Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipe: Butternut and Ham Pasta

My girls devoured this and Derek and I love it too. It was pretty easy to make and sort of cooked itself :)

Butternut and and Ham Pasta
Ingredients

•  Butternut squash, peeled gutted and cut in uniform cubes
• Leftoever ham pieces, cubed
• Bowtie Pasta (cooked according to package)
• Olive Oil
• 3-6 cloves garlic, minced
• Rubbed sage to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• Chicken Broth
• Corn or Arrowroot Starch
• (Onions sauted with the garlic or peas or spinach added in the last few minutes would be amazing too)
• (Parmesan if you're not dairy free)

Instructions

1. In a saute pan, heat the oil and cook garlic and sage until garlic browned and aromatic.  Add squash chunks and cook for a minute or two. 
2. Pour in enough chicken broth to not quite cover your squash (our squash was huge!).  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer. Stir now and then. Cook until squash is tender.
3. Add peas or spinach, if desired.
4. Using a slotted spoon scoop out squash into a container with your pasta and ham chunks. Turn the pan back up to high.
5. Mix about a tablespoon of arrowroot or corn starch with about 1/4 cold chicken broth or water.  Add to the boiling chicken/squash broth.  Stir til thickened.  (Repeat with more starch if necessary).
6. Enjoy and feed to happy babies who like to mousse their hair with the broth.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipe: Easy Mexican Mole

I served this meat mixture on tortillas one day (and I didn't miss the cheese but I would have loved some avocado!) and the next day I put it over pasta and it was just as good. It's a little on the spicy side if you add the extra red pepper, but I liked it that way.  This creation was another clean out the refrigerator/cabinets before I go grocery shopping success :-p

Easy Mexican Mole

Ingredients

• 1-2 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• Taco Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 15 oz can corn
• 1 (or more) bell peppers, sliced

Directions

1. Brown ground beef with onion.
2. Add spices, cocoa powder, salsa, and corn.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
3. Toss in bell pepper slices and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
4. Serve on tortillas or with pasta or even with corn chips.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Beef & Aspargus Roll-Ups

More simple and quick dairy-free summer fare.

Beef & Asparagus Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

• Steak (I think I used top round or flank steak)
• Aspargus
• Purple Onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic or Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
• French/Catalina Dressing
• Tortillas or Sandwich Wraps

Directions:

1. Toss Onions and aspargus in Olive Oil.
2. Sprinkle Salt, Pepper and Garlic on the oiled veggies and the steak.
3. Grill until the onions are soft, the asparagus is still slightly crunchy and the steak is at your desired doneness (but not too well done!).
4. Cut steak into slices.
5. Put steak, onions, and asparagus in a tortilla/wrap.  Add a squirt of French/Catalina dressing.
6. Enjoy!

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Pancakes: Emma's Easy Eggless Pancakes

I made eggless pancakes the other day because my daughters are totally obsessed with finger food (and I am sooo okay with that!).  I don't want to introduce eggs without talking to the pediatrician and I don't think I will until they are over a year anyhow.  Our little adorable friend Emma was just diagnosed with an egg allergy, so I dedicate these pancakes to her! 

Emma's Easy Eggless Pancakes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 0-3 Tbs White or Brown Sugar (or Molasses or Honey if they are over 1)
• 1/3 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1 C water or milk substitute
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (optional)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.  
2. Add more liquid if too thick.
3. Cook on a greased pan (or nonstick) about 2 minutes per side)
4. Enjoy!

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: S'more KrispieTreats

I majored in Outdoor Leadership in college (no kidding!)so needless to say I have a love affair with all things S'more-ish. Regular s'mores are dairy free if you use dairy free chocolate, but I went a step farther.

