Everyday with Allergies

Soy cheese that is truly dairy free

2009-05-02T10:40:00.004+08:00

It is hard to find soy cheese that is truly dairy free. Most "soy" cheeses are started in a casein (milk) base, or may contain animal rennet or whey. This means they have been in contact with dairy and are therefore unsuitable for those with high sensitivities or who are anaphylactic to milk.

Kingland Soy Cheese (from Australia) and Redwood Cheezly (from the UK) are two popular cheddar-style cheeses that are dairy free. Tofutti (from the US) makes a delicious dairy-free cream cheese.

Of course, if your palate is used to regular dairy cheese then the taste and texture of soy cheese may take some getting used to.

Kingland say:

Kingland Soy Cheese is made from premium grade organic and GM free soy beans grown in Australia. Choice ingredients have been carefully combined to produce mild flavoured, smooth textured, delicious cheeses. Being low in fat, having negligible cholesterol, no lactose, and the goodness of soy these cheeses have been well accepted by consumers. These cheeses may be used cold, baked, grilled or melted as delicious dairy cheese replacements. Kingland Soy Cheese is ideally suited for vegetarians and those who have allergies to dairy products.

Kingland Soy Cheese is available in four varieties: Cheddar, Garden Herbs, Sesame & Poppy, and Cracked Pepper. They are widely available in supermarkets. Call the manufacturer King International on 07 3277 7899 for information on stockists.

Redwood say:

Cheezly is TOTALLY free from animal ingredients. So it's perfect for vegetarians and vegans, as well as people who are lactose or casein intolerant. What's more, there are no nasties. Cheezly is also free from hydrogenated fats, gluten, artificial colours/preservatives, cholesterol and GMOs.

Redwood Cheezly is available in the styles of Mature White Cheddar, Nacho, Mozzarella, Gouda, Edam, and Garlic and Herb Cheddar. The Mozzarella is the best of the varieties. It melts very well and is very suitable for a cheddar substitute. Redwood Cheezly is available from delis and specialist vegan retailers. Call the Australian distributor Vegan Perfection on 03 9398 6302 for stockist information.

My preferred cream cheese is Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese. This is dairy-free and is widely available in supermarkets. It is just as nice as dairy cream cheese and when used in sandwiches or in recipes, dairy eaters can't tell the difference! Call the Australian distributor Trialia Foods on 03 9701 1666 for stockist information.

If you can tolerate a trace of dairy the Mini-chol cheese is a delicious soy-based cheese. However, be aware that it is started in a casein (milk) base and will therefore contain traces of dairy. As it is often sold by weight in delicatessens the label may be removed and staff may mistakenly claim it is dairy-free.

Please write in the comments if you know of other brands or stockists.

Hot Cross Buns

2009-03-30T12:30:00.003+08:00

Hot cross buns are a must-have for Easter time. These may take a little time to make but I am sure you will find they are as good as ones from the baker with the added benefit they are safe for those with allergies.

Hot Cross Buns

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy and nuts.

Makes 16
1¼ cups soy milk
⅓ cup caster sugar
2 small (7g) sachets dried yeast
4 cups plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
¾ cup sultanas
¼ cup currants
Egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg
100g dairy-free margarine
3 Tbs golden syrup

Paste for crosses:
⅓ cup plain flour
1 Tbs caster sugar
¼ cup water

Warm the milk and place it into a bowl with the yeast and sugar. Stir until combined and the yeast has dissolved. Set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Sift flour into a large bowl; add spices and a pinch of salt then stir in dried fruit.

Melt the margarine, then add it along with the yeast mixture and egg replacer to the flour and fruit. Stir the mixture until it forms dough. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle a little flour in a clean bowl, place the dough in and cover with plastic wrap. Stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Divide dough into 16 equal-sized pieces and roll into balls. Place in a greased 23cm square cake tin. Cover with plastic wrap then stand in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until the buns have risen to the level of the tin's rim.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Pipe the paste (see below) into crosses over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes then reduce oven to 180°C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden. Turn on to a wire rack. Brush warmed golden syrup over the top of hot buns as a glaze.

Serve warm.

