Scratch Test Kitchen

Happy Mother's day to the woman who refused to microwave all my food as a solution, who asked for more information at restaurants when I was too embarrassed to, who has said "you can't eat that" to me about a billion times and still loves me when I pretend I don't hear her, who has cooked for me so I don't have to eat potato chips for dinner for the 4th night in a row, and most importantly who has empowered me to not be afraid of my food allergies-to live fully and responsibly but without fear. I am strong and taking control because I have always had her example to look up to. Love you, mom.

We have just one week left and less than $200 left to raise!!!! Help us reach our goal so we can make cooking easier and more fun for a lot of moms out there!!!

Awesome infographic from Food Allergy Research & Education that shows how much we need something like Scratch Test Kitchen!!!

Hey everyone! Our kickstarter just went live!!! Please check it out and help us reach our goal. We can't wait to start making a show that makes cooking with allergies easier and way more fun!!! Please spread the word and share where you can!!! Thanks!

I don’t know how many times I just want to laugh at this question and then ask if they have an extra ream of paper for me to write out the whole list. It seems especially silly when I’m asked this at the doctor’s office and am not allergic to any medications.

“Um, well…”I answer, “just food.”

“Just food?”

“Yep, like most of it. (I list major food groups here) But I’m not allergic to any medications.”

Then we move on.

This weekend though, I’ve realized that without knowing it, that I AM allergic to some medications. Not because of the medicine, but because of the corn starch used to bind it all into a little white pill.

I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday, and besides the strange and terrifying reaction I had to the anesthesia (not sure if that was allergy related or just some strange tapping into the crazy part of my brain), they sent me home with a prescription for Hydrocodone.

After half a day of not being able to keep anything (food or meds) down, I called my dentist and he expertly prescribed flat coca-cola to coat my stomach. After I explained that I couldn’t drink regular coke because of the corn syrup (I actually had told him about my corn allergy in the earlier discussion), he prescribed a real nausea pill that worked. All was well.

Until day 3 when I was still feeling nauseated after taking the painkiller. Was there not enough in my stomach? Was it just too strong? Let’s try regular Tylenol.

LET’S NOT.

Inactive ingredient: Corn Starch.

Here is a list of medications that use corn starch as a binder…It’s only the beginning of my research into this, but I wanted to get the start of this information out there asap. If my mom hadn’t suggested checking the box (she’s a genius) I never would have thought of the possibility.  

When you think about it, Ash Wednesday feels a lot like the day after you've been diagnosed with allergies. I can’t have these things, how am I going to spend the next (40 days/life) omitting that?

So…on this Ash Wednesday morning as I sit (having procrastinated as usual) trying to think of what to give up, these thoughts about the usual things cross my mind:

I could give up candy…easy, but I’m allergic to corn syrup so it would kind of be cheating because I can’t eat it anyway.

I could give up baked goods…but really, on the rare occasion that I find baked goods I can eat…there’s no way I’m going to be able to resist

I could give up alcohol….but I don’t drink that much and my sister is moving to Florida…so her going away party would just be setting me up to fail

I could give up potato chips…but seeing as they’re my main source of food, I don’t know what I would eat

I could give up chocolate…but no.

And then I thought…Allergies shouldn't be about giving things up, they should be an exploration of new and creative ways to cook and look at food. So for this Lent I’m going give up my negative thoughts on my allergies-and I want you all to call me out if I start to complain!

I’m going to take ownership of my health, my body, and importantly: my nutrition. I’m giving up grabbing a bag of chips for dinner instead of pausing to look in the cupboard harder and find something to cook (well…after tech week is over, at least). I’m giving up feeling sorry for myself when I can’t eat a pizza. I can make my own or find something that’s healthier and still delicious.

This recipe was introduced to me on vacation at the beach a couple years ago. Our friend Jamar (he’s the best…check out Apple Spice Junction if you’re in the VA area!) made this breakfast casserole and I couldn’t eat it because of the bread, but once he and I nailed down the bread recipe I posted yesterday, we were set to go! It’s amazing. It’s especially perfect for holidays when the whole family is together, or gatherings when you want something prepared ahead of time that you can just pop in the oven.

I can’t even explain how delicious it is. You just have to make it and see for yourself. I also assume that the recipe can be halved if you want to make it a bit smaller!

