Spicy Potato Salad with No Common Allergens

 

Some potato salads are bland. This potato salad, besides containing no common allergens, is very well seasoned. 

     2 tsp. oregano (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1 Tb. Aleppo pepper (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1/2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (See Juice in the Glossary) 
     salt (See Salt in the Glossary) 
     1-1/2 c. red onion cut into slivers
     6 c. peeled potatoes cut in 1/2" or 3/4" cubes
     1/2 c. olive oil (See Oil in the Glossary) 

     Stir the oregano, Aleppo pepper, lemon juice and 1 tsp. of the salt together in a largish bowl. Stir in the onion. Set aside to marinate. 

     Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the potatoes, bring back to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. (Allow for the fact that they will become somewhat firmer as they cool off.) Strain. Immediately mix the potatoes and the olive oil into the onion mixture. Allow to  steep for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Refrigerate.

Chicken Meatballs

      These meatballs, besides being perfectly seasoned without containing any common allergens, puff up to the perfect texture when they cook.

     1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
     1/2 tsp. salt (See Salt in the Glossary) 
     1/4 c. rice flour
     1 tsp. black pepper (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1/2 tsp. dried whole celery seeds (See Spices in the Glossary) 
     1-1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (See Juice in the Glossary)
     1 onion, grated
     2 lb. ground chicken
     oil (any you are not allergic to) (See Oil in the Glossary)

     In a mixing bowl, stir together the baking soda, salt, rice flour, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and celery seeds. Add all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape as desired (I use a very small food scoop for the purpose); heat some oil and saute on medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Serve as is or simmer in a sauce for a while.

Chicken Salad With Very Few Allergens

 

   This chicken salad contains no mayonnaise or vinegar and thus doesn't have the allergens that they introduce (egg, soy, yeast, corn).  It can be dressed up, if you like, by stirring in a bit of brown mustard if you have some that you're not allergic to, or garnishing with pomegranate seeds and/or toasted pine nuts, if you're not allergic to them.

     6 T. olive oil (See Oil in the Glossary)

     juice of 1/2 lemon (See Juice in the Glossary)

     pinch of tarragon (See Spices in the Glossary)

     pinch of white pepper (See Spices in the Glossary)

     1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste (See Salt in the Glossary)

     3 cups diced cooked chicken (1/3 inch or so)

     1 cup sliced celery

     6 green onions, sliced

     Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon, pepper and salt.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Chimichurri Chicken Salad

Alternatively, if you happen to have some vinegar-free no-mayo chimichurri, mix your diced cooked chicken and cut up crunchy veggies (celery, green onions, whatever crunchy veggies you're not allergic to) and dress with chimichurri. This is a particularly delicious way to serve leftover chicken.

     

Celery Root in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Kereviz)

     Celery root, or celeriac, is a surprisingly tasty, savory vegetable you should definitely check out while learning how to cook without any of the common allergens.

     This Turkish cold dish contains no common allergens, no corn, and no yeast. It also has the advantage that it can be prepared ahead of time. Most importantly, it is delicious.

     1/4 c. olive oil (See Oil in the Glossary)
     1 medium onion, peeled, washed and chopped
     2 medium carrots, peeled, washed and chopped
     salt (See Salt in the Glossary)
     1 large celery root, peeled, washed and cut into 1-inch cubes
     juice of 2 lemons (See Juice in the Glossary)
     juice of 1/2 orange (See Juice in the Glossary)

Gently heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the onion and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and saute gently until the onion is translucent. Do not brown. Add the celery root and continue sauteing for a minute or so. Do not brown. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the celery root is tender, 20-30 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

     

 

Marinated Artichokes

 

     Marinated artichokes are delicious. If you're avoiding vinegar (whether because it's made from corn or because it's fermented and could contain traces of yeast), or if you're worried what might be lurking in the "spices," you may want to make your own. 

     juice of 1/2 lemon (See Juice in the Glossary)

     1/4 c. olive oil (See Oil in the Glossary)

     1/2 tsp. salt (See Salt in the Glossary)

     pinch of mint (See Spices in the Glossary)

     pinch of oregano (See Spices in the Glossary)

     pinch of black pepper (See Spices in the Glossary)

     4-6 large artichokes

  A. Prep the artichokes. For this you have a few choices: 

1. Trim raw artichokes as desired. At a minimum, peel off all the outer, hard, spiky leaves. I prefer peeling off all the leaves and all the fuzz. Keep the stems, but peel them. This method is time-consuming.
2. Precook the artichokes (boil for 45 minutes or so, until the inside is tender: poke with a skewer to check). Let them cool down; then trim them. (BTW, the tender parts of the leaves are good to eat.)
3. Start with a can or two of artichoke hearts; drain. Canned artichokes come packed with water containing citric acid, which is likely to be a corn product. Most of this should be removed by the next step, but be aware that this method may not be 100% corn-free.

     B. Whisk all ingredients other than the artichokes together in medium bowl. 

     

     C. Put the artichokes into a pot of boiling water; bring it back to a boil; cook: 

• Raw, thoroughly trimmed artichokes: 20 minutes or so, until tender.
• Precooked artichokes: 3-5 minutes, until hot throughout.
• Canned artichokes: 3 minutes.

     D. Drain.

   

     E. Stir the artichokes into the marinade. Stir a few times over the next half 

          hour.  

     F. Refrigerate.

Asparagus Salad

 

     Raw asparagus is delicious, but it can be a bit tough or stringy. We can improve the texture by 1) discarding any tough, woody bit at the base of the stalk, 2) slicing the asparagus pretty small, and 3) slightly tenderizing the asparagus by soaking it in an acidic dressing. 

     3 Tb. lemon juice
     1/4 c. olive oil
     1/2 tsp. salt
     1/4 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
     1/2 tsp. black pepper
     1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

     2 c. thin sliced asparagus stalks
     1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
     1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
     3 green onions, trimmed and sliced

     2 Tb. chopped fresh dill leaves

     Stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, tarragon, pepper and garlic. Stir in the asparagus and set aside to steep for 15 minutes. Mix in the remaining ingredients and serve.

Teff Porridge

      Allergic to wheat, dairy, soy and eggs? So, what's for breakfast? Gluten-free oatmeal is one possibility; teff porridge is another. Teff takes longer to cook but has a pleasant, mild flavor and an interesting, non-mushy texture. 

     1 c. whole grain teff
     water

     Bring two cups of water to a boil. Stir in the teff, and bring the water back to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in a little extra boiling water if you prefer your porridge to be more liquid. Garnish with fruit, hemp milk, brown sugar, cinnamon--whatever you like and aren't allergic to. Alternatively, butter and salt make a great garnish if you can tolerate the amount of dairy proteins in a bit of butter.