Freakin' Delicious Beef, Barley, and Thyme Stew... no nightshades, low histamine, dairy free

Tonight's dinner was crazy delicious, and I have a recipe for you. More on that in a second.

Last night, I made a really delicious meatloaf despite not being able to use anything high in histamine, or anything in the nightshade family (e.g. tomatoes, peppers).

It has been a struggle to find a substitute for tomatoes in recipes like that. Trying to use just brown sugar for the glaze didn't go too well.

So, for last night's endeavor, I started with this recipe from Allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20673/glazed-meatloaf-ii

But, to make it low-histamine, the mustard powder would have to go. The ketchup would have to go. So, too, would the lemon juice.

I substituted a combination of pumpkin puree and tamarind paste for the ketchup: I wanted something with body, sweetness, and tang. I cooked the glaze in a separate pan first, too, to eliminate any excess liquid. I left out the mustard and lemon juice from the recipe entirely.

I added a small, shredded zucchini for a slight nutritional boost. I swapped the bread for unenriched, dairy-free crackers. It was delicious, even the glaze, but I want to tweak the glaze some more before I share the recipe with you. I'm thinking the addition of some jelly, apple, plum, or apricot, plus a splash of molasses, will be the ticket to perfection.

So, in the mean time, I offer you what I made for dinner tonight: Beef and Barley stew, originally from http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2014/04/beef-barley-soup-recipe-pressure-cooker-or-stove-top.html

...and made nightshade-free, low-histamine, dairy-free, and folic-acid free by me.

The barley can be substituted for rice to make it gluten free.

Beef and Barley Stew
adapted from The Perfect Pantry

1 T. oil
1-2 lbs. stew beef or chuck roast, cubed (I used 1 lb. this time; next time, I will use 2 lbs. We like our iron around here! We use Intermountain Family Farms beef: https://www.intermountainfamilyfarms.com/)
1 medium onion, diced
2-4 carrots, trimmed and diced (and peeled, if desired)
1 T. dried thyme leaf
1-2T. blackstrap molasses
1 T. pumpkin or butternut squash puree

2 teaspoons lovage herb (optional: has the taste of celery)
1 cup pearl barley (or rice, for gluten-free)
4 cups beef or chicken stock plus 2 cups water OR 6 cups water plus 1 heaping tablespoon beef or chicken bouillon OR 6 cups water, salted to taste

Pressure cooker (Instant Pot) instructions:

1. Heat oil using IP's Saute feature
2. Sear (just brown on the outside) the beef in batches. Do not crowd and cook through. Remove to a plate, leaving any remaining oil behind.
3. Add the onion and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent. Add thyme, molasses, and pumpkin puree. Cook for a minute or so.
4. Add lovage (optional), barley, and liquid. Turn off heat.
5. Wipe seal and put lid on. Turn vent to "sealing" and set to 10 minutes on high pressure. Once finished, allow to release naturally for 20 minutes.
6. Taste, adjust seasonings, bring to a boil using Saute function, and thicken as desired using cornstarch or flour slurry (I used flour)

Slow cooker (Crock Pot) instructions:

1. In a large saute pan, heat oil.
2. Sear (just brown on the outside) the beef in batches. Do not crowd and cook through. Remove to a plate, leaving any remaining oil behind.
3. Add the onion and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent. Add thyme, molasses, and pumpkin puree. Cook for a minute or so.
4. Place in slow cooker. Add lovage (optional), barley, and liquid. Cook 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-6 hours on HIGH.
5. Taste, adjust seasonings, bring to a boil, and thicken as desired using cornstarch or flour slurry (I used flour)

Parmesan Chicken... hold the allergens

Growing up, both my husband's family and mine ate something called "Parmesan chicken." Different than Chicken Parmesan or Chicken Parmigiana, it is a simple dish of baked chicken dredged in yogurt, then Ritz cracker crumbs seasoned with seasoned salt, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese, then drizzled in butter and baked. Despite being chicken breasts and baked, they come out moist every time.