Ingredients

18 eggs

1 cup sausage (make sure to check the label, there are only a few types I can eat because of corn syrup)

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup spinach (cooked)

1 cup cheese (white cheddar-you could probably use any kind of cheese you want, but I won't eat orange cheese so I prefer white cheddar)

1/3 to 1/2 loaf of bread

Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the mushrooms, spinach, and sausage. (Separately or together…whatever’s easier. It doesn’t really matter as they’re all ending up in the same pan)

In a giant bowl, mix the eggs so that they’re a bit beaten. Add the bread, mushrooms, spinach, sausage, and cheese. Stir.

Grease a baking dish and dump it all in!

Let it sit overnight so that everything soaks together and creates magic.

In a preheated 350 degree oven, cook the casserole (covered with foil) for 45 minutes.

Take the foil off, stir a bit, and let it brown for a few minutes. 

Enjoy! Let me know if you've tried it and what you think!

(Also, this is what it looks like (delicious) but someone couldn't wait to take a piece before I took a picture...)

(That someone was me. Seriously it's too good)

There is not much in this world as comforting or versatile as a piece of bread. It can sop up sauce, hold together meats and cheeses, start a meal, or stand alone.  It’s cheap to buy, easy to make, filling, and perfectly delicious.

When these allergies popped up I was resolved to find the perfect glutenybread substitute. This proved harder than I imagined, because of that pesky xanthan gum and all of the normal GF brands that use corn. (Or pear juice. There’s a bread I can eat except for the fact that it uses PEAR JUICE. RUDE.) I've tried a lot of bread recipes and this one is definitely the best so far.

It tastes delicious, rose like a champ, and doesn't disintegrate in your mouth which is always a bonus. I have cut out the xanthan gum completely, so I'm sure if you use a gum of sorts it'll crumble a little less, but it actually stands up better than I expected. The best thing about this bread is that it can be used for all the same purposes that real bread can be. There’s a great Breakfast Casserole recipe that I will be posting tomorrow that I've used this bread in, it’s awesome on its own accompanying dinner, and I used it to sop up the ridiculously good Broccoli Cheddar soup I made a while ago.

The recipe (tweaked a bit from the King Arthur Gluten Free recipe site):

Ingredients

3 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

A pinch of salt

1 cup warm milk

4 tablespoons soft butter

3 eggs

  Directions

Prep the yeast—follow the directions on the yeast for how to activate it and add the sugar. Let that sit for a bit.

In a mixer, combine the flour and salt, then add the yeast mixture. Mix until combined.

While the mixer is on low speed, add the milk, then butter, then eggs—one at a time. Turn the mixer on high and beat until the dough is smooth.

Cover the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour.

Scoop the dough into a well-greased bread pan. Grease plastic wrap, cover the pan, and let it sit for another hour.

Towards the end of the hour preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes (or until it looks done).

This bread really does come out tasting amazing--it's hard not to eat it all in one go....but come back tomorrow for an amazing breakfast recipe that will make you want to save at least half the loaf (or make another)!!

You know, allergies aren't so bad sometimes. They can force you to sit down and get creative with making meals from scratch, and they can also be an excuse to chomp on potato chips and chocolate whenever you want. The problem is though, that there is really nothing in between those two options. When you’re running with an overbooked schedule and need food that will last through a day, options are pretty scarce.

I can’t have traditional fast food, because their bread shrouded everything is an obvious no-go, and even their salads are laced with corn syrup. (Plus, things like the McRib exist)

Enter: Chipotle

There is nothing more magical in this world than Chipotle. Specifically, a burrito bowl, white rice, fajitas, steak, medium AND mild salsa. You may have your own version of Chipotle magic, but that is mine.

Chipotle is fast food. Sure you have to sit down and eat it, but it’s available immediately and with the speed I inhale it, doesn't take that long of a pit stop.

Chipotle is healthy and filling. All of their options will fill you up for an entire day without bogging you down. Their nutrition facts are easy to find, and you can even plug in exactly what you've put into your meal and it’ll calculate specific nutrition facts for you.

Most importantly, Chipotle has all of the allergy appeal of getting to choose your own ingredients that Subway does, with none of the obnoxiously good-smelling fertilizer bread to make you more depressed about having to eat a salad and not a sub. They are also really amazing at presenting all of their allergy facts on their website (laid out in a handy chart), and all of the ingredients in each component (including marinades, cooking oils, etc).

Plus everything there tastes damn good.

There's nothing better during a snowstorm than a huge bowl of warm soup. Broccoli cheddar is amazing, so it seemed like a good choice to try first. I substituted All Purpose Gluten Free flour to make the rue--It's a fine substitution since it's just a thickening agent. I also substituted parsnips for the carrots--basically the same vegetable except without all of the beta-carotene that I'm allergic to. 

