't taste like what I thought a chocolate chip cookie ought to taste like.

Well, I can finally relax from all the searching and recipe testing. Here is a recipe for an allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookie that I would gladly make over and over again. It's from the website for Amanda's Own Confections where I also found this great chocolate chip banana muffin recipe. I found the cookies to look and taste most like regular chocolate chip cookies and they also met my requirement for no obscure ingredient substitutions. Overall, a really really good cookie I'd recommend to anyone.

RECIPE for Amanda's Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies by Amanda's Own Confections

Recipe Notes:

• This requires a little bit of advanced preparation as the dough needs to sit several hours in the refrigerator to firm up. However, this added inconvenience is well worth it.
  
  
• Watch the baking time if you want softer cookies. I waited until my cookies were golden brown which, for my oven, ended up taking about 5 minutes longer than the baking time specified. At that point my cookies had turned crunchy, but you know what, they still tasted great!
  

Meatloaf Muffins, Mmmmm

Recently, I've been experimenting with meatloaf. It used to be on my banned food list due to its egg content, but after making this egg-free turkey meatloaf, I started to wonder just how important eggs really were in traditional meatloaf. I figured eggs acted as a binding agent and perhaps enhanced overall texture, but were they absolutely necessary? After all, do hamburgers (arguably a flat form of meatloaf) require eggs? Would the taste, structure, or texture really suffer that much if I simply omitted eggs from the recipe? I decided to test this out on a favorite meatloaf recipe from my family's pre-food-allergy days.

The recipe is one for meatloaf muffins consisting primarily of ground beef, chopped vegetables, and crushed saltine crackers. Since I knew I would be omitting the two eggs called for in the recipe, I rounded up a bit on moisture-contributing ingredients, specifically, the vegetables and ketchup. After all was said and done, I'm quite happy to report that the egg-free end product did not stray too far from the original version. It still tasted good and kept its shape well. Perhaps this was a result of them being small muffin shapes versus a larger loaf which might have just crumbled and fallen apart. Whatever the case may be, I'm just glad that I can enjoy a once-favorite dish again and add another dairy-free, egg-free meatloaf recipe to the family meal rotation.

RECIPE for Diner Meatloaf Muffins by Cooking Light

Recipe Notes:

• Omit eggs to make this egg-free.
  
  
• If you find you have slightly more chopped vegetables than called for (i.e. rounded cup vs level cup measurements), go ahead and include it to boost the overall moisture content of the meatloaf. An extra 1-2 tablespoons of ketchup will also help in this regard.
  
  
• I found that this recipe also works fine without Worcestershire sauce if you don't have it on hand or are avoiding seafood ingredients.
  
  
• If your arteries can take it, consider making this with higher fat beef for even more flavor.
  

Something To Munch On

If you're just looking for something to munch on, here's a good dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free snack option that's relatively healthy, light on calories, and popular with both adults and kids. Fruity Booty is just one of the many natural snacks produced by Robert's American Gourmet. This one is puffed rice and corn with a mango and peach flavor. The flavor is actually quite subtle (I can't really distinguish that it's mango or peach), but regardless, it's still pretty good and I feel healthier eating this versus say a standard bag of potato chips. It's light and airy and would make a good replacement for popcorn.

(Robert's American Gourmet also makes Veggie Booty which is also dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free, however, please note that the packaging for this product states that it was made in a facility that also produces dairy products.)

Yummy Yummy Yams

I really like roasted yams, especially the sweetened variety you typically find in a Thanksgiving meal. However, most candied yam or sweet potato recipes are laden with butter and not friendly to those with dairy allergies at all.

I was happy to come across this yummy dairy-free roasted sweet potato/yam recipe which delivers great flavor along with a perfect light touch of sweetness. It not only tastes better, but I believe you'll also feel better about eating this version instead of the super rich and sugary renditions out there. It uses heart-healthy olive oil and also happens to be simple to prepare. I think this makes a great side to accompany any meal and not just those that include a turkey.

RECIPE for Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges by Real Simple

A Dairy-Free Cheese That Is Really Dairy-Free

When I first went looking for a cheese substitute after learning my daughter was allergic to dairy, I made the mistake of purchasing soy cheese. It was a logical choice. We were already using soymilk instead of cow's milk so soy cheese instead of cow's milk cheese seemed like a no-brainer. Then I took a closer look at the ingredients label. There in plain writing was the word "casein". As anyone familiar with dairy allergies knows, casein is one of those offending milk proteins that many with dairy allergies are sensitive to. Horrified (since I had already given a slice to my daughter, fortunately with no obvious adverse consequences) and disappointed, I tossed the package into the garbage. Yet another product off-limits to us, but it was a good lesson learned.

As it turns out, most packaged products with soy cheese contain casein. This is unfortunately true of the soy cheese pizzas out there I was also hoping to try out with my daughter (for a good no-cheese pizza option, see this post). I suspect it's the casein in these soy cheese products that allow them to behave much like regular cheese, in particular its ability to melt nicely.

Anyway, I figured going forward any type of cheese would just have to be avoided altogether, that is, until I found yet more varieties of cheese at Whole Foods. We've since tried a couple of completely dairy-free cheeses, this time vegan ones and therefore devoid of any cow's milk product. The one that my daughter likes best is the Vegan American Flavor Soy Slices from Galaxy Nutritional Foods. I like the fact that these are sold as slices so my daughter doesn't feel any different from her peers who may be eating their brand of yellow sliced cheese (although you need to be careful not to get them mixed up). Note that these are also soy-based, but are clearly marked vegan. From the perspective of one who has always eaten cow's milk cheese, this cheese doesn't taste as great and it doesn't melt well. However, since my daughter has no basis for comparison and is quite happy eating her cheese slices, this ultimately makes me a fan of them too.

