Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Tortilla Chip-Crusted Tilapia February 27, 2015

Kind of by accident, I created one delicious dinner tonight.  Don’t you LOVE when that happens?!  I was planning to make Cooking Light’s Chip-Crusted Cod Fillets. But a few things went wacky…

First, my husband bought tilapia instead of cod.  Overcomeable.  Second, I realized I didn’t have the kind of chips the recipe called for.  That is sort of the corner stone to their recipe.  And, then I keep reading and decided I didn’t like the idea of dipping the fish into ranch dressing. But I DID like the idea of seasoned fish. So, I took it my own direction…

…And it was amazing!    I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Tortilla Chip-Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets (approximately 6 oz each)

2 tsp of mayonnaise (or if you’re allergic to egg, try soy mayonnaise)

1 tsp of ranch dressing

Approx. 2 oz (or two handfuls) of tortilla chips, crushed

a few pinches of sea salt

medium salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place tilapia fillets on parchment paper on baking sheet.  Sprinkle fillets with sea salt.  Next, spread 1/2 tsp of mayonnaise over the top of each fillet.  Add 1/4 tsp of ranch dressing to the top of each fillet and spread.  Cover each fillet with crushed tortilla chips and lightly press into place.  Bake for 15 minutes or until flaky.  Serve with dollop of salsa and try not to eat someone else’s tilapia once you’re done with your own.

 

Anaphylaxis 101: Familiarize Yourself with the Symptoms February 16, 2015

**If you believe you are experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, please call 911 and seek medical treatment immediately.  Effective treatment for life-threatening anaphylactic reactions are time sensitive and can sometimes result in a second, delayed reaction so it’s important to go to the hospital even if your symptoms subside.**

Anaphylaxis is a severe and serious reaction that can occur when an allergic person is exposed to their allergen.  The first line of defense against an anaphylactic reaction is a shot of adrenaline in the form of epinephrine (EpiPen, Auvi-Q or other auto-injector).

Because time is of the essence in the case of a severe allergic reaction, it’s important to brush up on the symptoms of anaphylaxis and react at the first symptom.  Anaphylaxis can take one or several of the below forms:

• swollen lips, tongue, face
• trouble breathing
• wheezing
• hives
• nausea and/or vomiting
• hoarse voice
• tightness of the throat
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• dizziness and/or fainting
• low heart rate
• rapid heartbeat
• cardiac arrest

What should you do in the event of anaphylaxis?

1.  Locate and use your emergency medication, an epinephrine autoinjector (such as EpiPen, Auvi-Q, etc).

2.  Dial 911 immediately.  And get to an emergency medical center right away.

If you can avoid it, do not try to drive to the hospital yourself.  Often a second shot of epinephrine is needed and EMTs have many emergency treatments available in their ambulances to make the patient more comfortable.

If you are not the parent/relative of the person experiencing anaphylaxis, follow steps 1 and 2 before contacting family/friends.  I always tell my babysitters to administer epinephrine, call 911 and THEN call me in quick, but thorough succession.

Even if your symptoms subside after self-treating with epinephrine, you will need to get to an emergency medical facility to get a thorough check of your health.  In rare cases, a secondary reaction can occur usually within 12 hours after the initial anaphylaxis.

Again, the best way to stay safe is easy with our three As:

1.  AVOID:  Avoid your allergen.  Don’t eat, even a little, anything you may be allergic to.

2.  AUTO-INJECTORS: Always carry your Emergency Medication Pack which includes your epinephrine autoinjectors.

3.  ASK:  Ask lots of questions.  If the ingredients to something aren’t apparent, ask waitstaff, grocers, manufacturers, bakers, parents, etc.  Don’t ever cross your fingers and hope something is safe!

The helpful infographic below, from Healthline, explains the effects of anaphylaxis on the body further.

Easy No-Bake Valentine’s Day Treat: Sweet Strawberry Hearts February 7, 2015

It’s almost Valentine’s Day!  Making the cards is so much fun and I LOVE seeing the messages the kids write each other.  And, I particularly love those silly Valentine’s Day puns. I mean, “Olive You,” “You’re the Juan”… classic!

When it comes to class parties, I try to volunteer to bring the hardest thing to make Food Allergy Friendly.  Especially for candy/treat centric holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day.  Last year I made Cupid’s Arrow Fruit Kabobs which the kids gobbled up faster than I could serve it.  This year, I decided to try something different. But with a toddler running around the house (more aptly put, running the house), it needed to be easy to put together and able to serve in bulk.

Enter the allergy-friendly (dairy, egg, peanut, and tree nut-free), no bake, Sweet Strawberry Hearts.

Ingredients:

1 package of Nilla Wafers

1 container of Pillsbury Pink Frosting (dairy-free!)

1 package of fresh strawberries

First, wash the strawberries and cut off the green.

Next, slice each trimmed strawberry in half vertically. Some of the thicker strawberries can be sliced into three pieces.

Shape each strawberry half into hearts by slicing a small “V” into the top.

Next, frost each Nilla wafer with a small dollop of frosting. They already look prettier, don’t they?!

Finally, top each cookie with a strawberry heart.

Et, voila!

Each kid will likely eat three.

They’re delicious…and, I like to think, healthy….ish.  Have a safe and happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day: Safe List of Nut-Free Candy February 4, 2015

If your sweetheart is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, be very careful what you’re giving them for Valentine’s Day.  Candy is certainly not an essential part of Valentine’s Day, but if it’s on the menu you’ll want to make sure you’re giving them a safe treat rather than a trip to the ER.

The Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board compiles a list of peanut and tree nut free candy that could save the day!   As always, double check the ingredient lists to verify that there have been no changes in ingredient lists or manufacturing practices.  And, pay particular attention to candy that has been miniaturized or made larger as that often has manufacturing (and therefore, food allergy) implications.  Some of the items are available online but many are commercially available.  Among the many items they list, are:

• Skittles
• Dum Dum lollipops
• Haribo Gummies
• Peeps (I’ll remind you of this one in another couple of months)
• Laffy Taffy
• Wonka’s Nerds
• Dubble Bubble
• SweeTarts
• Twizzlers
• Tootsie Pops and Tootsie Rolls
• Rolo
• Starburst Fruit Chews, Lollipops, and Jelly Beans
• Junior Mints
• Lifesavers
• Sour Patch Kids
• Hershey’s plain chocolate kisses (not King Size or Holiday/Seasonal Bags)
• Hershey’s plain chocolate bar personal size only (not King Size or Minis)
• Smarties
• Hot Tamales

Peruse the full list here:

The Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board’s 2015 List of Peanut and Tree Nut Free Candy

           

Chilly Outside? Warm Up with Allergy-Free Game Day Chili January 30, 2015

Just as scrumptious as when I originally posted several years ago….

In the mood for chili, I decided to adapt my mother’s already-delicious recipe to be allergy-free and to include a few more vegetables.  The result was a fantastic dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free meal that everyone loved.  [NB:  I cut the chili powder, and red pepper by about 1/3 (so 1 Tbsp chili powder and slightly less than 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes) to appease the taste budettes of my kids.]

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

2 large onions, minced

2-4 garlic cloves, crushed

olive oil cooking spray

1 zucchini, shredded

28 oz can diced tomatoes

6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed pepper

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped) or 1 Tbsp dried basil

16 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed

 

 

Spray large saute pan with cooking oil, saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes; then add turkey.  Cook , stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink (about 5 minutes).

Add chili powder, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes, stir and cook for 1 minute.  Add can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add bay leaf, basil and beans; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

 

 

Serve with Whole Grain Tostita Chips.  Enjoy!

Farmers’ Markets Might Just Be Fabulous January 26, 2015

Today, my daughter and I took a little field trip to Union Market in Northeast DC to have lunch with my brother from out of town.  Leave it to him to already be tuned into the cool DC-find that is Union Market.

I pulled into a ghost town of a closed wholesale food district and thought I must be lost.  But as I have a fascination with industrial areas of cities (don’t even ASK where that comes from!), I was fascinated, not flummoxed.  Making one last turn, I stumbled upon the spot.  A bright, industrial warehouse housing what is basically an upscale, indoor farmers market and series of food stalls.  I’m glad I had only brought my try-anything toddler.  I’ve long been a little leery of farmer’s markets, food trucks and small stalls because of their limited offerings and my belief that the limits of their kitchens might make for a potentially dangerous cross-contamination situation.  With my oldest son allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds and my middle guy going through a picky eater phase, this type of establishment can be a disaster.

But, boy was I surprised today!!  Look at some of the great things I found today:

Here was a bakery that posted the ingredients of all of their breads (and there were MANY – all delicious looking).  Notice what they don’t list:  dairy, eggs, sesame seeds, and peanuts**?

[**I did ask at the stall and the breads were made in the same facility as tree nuts.]

While not everything fit the allergy-free mold here, they did have several dairy-free options:

Vegan means egg and dairy-free!

Let us not forget all the fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables on hand to prepare something safe and delicious at home:

         

I can’t wait to bring my food allergic son here (below)!  I checked with the staff and their biscuits are peanut, tree nut and sesame seed-free!  Breakfast sandwiches on biscuits.  I’m still stuffed but my mouth is watering!  Mmmm…

And, my younger son will LOVE the bagels they import (below) from New York.  There’s nothing like a NY bagel!

 

Whether it’s Union Market, Eastern Market, or a farmer’s market near you, get out and explore.  These small businesses were extremely responsive to our allergy concerns and, no matter whether the food was safe or not, I LOVE supporting them!

Union Market, Washington DC

Connect: We’re All Just a Phone Call Away January 16, 2015

Although a growing issue, food allergies have a way of making people feel alone, isolated and different.  My son often feels like the only kid who can’t eat the bread or dessert out at meals.  He’s the one worrying about whether the birthday treat will be safe for him and quietly left feeling excluded from the fun.  But I also feel alone sometimes:  I’m the person silently, but constantly, weighing the risks of every move we make throughout every day of the year; thinking five steps ahead to protect my child’s health.

Let’s face it, having a food allergy isn’t easy.  And, parenting a child with food allergies is stressful.  Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who inherently understands your life.

I was reminded of that recently, when I consulted with someone whose son is about to start kindergarten.  I remember the considerations we had to take into account at that time and the stress it stirred going from a nut-free school to one that is sensitive to nuts, but does not ban them.  I was more than happy to help out in any way I could.  I was glad to let her vent her frustrations, address her concerns and pass along some of our hard-earned lessons.  It feels good to pay it forward as I, too, call upon other moms and doctors for advice and reality checks.

They say it takes a village to raise a child.  But that village doesn’t just support the child, it strengthens the parents.  The village’s collective education, creativity and spirit ensure you don’t have to go it alone.  When you’re feeling turned around or exasperated, the village is there with a cup of coffee (or, in my case, a bowl of ice cream), some calming words and a hug.

I encourage you all to reach out to other food allergic parents and pose questions, offer advice, voice your aggravations, exchange recipes, share ideas, and just generally encourage one another.  And, if you don’t know another food allergy parent, feel free to contact me.  Please visit Allergy Shmallergy’s facebook page where you are welcome to post questions to me and one another, arrange meet up groups, swap great ideas and generally just connect with and support one another.

Thank you for being part of my village.