Comfort food recipes without the common allergy ingredients.
Author: cookingwithoutallergens
I was born and raised in central New Hampshire but have also lived in Boston; Tempe, Arizona; Pittsfield, Massachusetts; and Derry, New Hampshire before moving to Edina, Minnesota in 2019 after my husband died. I'm a retired archivist, worked for the Arizona State Archives and the National Archives and Records Administration. Began cooking at age 4, learned to read reading a cookbook. As a teenager, I often cooked family meals as my mother was busy correcting papers or doing class preparations for the next day.
Began developing food allergies at menopause and the number has grown over the last several decades.
Here’s a quick and easy way to kick up your grilled pork chop or chicken breast. Takes a couple of minutes to put together and will liven up your grilled meat.
Makes 2 servings. Feel free to substitute other fruits such as nectarines, peaches, or pears.
*I hate cilantro. When I hear chefs on TV say, “Who doesn’t like cilantro?” I always want to scream, “Me, Me, I hate cilantro.” So I used dried parsley instead.
I have jars of jam in my freezer and since I don’t eat much toast or other things where jam would be good, I’ve been looking for recipes to use up these jams. Here’s one I found for my plum jam. If you do a search on my blog, you’ll find a recipe for strawberry jam (sugar-free of course) which you can use to make sugar free plum jam which is the base for the oriental spicy plum sauce for these pork chops. I served these chops with sauteed bok choy (find recipe under side dishes).
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees then make the plum sauce by combining in a small saucepan:
1 1/2 cups plum jam
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons date sugar
1 tablespoon dried onion (flakes or granules, both work)
1/2 teaspoon spicy chili sauce (or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Whisk to combine and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium high heat. Once it boils, remove from heat.
In a 12″ skillet, over medium high heat, heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When shimmering, add:
4 pork chops, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness
Sear on all sides, including the outsides, until browned. Place in a 9×9″ baking dish (or whatever size fits your pork chops) and cover with the spicy plum sauce. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of your pork chops. Serves 4.
Here’s a very quick and easy side dish if you like mustard and asparagus. Use either green or white, makes no difference. If your asparagus is more than pencil size, peel it to get rid of the tough skin. I used spicy brown mustard which is my favorite but feel free to use any mustard that your family enjoys. The same with the herbs – I used thyme because it’s my favorite but most herbs would work well in this recipe, either fresh or dried.
First, prepare by peeling and/or removing the woody portion at the bottom:
1 pound asparagus
Place in a steamer and cook until fork tender but still a little crunchy, about 4-7 minutes depending on the size of the asparagus spears.
While the asparagus steams, make the sauce in a medium bowl by whisking together:
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (agave nectar or date syrup would also work)
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh herbs or 1/4 teaspoon dried herbs (I used thyme)
Once asparagus is cooked, remove from heat and add to the bowl of sauce, toss to combine. Serve hot or cold. Serves 2.
Here’s another recipe amended from the CHICKEN BIBLE, modified a little since I don’t like really hot and spicy foods. Once the vegetables and turkey are diced, the recipe is very fast and simple to put together. It only took me about 15 minutes to put together, after about 45 minutes of cutting and dicing! Be sure to follow the temperature instructions or it will take longer to cook and the turkey breast meat may get dried out.
In a small bowl (2 cup) combine the sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 teaspoons date sugar
1-4 teaspoons sriracha*
1 tablespoon soy sauce substitute
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon arrowroot, tapioca (or cornstarch)
1 minced garlic clove
Whisk to combine and set aside. In another small bowl (1/2 to 1 cup size), combine the garlic mixture:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon grated (or minced) fresh ginger
Mix to combine and set aside. In a medium bowl (or I used a gallon food storage bag) combine the seasoning mixture:
Mix to coat the turkey with the season mixture. In a 12″ (or larger) high sided skillet (or a wok if one if available), heat over medium heat:
2 teaspoons olive oil
When shimmering, add half the turkey and stirring constantly over HIGH heat, brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel and repeat with the other half of the turkey, removing the second portion to the same bowl and recover with towel. Into the empty skillet, heat over medium heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When shimmering (this will only take a second since the pan should already be sizzling hot from the turkey), add:
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut on the bias into 1″ pieces
Cook, stirring constantly over medium high heat for a minute or two. Add:
8-10 ounces sliced shitake mushrooms
Stir constantly until mushrooms start to brown and beans are slightly crunchy. Move the beans and mushrooms to one side of the skillet and add the garlic mixture and heat until you can smell the garlic, about 30-45 seconds. Mix into the vegetables then add the turkey and any juices back into the skillet. Whisk the sauce mixture and pour it into the skillet. Stir constantly until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds if desired or sliced green scallions. Make 4 servings. Serve over rice or quinoa.
