Week 47 - Eating Dairy Free in a Cheese Loving Family

Printable Version of Meal Plan

Sooooo, remember way back in my first post I said....

"this is not a ‘diet’ nor am I a trained dietician! No one in my house has allergies, it’s not gluten-free, dairy free or anything else free – although it is free to follow me!!" 

Well that's mostly still true, but after more than 3 decades of living with Eczema I'm attempting to get to the root cause of my flare-ups.  First test is to eliminate dairy for 3 weeks.  I can't lie... my first reaction was that this was going to be torture.  I mean, no cheese???  For 3 weeks??  But then I thought to myself, "Self... this is only for 3 weeks (for now anyway) and I will see this as a fun challenge".  So instead I'm going to concentrate on all the delicious things I can eat, instead of what I can't.  Isn't that very "glass half full" of me??  I am however secretly hoping this is one test that I'll fail miserably.

I had planned out this week prior to this dairy challenge so I ended up just tweaking the plan for myself only.  The Week in Review includes notes on how I de-dairy'd (yes, I totally made up that term) my planned meals.

Recipe Quick Links

Easy Overnight Oats, Marin Mama Cooks
Ranch Dip, 100 Days of Real Food
Almond Milk, Oh She Glows
Maple Soy Salmon, Chatelaine
7 Vegetable Soup, Oh She Glows
Vegan Caesar Dressing, About.com
Freezer Chocolates, Practical Paleo
Pumpkin Spelt Muffins, 100 Days of Real Food

Week in Review

Breakfasts - We typically do our own thing for breakfast anyway so this wasn't a biggie.  Although I think for me this was the biggest challenge since I didn't have a chance the first few days to research what my options were or even to get to a store to get a milk alternative.  So I stuck mainly to overnight oats, eggs and of course, fruit! Mid-way through the week I made a batch of Almond Milk which helped.

Easy Overnight Oats

Feta Stuffed Omelettes and Roasted Sweet Potatoes - Totally enjoyed this lunch, the roasted sweet potatoes were an exciting addition to my lunch box! 
Dairy-Free Option: Omit the Feta and don't add milk to the eggs (you can simply omit or add water instead)

Salmon w/ Steamed Vegetables - This was dee-licious!  I've been wanting Salmon for weeks but haven't been able to find it at a decent price.  This week I found trays of salmon pieces (the bits they trim off the "pretty" pieces) for a very reasonable price so I stocked up.  I made Maple Soy Salmon.  Mmmm.... so good!  Actually I think the small pieces worked great for this recipe because it really soaked up the flavor.  Definitely my winner this week... and dairy-free.

Tuna Salad Sandwich on Whole Wheat Kaiser with Veggies & Dip - Tuna Salad was on my mind because a friend mentioned she had made sandwiches with tuna and goat cheese.  I had some goat cheese to use up so I was going to give it a try... but then goat cheese was put on the 'do not eat' list.
Dairy-Free Option:  Use avocado and lime for the Tuna Salad instead of mayo.  Omit the dip.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs w/ Salad - I didn't follow a recipe for the chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs).  I really just cooked them in a skillet with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and rosemary.  For the salad I used the Organic Supergreen Mix from Costco, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, aged white cheddar and apple.
Dairy-Free Option:  Use Nutritional Yeast in place of Parmesan.  I mixed Nutritional Yeast with a small amount of olive oil and used my fingers to blend.  The result was crumbly. 

Turkey "Dinner" - In honour of American Thanksgiving we had a mini version of Turkey Dinner.  This was turkey cutlets served with cranberry sauce, a celery root puree (in place of mashed potatoes) and a mix of roasted vegetables.
Dairy-Free Option: No butter on the veggies.  No milk in the puree.

Salsa Shrimp with Couscous - This was another meal I was totally digging this week and as a bonus it could not have been easier to make.  In fact I'm going to write out the recipe so that I remember to do it again sometime.  And I think I can safely say that this would be even better with some feta crumbled in.

