Praise for Plamil and their egg-free mayo

The 'on test' article in Good Food magazine's September edition focusses on free-from foods.  The review for Plamil Organic Egg Free Mayonnaise is awarded high praise, apparently having 'a very near to authentic taste'.

An entry in the Guardian's 'What I like' column on 27 July caught my eye, also having positive things to say about a different type of Plamil mayo: 'I'd never contemplated egg-free mayonnaise until a friend recommended Plamil's egg-free garlic mayo.  All I can say is it tastes amazing, and well worth a try whether you're vegan, have an allergy or are just plain curious'.

We have tried the Egg Free Mayo from Plamil, it certainly has a consistency similar to regular Egg Mayo, especially when compared to other egg-free mayos, e.g. Life Free From, Granovita or Tiger Tiger, which have a thinner texture and, to me, a more vinegary taste.  

So, I think I'll be investigating other parts of the the Plamil range.  It looks as if goodnessdirect.co.uk sells their mayo and chocolate.  

Super-quick and healthy

Baked potato, five-a-day salad, prawns and egg-free mayo ... 

Back home

So good to be back home, cooking in my own kitchen.

Tonight I made sweet potato cottage pie and a little treat ... orange chocolate chunk cupcakes which tasted similar to jaffa cakes and were very well received.  

Recipe from Go Dairy Free cookbook.

Learning lessons

We returned to eat at the pub where we dined last week.

The boys ate the same main course as they did previously but this time we bought our own dairy-free bread, already spread with our dairy-free margarine.  The Allergic One loved it.  It was so worth making the effort in order he didn't feel left out as he did last time when he'd had to sit and watch the other kids all eating the bread he wasn't able to as it contained butter.  

Next time we plan to eat out I'm going to quiz the venue in advance about i) bread, ii) starters and iii) desserts ... unlike this time when I only asked about the main course.  It might be a bit ambitious but I feel it's worth aiming high so that our little ones don't miss out.  

Treat of the week

Newsflash: Co-op jam doughnuts are dairy-free and egg-free!


Although the boys didn't like them ... I think because of the jam, which tasted most unpleasant.  


I'm going to try to make my own version soon ... without the jam.  

Dairy-free and egg-free weekly menu plan

We are coming back home this week, back to reality, back to nutritious food!


Friday - eating out


Saturday - eating out


Sunday - tuna, courgette, tomato and basil pasta


Monday - sweet potato cottage pie


Tuesday - leftover sweet potato cottage pie


Wednesday - roast chicken and all the trimmings


Thursday - leftover chicken, jacket potatoes, salad 

The perils of eating out

As must be obvious, we now feel like old hands with our approach to eating out with allergies.  However, new pitfalls presented themselves at a birthday celebration this week.  The day before our planned meal we visited the pub in the village in which we are staying and explained our food constraints.  The chef was there and confidently nodded when we asked if he could accommodate us.  I was reassured to see a note at the foot of their menu, 'please inform us of any serious food allergies'.


On the evening itself we took our seats and gave the waitress our orders from the menu.  Then, unfortunately, the waitress returned with baskets of bread and butter, one of which she set down in front of The Allergic One.  I swiftly removed the butter and asked her to check the ingredients in the bread.  She returned in a panic informing us that the bread contained butter.  We quickly shoved the bread basket to the other end of the table.  The Allergic One had by this time already picked up a piece of bread and set it on his side plate.  He was not best pleased when I asked him to wait.  He was even less pleased when I explained he would not be able to eat it.  The waitress kindly bought us a plate of home made oatcakes but these did not cut the mustard with The Boy sadly.  I thought they were delicious, even without butter.  Perhaps I should have taken a tub of vegan margarine with me?!   

However, the evening was redeemed in the eyes of The Allergic One as his main course arrived; sausages, chips and ketchup ... again, no vegetables or nutrition present sadly.

The only non-dairy and non-egg dessert menu item was a bowl of strawberries.  The other children with whom we were eating would be tucking into a combination of chocolate cake, ice cream, meringues and cheesecake so we made a decision to return to our holiday house for our equivalent sweet treat - soy ice cream in a dairy-free and egg-free cone with sugar sprinkles ... again.  


