Reblogged from The Food Allergy Chronicles:

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This weekend, I embarked on writing on the topic of cross-contamination. As a parent with children with food allergies…it is one of my greatest fears.

The more I wrote, the more I realized how much a factor it plays in my daily life. Cross-contamination touches so many parts of my life the story seemed to take on a life of its own.

Read more… 504 more words

Thanks to Circle of Moms search for the 'Top Food Allergy Mom Bloggers' in North America, I met Susan, the blogger at 'Food Allergy Chronicles'. The food allergy blogging world is like one big happy family with a high sense of camraderie. It's quite simply because our objective is simple - 'make the world a safer place for food allergy sufferers'. To that end - we are constantly learning from each other... What I love best about her blog is - Susan writes about her experiences raising 2 sons with food allergies - field trips, school, vacations and more. My son is much younger than hers so I learn a lot about what to expect through her experiences. Of course her recipes are also delish and her baked good are supremely decadent!!! All her recipes are healthy, nutritious, dairy-free and nut-free. And this particular recipe is free of all the top 8 food allergens too. But, what makes it extra special is that it is also free of 2 other allergens that are becoming increasingly dangerous - sesame seeds and mustard seeds. Thank you Susan for letting me share this kid-friendly delicious post on Allergy Foodie :-)

So, here is a dish to celebrate Spring – light, flavorful and elegant ‘Mint Rice’! It does not contain any of the top 8 food allergens and is also free of mustard, sesame and corn. Yes – it still tastes delish!

• Time: 30 – 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings as a main dish

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice:  1 cup
2. Bay leaves: 2
3. Whole Peppercorn: 4 – 5
4. Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp
5. Garlic Cloves: 2 (finely sliced)
6. Mint leaves (destemmed and julienned): 1/3 cup
7. Oil: 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small sautee pan.
2. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir till it becomes a light golden brown.
3. Now add the cut mint leaves and stir. In about a minute the leaves will will wilt. Keep it aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp  oil on medium flame in a heavy bottomed, deep 2 quart vessel.
5. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and peppercorn and stir for about a minute or till the cumin seeds and bay leaves turn a darker brown.
6. Add the rice and stir for a 2-3 minutes till the rice is coated well with the oil.
7. Add 2 cups of water to the rice and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to a medium-low and cover leaving a slight vent for the steam to escape.
8. Stir once in 5 minutes to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom. When all the moisture is almost completely absorbed. Cover the dish and switch off the flame.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then add add the sauteed mint and garlic. Add salt to season and mix everything by gently fluffing it with a fork.
10. Serve warm

That’s when it suddenly dawned on me…a parent/caretaker alone cannot keep a child safe! A lot of people contribute through big and small actions to make the life of a food allergic child joyous – family, friends, teachers and more. In fact, I would go a step further and say that it is impossible to raise a healthy and confident food allergic child without society’s help.

In my mind, the one person who stands ‘tall’ amidst them is my niece who was but a child herself when Arjun was born.  The 9 year old would get up at 6 am despite her summer vacations just to see a 4 month old Arjun cackling with laughter. Since then a life-long bond of love, laughter, empathy and friendship was forged between these two cousins. So, this special post is dedicated to Soumya on her 16th birthday.

When they first met...

If I were to pick one person to take care of Arjun’s food in my absence, it would be her because she has taken it upon herself to know exactly what he is allergic to and how to read the ingredient statement. A few years back, the two of them were decorating a gingerbread house over Christmas with friends. I skimmed over the ingredient list of  the icing and deemed it safe for Arjun to eat a couple of spoons. My niece kept asking me if I was sure and made me go through the list again. Oh boy - was she right! It contained egg whites and within minutes Arjun’s lips swelled up and he started throwing up. Thank god – it was not more serious than that but from then on – ‘I listen to her!’

Frantic Easter Egg Hunt

That being said – another person who plays an equally big role in Arjun’s life is Soumya’s big sis Shruti who, I can totally rely on to take care of any emergency. Between the two of them – they make Arjun feel safe in a way only siblings can…

Arjun's first Christmas gift from his cousins - Elmo

So many of Arjun’s childhood moments were first experienced with his beloved Soumya…pillow fight, tents, kiddie science experiments, making a snowman, sledding, summer fun – waterpark, beach et al,  trick-or-treating and so much more!

