Let's talk about magazines and recipe sites. I don't have many dairy-free friends, but between those few as well as the handful of gluten-free/Crohn's, I've got a decent circle of people who are all looking for safe foods. Vegan foods are usually a win for all of us, but I was on the hunt for a good magazine or monthly mailing resource. My one friend subscribes to Gluten Free and More (previously known as Living Without) and told me they offer a lot of recipes that are usually free of other top allergens or offer substitutes. I checked them out, and ended up subscribing for 2 years (they had a great deal going).
I am very happy with this decision. First of all, of the 3 magazines I've received (1 every 2 months), easily half of the recipes are naturally dairy-free, and the remaining recipes have dairy subs. I have yet to see a recipe that did not have a dairy-free option, and most other top allergens are accommodated as well (some more so than others). The other thing I really like is that most of the dairy subs are very easy, like milk and butter alternatives. When it comes to cheese, yogurt, etc some recipes are very helpful with specific suggestions while a handful just say "alternative" which can be disappointing as there are some alternatives that will work better than others, especially when it comes to cooking and baking. A lot of recipes offer a shopping list though, so while a specific alternative that is known to work may not be provided in the recipe itself, you have an idea of possible alternatives to explore. Overall, it has been quite helpful and inspiring.
The other great benefit is that by subscribing you get online access to their entire archive, so you are not only limited to your magazine information. The site is not super easy to navigate for dairy-free, as their focus certainly seems to be gluten-free, but again the recipes all seem to either be dairy-free or easily adapted. I have yet to find a recipe I could not use. Definitely worth a shot, and I would say to check it out. They've got a free mailing list and you can access a good portion of the current magazine without an account. If you are interested in subscribing, you can save some cash by choosing online only. So for a resource whose focus is not dairy-free, they are still very helpful.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Let's Talk Ice Cream
I've been taking a stab at this dairy-free lifestyle for a while now. Everyone has a different reason for making this decision, and for me it was due to allergies. I've had a progressive lactose-intolerance that has been getting worse over time (which logically makes sense: mammals are not meant to imbibe milk after a certain age so most humans do develop some level of intolerance and it does get worse over time as we get farther in years from our milk drinking age). As that has started to affect me more and more, I started moving away from dairy and noticed other health issues arising when I did partake, which lead to an allergy diagnosis. Now, minus milk, I love dairy. Butter is the best, cheese is my favorite snack, and oh man do I love ice cream. So this decision has been forced on me more so than a personal decision; I was alright cutting back but removing dairy entirely was like a slap in the face. Since this happened later in life, I'm well aware of how things should taste and feel, so I am pickier than others for sure. Sometimes I'll make the concession with cheese or butter, limiting my quantities, taking a combo of allergy medicine and lactaid, and paying the price for my decisions. But ice cream...who eats 1 Tbsp of ice cream? So I've been searching for some good replacements.
Cado ice cream had become my hands down favorite. Made with avocado, the texture is perfectly creamy. I am actually inspired to attempt my own at home. The flavors are good too, but very limited. Seriously. There are 3 flavors. The chocolate is divine, and so rich that you really don't need or want a whole lot, which is great because these pints are a tad pricier than others. The mint chip was alright, it would probably be great if I enjoyed peppermint, but I don't. The other flavor, which I have yet to try, is lemon. I also expect great things, but I crave other flavors so have been searching.
So Delicious offers a few varieties. I have only tried their coconut milk and cashew milk varieties. I have no problem with the tastes of either. My issues are more of a texture thing (I'm a very textural eater). The coconut milk ice cream is hard like a sorbet, which is not an initial issue, I just find it to be gumy as it softens up. Generally speaking, this is a problem I have with coconut milk across the board: soups, smoothies, ice cream...there are very few applications where I do not find the texture becoming gummy. I'm sure over time you get used to it, but I'm stubborn so moved on to cashew. This actually isn't bad in terms of texture, just much more similar to a frozen custard so it's a thicker, richer ice cream. Pretty good overall, but I still found avocado to have a texture closer to what I craved.
I've also given Ben & Jerry's almond milk ice cream a try. It's honestly somewhere in between the coconut and cashew milk versions. Admittedly, I started out with chocolate fudge brownie so there was a fair amount going on in that pint. However, texturally I found this to be very pleasing and a happy medium between coconut and cashew. Still not as great as avocado, but definitely a closer and more easily available option. The only real hang up here is that the almond flavor is very strong. Even with all that chocolate going on, the almond came through strong. It wasn't bad, but I can see it being something I won't want all the time.
