Changes

Hi there my friends.

 I have some sad changes going on around these parts. As you know I've been dealing with a dairy allergy with my son. I have been dairy free for one month... but my son isn't better. So now I am dairy free AND soy free. Yes... say goodbye to my love for Asian food and almost all prepackaged foods. Bye bye... ::sobs loudly::

Ok, so with that said, my eating is going to be... boring. You know, simple proteins, veggies, grains. I am going to be working my hardest to come up with new and exciting recipes to share (and to eat, obviously) but for now I don't know how often I'll be updating. I am going to try my hardest to update at least twice a week but for now I need to really focus on getting a handle on these allergies. As a mother there is never a right/wrong answer and the decision to continue nursing my son while giving up many (ok, all... ::sobs again::) of my favorite foods has not been easy. I still am not even sure if I can do it, but here's to trying!

Pasta with Peanut Lime Sauce

One of my all time favorite meals is peanut noodles with shredded chicken and veggies. I can't even count how many times I've made this. Due to my undying love for that meal I have never bothered to try any other peanut sauce pasta recipes because...well... I already found "the one" if you will. That was until I came across this recipe. I really was intrigued by the addition of lime in the sauce. I thought it would really brighten it up, and sure enough it did. I also really liked the use of crunchy peanut butter in this. The little peanut bits were a great surprise each time I got one! Does it replace my favorite peanut noodles? No... But I'd venture to say it's just as good!

Source: Slightly adapted from One Lovely Life

Ingredients:
3/4 pound linguine
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin, steamed
2 cups broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:
1- Cook linguine according to packaging directions.
2- Combine the sauce ingredients (peanut butter through lime juice) in a small sauce pot and heat until hot and all ingredients are combined.
3- Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce, mixing to combine.
4- Top with the vegetables. Serve hot.

Chinese Barbecue Sauce

One week prior to finding out about my son's dairy allergy I had rejoined Weight Watchers to get off the last baby pounds that don't seem to want to budge. After one week on the program I found out about the allergy and was completely overwhelmed- I was looking at every single ingredient I used for dairy and hidden dairy, plus calculating points. John, being the saint that he is, said I needed to stop "the WW" as he calls it for now and focus on the dairy. Sure enough this no-dairy diet is a somewhat effective method of weight loss haha! However, I had already paid for my three month membership so even though I'm not currently counting my points I am using their recipes and tracking my weight loss.

 I do have to say that Weight Watchers has a ton of excellent recipes online. I've tried many and been very pleased. My latest concoction was this barbecue sauce. It was really very good! I used it for a few things so far, namely a barbecue chicken pizza and served with grilled shrimp, and I intend to use it for a few other recipes this week. It keeps for up to two weeks stored in the fridge. It has a very interesting flavor from the Chinese 5 spice, which is new to me. Definitely give this a shot- it's so easy and light, you can't go wrong.

Source: Weight Watchers Online

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup diet Ginger Ale
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1- Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pot. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer over low-medium for 5 minutes (or longer if you want it to thicken more).
2- Allow to cool 10 minutes before using. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge. Lasts for two weeks.

Lemony Shrimp and Broccoli

I always have shrimp in my freezer. I buy the big bag of them from Costco and keep them there for days I just don't feel like cooking. After making spicy baked shrimp I became aware of the beauty that is oven baked shrimp. It's seriously the easiest method of preparation and results in delicious dinners in about 12 minutes...which is amazing if you ask me. I had seen a meal similar to this on Weight Watchers website and decided to go for it. I made it up as I went along but based it off my memory of the original. It was really tasty! I used frozen broccoli that I defrosted but you can certainly use freshly steamed broccoli.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 pound shrimp, raw, peeled, and deveined
2 cups broccoli, cooked (or defrosted if using frozen)
2 tbsp panko*
1 tbsp butter, melted*

Directions:
1- Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.
2- Preheat the oven to 350.
3- In a baking dish layer the broccoli and shrimp. Pour the marinade over top.
4- Top with the panko. Pour the melted butter over top. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

*DAIRY FREE SUBSTITUTES
Panko- check your brand, some have dairy
Butter- use 1 tbsp melted butter substitute (I used Smart Balance Light- the original is not dairy free but the light is)

Tomato Chicken Noodle Soup

Here's a little peek at a text conversation John and I had this past week:

Me: I don't want to cook. Everything I like has dairy.
John: If you don't cook you're choices are Chinese or cheese free pizza. That's going to get old quickly.
Me: I know... but I still don't want to. Humph.