She has helped my 6-year old gain confidence and feel loved in so many ways.

…when she found Arjun’s allergy-friendly dishes very tasty – it gave him the confidence that his food might be different but no less tasty than regular food.

…she is the one who has taught my shy little one how to make friends in a new school.

…to celebrate her 16th birthday, she wanted a movie-date exclusively with Arjun. So, Arjun went without his mom for the first to see Lorax and he wasnt scared because his big sis was with him. How special is that!!!

…she has been instrumental in making me realize that I should not let Arjun have an easy pass on other things just because of his allergies. That has definitely put him on the path of being strong despite limitations rather than being the object of pity.

…incidentally, she is also one of Allergy Foodie’s most ardent supporters

There is so much more I could write but then this would cease being a ‘post’ and become a book instead!

She has learnt a lot in the process too – she saw for the first time in her young life that life could be tough. I still cannot forget her eyes brimming with tears as she saw Arjun strapped up to the hospital bed for a medical procedure. But, she fought back those tears and read him books and played board games with him instead.

The connection - 'fellow pirates'

To celebrate my 100th post a dish bursting with energy, colors, nutrients and the spirit of fresh Spring seemed appropriate so here is - ‘Allergy Friendly  Rösti with a layered salad’. The dish looks so elaborate, festive and gourmet that it almost comes as a surprise that it is so easy to put together. Above all – it is just the kind of dish that my niece and son would love too…

Now, what is a Rösti?! As epicurious.com puts it a rösti [RAW-stee, ROOSH-tee] is: In Switzerland rösti  means “crisp and golden.” The term refers to foods (today, usually shredded potatoes) sautéed on both sides until crisp and browned. Rösti potatoes are pressed into a flattened pancake shape while browning. Instead of just using potatoes to make an allergy friendly rösti, we will uuse a medley of vegetables to kick up the nutrition quotient.

Rösti with layered salad

Ingredients:

For the rösti:

1. 4 medium sized potatoes (yukon gold works well)
2. 10 beans stringed and cut into small pieces
3. 1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
4. 1 cup spinach cut finely
5. 2 tbsp Rice Flour
6. Paprika powder
7. 1/2 tsp: Cumin powder (optional)
8. 1/2 tsp Coriander powder (optional)
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil to pan fry (approximately 2 tbsp)

For the salad:

1. 1 large carrot grated
2. 1/2 cucumber (preferably seedless) cut into small cubes
3. 1/4 cup cooked corn (use frozen corn)
4. 1 cup sprouts (mung bean sprouts work especially well)
5. 1 medium onion finely diced
6. 1 large tomato cut into small cubes.
7. 2 very thinly sliced serrano chilis or 1 very thinly sliced jalapeno.
8. 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)
9. 1/4 tsp Cumin powder (optional)
10. 1/4 tsp Paprika powder (optional)
11. Salt to taste
12. Any allergy-friendly crunchies (I used rice and lentil chips)

Method:

1. Boil and peel the potatoes. Cook the cut carrots and beans either with the potatoes or separately.
2. Mix the cooked veggies, chopped spinach and other dry ingredients for the rosti and make a soft dough.
3. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll it into a smooth ball and gently press it down into a 1/2 inch thick disc.
4. Heat a shallow frying pan or skillet (preferably cast-iron) on medium heat. Use a brush to spread oil on the pan evenly.
5. When the pan is hot, place 4-6 Röstis in the center of the pan and cook till a beautiful golden brown – about 3-4 minutes.
6. Flip it and press down lightly. Cook for 3-4 minutes more.
7. Keep the cooked Röstis aside.
8. When ready to serve, form an assembly line of all the salad items that you would like to top the Röstis with. Start by placing 3-4 Röstis in an individual serve salad bowl.
9. Now start layering all the salad vegetables in any order atop the Röstis. Finsh it off with a sprinkle of paprika, cumin powder and salt. Finally, top it with an allergy friendly crunchy of your choice.

Shredded carrots and corn...

Topped with cucumbers...

Then come the diced tomatoes...

Followed by the onions...

Followed by chillis and paprika for heat and a dash of salt and cumin powder

Garnish with cilantro...

