Dairy-free, allergy-friendly creamy all-purpose mayonnaise/sour cream/plain yogurt substitute

All allergy-friendly condiments are not created equal.

There are squillions of recipes out there for condiments to replace ketchup, mayonnaise, and more.

We've found one that serves many, many purposes in our kitchen.

This condiment is what my husband uses on hamburgers in place of mayonnaise (he used to eat his burgers with mayo and BBQ sauce; now, he can again, since we have developed a low-histamine, Allergy Friendly Amazing BBQ Sauce).

I also use it in our dairy-free creamy, "cheesy," roasted garlic enchilada sauce in place of sour cream, and in our "Alfredo" sauce in place of the cream cheese. It also makes a great base for "Ranch" dressing and "Tzatziki" sauce. It has a mild tang to it that's just hard to accomplish when you can't eat vinegar or citrus. Citric acid, on the other hand, is low in histamine (zero or lowest-histamine on virtually every list we can find). It's also a natural preservative, so this lasts a good long while.

Dairy-free, allergy-friendly creamy all-purpose mayonnaise/sour cream/plain yogurt substitute

1 cup whole raw cashews
1 cup hot water (plus additional water, as needed or preferred)
1-2 egg yolks (optional, but yummy)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon citric acid, or to taste
Salt, to taste

Combine cashews and water and soak in the fridge overnight. In the morning, place in the blender and puree until perfectly smooth, adding water as needed to achieve a thickness similar to mayonnaise. Blend in egg yolk, citric acid, and salt, to taste. Use as a substitute for sour cream, plain yogurt, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and so forth.

Truly Crispy, Easy, Low-Histamine Chicken Nuggets

I had a rough, rough week a few years back, and my friend brought homemade chicken nuggets over for dinner. They were moist, and tender, with a super crispy exterior, something I had never experienced in homemade, baked chicken nuggets before.

I begged her for the recipe. My husband and toddler have a deep and abiding love of chicken nuggets.

Add in Mast Cell Activation Disorder for the husband, and genetic mutations for the whole family that preclude the proper metabolism of synthetic folic acid, and that makes chicken nuggets kind of tough.

But it hit me tonight.

This recipe wouldn't be tough to make dairy free, soy free, low histamine, toddler-friendly, picky-husband-friendly. I was worried about doing it unenriched, but I did it!

And guess what?

They were crisp, golden, and absolutely delicious. Even this girl, who doesn't love chicken nuggets, went back for seconds. (I like mine dipped in Lighthouse Honey Mustard dressing.

Truly Crispy, Easy, Low-Histamine Chicken Nuggets

3 large chicken breasts or 6 small chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt (and pepper, if tolerated), to taste
1 level tablespoon liquid oil
6 tablespoons breadcrumbs (we make our own bread, and when it goes stale, we make breadcrumbs from it: this has been the best way to get safe bread, rolls, and buns for our family, plus breadcrumbs for cooking)
1/4 teaspoon Italian herbs
3 tablespoons panko (Dynasty brand is unenriched AND contains no soy or dairy)
2 tablespoons unfortified nutritional yeast (we use Sari Foods brand) or parmesan cheese, if tolerated
Pan spray (we use a spray from Kroger that's only pure coconut oil or canola oil)

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray baking sheet. Put oil in one big bowl. Put breadcrumbs, herbs, panko, and yeast or cheese in another and stir up well. Put the cut-up chicken in the bowl with the oil. Stir very well to coat everything. Add chicken in batches to the bowl of breadcrumbs, turning to coat, and placing on the sprayed baking sheet before adding more. Spray the tops of the chicken nuggets with more pan spray. Bake 8-10 minutes. Turn each nugget over and bake an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve with our Allergy-Friendly Amazing BBQ Sauce!

Super delicious, low-histamine, allergy-friendly homestyle creamy chicken and carrots

Dairy free.
Gluten free.
Soy free.
Low histamine.
Nightshade free.

My conventional-eating dad ate three servings.

He said it reminded him of his mom's cooking. I'm feeling pretty good about myself this evening.

The low-histamine and allergic individuals involved ate heartily as well. So did the two-year-old. It's super yummy.

Bon appetit!

I feel bad that I keep borrowing other people's photography. A) I have a two-year-old. B) My cell phone camera sucks. C) I don't have time for styling and lighting food properly. So, you get a crappy Paint drawing of what this looked like. Voila! (PIN ME!)

Homestyle Creamy Chicken and Carrots

Cook approximately 3 cups rice or pasta/noodles to serve this over.

I made this in a pressure cooker, but it could easily be made in a Crock Pot by combining all ingredients except the corn starch slurry, cooking 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, and adding the slurry at the very end to thicken.

2 cups water

4 large FROZEN chicken breasts

1/2 t. thyme

1/2 t. parsley

Place in pressure cooker and cook 10 minutes on high pressure (reduce time for thawed chicken breasts).

1 cup baby carrots

Add to pressure cooker and cook 8 minutes on high pressure (or less if you prefer firmer carrots--these were very soft, which is how one of our family members prefers them). Quick release, then scoop out carrots and chicken with a slotted spoon, leaving liquid behind. Pull the chicken apart into bite-sized pieces.

1 cup rice milk
1 can coconut milk

Add nondairy milks and bring to a boil using saute or browning feature on the pressure cooker (no lid).

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to boiling liquid. Boil until thickened into gravy. SALT (you'll need more than you think--we added almost a tablespoon and everyone salted theirs more at the table!) and season (I added a bit more thyme) to taste. Add carrots and chicken back into the gravy. Heat together and serve over rice or pasta.

Allergy-friendly amazing BBQ sauce! Low-histamine, no nightshade, gluten free, dairy free, soy free

One of my husband's greatest griefs with being diagnosed with MCAD was the loss of his beloved barbeque sauce. He isn't able to consume spices or tomatoes, along with all his other dietary restrictions.

My honors thesis in culinary school was on cooking for patrons with special dietary needs. Meant to be, the two of us, I tell you.

One day, in the car, I was struck with an inspiration for how I could create a barbeque sauce he could have.

And oh my. Is it ever good. He's used it on chicken already, and tonight, it was the glaze for our low-histamine and allergy-friendly meatloaf, too! No one would ever know this is a special allergy-modified recipe... my non-restricted toddler asks for this one specifically now!

This barbeque sauce is thick, smoky, and sweet.

(image source: http://foodinjars.com/arugulapesto/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/three-jars-sweet-cherry-bbq-sauce.jpg)

Allergy-Friendly Amazing BBQ Sauce!

1/2 c. blackstrap molasses (a great source of iron and potassium; have a little extra on hand to add to taste if you wish)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. pure pumpkin or other sweet squash puree (we make and freeze our own from sugar pie pumpkins)

1 T. tamarind paste (we got ours on Amazon--it's been a nice thing to have on hand to make things tangy)

1 (10-ounce) jar jam or jelly

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. liquid smoke (or to taste)

2 t. onion powder

1 t. minced dried onion

Salt, to taste (mine needed a lot to taste like store-bought BBQ sauce, probably at least 1 tablespoon)

Put in small crock pot or pan and simmer until desired flavors are achieved, at least 2 hours. Adjust flavors and cool. Freeze in ice cube trays if histamine is an issue.

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.