What's For Breakfast?

When you’re first diagnosed with food allergies, the Doctor usually recommends doing an Elimination Diet which requires eliminating all the foods you are ‘sensitive’ to and then adding them back in one at time to determine which foods cause symptoms.  However, it’s not enough to just eliminate the sensitive foods, the diet also emphasizes rotating consumption of the same food types each day.  For me, this was one of the hardest parts of the Elimination Diet.  First I had to cut out 40 of my favorite foods and then I had to figure out how to somehow vary the remaining foods I could eat.  This was especially difficult for breakfast.  Without dairy, gluten or eggs, how do you find multiple breakfast options to vary every day?

After a lot of searching and more than a few hungry mornings, I have found some great breakfast options.  If you read my last blog post, you already know about the wonders of goat yogurt.  Other options include corn cereal, buckwheat cereal, gluten free oats, and granola.

I love that Chex has multiple gluten free cereals, including Rice, Corn and, my personal favorite, Honey Nut Chex.  These are great when you’re on the go and need something fast. For a more hearty option, try Bob’s Red Mill Organic Creamy Buckwheat or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats which make for filling and fast breakfasts.  I make a big batch on Sunday night and bring to work a few times a week.  Throw some Agave, cinnamon and dried or fresh fruit on top and it makes a great breakfast that keeps me full until at least 12:30 which is unheard of, as I’m usually chewing my arm off by 10:30.

But, my favorite breakfast is granola with goat yogurt.  I used to buy gluten free granola from Rose’s Bakery, but it’s pretty expensive and also has cranberries which, I am very sad to say, is on the No List.  So, I made my own recipe.  I usually throw in whatever I have lying in the cabinet - you can add any nuts or dried fruits that you like.  Here’s what I like:

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Granola:

2 cups Gluten Free Oats

¼ cup Flax Seed

¼ cup shredded coconut

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup cut up dried prunes

½ cup dried raisons

½ cup dried cherry

½ cup Agave Nectar (Costco sells Organic Blue Agave in pairs)

5 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Mix oats, flax seed, coconut, almonds, walnuts and prunes together in large bowl. 

Heat agave and coconut oil over high heat until oil is completely melted.  Slowly pour oil / agave mixture into oat mixture, stirring constantly.  Stir until oat mixture is completely coated.  Spread onto greased baking tin

Bake:  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

10 minutes @ 350 degree

20 minutes @ 300 degree

Remove from oven after 10 minutes and mix granola so it does not clump together or stick to pan.  Remove from oven after 20 minutes, mix and add raisons and cherries to cook for last 10 minutes.  If you add earlier, the dried fruit burns and dries out.  (Prunes have a lot of moisture, so need to go in with the oats / nuts or they will be too moist)

When done, mixture should look darker (nice roasted brown), but should still be slightly soft.  Let cool in pan for 1 hour and once completely cool, mixture will be crispy.

I like to eat it with goat yogurt, but you can serve with any type of milk (goat, almond, soy, etc).   Feel free to comment with your favorite uses for granola or any ideas for different nut / fruit options to add!

Got Goat?

The most difficult task of embarking on this new lifestyle was saying goodbye to dairy, primarily, yogurt and cheese.

I’m an accountant by trade, so I’m definitely a creature of habit.  I have been eating the same thing for breakfast every day since I was in college:  fat free, plain yogurt with granola and, for a special treat on the weekends, yogurt with apples and cinnamon.  Yes, I do realize how lame and unexciting that sounds…. What can I say?

As with everything, there’s always a silver lining.  I was allergic to cow’s milk.  This still left goat dairy in the clear.  Note that goat dairy was specifically tested during my food sensitivity testing and came back okay to eat.  Sheep dairy was not tested, but I would like to add back to my diet soon and see how I react.    Before being diagnosed with food allergies, I was a huge cheese snob.  No Kraft singles for this lady!  I cannot wait to indulge in some Manchego (and cross my fingers that I’m not allergic).

Other than goat cheese (which I LOVE!), I had never seen any other goat dairy products.  It’s surprising what you start to notice when you’re actually on the look out.  The grocery store is full of goat products – goat milk, goat yogurt; I even found goat ‘cheddar’ cheese.  Trader Joe’s has been my go-to store for goat products.  I have only seen the ‘cheddar’ cheese at Trader Joe’s and it is great for making nachos which is a treat I thought I’d given up for good.  TJ’s goat yogurt is reasonably priced (relative to other goat yogurts on the market – they are expensive!).  Goat yogurt is delicious – a little more tart than cow yogurt, but very rich and a much needed indulgence, especially on Saturday morning when I need a ‘special’ treat!

I feel so lucky that I can delight in goat products.  But, what is the difference between dairy from a cow versus a goat or a sheep?  Why would I be sensitive to one and not the other?  I have heard that varying levels of Casein within dairy products affects allergic reactions in some.  These are the issues I am currently researching and would love to hear your thoughts.  In the meantime, what’s next on my list of indulgence:  Goat Caramel Candy.  Hmmm..  so far everything I’ve read says it takes at least 2 hours of constant stirring…  Looks like this is something for a true baker to tackle – I’ll put in the request and you’ll be hearing from my sister soon.  Maybe I can convince her to try something for the true vegans out there also – soy milk or almond milk caramel anyone?