S'more Krispie Treats
Ingredients

• 1.5 Tbs dairy-free magarine
• 2 C mini marshmallows
• 3 C crushed Quaker Cinnamon Life Cereal
• 1/8 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt margarine over low heat in a medium saucepan. 
2. Meanwhile grease a pie dish or 9x9 pan. (I used canola oil).
3. Stir marshmallows into the saucepan until melted
4. Stir in cereal (and chocolate chips here if you like)
5. Press into pie dish/pan
6. Sprinkle and press chocolate chips on top
7. Cool and enjoy

I promise I'll try to do more dinner stuff soon, but right now I've been doing a lot of turkey or ham and mashed potatoes and gravy meals.  Or grilled meat and steamed veggies. Simple summer stuff like that.  

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Salmon Cakes

I love fish.  It's kind of ironic since I was raised by a man who cares for fish in a aquariums for a living.  It's an obsession that is like eating away your fathers life's work, but that's a thought for another post ;) 

Salmon cakes and other things like meatloaf have been a mental challenge for me.  They all contain bread crumbs and most purchased bread crumbs contain either cheese or whey.  I wouldn't mind making my own bread crumbs because it's simple enough (stale or toasted bread spun through a food processor), but we go through bread at an incredible rate. I think I eat an entire loaf in about a 5 day span without my hubby's help. So, in short,  I have a hard time keeping enough bread on hand to make bread crumbs with. Sigh.

Last night I had a break through in this dilemma: why not use oatmeal instead?  I'm happy to say that everything turned out well and yummy.  I'm imagining so many possibilities for these salmon cakes: On a bun with a tomato and some bacon, on a bed of lettuce with some spicy cocktail sauce, as I served them last night with butternut squash pasta, or even as a finger food for the girls in a couple months.  Mmm.

Salmon Cakes
Ingredients

• 1 Can of Salmon, mashed with a fork so that the bones aren't as noticeable (this is a fantastic source of calcium for the dairy free momma)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• a couple handfuls of old fashioned oats (I think instant might work just as well but you may have to use more)
• About 1 tsp Old Bay blackening seasoning (or regular) 

Instructions

1. Add enough oats to the beaten egg to make a kind of runny oatmeal texture.   
2. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
3. Mash in the salmon and form into flat cakes with your hands.
4. Fry in oil over medium heat until both sides are slightly crispy and the cake is warm throughout. 

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Taco Seasoning & Chicken Azteca

Easy Taco Seasoning Recipe (I usually double it):

• 1 Tbs Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or Crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions
After cooking your meat dump the seasoning in the pan with a 1/4 cup water and simmer until the water is absorbed.


Chicken Azteca
The president of our local Moms of Multiples club shared this recipe with me while we were at our traditional after meeting outing ;) It's in our club cookbook apparently, but I just made it as I remembered her reciting it to me (with a little addition of my own, I'm sure). We've been loving this as a change to our normal lunch menu of sandwiches, fruit, and crackers. And it makes a ton to freeze for later!
Ingredients

• 2 15oz cans of black beans
• 2lb skinless chicken
• a jar of salsa
• a can or two of corn
• a single recipe of Taco Seasoning (above)
• 2 C. cooked Rice
• Tortillas

Directions

1. Dump Beans, Corn, and 1/2 of the salsa in the bottom of your crock pot.
2. Place chicken on top of salsa mixture.
3. Sprinkle Taco seasoning on the chicken and dump remaining salsa on top.
4. Cook on Low 8hrs or High 4 hours.
5. Shred (and debone) Chicken and stir in the rice.
6. Serve in tortillas

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Smoothies

With the loss of yogurt (soy is weird... coconut is waaaaay too expensive) and the death of my blender (it was junk anyhow), I thought I would never make a good smoothie again.  I was wrong. I constantly snack on my dairy-free smoothies. Derek even begs me to make them for him when he's finished working in the yard.

