Tag Archives: Peanut Free

Pan Asian Fresh Spring Roll with Veggies & Optional Cod Fish Recipe (Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free, Nightshade Free, & Vegan Option)

September 6, 2015 Leigh

This allergy-friendly recipe for Pan Asian fresh spring rolls is a healthy alternative to the commercially available fried versions filled with little more than cabbage. It uses many of the same ingredients as my recipe for rice noodles with veggies and creamy coconut sauce (see it here), so its ingredients can be set aside without adding prep time. This makes it perfect for the next day’s lunch. It’s gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free, peanut-free, nightshade-free, and it’s easy to make vegan and fish versions at the same time… so everyone gets what they want without worry or fuss!

Ingredients (for each fresh spring roll):

2 snow peas
1 teaspoon diced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage)
1 tablespoon diced cucumber
1 tablespoon matchstick cut carrots
1 teaspoon diced leeks (or onion)
1 rice paper wrapper + soaking water
2 peas sized dollops of fresh grated ginger (or chopped pickled ginger)
ume plum vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
black or white sesame seeds (if allergic use hemp seeds)
Optional: 2 tablespoons sautéed wild-caught cod fillets
Serve with dipping sauces like teriyaki, coconut aminos, soyu, Chinese mustard, sweet & sour, etc…

Instructions:

Here I’ve laid out the ingredients for two fresh spring rolls (for those visually inclined individuals like myself). A big serving spoon is about a tablespoon in quantity (depending on your pattern style), but is much easier to measure long ingredients like matchstick cut carrots. One third of a serving spoon is about a teaspoon. (As an added bonus, it goes in the dishwasher!)

Spread a pea sized amount of grated ginger onto each snow pea, and be sure place them apart from each other in the wrapper… this keeps you from feeling concentrated ginger hellfire! (Check out my Pan Asian rice noodle recipe for a picture of my oh so necessary ginger grater that makes quick work out of any root!)

Soak each rice paper wrapper individually in warm water for about 5 seconds… until soft and pliable. Lift the wrap and lay it over a new plate. Sprinkle black sesame seeds onto the center of the wrap, and then layer on the fillings. (You can also sprinkle sesame seeds over the top once it’s finished.) Sprinkle some ume plum vinegar over the veggies.

Next, wrap it like you would a burrito… the two ends fold toward the center, and then the long sides fold one over the other. (It’s great cooking for crafters because it’s like kitchen origami… where it’s okay to play with your food!) Place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to settle in before chowing down with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. You can also totally just ignore my list of ingredients and throw in whatever you feel like… as in leftover take out combined with bagged salad!

Recipes

Pan Asian Rice Noodles with Veggies & Creamy Coconut Milk Sauce + Optional Cod Fish Recipe (Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free, Nightshade-Free, & Vegan Option)

September 6, 2015 Leigh 2 Comments

This allergy-friendly recipe of Pan Asian rice noodles is loaded with veggies that are made delicious with the addition of creamy coconut milk sauce. Sautéed wild-caught cod is an easy addition for the non-vegans to devour. It makes a dish lovely enough for company, but is also healthy enough to serve to family alone. Just be sure to save some of the ingredients for fresh spring rolls for the next day’s lunch (see my recipe here). It’s also gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free, peanut-free, and nightshade-free for everyone to enjoy without worry!

Sauce Ingredients:

14 ounce can coconut milk (liquids & solids mixed, if allergic use plain yogurt)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (cane, white, coconut, etc.)
4 tablespoons ume plum vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1½ tablespoons lemon juice (or lime)
½ inch knob of fresh grated ginger (or chopped pickled ginger)
2 teaspoons sea salt (adjust for taste or sodium needs)

Other Ingredients:

8 ounce can bamboo shoots
5 ounce can sliced water chestnuts
28 ounces coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage)
1½ cups snow peas
1½ cups diced cucumber
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 cup diced leeks (or onion)
16 ounce box rice stick noodles (or other variety)
Optional: 4 pieces wild-caught cod fillets (or other white fish) + grapeseed oil for sautéing + sliced almond garnish

Instructions:

Wash, dice, and grate everything that needs it. (Note my oh so necessary ginger grater that makes quick work out of any root!)

