Friday, May 29, 2015

Massaged Kale Salad - Kim's Welcoming Kitchen
Photo Credit Bill Milne


While cold weather calls for soup, warm weather sings out for salads. Cool, crunchy, nourishing salad.

This Massaged Kale Salad from Super Seeds is a lovely canvas on which to add the colors of spring and summer -- sliced fruit and vegetables add interest to this delicious and filling salad. How about adding some sliced strawberries, mango or nectarine, blueberries or pineapple chunks, or orange peppers and cucumbers? Delicious! And the hemp seeds add some protein along with their nutty earthiness. Yum!

Super Seeds is full of recipes that are quick to put together and summer friendly. Now's a great time to pick up a copy so you're ready for summer potlucks, al fresco dinners and cool breakfasts.
Massaged Kale Salad with Hemp Seeds from Super Seeds




Massaged Kale Salad (reprinted from Super Seeds)

Makes 2 servings



You can add any vegetables or fruits that you like to make this basic kale salad more complex. There is nothing basic, however, about kale’s superfood nutrition profile, and its chewy, earthy taste makes it an exciting alternative to ordinary salad greens. This salad pairs beautifully with lasagna and makes a great meal to serve when you have company— it’s easy to pull together so that you can spend more time with your guests.



Ingredients:

  • 4 cups raw kale, center ribs and stems removed, and torn into 1- to 2-inch pieces
    (or use 4 cups baby kale) 
  • Juice of ½ lemon 
  • 3 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds  
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped  
  • ½ ripe avocado, cut into medium dice 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:


1. In a large bowl, combine kale and lemon juice.

2. Massage the kale with your bare hands for several minutes, until the leaves are much

more tender. (If you’re using baby kale, you can massage the leaves just enough to coat

with lemon juice, as they are already tender.)

3. Set aside for 1 hour or longer.

4. In a dry skillet, toast hemp seeds over medium heat for 1 minute.
5. Toss together all ingredients and serve.

If you have Super Seeds and you're enjoying it, would you please help me get it to more people by leaving a review on Amazon ? Thanks so much if you can!

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book, Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.


Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Growing Up with Food Allergies: Dairy Food Allergy Food Challenge


I wrote this post five years ago as my son got ready for his first food allergy food challenge. We have since had several challenges with mixed results. As part of my Growing Up with Food Allergies series, I want to update our experiences about food challenges, finding an allergist who fits well with our family and what it's like when your child fails a challenge. Before that, though, I think it's good to see where we were before we even started this journey.

After years of blood tests, my seven-year-old son is eligible for a food allergy food challenge. Great news, right? I would have thought that this would have been only a source of excitement for us. I was unprepared for the anxiety that all of us, including my son, feel about it.

For those of you who don't know what a food challenge is, here's a little nutshell explanation. Every year my son gets a blood test to determine the amount of allergy antibodies in his system. When the number falls below 2, he is eligible for a food challenge. In the challenge, he will be given increasing amounts of the food that he has been allergic to (in our case, the challenge will be cows' milk). The challenge happens in the doctor's office in case he has an allergic reaction. If he does, he is still allergic and has to continue avoiding. If he makes it through the challenge with no reaction, he is believed to no longer be allergic. However, if he passes the challenge, he will need to eat a serving of cows' milk (cheese, yogurt, milk, etc.) at least every other week. So, to me it seems like it's not that he's no longer allergic so much as that the allergy has changed, since if you're not allergic, you don't have to follow these same rules.

An allergy to cows' milk is pretty scary since little kids are so messy. We have worried every time kids eat ice cream and drip near him, and we worry that some child will spill his milk at lunch. Passing the food challenge would eliminate those worries. The world would be a lot less dangerous for him. Also, he could eat foods (like crackers) that are made on the same equipment that is used to manufacture foods that contain milk. That would be great.

