I had this kind of day yesterday.  On top of all my duties, I was exhausted.  Cooking a full course meal was the last thing on my mind.  {This is when freezer cooking can be handy.}  I had planned on fixing Italian Chicken Bruschetta Pasta, but couldn’t even muster up the energy for that easy recipe.  It’s times like these that we just feel like grabbing the box of cereal.  I would have done this, but I had thawed chicken that had to be cooked.  Since none of the options were at all appealing, I came up with a 4 ingredient main course and added a side of steamed vegetables.  I would normally have a starch, like rice pilaf, but I decided we would just double up on the veggies and call it a night.

The main course consisted of chicken, cooked in a homemade honey mustard salad dressing, and topped with coarsely ground rice.  I made a honey mustard dressing last week for salad bar night, but my husband wasn’t crazy about it.  To rescue it from the back of the refrigerator, I poured it on the chicken instead.  You can use any kind of honey mustard salad dressing you want for this recipe, whether homemade or store-bought.  The chicken turned out quite tasty, with just the right amount of crunch, and perfectly moist.

What is an easy dinner you go to when you can’t muster up the energy for grandiose?

Crunchy Honey Mustard Chicken

Use a homemade recipe of honey mustard salad dressing to avoid the top allergens, but you can use a store-bought dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breast-boneless, skinless
• 1 cups honey mustard dressing
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/3 cups rice, coarsely ground

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Place small chicken breasts (cut breasts into smaller pieces, if necessary) in shallow baking dish. Pour honey mustard dressing over top of chicken and season with garlic salt. Grind rice in coffee bean grinder, if necessary, until coarsely ground. Sprinkle ground rice over chicken.

2. Bake in oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until cooked through and brown on top.

3. Turn oven to broil and broil for about 2 minutes, just to crisp it up a bit more.

Serve with rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

Shared at Full Plate Thursday and Thriving on Thursdays.

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I’d like to ask you to visit a post I wrote last week and leave a comment.  I am in the process of writing an ebook and would appreciate as much feedback on it as possible.  You can find the post and where to comment by clicking here.  Thank you so much!

~Willing Cook Features~

Coconut Almond Shortbread from Renaissance Life

Chocolate Cookies with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting from Design, Dining & Diapers

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream from Live Free, Gluten Free (I’m really interested in trying this pie crust.)

~Reader Favorites~

Frozen Stuffed Banana Sandwiches from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Grain Free Blender Brownies from Small Footprint Family

No Bake Cookie Smoothie from This Chick Cooks

Feel free to grab the Allergy-Free Wednesdays button below and share it on your blog.  Be sure to check out the other blog hop hosts to see what recipes they chose as their featured favorites.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

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We have already come a good distance along our food allergy journey, but there is still much to learn.  (You can click on Life with Food Allergies to see the previous posts in this series.)  Today we will focus on how to read the label on food packages.  This is not an issue to take lightly.  Many anaphylactic reactions occur because of people’s failure to, or just a complete disregard of, reading the ingredients in packaged foods.

What I Wish I Knew…

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Read Every and All Labels (R.E.A.L.)

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• The first point that I want to make is to once again encourage you to stay away from packaged foods as much as possible.  Go straight to the real food. It is the safest and healthiest option for you.  There are many examples of doing this: making homemade cookies with allowed ingredients instead of packaged cookies; making homemade broth from the meat and vegetables that you are using for another dish instead of buying canned or boxed broth; and so on.

How to read labels properly:

