Pizza, Pizza, Pizza !!!

With a cloudy, overcast sky this afternoon, I decided enough was enough! And now I feel totally liberated. I will no longer pay 7€ (the equivalent of about $10) for a six inch pizza because now I can make my own. Also, I now have complete assurance that there are no traces of eggs, since they are often used as a pizza topping here in France.   I used a video demonstration on Videojug as inspiration for making homemade pizza dough and it worked like a charm and resulted in awesome thin crust, crispy pizzas.  A total winner from the kids' perspective...they each got individual pepperoni pizzas with monterey jack cheese and for the adults, we had pizzas topped with green pepper, red onion, pepperoni, and fresh mozzarella. I think that using two different types of flour was key to achieving successful dough. I used an all-purpose flour and a fine pastry flour as suggested in the video and also used a commercial pizza sauce (but not too much).   I cooked the pizzas on 490 degrees for maybe 7 minutes.  So simple that I cant believe that I didn't try homemade pizzas sooner.  Give it a try...I bet you will feel just as liberated! Check out the photos below!

Miniature Pepperoni Pizzas for the Kids

Pepperoni, Green Pepper, Red Onion & Mozzarella Pizza for the Adults
 

Did You Know that Amy's is Egg-Free?

So I thought I knew about just about all of the egg-free products available on the market and then I discovered Amy's line of products! According to the label and website, all of Amy's products are made without eggs.  How awesome is that?! This cake was absolutely delicious and my Lady Grace ate three (small) slices and was asking for more. She is attending a birthday party tomorrow and now she can take a slice of this yummy cake to enjoy alongside the other children - though I might put a bit of icing for good measure!

I think that I am an Amy's convert.   Just goes to show you that we all have something to learn!

 

Absolutely Delicious!

Food Allergies & Summer Camps

When we arrived in France last summer, I was told that the only way that children could participate in the summer camps run by the city hall on a full-day basis was to eat the lunch provided by the catering company.  Anyone that knows me well, will not be surprised that I refused to accept.  After convincing the program that reasonable accomodations should be made and providing a note from a French allerologist, the camp managers accepted.  Afterall, would it be fair to restrict a child to the confines of their home during summer vacations?  Not at all.  It is my belief that food allergy sufferers should be able to enjoy the same joys of living, given reasonable accomodation.  The accomodation in this case was quite simple actually - do not feed Lady Grace anything other than what she brings to school in her lunch box and snack pack. We have the same plan at school and have never encountered a problem. 

Interestingly, I just came across an article about food allergies and summer camps in the United States, which inspired this post.  As much as we enjoy our experience in France, I do miss the level of sensitivity towards children with food allergies in the States.  Did you know that there are even summer camps for children that are for food allergy sufferers?  How awesome is that!  Unfortunately, I don't think that I'll be able to find such a camp in France.

Shiitake Mushrooms Rock!

After living in Asia for so many years (I now live in France), I am only now finding the true beauty of shitake mushrooms.  I never realized how much flavor these mushrooms add to a simple veggie stir fry, until a Taiwanese vegetarian friend of mine prepared a meal at our home a few months ago.  Talk about robust!  Now that I'm back on my egg-free, vegetarian-only for breakfast and lunch challenge, I've become creative about my meals.  I found that when I eat a veggie-based meal for lunch with just a modest portion of fish, chicken or turkey for dinner, I have so much more energy.  I will be enjoying this meal at work tomorrow over brown rice!  Anyone want to join me for a veggie for lunch challenge?

Baby Bok Choy and Carrots with Shitake Mushrooms and Garlic

Korean Bean Sprout Salad

I love Korean food.  In fact, I love it so much that once my husband and I took a trip to South Korea  just to enjoy all of the culinary delights!  I visited my local Asian grocery store yesterday and there were absolutely beautiful soybean sprouts available so I decided to try to make a cold soybean side dish that is frequently served at Korean restaurants.  I believe it is called kongnamul muchin. 

Ingredients
1 bag of soybeans
1 finely diced clove of garlic
1 finely sliced green onion
soy sauce
sesame oil
sugar
salt (if needed)

Directions
First begin by boiling the soybeans in about one cup of water with a bit of salt for about seven minutes.  Drain the soybeans and immediately rinse with ice cold water to cool and drain again.  Use papertowles to further dry the soybeans and then set aside in a large bowl.  Then add the diced garlic and sliced green onion.  Mix in a two-three teaspons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of sesame oil, and close to a teaspoon of sugar.  Add more soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar or salt to taste.  Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill and then enjoy!

