Allergy-Friendly Food for Families

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families
120 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, 

and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love
by the Editors of Kiwi Magazine
Paperback, 256 pages

The editors of Kiwi Magazine have come out with this beautiful and well organized cookbook for the millions of people who live with food allergies. Nowadays most of us either suffer from a food allergy or sensitivity or have close friends that do and it is important to know how to create some delicious and nutritious meals that don't contain these triggering allergens.

My own daughter suffers from multiple food sensitivities and one thing I have noticed about most genre cookbooks is that they tend  to focus on one allergy or sensitivity, making them of little use to the many people who suffer from multiple sensitivities. That's why this book is so perfect, it focuses on the five most common food triggers and how to prepare meals without them.

A must-have cookbook for anyone dealing with food allergies or who know someone who does.

The authors invite you to try one of these sample recipes below, to see how delicious allergy-free eating can be!

Cool Zucchini Noodles with Mighty Marinara Sauce
—From Allergy-Friendly Food for Families/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Cool Zucchini Noodles

When it’s too hot to cook, these zucchini “noodles” make a quick, nutritious meal. The sunflower seed and nutritional yeast topping add palate-pleasing nuttiness and crunch.

SERVES 4
PER SERVING: calories 151, fat 8 g, protein 7 g, carbohydrates 16 g, dietary fiber 6 g

Ingredients
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large zucchini, peeled and ends trimmed
1 cup Mighty Marinara Sauce

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

1. In a food processor, add the sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper. Process until the sunflower seeds are the consistency of crumbs. Set aside.
2. Set out four plates or bowls. With a mandoline or vegetable peeler, shred the zucchini into thin strands, arranging one shredded zucchini on each plate or bowl.
3. Top each plate with ¼ cup of the marinara sauce and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sunflower seed mixture. Serve at room temperature.

Mighty Marinara Sauce
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes

SERVES 6
PER SERVING: calories 83, fat 3 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrates 15 g, dietary fiber 4 g

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered
1 clove garlic
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt
1 bay leaf

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Process until very finely chopped.
3. Add the vegetables to the stockpot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and add the bay leaf. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until the flavors are well-blended. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Giant Cookie Cake
From Allergy-Friendly Food for Families/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Forget those cookie cakes you get from the mall. This double-layer confection is tastier, healthier, and totally allergen-free. And what child or adult doesn’t love a big giant cookie? Please note that this recipe calls for potato starch, not potato flour.

PREP + ASSEMBLY TIME: 20 minutes
BAKE TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients
Canola oil, for coating the pan
2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 cup soy-free, nonhydrogenated margarine, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed whisked with 1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips
Dairy-free vanilla frosting (page 186)

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Thoroughly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with canola oil.
2. In a medium bowl, add the sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Mix to combine.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the margarine for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft. Add the brown sugar and cane sugar, and beat for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, flaxseed mixture, and vanilla and beat again until well-mixed.
4. Working in batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until well-combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula (the batter will be very sticky). Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
6. For each cake, run a butter knife around the edge to help loosen it from the pan, then place a plate on top and invert to remove from the pan.
7. To assemble, place one cake on a plate or cake plate, rounded side up. Frost with half of the frosting, then top with the remaining cake, rounded side up. Place the remaining frosting in a piping bag (or plastic resealable bag with the corner tip snipped off) to decorate the top of the cake. Refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.