But what do you do when someone can't have 1) probiotics, 2) dairy, 3) enriched food products (Ritz contains folic acid), or 4) soy?

You make this, which tastes just like the original! There is a hint of coconut here and there from the coconut milk, but it's not at all unpleasant.

Image source: http://blf.com/media/buy/Breaded-Checken-big.jpg

Parmesan Chicken

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
(or substitute the above three for dairy-free plain yogurt--but my husband can't have those)

1 box Late July buttery-tasting crackers
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 heaping teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

6-8 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup butter substitute, melted (we used half Miyoko Shinner's vegan butter and half Smart Balance)

Whisk together first three ingredients in a shallow dish. In the blender, combine remaining ingredients except chicken breasts. Blitz until all crackers are crumbs. Pour into a different shallow dish. Coat each chicken breast in coconut mixture and then crumbs. Place on baking sheet or in a very large baking dish. Drizzle each piece equally with butter. Bake 350F for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160F. If top is not as crisp as desired, place under broiler for 1-2 minutes as desired. Serve hot.

Ginger and Pumpkin (or Not Pumpkin) Bread... allergy friendly!

This weekend called for something sumptuous, but desserts can be tough when one's husband needs dairy-free and low-histamine. I was really wanting some pumpkin bread, so I thought about how I could do it without chocolate chips and the usual pumpkin spices, and came up with this moist, decadent treat. We ate half the loaf as soon as it came out of the oven; we topped the steaming slices with non-dairy, low-histamine, soy-free butter (yeah, we party hard around here).

But you know what? This was so beyond good that I would not hesitate for a second to serve it at a party--it would make a delicious breakfast, dessert, or side dish for a meal. Seriously. Try it. This one's going in my permanent recipe box, not just the one for now while Husband's mast cell disorder is flared up.

Ginger and Pumpkin (or Not Pumpkin) Bread

1 cup white sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (if not well tolerated, substitute butternut squash puree or other sweet orange squash puree: we have found that Sugar Pie Pumpkins don't seem to flare my husband's symptoms)
1/3 cup oil
1 large egg or egg substitute
1 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon powdered ginger (if tolerated; leave out if not)
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and egg until smooth. Add flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Stir until smooth. Place in greased loaf pan. Bake 45-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter or butter substitute.

Beef, Cabbage, and Noodles!

This recipe is low-histamine and dairy-free. But don't let that scare you off. It's really delicious. Update 11/12/16: I've been stealing my husband's leftovers from the freezer. It's what I had for lunch today, even.

A friend posted this recipe: http://www.spendwithpennies.com/cabbage-noodles/

A quick look at the preview photo told me it could be a low-histamine winner with some adjustments.

So, here's what we had for dinner tonight, and it was absolutely delicious. I could have eaten a lot more of it but wanted to conserve the leftovers to head to the freezer for my husband's lunches. (He is the one with the histamine disorder.)

1 (12 oz.) package wide egg noodles, unenriched (the only ones we could find were whole wheat ones, which was fine because the ingredients were only whole wheat and egg)
1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
1 onion (as tolerated), minced or chopped
1 clove garlic (as tolerated), minced
1/2 head green cabbage, cored and chopped
Salt

Cook noodles according to package and set aside. In a very large pan, cook ground beef until lightly browned. Add one tablespoon olive oil and onion. Cook until onion is translucent and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cabbage. If you're running out of room like I was and need your cabbage to cook, add a small amount of water and the lid to the pan and steam until cabbage is almost done. Add noodles, stir until hot, and serve.

If you tolerate legumes, the original recipe included 2/3 cup frozen peas, added with the noodles. I omitted because my husband does not prefer the texture.

