Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup non-dairy butter, softened (we used Earth Balance)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients a little at a time until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand, being gently not to break chips. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Tags: Cookies, dairy free, vegan

Barbecue Chicken Burgers

Last night I was looking for something fun and quick to make for dinner that I could also feed to my milk-free munchkin. I was craving burgers (and he can’t eat beef), so I decided to whip up  bbq chicken burgers. Not only were they  SO easy AND healthy, but we all actually loved them! I didn’t have time to take a photo, but I promise I’ll try to get one next time around.

1 pound ground chicken (you could also use turkey)

1/4 cup of your favorite bbq sauce (plus more for garnish)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, sliced (optional for garnish)

milk free sandwich thins, or any other favorite milk free bun you prefer

about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

Heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating, mix the chicken with bbq sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder and form into patties (I made my munchkin’s patty super thin so he would be able to bite into it easily). Patties will be super sticky, but don’t worry!  Add the oil to the pan and spread evenly throughout. Place two patties in the pan at a time, and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. While the patties are cooking, you can caramelize the onions to top your burgers (I left this off my little man’s burger, but mom and dad gobbled them up).

When your burgers are done, place on your bun, and garnish away! We topped ours with a squirt of bbq sauce, and caramalized onions. You can also melt on a slice of dairy free cheese if you like, or for anyone wanting real cheese ,  swiss works great.

That’s it! So simple, yet so good! Do you have a similar dairy free burger recipe? Please share!

Rotini with Roasted Eggplant Purée

I can’t lie. My 1 1/2 year old is a good eater. And by good, I mean the first word out of his mouth in the morning is “lunch” (true fact) . However, he IS a kid, and occasionally he does put up a fight against the veggies. This dish did happily get gobbled up, and it was practically effortless. If you have a dairy loving husband in your house, you can easily separate portions in the last steps and add red pepper and boatloads of asiago cheese. Bon appetit!

• 1 large italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and kept whole
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to your taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley, or basil work . I used 1/4 parsley and 1/4 basil)
• 1 lb mini rotini, or other spiral pasta of your choice

Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with about a tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to your personal taste. Transfer to a single layer on a baking sheet treated with non-stick spray. Roast for about a half hour, or until eggplant is soft.

While eggplant is roasting, cook pasta as directed. Be sure to reserve about a cup and a half of the cooking water before draining.

When the eggplant is roasted, transfer to a food processor. Add herbs and puree, adding olive oil until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. Mix puree into cooked pasta, adding reserved cooking water to add a more creamy texture as needed. Season with fresh herbs and serve.

*Now would be the time to add any grown-up or dairy products. Red pepper, salt, asiago cheese, or anything you else that curls your noodle.

Zucchini and Tomato Frittata

1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped into bite sized pieces
4 eggs
1 tablespoon “milk” (we use rice, but soy or any other alternative will work)
1 tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil

Heat oil in a 9 inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onions and zucchini and saute until soft. Add tomatoes, and cook about 3-4 minutes. In a bowl, scramble together eggs and “milk”. Pour over vegetable mixture, and cook until bottom sets. Set oven to broil. Place skillet in oven, and cook frittata until cooked and top starts to brown.

(you can mix up your veggies as well. Chopped mushrooms, chopped boiled potatoes, and even ham will work in this)

Smart Ground Veggie Crumbles

When I had to eliminate dairy from my diet, I also needed to eliminate beef. I started using ground turkey for things like burgers and meatballs, and then I stumbled upon these veggie crumbles. I decided to try Smart Ground and use it to make tacos, and the result was delectable! Not only did the man of the house not realize it wasn’t beef in his tortilla, but the whole meal took only minutes to prepare. Here’s what I did:

Mix the following in a bowl to create taco seasoning:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Add Smart Ground, 1/3 cup water and seasoning  to skillet over medium heat. Heat for about 7 minutes, or until Ground is hot and water is evaporated. I used the mixture to fill warm crunchy tortilla shells, and topped it with fresh salsa and shredded lettuce. I served the tacos with a side of Mexican rice and black beans, and the whole meal took only about ten minutes to prepare! I highly recommend Smart Ground if you’re on a beef free or vegan diet, or even if you’re just trying to eat a little healthier. You can find more info about Smart Ground here.

