Having severe food allergies is hard, especially when trying to dine out. I’m allergic to gluten and (cow milk) dairy, and both are hidden in the most unexpected places. Some broths and stocks contain whey, certain whiskey sour mixes contain whey, (what the heck?!) and tons of dressings and sauces contain wheat. Even if I tell a waiter or waitress that I have a dairy and gluten allergy, there’s no guarantee that I won’t be accidentally poisoned.
And I can’t blame them. Who would even THINK to look in beef broth for milk?
Anaphylaxis is nothing to mess around with. Instead of focusing on everything I can’t eat, I like to think of all the yummy things I get to make from scratch at home.
The following recipe was something I made for our anniversary dinner, and it was better than we could have hoped for. Dairy free, gluten free, and tasty beyond measure. Take THAT allergies. I hope you enjoy it!
Red wine braised short ribs and roasted garlic, goat cheese, and chive mashed potatoes, with seared scallops and balsamic reduction.
Braised short ribs:
1 onion, diced
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken broth
Shake of rosemary
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Sear short ribs on all sides until brown (about 2 mins), then remove from pan and rest in oven safe baking dish. Sauté veggies in meat drippings with a hit of olive oil until soft. Add red wine and one cup of chicken broth, seasoning, then cover and cook for ten minutes, or until slightly reduced. Add veggies and second cup of chicken broth to meat, cover tightly with tinfoil, and cook for 1 hour at 350, then 375 for one more hour.
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes:
6 red potatoes (they’ve got a smaller starch content)
1 whole head of garlic
3 tbsps dried chives (or fresh if you’ve got them)
1/2 cup soy sour cream
4 tbsp soy-free butter (I like using the red earth balance brand, you don’t want to over do it with too much soy, so I change up ingredients for soy free when I can.)
2 tsps garlic powder
1/2 cup goat cheese
salt
Scrub potatoes and leave the skin on. Cut into inch or half inch chunks so they cook faster. Boil in salted water until you can stick them easily with a fork, then drain the water and add them to a bowl. I roast my garlic in the oven while the meat is cooking (about 45-50 mins while it’s set at 350), then carefully remove each clove and mash in a small bowl with chives.
Next I mash the potatoes and add butter, soy sour cream, and garlic powder. Once it’s the consistency I like, I mix the roasted garlic and chives in, making sure it’s mixed throughly. Finally, mix in goat cheese and taste. Adjust salt and sour cream as desired.
Seared scallops:
1 lb sea scallops
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Make sure your scallops are room temp to start with, then pat dry with paper towel on both sides. Add a nice amount of salt and pepper to cover the tops and bottoms. Heat your skillet to med-high and warm up just enough oil to keep your scallops from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add scallops to pan, being careful to not overcrowd the dish. Don’t turn more than once. (Let cook about 3 mins on each side to get that great sear.)
Balsamic reduction:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 tbsp soy butter
Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small sauce pan, then lower heat and simmer for about 15-20 mins, or until desired consistency. Once its where you want it to be, stir in soy butter and remove from heat. Set aside until ready to serve. You can make this first – it doesn’t have to be served warm.
Hugs, my dear! My family has a history of food allergies, too, so I know what’s it like, and how scary it is. I used to be allergic to shellfish when I was little. My skin would puff up. Now I’m ok but eating crab can give me the worst stomach cramps. Sad because I love seafood. My littlest guy can’t have dairy or nuts, so it’s hard when I have to tell him he can’t have a milkshake or the ice cream his siblings are eating. The good thing is, I cook at home. And there are stuff that can be used in place of dairy. Like, coconut spread instead of butter. Or coconut milk. I give him soy milk because he seems to like it.
Thanks for sharing your recipes! These look so yum! <3
((((((((((hugs you back)))))))))))
food allergies are the absolute WORST and are so frightening. and, ugh, a shellfish allergy must have really, really stunk, too. when i have dairy my blood pressure drops, my heart speeds up, my throat closes and i get hives.
i feel for your little guy – but i love that there are so many dairy alternatives that taste so good. one of my favorite staples to keep in the house is the tofutti brand soy sour cream – you can make dips, add it to soups to make them creamy, mashed potatoes, etc., and it tastes JUST like real sour cream. (if not better.) if you haven’t tried it already, there’s the “Soy dream” soy ice cream that’s super creamy, or the “so delicious” brand that’s equally good. (i add some very vanilla to those when i’m craving a milkshake.)
xoxoxo