Preparation Time
20 minutes

Korean Soybean Salad

Did You Know That Some Food Allergy Purchases Might Be Tax Deductible?

Just came across a really interesting guest post on the blog It's an Itchy Little World that got my attention - taxes and food allergies in the United States.  The post emphasizes the importance of itemizing and tracking your purchases and having your doctor's documentation.  It appears that the key is whether or not the purchase can be found at any run of the mill grocery store.  That said, my reading of the article and comments is that one must also consider the  "thresholds" - i.e. is it worth it?  Nonetheless, I think it is worth closer examination.  What do you think?

What are Your Egg-Free Easter Plans?

Easter totally creeped up on my this year and I must admit that I am somewhat unprepared.  I had intended on ordering a dozen ceramic egg-alternatives from Egg Nots to give Lady Grace the experience of dyeing eggs for the first time, but I don't think that an order from the United States would reach France in just a matter of days.  Nonetheless, I thought I would share this egg alternative for those of you in the States.  The story behind the development of these products is really heart-warming.  Apparently, the owner created these ceramic eggs as a way to include her niece in egg-dyeing activities.  These ceramic alternatives get rave reviews...I guess there is always next year for our family!   In lieu of using Egg Nots, I have found some chocolate eggs wrapped in colored foil paper (produced in the UK) that we will be using for our Easter Egg hunt along with plastic eggs stuffed with egg-free candies. Tell us: What are your egg-free Easter plans?

Photo From EggNots.com Website

My Trip to Whole Foods in London

I recently had an opportunity to visit to London (hence the radio silence on the blog) and had a fabulous time!  Most people look at me in a weird way when I say that my second stop in London after Buckingham Palace was Whole Foods in the Picadilly Circus area!  I spent nearly an hour just perusing the aisles.  You see, when we were living in the States, Whole Foods was a part of our weekly grocery shopping routine - in fact, it was part of our Friday evening routine.  In fact, my husband would tease me about not spending my whole paycheck at Whole Foods!  I love this store for the high quality, fresh food and the availability of egg-free commercial products for Lady Grace.  Since I was in London on business, I didn't have much space to bring back a lot, but I did manage to squeeze in a few items.  I was particularly excited to find egg-free mayo and Ener-G Egg Replacer since our stock was getting low. Not sure how I will use the egg-free mayo yet...any ideas?  I'd been feeling a bit homesick, but this trip to Whole Foods did wonders for me!  Below is a picture of my few purchases.  Is there a store that you are crazy about?

My Whole Foods Purchase in London

Black Mushroom & Peas Fried Brown Rice

So I am back on my healthy lunch kick, only eating vegetarian for lunch. Here is what I made today with some random items that I found in my fridge. I tried to convince the kids to eat this dish by calling the peas little green balls! It was really easy to make. I used leftover short grain brown rice (cold), frozen peas, and sliced fresh Chinese mushrooms. I began by sauteing garlic in a bit of olive oil then adding the mushroom followed by the green peas and cold day-old brown rice. Finished it off with a sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of sesame oil. Very simple and quick-under 10 minutes.  I think that the key to this dish is using day old rice.  I think it would taste even better with a drizzle of truffle oil!  

Black Mushroom & Peas Fried Brown Rice

Veggies Rock! Snow Peas, Carrots & Bean Sprouts

Generally speaking, my children eat most foods and can be persuaded to try almost anything within reason.  So today, I thought I'd add stir-fried snow peas, carrots and bean sprouts to the dinner menu as a side dish. Honestly, it was not a "winner" for the kids, but it was a "winner" for the adults - we ate it all!  With the gloomy weather that we have been experiencing in France, this dish was a crisp, "refreshing" forecast of the spring and summer days to come!  The dish was very simple to make...Message us for the recipe!

Snow Peas, Carrots & Bean Sprouts

Most Allergy Friendly Restaurant Chains in America

I recently came across a really cool website called Allergy Eats.  It is essentially an online guide to allergy-friendly restaurants in the United States and more!  When we were living in the United States, I found that most restaurants, particularly non-chain restaurants, were very accommodating.  It seems like the level of awareness about the seriousness of food allergies is quite high in comparison to many other countries where I have visited or lived.   I sure wish that I could find such a website here in France!    Maybe I should consider developing a website database of allergy-friendly restaurants in Paris?