Salsa Shrimp with Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
• 1 Cup Salsa
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• Cooked & Peeled Frozen Shrimp (adjust amount based on servings required.  I used about 2 cups)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over med-high heat in a skillet
2. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 min
3. Add the salsa & lime juice to the skillet, stir
4. Immediately add the shrimp (frozen or thawed) and cook until heated through
5. Serve over whole wheat couscous.

7 Vegetable Soup with Pumpkin Seeds and Croutons - This is a vegan recipe from Oh She Glows (awesome blog - go check it out!) so no Dairy issues here.  I would say this soup was good and I enjoyed it for lunch but found it lacking on its own for supper.  I skipped the croutons because they weren't dairy free so I think a side of garlic bread would have nicely rounded out this meal for me.

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad  - We don't do this meal often but it's a tasty and quick supper - Cook a couple of chicken breasts and then dice up and toss on top of a Caesar Salad.  I typically make the dressing found on my Salad Dressing Printout.  I highly recommend using Kale instead of the more traditional Romaine for a nice twist.  Tip: Massage the kale with a little olive oil and lemon juice before adding the dressing.  This will help the Kale absorb the dressing better.
Dairy-Free Options:  Use this vegan Caesar salad dressing; Check ingredients on croutons or omit; Replace the parmesan with nutritional yeast or this Vegan Parmesan (which I have not tried but most certainly will be!!)  Note:  I found many recipes for vegan Caesar dressings, I chose this one because it used ingredients I had on hand.

Pumpkin Spelt Muffins - I had to make a batch of dairy-free muffins to get me through the week. I modified this recipe replacing the butter with a 50/50 split of applesauce and coconut oil.  Honestly, couldn't tell the difference.  In fact I often replace butter or oil with applesauce in muffin recipes with only a slight difference in texture.

And I leave you with this.... it might not look like much but I assure you this is what I would call "a darn good snack!".  And it's dairy free!

Freezer Chocolates and Almonds

Happy Weekend!

Sandra

 

Week 20 – Snack Attack

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

Last weekend was Mother’s Day so I wanted to get groceries on Saturday instead of my typical Sunday morning routine.  Since I had to put the plan together faster than normal I ended up just pulling some ideas from my head.  The result wasn’t too bad… some good eats this week!  And for some reason we had an abundance of snacks to choose from.  I must have been feeling snacky when I made the plan.  Snacks are something I find I can get in a rut with so I've added some to the Recipe Quick Links section and have highlighted one of our favorites!

Recipe Quick Links

• 7 Grain Orange Pilaf Salad, Zoe Cuisine
• Brown Butter, Chatelaine
• Refried Beans, 100 Days of Refried Beans
• Yogurt Parfait, In the Kitchen with Stephano Faita
• Granola Coins, Today’s Parent
• Kale & Pineapple Smoothie, Marin Mama Cooks
• Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food
• Cheddar Crackers, Weelicious

Snack Spotlight - Apple Sandwiches

This has become a favorite over the last few weeks.  The spread is almond butter, maple syrup and shredded coconut.  It stacks and packs well for lunch boxes and is super delicious!  I use an apple corer to core the apple first.  Then I slice into 4 or 6 slices depending on the size of the apple to make 2 or 3 "sandwiches".  Reassemble the apple and wrap.

Week in Review

Monday

Lunch – 7 Grain Orange Pilaf.  I stumbled on this one on Pinterest last week so it was fresh in my mind.  It was really good.  A bit of a twist on our typical Greek Quinoa.  I used a combination of Quinoa and Bulgar.  Will definitely make this again.

Supper – BBQ Chicken & Kale Caesar.  We enjoyed our grilled chicken salad so much last week that chicken and salad made it back on the menu.  Just a basic grilled chicken breast and my homemade Caesar dressing with kale and grated parmesan.  Dave and I agree that Caesar works better with kale rather than romaine.  Yummy and easy!

Caesar Dressing – mix well 1cup of mayonnaise,  2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, 1 Tbsp Lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (minced) and just a little milk.  The milk is to thin it out and give it the consistency you want, so base amount on preference.  I scale this recipe back depending on the size of salad we’re having

Tuesday

Lunch -- Leftover 7 Grain Pilaf.   I made enough pilaf for two days.  Just as good the second time.  I added the nuts just before eating.