Cook the rice stick noodles according to the package instructions… being careful not to overcook them into mush. (These are also known as banh pho, and are gluten-free as well as vegan because they’re made with only rice flour and water.)

Dear vegans: skip this part… Sear the cod fillets on both sides, and then lower the heat and sauté 4-5 minutes in grapeseed oil… until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. (Grapeseed oil is great for any stovetop cooking because it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point that will not become carcinogenic with high temps like many other oils.) Sprinkle with sliced almonds and sesame seeds if desired.

Make the sauce by dissolving the sugar in the vinegar and lemon juice over low heat. Add in the coconut milk (all portions of liquid and solid from the can) and mix well. Next add the salt and grated ginger, and mix well. Then add all of the veggies, stirring well.

When the rice noodles have finished cooking, drain them into a colander, and then place them back into the same warm pot. Next pour in the sauce veggie mix, and stir well.

Serve it right from the stove, or transfer it to a pretty dish layering the fish atop the pasta. Here it’s served family style as a centerpiece in my Pan Asian Inspired Indigo Shibori & Wooden Themed Tablescape (Perfect for Luncheons & Informal Dinners). Enjoy!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Don’t forget to set aside some of the above ingredients for a healthy and tasty lunch like this one tomorrow!

Recipes

Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free)

August 24, 2015 Leigh

This allergy-friendly creamy macaroni salad recipe is so tasty that no one will be able to tell that it’s vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, pepper-free, and gluten-free. It’s the perfect make-ahead and take dish for everyone to enjoy at picnics or pot-lucks because it’s vegan, celiac and allergy-friendly, and has no egg or dairy to trigger food poisoning… because who would want to be responsible for that!

Ingredients:

8 ounce box gluten-free egg-free elbow macaroni (try Andean Dream rice & quinoa pasta, or any variety)

1½ cups chopped celery (a must for crunch)

¾ cup diced leeks (or spring onions, shallots, red onion)

¾ cup diced sun-dried tomato stuffed green olives (or pimento stuffed olives)

½ of my prepared Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe (For Green Salad, Broccoli Salad, Macaroni Salad) Gluten-Free, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free (Click here to see it!)

Instructions:

Gather, wash, and chop your ingredients while your pasta is boiling. (I like the Andean Dream quinoa pasta for this recipe, because it doesn’t get mushy when sauced. Follow the package instructions carefully for boil time to keep it al dente.) Rinse the pasta with cool water in a colander after cooking.

Prepare a ½ portion of my Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe (For Green Salad, Broccoli Salad, Macaroni Salad) for this macaroni salad. (For a larger crowd, use a whole recipe of dressing with a double recipe of the macaroni salad.)

Mix everything together well. (Use a soft silicone spoon with a folding motion to prevent pasta tearing.)

Make both my macaroni and broccoli salads using just one recipe of my creamy dressing. Pair them with a baked chicken breast for a complete meal.

Make the broccoli and macaroni salads the day before a gathering for even greater flavor as the ingredients have had time to meld… and so you can indulge in more sleep the next morning.

Take any of my allergy-friendly salads to picnics and pot-lucks, and be assured that no one will go home sick by your hand. (Egg-based mayo + outdoors = food poisoning threat… so not fun for anyone.)

Remember to keep calm and picnic on!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Recipes

Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe with Vegan & Turkey Bacon Options (Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free)

August 24, 2015 Leigh

This allergy-friendly creamy broccoli salad recipe is so tasty that no one will be able to tell that it’s vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, pepper-free, and gluten-free. Make it vegan friendly or add turkey bacon to punch up the flavor, and you can even chop the broccoli smaller to disguise it from picky eaters. It’s the perfect make-ahead and take dish for everyone to enjoy at picnics or pot-lucks because it’s celiac and allergy-friendly, and has no egg or dairy to trigger food poisoning… because who would want to be responsible for that!

