# Help needed: very limited diet



## Lonestar (Sep 15, 2005)

My younger brother recently found out he is highly allergic to many common foods.  Since eliminating them from his diet he has stopped having stomach upset, felt much better, and started gaining weight to return to a normal level.  Unfortunantly, his diet is very limited and his food is becoming rather bland and repetative.  I know almost nothing about cooking, and nobody in my family is very qualified.  I would like to get together a list of recipies that would add more flavor and variety to his diet.  

Things he is allergic too:

Bananas
Cheese
Corn
Eggs
Milk (cow and goat)
Peanuts
Pepper (BW and Green)
Pineapple
Radishes
Sesame
Sugar (cane)
Tomato
Wheat
Yeast (Bakers and Brewers)

If anyone has ideas for any course of a meal, I would appreciate it.  I am hoping to get the recipies together and make a book for him to have.

Thanks


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 15, 2005)

Hi Lonestar and welcome to DC!!  We would like to know what he enjoys to eat to which he is not allergic, also what he particularly dislikes.  This will help us to get some idea!!


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## Lonestar (Sep 15, 2005)

We are from Texas, so that is where the basis of the diet comes from.  He will try just about anything, and with his new diet, he just want to have flavor in his food.  Desserts are especially difficult, but he is mostly just eating meat and rice based meals right now.  

As far as we know, he is not allergic to anything else but what is on the list, though obviously very exotic foods may not have been tested.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 16, 2005)

Try some variety of recipe based with potatoes, beans and lentils, cooked with some vegetables (well, aside from tomatoes and corn...), make it interesting and exciting with a nice blend of spices and herbs...
Also rice noodles (can be found in the oriental food section of a supermarket or specialty shop) are tasty and versatile, either stir fried or as salad.
If you want to give some creamy effect to a recipe try a little coconut milk. 
I will get back to you if I think of more useful ideas and try to get together some attractive recipes... right now it is getting to be almost morning, my brain is starting to slow down.... good luck in any case!!


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## KAYLINDA (Sep 16, 2005)

With that list of allergies, I just have to say "God Bless Him".


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## JessBoBess (Sep 16, 2005)

Poor thing!  I will see what I can find, dessert wise.  Just this week I made a sorbet that is delicious.  


I just boiled some mixed berries in apple juice (the kind that is sweetened with deflavoured fruit juice) until they were soft, blended it until smooth, threw in some vodka (careful with the amount - you can't taste it in something that cold) and froze it.  For the first 5 hours, you have to take it out the freezer every hour and whisk it to prevent sharp crystals from forming.  Then it is basically ready, although it's best to freeze for a further 24 hours.

My hubby is allergic to preservatives and he is also hypoglycemic.  It is summer here, so I've been making him ice lollies with fruit juice.  You know those things we used to have as kids?  It's basically a deep ice tray with plastic sticks.  I fill it with all his favourite fruit juices and freeze it.


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## JessBoBess (Sep 16, 2005)

This is a very tasty veg curry.  My hubby, who normally loves anything meaty, begs for it.

1 tsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
ginger (I hate the stuff!)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cilantro (fresh coriander leaves are better)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp curry powder 
some minced chilli (optional)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water

1 large potato, cubed 
2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets, cubed
1 tin chickpeas, drained
4 zucchini, thickly sliced

Fry onion and garlic in a saucepan until soft.  Add spices and fry for a minute.
Add water and veg (except zucchini) and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add zucchini and simmer for a further 10 minutes.  

Cooking time is only a guide line.  I normally over cook the pumpkin and potato a bit to create a mushy base.


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## Floridagirl (Sep 16, 2005)

First of all welcome to DC!!!!!

OMG that is bad!!
well I don't have a recipe right now, but you can substitude some things....
I would use soy milk instead of cow or goat milk. There are also yogurts made from soy milk. Instead of cane sugar use fructose or a sweetner substitude or honey.

You can bake your own bread, use rye flour and spelt flour. Instead of a yeast bread use sour dough. Later today I'll post a recipe for a sour dough rye bread.
You can also substitude with buckwheat flour, millet flour, soy flour....

There is also cheese available made from tofu and soy.

substitude corn starch with rice flour or potato starch.