Hearty Bean & Barley Soup

Over the last several years I've gotten into a routine of making soup at least once a week. This has been driven more by practical reasons than a sudden love for soup. With young children just learning to eat solids, soup is an easy meal solution. You can blend individual portions of the finished soup to whatever consistency your child can eat while the adults in the family can continue to eat the soup as is. Everybody's fed, everybody's happy.

However, practical benefits aside, I have to say that this weekly soup routine has caused me to develop a much greater appreciation for soup than I previously possessed. Soup is warm, comforting, and surprisingly satisfying, often a meal on its own. The following soup is no exception. It's a dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free soup comprised of a hearty combination of beans, barley, diced tomatoes, spinach and some other aromatic vegetables. It has good flavor and is quite nutritious as well.

RECIPE for Hearty Bean and Barley Soup by Cooking Light

Recipe Notes:

• Omit parmesan cheese to make this dairy free
  
  
• To save time, I've skipped the initial step of boiling and straining the first several ingredients. Instead, I will add minced garlic while sauteeing the other aromatic veggies (carrot, onion, celery), add rosemary directly into the soup, and simply omit the crushed red pepper.
  

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

I've never been too keen on using applesauce as an ingredient substitute in my dairy-free and egg-free baked goods since I think the resulting product pales so much in comparison to conventional baked goods. However, with an open mind, I decided to try out this recipe which a friend ripped out of a magazine for me. It's a recipe for dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free chocolate muffins with chocolate chips that not only uses applesauce, but also other ingredients and baking strategies that result in a healthy, lowfat, low-calorie muffin.

Here's my take on the end-product. First, let's just say that if you compare this to one of those store-bought dessert-like chocolate muffins or even to a cupcake, you will probably be disappointed. However, under the categorization of a healthy baked treat, this is pretty good. It uses unrefined oat flour which is heart-healthy and full of fiber, includes very little fat, and each muffin is only about 150 calories. I would say these are a great option if you're looking to make a more nutritious treat for your family (my kids actually really liked it) or perhaps for a health-conscious friend who might appreciate it.

RECIPE for Mariska's Joyful Heart Fudge Chip Muffins from Health Magazine

Recipe Notes:

• Be sure to replace the almond extract called for in the recipe with more vanilla extract.
  
  
• I found the baking time to be a little bit longer than specified, but it could just be my oven.
  

Puffed Pastry Twists

Here's a dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free pastry/cookie that I just discovered. It's French Twists by Barry's Bakery. They are really good. As the packaging indicates, they are basically layers of puffed pastry in a twisted shape with sweet cinnamony flavor throughout. These would work well as a light dessert, go great with coffee, or in my case, just be a yummy snacking cookie to be eaten at any time of day. I've tried the original and the maple french toast flavors and they are both very good. I primarily buy them for my food-allergic daughter so she can enjoy some sweet snacks every now and then, but I have to admit that I think I'm the one eating most of them everytime I get a bag. They are also only 60 calories apiece, but be forewarned that you will want to eat more than one in one sitting.

Quick & Tasty Chicken Tagine

If you're in the mood for something just a teensy bit more exotic, try this tasty dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free chicken tagine recipe from Rachel Ray. A tagine, as I recently learned, is traditionally a slow-cooked dish originating from North Africa. I believe this particular dish has Moroccan flavors and it also happens to be one of Rachel Ray's "30-minute-meals", so no slow-cooking going on here (which is fine by me). By using chicken breast, this dish can be cooked in a short amount of time and it holds onto all the aromatic spices quite well.

This is a very flavorful dish that works well with the couscous that is also part of the recipe. It's aromatic with some subtle sweetness coming from the dried fruit ingredients. If you have the spices on hand (cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, tumeric, cinnamon) I'd definitely give this recipe a try. And even if you don't, consider making this at a later point in time. It's fast and it adds variety to the regular meal rotation.

RECIPE for Quick Tagine-Style Chicken by Rachel Ray

Recipe Notes:

• Don't get too caught up in having all the ingredients called for. I didn't have dried prunes or raisins on hand, and ended up using dried cranberries. I also didn't use any of the condiments. Many recipe reviewers also used different types of dried fruit or didn't use any at all and still enjoyed the dish.
  
  
• Taking a cue from several reviews, I added just a touch more spices to ensure optimal flavor.
  
  
• Vegetarian/Vegan Version: As noted in the recipe, eggplant or tofu may be used in place of the chicken. Vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth.
  

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Yesterday, with a couple of overripe bananas sitting on my counter getting browner by the second, I decided that it was a good time to test out a dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free chocolate chip banana muffin recipe I had dug up on one of my online recipe hunts.

I'm happy to say that they turned out fairly well. Worth the relatively short time investment. I liked the fact that they browned well, making them visually appealing. I'd describe the texture as being not very crumbly and not too dense, but not light and fluffy either. I only had two ripe bananas (large ones) versus the three called for in the recipe so my muffins probably turned out slightly drier than the recipe intended, however, I actually like my banana muffins this way. If you like yours moist, definitely use all three bananas.

Overall, I'd say this recipe turns out a good muffin which I would make again. If you happen to have some ripening bananas on your hands that you don't know what to do with, consider making a batch of these to satisfy your breakfast, brunch or general snacking needs.

RECIPE from Amanda's Own Confections

Note: Once you're at the site, you'll need to scroll down a bit to find the recipe. There are also other dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free recipes you might want to try as well.