So, the moral of the story is ... a restaurant might be able to accommodate our dietary requirements for a main course but sadly not with the bread or the desserts.  But ... I still think it's worth it and a week ago I would have been glad to be eating out as often as we have done this holiday.  

We ate out three days in a row!

Yes, this is getting a little repetitive!  Although this post contains a novelty in that it actually features a plate with greenery, albeit some very limp leaves which had seen better days.  


We stopped at a cafe attached to a tourist information/visitor centre for a coffee.  I had a picnic ready and waiting to go in the car so we were planning on lunching later but the cafe was light, bright and featured a corner of the room devoted to kids toys and books so we figured it might be a place where the husband and I could enjoy a coffee in peace whilst the boys played.  I asked the waitress about children's lunches just out of interest after our two previous days success with eating out.  I explained our allergies and she went off to chat to the chef.  She returned to tell us that they could help us so we seized the day and ordered sandwiches for our boys.  I'm not sure I would have eaten it, dry-ish bread, no marg, a slice of processed ham, aforementioned 'old' salad ... and yes, the boys didn't eat it.  I can't blame them.  

We ate out again!

Definitely feeling braver about this now!  Over breakfast in our hotel that would normally have been eaten in our hotel room (and would likely have featured cereal and soy milk I'd brought with me from home) ... I asked the waitress about the ingredients in the bread and the bacon they were serving with their cooked breakfasts ... which smelled pretty tempting.  She went off to check and returned confirming that the food would be okay for us.  The Allergic One added oodles of tomato ketchup to his sandwich and proceeded to eat the lot.  

We ate out!

Wow, yes,  I had heard on the allergy-grapevine that some Burger King kids' meals are dairy-free and egg-free.  

Armed with this information and plenty of nerves we ventured in to uncharted territory - the land inhabited by normal families who eat out.  I checked with the lady who served us,who I think thought we were mystery shoppers with all the detailed questioning, and was incredibly helpful.  But it all worked out great, we are now paid up members of the junk food club, the boys loved it, of course, I think preferring the toy to the actual food.  They also liked the novelty of return journeys to the counter to pick up extra sachets of sauce.   So here is the money shot below ... our first family meal out, not classy, not healthy (BK don't even bother with a cursory lettuce leaf or tomato slice on their kids' burgers) but an amazing experience all the same!  

Treat of the week

I absolutely love the 'Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book' ... I can't recommend it enough.  Many of the recipes from this book are also on her excellent website.


I've adapted her recipe for 'Farmer's Market Cherry Cake' and switched the fruit to apples ... we had several to use up ... I prepared the apples by cutting them into cherry-sized chunks.


Don't be scared by the addition of the silken tofu ... it gives the cake a squidgy texture similar to that which eggs would do for the non-allergic.  


I also left out both the salt and the lemon juice ... 


http://www.foodallergymama.com/2010/08/04/dairy-egg-and-nut-free-farmers-market-cherry-cake/


Serve with Alpro custard!  Yum.  

Dairy-free and egg-free weekly menu plan

We are still away, enjoying the Highland summer, so here is next week's easy, quick menu plan:  

Friday – sausages and roasted vegetables 

Saturday – tuna, tomato, courgette and basil pasta

Sunday – fish, chips and peas

Monday – chicken burgers, wedges, salad

Tuesday – butternut, bacon, sage risotto

Wednesday – chicken, jacket potatoes, salad

Thursday – spag bol (from freezer)

Portable picnic snacks - more of

Chocolate flapjacks ... based on a Nigella recipe, will add link later!  

Portable picnic snacks

Pizza snails:

1.  Roll out puff pastry until about 3mm thick

2. Cover pastry in a tablespoon of salsa and a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato purée

3.  Add torn ham, soy cheese and fresh basil

4.  Roll up and cut into 16 equal sized circles

5.  Cook for 15 mins in a 200 degree oven ... taking care not to singe the basil as I did!

Turkey, lentil and olive pasta

Sautéed onion, carrots, leek, red lentils, garlic, turkey mince, tinned tomatoes, sun-dried tomato purée and lots of black olives ... 


The olives give the meal a big umami hit equivalent to that which parmesan might do for those that could eat it.  

Toasties

We have a beautiful panini press, bought a long time ago, in the pre dairy allergy days.  I've certainly not felt like dusting it off in recent years ...  I could not contemplate a toastie without cheese ...