Topped with mung bean sprouts...

The grand finale - top it with some crunchies or chips!

Allergy Friendly Rösti with layered salad - 'Spring'alicious!

Options:

Apart from the toppings that I have used, a few other toppings that work great are:

• Grated lettuce
• Grated beetroot
• Grated radish
• Diced peppers (red, yellow, orange. yellow)
• Any beans like kidney beans, black beans etc.
• Pour 1/2 tsp of lemon or lime juice in the end
• Instead of lemon juice, add 1/2 tsp tamarind juice and/ or coriander chutney

Finally my longest post to date comes to an end with – ‘Thank you to all the people who have made a conscious effort to make Arjun and my life easier…family, friends, teachers and even strangers!’

Happy Spring…

Ingredients:

1. Yellow Split Mung Bean: 1 cup (that’s it!)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 C.
2. Spread the mung bean uniformly on a baking sheet.
3. Toast the mung bean for 8 – 10 minutes. Give it a good stir after every 3-4 minutes to prevent uneven roasting. For a light yellow colored flour – toast it for 8 minutes. Longer if a more brownish yellow flour is desired.
4. Alternatively, you can dry roast it on the stovetop in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium-low heat till it brown to the desired degree. Stir constantly to prevent burning. As the bean gets toasted, the nutty rich aroma of mung bean will waft through your kitchen – yummy!
5. Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely.
6. Grind it to a very fine flour in a high-power dry grinder. The flour should feel as soft as all-purpose flour to touch. A word of caution: a coffee grinder will ‘not’ yield very fine flour. Most of my recipes do call for fine flour! However, a coarser grind may be more appropriate for some recipes.
7. Let the flour cool down completely before storing it in an airtight container.

A quick note – cilantro and coriander leaves are just different words for the same herb,Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro is a Spanish word and is widely used in the US but it is referred to as coriander in UK and India. A nutritional side-note – coriander or cilantro contains antooxidants and has medicinal uses too.

If you want to know more about this fragrant herb - I found this short write-up on cilantro/coriander very informative. Growing up in India, one of my fav home projects with mom was gardening and a coriander patch was a must, given the ubiquitous usage of coriander leaves and seeds in Indian cooking. I try to do the same with my little one and if growing your own herbs is something you enjoy, this article on ‘How to grow Coriander (Cilantro)’ is pretty good. So easy and so much cheaper than buying it though coriander leaf bunches are very reasonably priced in South Asian stores ( $1 for 2 bunches of leaves during summer months)

Presenting Allergy Friendly Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto…

• Time: 25 mins
• Yield: Approximately 1 – 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

1. Cilantro: 3 cups, packed (just remove the very thick stems)
2. Olive Oil: ¼ cup
3. Pumpkin Seeds:  ½ cup
4. Serrano Chili, finely chopped: 1 (Entirely optional. The tropical country gal in me add 4-5 of these chilies!!! )
5. Juice of 1/2 a lemon
6. Garlic cloves, finely chopped: 2
7. Freshly ground black pepper: 1/4 tsp (use only if not using chilis)
8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Spread the pumpkin seeds evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 C for 10-12 minutes. The seeds will brown and puff up. Let it cool down for a couple of minutes.
2. In a food processor, pulse grind the cilantro, pumpkin seeds, chili, garlic and salt until well blended. Add a tablespoon of water to help easy grinding. Add freashly ground black pepper for heat if not using chili
3. Now add the olive oil slowly and continue grinding till it is well-blended and reaches pesto consistency.
4. Remove it into a container and add the lemon juice and stir well.
5. Use as a sauce with pasta, as a spread on toast, to enhance the flavor of sandwiches and more…yummm!