While shopping around a couple weeks ago I came across Nana Creme. I'm not the biggest banana fan honestly, but I like it in things. I always include banana in my smoothies, am a fan of banana bread, and even like it in a fruit salad. I'm just not a fan of bananas on their own. So, I figured a banana based ice cream would probably be fine, especially as I went with Brownie (which was on clearance at my local Jewel, so bonus!). This was just not for me. The banana flavor was overpowering and I barely noticed the chocolate. My roommate tried it too and he thought the banana flavor was too artificial, like the banana runts. So this brand is a hard pass for me.
My most recent excursion was originally to search for Talenti sorbetto, which someone had posted on the Deliciously Dairy Free Facebook group. Talenti makes a delicious gelato, so I really wanted to try their sorbetto. Unfortunately my local Jewel did not carry the sorbetto, but I did find Sorbabes which is a vegan sorbetto. I grabbed the coffee almond flavor and it was delicious and creamy, very similar to the Hagan Daz coffee ice cream. This might actually replace Cado as my favorite...time will tell!
Now to try out some whipped creams. My boyfriend got me a dispenser for Christmas, and so far I have only tried making a coconut whipped cream. This tasted alright, but I found I had to remove my dispenser about 15-30 minutes prior to when I wanted whipped cream as it got too thick in the refrigerator. This week will be full of some experiments....check back in to see which recipe is the winner!
Cado ice cream had become my hands down favorite. Made with avocado, the texture is perfectly creamy. I am actually inspired to attempt my own at home. The flavors are good too, but very limited. Seriously. There are 3 flavors. The chocolate is divine, and so rich that you really don't need or want a whole lot, which is great because these pints are a tad pricier than others. The mint chip was alright, it would probably be great if I enjoyed peppermint, but I don't. The other flavor, which I have yet to try, is lemon. I also expect great things, but I crave other flavors so have been searching.
So Delicious offers a few varieties. I have only tried their coconut milk and cashew milk varieties. I have no problem with the tastes of either. My issues are more of a texture thing (I'm a very textural eater). The coconut milk ice cream is hard like a sorbet, which is not an initial issue, I just find it to be gumy as it softens up. Generally speaking, this is a problem I have with coconut milk across the board: soups, smoothies, ice cream...there are very few applications where I do not find the texture becoming gummy. I'm sure over time you get used to it, but I'm stubborn so moved on to cashew. This actually isn't bad in terms of texture, just much more similar to a frozen custard so it's a thicker, richer ice cream. Pretty good overall, but I still found avocado to have a texture closer to what I craved.
I've also given Ben & Jerry's almond milk ice cream a try. It's honestly somewhere in between the coconut and cashew milk versions. Admittedly, I started out with chocolate fudge brownie so there was a fair amount going on in that pint. However, texturally I found this to be very pleasing and a happy medium between coconut and cashew. Still not as great as avocado, but definitely a closer and more easily available option. The only real hang up here is that the almond flavor is very strong. Even with all that chocolate going on, the almond came through strong. It wasn't bad, but I can see it being something I won't want all the time.
While shopping around a couple weeks ago I came across Nana Creme. I'm not the biggest banana fan honestly, but I like it in things. I always include banana in my smoothies, am a fan of banana bread, and even like it in a fruit salad. I'm just not a fan of bananas on their own. So, I figured a banana based ice cream would probably be fine, especially as I went with Brownie (which was on clearance at my local Jewel, so bonus!). This was just not for me. The banana flavor was overpowering and I barely noticed the chocolate. My roommate tried it too and he thought the banana flavor was too artificial, like the banana runts. So this brand is a hard pass for me.
My most recent excursion was originally to search for Talenti sorbetto, which someone had posted on the Deliciously Dairy Free Facebook group. Talenti makes a delicious gelato, so I really wanted to try their sorbetto. Unfortunately my local Jewel did not carry the sorbetto, but I did find Sorbabes which is a vegan sorbetto. I grabbed the coffee almond flavor and it was delicious and creamy, very similar to the Hagan Daz coffee ice cream. This might actually replace Cado as my favorite...time will tell!
Now to try out some whipped creams. My boyfriend got me a dispenser for Christmas, and so far I have only tried making a coconut whipped cream. This tasted alright, but I found I had to remove my dispenser about 15-30 minutes prior to when I wanted whipped cream as it got too thick in the refrigerator. This week will be full of some experiments....check back in to see which recipe is the winner!