However, we tried it the other day with Tofutti slices and ... ta dah! ... made a passable version which the sons, allergic and non-allergic both, wolfed down.  Another quick lunch to add to the repertoire.  

Treat of the week

Sometimes I buy Rakusens chocolate digestives in my online delivery order.  They are kosher and therefore also allergy-friendly for us.  Ocado sell a lot of kosher food, and indeed other dairy-free and egg-free options; it's well worth a browse.  Anyway, these choccy biccies go down very well with certain people but were sadly among the 'items unavailable in your order' in the last shop.  

So ... time to get Googling and try to make my own dairy-free and egg-free chocolate digestives ...

Self catering dairy-free and egg-free weekly menu plan

We will be going away with others, my boy is the only one with food allergies, so the food has to be stuff that will appeal to all.  

Breakfasts will be: 

Cereals

Toast

Fruit

Yoghurt

Lunches will be a mixture of: 

Cooked hams 

Cheeses (I know, I know, not for us) 

Tuna mayo (with both vegan mayo and normal mayo)

Hummus

Tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, corn, carrots, spring onions, peppers, avocadoes

Long life pittas and wraps, fresh rolls from local shop, rice cakes, corn thins, crackers, oat cakes

Crisps

Fruit

Suppers will be as easy as we can make them, this is not the week for optimum nutrition!

Saturday: spaghetti bolognese x 2 (freeze one portion for next week), garlic bread/ciabatta

Sunday: roast chicken, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, baby corn, gravy

Monday: leftover chicken, salads, jacket potatoes

Tuesday: sausages, wedges, corn on the cob, salads, coleslaw

Wednesday: beef burgers, rolls, salads, wedges, coleslaw

Thursday: fish, chips and peas 

Friday: bacon, beans, eggs (not for us), mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns, toast

Desserts will be: Fresh fruit and ice cream 

More holiday preparation

For lots of parents I guess a holiday can sometimes be a break from the kitchen, maybe staying in a hotel ... or at least, people are able to eat out or use convenience foods or takeaways more than they would ordinarily at home.  Of course it's not so easy for us, so we always go self-catering.  As per yesterday's blog post, I take a lot of food with me as I don't know how allergy-friendly the smaller, local supermarkets will be.  


We'll eat fairly standard breakfasts, picnic type lunches and some easy, quick, straightforward suppers.  I'll post the menu plan tomorrow.


I'll do some baking just before we leave so we can take home-made cereal bars, chocolate chip cookies and some 'pizza snails' with us to see us through the journey and into the first few days of the holiday.


One break I can take from the kitchen is cutting down on the baking of bread, cakes and biscuits.  It may seem as if I am already taking the kitchen sink with us but I have no intention of taking my food processor, measuring scales, baking tins or the Kitchen Aid; the equipment that would enable me to bake.  Thus I have packed the dairy-free and egg-free goodies below for 'treats' to accompany us on our picnic lunches and to help prevent the odd meltdown (shameless bribery) during our long journey.

  

What does this picture show?

Question: does the picture below show ... 


A) stockpiling for a nuclear winter?
B) my action on hearing that Alpro and Vitalite are about to go out of business?
or
C) buying in a few bits and bobs for our two week holiday in the Highlands when we'll be a three hour drive from the nearest big supermarket and out of range of online delivery areas?

We'll be within a 45 minute drive of a small supermarket which will be great for bread, meat, fresh fruit and veggies.  But I'm taking breakfast cereal with me, soy yoghurts, Alpro milk, Alpro desserts, vegan mayo and lots of vegan marg.  


Holidays seem to take a lot of preparation!  

Leftovers

Six leftover sausages became ... sausage, sweet potato, lentil and pea 'sausage roll':

The recipe is a very close adaptation (copy!) of this one.  I add grated sweet potato to the sautéed onion and used cooked, leftover sausages rather than raw ones.  We also - obviously - do without that eggy glaze.  I have made this dish with leftover Sunday roasted chicken and lamb, substituting for the sausage.  Both of these variations work really well.  It's a great way of not only using up small amounts of leftover meats but also of getting lentils into little ones.  Crafty.  


