Flax egg replacer

This seems to work much better than the powdered egg replacer in most recipes. Plus, it has great health benefits.

1 tbsp ground flax
3 tbsp of hot water

Wisk together and use in place of one egg.

Feather light Gluten Free baking mix

I found this on several sites, so I am not sure who to give the credit to, but it is my favorite baking flour I have found so far. It is not gritty like some gf flours are.

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup corn starch
1 tbsp potato flour

Mix all together and store in an airtight container. Use in place of all purpose flour in baking recipes. Make sure to add about a tsp of xanthum gum per cup of flour to gf recipes.

Allergy Freindly Fresh Apple Cake

Last week was Curtis's birthday, and I wanted to make a cake we could all enjoy. I got out my all time favorite church cookbook and started searching for recipes that I thought I could modify. This fresh apple cake was one marked in my Great Grandma Garner's cookbook as one of her favorites, so I figured it had to be good. With some heavy modifications to meet our dietary needs, it was a success. This will likely be Cooper's birthday cake. Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

1 cup light colored oil (I use canola)
2 flax egg replacer
2 cups sugar (go for the organic, not that nasty refined stuff)
1 tsp vanilla (make sure it is gluten free if you are sensitive)
1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
3 cups featherlight gf baking mix (or your other favorite gluten free mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp EnerG egg replacer (not prepared, just the powder)
1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups chopped fresh apples

Beat together the flax egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and applesauce. Sift together dry ingredients, making sure everything is evenly distributed, then slowly mix into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the chopped apples.

Now, you have some options. The original recipe was cooked in a greased and floured bundt pan for 325 degrees for 65-70 minutes. For time and convenience sake, I made mine into cupcakes and used the muffin liners. I believe they cooked about 30-35 min on 325. Just until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It also has a glaze, but I didn't think it needed it for the cupcakes. They were kind of like a muffin with out it. I think if I would have made it in a bundt, I would have used the glaze. Here's that recipe:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
Mix together and pour over cake.
Enjoy!

Allergy-free Apricot glazed Salmon

This is a very quick meal. It is really good and has lots of healthy oils.

Salmon fillet
100% fruit apricot spread
Canola oil

In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of fruit spread. Microwave for about 15 seconds until the spread is melted. Then add a teaspoon of oil to the spread to make a glaze. Brush on salmon, then season with course sea salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-15 minuets until the fish is flaky and golden on top. I served it over leftover wild rice and lentils. I also sautéed some squash for a side. So quick, I think the whole meal took about 20 minuets.

Allergy-free Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

I made this soup last Sunday for a soup cook-off at church. I knew there wouldn't be anything I could eat unless I made something. It Just put together the things I new I could have and it turned out great. Sorry I don't have exact measurements.

1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup cooked lentils
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
3 carrots
Chicken breast w/ bone in and skin on

In a slow cooker add the chicken, seasoned w/ salt and pepper and poultry seasoning, and plenty of water. Cook until tender. Cooking the chicken in a crock will give you a home made broth that is free of seasonings and preservatives that could be a problem. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and then shred the chicken. I cooked four breast, but only used 2 for this soup and saved the other 2. Using a separator, remove any excess grease or chicken fat from the broth. At this point, you can finish the soup quickly over the stove or add everything to the pot and let cook for a couple more hours. Pour the broth into a large pot, bring to a boil. Cut the carrots and squash into bite size pieces and add to the broth. Once tender add the chicken, rice, and lentils. Let it all simmer together and then serve. Leftovers of this are great. The flavors just get better as it sits.

Allergy-free chicken nuggets

Here's a recipe for chicken nuggets. They are free of the top eight most common food allergies. Simple and yummy.

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Rice Chex
Canola oil (or any light colored oil)

Cut up chicken into 1in bite sized pieces. This is great for quick cooking and as well as good for the kiddos. Then in a large ziploc bag, add rice chex and a drizzle of oil. Shake it up so the oil coats everything and then crush chex into crumbs with a rolling pin. Let the little ones help out with this part. Add the chicken bites to the bag and toss to coat. Since there is no egg, make sure the chicken is a little wet to help the crumbs stick. Then put the chicken onto a well oiled, foil lined baking sheet. The spray oils contain soy lectin, so we do not use them. If you want to use the spray, I would also suggest spraying the top of the chicken as well. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minuets, until golden brown and cooked thru. I broiled them for the last few minuets to make them extra crisp, but be sure to keep a close eye on them.

This was a total experiment that turned out pretty well. You can also store the leftovers in freezer bags and freeze them for a quick supper in a pinch. When you are on a restricted diet it is important to keep fast foods on hand so you don't binge on unhealthy food or go without eating because you don't have the time to fix something.
I served oven fries and sweet carrots with the nuggets. The fries were super simple and really tasty. Cut potato into long "fry" pieces. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake on a foil lined pan in 375 oven for 30-40 minuets, turning once. And the carrots were steamed and then glazed with a little honey and canola oil, salt and herbs. Yum-O

Allergy -Free Salmon Croquettes

This is a quick and easy recipe that is a new household favorite. Curtis really enjoys these. They are a really healthy alternative to fish sticks. Here's the recipe. I am not a chef, so if it is a little rough or there is something that doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can clarify.

1 can of salmon(14.75oz)
1 baking potato
1/4 cup of gluten-free baking mix (feel free to substitute bisquick if your family can have that)
Canola oil (any other light colored oil will do)

Bake the potato until nice and soft, I pop it in the microwave for 8-10min, turning once. While potato is cooking, remove skin and bones from the salmon. (This step is totally optional, the skin and bones are completely edible) Mix the flesh of the potato and the salmon together in a bowl. Mix in a drizzle of oil, maybe a teaspoon or so to help everything combine. Then add in 1/4 cup of baking mix. At this point you may want to add a little water to help everything bind together. You know the texture is good when you can form the salmon mixture into a ball. Next form the mixture into patties or sticks, whichever you think will be the easiest to get your kiddos to eat. Now you have a choice; you can either lightly pan fry or you can bake them, I actually do both. If you fry them, heat a small amount of oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat, Add the salmon to the pan once the oil starts to ripple and you get a sizzle. Cook until golden brown flipping once. The salmon is fully cooked, so you are just frying them to heat them thru and crisp them up. To bake, pre-heat the oven to 375. Place salmon on a greased baking sheet. Cook until golden brown flipping once. I cook them in pan until they start to get brown, then transfer them to the oven to finish heating thru. That way I can work on the rest of the meal while the salmon finishes in the oven. Serve alone or with ketchup for dipping if you can have it.
Enjoy!