So, what's there to be anxious about? Well, plenty, actually. The odds are slightly better than 50% that he'll pass. Those aren't the greatest of odds. He's worried that he's going to get sick when he is exposed to his allergen. (Since we've hammered this into his head for years, that's not shocking.) They just don't know enough about how people outgrow allergies to give us better odds than that.

Also, my children and I are vegans. He was very upset at the idea of eating cows' milk. For us, though, his health and safety are our biggest concerns. We have told him that it is up to him if he passes the challenge if he wants to continue being a vegan or if he wants to eat cows' milk. He would have to eat the one serving every other week, though, even if he chooses to remain vegan. We would treat that serving as his "medicine" to keep him healthy.

The nurse practitioner at our allergist's office was amazing. She took lots of time to talk with me about our concerns. She advised us in how best to talk to our boy about the challenge, and she helped us help him make the decision to go ahead and give it a try.

Our appointment is set for the end of January. We're keeping our fingers crossed until then!

Have you or your child ever had a food allergy food challenge? How did it go? 

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life)is available now! Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.




Monday, May 18, 2015

 
Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families


Friends help make your life easier, sweeter, better. 

Dreena Burton is just such a friend to any vegan family. She has written five vegan cookbooks that are filled with delicious whole-foods based recipes that can take you from everyday meals through special occasions. She also is the creator of the wonderful website, Plant-Powered Kitchen.


Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families


Dreena's newest book, Plant-Powered Families, takes her care for vegan families to a whole new level. Not only does the book contain over 100 family-friendly recipes, but she also talks families new to plant-based eating through issues including how to stock your kitchen, how to create meals that meet the nutrition needs of growing children and satisfy even picky palates, and she provides menu plans, too.

Even if your family doesn't eat wholly plant-based, this is a wonderful resource. The recipes are easy and tasty. They use whole foods, minimal oils and added sugars. Because the book is vegan, it's a great tool for egg- and/or dairy-allergic families. Also, many of the recipes are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option. There are options to keep things nut-free, too.

Dreena and her publisher, BenBella Books, are sharing her recipe for No-Bake Granola Bars. They are also giving away a copy of Plant-Powered Families to one of our readers. (Enter the giveaway below the recipe.)
 
Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families
Photo by Nicole Axworthy from Plant-Powered Families used with permission.


 

No-Bake Granola Bars (from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton, BenBella Books 2015)

Makes 8–10 bars or 16 squares

These bars are perfect for school lunches because they are nut-free and pack very well. Plus, they are pretty simple to put together!

1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 packed cup coconut butter (see note) (Coconut Butter instructions here.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
11/2 cups natural brown rice crisp cereal
3 tablespoons nondairy chocolate chips (optional)

Line an 8" × 8" pan with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, add the brown rice syrup, coconut butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined and the coconut butter has melted. Add the rolled oats, and stir through, allowing to cook for 2–3 minutes in the low heat. Add the oat flour and shredded coconut, and stir through.

Remove the pot from the stove. Swiftly stir in the cereal and transfer the mixture to prepared pan. Press mixture evenly into the pan (using a nonstick spatula or piece of parchment paper).

Wait just a minute, and then sprinkle on the chocolate chips and press those into the base. Refrigerate until fully chilled (at least 1/2 hour), then cut in squares or bars.

Coconut Butter Note: Coconut butter works well here because it is so dense and helps bind the bars. Because coconut is not botanically a nut, these are also perfect for school lunches.

However, if you want to substitute a nut butter, choose one that is very dense, like cashew butter.

Idea: Try some of these flavor variations:
  • Raisin-spice: Stir in 3–4 tablespoons raisins, omit the chips, increase the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon, and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.
  • Cranberry–pumpkin seed: Stir in 3–4 tablespoons of dried cranberries and substitute pumpkin seeds for the coconut.
  • Cocoa-hemp: Substitute 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for the coconut, and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (when mixing in the oat flour). Keep the chocolate chips, oh yes!
Want more? Enter to win your own copy of Plant-Powered Families!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to try some more recipes from Plant-Powered Families while waiting to get your own copy?