Since, I just could not come up with a name for the dish in English that would reflect the true nature of the dish - I threw it out as a question to my Facebook friends.  So, this post is an ode to all the fun names they came up with…Niv, a most creative food blogger of Panfusine came up with ‘Kedgeree’, the British dish that traces its roots back to the India Khichri and uses fish and rice. Mohita, my high school pal, names it ‘Rictle’ – Rice + Lentil, dear Indu called it the ‘Rice Porridge’, my cherished undergrad friend Helen wondered if ‘Rice Polenta’ should be the way to go and Kamy coined a real cool name - the ‘Indypot’ or Indian hot pot Finally, decided to stick with the original name as suggested by the guys. They made school a barrel of fun but stuck to tradition when it came to dish-naming – Navin, a grad school pal and Vivek, an undergrad friend  Thanks all – given the various names, even a first-time taster can hazard a guess as to what the dish is going to taste like…

Ingredients:

1. Yellow split mung bean: 1/2 cup
2. Rice: 1/2cup (preferably Basmati rice)
3. Oil: 1/2 tbsp
4. Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp (optional)
5. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp (optional)
6. Curry leaves: 7-8 (optional)
7. Freshly crushed peppercorn: 1/4 tsp
8. Salt: to taste

Steps:

1. Wash and drain the mung bean and rice mixture.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed quart vessel. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves to the heated oil and stire till the cumin seeds become a darker brown.
3. Add the rice and mung bean mixture and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 3 cups of water and the tumeric powder to the mixture. 
5. Bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Cover it leaving a ent for the steam to escape.
6. Stir the mixture every 5 minutes. It will be cooked in 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup water more if a more gooey texture is desired.

Serve it hot with mashed potatoes.

The making of Allergy Friendly (AF) Mini Savory Bean Pie…

• Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Crust:

1. In a heavy bottomed vessel add a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp shortening to 1 and ¼ cup water and bring it to a boil. Simultaneously, boil ¼ cup water and keep it aside.
2. Lower the flame completely and add the rice flour slowly while stirring the mixture constantly. If the dough seems too dry add the extra boiled water that had been kept aside. Turn off the heat and cover it with a damp kitchen paper towel. The dough forms in less than a minute.
3. As my dear friend Indu reminded me – once the dough cools down knead it thoroughly again to get a smoother crust. Thanks girl for the shout-out

Filling:

1. Wash and soak the mung bean/matpe bean in enough water to cover it completely for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind it coarsely in a blender with just enough water so the blades can move.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of shortening on low flame in a small nonstick pan. Add the coarsely ground thick batter to the pan with salt to taste. Stir it constantly to ensure that it the batter has no excess moisture in it but remains moist. Remove from heat.

Putting it together:

1. Melt 1 tbsp of shortening. Use some of this to grease the inside of 6 ramikens using some of the melted butter substitute. On a pastry board spread out 1 square foot of plastic wrap. .
2. Grease the tip and palm of your fingers with a little bit of the melted butter. Take a ball of dough slightly bigger than a golf ball. Roll it into a smooth ball ensuring there are no lumps and press it down in the center of the spread out plastic wrap.
3. With the tips of your greased fingertips gently spread the dough to a size large enough to fit the bottom of the ramiken.  Dough made from rice flour is a little brittle and will form cracks as your spread it. Don’t worry about it – just seal it with your fingers. In fact, the few cracks and rough edges add to the homemade country appeal.
4. Gently turn over the flattened dough onto the palm of your hand and press it down into the ramiken. Smooth out any rough edges or splits with your fingertips.
5. Add 1/6th of the prepared filling into the flattened dough lined ramiken. Now flatten out another ball of dough to fit the top of the mini-pie and lay it gently on top of the filling. Pinch the edges just like a regular pie. Use the edge of a greased fork to give the crimped look. Prepare the remaining mini-pies the same way. 
6. If you own a steamer, place the ramikens on a plate that will fit inside the steamer and steam the pie for 12 – 14 minutes. You may need to steam the mini-pies in 2 batches.
7. If you don’t own a steamer: Take a big and deep vessel and add 2 inches of water to it. Place a vessel inside it and a plate on top of it. Now place the ramikens on the plate. Cover the vessel with a lid leaving a little gap for the steam to escape or cover it with a muslin cloth. Steam it on medium high flame for 12 – 14 minutes.
8. Wait for the steamer to cool down slightly before removing the steamed pies. Let the pies cool down…lo and behold – Allergy Friendly Mini Savory Bean Pies are ready to be served

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup(s) of White Rice Flour
2. 4 tbsp. of any Allergy Friendly oil/shortening
3. 1 cup(s) of Frozen Fresh Grated Coconut
4. 2/3 cup(s) of Jaggery / Dark Brown Sugar 
5. 1/8 tsp. of Cinnamon/ cardamom powder