1. All food is required by law to have the ingredients listed on the package.  If you find a food package that is not labeled (this can sometimes happen with ethnic foods), then stay away from it.  It’s really not worth the risk.
2. Do not rely solely on the warnings often found at the end of the ingredient list with the words “contains…” or rely solely on the kosher label.  While they are a good place to start, you must read every ingredient of every label all the time.  I like the acronym R.E.A.L. – Read Every and All Labels – read every label all the time.
3. Do not rely on past “safe” food.  Food companies constantly change their ingredients.  You never know when they might put an allergy ingredient into a packaged food that was previously safe to eat.  This can happen especially when the package design changes.  But don’t rely just on that redesign — still read every label all the time.
4. When you look at a food label, particularly those that are packed with all kinds of preservatives, fillers, and other bad stuff, you have no idea how to pronounce the ingredient, let alone know what it is.  Know your ingredient names.  I went through a series a while back listing out the alternative ingredient names for the top allergens.  You can find all the posts under “Must Read” in the sidebar.  You can also click on each of the lists here: peanut, dairy, egg, wheat, soy, and corn.
5. Finally, you have to know whether food made on “shared equipment” with the allergen is allowed or not.  I did a post about this issue last year called Warning: May Contain, and I highly recommend you read it.  Don’t rely on my words though.  You must consult your allergist about this issue.

If you follow these steps every time you read a food label, the likelihood of allergic reaction decreases.  Notice that I did not say it won’t happen.  There is always a chance, even with every possible precaution and safeguard, that an allergic reaction can occur.  It’s just the nature of the disease.  As always, have your rescue medication updated and available.

Do you have anything to add about reading ingredient labels, whether advice or a personal experience?

Next week, we will explore How to Stay Safe when Eating at Restaurants.

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A few tips:

• I did not have any grill gas, so I simply wrapped the cones in the foil and put them in a 325 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.
• Once cooked, the campfire cones should be eaten right away.  Otherwise, the cones get soggy.
• Our cones had strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate chips.  You could add any topping you desire.
• The original recipe calls for using waffle cones.  I would agree with this.  Regular sugar cones would be too small to hold it all in.  I think waffle bowls would be a great alternative too.

Did you enjoy any new recipes recently?

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Our Food Allergy Meal Plan for the Week of May 13, 2012

Sunday:  Mongolian Beef

Monday:  Italian Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

Tuesday:  Mini Meatloaf, Mashed Red Potatoes, Sauteed Balsamic Spinach

Wednesday:  Curried Red Lentil & Chicken Soup

Thursday:  Vegetarian Night — Not sure what yet.  Any suggestions?

Friday:  Parents in town = dinner out, usually

Saturday:  Kid Swap/Date Night – We are hosting the kids, so probably hamburgers.

I think I may have all the ingredients on hand for this week’s menu.  This means I may be able to avoid the grocery, except to pick up a few fresh fruits & vegetables.  Yay!

What’s on your menu this week?

Shared at Meal Plan Monday.

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I am embarking on a new venture here at The Willing Cook.  That is, I’m in the process of writing an ebook, as in, I’ve already started writing it.  I was going to keep it a big secret and wait for a big reveal.  However after doing some research about writing an ebook, I’ve decided a different approach is necessary.  This is where you come in…

All the big ebook gurus out there suggest getting feedback from my faithful readers as to the topic that they would most like to see in ebook form.  While I plan to offer some incentives to get the ebook for free, at some point, it will be a for-purchase ebook.  Meaning, you’ll have to pay for it (if you don’t get it when it’s free).  So, in thinking about the topic that you’d like to see in ebook form, would you be willing to pay for it, let’s say no more than $10?  (I have no idea what the price will be but this seems to be within the typical ebook price range.)

From the topic list below, answer the following questions:

1. Which topic would you most like to see in ebook form?
2. Would you pay for that topic if in an ebook?

Topic #1:  What I Wish I Knew: Life with Food Allergies  (continue & expand on the Life with Food Allergies series)

Topic #2:  How faith has/does shape my life’s perspective, including that of food allergies.

Topic #3:  Teaching others (family, daycare, school, friends) about food allergies w/ detailed charts, printables, etc.

Topic #4:  Food Allergy Cooking: all things from diagnosis to shopping to recipe development to pantry/freezer cooking and more.

Topic #5:  Dealing with multiple unconventional food allergies.  That is, living with food allergies outside the top 8.

Topic #6:  Reader Choice – You tell me what you would most like to see in ebook form that is not one of the topics suggested above.  The topic should be somewhat related to food allergies, but it doesn’t have to be the central theme (sort of like the “faith” topic #2 above).