Smoothie Base

• Frozen Bananas (or Homemade Coconut Ice Cream for a more dessert like creation)
• Honey to taste
• Almond milk

Directions

1. Whir the bananas in your food processor
2. Add almond milk until it's either a drinkable or spoonable smoothie (your choice)
3. Add honey as desired for sweetness

Variations

• Peanut Butter Banana (my personal favorite afternoon pick-me-up): Add a heaping spoonful of peanut butter.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add a heaping spoonful of peanut butter and a good shake of cocoa powder
• Berry: Add a heaping hand full of your favorite berries.
• Tropical: Add a heaping hand full of Dole's Frozen Mixed Fruit avoiding all strawberries
• Mango Blueberry: Omit the banana.  Add frozen Blueberries and Mango.  Go heavier on the mango than the blueberries.
• Mango: Add some Mango.
• Green Machine: Add an Avocado

I'm sure you can come up with tons of your own variations.  Enjoy!

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Muffin Recipes

I make muffins a lot.  They are a fantastic snack and a great use for all my vegan chocolate chips ;)  Here are two of my favorite recipes, both are modified from a coffee cake or a quick bread recipe so each makes over a dozen muffins.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 C oil
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 C brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 3 egg, beaten
• 2 1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 (I think... I forgot to mark this down but that's what I do for the other recipe)
2. Mix oil, sugars, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla in a large bowl
3. Mix flour, spices, salt, and soda in a medium bowl
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth
5. Bake 12-17 minutes until a tester inserted in a muffin comes out clean.

All Purpose Muffin Recipe
This one is adapted from a recipe for the Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake  in King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking Book.  The muffin recipe isn't super sweet because the recipe for the coffee cake has one of those super duper sweet streusels that go on top which I never make. 

Ingredients

•  2 1/2 C white whole wheat flour (or a combination of whole wheat and white flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (you may be able to substitute just oil but I haven't tried)
• 1 C sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 C milk (I use almond)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Cups additional ingredients: blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts, craisins, frozen diced peaches, strawberries (let your imagination run wild)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Whisk flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar in a large mixing bown until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs.
5. Stir in half the dry ingredients, then the milk and vanilla.
6. Sir in remaining dry ingredients.
7. Gradually fold in any additional ingredients.
8. Bake 12-17 minutes until a tester comes clean.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Easy Chip Dip

In a dairy free diet we're able to eat a fair amount of chips as long as they are plain.  I'm regularly enjoying tortilla chips and Sunchips Original, but I get tired of salsa or hummus and long for real chip dip.  So last week I decided I would do something I vowed never to do.  I tried Tofu and I turned it into a pretty tasty (and healthy) chip dip!

Silken Tofu Chip Dip
Ingredients

• 10oz Package of Silken Tofu
• a squirt of lemon juice
• a packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (or other dairy-free mix)
• 1/4 cup (or to taste) Red Wine Vinegar
• a splash of 'milk'

Instructions 

1. Dump the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Add Vinegar to taste and 'milk' to refine the texture.
3. Dip in chips or veggies and enjoy!
   

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Coconut Ice Cream

I loved the Purely Decadent Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream when I tried it back at Christmas time.  My husband bought it for me as a gift and I was drooling over the stuff.  Later I went to the store to get it and it was $5.25 for a pint. YIKES!  That's serious treat money!  I mean I could buy three whole bags of vegan chocolate chips for that amount and those would last me longer. While walking around Publix alone to get some "me time" last week, I suddenly remembered that I own an ice cream maker.  The same ice cream maker responsible for Halloween Ice Cream and Amaretto Ice Cream from the pregnancy and pre-dairy free days of early babyhood.  Surely I could make my own coconut ice cream and for less money.  So I grabbed four 14 oz cans of coconut milk at the astonishing price of $4 and made a gallon of ice cream. You do have to like the flavor of coconut, but this treat certainly doesn't taste like a health food dessert ;)

Coconut Milk Ice Cream ***
Ingredients

• four 14oz  cans of Coconut Milk (I used two regular and two 'lite')
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Warm coconut milk in a saucepan with the sugar until the sugar dissolves.
2. Cool for 4 hours in the refridgerator.
3. Dump in ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers directions.