I found a vegan website, they make up the following things for 1 egg (depending on the recipe):

- 1 tbsp soy flour with 1-2 tbsp water
- 50g tofu and liqid from the recipe
- 1/2 banana, crushed

if in your recipe eggs are used as a bonding agent you can try the following (depending on the recipe)

- use soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk  (always check the sugar content!!)
- crushed bananas
- plain tofu
- quinoa

I'll get back to you with the recipe for the rye sour dough bread and maybe another ideas for recipes later today!

Iris


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## JessBoBess (Sep 16, 2005)

Stir fries are also an option.  To thicken the sauce, use oat bran.  Serve with rice.


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## Zereh (Sep 16, 2005)

Quick thread derail: mmmm JoBoBess, that curry looks scrumptious! Thanks for sharing.

No ideas yet on dessert stuff for you brother, Lonestar, but I'll dig around and see what I can come up with.

There are some soy and rice based cheeses that aren't too bad (they'll never ever have the rich taste of the real stuff, but they melt decently and still give that cheese feeling). They even have a Parmesan type soy cheese.


 Z


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## JessBoBess (Sep 16, 2005)

This dessert will have to be tweaked.  There is a lot of sugar in it, but you can by-pass it with a lot of taste testing.  My father-in-law is diabetic, and I make things like this with a lot of honey and fruit juice.  Unfortunately, I can't give exact measurements as it's all trial and tasting.

approx. 6 peaches
1 1/2 cups good red wine*
1/2 cup sugar*
2 table spoons honey*
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves 
2 tsp cornflour (or oat bran)

*Halve wine, make up volume with sweet red grape juice, and add more honey until sweet enough.

Plunge peaches in boiling water to remove skin.  Halve and remove stones.  Arrange snugly in a frying pan.  Heat wine, juice and honey (and sugar) in another saucepan. Pour over peaces and add spices.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes), basting often.  Remove spices, spoon peaches into a serving dish and leave to cool.

Stir corn flour (oat bran) into juices and boil until thick and syrupy.  Spoon over peaches and chill for up to 12 hours.  (Or serve warm).


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## JessBoBess (Sep 16, 2005)

A delicious alternative to rice is stuffed gem squash.  Or patty pans.

Cook until just tender.  For gems, remove seeds.  Fill with small veg like peas.  I like to do my peas in a bit of margarine and herbs with a pinch of salt.  Or I mix all sorts of chopped up things and top with fried mushroom, onion and garlic.  And LOTS of black pepper!!!

For the patty pans, you cut off a little 'lid', remove pulp and mix it with yummy things like spring onion, garlic and parsley.  Then you put the pulp back in, put on the lid and put them back in the oven until hot.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 16, 2005)

Hi LoneStar, I got a few recipes here for you, I hope I didn't violate any of his limitations and you guy will enjoy these.  Also for an idea for sweets, I think granita with fresh fruit sweetened with honey would be a good option!!  Anyway here are the recipes....

**Licia's dahl with touch of India* (my favourite lentil recipe...)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 big clove of garlic
extra virgine olive oil
1 cup of dry lentils, I like red or yellow version. (they cook much faster)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup of white wine
water
garam masala (indian mixture of spices)
curry
turmeric
cumin
cardamom
salt
cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

finely chop the first 3 ingredients and sautè in a sufficient amount of olive oil in a large sauce pan.
When they are well cooked, add bayleaf and the wine and continue to cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes.  When the liquid is sufficiently absorbed/evaporated but still the veggies are moist, add lentils, then pour water just to cover the whole thing sufficiently.  Bring to boil then continue to simmer.  
Add the spices and salt except cardamom.  Start from about 1/2 tsp. each (less with cumin), taste as you go and find the right balance for you.
Continue to cook until the lentils are cooked, soft enough but not totally mushed up, if needed adding a little hot water (+ or - 20 minutes).
A couple of minutes before it is done mix in a pinch of ground cardamom.
Serve with chopped leaves of cilantro (fresh coriander)

**Aloo Dum* (Indian potato dish)
4 large potatoes peeled and diced
3 medium sized onions 
A small piece of ginger
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin powder 
Salt to taste
ground cardamom
extra virgine olive oil
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped.
* this is a mild version. if you like hot add some chopped green chili or cayenne pepper as needed.
**Also tasty with addition of lightly boiled (not too soft slightly firm) califlower, broccoli or green peas (sautè them with potatoes)!!