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

 

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Egg Substitutes or Egg Replacers on Kim's Welcoming Kitchen
Chickens enjoying the good life at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.


How can you replace eggs in your baking?

This question, a common one for vegans or folks living with an egg allergy, is becoming relevant even to people who usually eat eggs. Why?

Aside from the animal welfare concerns that are an ongoing issue in the egg-laying industry, due to the bird flu, millions of egg-laying hens have been killed resulting in an increase in egg prices.

What are some easy, whole foods, plant-based ways to replace eggs in your baking recipes?

Each of these options is a substitute for one egg in a recipe:

  • 1/4 cup applesauce plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 tablespoon chia seed plus 3 tablespoons water, stir and let sit for 10 minutes
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal plus 3 tablespoons water, stir and let sit for 10 minutes
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree.
All of the baking recipes on this site use one of these options. Please feel free to explore the cookies, muffins and cakes here to get started baking egg free.

Some recipes to try:
Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.


Monday, May 11, 2015

Make Your Own Coconut Butter from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen
Coconut Butter ready for spreading!



Don't you love it when you figure out an easy way to save lots of money?

If so, you're going to love this post. Have you tried coconut butter? It's a lovely, creamy, coconutty spread that you can use to bake with or spread on toast or create delicious compound "butters."

Coconut butter is not the same thing as coconut oil. Coconut butter is made from flaked coconut and includes the fiber and other nutrients that exist in the coconut. It is fuller bodied than coconut oil, so although you can substitute them sometimes for each other, they are not the same and will give different results.

The downside to coconut butter is that it is pricey. 

Lucky for us, it's easy to make our own coconut butter using unsweetened flaked coconut and a food processor.

  • The most important thing to know is that you need to use a significant quantity of coconut for this to work. I originally tried it with a smaller amount of coconut (approximately 1 cup), and it never turned into the butter I was hoping for.
  • Another thing to note is that it takes some time and patience. I'm used to using my food processor to cut down on chopping time and think of it as a tool that I use for seconds, rather than minutes. This can take 15 to 20 minutes depending on your weather, how much coconut you're using and other factors.

Once you know those tips, it couldn't be easier.

Put 3-4 cups of unsweetened flaked (not shredded) coconut into the bowl of your food processor fitted with the stainless steel blade.
Make Your Own Coconut Butter from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen



Let the processor run for 5 minutes. The coconut at this point should look almost sand-like. Scrape down the sides if needed.

Make Your Own Coconut Butter from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen



In another 5 minutes, the coconut will start releasing its fat, so it might feel almost dough-like. Mine created a ball for a bit before it broke back down. Scrape down the sides if needed.

Make Your Own Coconut Butter from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen



In another 5 to 10 minutes, you'll have a luscious, thick liquid. Pour it into a glass jar, cover and store for up to 2-3 months. If it hardens up, you can soften it in a warm water bath.

3 cups of unsweetened flaked coconut became approximately 3/4 cup of Coconut Butter.

You're going to be glad you know how to make Coconut Butter for my next post!
Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.


Monday, May 4, 2015

Tomatillo Pineapple Guacamole from Kim's Welcoming Kitchen


Cinco de Mayo calls for spicy salsa, cold margaritas and lots of creamy guacamole!

This guacamole adds some fruity sparkle to my favorite creamy dip. Serve it with chips or veggies, on top of salad, or on a baked potato or veggie burger.

Tomatillo Pineapple Guacamole (vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatillo
  •  1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced 
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pineapple (fresh if possible, or rinsed canned or thawed frozen)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or parsley if you don't like cilantro)
  • 1 avocado
Preparation:

  1. In a food processor, add tomatillos and jalapeño and pulse until finely chopped. 
  2. Add red onion, pineapple, salt, and cilantro and pulse until combined, but still slightly chunky.
  3. Cut avocado in half lengthwise, remove pit and scoop out flesh into a medium bowl.
  4. Mash avocado with a fork or potato masher.
  5. Mix in chopped vegetables/fruit.
  6. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables.

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.