Of course, if you could care less, you can say that too.  Or, better yet, just keep that to yourself

Please head to the comments below and answer questions 1 and 2 above.  Feel free to select as many as 2 or 3 topics.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I appreciate your input and your continued support of The Willing Cook.

(If you are reading this in email format, click over to the actual post to comment.)

Michelle

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We had the pleasure and most amazing time watching the derby with a host of other families this past weekend.  (We do not live in Kentucky but still enjoy the event.)  I had the job of supplying the traditional pie.  I made three regular (full-on allergies) pies from this recipe called Kentucky Derby Chocolate Walnut Pie.  This is my absolute favorite pie in the whole world!  Top with some fresh homemade whip cream and you’re about as close to heaven as you can come with a pie.  (And, yes, I did include the bourbon in the original recipe .)

I didn’t want to leave my husband and son out of the pie enjoying festivities, so I set out to make a version that is free of all top allergens, except treenuts.  I did not include bourbon in this allergy-friendly version because bourbon contains grains (corn & gluten).  If you’re able to have those ingredients, I say go for the little extra umph to your pie!

(Note: You cannot use whiskey instead of bourbon.  There are very distinct differences between the two, do not interchange them.  Want to know the difference between bourbon & whiskey? Read up here.  You know you’ve always wanted to know this little tidbit of random knowledge…well, it’s a prerequisite to living in Ky & Tn.)

Now, on to that most delicious of allergy-friendly pie recipes.  Don’t let this recipe scare or intimidate you.  It is super-duper easy and well worth the effort!  (Warning: You will get a chocolate high from this pie.)

Free of gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, corn (contains tree nuts)

Kentucky Chocolate Pecan Pie

If desired/allowed, add 2 Tbsp of Ky bourbon to the wet ingredients. Bourbon contains corn, gluten, & yeast.

Ingredients

• 2 EnerG egg replacer
• 1/2 cups coconut oil
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cups allowed flour (any gluten or gluten-free flour will work)
• 1/8 teaspoons salt
• 1 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 cups mini chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life)

Instructions

1. Make your pie crust (see recipe below). Do not use a pie dish that has air holes in the bottom -- this just may cause a smokey situation when baking (I wouldn't know though). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine too).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pie crust from refrigerator.

3. Whisk together your egg replacer (3 tsp powder + 4 Tbsp water; or 2 eggs). With a mixer, cream together the softened coconut oil and sugar with the egg mixture. (*Use a mild coconut oil b/c you don't want a coconut flavor. You could also use softened palm shortening or butter.) Mix in vanilla (and bourbon here, if using).

4. Mix in allowed flour (I used rice flour, but you can use any gluten-free or regular flour, except I wouldn't use coconut flour) and salt.

5. Finally, stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

6. Pour pie filling into pie crust and spread out evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.

Top with a dollap of dairy-free whip cream or ice cream! Enjoy!

Pecan Crust II

See "Pecan Crust" under recipe tab for the other version.

Ingredients

• 1/2-3/4 cups pecans
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons ginger, ground
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons palm shortening
• 3-4 teaspoons cold water

Instructions

1. Preferably in a food processor, grind pecans into a course flour. Add other flours to food processor and pulse to combine. Add ginger, brown sugar, and salt into food processor; mix together.

2. Add palm shortening (preferably chilled) to food processor, a couple tablespoons at a time, and pulse until crumbly. (You may need to remove the lid and give it a little stir to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the shortening.)

3. Finally, pulse in cold water, one teaspoon at a time, until crust holds together in your hand.

4. Press crust into greased pie dish on the bottom and up the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for about 1 hour (overnight is fine too).

Prepare pie filling as directed in recipe. Remove pie crust from refrigerator while making pie filling and preheating oven.

Shared at Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Monday Mania, Homestead Barn Hop, Real Food 101, Make Your Own Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Works-for-Me-Wednesday, and Thriving on Thursday.

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We made it to a whopping 123 entries last week!  Because we’re getting bigger and bigger every week, we are making a slight change.  We have tried to comment on all link-ups every week thanking you for joining us.  This is getting a little overwhelming and time consuming in our already busy lives.  So, we are now only going to comment on bloggers who appear to be new to the link-up.  This doesn’t mean we don’t love and appreciate each and every one of you.  Just know that we are cutting back in this area.  Thanks for understanding!