Boil the potatoes (not to get them too soft, about 5 minutes). 
Saute the potatoes, chopped onion, ginger and garlic with sufficient hot oil till they turn slightly brown.
Add the coconut milk and spices except cardamom, salt to taste.
Bring to boil and simmer till the gravy is thick for about 10 minutes, stirring well.
Add a pinch of cardamom just before the finish, mix well..
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

**rosemary roasted potatoes* (very simple!)
Peel and cube the potatoes.
Coat well with extra virgine olive oil, salt, and rosemary leaves.
Bake it in the oven at 200C/400F until potatoes are golden, about 25min + or -

**mushroom risotto* (a very very tasty way to enjoy rice!)

1 large onion, chopped
250g/1/2lb of mushrooms, chopped
extra virgine olive oil
1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice
1 bayleaf
1/2 cup white wine
500-700ml/20-25 oz. HOT good quality stock
chopped flat leaf parsley

Sautè onion and mushrooms in plenty of olive oil in a large sauce pan until they are thoroughly cooked.
Add the rice, continue to sautè mixing briskly for a couple of minutes, until the rice is semi-transparent.
Drop the bayleaf and add the wine, bring to the boil quickly and let the wine get absorbed.
Then start adding the stock, about 1 large ladle at a time, stirring often.  As the stock get absorbed (but still sufficiently wet) continue to add the stock in the same fashion, STIRRING OFTEN.  Continue the procedure until the rice is cooked al dente (not too mushy).  It should take about 20-25 minutes.  Sprinke the parsley over and serve.
(This "add the stock little by little" method is to coat the each and every morsel of rice with the flavour, at the end you can really taste the difference.  A little tedious but every bit worth it!!)

**Oriental Rice noodles*.
First you soak the noodles in plenty of cold water for about 15 minutes then drain well.
To stir fry-
First you sautè thinly sliced veggies (onion, scallion, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms etc.) in extra virgin olive oil with garlic, ginger and salt, using a large skillet or wok.  Seasoning variation is to add a little curry flavour, or substitute salt for a dash of teriyaki sauce.  When the veggies are almost done, add the noodles, mix everything well until hot.

For salad-
Boil the noodle quickly, just for a minute or two until the noodles are flexible.  Drain and cool it in cold running water.  
Toss it with julieneed veggies and your choice of dressing---I particularly enjoy it with my creation, papaya seed dressing. I already posted this recipe under "Salads and Salad Dressings section", dated 11 September. To make this just replace sugar with honey. Check it out!)


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## Floridagirl (Sep 16, 2005)

Hi Lonestar,

I posted the recipe for the rye sour dough bread (and also for making the rye sour dough) in the bread forum! 

Iris


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## Robo410 (Sep 16, 2005)

certain acids, enzymes, and yeasts.  well, while alot of what we eat is produced or contains these items, a whole lot more doesn't.  there are lots of things to do...# 1 work with a dietician, a nutricianist, and find a health food store so you can get stuff like soy milk, quinoa, organic items and a whole range of recipes etc.  THere is a chance that many spices will trigger problems since pepper does..Many are dried seeds or berries.  But many herbs may well be ok for flavoring.  And there are all kinds of vegetables out there that are wonderful for roasting and grilling and chowing down on.  Boiling a veg is tasteless.  ROasting gives you great flavor.  WHat kinds of acid?  can lemmon juice be used? a great flavor enhancer.. If not, there are other items...smoke flavorings such as smoked salts.  
Is beet sugar ok?  
RIce ...all kinds, and rice flour.  
Beans etc.
a person can live on rice and beans.  
THere are web sites for vegans and organics and specific food needs so this is a great age of info.  ANd please share what you find out there with us.


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## Lonestar (Sep 16, 2005)

Thank you so much for all the responses, I am writing everything down as I get it.  So many things I had not thought about or known.

Thanks again


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## purrfectlydevine (Sep 17, 2005)

You might try googling gluten free recipes and go from there.  For the milk, is it a true allergy or a lactose intolerance?  If it is the latter, there is a product called lact-aid that can be added to milk to handle the lactose.  Soy milk is another option.  Good luck!