It's on my mental 'to-do' list to make a version using Linda McCartney sausages next time my vegan sister-in-law visits.  I could maybe add some chestnuts and it might even work as a vegan Christmas lunch?  

Dairy Free Pizza - Ham and 'cheese'

This is one of my fail-safe recipes when I'm in a rush and the fridge is looking quite bare ... we are going away next week so I am running down supplies somewhat.  I had two slices of ham which, with three slices of soy cheese and some home made tomato and basil sauce from the freezer became a very tasty pizza.  I served the pizza with chunks of cucumber, carrot and red pepper.

Quick dough recipe here is well worth trying - dairy allergy or not - it's another no-rise-time dough and tastes so much better than any of those ready made pizza bases available from the supermarkets.  

Treat of the week

I made honey biscuits yesterday lunchtime ... from this recipe ... I swapped the butter for vegan margarine.  They tasted a bit like ginger snaps, and were a big hit.  

Dairy free, egg free weekly menu plan

Friday – marinated pork loin, roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, sweetcorn

Saturday – leftover pork – stir fried with garlic, honey, soy, veggies and rice noodles

Sunday – meatballs, home made tomato and veggie pasta sauce

Monday – beef burgers, wedges, salad

Tuesday – broccoli, leek, bacon and pea pasta

Wednesday – chicken pie, mash, baby sweetcorn, green beans

Thursday - prawn and pumpkin risotto 

Home made wraps

There's absolutely no need to make home made wraps.  The supermarket versions are of course both dairy-free and egg-free plus as they have such a long life they are a perfect product to have sitting on the larder shelf waiting patiently until they are needed.  However, they are therefore full of preservatives ... not to mention humectant (?), which I'm sure I can live without.  


Plus, it's so easy to make your own and they are so much more tasty when freshly made.  


Here is the recipe I use. 

I have come to the conclusion that my two boys will eat almost anything if it's in a wrap.  They will also eat more salad, compared to if it's in a sandwich.  I'm not sure why this is ... who am I to question the culinary whys and wherefores of a toddler ... but I'm just going along with it.  

Add ingredients to mixer and leave for a couple of minutes

Take dough you want to use at this meal 

Divide into number of wraps you'll need 

Roll each wrap as thin as you can 

Add to hot pan, fry for about a minute each side 

We ate ours with vegan mayo, ham and bits of salad 

Yum 

How to eat?

I wonder if other families where just one person has a food allergy have the same quandary as we do ... do we all eat the same?  do we make the one with the allergy watch as we dig into cheesy pasta or do we go without and keep up the pretence of a world where people don't eat dairy and eggs?


I don't know the right answer.  My instinct is for us all to eat the same, for us all to have family meals without the allergens.  Our NHS dietician confirmed that, if armed with the right nutritional knowledge, there was no reason not to do this.  


The Allergic One knows about his ailments, he is able to state 'I am allergic to eggs and milk' if asked what he can and can't eat.  But he is unaware as to what foods might contain 'hidden' allergens.  


Yesterday we went to a lovely play date with some old friends.  One of the snacks laid on by our hostess was chocolate covered swiss roll cakes with cream and jam inside ... what child would not love these?  The Non Allergic Boy asked if he could eat one, which I agreed to, as all of the other kids were tucking in.  His face was a picture as he inhaled 'the good stuff' which he has hitherto not tasted.  He proceeded to eat three of these, and, as a result, understandably, felt no need for a lovingly prepared lunch a few hours later.  I had to explain to The Allergic One why he could not join the other children in their scoff ... I instantly felt guilty for not bringing a more junky snack with me other than Marmite blooming rice cakes.  But this is life ... dairy and eggs are everywhere.  He is quite philosophical about it all, he accepts what I say about what we need to eat to keep him healthy.  It's normal for him.  Thankfully yesterday our kind hostess had also provided a packet of Hobnobs so he was able to indulge in some sort of treat.  


So, I suppose when eating at home he may not feel as if he is 'missing out', as we all eat the same.  It's in the outside world, specifically when he starts school and when we begin to eat out as a family, that he will notice he is in some way different.  It has been great for me to be able to keep him in a safe and secure allergy friendly bubble for the first few years of his life.  But just as all Mums have to let go of their children at some stage I also have to get my head around letting go of the sole responsibility for the management of his allergy and also the management of his feelings about his allergy ... but that's a whole other blog post I'm sure.    