Low-Histamine, Dairy Free Ranch Dressing

When I learned my husband's low-histamine diet involved no citrus or citric fruits, and no vinegar (plus no dairy and about a million other things), my heart stopped. These were ingredients we used regularly. I took to Facebook, asking in support groups what people used for vinegar and citrus juice substitutes.

Crickets.

I graduated with high honors from culinary school. My thesis was on cooking for restaurant patrons with special dietary needs. I was determined to find a substitute for "tangy."

So far, my brainstorming has resulted in three ideas: quince juice (going to need some serious luck in acquiring said quinces), green apple juice (still need to try it, though a green apple vinaigrette sounds divine), and the lightning bolt that hit me tonight as I put away groceries: citric acid powder.

Image source: http://www.nutricity.com/content/images/thumbs/0001198_now_foods_citric_acid_5_lbs.jpeg

This baby caught my eye as I got into my baking cupboard. I use it as my dough conditioner for homemade breads, which I freeze.

Thanks to two friends with corn allergies, I knew that citric acid was usually derived from corn and corn sugar, not citrus fruits. A Q&A with Dr. Joneja (PhD, RD) resulted in this awesome recommendation: commercial citric acid is usually well-tolerated for individuals requiring a low-histamine diet!

That tang of buttermilk typically missing from dairy-free, low-histamine dressing recipes? Present and accounted for.

Now, nuts are typically off-limits as high-histamine food items, but cashews are well-tolerated by many (but not all) histamine-sensitive individuals, being a flower bud/fruit rather than a tree nut or legume. Only you know your body and your reactions, but this recipe was tolerated very well by my easy-reacting husband. This is vegan, too!

Low-Histamine, Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (roasted are fine too; they just have a "toastier" flavor
Hot water to cover
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste after finishing)
Coconut milk or other non-dairy milk (I used coconut for the fat content), as needed (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (garlic powder), as desired
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (or more--as tolerated and as tartness is desired) citric acid powder

Soak cashews overnight if using a traditional blender. Can be just a few minutes to a few hours if using a Vitamix or Blendtec. Puree until totally silky smooth. Add salt, and coconut milk to desired thinness. On a low, mixing speed, add herbs, garlic powder, and citric acid. Adjust seasonings and salt to taste, and serve. We drizzled over romaine and grilled chicken, and will be using it on fresh fish tacos later this week.


Image source: http://paleogrubs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/paleoranchdressing.jpg

Low-Histamine Five-Minute Instant Pot Hobo Dinner

We needed to get to a local Halloween event. But we needed dinner for when we got back. Not enough time for the crock pot or even to thaw meat, because it would have been 10PM by the time we ate. So, I threw this thing together, and it was very, very delicious. Thanks, culinary school.

Husband has a mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) and has recently switched to eating low-histamine to try and manage his symptoms. Low-histamine diets are famously restrictive and can be bland, but we're trying to avoid that! I'll be posting recipes as often as I am able for meals that go especially well.

Five-Minute Hobo Dinner for the Instant Pot (low histamine meal)

1 lb. ground beef, frozen
2/3 cup organic baby carrots
2 organic Yukon gold potatoes, sliced very thick
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash smoked paprika (if tolerated)
Large pinch dry or fresh lovage (herb)
Salt
1 1/2 cup water
Organic corn starch

Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Set to Meat/Stew for 45 minutes. Natural release when finished. Remove food to a large, deep plate or platter, leaving juices in IP. Break up the ground beef. Bring the juices to a boil using Saute function. Add corn starch slurry (corn starch mixed with water until smooth) and add to juices. Simmer until thick. Salt to taste, pour over rest of food. Serve hot.

Next time, I will probably leave the potatoes whole because they became quite soft. I may also try reducing the time, because the meat was thoroughly cooked. Adding peas or green beans should also work well in this dish.

Image source: http://i2.wp.com/dadcooksdinner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/InstantPotGiveaway-7624.jpg

Why this looks like bad behavior, and it is, but it isn't

We are in the grocery store.