*Most Sriracha sauces contain cane sugar. If you, like me, wish to avoid cane sugar, I found one sriracha sauce at Whole Foods, YELLOWBIRD Blue Agave Sriracha Sauce which has no sugar in it but uses Blue Agave syrup instead. If like me, you prefer your food to be on the mild side with just a little spice, use 1 teaspoon of sriracha sauce. It gave me just a hint of heat in the back of my throat. I might increase it just a little in the future, especially if I make the dish for my grandson who likes things, the hotter the better!
This is a quick bread – uses baking powder and baking soda as rising agents instead of yeast. Yet it comes out quite light and fluffy, almost a savory cake consistency. For a finer grain use quinoa flour rather than attempting to grind your own. Using my food processor, I pulsed the raw quinoa for almost five minutes without successfully grinding even half the two cups.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally spray or grease an 8×5″ loaf pan (I used a glass one for more even cooking). In a medium to large mixing bowl combine:
2 cups ground raw quinoa (or flour)
1 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Whisk to combine and aerate. In a smaller (4 cup) bowl combine:
2 cups oat milk (or any non-dairy milk)
3 tablespoons avocado oil (or any oil will work)*
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Whisk and add to the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or hand mixer on low, mix until combined. Batter will be thinner than cookie dough. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in middle rack of oven with a piece of parchment paper loosely covering it so that it doesn’t over-brown. Remove the paper after 30 minutes. Bake for a total of 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.
*TIP: Add your oil before any type of syrup and the sweetener will run right out of the measure.
There are lots of recipes for vegan “butter” on the internet but most have a nut base.
In a blender combine:
1 cup avocado oil (or any oil you like but the avocado has a very light flavor)
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat)
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Pour into a 2-cup dish with a lid. Place in the freezer for 1 hour and then transfer to the refrigerator until set (about 2-4 hours or if you skip the freezer, overnight 6-8 hours).
Gluten-free breads that don’t contain eggs are, more often than not, bricks, heavy and gummy in texture. For those of you who, like me, miss bread and keep looking for something to sop up that gravy, or make a small sandwich with, here we go! These rolls are hearty but not heavy and even when hot not gummy. Two tips to dispel the gummy texture – bake longer than a recipe suggests and slice the tops so that the moisture can escape.
If you don’t have a warming drawer or warm location, heat oven to 125 degrees. Grease a 9″ cake pan or pie plate and set aside. Then, in a small bowl combine:
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (golden is more appealing to the eye in baked goods)
3 tablespoons cup hot water
Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture forms a flax gel. In the bowl of a mixer (or a medium-large mixing bowl) combine:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour
2 teaspoons guar gum
2 teaspoons instant or rapid rise dry yeast
1/4 cup date sugar
Use a whisk to combine these ingredients before adding:
1 teaspoon sea salt
Put the dough hook on your mixer (or if you don’t have a stand mixer, use a wooden spoon). Using the lowest setting on the mixer add:
1 cup warm water (between 105 and 110 degrees)*
When blended, stop mixer and add:
2 tablespoons vegan butter (see recipe below or use one of your own), a prepared margarine such as Earth Balance, or Spectrum shortening, melted or softened
the prepared flax gel
1 teaspoon vinegar
Using the medium speed of the mixer, mix using the dough hook for 3 minutes, do not overmix! Or mix with the wooden spoon for several minutes. Use a cookie scoop (2″) or 1/4 cup measure (don’t quite fill the measuring cup) to scoop out the dough, form into balls and place in the prepared baking pan. Cover with a dry clean cloth.
TURN OFF THE OVEN before placing the rolls in the oven to rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size. If you have a warm spot, like a radiator or warming drawer, use it instead. Remove the rolls when they are proofed and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a cross in the top of each roll before placing them in the preheated oven. Bake 25-30 minutes (I baked mine about 32 minutes, having gotten interested in the Olympics while they were baking!). Makes 8-10 rolls.
If you want a soft top to the roll, brush with melted vegan butter or margarine. If you want a crusty roll bake on a sheet pan so that they don’t touch while baking (baking time may be shorter).