Cottage pie

I absolutely love this recipe.  It fulfils my twin needs for comfort food that pulls a healthy punch.  It's also an easy one to convert to a dairy-free version by using Pure vegan margarine instead of the milk and crème fraîche in the mash.  I amended the recipe a little by using beef mince, red lentils and adding celery and courgette.  I also double the quantity so there's plenty of leftovers for a repeat performance the next evening.  The minced beef/lamb part also freezes well although I've never been too impressed with frozen mash myself so don't bother with that bit.  

Here they are, ready to go into the oven to crisp up the top ... 

and here is one, freshly from the oven ... the boys loved it!  

Granola

My kids won't eat porridge.  I wish they would.  I can't even lead by example because it's not my favourite thing either, something about the texture, bleurgh.  But ... we will eat granola!


I used to make this lovely amazing Nigella recipe.  I've never added the extra sugar she prescribes ... by the time you've got the apple compote, the syrup, the honey and the fruit there's no need for extra sweetness, in my humble opinion.


I now make a slightly healthier version ... from Jude Blereau's 'Wholefood' book:

We eat our granola with Alpro vanilla yoghurt and some fruit ... here is a bowl from yesterday: 

Treat of the week

Dairy-free, egg-free chocolate brownie with chocolate icing and multicoloured sugar sprinkles ... served with strawberries ... for a bit of virtue amongst the calories and sugar ...


NB: I find for most things in life the maxim 'less is more' rings true ... however, this does not wash with a three year old interested in sugar sprinkles ... 

Dairy free, egg free weekly menu plan

Friday – Sweet potato cottage pie, steamed carrots, cabbage, baby sweetcorn

Saturday – Leftover cottage pie, baked beans

Sunday – Roast chicken, jacket potatoes, salad

Monday – chicken fajitas, home made wraps, guacamole, salad and potato wedges

Tuesday - Salmon fishcakes, corn on the cob, peas

Wednesday – Bacon, pea, tomato risotto

Thursday – Tuna ‘meatballs’ with pasta and home made tomato and vegetable pasta sauce ... amend the recipe by skipping the egg and using Orgran egg replacer.  

A curry; and veggies in the greenhouse

Here is a recent supper - chicken, lentil, sweet potato and pea curry in coconut milk, served with rice, chapatis and poppadoms.  Very tasty.

Despite our miserable summer some of the veggies in the greenhouse are doing really well.  We have had home grown salad for a few weeks now and the tomatoes are just starting to look as if they might crop too.  A bit of sunshine wouldn't go amiss mind.  

Dairy-free and egg-free healthy-ish snack food for ‘play dates’

We have had more than a few ‘play date’ snack disasters when The Allergic One has been unable to eat the food provided by our hosts ... specifically, I remember incidents with butter popcorn, chocolate biscuits and Pombears!

I now ensure I keep a stash of allergy friendly snacks to prevent such occurrences …

1. Top choice - bananas, grapes and apple
2. Organix blueberry and apple rice cakes
3. Marmite rice cakes too.
4. Bread sticks – the boys like the little bags of bread sticks sold by Sainsbury’s – I suspect it must feel as if they are eating a packet of crisps.    
5. Finally, if I've not been organised enough to bake anything or if I've run out of all of the above potential supplies then I know I can call in on the corner shop and pick up a packet of Hobnobs … yes, dairy free and egg free!

If I do have time and inclination I love this recipe.  I can confirm that using Orgran egg replacer and dairy free margarine in this recipes works out fine!  A healthy biscuit if ever there was one?! 

Bacon, tomato and basil pasta

This is a variation on a standard quick pasta sauce ... whizz a courgette and a carrot to smithereens in the food processor ... add to a sautéed onion, garlic and a couple of snipped slices of smoked streaky bacon, half a bottle of passata, lots of basil and black pepper ... 

A weekend breakfast

The boys love these dairy-free and egg-free pancakes ... one of the ingredients is oatmeal so they feel a little bit healthy too.  Serve with maple syrup.  

Treat of the week

A lovely dairy free and egg free gingerbread with drizzly icing ... the longer the gingerbread keeps the stickier it gets.  Goes well with soy ice cream or soy vanilla yoghurt.