Ingredients:

1½ pounds fresh broccoli tops (blanched for color & health)

1⅓ cup golden raisins (or purple raisins, or craisins)

1 cup diced leeks (or spring onions, shallots, red onion)

¾ cup sunflower seeds / kernels (raw or toasted)

½ of my prepared Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe (For Green Salad, Broccoli Salad, Macaroni Salad) Gluten-Free, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free (Click here to see it!)

* Optional: ⅓ pound chopped turkey bacon (or vegan bacon, bacon bits, regular bacon)

Instructions:

Gather and wash your ingredients then dice the leeks. Blanch the broccoli tops in boiling water for a few seconds… or quickly microwave them, I won’t tell. Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces to get your picky eaters to devour their veggies… but you might just want to call it “creamy salad”! (Bagged broccoli tops are an easy shortcut. I used half of a 3 pound bag from Costco.)

If you’re using bacon… bake, grill, or pan fry it, and then chop it up. (It’s easy to split a recipe into two bowls… one for the vegans, and one for those who think no meal is complete without meat!)

Prepare a ½ portion of my Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe (For Green Salad, Broccoli Salad, Macaroni Salad) for this broccoli salad. (For a larger crowd, use a whole recipe of dressing with a double recipe of the broccoli salad.)

Mix everything together, and refrigerate until ready to consume. (This is such a great make-ahead and take dish.)

Here is the broccoli salad in its vegan form… no bacon!

This is the omnivore’s broccoli salad… bacon, bacon, bacon, and more bacon!

Make both my macaroni and broccoli salads using just one recipe of my creamy dressing. Pair them with a baked chicken breast for a complete meal.

Make the broccoli and macaroni salads the day before a gathering for even greater flavor as the ingredients have had time to meld… and so you can indulge in more sleep the next morning.

So just keep calm and picnic on!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Recipes

Creamy Salad Dressing Recipe (For Green Salad, Broccoli Salad, Macaroni Salad) Gluten-Free, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free

August 24, 2015 Leigh

This allergy-friendly creamy salad dressing recipe is so tasty that no one will be able to tell that it’s vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, pepper-free, and gluten-free. It’s the perfect touch for any combination of salad fixings, and a half-portion serves as the base for each of my broccoli salad and macaroni salad recipes. They are the perfect make-ahead and take dishes for everyone to enjoy at picnics or pot-lucks because they’re vegan, celiac and allergy-friendly, and have no egg or dairy to trigger food poisoning… because who would want to be responsible for that!

Ingredients:

1½ cups soy-free vegan mayonnaise (try the Follow Your Heart brand, or any mayo)

½ cup unsweetened vegan coconut yogurt (or any plain or unsweetened yogurt)

¼ cup lemon juice (or lime juice)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or stoneground mustard)

2½ teaspoons granulated sugar (cane, coconut, white, etc…)

2½ teaspoons sea salt (adjust for taste & sodium needs)

1 teaspoon celery seed (a great salad staple for a spice cabinet)

Instructions:

Gather the ingredients, and feel free to make any substitutions you need to. (I used a healthier mayo and combined it with yogurt to add good probiotics. It also cut out some calories without cutting any flavor at all… trust me, my grandmother would definitely let me know if it had.)

Mix the measured ingredients well, and feel free to add some of your favorite herbs to complement the salad fixings you’re pairing them with.

I like using an elegant gravy boat to serve dressing on the side… it’s less likely to end up on your tablecloth!

This particular salad contains organic romaine lettuce, heirloom cherry tomatoes, prepared beets, artichoke hearts, sprouted pumpkin seeds, dried parsley… and of course my creamy salad dressing.

My Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free) uses a half portion of my prepared creamy dressing.