Paste for crosses:

Combine flour and sugar in a small bowl; slowly add enough water while mixing to form a smooth paste, but be careful to not make it too runny. Spoon mixture into a piping bag.

Pan Fried Barramundi with Mango Salsa

2009-03-25T15:05:00.003+09:00

Perfect for a hot summer day, the combination of light juicy fish and refreshing mango salsa make this meal hard to beat.

Pan Fried Barramundi with Mango Salsa

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

Serves 4
4 barramundi portions
2 ripe mangos
1 large avocado
2 spring onions
2 tsp coriander leaves
1 tsp mint leaves
1 tsp parsley
Juice of ½ a lemon
A sprinkle of chilli flakes if desired

Cut through the mango either side of the stone. Dice these two cheeks and place in a large bowl. Halve the avocado, carefully peel the skin off and remove the stone. Dice the avocado and add it to the mango.

Slice the spring onions and add them to the mango with the finely chopped herbs. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and mix everything together.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frypan. Fry the barramundi for 4-6 minutes each side.

Spoon the salsa on top of the barramundi. Serve with chips and a salad.

Cinnamon Scrolls

2008-12-23T13:14:00.003+09:00

These cinnamon scrolls are perfect for Christmas brunch with a soft, sticky, fruit centre. They smell, feel and taste as good as those from your local bakery.

Cinnamon Scrolls

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy and nuts.

Dough:
7g sachet (2 teaspoons) dry yeast
¼ cup caster sugar
½ cup soy or rice milk, warmed
2½ cups plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g dairy-free margarine
1 tsp egg replacer, mixed with 30ml water
¼ cup warm water

Filling:
50g dairy-free margarine
1 small apple
½ cup sultanas
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing:
⅔ cup pure icing sugar
15ml boiling water

Dough:

Place the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Stir until combined and the yeast dissolves. Set aside in a warm place until foamy.

Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Rub in the margarine until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the yeast mixture, warm water and egg replacer. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size turn it onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth. Roll out dough to a 25x30cm rectangle.

Melt the margarine and brush three-quarters of it over the dough.

Topping:

Sprinkle the dough with finely chopped apple and sultanas. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples and sultanas. Starting from the long side, roll up the dough and topping like a Swiss roll.

Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Cut the roll in half and then cut each half into four equal slices. Place scrolls, cut side up, in the prepared tin. Brush the remaining margarine over the top of the scrolls. Cover and set aside for 25–30 minutes in a warm place until scrolls have increased in size by a third.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on top. Cool in the tin for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

Icing:

Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in boiling water until well combined. Drizzle icing over slightly warm scrolls.

Where can I find dairy-free chocolate?

2008-10-06T14:39:00.004+08:00

Some cooking chocolates are made with oils rather than butter (check the label carefully), but the consistency of these can be crumbly and they are not really nice enough to eat on their own!

The Kinnerton brand promotes its 100g Luxury Dark Chocolate bars as milk-free, egg-free, nut-free, and gluten-free. This is a very rich, flavoursome chocolate great for using in cooking, baking, and eating on its own if you like dark chocolate. Kinnerton also make allergen-free lollipops and really yummy chocolate mints. Seasonally, Kinnerton also make Easter Eggs and Christmas sweets. In Australia, Kinnerton say their chocolate is available at major stores like Big W, Kmart, Target, and Priceline, however I have found that not all stores stock them all the time.

Sweet William make 100g White Delight and Original chocolate blocks and various small flavoured bars. They say their blocks are milk-free, nut-free, and gluten-free. They use soy instead of dairy milk, and the Original bar is a great substitute for milk chocolate, with a lighter and creamier flavour than the Kinnerton Luxury Dark block. In Australia, Sweet William say their chocolate is available at major supermarkets Woolworths, Coles, and IGA, either with the health foods or in the confectionery.

Personally, I love dark chocolate so in all my chocolate recipes I use Kinnerton. Please write in the comments if you know of other brands or stockists.

Perfect Pasta Bake

2008-10-03T13:42:00.002+08:00

If you are looking for something different to do with mince, or an easy alternative to lasagne, then look no further. This is a very tasty pasta that will have everyone coming back for more.

