Allergy-Proofing Your Favorite Recipes is Easier Than You Think!
I say this all of the time, but if it wasn't for allergy-safe cookbooks, written by amazing moms who are not only incredibly talented home cooks, but fearless food allergy advocates, I'm not sure how I would have survived the first few years following my sons' diagnoses. These women gave me hope and made me realize that we weren't alone (which is more valuable than I can even put into words). But, then there were their practical tips for cooking without ingredients like milk and eggs... that was life-changing.
As time went on, though, I realized that I had a little more wiggle room than I thought when it came to cooking for my boys. Why couldn't I just take a recipe I loved and simply substitute the dairy or egg ingredients with my safe alternatives? Sometimes it was a seamless switch; other times it was a complete disaster. Oh, my kitchen has seen everything from home runs to horrific morsels that I've immediately thrown in the trash can after they've come out of the oven. You know what, though? The chances that I've taken with allergy-free cooking have been so worth it in the end. I will share many of the "winners" with you as we go, but in the meantime, I want to encourage you to play around with the prospect of making your favorite recipes SAFE for your child. The more options you have, the more empowered you will feel; these are the bright spots that we can hang on to when we encounter the inevitable roadblocks that hit us along our food allergy journey.
Now, for a disclaimer. I understand that some of you do not like to cook. I get it, and that it totally okay. That still doesn't mean that you can't pull this off. Let me introduce you to one of the world's easiest recipes and a kid-favorite that I've loved since I was a little girl: rice krispy treats. In fact, I have a vivid memory of this being one of the very first things I learned how to cook in my middle school home economics class (so, it can't be that hard, right?). These treats contain a whopping three ingredients and don't even require the use of the oven. But, here's the best part: I've not only made these allergy-safe, but I've handpicked my ingredients to include those that are a little more wholesome - bye, bye GMO's, artificial dyes and high fructose corn syrup! That's the power in your hands when you go out on a limb, follow your favorite recipe as a guide, and experiment.
This is the traditional rice krispy recipe modified with the rockstar vegan - and peanut, tree nut, gluten, and GMO-free - ingredients below. Make these goodies today and watch them magically disappear within seconds at your house!
Allergy-Safe Rice Krispy Treats
3 tablespoons dairy-free butter (I use Earth Balance, soy-free version)
1- 10 ounce bag of marshmallows (I use Dandies brand)
6 cups crispy rice cereal (I use Erewhon brand)
Spray a 13X9 pan with dairy-free, non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Melt dairy-free butter in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and well combined with butter. Take off heat.
Slowly add rice cereal, one cup at a time, until well blended with marshmallow mixture. Using a spatula coated with dairy-free butter or cooking spray, press rice krispy mixture into prepared pan.
Cool treats for at least five minutes and cut into squares. Enjoy!
For my blog posts highlighting allergy-safe alternatives that you can use as substitutes in your favorite recipes, click: Allergy Safe Alternatives That Saved Us and and More Safe Products We Can't Live Without
Click here to see the traditional rice krispy treat recipe in its original form.