Yup... I was being a brat. I think it's that whole "you want what you can't have" thing. After a bit of time an all day battle of walking to my pantry and walking back to my couch I decided to just throw some stuff together and make a soup. Always a good option, right? This soup came out great. I had a little bit of chicken left in the fridge to use up so I decided to get crafty and came up with this. It was pretty tasty for a last minute idea if I do say so myself! John and I both enjoyed it, he even declared it a dairy-free success story.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

** I used a packet of Swanson Flavor Boost which adds a lot of sodium to the soup. It also adds a ton of flavor so I highly recommend it. If you do not use one you will need to add salt. 

Ingredients:
1 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 packet Swanson Flavor Boost (optional but recommended)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/3 cup dry broken angel hair pasta

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Pour the can of tomatoes into a dutch oven or oven safe pot. Bake, covered, for about 35 minutes.
3- Mash the tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher. Pour the broth, Swanson Flavor Boost (if using), pepper, and parsley into the tomatoes and heat over medium heat. After about ten minutes add the chicken and angel hair. Cook until the pasta is cooked thoroughly.
4- Serve hot.

Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

When I first found out that I'd have to be eating dairy free for my son's health I was honestly upset. As a foodie this was a devastating blow. I'm not content just eating grilled meat and vegetables, I like variety. The first week that I was dairy free I honestly was in a complete food funk. I think I ate pasta with marinara sauce four times for dinner... literally. Yet after a trip to Whole Foods I stocked up on some dairy free cheeses (oxymoron I suppose...) and felt ready to try something new. I had seen a recipe similar to this from The Pioneer Woman but since she's known to love her butter, cream, and cheese I decided to just take inspiration from her and go my own way. The results were awesome. John even ate seconds of this dairy free "creamy" pasta!

I've decided that in order to keep my blog true to my usual readers I'll write the recipes the way most people would make them, then astrick the dairy ingredients. I'll write a little blurb at the bottom of the recipe to explain what substitues I made to make the meal dairy free. It's like we're going on a little adventure together people... A dairy free voyage.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original (Inspired by The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

Chicken:
6 ounces chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried minced onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried parsley
Salt & pepper

Pasta:
1/2 pound pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 packet Swanson Flavor Boost (optional but recommended)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil, divided
1/2 cup milk*
2 tbsp parmesan cheese*

Directions:
1-Combine the chicken and all the marinade ingredients. Allow to marinade 1 hour or more. When ready to cook pour the contents of the bag into a nonstick skillet and cook until cooked through. Chop the chicken, set aside, and keep warm.
2- Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to packaging directions.
3- Prepare the sauce- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the garlic and onion, stirring well, about 1 minute. Add the broth and Swanson Flavor Boost (if using). Heat about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and about half of the basil. Heat an additional 5 minutes. Add the milk and parmesan cheese, stir well. Raise the heat until the sauce begins to thicken a bit. Toss in the cooked pasta and remaining basil. Top with the chicken.

*DAIRY FREE SUBSTITUES
1/2 cup milk- sub 1/2 cup almond milk
2 tbsp parmesan cheese- sub 1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast

Light Sesame Chicken

I love sesame chicken. I love the traditional form- all deep fried and covered in a thick, sugary sauce. Ohhh yes- it's good. But it's also somewhat horrible. First off all I find they often use the less-than-stellar pieces of chicken to make sesame chicken since it's so battered and coated. Then there's the fact that the dish is probably more calories than what should be eaten in the course of a day. Combine those two and I don't even remember the last time I ordered sesame chicken- maybe 6 years ago?! It was before I lived with John, I know that.

Needless to say I was excited when I saw this recipe. I knew it wouldn't be a true replica of my lovely deep fried-sugar laden sesame chicken, but I figured it was healthier and would be tasty. Well, I was right. It was tasty and definitely healthier! The chicken was so tender, I really liked this method of using the cornstarch mix but cooking it with simply cooking spray. It gave it some texture but not a "fried" taste. It was also very lightly sauced so if you like your dishes more saucy I'd double or even triple the sauce, but it was perfect for us. I will be making this again for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Alida's Kitchen
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
4 cups steamed broccoli

Directions:
1- Combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2- In a bowl combine the egg whites, corn starch, and some salt and pepper.
3- Add the chicken, tossing until evenly coated.
4- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken and allow to brown on one side, flipping and allow to brown on the other. Add the sauce and cook until it begins to thicken and chicken is cooked through. Toss with broccoli. Serve with rice.