Dairy free, egg free weekly menu plan

Our evening meals this week will be: 


Friday - bacon, tomato, basil pasta


Saturday - we are out for the evening ... boys will have fish fingers, wedges and peas courtesy of Captain Bird's Eye and our lovely babysitters 

Sunday – roast chicken, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, steamed cabbage, broccoli, carrots and gravy 

Monday – chicken, lentil, sweet potato and pea curry, chapatti and mini poppadoms

Tuesday – chicken pies, adapting this recipe

Wednesday - pesto crumbed salmon, wedges, peas
Free from pesto! 

Thursday – tuna burgers, salad ... adapting this recipe

Ten minute supper

The 'quick suppers' I remember from my own childhood are good, wholesome, 'nursery tea' options such as macaroni cheese, cheese toasties, boiled eggs with soldiers and poached eggs on toast ... sadly not options available to us.   


I can however rely on the humble jacket spud.  It's preferable to crisp them up in the oven, but not essential if pushed for time.  A recent meal included microwaved jacket potatoes, the last of a roasted ham and a few bits of salad. More nutritious than a cheese toastie anyway?  

My larder

I think it's fair to say that those of us responsible for feeding allergic children have to be a little more organised about food than those who do not have the allergy burden.  Combine this organisational rigour with the obsessive food label reading required and well, it's a wonder we are not more anxiety ridden than we are.  Or is that just me again?


Anyway, part of the way that I try to counter this propensity to make food shopping and preparation a cause of stress is to be well prepared.  I always have a stash of home made freezer ready meals (I will blog about this another time) and ... I try to keep a well stocked larder.


We live in a village with a couple of small supermarkets although sadly neither shop sells vegan marg, Alpro yoghurt or Alpro milks.  I go for big 'once a month' online shops of these allergic essentials and make sure our larder is full of milk and our fridge is full of marg and yoghurt.  It helps our cause here that these products all have a long shelf life.  


Other mainstays of my larder are huge bags of dried pasta, risotto rice, multi-pack tins of tuna, chopped tomatoes and baked beans, plus in the fridge I stockpile the little packs of pancetta that last for ages.  Then I know all I need to do is add a few fresh veggies and I always have a couple quick and easy stand by meals ... and there is no chance of my being an Allergic Old Mother Hubbard.  

My larder - built by my clever father-in-law (collection of 'Good Food' magazines top left, soy milk top right! )

Waitrose dairy free and egg free treats

My preconception of Waitrose own brand products amounted to a conviction that they would be filled with such expensive high end goodies as butter, cream, free range egg and a bit of the ubiquitous skimmed milk powder for good measure ...


But, there are a few treats lurking at Waitrose that I was surprised to find were both dairy free and egg free ... so dig in: 


Bakery ...
essential Waitrose iced Belgian buns (yes, those ones with a cherry and the icing on top!) 
essential Waitrose iced finger buns


Lots of pâté  ...
essential Waitrose ardennes pâté
essential Waitrose reduced fat Ardennes pâté
essential Waitrose brussels pâté
essential Waitrose reduced fat brussels pâté
Waitrose chicken forestier pâté
Waitrose duck liver & orange pâté
Waitrose pork liver & onion pâté


Lots of biscuits: 
essential Waitrose bourbon creams
essential Waitrose digestive biscuits
essential Waitrose fruit shortcake biscuits
essential Waitrose ginger nuts
essential Waitrose nice biscuits
essential Waitrose rich tea biscuits
essential Waitrose rich tea finger biscuits
essential Waitrose shortcake biscuits


Enjoy! 

Something for nothing

Is it just me that gets a little thrill from 'extra' or 'unaccounted for' leftovers that enable you to make something out of nothing thus earning oneself a 'free' meal?  Yes ... probably is just me ... 


I had about 100g of lamb leftover from last week's lamb joint which I made into little pizza snails ... a sheet of vegan puff pastry, cover in sundried tomato purée, add chopped lamb, chopped red pepper and lots of basil plus a couple of squares of vegan cheese.  Roll up into a 'swiss roll type thingy' and cut into 12 pieces.  Bake for 15 mins in a warm oven.


Serve with jacket spuds and a few bits of salad.