Perfect Pasta Bake

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

Serves 6-8
400g gluten-free penne pasta

Mince layer:
1Tbs olive oil
700g lean minced beef
½ small onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbs coriander leaf
1 Tbs parsley
½ tsp turmeric
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Tomato layer:
½ Tbs olive oil
4 large tomatoes
¼ onion finely chopped
½ cup tomato passata
1 heaped Tbs dried basil

Béchamel sauce:
40g dairy-free margarine
2 Tbs gluten free flour
1 cup soy or rice milk
100g soy cheese grated

Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook the pasta according to packet directions.

Mince layer:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, brown the onion, and add the mince and brown it. Add the herbs, spices, and sauce and simmer for five minutes. Then set aside.

Tomato layer:

Chop the tomatoes into small chunks. Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add the basil, tomatoes and tomato passata, and stir. Simmer for two minutes, then set aside.

Béchamel sauce:

In a large saucepan, melt the dairy-free margarine. Add the flour and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and gradually add milk, stirring continually. Return to heat and stir until the mixture thickens.

Assembly:

Drain the pasta and pour it evenly into the bottom of a lasagne dish. Carefully spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the pasta. Next, spoon the mince over the top of the tomato sauce, and finish with the layer of béchamel sauce. Top with grated soy cheese.

Bake in a moderate oven for 30-35 minutes.

Chocolate Mud Cake

2008-09-13T14:25:00.006+08:00

This is a rich, dense and beautifully moist chocolate mud cake. When avoiding milk, eggs and gluten it is hard to imagine that you could still enjoy something so decadent!

Chocolate Mud Cake

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

200g dairy-free margarine
200g dairy-free chocolate
1½ cups brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa
¼ cup water
1 cup plain flour or gluten-free plain flour
¾ cup self-raising flour or gluten-free self-raising flour
40 ml white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 24cm spring form cake tin with two layers of baking paper.

In a large saucepan place the margarine, chocolate, sugar, and water. Slowly heat until the margarine and chocolate has melted completely.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the vinegar, vanilla and the chocolate mixture. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.

Pour into the prepared tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake is crispy on the top but still moist in the middle.

Allow the cake to cool completely then dust with icing sugar.

Lemon and Marjoram Chicken Strips

2008-08-01T14:58:00.006+08:00

This is a simple way to jazz up some chicken breasts. Taking only minutes to prepare you can enjoy them in a simple dinner or as an hors d'oeuvre.

Lemon and Marjoram Chicken Strips

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

Serves 4
2 large chicken breasts, skin free
1-2 Tbs dried marjoram
1 lemon
Olive oil for frying

Remove any fat from the chicken breasts, and roughly cut them into strips.

Heat a little oil in a large frypan and place the chicken strips into the pan. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half over the chicken strips. Sprinkle half of the marjoram evenly over all the strips.

Cook for 5 minutes then turn. Repeat the lemon and marjoram and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with steamed vegetables and potato wedges or with a slice of lemon and some tomato salsa for dipping.

Apple and Peach Muffins

2008-06-19T14:59:00.006+08:00

I have used tinned peaches for this recipe however you can use fresh peaches if they are in season. You can also make them as mini muffins for young children, just reduce the cooking time to 12-15 minutes.

Apple and Peach Muffins

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

Makes about 12
2 cups self raising flour or gluten-free self raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup coconut
1 Tbs white vinegar
½ cup canola oil
1 cup soy or rice milk
140g tub of apple puree
200g peaches finely chopped

Icing:
125g dairy free margarine
1½ cups icing sugar
1 Tbs soy or rice milk
12 slices of peach

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line 12 muffin pans.

Sift flour into a large bowl; add sugar and coconut stir to combine. Add the vinegar, oil and milk and beat using electric beaters until ingredients are well combined. Stir through the apple puree and peach.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pans. Bake in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Icing: Place margarine in a small bowl and add sifted icing sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Slowly add milk and beat until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe a small amount onto the top of each muffin, top with a slice of peach.