It has been a month since we were last there. I work two jobs so I can stay at home with my son and have an in-home caretaker a few hours a day while my husband works out of the home. Some months, this grocery trip is my only trip out of the house besides the odd run to pick up an order from my seamstress. Since I don't get out of the house much, there is a lot on the list to stock up on. The trout fillets my son, who has sensory issues, devours like most toddlers would devour candy. The ever-important sauces: honey mustard, and ketchup. The one brand of disposable diapers he can handle at night. During the day, he stays comfy in cloth diapers.

Driving into town takes about 20 minutes, and each time, I have a choice. Help my son to stretch, and challenge his patience a little bit by not turning on a show, or leave the tablet (or my cell phone) hidden and hope the drive doesn't turn into a screeching fest. For a neurotypical toddler, this decision might not turn his or her parent into an anxious basket case. But it does, for me, every time. Because if the screeching starts, it likely won't end even by getting out of the car and going into the grocery store.

The first part of the drive went pretty well. We saw a couple of cement mixers headed out of town, the opposite direction on the highway. A dump truck with a dumper trailer. A road roller being pulled by a white work truck. But as we neared town, there weren't as many favorites out the windows. My son starts screeching. Or is it squealing? It's the mad kind, if that's what it is. UhhhhhhAAAAAAH! High-pitched. Whiny. Bratty-sounding. But it's the sound he makes when his brain, which is not a totally neurotypical brain, needs more stimulation, and isn't getting it.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qU3-T3GVSHI/maxresdefault.jpg

"Let's go home, mommy!" he demands. Usually very polite, "please" gets forgotten when overstimulation and understimulation cross in certain ways. In the car seat, he's understimulated in movement and play and entertainment. He's overstimulated by the bright lights, fast-moving scenery, and random noises we pass. At home, where we have the most peace, his brain finds stimulation in constant physical motion: moving from room to room, playing with toys, and occasionally turning on the tablet for some educational (and some not-educational) shows on YouTube. Brain Candy TV is a favorite, but so is the screen recording of someone playing a Spider-Man and Lightning McQueen video game. Our house is quiet and the light levels consistent. "Mommy. Let's. Go. HOME!"

"We haven't gotten to the grocery store yet," I explain in my saccharine, breathy, anxiety-is-mounting voice. "We can't go home yet until we buy our groceries. Then we can go home."

The screech again. UhhhhhhAAAAAAAAAH! It reminds me a bit of the hoot of the peacocks at the zoos near us, only that it's repeated decibels louder, and higher in pitch. And anger.

It's going to be one of those grocery runs. The bottom of my face, where my jaw hinges into my skull, is already hot and humid as I get out of the car to unbuckle my son. He faces the back of the car in his seat to protect his still-ossifying spine from any potential impact. Like all other kids, he should stay there until he is four. Facing him forward is so tempting given his aversion to car rides, but I've weighed it: occasional sensory car meltdowns, or almost certain devastating injuries in the event of a car accident? Today is one of the "occasional" struggles.

He screeches as the bright sunlight hits his face from the open door.

image source: http://il6.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/12665408/thumb/1.jpg?i10c=img.resize(height:160)

"Don't be mad, please, sweetheart," I plead. "Let's go see the tractor sign in the produce section!" He is pacified, for a moment, long enough for me to unbuckle him, take him inside, and get him in a cart without more screeching.

"I want a car cart!" he demands, and I can see that his eyes are wide and unblinking already. Overstimulated before we even begin. A man in a white t-shirt and black basketball shorts looks sidelong at his female companion. Bratty kid, that look says. I offer a thin-lipped smile. A genuine one, but an apologetic one. A stressed one, too.

"It's better if we leave the car carts for families with two kids," I explain. "It's just you and me, and we don't need the two seats. Let's go find you some trouty." My redirect holds his attention long enough for the man and his companion to pass by without further perceived brattiness.