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## HappyAvocado (Sep 18, 2005)

hi lonestar, i am an allergy kid, too.  well, not a kid anymore, but i grew up with food allergies.  first of all, remember that most soy cheeses contain casien, which is a milk product.  for this reason, i cant eat fake cheese unless it is labeled vegan... and the vegan cheeses are hard to find even in my area.   if you can get them, Paul Newman brand wheat free dairy free fig newmans are one of my favorite deserts...  there is also a brand of rice based "ice cream" that is sweetened with fruit, very tastey and no cane sugar... i like the chocolate, myself.   in baking, i have found that spelt, oat and rye flours, depending on the recipe, are quite tasty.  

i am allergic to cow dairy, and i can only eat wheat in small amounts... when i was a kid i could not eat it at all.  i ate a lot of alternative breads, rice bread, spelt bread... but be aware that spelt and barley specificly are very closely related to wheat.  try a search on the internet for a good vegan cooking site for ideas about how to cook without dairy or eggs... i have also found that in baking a reduced down rice or soy milk works just as well as cow milk.  also, cream can be substituted with blended soft tofu.

because of my allergies, i do a lot of asian style cooking... look into some thai, chinese, or japanese dishes.  i also eat a lot of curries, and learning about indian spices has made my diet much more interesting and flavorful.  spices are your best friend when you cant have the flavor or richness of butter and dairy.

when i get home i will look through my recipes for you and see what i can find.  my food allergies are actually what motivated me to learn how to cook for myself, because i was so bored of fish/tofu/chicken and rice with veggies, which was my standard diet for a long long time.


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## masteraznchefjr (Sep 18, 2005)

thers always chicken and sauteeing that in onions and then braising it in chicken stock with parsley and wine


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2005)

For some people, you'd be amazed what instant mashed potatoes can do.  Make sure he checks it with his doctor first, but you can use it to "bread" meats and thicken gravies, soup, and stews.  When someone has so many allergies I'd check anything he hasn't had before cooking with it.  But the flakes (they come in flakes and buds) can replace a lot of wheat products.  They're especially good as a replacement for panko!


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## jpmcgrew (Oct 17, 2005)

www.cherrybrookkitchen.com

Check out this web site they carry peanut-dairy-egg and nut free dessert mixes. Family Circle magazine tried them and said they could not taste a difference between these and regular mixes.


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## Constance (Oct 17, 2005)

Here's a thought...instead of trying to replace things he cannot eat, how about introducing him to some things he can eat! Beans, lentils, and potatoes, as mentioned above, can be very satisfying. I'd limit the amount of potatoes and carrots, though, as they both have a lot of natural sugar in them. 

Here's a good looking dish that he might enjoy:

Mixed Grain Mushroom Casserole

Serves:  
Ingredients:
1/2 c	Wild rice
1/2 ts	Crushed dried oregano
1 ts	Crushed dried thyme
3 1/2 c	Broth
1/2 lb	Mushrooms; thickly sliced
4 tb	Unsalted butter, margarine or oil
4 	Garlic cloves; chopped
1 lg	Onion; thinly sliced
1/4 c	Oil
1/2 c	Brown rice
1/2 c	Pearl barley
Salt & pepper; to taste

Instructions:
Combine grains in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Pour the oil into a 2-3 qt. casserole which is safe for both stovetop and oven cooking, and place on med. heat.
When hot, saute onion and garlic until tender and translucent, about 5-6 mins.
Add the mixed grains and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Meanwhile melt butter or margarine (if using) in a separate pan on medium high heat.
When hot, add mushrooms and saute quickly, stirring frequently, until the shrooms are hot and have just absorbed the "butter" (about 1 minute).
Immediately remove from heat.
Add the broth, herbs, and mushrooms to the casserole with the onions and grains, and bring to a boil.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover tightly (use aluminum foil between pot and cover if necessary for a good seal), and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

For interest, I would add a bit of carrot, broccoli, and/or chopped red bell pepper. You could also add any kind of pre-cooked meat, spinach, frozen peas, etc.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 19, 2005)

Floridagirl said:
			
		

> First of all welcome to DC!!!!!
> 
> ...  I would use soy milk instead of cow or goat milk. There are also yogurts made from soy milk. Instead of cane sugar use fructose or a sweetner substitude or honey.
> 
> ...