Dairy Free & Homemade Chicken Baby Food

There are many reasons to make your own baby food, but one of the most important is to help manage your little one’s food allergy. We hear alot about recalls due to undeclared milk (unfortunately even in baby fo0d), and making your own dairy free baby food can really give you piece of mind. This recipe will make you about seven 4 oz. servings, and can be frozen in some of these nifty little storage containers. The containers pictured here were picked up at Babies R Us. They’re BPA free, as well as freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe. This recipe is perfect for babies first chicken puree, and unlike store bought baby food, it actually tastes like chicken!

1/2 lb boneless, skinless organic chicken, cut into one inch pieces
1 large organic sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil (we used extra virgin olive oil)
1 cup organic, unsweetened apple juice OR dairy free chicken stock
2-3 cups water

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute chicken until it’s no longer pink. Add sweet potato, apple, and juice. Pour in enough water to just cover everything. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. The potatoes and apples should be very soft. Puree to the desired texture according to your child’s needs. This should be kept in the refrigerator no more than 24 hours, and freezing right away is recommended. Bon Appetit, Baby! 

Cheese-Free Pizza from Amy’s

One of the hardest foods for me to give up when I started my dairy free diet was pizza. Soy cheese pizza wasn’t an option for me either since my son also has a soy allergy.  As I was strolling through the frozen pizza aisle in my grocery store one day (pouting at the freezer door like a child wanting a puppy),  something on this pizza box caught my eye. “Non-Dairy”. I didn’t get too excited since mostly everything has some form of soy in it, but I quickly started jumping up and down when I read the ingredients. This pizza is completely soy and dairy free,  not to mention delicious! It satisfied my craving for pizza, and isn’t nearly as bad for you as the pies you get with cheese. Check out the ingredients, and make sure you give this cheese free pizza a try. It’s perfect for the Milk Free Mom, especially if you’re too busy to prepare dinner.  Amy’s also has a ton of other great products, and they’re all organic and prepared within minutes! Visit them on the web at www.amys.com

Kitchen Basics

When you cook at home a lot like I do, stocks become a staple in your kitchen. Sure homemade stocks are delicious, but what busy mom has the time to prepare them? When I went dairy and soy free for my son, I had a hard time finding a stock that didn’t contain either of the two ingredients. I finally stumbled upon Kitchen Basics, which are not only delicious but allergy friendly too! Their products contain no milk, eggs, peanuts, gluten, soy, tree nuts, fish, shellfish or corn. They even offer an unsalted version of their chicken stock, which I happen to use several times a week.  Check out their  Allergen Statement and where to find their products.

Slow Cooker Carnitas with Cool Black Bean Salad

Carnitas

a 2 lb pork roast, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
chopped onion and cilantro, fresh avocado slices, and lime wedges for garnish

Place bay leaves and broth in slow cooker and turn on low. Mix spices in large bowl, and toss in pork to coat. Add pork to broth and cook on low about 5 hours, until pork shreds easily with fork. Shred in cooker and toss. Continue to cook until broth is absorbed. Serve on soft tortillas and garnish with onion, cilantro, avocado and lime.

Black Bean Salad

15 oz can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 cup corn (I used corn from a leftover ear that I had grilled the night before)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients in medium sized bowl. Cover and chill. Toss before serving.

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

This was my first attempt at black bean burgers, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had seen a few recipes with reviews saying that their burgers fell apart while they were cooking them, or that they lacked flavor and texture. These held together very well, but I did make sure that  I was extra gentle with them. They certainly didn’t lack flavor either. I even got a thumbs up from the man of the house, who usually frowns at anything that resembles healthy and isn’t smothered in butter and bacon.

Burgers

19.75 oz black beans, drained, rinse and dried well
1/2  large onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 chipotle in adobo (if you can’t handle a little kick, use half of a chipotle)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotles
1 cup tortilla chip or bread crumbs (I ran tortilla chips through the food processor until they were a bread crumb-like texture)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add beans, onion, garlic, and chipotle to food processor. Pulse until mixture is thick and pasty. In a medium mixing bowl, mix eggs, chili powder, cumin, and adobo. Work in bean mixture, then work in the tortilla crumbs. Form mixture into four patties.  Lightly oil grill. Cook patties approximately 8 minutes per side, being VERY gentle when flipping. *DO NOT PRESS ON PATTIES WITH SPATULA WHILE COOKING, OR YOUR BURGERS WILL BREAK!* These are great topped with fresh slices of avocado and a little ketchup.

Fries

Two large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch fries
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt to taste (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
red cayenne pepper to taste (I used about three pinches)

Toss fries with olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and toss. Place on OILED grill about an inch apart. Cook about ten minutes, turning once, and char to your liking. Serve hot, and plan on sharing.