While we have indeed found a few neighborhood restaurants that understand and can accommodate our needs, it is indeed time for us to branch out.  Through my research I have learned that chain restaurants in the States that offer egg-free items, that are also present in Europe may offer the same items, but one should not assume that they are egg-free!  For example, McDonalds' chicken nuggets in the States are egg-free, but not in France!  (Please don't shame or judge me for the occasional McDonalds run for the children - it is a rare occasion).  For those of you in the States or with plans on visiting, here is the website url:  www.allergyeats.com

AllergyEats Website

Stir Fried Tofu with Bell Peppers

So I didn't really intend for this to be a food blog, but I've been on an Asian cooking rampage the past several days. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we have friends from Taiwan visiting and I've been reminiscing about our life in Taiwan and China. Plus, I just found an Asian grocery store a 12 minute walk from my office where I finally found tofu, which is the real subject of this post! My egg allergy child, Lady Grace and her sister Sasou love tofu and they were so surprised when I prepared it, as they had not eaten any since we left the States six months ago. Surprisingly, they had already forgotten the word for tofu! Juju on the other hand, wants nothing to do with tofu and will only taste it id bribed. Pictured below is a basic stir fried tofu with bell peppers for garnish. I will serve it on a bed of rice inside a thermos for the girls to take to school tomorrow.

Ingredients
1 box of firm tofu (drain and cut in to rectangles or triangles)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 green, red and yellow bell peppers (cut in to inch-sized pieces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of salt (if needed)

Directions
In a hot non-stick pan on medium-high heat, stir fry garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for a two minutes. Add your tofu squares to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until brown and then flip each piece to brown the other side.  At the same time add the bell peppers and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  It is important to jostle the tofu about in the pan to ensure that it doesn't stick.  Once your tofu has reached the desired color, add up to 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar  and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.  Taste and add more of the above (or a pinch of salt), if necessary.  This is the perfect "side" dish for three people.

Stir Fried Tofu with Bell Peppers

Rice Noodle Chap Chae

Having lived in China and Taiwan and traveled to many countries in the region, I LOVE most Asian dishes, particularly a Korean glass noodle dish called "chap chae".  I recently started following the blog Allergy Free Asian Dishes where the recipe and suggestion was made to make this dish with rice noodles, given my concerns about food labeling laws and "may contain traces of..." on imported "glass noodles".  This was a great suggestion as there are a number of U.S. companies (which adhere to U.S. food labelling regulations) that produce rice noodles - my favorite being Annie Chuns - the company sells the regular rice noodle variety as well as the brown rice variety.  Whenever possible, I generallly go with the brown rice variety to get an extra kick of fiber (16% of daily value)...So how was this dish prepared with rice noodles compared to glass noodles?  Pretty good!  The kids enjoyed it and it was great to serve a meal egg-free that the whole family could enjoy.

I did make some modifications based on personal preference and the veggies that I had "in stock"!

Rice Noodle Chap Chae

Preparing the Ingredients
(soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil)
(shitake mushroom, nappa cabbage, spinach)
(carrots, red bell pepper, beef, red onion, garlic)

Preparing to Mix the Soaking Rice Noodles

and Stir Fried Ingredients



Stir Fried Eggplant

Today I was feeling nostalgic, longing for the years that I spent in China and Taiwan enjoying various regional cuisine.  That said, I attempted to make one of my favorite dishes, Stir Fried Eggplant.  This dish is usually made with ground pork (but I made the vegetarian version).  It was absolutely awesome!  The kids didn't enjoy it, but the adults sure did, with the added bonus of being egg-free!

Aujourd'hui, je me sentais nostalgique pour les années quand j'habitais en Chine et à Taiwan, surtout les spécialités régionales. Donc, j'ai essayé de faire un de mes plats préférés, "Stir Fried Aubergines". D'habitude ce plat est fait avec du porc haché (mais j'ai fait la version végétarienne). C'était absolument délicieux! Les enfants n'ont pas mangé le plat, mais les adultes de la famille ont tout mangé!  Pour les directions en francais, contactez-moi.