I highlighted various items in the quote because they are on the list of "cannot have" ingredients.  Sour doughs rely on naturally occuring yeast that floats around everywhere in our atmosphere.  This yeast is a direct cousin to baker's yeast, but is a hardier strain.  It is cultured into a sponge and used to leaven bread doughs.  I would think that the wild yeaast would cause the same allergic reactions.  And bannanas were on the list of taboo ingredients.

You can substitue Splenda for sugar in most recipes, and sugar alcohols where the texture of sugar is required.  Honey is also a great sweetener.  But I would stay away from mollases, as it is made from cane sugar.  And as for egg substitutes, do an on-line Google search for a host of egg substitute products.  They are out there.

Other ways to enhance flavor in foods:
Cook rice noodles in meat or poultry broths.
Rely on herbs and spices to flavor foods.

Try making a roux out of equal parts rye flour and cooking oil.  Add salt to taste, then thin with broth to make rich gravies and creamy soup bases.  Then add veggies such as cooked cauliflower or brocolli, asparagus, green or wax beans, Great Northern beans, onion, chives, and season with marjoram, oregano, thyme, lemon grass, etc. and serve with pork, fish, chicken, sliced turkey, beef, etc.

Use rich vegetable and meat stocks to liven up flavor.

Make your own caramel sauce using water, salt, and a sugar alcohol.

Use fruits with vibrant colors, such as cherries, berries, plumbs, grapes, etc. to make fruit glazes for hams, pork roasts, or in deserts.

Look up a fruit crisp recipe, such as cherry or apple.  Substitue Splenda for the sugar, and rye flour for the wheat flour.  Use sunflower oil instead of butter.  Cook the fruit on top of the stove and thicken with tapioca flour until it reaches the consistancy you want.  Flavor with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, etc, to match the recipe.  Then place in a lightly greased casserole dish and top with the crisp topping mixture.

Use rye or spelt flour in your muffin recipes, again replacing the sugar with Splenda.  You can also substitute apple sauce for the fat in many cakes to add moisture without so much fat, thus elliminating the need for butter.

Oh, and watch the soy milk.  Most brands are sweetened with can sugar.  I know Silk brand offers a Soy milk that is unsweetend.  I use that all the time and sweeten with Splenda to taste.  Add a bit of nutmeg to it with more Splenda and it tastes very much like egg-nog.

I will come up with a recipe or two later.  Have to get ready for work now.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## bluebonnettexas (Jul 30, 2006)

Corn is the real Biggy in that list.  Not everyone realizes that there is corn in almost all processed foods.  If an animal ate corn, you cannot eat that meat.  If corn syrup is in the recipe, you cannot have it.  It is in almost everything either by cornstarch, food, syrup; makeups, medicines, some deodorants, catsup, and baking powder and the list is two pages long as I am sure you know.  
I am allergic to it and I have to be careful even about shortening or oil and make sure it doesn't have corn oil added to it. I am sorry for your brother's allergies but I am proud he is improving.  I wish you lots of success in dealing with his food allergies.  I know it is a struggle and we wish you all the Lord's Grace to deal with this huge problem.


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## kiri (Jul 30, 2006)

*Plenty of help is available*

Hi,
First, go to your public library and start looking at allergy cookbooks.  There are some good ones out there.  There are some bad ones too, so take a look at what is out there.  Then buy the ones you like.

Second, go buy The Allergy Self-help Cookbook.  by Marjorie Hurt Jones, R. N. Rodale Press.  I think you will find it very helpful.  There are a ton of recipes in this book, all milk-free, wheat-free, soy-free, corn-free, etc.  

Marjorie Hurt Jones also has other books and publications.  Check out her web site.  There is a lot of good info for people with allergies.

http://www.imbris.net/~mastent/ 

Third, google "Food Allergies", "Multiple Chemical Sensitivities", "Rotation Diet".  People with MCS have more food allergies then you list, so many of the cookbooks out there are written by people with this disease.

Hope this helps.  There is a ton of info out there for people with multiple allergies.


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## Gretchen (Jul 30, 2006)

I would make a list of things he CAN eat and then post. And surely your allergist is suggesting menues/foods. If not, change doctors.
Are they trying to desensitize him? How old is he?


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