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…)

I’ve long wanted to create an allergy-friendly dish that is loaded with veggies and tasty too. With a little experimenting, I created a gluten and corn-free, dairy-free, and Feingold friendly meal that your kids may balk at trying but will definitely want to finish. My kids were surprised at how good these peppers tasted, and they gave it a definite thumbs up for the blog.

From start to finish it takes about 1 hour to prepare, assemble, and simmer. Makes six heaping medium-sized stuffed peppers or seven lightly stuffed ones. Will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days and can be frozen as well. (more…)

The secret to making good Chicken soup in the crockpot is in the meat. I love to use the crockpot but making it the traditional way, with the chicken on the bone, always ends up creating a stringy mess. The meat just seems to fall apart into tiny shreds. I’ve finally solved this problem with a low-fat version that tastes great. This dish is gluten and corn free, without casein, and Feingold friendly. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and takes about 6 hours to cook.

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I discovered this dish on a fluke. I needed to put together a fast meal with the ingredients I had on hand. I just threw it together and crossed my fingers, hoping that I wouldn’t have to cajole my three boys to at least try it. I almost grabbed the ketchup bottle on the way to the table, and it is a good thing I didn’t.

My boys just loved my easy version of Oriental Beef Stir Fry. My eldest practically licked his plate. So I’ve decided to officially add it to my collection. This lovely dinner can be made in just under 30 minutes and it is gluten-free, corn-free, casein-free, and Feingold approved. If you’d like to try it, here’s what you do: (more…)

I practiced a lot this past holiday with some of our family’s favorite home-baked cookie recipes, a tradition among the women in our extended family that dates back to a time long before I was born. This was our first gluten free Christmas, and it began with several mishaps and a lot of perseverance. Here is my all time best success this year.

These mini-muffin sized sweets are perfect for entertaining or that special occasion you’d like to attend. Also known as “Nut Cups”, this allergy friendly treat passed the test with all our gluten eating friends and family. They couldn’t taste the difference, nor did they see one. (more…)

Here is a simple family favorite that is sure to please. It took me some time to get the spices just right, and even longer to get a good gravy consistency.

Stews and soups are particularly challenging for the home cook who is used to bouillon cubes or gravy mixes. If you like simple but tasty, here is the perfect meal for a cold rainy day.

The slow cooker softens the meat so well that even a toddler can chew it without any difficulty. This Irish stew will go great with mashed potatoes, and your kids will love it, and it is gluten-free, corn-free, Feingold approved, and casein-free. (more…)

I promise you won’t have to fight your toddler to finish this salad. It is aptly named by my four-year-old who not only gave it a perfect ten, he happily finished his portion! Even my 16 month-old enjoyed it down to the last piece. Our Super Green Salad tastes great and is naturally gluten-free, corn-free, Feingold stage 2, and completely casein-free. (more…)

The title itself is a mouthful, but every word of it is true. I am so proud of this bread. It comes after a few unsuccessful attempts to imitate my Irish mother-in-law’s famous traditional soda bread. I have finally come so close to the real thing that even she will question whether or not it is really gluten, corn, and milk-free. (more…)

This recipe is the brain-child of an impulse buy at the grocery store, made just to keep a sixteen-month old in need of a nap from having a meltdown in the cart. I dutifully paid the cashier for the mango I could barely pry out of my baby’s grip, quickly gave it back and let him hold it all the way home in the car. At home I washed the now slimy skin and peeled and sliced it for my three boys, who all concluded it was “yucky.” Not willing to go down without a fight, here is what I decided to do with that pesky mango. (more…)

A Special Message from the Editor: All recipes are free of wheat, gluten, and corn products, and also made without artificial ingredients. They are also judged very critically by the toughest standards known to man: my three children all under four feet tall and none weighing more than 45 pounds. I am constantly creating dishes in my kitchen, but only recipes that meet the highest of standards are included here for your convenience. They are kindly rated by my very serious, brutally honest critics on a scale of one to ten. My boys are keen at rating, and have developed a very simple standard; one means that “this dish is so yucky I don’t ever want to eat it again”, and the rates slightly improve until I reach the coveted ten: “this dish is so yummy that I would eat if every day for the rest of the week!” No dish hits cyberspace without an average score of 8, and thankfully most here have reached the coveted 10. So rest assured, if you choose a recipe from Healthy-Family.org your picky eater will probably like it. I know mine do!

