I often joke that a year ago we could have been considered the “Mc Talty” family for all the times we would frequent McDonald’s. My then two year old was so familiar with the place that he felt compelled to point it out whenever we passed one in our travels. We’ve made a complete turn around since then, thanks in large part to our oldest son’s diagnosis of a chronic tic disorder and our subsequent discovery that he is allergic to wheat and corn and highly sensitive to gluten– three foods we since eliminated and made all the difference for him in his recovery.

This recipe is unique. What makes it special? It is not so much about the ingredients as it is about the preparation. You see, this Little Chef Salad is literally a salad made by my little chef, age 3, a former chicken nugget man turned foodie, a fella not diagnosed, but gluten free through association, and loving it. (more…)

No matter how you eat, whether it’s a restricted diet or not, it’s easy to get in a rut. We broke out of our rut with a “Spring is Coming” Salad Nicoise. Salad Nicoise is a French salad that traditionally includes hard boiled eggs, tuna and green beans.

While I often include tuna — a high quality Italian one packed in oil — this time I didn’t happen to have any, so I left it out. (more…)

If you’re avoiding dairy it’s not too hard to find a substitute since there are so many fine choices out there — various nut milks, soy milks, as well as rice milks. Most people gravitate toward nut milks and soy milks when they need to substitute for whole milk or cream in a recipe. But what do you do if you’re avoiding soy? The thickest of the milk substitutes, soy is a handy go to for the dairy-free baker. It’s the staple product in nearly all non-dairy frozen goodies. Let’s face it, no soy means no Tofutti Cuties! (more…)

Our church is hosting an annual pancake breakfast in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone congregates in a large meeting hall and socializes while several volunteers stand elbow to elbow flipping endless flapjacks for an hour and a half. Volunteer bakers supply dozens of loaves of Irish soda bread and there are endless pots of coffee available to all. Sounds like a fantastic time, unless you happen to be on a gluten-free diet. These gluten, corn, and casein-free shamrock pancakes are designed to make the child in your family get just as festive as everyone else, and perhaps make the other kids a little green with envy…

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I have been trying to get my boys to eat asparagus for the longest time. As a great source of vitamins A, C, and folate, I am forever trying to serve up these gems. It has often led to a battle of wills, then an ingenious act of deception on my part, but this time my children ate them in broad daylight without a fuss. I created this side dish on a complete whim and my boys loved it. My eldest said it tasted like ‘bees honey’ and after much cajoling and a promise that he could ’spit it out’ at the table if he needed to, my middle child (he’s the one that’s three), said (and I quote): “Mommy! This is not yucky!” What is my secret? (more…)

Potato Leek soup seemed like a good idea when I saw leeks on sale this morning at the store. I’ve never attempted it before but we’re in the middle of a cold spell with more snow planned. I knew I wanted a nice hot soup after the boots, hats and mittens come off. I loosely modeled this leek soup after Emeril’s version. It is spicy, but I completely left out the dairy and instead added more of everything else. In the end I had a 2 quart slow cooker brimming with a delicious soup that took only 1/2 hour to throw together and about 3 hours to simmer. The kids loved it, and so I thought I would add this one to the collection. It is gluten, corn, soy, egg, and dairy-free.

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Here is a quick healthy snack that will use up that leftover salmon from last night’s dinner. The kids and I whipped this up in five minutes and it was polished off in about the same time. The boys all gave this one a perfect score. My oldest thought it deserved 15 out of 10 points. That is a record for sure! I’m wondering if the judges were just a little biased since they were also the in-house chefs?

This snack includes about 1 1/2 cups of raw veggies and is Gluten, Corn, Egg, Soy, and Casein-free. Here is what we did…. (more…)

I’ve been making A to Z bread for years, aptly named because you could basically add anything from A to Z and still use the same recipe. I got the original recipe from Real food for Real People, and recently altered it to fit my new dietary needs. I replaced the wheat/white flour with a gluten-free flour blend that I mixed myself. The results were great.

The original A to Z recipe calls for 3 cups of white flour and then allows for 2 cups of any 31 fruits or vegetables on their list, starting with grated apples and ending with grated zucchini. The version you see pictured here is Pumpkin Bread. It is gluten, corn, and casein-free. It is easy to make and bakes up in about one hour. (more…)

After practicing a gluten and corn-free diet for nearly a year I often run into people that say it is just too expensive or too inconvenient to be completely gluten-free. I decided to commit some time to developing recipes that don’t require any special alternative ingredients and can be easily made by anyone on a budget.

This dish is a great getting started recipe. All the ingredients can be found at your local grocer. We reserve this one for the weekends, because even though it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare, we buy a 6 lb bird that requires nearly 3 1/2 hours in the oven. (more…)

If you are tired of being bound to the kitchen and need a break, there is a new place to dine in the Chicago area. The Balanced Kitchen, a gluten-free vegan restaurant located at 6263 North McCormick Road in Lincolnwood, is now open for business. They feature a state-of-the art dining experience, offering a wide range of main course foods, sides, and appetizers, and they even include a gluten, dairy, and egg-free baked goods case.

The restaurant was the dream-child of New York Culinary Institute graduate and pastry chef, Betty Alper. Shortly after graduation Betty became ill and was subsequently diagnosed with Celiac disease. This spurred her into developing gluten free flour combinations that mimic the fluffy texture of wheat. Over time her dreams and talents became reality and now her dream child, The Balanced Kitchen, is open for lunch, carryout, and weekend brunch by reservation only. (more…)