Delicious Monte Carlo cream biscuits

2008-06-19T14:46:00.007+08:00

Inspired by the Arnott's cream biscuit, here is a delicious, huge, Monte Carlo without the butter and the egg.

Monte Carlo Cream Biscuits

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

Makes 20
180g dairy free margarine
½ cup brown sugar
1¼ cups self raising flour or gluten-free self raising flour
¾ cup plain flour or gluten-free plain flour
½ cup coconut
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs soy or rice milk
Jam for filling

Filling
60g dairy free margarine
¾ cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Cream margarine and sugar in a large bowl, add the vanilla and vinegar, and beat to combine.
Sift the flours into the bowl and add the coconut and milk. Mix well.

Using a dessert spoon, roll spoonfuls of mixture and place on prepared tray. Form into an oval shape.

Gently run a fork along the top of each biscuit to make rough lines.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Allow the biscuits to cool completely before joining together with the filling.

Filling: Cream the margarine and sugar, add the vanilla. If the mixture looks to runny add a little extra icing sugar, it should be a spreadable consistency.

To combine: Place a small amount of jam and a small amount of icing on a biscuit and join together with a second biscuit. Repeat until all biscuits are joined.

Is the texture of food any different using soy or rice milk?

2008-06-13T14:01:00.003+08:00

Most recipes work just as well with soy or rice milk compared with cow's milk. The only difference I have found is that when making a white sauce, the colour of the soy or rice milk may differ from that of cow's milk. Different brands of soy and rice milk vary in their colour so you may need to experiment to find a desirable shade.

Winter scones that are great with soup

2008-06-03T14:37:00.015+08:00

Even though it is winter, we had a bright and sunny warm weekend and enjoyed two fantastic batches of scones with some soup outside for lunch.

Chilli and Rosemary Drop Scones

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

2 cups self raising flour or gluten-free self raising flour
120g dairy-free margarine
1 Tbs dried rosemary
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
½ cup soy or rice milk

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour into a large bowl, and then rub in the margarine until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the chilli flakes and rosemary and stir through.

Pour in the milk and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or the scones will not rise.

Using a dessert spoon, drop heaped spoonfuls of mixture onto prepared tray. Leave room between each scone for them to grow a little during cooking. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Soy Cheese Drop Scones

Tara Humphries, everydaywithallergies.com

This recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts.

2 cups self raising flour or gluten-free self raising flour
120g dairy-free margarine
1 cup grated soy cheese (check your soy cheese does not contain milk)
¾ cup soy or rice milk
½ cup extra soy cheese for the top

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour into a large bowl, and then rub in the margarine until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the soy cheese and stir through.

Pour in the milk and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or the scones will not rise.

Using a dessert spoon, drop heaped spoonfuls of mixture onto prepared tray. Leave room between each scone for them to grow a little during cooking. Sprinkle a little extra cheese onto the top of each scone. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Cows milk proteins are found in breast milk

2008-05-23T13:49:00.004+08:00

I was told by my GP that my dairy intake wouldn't affect my baby Emily's cows milk allergy. However, the Allergy Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital disagree. They write:

Proteins from the maternal diet are found in breast milk within a few hours and may be found for the next 24 hours or so. (Milk Allergy Information Sheet)

After reading their article and recommendation to stop dairy products, I found that Emily's reflux symptoms and eczema went away. If I did slip up and have dairy, within an hour of her next feed the eczema and unsettled tummy would return and might last 24-48 hours.

How I found out about my baby's allergies

2008-02-29T12:46:00.004+09:00

Lots of mums ask me how I discovered my daughter Emily had allergies. When Emily was about 4 months, she was feeding every hour in the night. One night, I tried to top her up with a bottle of baby formula. She only took 10ml and went back to bed. The next time I breastfed her she vomited back the whole feed. At the same time she had reflux symptoms and eczema. The vomiting made me suspect that she hadn't liked the bottle.

At 6 months I confirmed the milk allergy by trying her again with formula and baby rice. This time she came up with hives on her face and hands within a minute. A short time later she vomited everything she had eaten.

I went to my GP and told her what had happened. She said it sounded like Emily was allergic to milk and referred me to an allergist. From then, I avoided giving her anything with dairy.