Supper – Brown Butter Haddock and Sautéed Zucchini and Mushrooms.  I declared my love for brown butter the last time I made it… it’s been too long.  Welcome back to the plan Brown Butter, welcome back.  I just pan fried the fish and sauteed the veggies in a little oil and garlic.  I drizzled the brown butter over everything.  yum.

Wednesday

Lunch – Tuna Salad on Crackers with Veggies and Dip.  This is a go to lunch, quick to throw together and I almost always have everything on hand.  I used sour cream mixed with ranch dressing seasoning for Dave and Mango Curry seasoning from Epicure for me.  My tuna salad was basic - can of tuna, spoonful of mayo, squeeze of lemon and dash of dill.

Supper -- Hamburgers on Portobello "Buns" with Grilled Veggies, Kale and Aioli.  This recipe was straight from my head and I was pretty proud of it.  Isn't it pretty?? 

The hamburger was simply ground beef, egg, salt & pepper and breadcrumbs.  The mushroom caps, red pepper and red onion were brushed with olive oil and grilled on the BBQ.  I made an aioli with mayo, lemon juice and garlic.  We topped each burger with mozza and feta at the end, letting the cheese melt.  Then we assembled... Portobello "bun", aioli, kale, burger and grilled veggies.   I love BBQ season!

Thursday

Breakfast -- Yogurt Parfait with Granola.  I had to mention this one because it was a really satisfying breakfast and I actually packed it the night before for a grab and go.   I made the granola coin recipe but used coconut oil, shredded coconut and flax and didn't form it into coins.  Just tossed it on a baking stone and baked it longer than recommended to make a crunchy granola. 

Lunch -- Pita Pizza.  I topped pita with pizza sauce, leftover hamburger and grilled veggies, olives, feta and mozza.  Totally did the trick.  I love reinventing leftovers.

Supper -- Nachos with Refried Beans (from the freezer).  I told Marin we were having her favorite supper and she said "Yay!  Nachos!"  Then Dave came home and said "Yay!  Nachos!"

Friday

Lunch -- We still have some leftover beans to use up so the plan is bean, avocado and cheese quesadillas using pita instead of tortilla. 

Supper -- We're going to be on the road so I'm packing ham & cheese sandwiches on Kaisers with some veggies and dip.

Week 13 – Plan to Not Plan

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

I know it sounds funny... or maybe lazy, but I did actually plan to not plan this week.  Or at least to not over plan.  As I was doing up the menu I went to the fridge and it appeared full, the freezer was overflowing with frozen fruit and vegetables and my sister, who recently had to switch her family to a gluten free diet, dropped off grocery bags full of pantry staples. So I headed out with a loose plan figuring it was one of those weeks I could likely pull something together with what I had.  Not the most exotic week of meals but it kept some things out of the green bin and wasn’t too bad on the pocket book either.

Recipe Quick Links:

• Broccoli & Cheese Patties, Weelicious
• Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Bev Cooks
• Pan Fried Haddock, Chef Michael Smith
• Coleslaw, Chef Michael Smith
• Very Berry Muffins, Weelicious

Before I jump into the week in review I want to share a funny picture… Marin’s been in ‘chef’ mode lately, always wanting to make her own breakfast, snacks, etc… This is what she came up with for dessert one night last week.  We had it with a scoop of ice cream and minus the carrot, it was actually really good!

Week in Review

Sunday – Sunday’s supper was the ultimate convenience meal… Costco pizza and a Caesar salad.  The Caesar deserves a little attention here – Costco had a bag of mixed greens I hadn’t seen before but it included kale so I had to buy it.   As luck would have it croutons were on sale as well and I had a lemon in the fridge.  Years ago a friend gave me a recipe for a homemade Caesar dressing and I haven’t bought a bottle since.  Mixed greens, awesome croutons and a homemade creamy salad dressing – yum!

Caesar Dressing – mix well 1cup of mayonnaise,  2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, 1 Tbsp Lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (minced) and just a little milk.  The milk is to thin it out and give it the consistency you want, so base amount on preference.  I scale this recipe back depending on the size of salad we’re having.