~Willing Cook Features~

Homemade Peppermint Patties from The Nerdy Farm Wife

I also can’t wait to try the following 2 recipes from The Sprouted Life, but I was unable to save the images for some reason.  Be sure to check them out!

Raspberry Chia Seed Lemonade

and

Chia Almond Breakfast Shortcakes

~Reader Favorites~

Raw Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers from Gluten-Free Cat

Gluten-Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Gluten-Free Delightfully Delicious

Buckeyes from Sensitive and Centsible

Feel free to grab the Allergy-Free Wednesdays button below and share it on your blog.  Be sure to check out the other blog hop hosts to see what recipes they chose as their featured favorites.

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Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 5 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• No giveaways, please!
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

<br /> <div align=”center”><a href=”http://willingcook.com” _mce_href=”http://willingcook.com” target=”_blank”><img alt=”willingcook” src=”http://willingcook.com/wp-content/uploads/afw-button-150-e1327336058405.jpg” _mce_src=”http://willingcook.com/wp-content/uploads/afw-button-150-e1327336058405.jpg”/></a>

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What I Wish I Knew…

You think you’re set.  You know the foods that you have to avoid.  You’ve done your meal planning and grocery shopping.  You’ve even made a few meals.  You’re pretty proud of yourself and confident that you have a handle on this whole food allergy thing.  And then it hits you….

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You mean I have to do this 3 times a day, 7 days a week?!?!

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Yep.  You do! I’ll be honest with you right from the start.  It can wear on you.  You do get tired of fixing 3 square meals a day, most of which have to be homemade.  This is where the “willing” part of allergy cooking comes in.  You have to be willing to have a servant’s heart when feeding your loved ones with food allergies (thus The Willing Cook).

The Willing Cook wants to come along side you during this journey, so here are a few suggestions on getting past this next hurdle.

1. I have done various posts over the past year giving you meal and snack ideas.  I highly recommend you scour those posts and make lists from them of meals/ideas that you or your loved one with food allergies will enjoy.  Perhaps it will also get your creative juices flowing for other ideas.  Here are those posts:

What to feed a toddler with food allergies.

Allergy-Friendly Group Snacks

Surprisingly Premade Allergy-Friendly Foods

Lunch Ideas -School/Work

Lunch Ideas: Sandwiches

Lunch Ideas: Salads

Lunch Ideas: Leftovers

Lunch Ideas: Miscellany

2.  Constantly keep an eye out for new allergy-friendly meal/snack ideas.  Pinterest is a great resource for this.  I’m always pinning new allergy-friendly ideas, so feel free to follow me!  Allergy-Free Wednesdays (co-hosted here) is a wonderful new resource for all things allergy-friendly.  When you stumble upon a recipe that is well-received, be sure to write it down or put it in a recipe binder.  I don’t know how many countless meals I have served that my family enjoyed, only to forget about them because I did not right them down.

3.  It sometimes takes people a few tries before they welcome a new food.  Keep trying!  Case in point (it’s a little stretch, but you’ll get the idea): My friend has recently become a foster parent to two small children.  She noted that they do not eat up fruit by the handful like her own birth children do.  Unfortunately, the foster children aren’t very receptive to fruit because it’s a new food to them.  My friend is slowly getting them to eat and enjoy more fruit.  Don’t give up!  This food allergy journey is a whole new road for everyone involved.

4.  Give yourself grace.  Sometimes you just get overwhelmed.  Try your best to push through it and give your family a healthy snack or meal, but it doesn’t have to be over the top.  Make it quick and simple, then take a break.  And don’t feel guilty!!!  It’s okay, they will survive!

5.  If time, space, resources, and energy permits, do some mini-freezer cooking sessions.  When you are making a meal that is a family favorite, double or triple the recipe and freeze the other portions.  Then, when you hit a bump or bend in the road, you have something easy, safe, and healthy right at the tips of your fingers.