Monday, March 20, 2017
Naturally Dairy Free Recipe List
Going dairy-free is not exactly easy, especially if you are used to having lots of dairy in your life. I personally love cheese, cream, pretty much anything that isn't straight up milk, and I certainly don't want to give up the flavors and textures that I love. I also live with a big dairy lover, and I get a lot of resistance to trying out the substitutes. Some of it is just stubbornness or being afraid flavors will change too much, some of it is general distaste of what the substitute is or consists of. As I'm sure you have and will continue to read, some substitutes just aren't for me or just aren't for certain applications.
I will also say that trying to redo your favorite recipes with subs just will not live up to your standards, at least not right away. You are looking for that dairy taste and feel, and it will never be the same (close, but not the same). There is definitely some wisdom to the idea of going cold turkey before trying out the subs. This concept is applied to all kinds of life changes including various diets. It is often easier to cut it all out and then when you have that down and under control, you can start adding it back in (or in this case, start using subs). Part of this is that you have gotten used to living without, so you won't be searching for that dairy-heavy feel. The other part is the distance from dairy will make the changes in taste and texture of the subs easier to manage and adjust to.
I have decided to start looking for and creating more recipes that are 100% dairy-free naturally, meaning the recipe just does not call for any dairy or subs. Since I had a hard time tracking down recipes like this, I decided to keep the list on my blog to help some of you out. In the future I may start collection recipes utilizing subs as well, but I will keep them separate. So feel free to heck out my list via the link or using the "My Favorite Recipes" tab above.
I will also say that trying to redo your favorite recipes with subs just will not live up to your standards, at least not right away. You are looking for that dairy taste and feel, and it will never be the same (close, but not the same). There is definitely some wisdom to the idea of going cold turkey before trying out the subs. This concept is applied to all kinds of life changes including various diets. It is often easier to cut it all out and then when you have that down and under control, you can start adding it back in (or in this case, start using subs). Part of this is that you have gotten used to living without, so you won't be searching for that dairy-heavy feel. The other part is the distance from dairy will make the changes in taste and texture of the subs easier to manage and adjust to.
I have decided to start looking for and creating more recipes that are 100% dairy-free naturally, meaning the recipe just does not call for any dairy or subs. Since I had a hard time tracking down recipes like this, I decided to keep the list on my blog to help some of you out. In the future I may start collection recipes utilizing subs as well, but I will keep them separate. So feel free to heck out my list via the link or using the "My Favorite Recipes" tab above.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Sweet Potato Chicken [Recipe]
A while ago my roommate found a recipe for double-baked chicken stuffed sweet potatoes. We've made a few adjustments here and there, and now I have a dairy-free recipe that I think is perfect for a meal. Served casserole style this is a great family meal, or eat it all week as it reheats wonderfully!
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
3 sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced,
8 oz button mushrooms, diced
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Bake potatoes until soft (approximately 1 hr).
Meanwhile season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Grill or cook in skillet with olive oil until cooked through (approximately 20 minutes).
Shred chicken and set aside.
Saute veggies in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, until mushrooms no longer release liquid.
Take potatoes out of oven and scoop soft insides out; mash.
Mix potatoes, chicken, veggies, brown sugar, and spices in 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
3 sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced,
8 oz button mushrooms, diced
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Bake potatoes until soft (approximately 1 hr).
Meanwhile season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Grill or cook in skillet with olive oil until cooked through (approximately 20 minutes).
Shred chicken and set aside.
Saute veggies in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, until mushrooms no longer release liquid.
Take potatoes out of oven and scoop soft insides out; mash.
Mix potatoes, chicken, veggies, brown sugar, and spices in 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Kite Hill: Ricotta & Soft Fresh
So I'm torn on Kite Hill. I've been bragging about them for a while, but really I think the brie is where it stops. I've tried out both the ricotta and soft fresh (truffle, dill & chive), and I'm not nearly as impressed as I was with the brie. I'll still give them another try, as it may have been my applications, and I will still try their other offerings, but my current opinion of these 2 is "meh."
Kite Hill Ricotta
I have tried this cheese twice now, with mixed results. My first attempt was in a lasagna. I mixed the ricotta with egg, parsley, salt and pepper per the recipe. I also added some almond milk as I personally found the ricotta too dry. I snuck this into a low carb version utilizing eggplant instead of noodles, but I do want to note I left in the mozzarella and parmesan (baby steps, especially in convincing the 2 guys I live with). I noticed the ricotta tasted differently, but neither guy did, so I am attributing this to my prior knowledge and nervous anticipation. It wasn't bad, although I got sick of it after a while. But since the boys didn't notice I think I will try again without failure in my mind.