Any prepackaged food we use is carefully selected, and is also generally always organic. Our goal is to provide healthy recipes for the typical busy family with hectic schedules and commitments. Most all of the recipes contained on this website are semi-homemade. I will include shortcuts whenever possible. In general we do not eat foods with soy. If I know a recipe contains soy I will mention it here. We do not actively avoid soy so please double check everything for soy if you are soy allergic. In following a corn-free diet it is important to mention that we do not include products that use white vinegar or citric acid, because the source is often hydrolyzed corn starch and too often causes a reaction. We do include products made with xanthan gum, which many corn allergic people react to; (it is produced by a bacterium that is fed corn to grow) so we will always be sure to let our readers know when an ingredient includes it by putting an asterisk and a warning next to the item being used. If a dish is also good for Feingold diet (free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and avoids certain fruits high in salicylates such as tomatoes, apples, grapes, pineapple, etc…) it will have an [F1] for stage 1 (total avoidance of the fruits), and [F2] for stage 2 (inclusion of some fruits). Of course some recipes not labeled as Feingold can be modified by removing ingredients that are high in salicylates. None of our recipes have artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. If a recipe is dairy-free it will have a [D]. Readers can substitute the milk in most recipes with a non-dairy alternative. I have often interchanged them. Please check back periodically. This page will be updated along with all new recipe posts.

If you are just starting out I will preface this list by saying that our son does not have a severe allergy. He does not get severe illness (lethargy, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea) from accidental corn ingestion. His response is neurological in nature. Please take extra precautions if you have a severe physical allergy to corn. (Some corn allergic people cannot even tolerate fermented dairy products as they contain enzymes that are corn-derived.)

Breakfast Meals

Gourmet Pancakes [F2]
Breakfast Casserole [D] [F1] *contains eggs
Cookie-Cutter Shamrock Pancakes [D], [F2] *you choose your favorite pancake mix
Overnight Slow Cooked Gluten-free Oatmeal [D], [F2] *includes apples

Condiments

Ketchup and Barbecue Sauce [D]

Cookies

Mini Pecan Tarts [F1]
Chocolate Chip [D], [F1]
Flourless Coconutty Fruit [D], [F1]

Snacks

Blueberry Scones
Fresh Veggie and Salmon Dip [D], [F1]*also is soy free and egg free
Peanut-Butter and Jelly Pie [D],[F1]
Old-Fashioned Irish Soda Bread [D], [*F1] *just substitute for the raisins
Sweet Potato Chips [D], [F]
Zucchini Bread [D] [F1] *contains eggs

Lunches

Caribbean Chicken with Black Beans and Rice [D],[*F2] * made with diced tomatoes
Cheeseburger Salad [F2]
Creamy Garlic Chicken Salad [D],[F1] *contains soy
Pizza in a Pinch
Southwestern Red Bean Salad [D],[F2]
Taco Salad [*F2] *omit tomatoes

Main Entrees

Irish Stew in the Slow Cooker [D],[F1]
Orange Roughy Pilaf [D] [F1]
Stuffed Peppers [D]
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Peppers [D], [*F2] (contains orange juice)
Chicken Cacciatore [D]
Crockpot Chop Suey [D] [F1]
Meatloaf with Boiled Potatoes [D]
Oriental Beef Stir Fry [D], [F1] * contains soy
Sweet and Spicy Carribean-style Pork Chops [D] [*F2] (contains applesauce)
Vegetable Lasagna
Fried Chicken [D], [F1]
Roast Chicken with Potato Stuffing [D], [F1]

Side Dishes

Baltic-Style Potato Souffle [F1]
Carribean-style Black Beans and Rice [D] [F1]
Sweet Asparagus Spears in Plum Sauce [D], [F]
Wild Rice Stuffing [D] [F]

Salads

Pasta Salad [D]
Kid-Friendly “Little Chef” Salad [D] [F1]
Kid-Friendly Super Green Salad [D] [F2]

Sauces

Sweet and Sour Sauce [D] [F2]
Creamy white sauce [F1]
Sweet and Tangy Cranberry Sauce [D] *contains apples

Soups

Low-Fat Tuscany Soup [D] [F1]
Crockpot Low-fat Chicken Soup [D] [F1]
Potato Leek Soup [D], [F1]

Desserts

Blueberry Cobbler [F1]
Carrot Cake [D],[*F2] *contains applesauce
Cupcakes with Frosting [F1]
Pumpkin Pie [D] [F1]
Pumpkin Spice Cake [F1]
Strawberry Shortcake [D] [F1]
Sweet-Tasting Light and Airy Muffins [F1]

Baking Mixes

Baking powder [D] [F1]
Favorite commercial mixes we use [*D] [F1] *some mixes contain casein

If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it to: caryn at healthy-family.org