*Either use your wrist (like with a baby’s bottle) to be sure the water is only lukewarm, you shouldn’t feel either cold or hot on your wrist, or a thermometer to ensure the water is 105-110 degrees.
EASY VEGAN “BUTTER”
There are lots of recipes for vegan “butter” on the internet but most have a nut base.
In a blender combine:
1 cup avocado oil (or any oil you like but the avocado has a very light flavor)
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat)
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Pour into a 2-cup dish with a lid. Place in the freezer for 1 hour and then transfer to the refrigerator until set (about 2-4 hours or if you skip the freezer, overnight 6-8 hours).
I was looking through the CHICKEN BIBLE this morning seeking a new, different chicken recipe for the chicken thighs I took out of the freezer and found this one. It was fairly easy to make allergy-free. A relatively easy stew to put together, slightly spicy, vindaloo is a mix of Indian and Portuguese styles. Very flavorful, this dish serves 4.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In an ovenproof Dutch oven heat over medium high:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When shimmering add:
1 1/2 pounds diced chicken thighs
Sprinkle chicken with:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Let the chicken brown for 2-3 minutes before turning and cooking another few minutes until well browned. Remove to a bowl. Add to the pot:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 medium onions, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Sprinkle with:
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add:
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Stir to combine and cook about 1 minute. Add:
2 tablespoons gluten-free, all-purpose flour
Stir to combine and cook for a minute to cook out the flour. Add:
3/4 cup chicken stock
Stir to combine. Add the chicken back into the pot and then add:
6 ounces sliced shitake mushrooms
1 small can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons diced dates (or 2 teaspoons date sugar)
Stir to combine, cover and bake in the oven for about 1 hour. Remove bay leaf. Serve over rice.
I cooked a pork roast the other day and we only ate half of it so today I cut it up intending to make a hash with some sweet potato, onions and carrots. After I cooked the roast, I left the roasting pan out and it was cold when I decided to make some gravy to go with the rest of the roast when I reheated it. Threw in some cold chicken stock and all the fat congealed and I was able to spoon it out of the pan before I put it on the heat to get all the sticky parts off the bottom of the pan – made such a delicious gravy! So my hash turned into a stew, rich, succulent and soul warming on this single digit day in Minnesota! Let it be 9 degrees outside, I’m toasty warm in here with this stew in me.
In a high sided skillet, heat over medium heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When shimmering add:
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup shredded or chopped carrots
1 cup frozen peas
Stir to combine and cover. Cook over medium low heat until onions are sweated and carrots are softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add:
2 cups sweet potato (or white if preferred), diced and cooked
2 cups diced cooked pork
1 medium pear, cored and diced
Again, stir to combine, cover and heat until the pear is softened and pork and potatoes are reheated, about 3-4 minutes. Add:
2 cups gravy (see recipe for gluten-free gravy under sauces)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4-6. Some crusty bread would be great with it to mop up the gravy!
I do love squash, doesn’t matter to me what kind, color, shape, etc., it’s all delicious. My mother used to cut acorn squash in half and fill the halves with butter and maple syrup and bake them, so good! It never occurred to me to stuff winter squash but here’s a recipe that’s succulent and almost sinfully good. It doesn’t hurt that it’s extremely easy to make either! Use whatever kind of winter squash you like (I used acorns and the recipe would have stuffed 3 or 4 (so 6-8 halves).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve and seed squash, the number will depend on what kind you use and how big a hole will need filling. Rub the inside of the squash with:
1 tablespoon olive oil (2 if you have more than 4 halves)
Place each half, meat side down, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 40-60 minutes or until fork tender.
While the squash bakes prepare the stuffing. In a 12″ skillet, heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When hot add:
6-8 ounces chopped shitake mushrooms
1 bunch scallions (8-10), sliced (put 1/4 cup aside for garnish)
Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add:
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot depending on your family’s taste)
Cook, crumbling the meat as it cooks, until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add:
1 1/2-2 cups cooked quinoa, again depending on how much stuffing you need for your squash halves (I used a bag of frozen cooked quinoa from Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the quinoa is heated through and the garlic tender, about 3 minutes. Keep warm until the squash is cooked.
When the squash is tender, remove from oven, turn meat side up and fill the cavity with the stuffing. Garnish with reserved scallion greens and:
2-4 tablespoons (depending on how many halves you have) date syrup (honey or maple syrup).
cookingwithoutallergens 