Published: February 10, 2013


Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings (assuming this is a side dish and is eaten with a bowl of rice)

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant (the longer Chinese eggplants are better for this dish)
1/4 cup of chopped green onions (green stems)
1 teaspoon of fresh chopped up garlic
1 nub of ginger, cut into 6 thin slices
4 thin slices of red chili pepper (more if desired)
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1/5 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup of chicken broth (maybe a bit more)
a bit of salt (if necessary(

Directions:

Begin by "deep frying" the eggplant slices in hot oil for just a few minutes until they begin to soften.  Then remove the eggplant to a paper towel lined bowl.  Using a non-stick pan add, two teaspoons of olive oil on medium high heat.  When hot add the eggplant, garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper slices and cook for a few minutes.  Then add the chicken broth, followed by soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.  Cook while gently stirring for a few minutes.  Only, if necessary add a light sprinkling of salt.

Stir Fried Eggplant

Getting Ready for Valentines Day - Heart Shaped Cup Cakes

With Valentine's Day approaching this week, I realized that I am not really sure how or if the holiday is celebrated in France, particularly in schools.  That said, I decided to be proactive and prepare Lady Grace for Valentine's Day festivities at school with the purchase of heart-shaped cup cake molds that I found at my local Monoprix.  While I already have a ton of egg-free cupcakes in the freezer, I'm sure that a heart shaped cupcake will bring a smile to my special valentine's face on Thursday!

Heart-Shaped Cup Cake Molds

Asian Inspired Cabbage Chicken Salad

So, I've returned to my "salads for lunch" routine.  Here is one of my favorite salads, which also happens to be egg-free, that I enjoyed at the office today!

Published: February 6, 2013

Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 purple cabbage
1/4 nappa cabbage (but you can use the regular green/white cabbage, as well)
3 carrots
1 bunch cilantro
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Optional: green onions or red onions

Directions:
Lightly simmer two chicken breasts in water for about 20 minutes or until done, then remove from the water and allow to cool.  I don't add salt to the boiling water because there is salt in the salad dressing.  Tip: I sometimes put it in the refrigerator to cool when I'm pressed for time. While the chicken is cooking, begin preparing the veggies.

Wash and cut the carrots into very thin strips.  Slice both the purple and nappa cabbage then wash and dry.  I suggest washing separately so that the color of the purple cabbage doesn't "bleed".  Tip: I also like using a "salad spinner" because I really don't like wet veggies.  After all the veggies are cut and washed, mix together in a large salad bowl adding as much cilantro as desired.  At this point you can also add thinly sliced green or red onions, if you wish.

By this time the chicken should be cool and you can "shred" the meat on top of the cabbage and carrots.  You can then use a commercial soy/ginger type dressing or make your own by using about 1/2 cup of olive oil, just under 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, a little bit of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of refined white sugar, and a bit of water.  Put all the contents into a bottle and shake vigorously!  Drizzle on top of the salad and enjoy!

Asian-Inspired Cabbage Chicken Salad

The Non-Bakers "Eggless" Commercial Cake Recipe

Published: January 30, 2013
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes or 1 double layer nine-inch cake


Okay, so this is not a "from scratch" recipe, but one that uses a conventional cake mix that you can find in your neighborhood grocery store - Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix and Betty Crocker Vanilla Icing. This cake is awesome and so tasty!

Ingredients:
1 box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
6-7 teaspoons of Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Directions:
First create your egg replacer substitute by adding 6-7 teaspoons of the Ener-G Egg Replacer to medium sized mixing bowl. Add the warm water a bit a a time while beating the egg replacer with a fork until the desired consistency is achieved. For directions on how to do this, please view my  post and photos on using this brand of egg replacer.  Pour the cake mix in to a separate large mixing bowl and then follow the directions on the box exactly. Only deviate from the directions to add the egg replacer mixture to the cake mix instead of eggs. Note: I do find that the baking time without eggs is a bit longer. I also find that a lengthier baking time ensures that you will have a cake that doesn't fall apart. After baking, allow the cake/cupcakes to cool - I usually have to put the cake in the refrigerator because the kids get a bit impatient. Once cooled down, I use an egg free commercial icing such as Betty Crocker's Vanilla Icing to finish everything off!

Enjoying leftover cake mix

The partially eaten finished product

Managing School Birthday Parties With A Smile!

Birthday parties always present a unique challenge for children with egg allergies (and their parents) for that matter. Nonetheless, I do my best to ensure that my egg allergic "Lady Grace" is able to partake in the joys of birthdays, too. Today, her teacher informed me that between now and the end of February, six of her preschool classmates will have birthday parties at school. So what's a mama to do? Get to baking and freezing egg free cupcakes! Since I don't have time to bake cakes every week, I store "un-iced" cupcakes in the freezer for up to a couple of months and just pull from my "reserve", when needed to defrost and smear on icing.  The recipe is so simple and only requires the "Classic White" Duncan Hines cake mix.  Here's a cup cake decorated just in time to take to school in the morning...