It turned out really well after I messed up the first try at adding the half and half to the rue. If you make sure to heat it up though, you should be fine. And it'll get a little lumpy as you start to add it, but that's just the flour doing its job and it'll smooth out. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp melted butter

½ medium chopped onion

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup flour (King Arthur GF All Purpose)

2 cups half and half cream

2 cups chicken stock

½ pound fresh broccoli

1 cup parsnip, julienned

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.       Sauté onion in butter, set aside

2.       In a small saucepan, heat half and half over low heat just until it’s warm.

3.       In a pot, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes.   When mixed, add the half and half. Add the chicken stock and let simmer for 20 minutes.

4.       Add the broccoli, onion, and parsnip. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes.

I wrote this letter to Starbucks the other day....They responded with a form letter that had 'corn syrup' filling in the blank of customer complaint, but they said they would pass it along (yeah, right.) So I posted it to their Facebook today, hoping to get an answer!

Dear Starbucks,

I love you, but if we were on Facebook our relationship status would have been switched to “It’s Complicated” today. I used to love everything about Starbucks; I don’t drink coffee but your chai lattes keep me functioning as a human and not a raging bear. The thing I loved most about Starbucks though, was your complete lack of corn syrup in any of your products. I can’t tell you how happy it made me, as someone who is allergic to corn and therefore corn syrup, that I could go to Starbucks and experiment with shots and flavors and syrups and treats and not have to worry.

The first hiccup in our relationship happened early this year. There was a candy of yours that I loved (chocolate and red berry chewy balls of glory) and was so happy I could eat, especially since most candy is off limits with a corn syrup allergy. I bought a pack of them one morning before work, and after a short bit I started to feel very, very ill. Looking back at everything I had eaten that day I found (to my complete surprise) that you had added corn syrup to the list of ingredients! I was sad, but moved on since it was a prepackaged product and I wondered if you even had any control over it (though I wish the switch had been announced somehow to avoid the puking I did that day).

Everything went fine for some time, until today. Another snack I thoroughly enjoyed was your ‘Rice Krispy’ treats. Do you know how difficult it is in the US to find marshmallow that doesn’t use corn syrup? But you, dear Starbucks, you made it easy to have a sweet little bite every now and again. This morning on my trip to caffeinate myself, I bought one of your Marshmallow Dream bars and was surprised to find it packaged. Curious, I looked at the ingredients (wondering what substitution you used as an alternative to corn syrup) and I was appalled to see ‘corn syrup’ on the list!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, STARBUCKS??

You’ve now taken away all sense of comfort that I used to have when I walked into your door. What else are you adding corn syrup into? I know it’s cheaper in the US, but you owe it to your customers to carry on with your tradition of a corn syrup free store. I’m sad, angry, hurt, and disappointed. Hopefully this is just another bump in the road of our love and we will return to normal soon.

With (complicated) love,

Holidays can be great times to spend with your family, be thankful for the things you have, celebrate love and life and blah, blah, blah. However, holidays can also be the most stressful days of the year because no matter what you try to put the focus on, the real focus of the day will always be on the food. Everyone gathers around the table and sits down to a meal to stuff their faces full of all the delicious dishes someone has spent hours trying to perfect so the in-laws won’t judge too harshly. Holiday meals are stressful enough, and when we have food allergies suddenly what should be the relaxing part of the meal (the eating) becomes even more stressful. When you’re a kid with food allergies it’s simple because your mom or dad tells you exactly what you can and cannot have, and they tend to make sure most things are allergy-free. When you grow up into not-adult-enough-to-have-your-own-family-and-meal but adult-enough-to-make-your-own-food-decisions, things get a little more difficult. If you want allergy-free things, you’re probably going to have to make them yourself, and there will definitely be more food you can’t have on the table. It’s amazing that even when you can have the turkey and mashed potatoes and bacon Brussels sprouts, and when you've made your own biscuits and gravy, the stuffing and cranberry sauce and pie that you can’t have immediately become the things you want most (I wasn't upset about the green beans). In order to avoid holiday breakdowns, there are some things you should do BEFORE the holiday to prepare yourself. I stress doing these things before the holiday because 3pm on Thanksgiving is not the right time to want to go to Whole Foods and find a stuffing mix you might be able to have (only not the right time because they’re not open. I called.) 1. Prepare YOUR food Having things you can eat already prepared is the most important thing to do. If your family is like mine and holiday meals consist of pretty much whatever we decide the day before, it can make it harder to know what you will be missing out on, but hopefully you know the menu a bit ahead of time. Figure out what of the menu items are already allergen-free (for me it’s meats, potatoes, and green vegetables (except green beans, of course) and that will give you a good starting point.  Next, look at all the side dishes you can’t have, and figure out which are your favorites. Stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving—I should have been much more prepared to suffer the loss of that by finding a suitable replacement. If there are five side dishes, pick your favorite two or three and scour the internet (or hopefully by next year just pop back to Scratch Test Kitchen) to find ways to make substitutions. I promise it will be worth the little bit of extra energy and money to make the holiday more enjoyable. 