We have a blast picking out apples together ("This kind?" I joke. "No!" laughs my son. "This kind!" I offer. "Noooo!" he laughs.) A broad-built old woman smiles at my son. I feel better for a moment. But as we go down the aisle in the natural section for cereal, my son throws his head back and yells, "LET'S GO HOME!" We are less than a quarter way through our shopping, and the man with the shorts and his girlfriend are passing by again. She tucks the corner of her mouth in disapprovingly just as they disappear past the end-cap of the aisle.

He is screeching as we proceed through the meat department.

He is repeating "No, no, no, no! I don't want to go shopping anymore!" as we pluck ingredients from the regional foods aisle.

He is straining against his waist buckle as we attempt to check out. He is flushed, sweaty, and has the look of a panicked, caged animal. The bright fluorescent lights are even giving me a headache.

image source: http://www.foodandnutrition.org/images/cache/cache_c/cache_8/cache_e/evolving_ethnic_aisle-e42f0e8c.jpeg?ver=1469773326&aspectratio=1.5

The checker is looking pityingly but somewhat understandingly at us.

"He has sensory issues," I hurriedly rattle. "We're having a bit of a rough day."

She nods, but I can tell she doesn't really understand. I wouldn't have, either, before my son was born. I don't blame her, but I wish I could tell her. I wish she could understand. I wish the couple craning over to see us from the other aisle could understand. I wish everybody could understand.

Everything his eyes see, peripherally or directly, he perceives and is overwhelmed by. He watches things that are happening, and he is not even looking at them. They are happening in his peripheral vision, and he has to process them just the same as what he's looking at straight-on. His brain doesn't filter his vision like a neurotypical brain does. He comments in detail on things that he watches through his peripheral vision simultaneously as his direct line of sight. Hearing him talk about it is like hearing a panoramic video speak.

Every smell, he smells. Walking past the deli or through the produce section is like an inundation of perception.

Every sound, he hears. And his hearing is keen and wide-reaching.

The rattle of the shopping cart, and the brush of his shorts against his legs, and the rub of his shirt against his back against the back rest on the card, and the coldness of the cart handle under his hands, he feels them all and can't tune any of them out, at least not yet.

Most "sensory kids" improve as they get older. He already has from his wide-eyed panicked screaming his whole first year. They simultaneously become numb to the inundation of sensory input and learn to cope with it. Somewhere in the middle, more typical function starts to emerge. For some kids, that isn't the case, though. Our future still stretches out in front of us like an enormous, long grocery aisle. My son, my husband, and I will travel this long aisle for many, many more years, picking and choosing the best things for our family from the shelves, moving in and out of meltdowns and laughter and quiet looking-around.

My son's arms are raised in the air and he is screaming as I swipe my credit card and push the cart out of the checkstand. A lot of eyes are on us.

I wish I could tell them why this looks like bad behavior, but it isn't. In case anyone is watching, in case any of them have kids or will have kids or have grandkids who might struggle like this, I step to the side of the cart and press my son's hot, sweaty head against my chest and stroke his hair.

"It's okay, sweet boy," I say softly. "You have been doing your best all morning. Thank you for trying. Let's go home now."

"Okay," he replies haltingly. He ducks in the bright midday sunlight, but my posture softens at last when I see his small body relax in the dim of the inside of our car.

"Can I watch a show on your phone, mommy?"

"Sure can, dude," I reply. "Sure can."

Genesis

This is a blog about a family.

It's a mommy, daddy, baby, and two dogs family.

Mommy is the "I" of this blog.

Daddy is DH on this blog. "Dear Husband" suits him. He is truly dear to us. More on this shortly.

Baby is two, and he is The Bandersnatch on this blog. He earned this nickname after months of intense colic as a baby, from Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" poem, which features a "frumious Bandersnatch." And frumious he sometimes was. He is less often frumious now.

My husband was recently diagnosed with a Mast Cell Activation Disorder.

My son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder when he was 13 months old.

This blog is our journey.