Possible Variations 
I haven't tried any of these variations, but I'm sure they'd be tasty.  If you try one, let me know how it goes.

• Pina Colada: Add a can of crushed pineapple
• Chocolate: Put 1 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa in the saucepan and then gently whisk in the coconut milk.  Add coconut flakes for an almond joy delight!
• Berry: Puree 2 Cups of fresh or frozen berries. Strain the puree in a cheesecloth if the seeds of your chosen berrry bother you
• Tropical: Puree 2 Mangos and 1 small Papaya and add to the mix
• 
  

***WARNING: This stuff may be quite addictive.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Tropical Chicken and Brown Rice

This recipe is found over at Wholesome Homemade Baby Food if you scroll down on the papaya page.  I've started freezing some food cubes for the girls and thought this would be a fun way for me to try papaya.  We had Tropical Chicken tonight and it was pretty tasty and something that will easily transition into summer unlike all the soups I've been making.  Here's the recipe copied from that site: Enjoy!

Tropical Chicken and Brown Rice (8months+)

Ingredients

1/2 cup (Brown/or Jasmine) Rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup papaya cubes
1/4 cup mango cubes
1 or 2 boneless chicken breasts
pinch of ginger and nutmeg if desired

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until rice is soft, fragrant and a bit soupy.
3. Take out the chicken breast(s) and cut into small pieces, transfer back to saucepan
3. Add more water if needed and stir frequently to stop sticking to the pot and add more milk or water if necessary.
4. Cook an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is done

Once the mixture is fully cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree or chop as needed for your baby's age and texture requirements. This makes a great finger food meal for older babies and toddlers alike.

Dairy-free Cookies

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Why is it that I always have the ingredients for chocolate cake in my house?  This depression era vegan chocolate cake is fantastic!  Moist and crumbly and oh so tasty.  I sadly have yet to have the time to find a dairy-free margarine in the stores so I just made up a chocolate-peanut butter frosting with ingredients I did have. This frosting is just slightly peanut buttery.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

• 3 squares Bakers Chocolate
• 2 Tbs Dutch Process Cocoa
• 4 Tbs oil
• 2 generous Tbs natural Peanut butter
• powdered sugar to taste
• approximately 1/2 cup Almond milk

Instructions

1. Melt the Bakers chocolate over low heat in a small saucepan.
2. Add Dutch Process Cocoa, oil, and peanut butter.
3. Add powdered sugar to taste (I estimate that I used about 1/2 cup)
4. Whisk in almond milk.
5. Pour and spread over finished cake when still warm.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

I love breakfast foods. Unfortunately so many of my favorite breakfast foods contain dairy: biscuits, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cheesy scrambled eggs, omelets , egg casserole...  A lot of these foods just aren't the same without dairy. Last weekend I wanted pancakes and I flipped through my favorite recipes in frustration: butter, milk, buttermilk, and yogurt were all required and sometimes multiple items in the same recipe!  I found one recipe in my box that looked promising and I switched out the milk for almond milk. Perfect!

Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Wheat Flour
• 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbs Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups Instant/Quick Cooking Oats
• 2 Cups Almond Milk
• 3 Eggs Beaten
• 1/4 Cup Oil
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla or Almond Extract (I prefer almond!)
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries, Nuts, or Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over Medium Heat
2. In a medium bowl, mix oats and milk.
3. In a large bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients.
4. Whisk eggs, oil, and extract into the oat/milk mixture.
5. Fold in berries, nuts, or chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter on griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes until bubbly. Flip and continue cooking until lightly browned.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Easy Beef and Veggie Soup

Budget meals are my best friend right now and this one is easy, cheap, and makes a TON!  Seriously, I froze 3 more meals from this.   This would be great for lunch throughout the week.