2. Prepare your emotions One of the best parts about holidays is that they’re usually spent with people you don’t see every day. This can also make it difficult for food allergy sufferers, because around dinner time there will be an onslaught of “Why aren't you eating that?” “What are you allergic to again?” “What CAN you have?” “Can you just try a little bit of it?” and that can get overwhelming. Take a minute before you drive your aunt and uncles, fly to your grandparents, or walk down the stairs to the kitchen to steel yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror and repeat out loud all of your allergies (or the abridged list if you have a novel of them), explain briefly what will happen if you eat that pecan pie, list the dishes on the table you can have, etc. Then, after each prepared answer, tell yourself a joke or a secret or something that will make you laugh or smile.  When you get to dinner and the questions come, you can explain your answer, but then you’ll have that nugget of happiness to follow it up instead of feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. It will help you keep your emotions in check when your allergies are brought up.

I used to be a vegetarian (well…except for Chinese food…that stuff is too good). When I found out I was allergic to basically all other major protein sources (nuts, soy, beans, etc) I had to shift gears a bit and reintroduce meat to my diet. Sometimes though, it’s nice to find a meal that can be both vegetarian and allergy-free, and that can be filling and light at the same time.

I give you: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Super easy, super quick, super delicious.

Ingredients:

4 large portobello caps (you can do it with smaller ones, but it makes a nice meal if you keep them big) 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 cup fresh chopped spinach (not cooked) ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 cup marinara sauce Italian seasoning, salt, pepper—to taste  Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put mushrooms (gill side up) on a (sprayed*) baking sheet. Lightly salt and pepper the caps and roast for about 20 minutes.  Mix ricotta, spinach, ¼ cup parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.  Heat up marinara sauce in a separate bowl in the microwave—shouldn't need much more than a minute.

When the mushrooms are done, drain the liquid out of each cap. Spread the marinara sauce on each, then heap the ricotta mixture on top. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top and bake for about 10 minutes.

Serve with the remaining marinara sauce and enjoy!!!

Now that you've learned how to make tortillas, it’s time to make some tacos! Besides the lettuce, cheese, and sour cream (or whatever other non-cooked items you load tacos with), the two best toppings are ground beef and salsa.

Beef isn't an allergen for me, but if you try to buy store-bought seasoning mixes you will usually find corn starch in them! I thought it would take a lot of work to put my own mix together….but it really wasn't. Some thanks to Emeril Lagasse and various other recipes for making it so easy!

Both were actually pretty easy to make, but the recipes I got were enough to feed about ten people. If you’re making these for yourself or just a couple people you might want to halve it all!  Or just have a party and invite all your friends for a delicious allergen free taco bar everyone can love!

SALSA!

Ingredients: 4 tomatoes (seeded and chopped) 1 cup chopped white onions 5 tsp minced garlic ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice 4 serrano peppers (or jalapeños or any other spicy pepper) ½ teaspoon salt

Directions: Mix it all up! Can’t get much easier than that, can you?

GROUND BEEF!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil 1 ½ cup chopped onion (or you can use the trick I mentioned a couple weeks ago and grate the onion so all the juices are released!) 3 tablespoons minced garlic 3 tablespoons ground cumin 2 pounds ground beef 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper 1 ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups beef broth (I used less because the pan wasn't big enough) ¼ cup tomato paste

Directions:

In a HUGE frying pan (I had to switch once I realized how much 2 pounds of beef actually is…) heat up the oil and add the onions. Once they start to turn translucent add the garlic and cumin. Fry those together for a minute or two and then add the beef. Let the beef brown for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up as you go. Then add the chipotle pepper and salt. Next comes the tomato paste and beef broth. Mix that in and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, letting the liquid cook out.