Egg-Free Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting & Red Cookie Icing

Egg-free Pancakes (Crêpes sans oeufs)

Published: January 27, 2013
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 pancakes

There are tons of recipes on how to make egg-free pancakes that involve starting from scratch.  As a mom that works outside the home, usually that is not a realistic option for me.  So, I decided to try to make pancakes using a conventional mix that did not contain egg powder and not produced on equipment handling eggs or traces of egg possible warnings.  If found that Betty Crocker's Bisquick met all the criteria.  Here is the recipe that I used:

Ingredients:
1 cup Bisquick
3 rounded teaspoons of Energ-G Egg Replacer
3/4 cup of milk (plus a bit more to get the appropriate consistency)

Directions:
Place 1 cup of Bisquick in a medium sized bowl.  In a mixing bowl add the 3 rounded teaspoons of egg replacer with 1/2 cup of milk and mix until the egg replacer is well integrated.  Then dump the mixture into the bowl with the Bisquick and stir/beat until smooth, adding a bit more milk as desired to achieve the consistency desired.  I prefer thinner pancakes so added more milk for a looser consistency.  On medium-high heat, warm a non-stick pan.  When warm add a bit of butter and pour the batter to achieve the size of pancake desired.  Flip after 1 minute or so and brown as desired.  Absolutely delicious without the feeling that "something" is missing.  Yields about 6 pancakes.



Bisquick Egg-Free Pancakes

Betty Crocker's Bisquick

Blog Ping Site

Awesome Egg Replacement

I was thrilled to find that the Ener-G Egg Replacer that I ordered online arrived in the mail today! For the past year or so, particularly since our arrival in France, this product has been a staple in our home particularly when baking. Over the holidays, I have used this product to make delicious homemade cookies and pies as well as commercial cakes and scones (some brands) that we could all enjoy. Over time, I have learned that the key to using this product is (1) to use enough of it - at least two even up to three or four times the amount called for in the directions to replace one egg depending on the recipe and desired results. (2) Beat the egg replacement with warm water like a "mad woman" until you produce a pure white frothy-like masterpiece! Your creation should definitely be considerably more voluminous (perhaps by a factor of two) than the called for quantity of eggs in the recipe. The key is experimentation and remembering that the goal is to create a "binder". The amount illustrated in the photo would in my mind substitute one egg. The ingredients are primarily potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening. Those of you that know me can attest to the fact that I am on the natural, unprocessed side of the food spectrum. In this case, I suppose you could make this concoction from scratch, but why bother!

Ener-G Egg Replacer



Egg Replacer + Warm Water

The Blog Inspiration: Lady Grace's Egg Allergy

Many people often ask how we came to learn of Lady Grace's egg allergy.  Well, we learned the hard way - by unknowingly feeding her egg products over a three week period before making the discovery.  When she was about 16 months (she is now four), I boasted with pride in my ability to make tasty, southern-style homemade macaroni and cheese for Thanksgiving dinner, which of course was full of eggs!  She became very ill - we thought she had contracted a very bad stomach bug.  I still remember that night as if it were yesterday.  Oddly, she was well the next morning. A week or so later, we gave her vanilla ice cream, again full of eggs and she became ill again.  Oddly, she was better the next day. The doctors said that there was a really bad stomach virus going around that would take a few weeks to resolve.  I didn't feel fully confident in that prognosis, but walked away nonetheless.  Finally, a week after that incident, my husband made an omelette that he shared with her and the same thing.  I immediately went to the doctor demanding orders for blood work as I was sure that my baby was allergic to eggs - I had it all figured out.  They didn't believe me initially, but I insisted.  Turns out she was allergic to peanuts and eggs.  While she has since outgrown peanut allergy, her egg allergy is fierce and remains "off the charts".  Fortunately, she has never suffered anaphylaxis, but severe gastro-intestinal torture.  Nonetheless, she is an epi-pen carrier and I am vigilant as a hawk in preventing any sort of ingestion of eggs or egg protein in any form.  From the day that we learned of her egg allergy, I have been on a mission to ensure that my baby girl can live a full life and enjoy all of the culinary delights (with egg-free modifications, of course) that she desires.  I hope that other families with egg-allergy children will find this blog a source of creative inspiration and platform for sharing!