Safe Granola!

Thank you (as always) Alton Brown.

I'm living off a modified version of this awesome oat-based granola recipe:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

For my needs, I've replaced the almonds and cashews (both of which are on my no-list) with peanuts and pecans. I also use canola oil rather than vegetable (which typically contains soy). I've been eating this granola on its own, or mixed into my morning Fage or Chobani greek yogurt for breakfast.

State of the Union

It's coming up on a week that I've been completely off all the foods on my list, and I really am feeling great.

I've lost a few pounds, obviously from water weight, which makes me think there's something to this idea that my body is swollen and unhappy trying to fight off all these "attacks" from allergens.

I also have a ton of energy, and I'm much less hungry. I don't crave wheat or sweets, which is definitely something I've struggled with in the past.

I am, however, getting a bit sick of protein + veg meals. Going to make some spaghetti with corn pasta tonight to break things up.

An old favorite that still works: Ad Hoc Pork Tenderloin

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home is pretty much my favorite cookbook ever. Although many of the recipes are a lot to take on, his brined pork tenderloin is simple enough to be in your weeknight rotation.

And it's allergy free for me!

The Brine:
3 tablespoons honey
4 bay leaves
1 large rosemary sprig
2-3 sprigs thyme
Several sprigs italian parsley
3-4 garlic cloves (smashed, skin left on)
Black pepper
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 cups water

Bring the brine to a boil for one minute to dissolve salt, then cool and strain.

Place one pork tenderloin in the brine for 3-4 hours (this is where it helps to work at home). Ideally, pull it out of the brine 30 minutes before cooking and wrap it in some paper towels on the counter to dry out and come up to room temp.

When you're ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 350, and put a large skillet on the stove on medium-high heat. Gather the rest of your ingredients:

Canola Oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic gloves, smashed with skin
6 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1-2 lemons, thinly sliced (note: my boy TK uses preserved lemons, which take 2 weeks to make. I'm sure that's delicious, but trust me fresh lemon is also fine)

Put some Canola in your pan and start searing your pork tenderloin--I usually do 2 minutes per side on 3-4 sides depending on the shape. Once you're all browned up, toss all the rest of your aromatics in the pan--the butter will melt, the lemons will give up juice. Roll that tenderloin around to pick up all that delicious goodness for another 2 minutes.

Then place the tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan, place the aromatics on top and drizzle the pan juices over, and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 135 (for medium rare).

Pull it out and let rest for 15 minutes to redistribute the juices. I usually take that opportunity to steam some green beans (toss with olive oil and lemon) and make some parmesan polenta.

It's to die for, relatively healthy, and allergen free!

The real test: Pizza

My husband is a real meat and potatoes midwesterner, and one of my biggest concerns about starting this allergen-free diet was how I'd be able to feed him in addition to myself.

One of our favorite meals is homemade pizza. He likes pepperoni on his half, and I've always had ham and pineapple on mine. Of course, pineapple is on my no-list for the next month, so I decided to go with a classic margherita for my half instead.

One of the most frustrating thing about my particular allergy profile is that all the wheat dough substitutes seem to be made from potato or rice, both of which are also off-limits for now. But I was able to find this recipe for a quinoa-based crust from the blog A Gluten Free Day.

Pizza Crust Recipe - From A Gluten Free Day

-50 grams fresh yeast
-5 dl or 2 cups quinoa flour
-1-2 tsp salt
-3 dl or 1 and 1/4 cups of water
-3 tbls olive oil
-3 tbls psyllium husk powder

Start by warming your water, add your yeast and your salt, mix everything together, and then add your psyllium husk into the mixture, and leave everything to sit for about ten minutes.

After that take your flour and mix it with the wet mixture, start kneading your dough and do it for about 2 minutes, then add your oil, knead again for a little while until you have formed a ball out of it, after that put your dough into a warm and dark place to rise.

When it has doubled in size spread it onto your pizza tray, you can spread it by hand or with a rolling pin, whatever works for you, pat it a little bit after you have stretched it and start applying your toppings.

I was a bit skeptical as I worked the dough together. In its 10 minutes of sitting, the psyllium husks and water had taken on an almost gel-like consistency. I was also substituting active dry yeast for fresh, and although I have a lot of pizza crust making experience, this was out of my comfort zone. There was no gluten to develop, so I wasn't sure how much kneading was really necessary, and I focused mostly on getting the dough to come together somehow. And it did.

I gave it two hour-long rises, which is what I typically do with wheat pizza dough. My hope was that letting the yeast do its thing for a bit longer would create a sourness in the dough--similar to sourdough bread--and hopefully help tone down the nuttiness of the quinoa.

My dough never became as smooth and dough-like Emilia's did in the photos. But it did roll out successfully onto the bed of corn meal I laid out for it on our pizza peel. We topped it up with safe tomato sauce, parmesan, and then my beautiful farmers market tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella (and some turkey pepperoni for the husband).

Into the well-heated oven for about 12 minutes at 450 it went (we use a pizza stone).

And out came this...



It was delicious. Crisp and nutty and filled with protein and fiber. Husband went back for seconds.

I can work with this.

Quick woohoo

I spoke with the tamale dude at my local farmers market.

Nothing in those babies but corn, lard, and delicious slow-cooked pork. No soy or wheat or eggs for miles.

I bought 6 and they are in the freezer as meal insurance. Yay!

Shopping day!

I'm lucky to live in a neighborhood with an awesome natural food store and bulk bins. My husband and I headed there after dinner on day 1 to see if we could pick up some foods that would be safe for me over the next 30 days.

Things I was happy to find: safe pasta (made from corn and quinoa!), chocolate without soy lecithin (but this required a lot of digging and label reading), quinoa flour, Bobs Red Mill oats (not contaminated with wheat). I also found a chocolate corn cereal (think corn-based cocoa puffs) that is safe!

Then we headed to the regular grocery store and stocked up on veggies, string cheese, a safe ranch dressing for dipping, canned beans and corn, polenta, and Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream--which was the only one I could find without vanilla or soy lecithin in it. Ah well, I will have to suffer.

The first day of the rest of my life

Having taken a few days to process this new food-allergic self, I've decided to go for broke and quit all these foods for 30 days. I figure the worst that can happen is I have to get creative in the kitchen and at restaurants, and there's a real chance I could lose this nagging rash (and maybe, hopefully a few pounds too?) 30 days is a drop in the bucket of the rest of my life so why not. Plus it will be a challenge.

I admit I have my doubts, but I've been making a list of foods I can eat, and it's promising. I have no dairy allergies. I can eat pretty much any meat I want (aside from shrimp, tuna, and crab). Veggies are almost all ok, as are many nuts and some fruits. Sour patch kids are shockingly acceptable.

Today I had Greek yogurt for breakfast, a greek chicken salad with feta, olives, and a lemon vinaigrette for lunch, some hummus and veggies as a snack, and a braised short rib over polenta for dessert. I can't guarantee there was no wheat in the sauce of the short rib, because I am still too shy to ask these kinds of questions of my server--I know I'm going to have to get better at that for this to work. But I figure this is a good effort for day 1.