Veggie Beef Soup

• Ground Beef
• Onion, chopped
• Large can of beans, rinsed and drained (your choice or omit)
• Family size bag of frozen mixed veggies
• Can of chili sauce (Hunts brand, by your canned tomatoes)
• 28 oz Can of diced tomatoes
• 8 cups beef broth (I used McCormick Beef Base)
• 2 cups cooked rice (or omit)

Ingredients

1. Brown ground beef with the chopped onion.
2. Dump meat and remaining ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on high or low (depending on when you want to serve it) until warmed through.
3. Easy peasy! Enjoy!

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Balsamic Chicken

This was an effort to make something out of what I had in my refrigerator and cabinets so I didn't have to run to the store.  Honestly, it tasted like something served at a gourmet restaurant!  And it was so easy!  It would be equally as good with beef or any other veggies that are in need of leaving your crisper.

Balsamic Chicken 

•  Canola Oil
• 2 Onions, sliced thinly
• 2 Green Bell peppers, sliced thinly
• 1 lb Chicken (I used tenderloins)
• 3 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tablespoons Corn or Arrowroot Starch

Instructions

1.  Caramelize onions over low heat.  When they become translucent, add the green peppers.
2. Add Chicken and cook until chicken is browned.
3. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Combine Vinegar, Sugar, Garlic, and Cornstarch.
5. Pour Vinegar Mixture into pan while stirring.  
6. Cook until thickened.
7. Serve over rice, pasta, or non-dairy mashed potatoes since it makes a lot of sauce.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Chocolate Pudding

I needed chocolate today and I was all out of dairy-free chocolate chips (and a Whole Foods trip with two babies is beyond my comfort zone), so I modified a recipe for Chocolate Pudding from The Joy of Cooking.  It turned out great!

Chocolate Pudding

• 2 1 oz squares semisweet Bakers chocolate (dairy free!)
• 0 to 1/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like chocolate)
• 2 Cups milk substitute of your choice (I used almond)
• 3 Tablespoons Corn or Arrowroot Starch

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate squares over low heat
2. Whisk in sugar if using.
3. Whisk in 1 3/4 cup milk and turn up the heat slightly.
4. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup milk with 3 Tablespoons corn starch
5. When the chocolate mixture starts to get hot, add milk/starch mixture.
6. Stir frequently until the mixture reaches your desired pudding texture.
7. Pour into cups and chill in the refrigerator.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Mexican Chicken Soup

So I'm the proud new owner of a nose that won't stop dripping. I've rubbed it raw many times over with tissue and due to the possiblity that Sudafed could dry up milk supply (and did dry mine up once before when I took it) there's not much that makes my nose feel better. But this soup did the trick and I'm thawing out the second freezer meal in hopes that it'll get me back up to 100%.

My small group leader served this a few Wednesday nights ago and it was so good I begged for the recipe, now I'm loving it even more. It's easy to make and definitely makes me feel like I'm doing something good for my sick body :D I don't know where she found this recipe, but "honey fudge" is a genius!

Mexican Chicken Soup
this is my favorite food in the whole world, it is so delicious! it is a little on the spicy side though, since that is how we like it...

by honey fudge

50 min | 20 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

• 3-4 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 8 cups chicken broth (I added more broth)
• 3 tablespoons jalapenos, chopped (i used a single fresh one)
  
• 2 limes, cut into wedges (you can also use bottled lime juice)
• 1 avocado, chopped

1. In a large pot, add everything but the rice, avocado and limes, cook on high heat, bring to a boil for 30 minutes.
2. Turn heat down to low and simmer, add rice and stir as little as possible until you are ready to eat.
3. Add avocado chunks into soup and stir once.
4. When ready to eat serve soup with juiced lime wedges, the juice adds a very nice flavor to the soup.

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Chocolate Cherry Roulade

OH MY GOODNESS! THIS IS FANTASTIC!

Recipe here.