Monday – Lunch was Sunday’s leftovers – so for under $20 we got supper and lunch.  Not bad for a takeout-ish meal.  Supper was my knock off “Shake n Bake” chicken. And I lucked out on sales again – broccoli and cheese were both on sale and I’ve been wanting to make these broccoli and cheese patties again.  As a bonus these can be prepped ahead so they make an easy weeknight meal.

Breaded Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ c Italian style bread crumbs (or regular with seasoning of choice)
• ¼ c Parmesan cheese
• 4 chicken cutlets (2 boneless skinless breasts cut lengthwise)
• Coconut oil (If baking, spray with olive oil)

Directions:

1) Place egg in one bowl. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan in second bowl. 2) Dip chicken in egg and then in bread crumb mixture, coat well. 3) If frying, heat oil in skillet and fry chicken until coating is golden and crispy and chicken is cooked through.  If baking, bake at 425 for about 20min.

Tuesday – My sister has been making this Pad Thai regularly since I included it in Week 1.  I threw it in this week because I had a block of tofu that needing eating.  I typically use vermicelli in this recipe but that same sister is the one who dropped off bags of pasta so I used linguini instead and it worked fine. 

Tofu Pad Thai (slightly modified from Crazy Plates cookbook)

Cook vermicelli noodles according to package. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Sauce – combine the following ingredients and set aside.

• ¼ c Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp each soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in skillet and add the following, cooking until tofu is browned

• 1 package cubed firm tofu
• 1 package coleslaw mix (I like the broccoli mix too)
• ½ small red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Add sauce and bring to boil. Stir in noodles. Serve and top with fresh cilantro, green onion, chopped peanuts and a wedge of lime.

The plan for supper was a meatloaf but I felt like something quicker when I got home.  So I ended up just browning the beef with carrots, celery and onion and little soy sauce and served it with a side of basmati.  This meal was fine but this was a package of ground beef I bought at the local farmers market a couple of weeks ago and I was a little regretful I didn’t do something more special with it. 

Wednesday – Lunch was Pad Thai, take 2.  Supper was interesting and I can’t decide if I liked it.  I’ve had spaghetti squash on my mind lately and this recipe (Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash) appealed to me because it called for cilantro, which I needed for the Pad Thai as well.  We typically love anything remotely Mexican but this wasn’t something we were raving about as we ate it.  But… it was light and left us pleasantly full and sitting here typing about it is making me want a serving!  A few things I would suggest – careful with the jalapenos, I used jarred and it was HOT!!  It was the cheesy bites I really liked so I’d suggest mixing half the cheese in with the filling before stuffing the shells.  And we had it with some diced avocado which was good.

Thursday – one big plus for the stuffed spaghetti squash – leftovers for lunch, and actually better the next day I think.  Supper was going to be a beet and goat cheese salad but as I stood in the produce section, beets in hand, I was thinking ‘do we really need these or can I come up with something else?’  In the end I left the beets and we had goat cheese omelettes with a salad made with that kale lettuce mix from Costco.  Good and used up lots of our fresh ingredients.



Friday – Marin made my breakfast – a bowl of cereal.  It was perfect!  She also coordinated snack – she picked an apple, almonds, coconut and soda crackers.  I went a step further and mixed almond butter with maple syrup and the coconut to have as a spread for the apple.  This was so good!  I’m going to do this up as apple sandwiches for work snacks next week – delicious!   Lunch was Annie’s Organic Mac & Cheese with nutritional yeast flakes and raw veggies.  My plan for supper was fish and coleslaw… nothing more specific than that.  I did a Google search this afternoon for pan-fried haddock and coleslaw and both times came up with Chef Michael Smith recipes.  I’m a huge fan, I watched countless episodes of Chef at Home while on maternity leave and own one of his cookbooks.  His recipes never disappoint!  This Pan Fried Whitefish and Coleslaw with boiled potatoes made an excellent meal!
 

 

Then we had strawberry shortcake with whole wheat tea biscuits… mmm… it was a Good Friday!Well... minus the 4 year olds bath time meltdown, but that’s for another blog.  

Happy Easter everyone!