Method:

The words of Tagore – a poet and Nobel laureate come to mind:

‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free…
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action…’

So, this post is by way of my Thanksgiving for the opportunity to get my voice heard and features one of my all-time favorite comfort foods growing up – ‘crispy, diced potatoes’. Yup – potatoes are one my favorite vegetables if you can call it that

Crispy Diced Potatoes

Ingredients:

1. 6 medium-sized Potatoes (preferably Yukon gold)
2. Oil: 1 tablespoon
3. Mustard seeds: 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
4. Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon
5. Paprika: 1 teaspoon
6. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes and wash thoroughly.
2. Cut into small 1/2 inch cubes as follows:
   

   Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick circles.

   

   Stack 2-3 circles and cut them into 1/2 inch thick strips

   

   Now cut it cross-wise to get smal cubes.

3. This is how the cubed potatoes look – arent they cute?
4. Heat the oil in a dry heavy bottomed wide vessel on low to medium flame.
5. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds carefully. You will hear a mild popping sound as the mustard seeds heat up.
6. As the popping slows dows (much like while popping corn) add the potatoes and the turmeric powder.
   

   Add diced potatoes and turmeric powder to the heated oil.

7. Stir thoroughly so that the cute cubed potatoes are evenly coated with turmeric. Cook covered and stir every 3-4 minutes.  
8. In about 20 – 25 mintues (depending on the type of potato) it will be almost cooked. Add the paprika powder or chilli powder ( if you like to turn up the heat) and salt.
9.  Stir well and continue cooking uncovered for to the desired level of crispiness…
10. Serve as a part of the Thanksgiving side dish spread. Alternatively, it can be servved as an appetizer atop a crouton, cracker, bread or tortilla. Of course, ensure that whatever it is served with is AF (Allergy Friendly)!As

A word of caution – there is probably no food out there that is hypoallergenic in the true sense of the word. So, people could be allergic to potaotes too though the incidence of it is far lower than the top 8 food allergens as of today.

Not to sound like a strict nutritionist but seriously cauliflower is  a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and an awesome source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese.

So, consider dressing up your festive table with this powerhouse of nutrition – Allergy Friendly (AF) Roasted Cauliflower!

The dish alongside my son's Thanksgiving craft

Yield: Can serve as a side dish for upto 8 people.

Ingredients:

1. 1 head of Cauliflower
2. Tumeric: 1/4 teaspoon
3. Paprika powder: 1 teaspoon
4. Oil: 1 – 1.5 tablespoons
5. Cumin Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
6. Coriander powder: 1/2 teaspoon
7. Garlic cloves: 1-2
8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Break the head of cauliflower into small florets and wash thoroughly.
   

   Washed Cauliflower Florets.

2. In a heavy bottomed deep saucepan heat the oil on low-medium heat.
3. When the oil heats up (there will be a slight haze above the oil and you can smell the oil) add the garlic and stir it till it is light golden brown.
4. Now add the cauliflower and the tumeric and stir so that the tumeric coats the florets evenly.
   

   Ass tumeric to the cauliflower

   

   Stir to coat the cauliflower evenly.

5. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times to ensure it is not sticking to the bottom.
6. Add paprika, coraiander powder, cumin powder and salt and stir again.
   

   Add remaining spices and stir.

7. Depending on the quality of the cauliflower, it will release water and make it mushy and flavorless. To prevent that from happening – increase the heat if it becomes watery. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes if you like it crisp or longer if you like it roasted a dark golden brown – like I do  
   

   Just about cooked...

8. Serve it as a side dish on your Thanksgiving table - it can be had as-is, with a tortilla, with some white rice or with plain pasta. 
   

   Delicious and Healthy

Tips

• All the spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, garic, tumeric and tumeric powder) are optional. Use it only if you are not allergic to them. Cauliflower is a delicious and healthy vegetable and tastes awesome.
• Garnish it with 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro or parsley. The fresh green against the yellow roasted cauliflower – pretty as a picture!!!
• This dish can be prepared beforehand and reheated in the microwave without any significant loss of flavor or texture.

Aah – this countdown has put me in the Holiday spirit already! Enjoy and take care