Also using a half portion of this creamy dressing is my Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe with Vegan & Turkey Bacon Options (Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Pepper-Free). Chop the broccoli into smaller pieces to get your picky eaters to devour their veggies… but you might just want to call it “creamy salad”!

Make both my macaroni and broccoli salads using just one recipe of this creamy dressing. Pair them with a baked chicken breast for a complete meal.

Make the broccoli and macaroni salads the day before a gathering for even greater flavor as the ingredients have had time to meld… and so you can indulge in more sleep the next morning.

Just keep calm and picnic on!

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Recipes

Easy No Cook Layered (N)ice-Cream Pie with Nut Crust Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

November 23, 2014 Leigh

This super easy no cook recipe can be made well in advance of any gathering, or just made to enjoy a slice at a time straight from the freezer. It’s also a great alternative to the parade of traditional office birthday cakes. It has a gluten-free nut crust that may be enjoyed by almost everyone, which is also why it’s written with dairy-free ice cream. It can easily be made with traditional dairy… but in this way vegans, allergy sufferers, and the lactose intolerant may happily partake. For this occasion, I used pint sizes of coconut milk “ice-cream”. (A mint chocolate chip pint was used here for the bottom layer, chocolate for the middle layer with the cherries, and coconut for the top layer with the chocolate chunks.) It’s richer than the almond milk variety (which is also tasty), and it always surprises people when I tell them it’s dairy-free. Previously, I’ve even used a gallon sized regular Neapolitan ice-cream and just split up the colors for the layers. You can use whatever you have left in the freezer or even add more layers! Add multiple kinds of nuts, chips, or chunks… whatever is in your pantry. For this recipe, no rules are just right!

Ingredients:

3 cups pecans (or pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts…)
10 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil (or regular butter, dairy-free butter…)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or coconut sugar, brown sugar…)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bag frozen sweet pitted cherries (or pitted fresh, 15 oz can in sugar syrup…)
1 bag vegan dark chocolate mini-chunks (or dairy-free, traditional chocolate chips…)
3 flavors/pints (here I used mint chocolate chip, chocolate, and coconut) dairy-free coconut milk “ice-cream” (or almond milk, soy milk, sugar-free, dairy milk ice cream…)

Instructions:

Place the cherries in a strainer over a bowl, and set aside to drain. (The leftover cherry juice makes a great sweetener so you can add more greens to a smoothie!) Place the pecans in a quart size freezer bag (because it’s stronger than sandwich bags) and break them up using a kitchen-mallet/meat-tenderizer. It’s so much more fun than chopping! Microwave the coconut oil in a glass bowl just until it softens. (Extra-virgin coconut oil is so good for the skin that it can even be found in the vitamin section of Whole Foods as a supplement.) Then add the crushed pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well, then pour/push into the bottom of a coconut oil “greased” springform pan. Smooth it out evenly with a spatula so that the entire bottom is covered. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until it feels frozen and solid. During this time, take out the mint chocolate chip to soften it. (Keep in mind that regular ice-cream melts quicker than vegan “ice-cream”, so if using the traditional stuff- take it out later!) When the nut crust is frozen and the quart has melted enough, smooth the “ice-cream” over the crust evenly with a spatula. Freeze the pan and take out the chocolate pint to melt. Spread the chocolate pint on when the previous layer has refrozen solid. Gently push the drained cherries into the “ice-cream” (= chocolate covered cherries). Freeze the pan again, and take out the coconut pint. When everything’s ready, spread on the last layer. Top this with the chocolate chunks & softly press them into the coconut “ice-cream”. Cover it and keep it frozen until it’s almost time for dessert. (Cutting through it is easier if you run the knife under hot water first.) It’s always great to have a stand-by gluten-free vegan desert recipe, so no one has to be left out of the fun. This easy one is a lot of fun to make with kiddos, as it has very little to measure and requires no knives until serving time. Any leftovers can be stored in the freezer and wrapped as individual slices for an occasional sweet-treat! Happy Un-birthday! 🙂 Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

Ingredients:

Instructions:

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