My next and most recent attempt over this past weekend was flatbread white pizza. We make a pizza (really an appetizer, but you know how that goes..) using naan as the crust, seasoned olive oil, and a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella. This time I went 100% dairy free and replaced the mozzarella with nutritional yeast to up that cheese taste. Prior to baking, it was alright. Again I found it too dry and added olive oil. After baking I was not happy. Keep in mind, these were over baked, but the dairy versions did not dry out. The dairy-free version dried out and had a weird aftertaste. Part of that was probably the over baking, but the cheese was crumbly and I couldn't get over that aftertaste. The brie had one too but it was easy to get used to. I haven't totally nixed the ricotta, but if I try this recipe again I need to keep a close eye on it and find a better way to add moisture and replace that missing mozzarella (I thought about Trader Joe's shreds which are supposed to melt and don't taste bad, but they really do taste like almond so would not have added to the flavor).
Kite Hill Soft Ripened (Truffle, Dill, Chive)
This I bought to use as a replacement in chicken in pastry (basically seasoned, seared chicken breast and garlic chive Alouette cheese wrapped in puff pastry). I will be honest and say I never got to using this in the recipe. The cheese smelled just right, although I found the texture odd. At first I liked the taste as well, but again there was an aftertaste I just did not like. Maybe I am just not refined enough to enjoy truffle? Also the texture just was not right for this recipe, so between the two I never got any farther. I'm not sure in what application I would use this cheese, but I may come back to the original later.
Now I will say, some of my experience may have been trying to recreate dairy-heavy dishes. I honestly do think trying to make no dairy dishes and/or dishes specifically designed for these alternative cheeses may provide better results. I have also heard that it is better to cut out all dairy for a few months before bringing in these subs as you will compare to the real thing too much and not be able to enjoy them. Given the boys could not tell the difference and only found out about the sub after the fact, I will say there is some rationale behind this idea.
Kite Hill Ricotta
I have tried this cheese twice now, with mixed results. My first attempt was in a lasagna. I mixed the ricotta with egg, parsley, salt and pepper per the recipe. I also added some almond milk as I personally found the ricotta too dry. I snuck this into a low carb version utilizing eggplant instead of noodles, but I do want to note I left in the mozzarella and parmesan (baby steps, especially in convincing the 2 guys I live with). I noticed the ricotta tasted differently, but neither guy did, so I am attributing this to my prior knowledge and nervous anticipation. It wasn't bad, although I got sick of it after a while. But since the boys didn't notice I think I will try again without failure in my mind.
My next and most recent attempt over this past weekend was flatbread white pizza. We make a pizza (really an appetizer, but you know how that goes..) using naan as the crust, seasoned olive oil, and a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella. This time I went 100% dairy free and replaced the mozzarella with nutritional yeast to up that cheese taste. Prior to baking, it was alright. Again I found it too dry and added olive oil. After baking I was not happy. Keep in mind, these were over baked, but the dairy versions did not dry out. The dairy-free version dried out and had a weird aftertaste. Part of that was probably the over baking, but the cheese was crumbly and I couldn't get over that aftertaste. The brie had one too but it was easy to get used to. I haven't totally nixed the ricotta, but if I try this recipe again I need to keep a close eye on it and find a better way to add moisture and replace that missing mozzarella (I thought about Trader Joe's shreds which are supposed to melt and don't taste bad, but they really do taste like almond so would not have added to the flavor).
Kite Hill Soft Ripened (Truffle, Dill, Chive)
This I bought to use as a replacement in chicken in pastry (basically seasoned, seared chicken breast and garlic chive Alouette cheese wrapped in puff pastry). I will be honest and say I never got to using this in the recipe. The cheese smelled just right, although I found the texture odd. At first I liked the taste as well, but again there was an aftertaste I just did not like. Maybe I am just not refined enough to enjoy truffle? Also the texture just was not right for this recipe, so between the two I never got any farther. I'm not sure in what application I would use this cheese, but I may come back to the original later.
Now I will say, some of my experience may have been trying to recreate dairy-heavy dishes. I honestly do think trying to make no dairy dishes and/or dishes specifically designed for these alternative cheeses may provide better results. I have also heard that it is better to cut out all dairy for a few months before bringing in these subs as you will compare to the real thing too much and not be able to enjoy them. Given the boys could not tell the difference and only found out about the sub after the fact, I will say there is some rationale behind this idea.
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