To sum up, strap on your boots and tighten your belt, you have some work to.  Get used to it and embrace it.  Above all, when serving those 3 square meals a day, your willingness to move along this journey goes more gracefully with a smile (I’m still learning this one ).

Are you struggling with the volume of cooking in a life with food allergies right now? Please share with us and perhaps we can come along side you and serve you!

Shared at Whole Food Wednesdays.

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Do you remember The Willing Cook Food Allergy Meal Plan, at least for you longer readers?  When I announced this addition to The Willing Cook back in January, I noted that it would be launched early this year.  Well, extraneous circumstances sometimes come in the way of our plans.  That’s okay.  I still intend to launch this next big feature, but because of another development, I’ve decided to wait to launch after the summer.  Furthermore, all of our schedules are often more relaxed and vary greatly during the summer, so meal plans aren’t adhered to as much as during the school year.

So, just hang on a little longer and I promise it will be worth the wait.  There are a couple exciting things planned in the coming months.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to make request to me for recipes you want to see or topics you’d like covered.  I always welcome guest post submissions telling your allergy home story or guest recipe submissions.

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Our Food Allergy Meal Plan for May 6, 2012

Sunday:  Oven Fried Chicken Fingers, Steamed Vegetables, Fruit

Monday:  Fried Fish, Potato Wedges, Kale

Tuesday:  Refried Beans, Mexican Rice, Homemade Salsa

Wednesday:  Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread

Thursday:  Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks, Rice Pilaf, Apple Sauce

Friday:  BLTs, Cucumber Salad

Saturday: Refrigerator Round-up (aka leftovers)

Dessert:  Strawberry Pie (It is strawberry season, afterall!)

What’s on your menu this week?

Shared at Menu Plan Monday.

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My first thought wasn’t, “Oh, I wish we could have cookies like that in our house.”  (I’ll admit that sometimes I do that kind of loathing.)  No, I thought, “This is such a simple little cookie, I could so make this into a gluten-free, allergy-friendly version.”  So, guess what?  I did!  I did and they were good!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can do just about any topping you desire, whether it is chopped nuts or shredded coconut.  You could even skip the chocolate and use a favorite jam instead.

Free of gluten, dairy, egg, soy, corn, peanut (*can be made nut-free too)

Milano-ish Cookies

*To make this recipe nut-free: Substitute oat flour or more rice flour for the almond flour. Use a non-nut topping like shredded coconut.

Ingredients

• 1 EnerG egg replacer
• 1/3-1/2 cups oil, room temperature (such as, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, butter, shortening)
• 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cups tapioca flour
• 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
• 1/2 tablespoons guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons ginger, ground
• 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life)
• 1/4 cups hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Make egg replacer (1 1/2 tsp powder + 2 Tbsp water; or 1 egg); set aside. Cream together room temperature oil and sugar. Add egg replacer & vanilla to the oil/sugar; mix well.

2. Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, & almond meal. Add in guar gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, ginger, & salt; mix well.

3. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until they come together into a ball. Place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to harden a bit.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and place on parchment paper. (It may be a little sticky and oily, but that is okay). Spread the dough out into a rectangle using the best instrument that works for you. I used a rubber spatula and it spread very easily without sticking. You could also use a rolling pin. Spread the dough out to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.

5. Cut dough into desired shapes using a knife or pizza cutter. I ended up cutting my dough into a variety of shapes, some square, some rectangular, others were more triangular. I wasn't particular. Place the cookies on parchment paper (or silpat) on a cookie sheet. (I actually just spread my cookies out on the same parchment paper on which I cut the dough and placed it on the cookie sheet. It didn't require any transferring.)

6. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are browning around the edges and are solid. They will get harder on the top as they cool. Allow cookies to cool.

7. Melt chocolate in a saucepan or the microwave. Drop about a teaspoonful of chocolate on each cookie and spread evening to the edges. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts (or other desired topping) on the warm chocolate. Place in refrigerator for chocolate to harden, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 16 cookies.

Enjoy!

Shared at Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Homestead Barn Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesday Party, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Works for Me Wednesday, and Thriving on Thursdays.

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